Seasonal Transitions

Sad news first

My mother died suddenly of a stroke on August 11th of this year while battling Cancer. I just thought you should know. There is a whole story hanging in that sentence, but it's not yet ready to tell.

Some Joy

In the meantime, grieving is an ongoing process and so, too, is my summer. As autumn quickly approaches, we are readying the yard and garden for winter. We have had a bumper crop of tomatoes, basil, carrots, and other wonders of sustenance. 

One crop that has been in short supply is Serenity. It is yield that helps prepare me for the winter. COVID-19 has changed many things. For me, summer is a time to recharge myself and, through the experience of joy, recharge the people I love. I can be hard to live with in February and I count on a carefree summer to remind me--and those who live with me--just why they would bother ;)

Needless to say, that has been challenging. But, Wendy and I have made some great headway on our desire to spend more time in nature (generally), and camping (in specific). To that end, although there was a lot of rain in the forecast, we found a 30hr window to try our luck at Namekus Lake in P.A. National Park.

We love this lake because there are only a handful of sites and there are no motors allowed on the lake. It makes for a very peaceful stay. The site we took was the very first one in the campground. It is surrounded on 3 sides by wilderness and the nearest other campers were 50m down the lane. 

The above photo was taken on Saturday (not normally "pancake day"). I will note for the reader that the next day (which is normally "pancake day"), we had pancakes AGAIN. My wife's love of pancakes apparently knows no bounds.

After eating, I went exploring nearby. Below is the gorgeous path leading away from the campground.

Fairy Path

The sun was just starting to peek through the eastern clouds, giving me some fine morning light. One of the ponds beyond the campground looked like it was drinking in the clouds.

Drinking the Sky

One of my favourite things about photography (and life in general) is shifting focus. To go from noticing something as big as the sky to suddenly see the smallest of hidden creatures.

Unidentified Water Beetles

Wendy and I were both itching to get out on the water, so we launched the canoe and spent the next several hours on the water. Wendy paddled the entire time while I took pictures. We were both deep in our element.

Female Canvas Back

The morning warmed for us and if felt like summer on the skin, but there was no denying that autumn is nearby--traversing the sky and beginning to creep onto the shoreline.

The water was so still that I found myself holding my breath so as not to disturb the silence. 

Wolf Beach

Nearby from the last photo, Wendy spotted a wolf! I caught sight for just a second--loping along the shore before it disappeared into the trees. We both felt very lucky. I have seen quite a bit of wildlife in 48 years, but that is the first wolf I've ever witnessed in the wild.

As we headed back towards the campground, the clouds slowly deepened as the sun rose towards noon. The first drops began to splatter us moments before we slid onto the beach.

It was a short and brilliant trip. If you want more landscapes, bugs and birds, you can see all 100+ photos here.