Category: featured

Carden Alvar, new Provincial Park in the making!
Carden Alvar birding area
Sometimes you discover gems like the Carden Alvar lurking in your own back yard!
Been traveling past this area often (turns out it is only a few minutes north of my location) on my way north.
To such destinations as Algonquin, Killarney, Superior, Thunder Bay, Temagami, and many other places one might imagine one has to go to find “great” images.
Little did I realize what a gem was just a short trip away!
So I took a quick run around the Carden Alvar.
It was not a bad trip, maybe should not have used the wife’s small car though.
It bottomed out in a few places and a few rather loud thumps occurred.
But there were lots of other people also trying to drive and bird around portions of it in small cars too.
Would not recommend trying that trail in a small car if it rains though!
I did not see the fabled Loggerhead Shrike, but you could hear it singing (rather laughing at all the people) in the trees.
The Loggerhead shrike is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America making it a rather unique bird to spot.
There were lots of other birds to be seen flapping around the area too, (no rubber chickens though).
It has a very nicely set up birding trail area by the “Ontario Field Ornithologists”
A portion of the area has become the Carden Alvar Provincial Park . The Land use amendment to create the new Provincial Park was approved and the new Park is underway. There are hiking trails in the new park that now exist! Brochures, maps and more information can be found on the The Couchiching Conservancy web site.
Oh, the purple loosestrife invasion is doing very well, there were huge fields full of it everywhere!
Purple loosestrife in a field at Carden Alvar

February 4, 2016
The Photographers stages of being.
The Photographers stages of being.
plasma ball lightning
stage 1 “The Complete Newbie”
Knows they want to take pictures but have no idea how to go about it.
stage 2 “The Interested Beginner”
Knows there is more to photography they begin the process of learning and spend time looking to forums & groups to help grow their skills.
stage 3 “The Obsessive Amateur”
Has a growing evolving kit of equipment.
They spend large amount of time pouring over manufacturer equipment specs and arguing over even the most trivial of details on forums.
They become overly obsessed with the equipment IQ capabilities.
Unfortunately while sidetracked by all the neat equipment available to them they do not spend much time actually growing their skills by working on task of image making.
stage 4 “The Image Maker”
Realizes the equipment is just a tool, a necessary evil.
They finally embark on the real journey of understanding light and imagining. They have a tendency to become a bit reclusive while chasing their new found vision and drop off from or become infrequent visitors to on-line communities in favor of actually working on their skills of producing images.
stage 5 “The Master”
at the zenith of their abilities they reach the Zen of image making.
They become one with the image making process and their equipment (Anyone who believes they have reached this stage, have not!)
stage 6 “There is no stage 6”
By far most people who embark on the photographic journey appear to progress fairly quickly from stage 1 through stage 2 to stage 3 where many tend to get stuck.
They become mired down in trying to understand all the wonderful equipment that keeps appearing on the market for them to obtain.
Many fortunately eventually escape the bling and flash of all the new kit after a while, and get back on track of becoming a proficient image maker.
Though not all make it to stage 4, their hobby becomes the photo equipment in itself. Which is fine, especially if you are a photo equipment manufacturer!
Stage 5 is a myth, no one ever actually gets to this point though some have gotten very close!
March 28, 2015
Algonquin Provincial Park – Canada’s amazing park system
Algonquin Park
Established in 1893, Algonquin Park is the oldest provincial park in Canada.
Located only a 3 hour drive north of Toronto, Ontario the park provides a wilderness experience that is easily accessed from Southern Ontario.
Encompassing about 7,653 square kilometres (2,955 sq mi), it contains over 2,000 kilometres of back country canoe routes connecting thousands of its pristine lakes.
Providing for any level of outdoors actives.
From the “civilised city” camper. With eight campgrounds and fourteen hiking trails. That provide easy access for the car camper arriving with tent or trailer. Some even providing electrical hookup along the Highway 60 corridor.
To the skilled outdoors person. With 29 different entry points allowing access to the thousands of kilometers of back-country canoeing and hiking. For overnight and multi day use a back-country permit is required. And you will need to show your approved camp stove to the warden before entering. There is also a complete bottle and can ban in effect in the back-country.
The park is home to an active and healthy black bear population. As well as wolf packs and fox requiring good back-country skills for those traversing its rugged landscape.
Algonquin with 272 recorded bird species, some residents some migrants, is also a haven for the ornithologist!
Not to forget mentioning spotting the occasional elusive moose!
Located in an area of transition between northern coniferous forest and southern deciduous forest the park is along the “border” between Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario. For the landscape enthusiast the park provides excellent diverse scenery in all seasons, especially in the fall when the trees along the highway 60 corridor turn to an amazing riot of colors.
The park boasts a large visitors centre located at Km 43 containing a shop, restaurant, museum and a viewing platform overlooking several lakes. As well as a Logging museum at Km 54.5.
WiFi is available only at the visitors centre, and fortunately in most places cell phones still do not have a signal allowing for a quiet peaceful time while visiting.
Whether you are car camping or going back-country I highly rate the park and can only recommend it.
It is well worth the visit!
You can find out more about the park and make your camp reservation at Ontario Parks
For updates and news about the park visit the Friends of Algonquin Park FOAP
There is also an excellent Art Gallery at Km 20 on Highway 60 inside the park boundaries, it is well worth a visit. Entrance to the gallery is by donation, which helps fund it operations.
Enjoy your stay!

April 1, 2014
A mini review of Sky Crystals
A mini review of Sky Crystals – Unraveling the Mysteries of Snowflakes
Sky Crystals – Unraveling the Mysteries of Snowflakes by Don Komarechka
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great book! It is a hardcover printed on a heavy stock that showcases the images very well. The book is divided into 3 main sections, with lots of very well reproduced images.
The first section goes into the science and mechanics of how snow crystals are formed.
The second covers the equipment and how-to of shooting your own images of snowflakes.
And the final section covers post processing the many shots in software to arrive at the final image.
Highly recommended read if you are interested in the science, or photography of snowflakes or even just looking at all the pretty pictures of these short lived wonders.
It was a catalyst in rekindling my interest in macro photography!
Very pleased to have purchased it!
View all my reviews on Goodreads
The book can be obtained from http://skycrystals.ca/
January 15, 2014

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