I had several errands to run today, and one of them took me up to the town of Mono. I decided to go for a short hike at Splitrock Loop Trail since it was just up the road from one of my stops. If you’ve read my other post, How Things Can Change in 4 Days, you know all about my fascination with the birch trees on this trail.
Birches
I love this grove of trees, but I can’t seem to get the photo I picture in my head. One day I will find the shot, until then, expect to see more attempts.
Grandmother Tree in Winter
And then, there is the grandmother tree. She’s even beautiful in winter. It’s fun to be able to revisit the same places in different seasons.
Whites of Winter
On the way home, I spotted this barn that stood out with this amazing blue sky behind it. The white barn would have blended in with the snow on a more typical overcast winter day. Today, however, it screamed at me to take its photo. And with that cloud, how could I not take the photo?
Barn
A little further down I spotted this barn. Both barn photos were taken at the same time, and the skies are very different. The only thing I changed was the direction I took the photo. By turning 180º the bright blue sky has disappeared, and instead, I got this golden cloudy sky.
Amazing how just turning around can give you a completely different look and feel in your photos. Don’t forget to turn around to look behind you next time you’re out photographing.
My friend Nigel and I headed up to explore the grounds at McMichael Gallery up in Kleinburg. I had never been to the grounds before and was looking forward to walking their trails.
Statue
One of the trails, located not too far away from the parking, is the Sculpture Garden. There are nine bronze sculptures along this short trail, donated by artist Ivan Eyre.
The Trail
After our short walk among the sculptures, we took the valley walking trail on the other side of the parking for a nice walk along the Humber Valley.
The Reflected Pane
The trail took us to the main entrance of the Gallery and then on to Tom Thomson’s shack. Tom Thomson was a Canadian painter and was an early inspiration for what became the Group of Seven.
A Visitor
Before heading back to the car, we took a break at a bench to enjoy a little bit of the day. As we chatted, a little bug decided to visit us. He hung out for quite a while, so we were able to snap a lot of photos of his journey from one side of the bench to the other. I like this photo of him with his large dark shadow following along.
My car has blown its transmission and has been towed to my mechanics to see if she can be revived. In the meantime, my friend Nigel has graciously said he will drive us to our hiking destinations until I get it sorted out. Thanks, Nigel!
Rouge Valley Lookout
We decided to head out to Rouge Valley Urban Park to a trail on the north side of the park that has a viewing platform so we can see the fall colours from up high. Neither of us had been here before and were looking forward to a good hike in a new park.
Rouge Valley Trail
After we visited the park, we took some backroads towards home. As we drove we spotted a farmhouse and barn that we’ve photographed a few times before.
Thompson Farm and Fence
Parking on the side of the road we walked away from the farm along the fence to find a clear angle looking back towards the barn. I noticed the overgrown vegetation along the fence and decided I liked that composition best.
Farm Landscape
When we got back in the car and started to drive past the farm, this view made us stop to grab a couple more shots before heading home.
The day started on the gloomy side as I drove with my friend Nigel to Hockley Valley Provincial Park. On the way up we stopped on the side of the road to photograph this barn.
Barn
There are times when I try to stop for photos, if its safe to do so, while I’m driving to and from my destinations. Occasionally, I’ll get something I really like or and sometimes not. If you don’t stop to take these photos (as I sometimes don’t) there’s a chance you might regret it. So, if you can, stop and take that roadside photo when it catches your eye,
Nigel and I decided to hike the Glen Cross Side Trail, a 4 kilometre hike inside Hockley Valley Provincial Park. Our hike was mostly though forest but we did find a large opening overlooking the valley below. It was here that we came across some purple flowers just about to bloom. I guess it’s not too late in the season to find little pops of colour.
Late Bloomers
This late bloomer is the New England Aster.
I also found some mushrooms. ‘Tis the season as they say…lol One of my favourite mushrooms is the crown-tipped coral mushroom. It is one of the more uniquely shaped mushrooms since it looks like something that came from the ocean.
Crown-Tipped Coral
And then there is the yellow-orange fly agaric mushroom. Or as I like to call it the fairy mushroom,
Yellow-Orange Fly Agaric
This reddish-orange mushroom reminds me of the mushrooms you see in stories about fairies or even something from Alice in Wonderland. It was the perfect mushroom to end our hike with. From here it was back to the car to head home.
Sometimes you can find good photography opportunities when you least expect it. Along the way to my accountant’s place I found some fun little spots to stop and shoot.
Geometric
This geometrical shaped fence caught my eye along with the tree and hills in the background. The stark black of the fence against the pale brown of the grass made it stand out and immediately drw my eye.
Flooded Marsh
I love water and I love old buildings, like this barn, so when the two come together I must pull over and get a photograph.
Spring Fog
My favourite from the day was this boathouse and dock on a small lake. The light fog gave it an eerie feeling. If the fog wasn’t there I probably would not have stopped for this.
It’s fun when you’re out on a drive to go down the back roads to see what things can be the subject of your photos.
