As we were walking in MacKinnon Ravine Wednesday around 1 p.m., a coyote came padding up the trail, like a fluffy medium sized dog. This ravine is the likeliest place to spot these guys, and the second coyote ‘encounter’ we’ve had this year. Always happy to see them, but I would prefer that it wasn’t this close, and if it must be this close, that I have my camera ready.
By the time I got my phone out, he had jumped into the bushes so I only got a few shadowy photos. I kept looking back, but he was gone.
An empty lot along Ravine DrivePoplar fuzz galore right nowNot sure what this is, but it’s purty
Wow, right in the open. And what’s up with those two looky-loos on the side?
One of those days where I wish my eyes were a camera, because it doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t capture how beautiful it is, mid-June, when everything is bursting with life. I mean, even the bugs are busy creating life, right out in the open, with two bonus onlookers!
So yeah, gorgeous, warm, and sunny. This was a solo walk, so I started from Victoria Park promenade, down into the golf course, along river valley road to MacKinnon Ravine, and then back up into Glenora/Oliver.
MacKinnon Ravine under a crazy beautiful sky
Along MacKinnon Ravine trailI can’t NOT take a photo of the fountain in Alexander Circle…. My favourite view from the MuseumI liked it so much, I took another photo!View from the Museum (on the west side)Paul Kane Park, a block from where I live. A red-winged blackbird has a nest in there, somewhere!
What a gorgeous day after yesterday’s rain! Afternoon walk with Tom in Whitemud Ravine south (and parts of north). It’s been a long time since we walked along this trail together. I’ve walked solo a few times in the last year, and a bunch of times with Sharon and Stella, but not Tom. The trail has lots of slippery ups and downs and he doesn’t have microspikes (well, he does, but won’t wear them), so that leaves winter out. The other issue is that the trail is deceptive. We like to get at least 10,000 steps and walking Whitemud Ravine south from one end to the other, with its rolling hills, seems like you’ve put it a lot of steps because it’s a bit of a workout, but it’s only about 8,500. You have to walk into Whitemud Ravine north across the Snow Valley parking lot to get 10,000+ steps. Whatever, it’s a great walk. One of my absolute favourites.
The creek is running high againFrom the boardwalkThe difference a few weeks and some rain can makeWhitemud Ravine North ‘hoodoo’The ‘weird’ bridge over the creek in Whitemud Ravine NorthNot sure why this dandelion seed photographed blue
Great to see the creek running high. No mosquitoes yet, at least not mid-afternoon. The wild roses are everywhere. About 90 minutes, 11,476 steps.
Well, in spite of being followed by these dark, rumbly clouds, we got our full walk in, with just a few drops in the last five minutes. We even saw some pelicans flying above our heads, but the photo was ‘inconclusive’ (bad).
A closer viewFrom MacKinnon Ravine
In the end it didn’t even rain, at least not in Glenora or Oliver.
Very happy to see the Alexander Circle fountain in Glenora is back on this year! In 2020, with the city shut down and the economy devastated from Covid, very few if none of the public fountains were running. Not sure I agreed with that since the outside was all we had, but whatever, it’s back on!
View o’er MacKinnon Bridge
It was a beautiful and ludicrously green walk with Tom in and around Glenora and Ravine Drive. I guess if there is one benefit to being laid off, it’s the loads of time it affords me to walk whenever I want.
The little historical shack near the bridge in the river valley (near Kinsmen)
First time since Joanne’s birthday in February that I’ve been in Rossdale, and the last time until July. Although it’s still early, I did spot a few small leaf roller caterpillars, or as I call them $&?@! worms (see this post), just as we entered the trail. The caterpillars, endemic to the Ash trees in Rossdale and the lower university area, will soon swing by the hundreds on their devil strings killing the leaves and tormenting humans until the end of June, so yeah, that’s a nope.
Walt Jr. on the way to RossdaleAs close as we could get. By this point, I’d seen two worms…Some friends for the magpie
Gorgeous day though. We started at 9 a.m. to avoid the heat, but it was still hot. Next week when it gets really hot we’ll go even earlier. Along the Victoria Park Road lower trail, a young snowshoe hare with giant clown feet let me get pretty close for a photo, which was awfully nice of him. I’m seeing more of these smaller rabbits lately, as opposed to the larger jackrabbits. They could almost be mistaken for domestic bunnies, if not for their comically large feet.
