De-clutter a Picture

Today I am showing you an image I took yesterday in Port Burwell Ontario. I wanted to make it into an "artsy" pic so, through the magic of Photoshop, I took out all the elements of the shot that I didn't want in my finished picture. I also altered the perspective to straighten things up.

The animated gif shows the "before and after".

And here's my "artsy" for today... Tadaah! Click on it to see the detail.
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A Cruise On Big Otter Creek From Port Burwell On Lake Erie

Click the map to enlarge it.

Thursday was a beautiful first day of Summer so we decided to take the dingy for a ride up the Big Otter Creek.

We launched at Big Otter Creek Marina at noon. Temperatures in the high seventies meant "no jacket required".

I started a small collection of deer flies. Next time I'm bringing bug spray. These little buggers give a painful bite with blood, like a horsefly and can carry Lyme Disease. Not good!

Occasionally we had to speed up to outrun the deer flies. Watch this quick video to see some of the scenery streaming by.

Of course we slowed down to pass residences and boat docks etc.

This is the mid-point of of our cruise. Vienna Ontario.

Looks to me like the government has stopped it off "for our own protection"? Now I wonder what's behind the barricade. Ha ha.

One of the three highway bridges we passed under.

Wendy says it looks like Hillbilly country!

A view of the submarine brought here at great taxpayer expense six years age. Remember the blog entry CLICK HERE.

A nice old Mainship docked on the sea wall.

This could be the best way to make sure you catch fish. Buy some!

Our last stop before the drive home was the fish market to buy some fresh pickerel fillets for dinner.

After all the years I spent trying to catch fish, I now realize that it's almost as fun, and certainly for me, just as rewarding to buy the fish, fresh from the fishing boat. And nobody had to gut and clean the catch!

As the fish lady told us, pickerel (walleye) is one of the few fish you can enjoy with the "skin on". I agree, what a nice dinner!
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Remembering The Sixties At Wasaga Beach

 My Artsy Pic For Today - Makes me want hear Chubby Checker and have a cold beer.

Derived from a vintage postcard from the sixties. As is common at most beaches now, parking is no longer allowed on the sand.


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Released‎: ‎June 19, 1961 - Hey, that's 57 years ago!

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Around Rondeau - Thirty KM Cruise

 Friday we took the dinghy on the trailer to Rondeau for a 20 mile run around Rondeau Bay. Rondeau Provincial Park is on the east side of the bay and two villages, Shrewsbury and Erieau to the west and south respectively.

It was fairly calm and the temperature in the mid seventies made for a lovely couple of hours exploring the bay and the marina at Erieau.

Several times I had to stop and clear the weeds from the propeller. The whole bay is only about 6 feet deep so weeds grow up to the surface. I can't imagine how you could operate a powerboat here later in the summer. By August I would think it would be one big mass of weeds.

A thriving commercial fishing operation marks the entrance to the marina.

No weeds here, in the deeper water near the access to the lake.

Fuel dock and a beer and liquor store right at the marina.

We headed out to Lake Erie for a quick look at the beaches.

Turtles sunning themselves in the warm sunshine on the pier.

Once again, behind the barrier and into the bay to head back towards the car.

Our launch today was at the "Summer Place Marina and Campground" at the northern end of the bay at Rondeau.

Wendy noticed this group of Map turtles sunning on the dock.

The high water allowed them to climb on.

Here is a turtle climbing onto the dock.

I noticed this custom made "air boat" tied up nearby. It might be the only way to get across the bay later in the summer if the weeds get much thicker.
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