Crazy Women! Westward Ho!!

Mom started the craziness.  Bob and I popped in to see Mom unexpectedly, a few days before we were to leave on our trip.  This is what we found her doing....this little lady who wouldn't dream of touching a spider, holding a snake or anything else creepy-crawly....had this albino Burmese python draped around her neck.  She was so proud to show us that she had the guts to do something that I wouldn't dream of doing.  One of my friends asked me what drugs Mom is on, that she would do such a thing.

The zoo had come to Valley Vista and the residents were like kids and Mom was the biggest kid of all. Way to go Lorna!!!

My friend Margaret asked me in the winter, if I was interested in doing the CN Tower Edgewalk when it opened in the spring.  I wanted to do it last fall and no one would go with me and I was thrilled to be invited to join Margaret and her golf buddies on May 26th, the day before we left for the west.  We all prayed for good weather that day because it was the only day I could make it.  We were rewarded with a beautiful day and I loved every second of the experience.

Arriving at the base of the tower and looking up
...way, way up..YIKES!!!

Still on the ground...so far, so good, everyone smiling.
Left to right:  Yvonne (organizer), Mary-Jane, Georgia
Joan and my friend Margaret

My telephoto lense reveals edge-walkers way up there

I did it and could have stayed out there all day.
Next walk will be at night with Bob

We were all in a state of bliss when it was over

We left home around 11:00 a.m. on Sunday and headed north for four hours, stopping for the night at Fairbanks Provincial Park near Sudbury.  The road in was wicked...lumpy and bumpy with lots of construction however the park was lovely and quiet.  Next morning we found this fox on the road and thought it was eating roadkill, then as we got closer, saw that it was a Mom with two babies.  They weren't the least bit intimidated by us and we loved that, sitting and watching them for quite some time, until (as we were taught in the African bush) they moved on into the trees.

The provincial parks in Ontario are wonderful and we hiked each day, discovering the most beautiful flowers and wildlife.  

Around every curve was a more spectacular view

Pancake Bay Provincial Park is a beautiful park and our campsite was near the waters edge on Lake Superior.  The water was flat the two days we stayed and yet we know that Lake Superior can be vicious.  

View from our campsite

And out there somewhere, lays the Edmund Fitzgerald

Lake Superior is so huge that it is referred to as an inland sea that creates it's own weather patterns.  In November 1975, the "Witches of November" pounded the Edmond Fitzgerald and it is believed that 3 weather fronts hit it at the same time, splitting it in two and sinking, killing all aboard.

Number 8 is where the ship sank

Photo's demonstrating what it looked like from the bridge
of a similar vessel (220 ft long) when rogue waves hit

As we read the information board, we realized that we were
being observed by a mother robin, a couple of feet above our heads

Our next park was Agawa where we loved the beautiful
rock formations and clear, clear water

This lovely sign greeted us as we headed in to
the woods to see the aboriginal pictographs

Looking up at the rock face high above the pictographs

Bob looking at the pictographs...you walk
out there when it looks like this...

Note the life-saving device should you be swept into
the water by a rogue wave

You don't walk out there when it looks
like this!  Thus the warning signs!!!

10 km hike up hill and dale, challenging and rewarding

View from the top

Fungi right at home on the trees

Ground fungi

Old car outside Frater House

You can catch a train from this remote place, through
the Agawa canyon and beyond.  Just show up
and the train will stop for you.  Who knows when you'll
get back.

Sleeping Giant Park and the view from our camp

One night we were invited to visit a neighbour and as we sat by their fire pit, two ducks 

wandered up and sat close to us.  Then a few minutes later, a skunk pranced past us and Bob didn't know whether to get up and run or to sit quietly.  Fortunately he sat quietly and the skunk kept prancing.

Originally miner cabins, now a trendy place to live,
right on the beach

View across the road

Visitors to our campsite

Our hero, Terry Fox

The beautiful and perfect view from the memorial

We stayed here one night.  Gorgeous!

Blue Lake Campground

We heard at least four loon at once here

Bird Hill Campground just outside Winnipeg

Prairie dogs in abundance in the camp. One nibbled on
Bob's foot and he almost had a heart attack

The lower bushes and trees reminded us of a couple
of tea tree campsites in Oz...so different from Ontario