Hemlock Ravine Hike...

Fionna really wanted to take Wes to Hemlock Ravine this weekend... So Saturday we headed out for a before dinner hike... This time we got to slow down a bit and take a closer look...

A stop off at the duck pond showed the signs from all the rain we have been getting...
This amazing orange fungi had grown in just the week and a half since we saw it last...

Along the path in quite a few places there were still signs of Hurricane Juan... it is said that millions of trees were damaged here in the 2003 hurricane...

One thing this does is open up areas for new growth...

In these open spaces we saw lots of berry bushes... With flowers just waiting to become yummy berries!We also saw lots of animal sign along the trail...

A tiny slug was hanging out in this tree... Fionna could not resist...

These are galls created by little bugs... We could see the little eggs in the middle of the yellow spots on these maple leaves...

Of course there we little flowers along the way... 

We found this huge fungi...
After closer inspection Fionna discovered that the rain water from the morning showers was dripping down under the fungi... I thought they looked like little jewels... such a contrast to the top of the gnarly fungi...

On that same tree we discovered these beetles... We found some that look like this in the insect guide book but funny enough the ones in the guide are only found in Cali... Ha! We will keep on looking for the name of their Nova Scotia cousins...

A little mystery home...
The view... 

About half way along the trail we veered off to this spot... You can see the Bedford Basin... Off to the right there is a cargo ship anchored... That white rooftop is the hotel we stayed in when we first got into town and were looking for a place to rent...

That is how close the city is to all this beauty!
Forest flame...
Fionna was on a super fungi hunt...  We thought these polypores looked like moths...
A mushroom and a strange... yet to be identified... growth... Pretty, pink and squishy...
Reflection... With all of the rain there were many little pools of water along the way...

Fionna loved this fallen tree... in all of it's fungal glory...
There were a lot of Lady Slippers... Fionna was investigating just how they were made up...

We got a plant book at the library  this weekend... Plant anatomy on the horizon this week... A plan was hatched to head back to Lily Lake Woods to gather some specimens...

Following Dad up the root filled path in the ravine...
That is Martha the Mammoth that Fionna is holding... By her tusk... We did not capture any fuzzy little critters while on our hike...
Looking up from the bottom of the ravine...
End of the path...

Some trees down blocking the path from here on out...
I could not get enough of the reflections...
Another type of gall... this time on a downed tree...
Our happy boys...
Getting a ride out after a long hike...

It will always amaze us to be so close to the "big city" and yet essentially have the trails to ourselves... We saw three other mom's with kids and two women walking... all on the main part of the trail... Some tweens were hanging out by the pond when we left... 

It was a great way to end the day... It really is hard to beat a good hike before... or after... dinner! Well... it's hard to beat a good hike... period!

Hope all had a good weekend!