We spent the last 4 days visiting friends on Lake Superior. Besides the impressive scenery we saw some interesting plants and one unusual garden. Here are some pictures.
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| Lake Superior |
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| Chi Cheemaun Ferry |
We first took a ferry from the tip of the Bruce Peninsula (Tobermory) to Manitoulin Island (driving around Georgian Bay would have added about 5 hours to the trip). Here are a few pictures taken around Tobermory from the ferry.
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| Tobermory Harbour |
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| Tobermory Harbour |
Some Old Order Mennonites were also taking the ferry.
On Manitoulin Island there was a very interesting garden. We would have liked to visit it, but no one was around. I took a few pictures from the street. The most striking feature was something I had never seen in "real life", a petunia tree. It is a series of platforms on a post. Petunias are grown on the platforms to produce the effect of a tree. It is not "my cup of tea", but it is quite spectacular! It seemed a most interesting garden.
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| Petunia tree! |
Since Lake Superior covers an area just slightly smaller than Austria, the waves can be rather high, but, at other times, the lake is very peaceful. The water was warm enough to swim.
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| Waves on Lake Superior |
Where the water is relatively quiet, you see thousands of white water lilies. We also saw pickerel weed growing wild, and an unusual-looking caterpillar which was feeding on Epilobium angustifolium.
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| Native Water lilies |
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| Native Water lily |
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| Caterpillar on Fireweed |
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| Pickerel Weed |
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| Osprey nesting on electrical pole |
The friends we were visiting, Michael, Dorion and Rachel.
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| Michale, Dorion & Rachel |
On, anything but petunias. The water lilies are lovely; I would have thought them only in calmer, inland lakes.
ReplyDeleteYou are right. They grow in the lake, but in bays and quiet inlets.
DeleteBeautiful photos Alain. The name "Lake" gives us such an inaccurate impression, doesn't it? It's very much a sea in all but name I think.
ReplyDeleteI remember visiting the Thousand Island area when I was much younger and I can still remember how scenic it was. I think that's Lake Ontario.
We've had some vacations by Lake Superior. I remember lots of fireweed - and gentians. Also the Lake itself - beautiful but COLD.
ReplyDeleteLovely pictures - I can't believe a lake can be almost as big as Australia! Sounds like you enjoyed your visit.
ReplyDeleteActually, it is almost as big as Austria - still enormous.
DeleteWhat a beautiful part of Canada. We zipped across the top of Superior twice on our cross-Canada moves, but I really want to go back and spend some time up there.
ReplyDeleteThe northlands are so beautiful. I enjoyed your photos! The photo of Chi Cheemaun reminds me of a trip we took with the kids years ago, to Sudbury. The boat ride was a highlight. That's an exceptionally nice petunia tree. It's not as easy to get a good display like that as might be expected. The velvet Elvis of gardening, maybe, but still fun. Sheri
ReplyDeleteYou are quite right about the petunia tree. Even if I would not attempt one myself, I thought it was quite impressive. I would have like to have a closer look at how it was achieved.
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