Tuesday July 7, 2009

Another cloudy morning! At least it was a little warmer at 11C (52F) and it wasn't raining.

This is another photo taken just across the Trans Canada from the campground.

The wild carrot here is really tall!

Sunset from the overlook

And from Government Dock Beach

Last night we went out for sunset. It was a bit rainy and foggy but it was pretty.

We did get a bit of sun later in the day so we set off to find Driftwood Beach which is part of the Michipicoten Post Provincial Park. We had met a lady last night who told us it was a pretty beach and it was but the road to get there is a single lane and not in the best shape. So we took our photos and came home just in time to put the stew on for dinner.

Pathway from the truck parking to the beach

Part of the beach - Gordon is that little figure walking on the beach

Island in the lake

The other part of the beach

Path back to truck (alternate to walking back on the loose sand of the beach)

The road home

For Gordon's journal update, click here.

Monday July 6, 2009

Today was cloudy, cool and rainy. I started out for my walk and realized it was raining lightly so back to the RV for my rain/wind pants. Good thing too because the rain picked up while I was out.

We were in a quandry this morning about what to do. Our week was up today here at the Wawa RV Resort & Campground so we had to make the do we go or do we stay decision. The weather has been less than great since we've been here but it's been that way all over Ontario so, we decided to stay and signed up for another week.

This afternoon we drove in to Wawa and took some photos of Lake Wawa.

It was only 11C (52F) today but these kids were out in the Lake

Beautiful Lake Wawa

Downtown Wawa - not much to it!

As well, we went to the grocery store. Although food is more expensive here, the store doesn't have the selection that a large city supermarket would have so I actually think I spend less. People give you really strange looks though when you ask for gluten-free things. They don't have lunch meat in packages so today I went to the deli counter and told the girl I needed gluten-free lunch meat. She said "I don't know what that is". So I asked about her ham and told her if I could read the label, I would be able to tell so I found some Schneider's ham that looks like it will do the job. Hopefully I have enough to get us through the week. Lucky for me though they do have 1% Lactose free milk! That's often hard to find up here even in a supermarket. They always have skim and 2%.

That's about it for our day....we might go out for sunset if it looks like the skies are clearing.

Sunday July 5, 2009

Gordon was up and out at the crack of dawn today and it netted results! He also saw a bear and both were just outside the RV park. To see the bear, click here. He had just cross that bridge on foot, turned around and there he was.

Here moosey moosey

The last couple of nights have been chilly. The furnace has even been running.

It was a lovely sunny morning 10C (50F). A beautiful temperature for a walk and too chilly for bugs!

The beautiful Magpie River from the campground. I never tire of this scene.

A stand of daisies along the river

Some iris growing in the swamp

White birch at park entrance


Late this morning and the early part of the afternoon I took advantage of the laundry facilities next to us and got three loads of laundry done. We're scheduled to leave here tomorrow but something tells me we might be here a while longer......but just in case, the laundry is done and ready!

By early afternoon the skies had clouded over again and the wind came up. Sounded like a good time for a nap.....The rain started around 4 p.m. Looks like it will be here for a couple of days. Our high was only about 12C (54F) today.

Here are a couple of interesting links for those of you that are selling your house and downsizing.

Prepare your house for market, click here.

Pitch, Pile or File, click here.

The links are for Canadians but I think the info provided will carry through no matter where you live.

Saturday July 4, 2009

Happy 4th of July to our U.S. neighbours!

After I posted my blog last night we decided to go out for sunset. The plan had been to go east on Hwy 101 out of Wawa. First we stopped at the Visitor Centre to check out the view there for sunset. While there we looked at a map posted outside and discovered Michipicoten River Village and what looked like a road that we could get to Lake Superior. Wawa is slightly inland from the Lake and we thought we'd have to go south to Lake Superior Provincial Park to get a view.

Note - you can click on the photos to make them larger.

Since Michipicoten River Village is quite a bit closer we decided to check it out and other than the pretty bad gravel road, the views were awesome! There is a falls on the way called Silver Falls which apparently consists of three waterfalls but we could only see one from the road (it's the second falls. You could hear the third falls but not see it.

Silver Falls (2nd falls)

The Government Dock Beach has awesome views for sunset and there is also an overlook but there are a lot of trees around as we've found is usual for lookouts.

This photo was taken from the lookout

We stayed at the Government Dock Beach for sunset. Amazingly beautiful! I think this sunset was as pretty as the one we saw at Joshua Tree National Park in California in 2005.

Waves crashing on the shore at Government Dock Beach

Sunset

We stayed till the sun set. I sure was glad I had my gloves with me! It was chilly!

I got up around 8 a.m. today and the temperature was only 7C (45F). By 10 a.m. it still was only 9C (49F) but the sun was starting to come out and the cloud and mist from my morning walk were history. I had to wear my heavier jacket and gloves this morning - on the 4th of July! Where is that Global Warming anyway?

After the fog burned off this morning we had a bright blue cloudless sky so we set out to see what we could see. We went to Magpie High Falls again and to Silver Falls where we found a road that took us to a view of the third Silver Falls.

Scenic Magpie High Falls


Silver Falls (3rd Falls)


We drove on south looking for the entrance to the Michipicoten Post Provincial Park. There was once a Hudson's Bay Trading Post at this location. We could not find the road, no signs, no nothing. As we had driven quite far south by this point we decided to go to Old Woman Bay again and take some photos with blue sky. Gordon was hoping for some fog in the photo but no luck.

Old Woman Bay beach


However as we were heading back toward Wawa you could see the fog rolling in and it started to get cloudy. We drove down to the Government Dock Beach again as well as Sandy Beach (we were there last night but there was a couple there who had a tent and a fire going so we left). This time it was deserted.

Wow, blue sky!

And blue sky with fog rolling in

Fog over the hills

Sandy beach

Fog at Government Dock Beach


Wild rose bud


Silver Falls trail

New shoots on the evergreen trees

A daisy in the clover


On our way home we stopped at Young's General Store in Wawa just to see what was there. It was mostly overpriced stuff 'Made in China' so we passed on buying anything but it's nice to browse around. They did have some interesting stuff on the front porch.

Old coke machine on the front porch of Young's General Store

Moose on the front porch of the store

We then continued to the grocery store as Gordon wanted hamburgers and I didn't have any in stock.

Once home, we both had naps, then I made some stew and Gordon cooked his burgers on the BBQ.

From there, home for a rest. It was bright and sunny again here at the RV park. It's amazing to see the fog roll in so quickly and then you're socked in cloud. There's no fog on the ground just in the sky. Interesting!

By the way, our high today was only 13C (55F).

Thanks to everyone who commented and gave me ideas for my sausage casserole recipe. I'll try it next time.

Friday July 3, 2009

It was a gray morning but at least it wasn't raining so I continued on my merry walk. I saw the big rabbit again munching clover but didn't take my camera with me this morning. I noticed when I was out that there are quite a few tenters here. Spots for tenters are mostly along the Magpie River. These are the unserviced sites although some prefer to camp near the washrooms. I know I would if I was a tenter!

This morning I vacuumed, cleaned and washed floors. I also spent a lot of time on the computer and chatted with Dee on Yahoo Messenger for a while.

I had another walk around the park this afternoon but didn't see much to photograph as it was still cloudy. I did notice that the lilacs are just coming in to bloom. They're really late up here in the north woods.


I bought sausages (ones that Gordon can eat) yesterday at the grocery and when I opened the package there was a recipe with them but it was too late to make it last night so I made it for dinner tonight. It was pretty good but lacks something. Here's the recipe if anyone would like to give it a try and make some suggestions to give it a little oomph. I was thinking maybe a broth instead of water.

Italian Sausage and Potato Casserole

1 small onion
2 small green peppers
Pepper
2 tbsp salad oil
5 large potatoes
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp dried basil leaves
6 Italian sausages

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Thinly slice the onion. Pare potato and onion in bottom of greased 1 ½ qt casserole. Wash green peppers and remove seeds. Cut into rings. Arrange on top of potato and onion in casserole. Sprinkle salt, pepper and basil. Pour salad oil and 1 ½ c. of water over the peppers. Arrange sausages on top. (I cut mine up.) Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour or till potatoes are tender. Remove foil and bake 30 min longer. Makes 6 servings


Around 3:30 we went out to the grocery store to pick up a couple of items I didn't know I needed yesterday and then we drove around the town of Wawa. Back on the Trans Canada going toward the campground we decided to go a bit further north to see what we could see. We wound up going down a gravel side road called Steephill Dam Road to see how far the dam was. We decided it was too far to travel on that road but did see a beautiful lake and a river. The sun had come out by the time we started out so we had some beautiful clouds again. They make for great photo ops with the scenery around here!

Such beautiful wildflowers blowing in the breeze

Lots of these sized rocks along and on the road


Doesn't this look like a moose should be here?

Pretty lake with dead pine tree in foreground

Pretty river setting

Interesting clouds

Big rock reflection in lily pad pool

Our high today only got to about 16C (61F).

Thursday July 2, 2009 - Lake Superior Provincial Park

It was still cloudy when I woke up but at least it wasn't raining so away I went on my walk after stashing our garbage safely in one of the containers.

Lots of toadstools around with all the rain

One of the cabins in the campground

Walking in the back of the campground

After breakfast we started getting little peaks of sun so we decided to head south to Lake Superior Provincial Park. Lake Superior Provincial Park is a 1, 600 square kilometre park located along Highway 17. The southern boundary of the park is 130 km (a 90 minute drive) northwest of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario and the northern boundary is only 15 km (a 10 minute drive) south of Wawa, Ontario. The park itself is also made up of several smaller parks. We stopped at quite a few of them. There is a fee if you are stopped to take a trail or have a picnic but not if you're just going to take a few photos.

Old Woman River

Katherine Cove

Sinclair Cove

Agawa Rock

At the Visitor Centre

We had no rain while we were out and quite a bit of sun. It started to get cloudy on our return trip.

When we got back to Wawa we stopped at the local grocery - John's ValuMart where I managed to part with some $$$$, then home to rest and get dinner ready.