Notes From The Forest

 

Wandering Without Expectations

 Wandering through the woods can be an incredibly relaxing experience if you are in the right mindset.  

Most people seem to be in a rush to get to the next perfect spot to take a selfie; yet, in their wake they leave many wonderous sights behind.  

I have tested this idea many times while out on trails which are frequented by the public. I will silently sit in the woods, just off the path, and watch as people walk by. None of them are aware of my presence; unless they are accompanied by a dog. Dogs are keenly aware of the world through which they walk and will always spot me as I sit amongst the trees. 

The reason most people hike in the woods is to loose the tensions of everyday life, this is not possible if one decides to carry those tensions with them as they embark on their wander.  

I hope this short video will give you some ideas on how to loose yourself so that you can simply wander and wonder. 

Hawks. 

Reflections On Life

As time goes by, I am becoming more aware that life is a finite affair. 

I am approaching the ripe old age of 65 and am very conscious of the fact that there is more time behind me that what is in front of me. 

I know this sounds somewhat depressing, it truly is not; it is simply a  fact of existence and once a person comes to embrace it, the more they will spend time wisely. 

Cutting firewood has been something I have done for over thirty years and I have learned much about the nuances of the work. How much longer I can continue to tackle this demanding work is a mystery but I intend to continue to do so as long as my body permits. So far, I have not heard any complaints from my anatomy. 

I produced this video as a way to show the amount of work that goes into gathering firewood; and the necessary safety protocols a person must use in order to preclude a hospital visit. 

I hope you enjoy this video. 

R.G.W.  

The First Snow Of The Season

 The date was December 1st 2024, I was watching the two beavers in front of my home preparing for the winter. They seemed to be in a heightened state of activity which made me wonder if they knew something the weather channel did not. 

Sure enough, slow steady snowflakes started to descend from a featureless grey sky. I sat on the bank of the pond and watched as the flakes landed on my pants, showing their unique patterns before succumbing to the heat of my legs. 

The Beavers did not look up from their work, choosing instead to continue the mudding of their lodge roof and stockpiling of tender saplings; upon which they would feast during their time locked beneath the ice of the pond. 

The snow started to fall in earnest and before the hour hand on a clock could make it to the next marker, we were engulfed in a snow globe. 

The following morning, I found myself outside, staring at the depth of the snow surrounding me. "This is mid-January snow!" I muttered as I trudged to the barn to extract my snowshoes and head off into the forest to read the tracks of those wild ones with whom I share the forest with.

Donning the shoes, I began to create the very first snowshoe tracks of the season. Snowshoe Hare tracks were abundant along side that of Red Squirrel and mouse.  I came across a few deer tracks but they had not yet created their usual trails. 

This video simply highlights portions of the trek which happened on the first day of significant snowfall of the season. 

I am happy that winter has shown up early and hope that the snow will stay to blanket the forest and protect it from the deep cold which will inevitably come when January comes calling. 

R.G.W. 

A Great Place For Family Camping - Algonquins Highlands - Big East Lake

After a long illness which precluded me from paddling, I was finally able to launch my little kayak onto a lake which is close to my home.

Big East Lake located in the Algonquin Highlands. It is a very busy place in the summer due to it's ease of access and it's great campsites. The lake is a great place to initiate your children to the wonderful world of camping. 

It is early October and the crowds have slipped away, so I have the lake pretty much to myself as I explore its length and breadth. 

I filmed this paddle with my Gopro Hero 9. I used four batteries in less than three hours. There was a lot to capture and the lighting conditions were perfect for this little action camera. 

Grab your paddle and come along for a quiet journey upon a lake which is perfect for day trips or a week long camping outing. 

Algonquin Fall Colors - Captured On A DJI Action 5 Pro Camera - Kayak Trip

 I spend much of my time wandering the woods and paddling the lakes and rivers near my home. 

I keep a record of these adventures by "filming" the highlights on a digital camera. I have found that the best camera to carry is of the action variety. This is due to their robustness and ability to capture steady footage when the user is engaged in walking through a forest or any other manner activity.  

I have used the Gopro Hero 9 for several years and it has served me well in capturing most of what I wish to preserve for my kids; however, the Hero 9 suffers from several issues. To name a few; It overheats and shuts down. Low light capture is not possible. The battery consumption is high - I am lucky to capture 20 minutes of footage before the battery is drained, this is a major issue when I am engaged in a multi day trip as recharging the batteries takes hours. 

Recently, after much research and soul searching, I purchased the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro action camera.  It is purported to have good low light capabilities along with none of the issues listed above with the Hero 9. 

The video highlighted above was captured entirely on the Action 5. The trip was six hours long and the camera was powered on for at least 5 hours. I only used one battery the entire time - That was awesome!

I am not an expert by any definition, on the use of cameras and their settings, I rely on the people who claim to be experts on YouTube and test their "best settings" until I am satisfied with the results. 

Grab a life jacket and paddle with me to see the awesome colors of the Algonquin Highlands as captured on this little camera. 

Why Camp?

 The sun had climbed high enough to evaporate the morning dew from the awning of the old tent which served as my shelter the previous night.  Bull Frogs called from the pond and bird song filled the spaces between the trees in the forest. 

As I exited the tent, the fresh morning air infused my mind with wonder.  I reached for a shirt which had fallen to the ground during the night. Upon lifting it, a white footed mouse scurried into the surrounding brush. It had been using the canvas shirt as a shelter much as I had used the canvas tent.  

I opened my food barrel and retrieved some granola to help fill the void in my stomach while I cooked up some breakfast. As I knelt on the ground re-organizing the food in the barrel; the little mouse had returned and scurried up my leg. I  looked at the little creature whose fur was as soft as velvet, and asked it if it would like a snack,  The mouse stared back at me, and timidly touched my finger with its' little hand. I gave the mouse a big chunk of granola and it scurried off into the underbrush to enjoy the fruits of its panhandling adventure. 

I spotted two beavers  on the water as they completed one last circle of their pond before bedding down for the day, I watched as the pair dove beneath the water and entered their lodge. The pond is a long narrow stretch of water which provides a host of animals, plants, insects and fish a place to call home. 

Taking a seat upon a stump, I began to ponder it's existence. It was once a small sapling struggling to survive. In time, it became a huge Balsam fir with mighty branches which could cover a house. Age whittled away at its youth and after sixty plus years of standing in the same spot, it succumbed to the power of the wind and toppled to the earth. 

I have reached the same age as the tree stump upon which I sat and I realized that time is no longer on my side. I must release my angst about things I can't control and embrace the moment in which I find myself. Thoughts like these can lead to one to lose site of the present so I forced myself to climb out of the proverbial rabbit hole. 

As if on cue, a Chipmunk found my place of respite and joined me in pondering the world. He sat on my lap and stuffed his cheeks with as much granola as he could. Jumping off of my leg, he ran away to stash his loot into his well hidden lair. 

A slight tug on my pant leg forced my attention to the ground; there, looking up at me is another chipmunk, the message had traveled, I had been marked as a provider of easy meals. 

The day light shifted as the sun ran it's course over this little spot on the planet. I moved through the day carrying out the various activities of camp life. My entourage of little forest dwellers followed in my wake and kept me company while the trees stood in silent witness to that moment in time. 

My ponderings of the morning had faded and I was totally immersed in living. Deep forest smells tantalized my olfactory senses and my ears tried to keep up with the voices and sounds of the wild ones. My eyes continually scanned for new messages and my logic mind was silent, while my connected mind absorbed the natural world and recorded images for viewing when future endeavors precluded me from camping.   

The sound of the forest subtly changed signaling the day was coming to an end and night was about to hold sway. I packed my gear and climbed into my canoe to embrace the coming dark and to share a few moments with the keepers of the pond. The beavers surfaced a few yards from my canoe and circled me to ensure it was indeed the person they knew. As always, the beavers swam straight to their dam to ensure it was in good order and took care of anything they thought needed a little bit of TLC and mud. 

I floated on the pond for a few hours while the mosquitoes buzzed in my ears. The stars filled the night sky like twinkling diamonds and the cosmos drew my eyes into its infinite wonder. 

 Animals, unseen, moved within the confines of the forest; I listened intently to their fruitive movements, trying to identify the wild ones using sound alone. A mouse can sound as loud as a raccoon in the stillness of the forest night. 

I had no idea what time it was when I finally climbed into my sleeping bag, nor did I care. Time out here is not calculated by electronics or gears. There is a quiet satisfaction which comes to a person when time is of little consequence. 

Drifting off into the mystery of sleep, I remember hearing the call of a Barred Owl. The banshee like wail resonated throughout the forest and infiltrated the tent. A beaver slapped it's tail on the water creating a loud splash, a warning to their young kits to stay in the water and not venture onto the land where the winged predator awaited. 

Out here, there is a sense of belonging to something much grander than one's own existence. You realize that everything surrounding you is there for a purpose. I disagree with the premise that animals are not sentient creatures; I have been around the wild ones for my entire life and can categorically state that each individual animal is fully aware of it's existence and it's uniqueness. 

If you are feeling lost or need a re-charge of your natural batteries. Grab a tent and some gear, pick a spot to set up camp and let go of expectations. 

Life is waiting - Out Here. 

 Happy Camping!

 R.G.