Centennial Ridges Trail

Miscellaneous, Personal 4 Responses »
Sep 122011
Centennial Ridges Trail

Over this past long weekend my wife and I went camping at Algonquin Park, our favorite natural getaway.  On the Saturday we packed a lunch, lots of water, and trail snacks and headed to Centennial Ridges Trail, which was one of the only hikes at the park that we had yet to try.  The trail is a 10.6km loop, with a recommended minimum time of six hours.  Along the way you climb up to the top of five different ridges and visit five distinct lakes. Right from the start, Centennial Ridges lets you know that it means business; the path [... read the rest ...]

Posted by Andrew at 20:26 Tagged with: ,

Too cold to slither

Miscellaneous Comments Off
Apr 242011
Too cold to slither

It was chilly on Saturday, which meant that this little garter snake was in no hurry to slither away, and made a perfect little model for some photography practice. Click any of the shots for a full-sized view. From above   Profile Snout on

Posted by Andrew at 19:54 Tagged with: ,

The fungus of Algonquin

Miscellaneous, Personal 3 Responses »
Sep 142010
The fungus of Algonquin

I was camping at Algonquin Park over the Labour Day weekend and spent much of the time hiking the gorgeous trails.  In all we covered 18.6km – not as much as we’d have liked, but more than enough given the blustery cold and damp weather that harassed us for the entire long weekend. While the weather may not have been as nice as we usually get when we’re camping, it did seem to be perfect for all of the mushrooms and fungi that were on display throughout the park.  As a closet fungi freak, I was more than happy to [... read the rest ...]

Posted by Andrew at 07:45 Tagged with: ,

Up close and personal

Miscellaneous, Personal Comments Off
Aug 022010
Up close and personal

Ever since I was young I’ve had a thing for nature walks.  Some of my earliest memories involve exploring the forest behind my Grandmother’s house, and going on hikes with her where she would teach me how to identify birds, plants, and other wildlife.  Thankfully my wife – a city girl through and through – was receptive to my love of the outdoors and so part of our August long weekend plans were to take a walk through Baxter Conservation Area, which is thirty minutes south of Ottawa. While the beach area was packed, the 2.5km main trail was absolutely [... read the rest ...]

Posted by Andrew at 10:48 Tagged with:

Friday’s CF-18 crash in pictures

Society, Politics, & Science 3 Responses »
Jul 252010
Friday's CF-18 crash in pictures

A CF-18 Hornet, piloted by Captain Brian Bews, crashed in Lethbridge Alberta on Friday, in advance of the Alberta International Air Show.  Bews managed to eject mere seconds before the jet hit the ground, and is doing fine. The entire ordeal was caught in a series of amazing photographs, below (click any image for an enlarged version): Bews ejects The CF-18, about to hit the ground, while Bews parachutes to safety The jet explodes in a fireball The explosion Bews’ parachute takes him in front of the blaze The entire thing was also captured on video: Thankfully the training, professionalism, [... read the rest ...]

Posted by Andrew at 07:06 Tagged with: ,

Fishing is boring

Miscellaneous, Personal 4 Responses »
Jul 162010
Fishing is boring

I’ve been at a cottage all this week with my wife and her father, who are both love fishing and have done it all their lives.  Personally, fishing bores me to tears but I’ve had to be a good sport, and putter around Opinicon Lake in a motor boat while the pair fish themselves silly.  I guess I just don’t see the appeal of sitting around doing mostly nothing and hoping that you can reel in a fish, only to toss the majority of the little blighters back into the lake.  It’s not my thing. I did, however, bring my [... read the rest ...]

Posted by Andrew at 06:52 Tagged with:

Memories of June

Miscellaneous, Personal 3 Responses »
Jun 262010
Memories of June

Day breaks; the gloomy gray clouds portend a coming storm. Rain – a drizzle at first, but then a deluge – pronounced wetness permeating the mood of the wilderness. A maple leaf, torn from its tree overnight, collects droplets as it slowly returns to the earth. Later, a brilliant blue sky is punctuated by plush white clouds as birdsong returns, a vivacious melody. A gentle breeze, just enough to tickle the skin, reminds me of the vibrancy of life. — [Photo: A maple leaf on a gravel path.  Taken at Purdon Conservation Area, June 26 2010]

Posted by Andrew at 19:34 Tagged with: ,
© 2004-2010 - Systemic Babble is created and maintained by Andrew Anderson. Suffusion theme by Sayontan Sinha