Monday 25 September 2017

Fri May 12 - Seville

It has been hot here in Spanish Orillia and I thought a change would do me good.

Get off on the right foot.



And now some guitar:



And then a tribute to the Lady in Red:






W O B

Thursday 21 September 2017

Benthic McGee Creek Tue-Wed Sept 19-20, 2017

Hydra is a constellation! So finding an astronomer or two, knee-deep in water, ought not to be so outrageous? Well, maybe ...


This is our site looking upstream/east on the Tuesday when we measured the water quality. Here are some details to the right and left of the central rill/current:


Note the material hanging from the fence across the creek - there was some during the Spring runoff but most was caught in June when a beaver built a dam some 5m downstream from where I was standing. The water level reached 70cm or so then. The dam was subsequently removed and the water depth on Tues was 23cm under the bridge after 12 hours of rain. Nevertheless, there has been a marked reduction in current and an increase in sediments.


After we collected our sample, I noted that the water stayed turbid for at least 10minutes afterwards. Last year the clouds would have cleared - been swept away - in 1-2 minutes. Last year the current was about 1m in 6 seconds, this year more than a minute, 10 times slower, even though there is not much left of the dam, just friction.



W O B

Severn River through Gloucester Pool

After leaving Little Chute and Gloucester Passage -


the river opens up suddenly, unexpectedly:

We have nearly 6km of open water ahead of us - OK not open like Lake Superior, and we hug the south/left shore so when/if we are swamped we don't have so far to swim. However, torpedos pass us regularly, and we have no protection.

The boats displace a lot of water.



After Deer Is we stayed south around Burrows thinking we might avoid boats - no! Then around the 2-hour mark, 14:30 we reached Dog Point and took shelter behind some tree stumps off an island SW of Dog that was overwritten with km 382



I did not take as many photos as I had hoped because my attention was focussed on avoiding the torpedoes. Our path from here was around to the right but keeping left of traffic briefly:

When we were at/east of Carthew Is we cut straight across the channel to follow  the west side of Beechwood Is as far as the small opening on the east side of Gouette Is. Once again the Severn opened into "Little Lake" appropriately.





Here we met up with our better halfs, or even haves, but actually halves, maybe even better than 60%? for a respite in the sun at the best Grill by a dam site.


A lovely day.

Thank you, Brian, for your support - that's 2 years in a row that you have accepted a crazy idea from me - politely even! I have been certified - who will be next?

W O B

Tuesday 19 September 2017

Big Chute II and progress to Little Chute

We got off the freight car and looked back but our wives were already seeking shade and an ice cream cone, I believe.





And now the adventure:


We did not expect these torpedos - and they waved at us. The wakes left waves of 40cm depth and wavelengths of about a meter - awkward for the canoe and Brian. I mean he was sometimes above my head only to come crashing down below me a second later. Excuse me if there are no photos but both of us were busy with balance.

And then the contrast with these 2 Eastern/Midland Paints:

Notice that the bigger turtle's shell has been removed, probably by one of these "Thank you for leaving no wake" 10kmh boats - ah

W O B

I wandered lonely as a cloud

After 12+ hours of rain there came some rays of sunshine to McGee Creek:





The lighting was wonderful:





The guard at the edge of the bridge seemed to fit into the end-of-summer colours.

W O B

Monday 18 September 2017

Big Chute - I

The layout of the Trent-Severn Waterway:




Note the "S97" near the parallel dashed lines representing the railway tracks:




And once again over I went, this time "Brian" certified me!






Stay tuned - W O B