Beach on the Ottawa River

 I have the use of a car for the week,

so I drove to the end of the Dunrobin Road,

 to a tiny sandy beach that most of the world ignores.

 There was me, two people who were whale watching

(they said they had seen 11, but I think they were making it up - we are too far inland)

 and sand and shells, mostly fresh water clams,

 driftwood, and a couple of feathers,

 an old fishing lure (which I threw into the bushes away from the sand),

rocks, and more shells.

 I should have brought this snail shell home...

 I did very little to rearrange things,

 preferring the natural look.

 More shells,

 and driftwood.

 I started wondering how long sand stays on a given beach,

 how long before it is washed downstream to the next one...

 I was able to wade in the water,

 although the waves made the water murky

 beyond ankle depth.

 Altogether a wonderful day.

Feathers

There were lots of gulls, and geese, so there were a lot of feathers.

Of course, I spent some time 

photographing them,

 on the beaches and in the park.

 

Ice on the Beach

As I was (regretfully) heading for the car, I noticed a piece of clear ice on the sand, and tried to capture it.

A Walk at Mooney's Bay

I am leaving you with a long post today, dear readers, because I am taking a weekend course. More than 20 hours of class time, beginning this afternoon, and running through Sunday dinnertime. I have been warned that the amount of information will be overwhelming, so I want to clear the decks this morning.

Mooney's Bay is a large (for this part of the world) sandy beach on the Ottawa River. All the facilities are closed for the winter, but the sand and the water were free. So was the parking!

I was able to admire the weeping willows and the geese. Even though they did not want to be admired closely. The bridge is actually part of an exercise area, a created hill for runners.

There was a walnut tree, and I admired the sun through the leaves

and found a couple of walnuts that the squirrels were finished with.

I like the cattails in silhouette against the water.

There were a number of elderberry bushes that the birds have not stripped. The bushes around here were picked almost clean even before the berries ripened. So I had a snack while I was walking. Yes, they are edible, but very tart.

There were wild asters, too.

While I was wading in the water (husband laughs at me, but what does that matter when there is water to wade in?), I started watching the leaves that were floating around me. There were so many shadows - the shadow of the leaf, and the shadows of the ripples in the water.

There were herring gulls which did not like me getting too close.

And Joe Pye weed contrasting with the shadows of the willows on the water.

I like the shadow and the wear patterns on this feather.

Even sow thistle can look good with a warm sun, and water in the background.

One interesting thing about willows is the way they grow in clumps, allowing you to frame a photograph.

I will be back on Monday morning.