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Friday, October 3, 2014

In Algonquin Park, Ont. Canada

After a long, long paddle you reach the mouth of the "Hail Storm Creek Marsh".
About 10km from East to West and about 2km from North to South it extends in an easterly direction from the North end of Lake Opeongo. 
The peace and silence you can find there cannot be described, but must be experienced.
With camera in your lap you sit there and marvel at the beauty of nature. Not a stroke with the paddle. Just let the wind take you where it may. 
A Blue Heron standing still in the reeds, its beak straight up into the air, as if looking at the sky, perfectly camouflaged, at first glance, just another reed.
A family of Otter playing in a mud slide, seemingly chasing each other, giving forth a high pitched squeal, as if they were laughing.
The bush along the shore line opens quietly and the most magnificent Moose, you have ever seen wades up to its thighs and starts digging for Water Lilly roots. It is so intent upon feeding from the underwater riches that it never notices, or maybe it just does not care, that you are coming closer and closer.

Just a very small section of the almost
8000 square kilometers large Algonquin Park





 The remains of what must have been a huge tree
stands like a sentinel at the mouth of  Hail Storm Creek Marsh


Just before you enter the marsh,
 where the water is still deep enough for a Loon to fish, 
a parent offers a freshly caught fish to its chick.
The fish is obviously much too big for the chick,
 but pecking away at it, it gets the taste
 of what will be its almost exclusive sustenance.



Waterlillies abound in the relatively shallow waters of the Marsh.


A young frog takes a little rest on a Lilly frond.


A Water Lilly in all its splendour.



It is Spring time and this Bull Moose, after a long winter, 
feasts on the roots of Water Lillies.




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