Sunday, October 19, 2008

Homemade Reddot Sight

One autumn day

It's true, it is time that something is happening here. That fact that I took my sister by the neck t-shirt, was not put gasoline in the car (but should), and we started an adventure just to get to blog content .


should do this more often, dammit!

What happened today is that the door stood open at the Montmorency Forest, some 70 km north of Quebec, the Laurentians. The weather could not offer us more beautiful day for a final ride in the forest before the cold weather, we jumped at the chance to go out full of fresh air.

Parties at 9:30 this morning with walking boots, rucksack and mixed nuts and dried fruit, we took the road under the sky bluer, the clouds no more, as full of sunshine possible. It was mild in Quebec just pretty cold there, it was perfect. The day started under the tutelage of a very nice guide (at left in photo, not to be confused with larch), in fact, really a cool guy, who explained the mission of the Montmorency Forest: offer, all together, a forest-friendly activities (skiing, hiking, snowshoeing ...), economically viable (1% of the forest is cleared each year for forestry), ecology (5 "stages" of forest - of young to mature - to match the needs of each group in the animal chain), etc.. It was so interesting, such a beautiful project deforestation Intelligent or all white (100% forest autonomous and self-sufficient), or all black (clear cutting, forest massacre). Did you know that moose prefer young forests, where are the young shoots they eat? Similarly, they need a little more mature forest (20 to 40 years) for shelter. Lynx prefer slightly older forests, and trees in the section between 40 and 60 are ideal for forestry. Finally, the very old forests, where trees are over 60 years, many protected areas, especially for the growth of lichen (who needs about 80 years to regenerate). Currently, about 8% of forests in Quebec at this stage, the ideal number would be 13%.

short: it was for the theory. We also talked about the beaver, spawning trout, and lots of interesting stuff, including wolves (the subject of study and choice of our guide, traveling with packs).

was then lousse been released into the forest, and we were able to walk freely in our trails around Lake Piché, what we did - starting, of course, by forgetting the guide instructions and lose some. Once back on the trail (well, what was taken as such, although Canada has noticed, in the end we were not really over, in short, just outside the track, as they say), we climbed to a fire tower where we had a superb view over the forest territory. Strangely, all day, the gel was on the ground, never the sun (though very warm, pleasant) has managed to melt. Winter is upon us ...

(nice photo of a sheet lined with frost)

course, it was wildly amused. It was a picnic atop the fire tower, frugal meal of whatever was lying around in our respective pantries, we said stupid things that made us laugh, we took pictures which we have also failed laugh, and it was fine, it was good, which made us smile upon successful pictures.

We have seen a small Swiss and a big wild cat (also known as raccoon, for the uninitiated), and an owl woodpecker, but none of the three has been immortalized on film success with digital.

What was fascinating in that forest was the foam. All ground was covered with a thick foam and plump, it seemed so comfortable, in addition to dampen any noise that made our feet! Beautiful, really. In addition, he uttered the beautiful flowers on green and pink carpet!

On next picture, there is a lack of photographic talent Jobe:
- "Well, she is much too bright, this picture, what did you do?!
- I dunno, but anyway, I really pictured your shadow, eh?

It was a beautiful, really beautiful day, a perfect autumn day in every way, and no less perfect company! I love you, Bibi!