Most of the gang at Terra Cotta

Most of the gang at Terra Cotta
Originally uploaded by Noisypond.

Hiking at Terra Cotta Conservation Area today. Great group of people.

Jack, John, Melanie, Grace, Elliott, Susie, Ben, Jim, Wendy, China, and Robyn

Missing: Lori and Linda, as they had to leave early

It is a hike that I will remember always – or at least until all the mosquito bites go away! Seriously.

Once we got to Terra Cotta Conservation Area and got divided in two groups, mosquito spray applied, maps examined and trails selected, Ben headed out with one group, and my group – the dawdlers and the picture-takers – set out on the Terra Cotta Trail.

Almost immediately, we came upon Wolf Lake, which had beautiful water-lilies scattered throughout it. Some of us stopped to take pictures while the rest of the group twitched and tried to avoid the mosquitoes that rose from the grasses looking for a meal. The rest of the day developed a rhythm in which we alternately were chased through wooded areas by ravenous mosquitoes, or we found locations where the insects weren’t nearly as bad, and we could relax and enjoy the scenery and each other’s company.

I have to say, I get to meet some very interesting and very cool people! There was so much interesting conversation – Melanie using her artist’s eye to point out to the rest of us the interesting colour of the snail shell, or the light in the leaves above our heads; Elliott telling us about his research into proteins at Sick Kid’s Hospital in such a way that you could easily understand the gist of his study; Robyn with her sarcastic wit. Patterns developed: Melanie mentioning colour, Robyn noticing food (berries, apples, mushrooms), and Elliott musing about what a good location this place would be for people in love. And sticks!?!? Susie, Grace, Jack, and John were pretty quiet, but seemed to really enjoy the hike and listening to the conversation. And Susie took more pictures than I did! :)

A short time after we stopped for lunch in a picnic area (with blissfully few mosquitoes), Ben’s group (Ben, Wendy, Jim, Lorie, Linda, and China) happened to join us. It was really great to sit with everybody and get to know the other participants. Apparently, Ben’s group had had extensive discussion through the morning about Ben’s suitability for marriage (or lack thereof), and this continued through our break. Ben, of course, seemed to be enjoying every moment of the exchange.

After our lunch, we went to do some more exploring. This time, our group took the Spring Pond Trail, which seemed to be everybody’s favourite – nice, wide trail, pretty ponds, and – perhaps best of all - relatively few mosquitoes! I mortified Elliott’s English sensibilities by waving to some strangers on the other side of the pond, which prompted yet more interesting discussion about Canadian culture when in the city vs. in a more natural setting.

After the hikes, China, Ben, Jim, Melanie, and I met up at a pub for some more interesting conversation and to devour food. Only Ben had been to this particular establishment before; the rest of us were startled by the hurricane-force hand-dryers in the washrooms! LOL I took out my cell phone to use its calculator to sort out the bill, and haven’t seen it since! ARRRRGGHHH.

Once home, I realized I should have sprayed myself with DEET far more extensively – who would have thought a mosquito could find the chinks in one’s armour (e.g., the back of one’s elbow?!?!) so easily?

All the complaints about bugs aside, it was a great day and an excellent chance to meet some great new people and to reconnect with some valued friends.