A Rolling Stone..

..has to be round...and I found out where to see some!  They weren't rolling, but they were  round! 

This was my big day out with my daughter and her choices of destinations included The Pinery, a park on the shores of Lake Huron (one of our Great Lakes) where we could go walking and birdwatching and check out the beach and the dunes.

There was another place close to that park that she and my son-in-law thought I would like to see as well... Kettle Point where I could see the "kettle rocks".  (extra) 

What are Kettle rocks?" you ask.. (as I did)  Well, "they are made of calcite and emerge from an outcrop of sedimentary rock. They stand out dramatically as the softer shale that surrounds them wears away. The concretions are called "kettles" because their shape and size is like a large cooking pot"  They formed about 370 million years ago!  Who knew? Not me! 

My daughter and SIL had visited some famous ones in New Zealand - the Koutu Boulders. They had been fascinated by them and convinced me that this would be a worthwhile side trip. So, after our birdwatching, that's where we headed. I was not disappointed!  I was intrigued! 

We had started the day at The Pinery where we meandered through some of the trails, armed with our Merlin apps, in search of birds. My daughter is an avid bird watcher, so was also my teacher and coach! How could I not learn something new? We did find some birds that I had not seen before, so that was a treat, and of course there were the regular ones I see back home too. Having chickadees eat out of your hand is always a fun thing, but even better? A nuthatch! I actually coaxed one to butt in among the chickadees and take a turn grabbing the seeds as well!  (extra)

From there, after a leisurely lunch, we set out for the beaches and the dunes. (extra) Of course at this time of year, they were empty of people, but that changes in spring and summer. It is a really popular spot. One of the attractions of those beaches is the sunset. It is a sunset that has been ranked as one of the best in the world! That would be worth coming back for! Maybe next time! 

It was a fabulous day out for me, and a treat to have time with my daughter. It was a very long day to be on my feet for that many hours, but my daughter was the perfect companion and guide. She set a slow pace with lots of rests, humoured me with as much time as I wanted to take photos and feed the birds and then planned a long relaxing break at lunchtime to let me recuperate from all that activity I was not used to! And it worked. I did it. I lasted a whole day in the great outdoors! 

I was so pooped when we got home that I spent the evening in front of the TV watching the hockey game! I didn't get my back-blip for yesterday's posting done, but will do it when I get back home to Whitby tomorrow. 
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