Friday 30 May 2014

Today Vicki and I paddled some 6-7km in our canoe. Yesterday I paddled less than 2km in the kayak and took some photos. I had some goals but will show you some scenes from my efforts anyway!

First. Why I went out:

It is just so peaceful. It is 5pm. I wanted to show you a kingfisher. They are quite common
but difficult to "pose":


You can "see" the problem!

                                                     Not on command:


So, can be done!


                                         Back to paddling. 2 more birds: a Grackle

                                       
                                           and a common male merganser

                                  The next group are at the Leacock boat house (restored)



                            For my friend, Jens, the Romans were also here, Tyrannus tyrannus:







                                         There were many fish, too - or was that two?




             And back home:






                                                          Have a great weekend - WOB


Wednesday 28 May 2014

The Bike Tour

I biked 20+km today. With camera -sigh! So I did not spam you - please write a comment.

KM Zero:
                                                                      

                                         Km 1: Old Rail Trail/Gordon Lightfoot "Railroad Triology"

                                          Km 2: from Orillia's 2011 art festival - seen at the Harbour
                                           Km 3, East::
                                          Km3, West:

                                          Km 4:

                                          Km 5:
                                          Km 6: I think an Eastern Painted turtle
                                         Km 7 - actual, not pretty: Tim Hortons is everywhere
                                          Km 8 - I was surprised:
                                         The Trillium is the Ontario Provincial flower

                                         Km 9 north:
                                          Km9 south:
                                         Km 10
                                                                          north:
                                                                                       south:
I should not ride so far!
                                          28 May/today vs 6 April X-country:
                                         cool, eh. Same bench 8 weeks earlier
                                         Still waters:
                                          Marsh Marigolds

Tuesday 27 May 2014

A kind of editorial about the Saturday morning meteor shower.

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/insider-insights/articles/camelopardalids-storm-was-a-bust-but-/28275/

Vicki and I were excited about the event and realistic about what one might see. I think the media must be better educated. Even in this article there is a lack of understanding about "the next" shower, the Perseids.
This year, 2014, the perseids occur near full moon and so will not be prominent.
http://www.moonconnection.com/moon_phases_calendar.phtml
Astronomy is a patient study of nature - relax and enjoy!

Friday 23 May 2014

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/meteor-showers-in-2014/

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/the-next-new-meteorshower/


Will Comet 209P/LINEAR Generate the Next Meteor Storm?
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1311.0235v1.pdf

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/news/articles/camelopardalid-meteor-shower-could-bring-us-spectacular-fireballs-and-pepper-the-moon-with-impacts-too/28086/

sorry I was late

 Sat afternoon:
Here are some links, a finder chart and some results from our balcony.




comet 209P/LINEAR  Camelopardalids
http://www.imo.net/camelopardalids2014
(finder chart too)

http://www.imcce.fr/langues/en/ephemerides/phenomenes/meteor/DATABASE/209_LINEAR/2014/index.php?popup=3

M. Maslov's pages
http://feraj.narod.ru/Radiants/Predictions/209p-ids2014eng.html

Vaubaillon, J.; Colas, F.; Jorda, L. paper
http://cdsads.u-strasbg.fr/abs/2005A%26A...439..751V

Vicki saw one meteor before I set up. It was about the magnitude of Polaris, slow, trail of circa 8 degrees.
I took 16 pictures of 30seconds - 2 show trails.
IMGP7852: 

and detail:


and approx 1 minute later, IMGP7853:



The trails diverge slightly,exposures of 30 seconds, downloads also circa 30seconds.
Results:
http://imo.net/camelopardalids2014-results
and
http://imo.net/live/cameleopardalids2014/#observers


Tuesday 20 May 2014


Although there have been few comments to Sunday 18 May blog, I have
had some email queries.

Where is Minesing and what is a swamp.

It is a "9 Mile Portage" or 15km west of Barrie, just west of Highway #26/#28.

We may all have seen swamps on TV and the act of "seeing is critical.
From a canoe the view is poor, from a kayak almost impossible! The
Minesing Wetlands are flat - whether flooded in April, "OK" on May 18,
or low water in summer-fall. And bare in mind that the Nottawasaga drops
300m in 120km but is flat in its midsection, the swamp, something
I can only dream about! On Saturday, it was difficult to know where we
were going without a guide to help. Richard did a great job with patience
and humour.

We took Willow Creek from #28 put-in some 7K down stream to the "lake".
The creek was usually 4-5m wide with low banks and low grasses so from
a canoe we could "see" fairly well. Still it would be possible to go wrong
at places - how wrong I do not know. The lunch break came at the end of
our Willow Creek section

The "lake" is filled with floating mats of green and narrow water ways
that loop back and forth in frustratingly short distances so that a
"crow flight" of 3km is easily 5-7k if one paddles the open water. The
mats are floating as we discovered when we had to get around a fallen
tree. (Some trees can take a brief stand in water in Spring.)

After the Willow and its black water joins the Nottawasaga with its
muddy brown water, the course is that of a river - mostly, there were
some flooded sections where we paddled through the trees around log jams.

The birds in the May 18 blog are turkey vultures - maybe so named because
they appear like turkeys when they roost in trees. I took some pictures of
swans - maybe trumpeter, difficult to tell.

The animal in the tree is a porcupine - the first I have seen since 1991.

Sunday 18 May 2014

Minesing canoe Trip

yesterday Vicki and I paddled the Minesing Wetlands while Jörg ran Rennsteig for the 10th time. Well done. (Slow learner, Ute?)  (see also https://www.facebook.com/groups/261830517328561/)

                                                              Richard, our Guide






                                                     before
                                                   after