nature – Page 13 – OldPlaidCamper

Cleaning up

Cleaning up or coming clean – this one might be a bit of a confession. Where to start?

Love this place – could easily stay here

We were wandering around in a very humid forest the other day, one of those grey days where you can feel the cloud cover just above your head providing a roof or ceiling for the mosquitoes – they were happily buzzing and humming around my ears, oblivious to the high strength bug spray applied earlier. They seemed almost disappointed. Haven’t you got anything a little stronger, sir?

As we walked, sweaty shirt clinging to and emphasizing my (admittedly very attractive) mid years physique, it occurred to me I was running low on clean clothing, and eau de repellent wasn’t making things any better. Being away from home comforts like a washing machine, you soon realize how they’re taken for granted.

“Yeah, you’re great and all, but if you could drop the leash, I might just run on ahead? I can find you – I’ll follow my nose…”

I don’t mind my reputation going before me, but when monuments, museums and public buildings are closing up as I approach, even I can take a hint. We (I) needed to find a laundromat. Mrs PC, fragrant as ever – and better at packing the essentials in sensible quantities – pointed out where the campground laundromat was, and all was well, at least for a few days.

“Where are you all going? Is it something I said, or something else?”

Yes, inevitably, what with the weather and my much vaunted “packing light” skills, it was back to the laundromat once more. Hmm, not fun, but at least I wasn’t being refused entry at historic sites, and Scout and Mrs. PC had stopped pretending to not know me.

This issue needed to be cleared up, or even cleaned up, and we managed to do just that. We purchased our very own washing machine. In fact, we went crazy and threw in a dryer. At those prices (eye watering, but not as eye watering as my special fragrance) it seemed like a good plan. Even better, the new appliances had a home attached! Huh? A home? That’s right, we’ve moved, and we’re now happy, fragrant, and almost settled residents of Quebec City.

“You’ve done your laundry? I like you again! Is that cheese?”

I know, I know, this entire post stinks. All that preamble just to say we’ve relocated for the next little while… For how long? Who knows? Until the beer and cheese runs out? Mmm, cheese, especially those blues ones, with that very special aroma…

Shout it from (and across) the roof tops – we like this city!

I think the new washing machine is beeping at me, so we’ll leave it here for now, all fresh and ready for whatever comes next. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Until the beer runs out? We may be some time…

Rainy day celebration

It will likely be a rainy day Canada Day tomorrow and we’re ok with that, as Scout has discovered some nearby forest trails that she’ll be happy to explore all weekend – we will too, provided there’s enough bug spray…

Many places are desperately needing significant rain to help douse wild fires, so fingers crossed for those locations, and a damp Canada Day would be very welcome.

Canada Day! I’ll repeat myself – now that’s never happened before on this blog, oh no – and say how much I love Canada and being a Canadian citizen. As a nation, it’s a work in progress, like anywhere, and there are faults and things to fix, but I mostly believe, to borrow a phrase or two, we’re paddling in the right direction, and the journey is the destination.

So, rain or shine, we’ll be wandering some eastern woodlands and delighting in the day. Might be too wet for outdoor eating, although the mosquitoes don’t seem to mind the rain and will doubtless have a bite or two, but when we reach beer o’clock, we’ll be happy to raise a glass and celebrate Canada!

Thanks for reading, and happy Canada Day tomorrow if you’re Canadian, almost Canadian or just like the idea of Canada! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Suspended – a tale of canine courage

Suspended? The blog? No, more of a brief blogging pause as we spend the next week or two with less certain internet availability. But before that, here’s a wobbly one featuring a brave dog:

On a recent very warm morning we visited Parc des Chutes-de-la-Chaudière in search of some shade. There is a waterfall that’s used to generate electricity, and you can take great photos of the falls from a suspension bridge traversing the Chaudière River. You’ll need to be brave though…

A few steps in and we were aware of a slight bouncing sensation underfoot. A few more strides and the bouncing became quite pronounced. Scout stopped dead in her tracks and for a few moments it looked like she wouldn’t go forward or back. Hmm. Then Mrs. PC strode past and Scout clearly didn’t like the idea of not being in front, so off we wobbled at quite a pace. None of us wanted to spend too long on the bridge…

The views were great, mostly snatched glances from the bridge (we were not stopping, oh no) and the views are as good from just off the bridge – firmer footing and a more relaxed canine companion. We did find some leafy shade, and spent a few moments enjoying relief from the sun and pretending our heart rates were running at normal. We knew there was a return trip over the bridge but didn’t tell Scout.

As it turned out, Scout being Scout, the return over the bridge was not a problem. She shrugged, put one paw in front of the other, and without looking down (I did – not a good idea – my stomach lurched) trotted across as fast as her legs would carry her. Pretty fast, I can tell you!

If you have sturdy legs and a bold disposition, then a trip to the bridge and the falls is recommended.

Thanks for reading and we’ll leave it there for this week, with pulses steady and our little wobble behind us! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

If we have reliable wifi, we’ll aim to post something next week!

Can I come out now? Has he finished talking about the bridge?

Ontario north woods – fully completely

We left the Great Plains behind, (good song here) sad about that, nodded at the 100th meridian, and continued east (most of those nineteenth century settler wagons went the other way – ever the contrarians our wagon is a Tacoma – many horses carrying our camp kitchen loaded with various tinned and dried goods…) aiming for Ontario and the north woods. A land of lakes and trees. And lakes and trees. And lakes and trees.

Lakes and trees? Probably going the right way…(photo by Mrs PC)

For this stage of our trip, the cool and groovy mixtape DJ had spent ages curating an appropriate track list. Or he just downloaded a comprehensive Tragically Hip essentials playlist from Apple. Forget the details, it worked and that’s the main thing.

The wagon. Parked under trees. Near a lake.

The best Ontario driving day for me on this trip – and there were many days as Ontario is quite large – was the stretch east of Thunder Bay to Kapuskasing. Rolling hills covered with trees, lakes every three seconds, and if there wasn’t a lake, then a river or wetland, glimpsed through the trees. The entire day was one beautiful sight after another. The roads were pretty good, better than I’d expected, mostly empty and that made for a great drive. Gosh, that lake was pretty! Through the next bend and surprise, gosh this lake is pretty. And so on. Loved it! All in for this patch of Canada. Fully Completely.

Lakeside stop. Time to rest the horses, and water the livestock.

“Did you just call me livestock?!” Offended face.

If not for the destination further east in mind, we might have been tempted to slow down and hang out for longer in the Ontario north woods. We’re already planning some camping trips for another time – it really was spectacular country!

Near Kapuskasing, not long after sunrise

The road is calling, so we’ll leave it here – or back there, in lovely northern Ontario, with Gord and the boys on the radio. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Prairie songs

Prairies or plains, plains or prairies? It doesn’t really matter – either way, they’re great! Well, that’s what I think…

We were driving through Alberta (Alberta Bound – Paul Brandt) and Saskatchewan last week, enjoying the delights, much missed in recent years, of a road trip.

Our destination for the journey was beyond the Great Plains, and when friends heard about our trip, a few muttered something about how the days can drag traveling through the boring middle western provinces. You know, there’s nothing to see out there.

Drag? Nothing? Huh?! I respectfully disagree! On this trip, once we passed Calgary and the smoke from wildfires north of the trans-Canada corridor – hope that they get big rain and less windy days soon – we enjoyed bright sunshine and big blue skies. A drag? Nothing to see? Um, where to begin? How about the rolling green and gold hills?

Blue, green and gold – the interesting nothing! (Photo by Mrs PC)

Or the sight and sounds of a train rumbling and clanking, parallel to the road?

Then there are hawks above, geese at eye level, and water fowl on the ponds – a drag? The sparkling ponds and newly green early spring trees? Dreary?!

From a parking lot (probably a Tim’s, somewhere in SK) I did clean the windshield soon after

What about seeing horse paddocks and corrals, mighty farm machinery, and the intricate wrought metal ranch gates? I’m always thrilled by the older style grain elevators, and the newer vast – perhaps not beautiful but certainly impressive – modern equivalents. Empty space?!

A splendid sight (taken on a different trip)

Empty? Ok, then how about the joy of an empty open road in front of you, stretching into the distance? For me, this is a road trip prize to savour when it happens, and it often happens on the prairies.

Damn traffic (photo by Mrs. PC. Cuss words all my own)

So, if the prairies are a bore, something dull and simply to be endured as you pass though, then colour me dreary, because I love the plains. It helps when you can fuel up at Tim’s (dark roast, always the dark roast) and Ian Tyson or Paul Brandt are doing their thing on the radio. Oh, ok, not the radio – on the road trip mixtape that some nerd might have thrown together before leaving. Can I say mixtape when it’s an Apple playlist? I think so. (Navajo Rug – Ian Tyson) Great songs for the Great Plains!

Always the dark roast. And maybe some TimBits.

So there we are or there we were. I love the coast, I love the mountains, and yes, I love the prairies!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Traffic again?! (I did clean the windshield earlier, honest!) Photo by Mrs PC.

Harbouring thoughts of spring…

It’s not always(!) sunny here, but when it isn’t, you can still find spots of colour and brightness, particularly when searching for spring near the harbour.

Bright enough, but what about the pink tree?!

Scout and I remembered we hadn’t visited “the pink tree” yet this spring, often because we’d been distracted by the beach and/or a sunny deck on recent bright days.

We decided to put that right, hoping we hadn’t left it too late to see the tree in full glory…

Pops of orange, but not what we’re looking for

There was no need to worry, and although the morning wasn’t bright, the display more than made up for it – what a sensory delight!

Let’s keep it short yet bright, like blossom on a spring day… or something… Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

It’s not a competition, but the daffodils weren’t too happy…

May ok!

What a relief to be off to a sunny May start! We’ve fingers crossed the sunshine will continue, if not every day, then for more than we enjoyed in April. Like the hockey playoffs or the end of a Premier League season, it’s the hope that kills you…

May Day morning sunshine on the inner harbour

I’ll keep it brief this week, and with a hopeful spirit, signing off with a few images from our hikes in a mostly bright May month so far. May ok!

May Day afternoon sunshine at our favourite cove

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Not raining

Definitely on a creative streak with these post headings recently. Looking forward to “Actually sunny” for next week. Can’t be entirely sure that’s going to happen, as the forecast – and much anticipated – long spells of sunshine due at the start of the current week have been somewhat late arriving.

“I can see my shadow, so there’s some sun, yes?”

At the time of writing – Wednesday afternoon – we’re in more of a grey skies and feeling the potential for some warmth instead of bright sunshine sort of a pattern. Hints of brightness and a couple of brief sunny spells, but less than the forecast indicated. You should see my pouty face.

Still, almost sunny and not quite raining are both improvements on the cold and damp spring we’ve enjoyed to date, so we’re optimistic that the extended warmth and sunshine forecast for Friday and Saturday arrives on time!

If not, I’d recommend not reading this next week as there is likely to be something of a toddler tantrum. I’ll enjoy my tantrum – who doesn’t revel in their own childishness from time to time? – but it’s best avoided by everyone else. Ignore him, just attention seeking…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

“Shall we sit here and wait for the sun?” “Sure!”

Stop the press! What’s this? Thursday morning – actually sunny? Why, yes!

Raining

Scout and I decided to wait for a break in the rain before heading out. After three or four days, we gave up on waiting and off we went. It was raining.

We enjoyed the rainy view across the inner harbour:

Can we get a close up on that, confirm the rain?

Then we went to look out across the inlet to Hitacu. Scout was distracted by the mirror dog following her every move:

It was still raining, giving the place a glistening and spruced up look:

We thought we saw something pop up to say “hi” but missed it. We waited, but I think they decided it was drier beneath the surface…

When we turned for home it started to rain even more heavily. Really?!

When the hail started, even though we were very close to home, Scout insisted we take shelter and wait for it to ease up before continuing:

It’s now several days later – we’re probably still under this tree…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! (What was that? Our weekend forecast for here? More rain!)

An extra helping of greens?

If you’d asked me that at school, an offer at one of the delicious late 1970s school dinners I enjoyed, I might have said (politely, of course) no thank you. I’d have been thinking “that’s not green, it’s more grey in colour…” but wouldn’t have said so out loud.

Anyway, as we’ve been enjoying more greys and rains than bright days – Thursday being a welcome exception – I thought I’d keep it brief this week, a healthy snack and offering of extra greens to follow on from last week. Better that, blogging wise, than the equivalent plateful of lukewarm creamed potatoes, questionable mince and colourless vegetables. Oh, and spotted dick. Google that last one, I dare you. Did we snigger? 10 year olds? Of course we did.

“Green? Yes, but somewhat muted don’t you think?”

I think on that dubious note, it’s best we leave it here, and hope for brighter days and more wholesome inspiration in time for next week. Spotted dick. Tee hee…

“No, I’m not listening – not until you grow up!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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