Day trip season has returned to southern Ontario!One day last week, Frank, his son #1 and I went fishing at a spot we tend to frequent each spring. We packed the car around noon and soon found ourselves on this lovely, hilly stretch of country road.I wrote about our visit there last year and how we caught a few fish for the then-pregnant feral cat who lives at the mill. We were quite relieved to see that she had survived yet another winter and seemed to remember us from previous years. Frank has been fishing for her every year for a long time now. She was much less reserved than usual - probably more hungry, too (she looked skinny to me) - and had a few things to tell us as she approached. She stayed just out of reach, but close enough to encourage us to toss some fish her way. The appropriate meal-sized chub which were so plentiful last year, were playing hard to get this spring, and as luck would have it, the kitty ended up with a decent-sized trout, which was injured in the catch and therefore unable to be released. She was quite happy with that.She's a sweet girl, isn't she?The mill, which is now for sale, has been shut down for longer than I've been going there, and has fallen into quite a state of disrepair. But I find its dilapidated rustic setting quite charming. Here's a peek inside one of the front windows.And here's one, out back close to where we fed the kitty.Sometime before our visit, an angler must have quenched his thirst with a cold beer. He left this bottle cap behind. I wonder if he fed our furry friend, too?After the feline's belly was full, we moved on to another fishing spot. I opted to leave the line-wetting to Frank and his son, and took a walk to snap some more photos instead. I'll share those with you next time.
Below are just a few simple everyday photos from around my place and Frank's. Nature has kindly provided the subjects. Come on and walk with me, please.
Frank lives near this lovely creek full of twists and turns and sharp, swirling bends like this one. Here, the creek is about to work its way around a small peninsula.
Further along the creek is this horizontal apple tree. Erosion has worn the shoreline down considerably over the last few years. I don't think I've ever actually seen this tree growing vertically, but it was only a couple of seasons ago that it wasn't any worse than diagonal.
It won't be long until it's entirely underwater but for now (a few weeks after the previous photo), it's still blossoming.
Speaking of underwater, Frank pointed this trout out to me one day last week, just as the spawning season subsided. It was one of those fish that some people seem to have a hard time spotting. You can read about that over here at Frank's blog.
This piece of weathered wood reminded me of a crocodile or alligator. Please tell me that I'm not the only one who sees that.
Frank's yard has this piece of driftwood sharing space with his spring Snowdrops.
Back at my place, the feeder birds are always a treat to watch. Frank identified this one as a female Cowbird.
The Grackle's iridescent colours always look so beautiful in the sunlight.
Grackles are always a bit ungainly and awkward when trying to fit themselves onto the feeder. I think this wide-eyed expression makes him look a bit crazed - a grack on crack.
This pretty Robin decided to pose nicely for me by the pond.I'm not fond of spiders and for those of you who feel the same way, be forewarned that this final photo is of one of these eight-legged wonders.
Despite how I feel about sharing my space with them, there's no denying that spiders are interesting creatures. There were about two dozen of these web masters hanging out in their newly-built webs on the railing of the dock one night. I didn't mind taking this ones picture but I think I'd still be ushering it out of the house if it were to show up unexpectedly.I hope you enjoyed the stroll and that you'll join me again soon.
Thank you to everyone who left such kind comments for my son, Jeffrey on my last blog post. Your good wishes, kind words and prayers are all very much appreciated.
Below are a few random photos taken over the past couple of weeks. They're accompanied by lyrics to which I thought they were suited. Please remember to click on each photo to enlarge.
A couple of weeks ago, Frank and I went fishing, not too far from his home. We drove along lovely, hilly roads to get there.
"May the trail rise up to meet you. May your heart rejoice in song. May the skies be fair above you as you journey ever on."(Ever On ~ Dan Fogelberg)
Along the way, we happened upon a small herd of donkeys. We stopped so that I could take a few photos.
"Ill never be your beast of burden. My back is broad but its a hurting"(Beast of Burden ~ The Rolling Stones)
" Yes, you've been fishin' all the time. I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too. I bet your life, your lovin' wife, catch more fish than you. Any fish bite, got good bait. Here's a little somethin' I would like to relate. Any fish bite, you've got good bait. I'm a-goin' a-fishin', yes, I'm goin' a-fishin', I'm a-goin' a-fishin' too."(Fishing Blues ~ Henry Thomas)
We stood on a narrow, rocky shore. Occasionally, we waded into the water to steer clear of brush while casting.
"I want to feel myself go under, baby, wWhere the deepest river bleeds. I want to feel it pull me under, darlin' until it drops me to my knees. I want to know that I can find you when there's no more eyes to see. In this cool, clear water runnin' you'll come runnin' to me"
(Cool, Clear Water ~ Bonnie Riatt)
As the day wore on, I decided to wander up the road to see what was around. The sun was dropping low in the sky, casting lovely, golden light on all that it touched.
"Like a tree in the meadow wind, she will bend to take you in now. Makes no difference where you been. That's the way she feels about you. That's the way she feels about you."
(Sunlight ~ The Youngbloods)
"When we arrived on Gillis Mountain you could see for miles in the light. The whitecaps on the sea of blue sparkled like diamonds in the night."
(Gillis Mountain ~ The Rankin Family)
A couple of Canada Geese took to flight.
"Smell the sea and feel the sky. Let your soul and spirit fly into the mystic."
(Into the Mystic ~ Van Morrison)
"Silent sunlight, welcome in There is work I must now begin."
(Silent Sunlight ~ Cat Stevens )
"Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze, and listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees. Send me off forever but I ask you please, don't fence me in." (Don't Fence Me In ~ Bing Crosby)
"Obedient and true-loyal through and through. A fuzzy reflection of you. If you are hurt, I will lick it. If you feed me, I won't forget it. If I mess up, just rub my nose in it. You let me out to sniff around, do my business and stretch out, and I always come running for you. I look cute at the end of your leash - your adorable beast." (Your Adorable Beast ~ Bobby Bare Jr.)
" Like a rock, I was strong as I could be. Like a rock, nothin ever got to me. Like a rock, I was something to see. Like a rock."(Like A Rock ~ Bob Seger)
"And it goes on and on, watching the river run. Further and further from things that we've done, leaving them one by one. And we have just begun watching the river run. Listening, learning and yearning to run, river, run."
(Watching the River Run ~ Kenny Loggins"
"There's a world far away from the one we see. There's a dream I will never let go. One thing is certainly true. This moment's for me and for you. So while there's not a thing that we can do, let's dance."(Chris Rea ~ Let's Dance)
These tiny, yellow Trout Lilies were growing along the pathway. The flower gets its name from the similarity between its mottled leaves and the markings of the Speckled Trout.
"And yesterday I saw you kissing tiny flowers, but all that lives is born to die. And so I say to you that nothing really matters, and all you do is stand and cry." (That's the Way ~ Led Zeppelin)
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I had about three hours to kill last week - the time spent on the city bus and subsequent train ride traveling eastward to visit Frank. I usually pack a book to read and this time was no exception. Having recently returned one to the library, I looked around my own bookshelves for something to bring with me, and settled on the classic To Kill A Mockingbird. I had recently promised my son, Jeffrey that I'd reread it soon, so it was an easy choice. I'd have well-written entertainment for my trip and I'd fulfill a promise to my son. I settled into the first chapter when a little girl and her mother stepped up into the bus and took their seats near the front.The child, no older than four, had a scowl on her
round, little face and when glancing up at her mom, I could see that it mirrored her own features and expression. The girl whined loudly, and demanded something from her mother. The parent outdid her child with volume, telling her that she could not have any chocolate until after the bus ride. Something in her tone and in her child's immediate growled response told me that the chocolate would be making an appearance soon. A few more growls, and half-hearted refusals on the mother's part and the little girl was presented with a large cream-filled chocolate egg. She continued to hold the angry expression on her face while unwrapping the candy, and it stayed with her well into eating it. A few minutes into gobbling up her treat, the child caught my eye. Her angry expression never left her face as she watched me. I feigned a scowl in response, and her own scowl deepened. My eyes narrowed, and as I turned my face away from her slowly, I shot one more quick look at her and then smiled. She continued to frown as she watched closely for what I might do next. I dealt her a series of smiles and winks, and as her face began to soften, she returned the smile. Suddenly, she was quite lovely.I continued making faces at her from across the aisle and several rows of seats, and she continued trying to return whichever expression I tossed her way. When I winked, she blinked and eventually resorted to holding one eye open with her fingers, allowing the other to blink a wink in return. I hid my face behind my hands and reappeared with a smile. She did likewise. I blew her a kiss and she obliged with one of her own. Occasionally she'd do something different, and I'd imitate her instead. We continued to interact like this off and on during the course of the trip. Her loud, raucous laughter was quite infectious and several passengers were watching and enjoying her amusement. Occasionally I'd get back to Jem and Scout who waited patiently for me within the pages of my book, but it wasn't long before I'd look up, and we'd continue our own little mockingbird game.Eventually the mother nudged the little girl to let her know that their stop was coming up. The child continued to wave, make faces and blow kisses at me as she stood and waited for the bus to stop. She yelled a series of loud "good-byes" to me and she kept looking back at me as she descended the steps and exited the vehicle. The child left feeling cheerful - she skipped as she headed to their next destination. I was pleased with the encounter which made the trip pass more quickly, but one nagging awareness disturbed me about the child's and my engagement. During the full hour trip, her mother never once looked over to see who was occupying her child's attention. Not once. She never looked at me while her child laughed out loud, blew kisses, waved and shouted her good byes. Unless the mother stole a sideways glance while I was catching snippets of my book, she had no idea who was holding her child's interest. As a mom, I found that troubling on a couple of levels. Safety alone would dictate that a parent would want to see who is attracting her child's attention. Was I some potential child molester, or just an innocuous mother of long-grown children, out to acquire her child fix for the day? I would have expected to catch a glimpse of the smile that a mom can't usually hide, when her child delights in a silly game with a stranger. Mostly, I was concerned about why this mother would not show the sense of pride that most of us tend to feel when someone is clearly enjoying one of our offspring. Why didn't she show her little one that she took delight in her playfulness, her improved mood and her interest with some unknown stranger on the bus? I tried not to speculate about the relationship between mother and daughter. I hoped that perhaps the mom was just having a rough day, and therefore lost in her own thoughts. I tried not to entertain conjecture about the kind of mother she might be to her daughter, or what kind of person the girl might be twenty years from now. I do know that despite the smile on the child's face, I felt sad after they left.Over the next several chapters of my book, I began to think of this little mimic along with Harper Lee's symbolic mockingbird. I hope that her songs generally evoke pride and affection in her mother. I hope that she feels cherished, and her innocence protected. And I hope she grows up to remember her childhood joyfully.
"Mockingbirds don’t do one thing but make music for us to enjoy. They don’t eat up people’s gardens, don’t nest in corncribs, they don’t do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. That’s why it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird."
These photos were all taken in the wooded area just a few steps away from Frank's place. Please remember to click on them to enlarge.
When we go walking in the evening, we ease our way along the banks of this creek. The ice and snow that covered the land just days before, yielded to the warm spring sunshine causing the water to rush by rapidly.
Further along the creek, we enter the area that leads to the cedar grove. The area is beautiful and its approach always feels to me, to be the edge of enchantment.
Early the next day, our morning walk brings us to a calmer part of the creek, every bit as beautiful. 
We soon arrived at the dam and fish ladder, where we paused to see if the trout were jumping their way upstream. Every now and then we'd see a quick flash of movement as one of them made its approach. I focused the camera where I had already seen a couple of fish splashing about. Frank warned me that it would take a lot of luck and patience to catch one of them. He then launched into a story about how he had spent many hours with his own camera over the years, in hopes of getting a shot at a jumping trout without ever having had any luck. "It takes luck and a lot more time than we have right now, Hil. Let's keep going. Benny is getting impatient" His voice droned on in the background...
By the time he finished his first sentence, I had already snapped this one. I suppose I had the luck. I didn't need much time. ;)
Here it is up close.
Moving along, the spring melt revealed some of last year's growth. Here's some Queen Anne's Lace, long gone to seed.
Close to the water's edge, we happened upon this natural wooden sculpture, being examined closely by one of the season's first flies.
Clearly beavers had been hard at work.
