Commercial Fishing Harbour

 One of the things I enjoy about Port Dover is, that, as well as being a viable small town it is also a tourist town with a "seaside" vibe and a commercial fishing town. Just up river from the lighthouse, pier and breakwater is the commercial fishing harbour. Nicola and I went for a walk, stopped at Tim's for a latte and drove over to the harbour rather than drinking it while parked at the pier (my usual ritual)

We happened to catch the fleet coming in to unload their Smelt catch for the day.

One boat had just finished unloading, one was in process and one waiting to get to the dock. Sky full of wheeling gulls.

This is why, Smelt spillage.

They cleaned that up in no time

and sat patiently waiting for another spill.

 According to a recent article in the Port Dover Maple Leaf, Rainbow Smelt are native to the North Atlantic coastal regions but were introduced into the Great Lakes in the early 1900s. By the late 1950s they became a viable catch commercially. They are unloaded and trucked, on ice, to Chatham for processing by the Great Lakes Food Company then shipped to markets in Canada, California, Chile, China and Japan.

Erie Explorer looked as if she had been painted over the winter.

A few others were also looking pretty spiffy

while others looked like

there were more important things to do than paint the boat.

These are working,

not pleasure boats, after all.

This makes me want to sing "... children at her feet..."

A few pictures

from

last weeks

snow

fall.

This was the other reason it felt like Christmas: my wool order arrived from Martina Lesar.

I finished the Geometric Mountain Lansdcape that I designed for Susan Clarke's Geometric Workshop and made it into a pillow.

 

Finally Birds and baby:

The Killdeer defending

her nest with it's 3 stone-like eggs.

Chris and Jason sat out on the porch and talked through the open window but Cigi came inside for her first visit with Auntie Nicky.

She has graduated to a big bottle. Nearly as big as her. Photo by Chris.

Baby yoga. Photo by Chris.

Looking for some different walks - Rock Point Conservation Area

 A while back, Rick and I, drove down to Long Beach and on the way back saw a lighthouse, out in the water that Rick swore had to be a mirage. We went back to see if spring weather had dissipated the mirage. When we researched the Mohawk Island Lighthouse we had noted that there was a conservation area near it, so that's where we headed.

First to Port Maitland to see the pier

when it wasn't encrusted with ice.

We parked at an entrance to Rock Park Conservation Area and walked in, noting the pleasant, well spaced and private campsites, to this lookout.

But there were too many trees and we couldn't see the lighthouse. Did see a sandy path down to a sandy beach though.

We continued along a path to a shell and rock beach

and we could see it from there,

just as impressive as the "mirage" we saw before but this time covered in gulls and Cormorants.

The lighthouse was interesting but what lay beneath our feet was fascinating!

The rock (Limestone, we later looked it up) was full of fossils.

Everywhere.

More research: Fossils from the Devonian period, over 340 million years ago, when the rocks were at the bottom of an ancient sea.

It was mesmerizing, standing on top of ancient creatures and plants. And later researching the period.

The next day was another pleasant but less interesting walk, on the Lynn Valley Trail. Hoping to see the Wood Ducks that were there last year. No luck but lots of flowers and

A goose on eggs

with a partner close by.

Marsh Marigolds

Ending with birds and baby:

Cigi after a bath

 

Cedar Waxwings. They were eating Forsythia petals

and one was feeding the other.

Looking for some different walks - St Williams

I've done a lot of walking this winter, alone, with Nicola or with Rick and am getting a bit bored with "the same old walks". So when there's a different walk I am up for it.

A couple of weeks ago Rick and I were heading towards Backus Woods (again) when I remembered there was a parking lot beside the Forestry Farm on Hwy 24.

We walked beside a pond that probably is used for irrigating the trees and we were into some woodlands with sandy trails and lots of signs of spring.

Absolutely beautiful, but I don't have Nicola's flower identifying app on my phone. Back on the computer and I think it is Round Lobed Hepatica

This ground cover looks like Christmas.

Violets

The spring blooms weren't just on the ground

the trees and shrubs were getting in on the act too.

And a left over from last fall - Milkweed seed.

 

The trails weren't very well marked and a bit confusing so we didn't walk for long. It was also a weekend so there were ATVs and dirt bikes out on the trails too. A better walk for a weekday.

Ending with birds and baby:

Cedar Waxwings in the Apple tree next door.

One was feeding the other a Forsythia petal.

One of our, twice a day, video visits.