Capturing the Art of Nature
Western Elgin County - Ontario (Day 7)
The weather was great for photography so I set out west along the lake to find new sights.
Category
Ontario Adventures
2009
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The day was starting off really nice for capturing some photos - some cloud and reasonably warm. It being the best day yet in Port Stanley, I quickly decided not to waste it and so after a leisurely breakfast I set out along the back roads to the west of the port. I had traveled some of these roads last year but this time I planned to go further and explore more of the shore. The first few miles of road were familiar to me from last year, but the better weather and more vibrant colours made the drive fresh and interesting.
The initial section was along Lake Line which starts off paved but soon becomes a gravel road. The first section of road was a bit drab but I did pass a couple of maple syrup farms with names I recognized from labels in the local food store. So that was an interesting surprise. I was interested in dropping in on them but felt I needed to keep going so as not to lose the sun. Perhaps next year I can come back and see their operation. I continued along to Iona Road and drove it for a short distance. I arrived at Fingal Line and continued down it until I came to the small church and cemetery I enjoyed last year. I gathered some more images of it - this year the fuller trees hid the church so it was harder to find the shots I wanted.
I continued along to Port Talbot but couldn't actually find anything there. The map shows an historical homestead but I couldn't find it despite driving a ways down a long road that turned out to be a private driveway. Once the mistake was discovered, I quickly turned around and left before the resident dog caught up to me. I continued west and noticed on the map a small park on the shore - John E. Pearce Provincial Park. I decided to check it out next. Upon arrival the gate was shut and locked but another car was parked in the entrance so I decided to do likewise. It sure seems odd that the parks are all locked up and ignored so early in the season.
I grabbed my gear and set off down the park roadway towards the lake. The road was covered in leaves and surrounded by tall trees, it was a lovely adventure making my way along the road. Soon the road turned parallel to the lake so I left it and made my way to the cliff edge. The view of the lake was lovely but I couldn't get a clear shot of the shoreline from here so that was a bit disappointing. I returned to the roadway and soon it came to a small parking lot next to an open grassy area that continued to the cliff edge. Upon reaching the edge here I had some great views of the lake and the beach far below. The place was a lovely find and made the trip. I stopped to drink in the beauty, the other visitor came by and chatted for a few moments before moving on. I then continued east along a bluff trail and found some more viewpoints to capture some photos at.
Next I set off back to the car to head out but when I got there I noticed a hiking trail across the road. It was a continuation of the park and so I decided to hike it for a short ways to see what views I might find along it. The first part of the path runs along the edge of a private house and yard, they had put up numerous signs pointing out that the trail went one way and going the other put you on private land. They obviously get a lot of people losing the trail and crossing their land in error. The trail was restful and offered some interesting sights but it got deep into the trees and didn't open up into any views - at least for the distance I walked. By now I was getting quick tired and my inspiration for photo taking was rapidly diminishing. The sun was also getting low reducing the light levels too much for decent photographs - it was too breezy for slow shutter speeds. I returned along the way I came and returned to the car. The park was definitely interesting and I need to return a bit earlier in the day so I can walk the whole trail as I do think it opens up to a view of fields not much past where I turned back.
I got back on the road and decided to head back to the Inn but not directly. I wanted to drive through a few of the smaller towns mentioned on the map to see if they had anything of interest. The first of these was Wallacetown followed by Iona. Next came Shedden and Fingal. These last two both looked interesting and seemed to have some potential angles to explore but I was definitely beyond interest in photo taking by now so I didn't find anything inspiring to stop me long enough to grab some photos. A shame really because they were both interesting little villages. A return visit is definitely in order. I think I should plan a day trip to all the small villages around the port just to capture the essence of them.
Once out of Fingal the clouds had thickened and were starting to spit at me . So it seems that my timing was quite good for the day and I got back not much before the rain started in earnest. Over-all it was a very successful day for photography and I did manage to find some excellent scenes to capture.