Our weekend didn’t turn out quite as expected.  Original plans had been booked oh so long ago – we were supposed to go camping at Sandbanks Provincial Park.  As the weeks passed it was evident that neither the weather nor my work schedule was going to accommodate that plan.  In fact, it was my work that was the straw that broke the camel’s back (so to speak)…and we cancelled our camping trip.  Johnny still had his Friday off (he’s doing a compressed work week this summer for every 2nd Friday off.

So…next plan – Friday was looking clear – we would take the day and go for a week hike and picnic in the Gatineau Hills.  Well, that would have worked except for the fact that I ended having a sale extended and having to boogie to get some signatures Friday morning, then a last minute call from a couple only in town for the day wanting to see one of my listings within the next hour, topped off by clients I had been working with for 4 months wanting to put an offer in on something that day!  So….no hike in the woods for us!

We did have a lovely dinner in the market (Byward Market, Ottawa) after I was done work though.  Alas, Saturday dawned, the weather looked less than ideal, no messages, phone calls or pages calling me away, so we loaded up the packs and headed to the Gatineaus.  One of our favourite places is Lac Philippe in the Gatineau Hills of Quebec.  It’s less than 30 minutes away so easy to get to.  We decided to do the hike to Lusk Caves, starting off the inland up hill side, getting to the caves and then walking back along the narrow roadway/path along the Lake.  Photos below are in a very random order but you get the gist.

However, as a Canadian….I may have been somewhat more prepared had I actually packed bug spray….black flies being the worst…mosquitos following behind…….was a bit crazy.  Interesting factoid….bugs come to me, sit on me..but don’t bite me….guess they don’t care for my chemistry.  Johnny however is not immune to these things, poor guy got quite a few black fly bites.  It’s quite interesting though, they seem to amass in one section. You can walk along..and nothing, then all of a sudden you enter a cloud of flies..shades of my youth in the near north of Ontario.  Johnny has a theory that I was probably bitten so often as a child that I’m simply immune to them now – let’s go with that.

OK….before you start looking at my beautiful photos taken on the Samsun Galaxy S6 phone…..we forgot to bring the lunch..so OH DARN….had to stop by Wakefield on the way home and eat at the old train station…the food their was absolutely scrumptious, highly recommend!  It’s name is Cafe Pot-au-Feu clickem HERE  A well deserved break after our 10+ k damp buggy hike!  In fact, I’m not complaining at all, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE walking at this time of year and I think that the world can be more beautiful on a gray day than it is on a sunny day.  I believe my photos below may confirm that 🙂 !!

Forgot to bring the sandwich for the picnic..oops 🙂

Hoods and Hats!   To protect from blackflies, mosquitos and rain (mostly blackflies)

Love this ethereal pond

Red trilliums not nearly as common as white ones

White and red trilliums happily co-existing.

Back at the camp ground on Lac Philippe

Raindrops on sunroof

In lieu of packed sandwich

Fish tacos and salad por moi

Beet soup and fish tacos por Johnny

This was a lovely flowering tree

Nature utilizes everything at hand to survive

No cave walking today – full of water and no hip waders 🙂

oops…looks perhaps like partridge feathers…..there were tons of them…no carcass though..a fight perhaps?

Flowering tree looking over Lac Philippe