When you plan to catch the 10:30 ferry and find out it is not running because the ferry's bilge tanks are being cleaned out, plan B takes place. In this case, plan B was a trot along the icy paths in Parrot's Bay Conservation Area. It's nice to have friends to walk with in the bleakness of winter.
I am so glad that Barb wore blue pants. There wasn't a lot of colour showing in this morning's gloom.
A good friend-who-is-also-a-birder told us that short-eared owls had been spotted near this dry stone wall. We didn't find any owls.....
.... but we found a really nice gate. Can you imagine having to take down and build the gate every time you herd your sheep through it. Oops! Missed one. Tear it down, chase the straggler through, build it back up.
And, when there are no trees to hug, you hug rocks. My kind of traveller. A rock hugger.
I don't often ask friends to pose for a picture, but this gate was begging for people.
We were hoping to see some owls. Here and there, in the distance, we spotted some kind of big bird, but they were too far away to identify. Good excuse. None of us are birders.
Even the Purple Martin houses weren't expecting to see birds.
Some sheep gave us a passing nod.
Ice pretended to be turtles on rocks in the lake....
.... and deer grazed in a farmer's barnyard. We did see one beautiful, fluffy deer (and they are fluffy on Amherst Island) leap gracefully over a fence. You will have to imagine that one.
Finally, after driving over miles of newly graded muddy roads - our truck is now a nice shade of taupe - eagle-eyed Ted spotted this Red-Tailed Hawk. That's my best guess. Correct me if I am wrong. Poor image, but still proof.
I feel like ending with another of Becky Hemsley's poems. This one is called, Silver Linings. Today was a day of silver linings.
When the ocean waves engulf you
And there’s water all around
And when you feel you’re in so deep
You might as well swim down
When the forest’s looming darkly
And you can’t see your way through
When the trees are overbearing
And they’re closing in on you
When every path is dangerous
And treacherous to tread
And you decide to stop
And stay forever lost instead
Well…
I hope the sea is sapphires
That buoy you with their blue
I hope they shine a little
Of their precious light on you
I hope the forest prides itself
On all its emerald leaves
And helps you see your brilliance
Through the darkness of the trees
I hope your paths are gilded
And are lined with golden hues
Where ruby roses grow through grass
That shines with diamond dew
I hope you feel the sunshine
And the warmth that it possesses
I hope you see the way the clouds
Are shining at their edges
‘Cause there’s richness in the darkness,
When you’re lost, beneath the surface
There’s treasure waiting for you
And I promise you it’s worth it
So don’t give up or in
‘Cause pressure builds a precious stone
You’ve everything you need
And you are stronger than you know
So please keep going up and through
Keep walking, swimming, climbing
And keep on searching clouds for silver
Sewn into their linings
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