That's Canada, Eh!

This is Pigeon River and it forms the physical border between Canada on the right and the USA on the left.

When I sat here looking at this scene in the second image I thought back to the pictures I saw in geography class  many years ago and it struck me as being a quintessentially Canadian scene with the autumn leaves, the rugged cliffs and the river tumbling between the rocks.

Years ago this was an important part of the logging route with logs being floated downstream and via a variety of chutes to avoid the falls on the way to Lake Superior. Nowadays the logs are transported by road on big trucks and so the river has returned to its natural state although signs of the old industry are there if you look for them.

At Silver Islet

I may have said this before but Silver Islet is one of my favourite places. It is hard to say why exactly but there is something really special about this place, steeped in history and set on the shore of Lake Superior I felt a connection the first time I visited and each time I have been back. I cycled here early one morning a couple of years ago and in the calm of the morning I had seen deer and a fox along the road and a flock of waxwings chattering in the trees. 

Years ago it was the site of the richest silver mine in the world, the mine itself being located on a tiny island out in the lake. Here on the mainland a small community of migrant workers, miners from places as far away as Cornwall grew up on the edge of the lake. Many of their cabins are here still used as summer homes and others are lived in year round even though in the winter conditions are harsh as the lake freezes.

On a warm and still day like this at the end of summer it looks idyllic and when I look at these images I just want to be there.

I love the old store and harbour (see my post from Sept 2016 here) which stands behind where these pictures were taken but I also love the cabin on the shoreline. It is a bit of a tumbledown place to be honest but with a little bit of attention it would be the perfect place to live. Just imagine the wonderful views through every season of the year and when it is too cold to go outdoors imagine how cosy it would be snug inside with logs burning on the hearth while looking out at the frozen lake. 

In the first image I started to build a stone stack but it evolved into more of an Inukshuk (a traditional stone marker used by Inuit people for various reasons and often seen in Canada and all points North) I think this is a really nice image and I have deliberately used a wide aperture to blur the background and balance the overall image.

The second and third image are the same shot but with different treatment. I really like the split toning in the second image but I know that some people prefer a colour image so the third one is for you. Of course in the colour images you can also see how the leaves are beginning to change. 

Can you see why this is one of my favourite spots?

Across The Bay

So I haven't been posting quite as regularly over the past two weeks and that is because I have been out in Ontario along the north shore of Lake Superior. The purpose of the trip was to spend time with old friends in Thunder Bay but of course I never leave my camera behind and so I have captured loads of varied images. There is a real mix of wild Landscapes and Industrial Landscapes, a few random street photos and then an abundance of Wildlife and Nature pictures. With our trip leading into the start of autumn I got lots of shots of the autumn woodlands with the wonderful colours of the changing leaves up high and the myriad of different fungi on the forest floor. I have so much that I want to share.

I know now that my favourite pictures from the trip are of a beautiful red fox and I know that when I get round to sharing them you will be blown away by them just as I was with the experience. Then there are the beavers that were another unforgettable highlight of the trip but you will have to wait for those too, be sure to look out for them in the days ahead.

For today however I wanted to start off with some of the first photographs I took on the first full day of the trip. I went down to the water front in Thunder Bay. I have a number of good shots from my last visit but although the landscape is still the same the changing light and the different moods of the lake means that every day gives opportunities for new images of the same scenes.

I really like this wooden lighthouse at the end of the break water which protects Thunder Bay's marina. When the light catches it right in the early morning or in the evening it glows.
In these shots the small yacht is using the lighthouse as a marker to ensure it stays safe within the breakwater. 

I like the sky in both images, in the first it reminds me a little of the swirl patterns that can be achieved by dropping coloured inks or dyes onto water and using a stick or other implement to create abstract patterns, but I think the sky in the second image is even better with the lines of cloud leading the eye towards the horizon. The waves of cloud in some way mirroring the surface of the lake.

Borderline

I've left Thunder Bay behind after a fabulous two weeks and I'm now in Sault Ste Marie on my way back to Toronto and then back home to England.

Sault ste Marie is described as Algoma's friendliest city and it sits on the border with the USA as you can see from today's picture which shows the bridge joining the two countries above the St Mary's River which itself linksthe great lakes Lake Huron and Lake Superior.

From the lookout

On Monday we visited a spot known as the Thunder Bay Lookout. It was a fantastic spot high on the cliffs overlooking Lake Superior. There is a platform which extends beyond the edge of the cliff allowing these spectacular views. The first is looking out towards Amethyst Harbour, the second is a panoramic shot of the whole bay. 

This was also the only spot at this point in the trip where I had a good signal allowing me to call home and check on the family left behind.

Following this little excursion we headed off to Pounsford Lake, a beautifully secluded spot, for snacks and a bit of synchronised swimming.

Just Chillin'

So it has been difficult to post anything for a few days due to lack of WiFi, and the fact that I have travelled half way across Ontario from Toronto to Thunder Bay on the Northern shore of Lake Superior. It has been a wonderful experience seeing chipmunks, a beaver, an otter, eagles (Golden and Bald) and to top it all a big Black Bear lumbering across the road in front of us. The only downside to all of that was that as I was driving I couldn't take any pictures.

Today however the pace has been slower and I've spent some of the evening, after eating Don's famous sticky ribs, watching and photographing ruby throated humming birds. It's another bucket list item ticked off and I can't wait to share them once I get back home.

This afternoon we all went off to swim in the cascades just outside of town. It was really sunny and super hot so sinking into the cold water was a real treat. It was in one of the small pools away from the rapids that I saw this little cutie and thought it would be good to share it with you.

I will try to share a few more shots in the coming days to give you a flavour of my trip.