February 17th, 2023

Earlier this week, Joy and I packed up our stuff and headed out to one of our favourite hiking spots, T. Mawbry Carlton Jr. Memorial Reserve.  Long name. We just usually refer to it as Carlton.   One name. Sort of like Cher.   It's an amazing and beautiful place with more than 100 miles of trails.  I'm sure we have been on most of them at one time or another (and definitely gotten turned around out there a time or two)

It was a gorgeous day, beautiful cloudless sky so blue that the green of the trees against it paled in comparison.  It was a wee bit chilly when we started out and only began to warm up a bit as we were leaving.  Absolutely perfect.

And yet, neither of us got many pictures.   So while it was intended to be one of our Photo Safari outings, instead it  turned out to be more of a hike with cameras. A totally different sort of thing.  Which is perfectly fine, by the way.  It happens.  It was just a surprise.    Normally we are snapping away like mad but this time. Not so much.   A whole lot of hiking, very little clicking.  Still had a great time, got some terrific exercise and we always enjoy the opportunity to spend time together.  But as far as pictures go, kind of a bust.

There were a few, of course!

In fact, at one of the very first trail intersections, as we were deciding which way to go, first we peered down the trail to the right, the trail up ahead and then the trail to the left. Hmmmmm.  As we stood there debating some very large and healthy looking wild hogs crossed the trail to the left.  Ok we are not going that way....so we turned right instead.  Joy actually got a picture of our piggy pals:  ​

I know you cannot  tell from this phots as there is nothing to measure them against, but trust me when I say that they were of good size.  

We continued on, twisting and turning with the trails and randomly choosing to go left, right or straight as we went  along, quietly talking, pointing things out to each other and occasionally taking a photo or two.

We heard more birds than we captured.  They were either zooming far too quickly, were hiding up in the leaves/fronds/sprills, or we just simply couldn't find them~!  Dang birds.  Here are a few of the ones we did capture:  (some photos are mine, the really good ones are Joys)

Most of my pictures this time 'round turned out to be of trees.  Sometimes they show their best selves in colour, other times in black'n'white.  I don't suppose there is one absolutely "right" way to present a photo.   It's probably one of those things that is so subjective it's impossible to say what is truly correct.  And nowadays, I have the option of leaving or removing colour with just the touch of a few buttons. (what an amazing thing!)  Either way,  I had fun playing around with them in editing and I'll let you decide which you prefer:

Got a few flowers and one thing I'm putting in the flower category even though it clearly isn't:

And that's about it!  Not even a rando file today, sorry.  There it is, the sum total proof that instead of a Photo Safari, we merely did a nice hike in the forest with our cameras.  

It was absolutely lovely just more or less, photo-less.  We wish ourselves better luck next time!