Elk Lake Part 2

Well true to our word, we went back to the lake. We intended to head to the right side, walk a while, have a bit of lunch at a bench somewhere along the way and come back….HAH!!!! NOT !!!!  We walked to an area where we could have our lunch and then got the bright idea to see how far the trail would take us… At the start of our walk, we got a send off with a flock of Canada Geese. I had hoped to get a picture while they were on land, but people came along with a young dog who took great delight in chasing them into the water.

There were lots of families of ducks, some hiding amongst the swamp grasses along the waterline, others seemed to be on training missions with mom and dad. There were other ducks as well that were just enjoying a nice day. One in particular was unusual, at least to me. I don’t recall seeing black and white ducks in this area but as a friend pointed out, there are hybrids everywhere, so perhaps that’s what happened to this one.

While having lunch I walked over to where a loan duck was sitting and gave him some crust from my bread. He must have liked that because he followed me back to our table so who am I to deny him more. He came right up to our table within a foot of hubby, so I’m guessing they are used to being around we human beings.

Off we went to explore the trail. It’s a beautiful spot but just to darn busy for us. We prefer to be able to walk and not have to constantly step aside for joggers, guys with fishing gear, people with dogs on the run and other people on horseback. Not sure what these little fishing things are called, but the lake was speckled with people fishing from them.

And even skunk cabbage is beautiful to see. It may be stinky up close, but when it flowers those bright yellow blooms really make a statement in the darkness of a forest. These weren’t blooming  but they are flourishing with the rain we’ve been having. These are somewhere between 4 – 5 ft tall.

Working around the final leg of the walk we came across this little guy crossing the path. Apparently this is the time they are making busy and you need to watch out for them. Poor guy made me feel ashamed for complaining about my sore tootsies and crappy footwear. Given how long it’s going to take him/her to get where they’re going, I can only admire their determination.  He/she was approx. 10” across the width, and it pulled it’s head in when I went around the front to take a picture. I waited and it bravely poked it’s head out to take a look around.

So, after an unplanned marathon walk of 2 1/2 hours and 10 kms later we returned to the truck. What’s not to like, it was a gorgeous day, not to hot and a bit of a breeze and this kind of scenery.. It’s all good….