Springfield Farm and Rock Point Provincial Park.

 

The day after the Santa Claus Parade, Rick and I went, with Daniele and Fiona to a craft show at Springfield Farm Golf course near Waterford. I had passed signs to this place but never actually gone.

The crafts were all hand made and one-of-a-kind. There was metal work, pottery, woodwork, rug hooking, jewelry, sewing and baking. A lovely selection in an old barn and the golf course was a nice surprise too.

The course has been beautifully converted from land that was previously a tobacco farm.

Skillfully landscaped with interesting plants and shrubs

and metal sculptures scattered throughout.

During 2020, "the covid year", Rick and I searched for places to walk as we got tired of doing the "same old" walks around Port Dover, Long Point and Hamilton. Rock Point was a lucky discovery but we had not been there since. So, searching for a place to walk again, we went back and it did not disappoint.

We found the parking lot closest to the lake (The first time we went, we walked for miles from the entrance). Then to this lookout.

Looking west, its a mostly stony beach with lots of zebra mussel shells. Not a real "day at the beach" location.

Down from the lookout and East along the shore we could see Mohawk Island Lighthouse

Abandoned now and partially destroyed by fire, it sits out on an island that is sometimes totally submerged by high water levels and high winds.

According to Wikipedia it is home to the only Caspian Tern colony on Lake Erie.

We didn't see any Terns, just a couple of Grebes.

The lighthouse is one lure , the other is the fossils. They are very abundant on the stone shoreline, with a beach at each end.

From Wikipedia: Limestone shelves along the lake shore contain the fossils of marine animals from the Devonian period.

Some look like bones,

 

some like plants,

or coral.

Some like ancient sea creatures....

and some that are not easy to identify.

Amazing, walking on this ancient sea bed.

In the coarse sand, evidence of present day fauna.

From Rock Point we drove a short distance to check out the beaches and little cottage communities of Port Maitland.