Check out this map, which is created by my SPOT and should update itself automatically. It only shows the past 7 days of active travelling.
If I’m not riding my Suzuki Vstrom DL1000 motorcycle I’m either sorting out all the pictures that I’ve taken or researching and cataloging all the rocks that I’ve collected, or I’m planning my next adventure ride. In between I do some writing and more recently spend time training a young Toller puppy, so don’t expect to read much.
Billi sees her reflection and finally stopped barking.
I’ve been playing with the X-T1 body and my Fuji 18-135 lens. OMG there are lots of settings to experiment with, so this photography activity may keep me occupied for a long time. I’ve taken a few pictures to learn about the zooming capabilities and quality of images. Looking from the deck at the cottage 250 metres partway across Buck Lake to Twin Island we sometimes see an osprey nesting, or possibly just perched and searching for a fish meal. I’ve used the deck railing to steady the camera, the image stabilizer is on and the ISO is 400. Because it’s a small bodied mirrorless camera the lens mathematics of the Fuji 18-135 has an angle of view of 76.5° – 12° and the zoom is equivalent to most DSLR camera zoom 27-209mm lenses or about the same as an average pair of 7X 35° binoculars. I took two pictures to show the capabilities. My Fuji setup has excellent image quality and is certainly adequate for me to edit and crop to be able to get more magnification of wildlife. If the osprey had been any further away I wouldn’t even have noticed it; I needed binoculars to help me setup for the pictures. 
I’ve attempted some night photography with interesting first attempt results and discovered that my Photoshop Elements 10 software won’t open the raw Fiji files that I created. So with some trial and error and internet sleuthing, I’m now using RawTherapee program. Wow, now even more fun with my Fuji.
RawTherapee ( copied from Wikipedia) is a cross-platform raw image processing program, released under the GNU General Public License Version 3. It was originally written by Gábor Horváth of Budapest, Hungary, before being re-licensed as free and open-source software in January 2010. It is written in C++, using a GTK+ front-end and a patched version of dcraw for reading raw files. It is notable for the advanced control it gives the user over the demosaicing and developing process. The name used to stand for “The Experimental Raw Photo Editor”; however that acronym has been dropped, and RawTherapee is now a full name in itself. RawTherapee comprises a subset of image editing operations specifically aimed at non-destructive raw photo post-production and is primarily focused on improving a photographer’s workflow by facilitating the handling of large numbers of images.
I’ve just installed the Fujifilm app on my phone so can operate the camera remotely. Setting it up to work was straight forward and simple; although my dog seems a bit perplexed by the operation.
Last night at the cottage I captured a night sky picture that thrills me. I’ve only seen the Andromeda galaxy with binoculars a few times in my life; it’s about 2.5million light years away. It looks like a fuzzy gob, not twinkly like star. The key to finding the location is the constellation Cassiopeia. In my picture it’s in the upper right sweet spot. 
WooHoo. I’ve got some new toys to play with. An weather proof X-T1 with an 18-135 zoom lens. It’s a huge jump in photo quality compared to my reliable well used Fuji X10. I’ve always been thrilled with the Fuji durability and these mirrorless cameras can’t be beat for their compact size and sophisticated controls. The old X10 had a very steep learning curve because of the complex nested menus but so far the new X-T1 already seems friendly and familiar.
I expect that some of the new features, like the ability to send pics directly from new the camera to my blog using WiFi, will challenge my brain. I purchased a whole kit of toys to play and lean; complete with a spare battery, polarizer filter, Fuji EF-42 flash, and 2 high speed 32GB Lexar SD cards rated at 95MB/s just in case I get interested in the video capabilities. Camera Kingston is the local store where I’ve purchased all my Fuji products. The staff is awesomely knowledgeable and have always been happy to answer all my questions.
The mirrorless Fuji X camera bodies are very compactin comparison to a DSLR body and with my equivalent 27-209 zoom lens I don’t need to carry extra lenses so the while kit is easy to carry and keep handy.
The switch from my X10 to the new XT-1 isn’t very difficult.
Later this evening 3 riding buddies are coming to Kingston to join me. We will leave together early in the morning to go to the NEVA rally in Pennsylvania.
We made it safely to the campground, via two ferry crossing and a nice route planned by Phil, of many miles of paved twisties.
I met Yuval in the camp office and got the first shirt right our of the box.
I had a great ride today with Kristin, her first time riding with me. She’s a great sport, we rode some gravel, and had to bail on Swamp road because it became impassable. Go figure, it’s appropriately named. Love all the twisties in the highlands and occasionally get a long distance vista view. Great lunch at the Redneck Bistro in Calabogie. We crossed over the historic rail bed of the K&P in a couple of locations today, at one point riding on the old bed to what is now a dead end at the long gone causeway crossing Calabogie Lake. Want to know more history, follow this link: https://kickandpushca.wordpress.com/history-2/the-kingston-and-pembroke-railway/ I’ve had a personal connection with Calabogie for about 45 years and I was flooded today with many great memories.
I found some old crests that would have been on my ski jacket in about 1974. 
I rode twisted backroads from Kingston in the rain to Long Lake and visited with family at a Long Lake cottage. I met up with another biker ( Greg) at the Maples Restaurant in Sharbot Lake and helped him reroute himself to Algonquin Park via some if my favorite roads. I hope he doesn’t get terribly lost and I look forward to a email from him in a week or so. I explored some dirt/gravel and saw some cedar rail fences and an old log home that deserved some pictures.
Luckily my young Toller is trusting and allowed my to remove this very tiny black legged tick from her upper right eyelid. I know because I brushed het yesterday in the late afternoon that it hadn’t been there for long; and it wasn’t engorged. Although even a short time came sufficientl for the bacteia to infect her.
This morning I found another tick. http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/30/heres-what-happens-when-a-tick-bites-you/
This one even smaller and on her left lower eyelid. What a difficulty to remove! The tick key didn’t work so I had to use tweezers. It was so well attached that I did pull out some of Billi’s hair before finally getting the tick. Both my wife and I worked on her for about 15 minutes and Billi was incredibly calm and well behaved. I doubt that we could have done this to a person.
Later this afternoon I removed a very small tick on my own leg. It could only have been attached for less than two hours. I’ve taken the suggested dosage of 200mg of doxycycline as a precaution.
Today, July 15th I just removed another small tick from Billi’s upper left eyelid. Just her eyes, I’ve never seen a tick anywhere else on her, even unattached in her fur! July 17 another tick on her eyelid, and had only been attached for possibly 3 hours or less. I’ve made a removal tool from a plastic drinkit straw by cutting a small “V” shaped notch in the tip. Using the straw is the least likely way to hurt her eye and this method doesn’t squeeze the tick.It certainly helps if your dog is calm ans well behaved. This time Billi actually jumped up onto the picnic table that we have been using for each removal procedure. She always gets a well deserved treat. I can’t imagine but I think we’ve trained her how to do this as her “tick removal trick.”
Sammy & I had an enjoyable ride today, her first ride of the season. Travelling to a few places that previously we’ve only gone by sailboat it was fascinating to see the same place from two very different perspectives. We’ve anchored many times for the night at both Pryner’s Cove and near Waupoos Island. But today travelling by road we found some beautiful dry-wall stone fences along Morrison Point Road, higher than I’ve seen before. The farm in the background is owned by the Burkinshaw family, who have an extensive blog at Burkinshawfarm.com
Burkinshaw family farm
Earlier in the day we stopped at Fifth Town Artisan Cheese and sampled many delicious kinds of cheese, all goat or water buffalo. We didn’t have a cooler so were limited as to what we could buy. We did get some goat milk curds and sat in the shade on their patio to enjoy ….. mmmm good. My SPOT map will help you find it.
Because of my land surveying background I’m curious about boundaries, and I have an interest in photographing old stone fences, so I’ve done a bit of sleuthing on the internet. I also have distant UEL family roots.
Marysburgh Township maps showing the lot and concession cadastral fabric; a detailed map can be viewed at http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/CA/215/South+Marysburgh+Township++Wellington+Village++Milford/Hastings+and+Prince+Edwards+Counties+1878/Ontario/
Morrison Point Road is the concession line between 1st concession north of Black River and 1st concession south of Black River. My picture of the stone wall was taken approximately at lot 3 in the 1st concession North of Black River; specifically by me GArmin Zumo GPS at N 43° 58.920′ W 077° 00.436′
A map of lesser resolution can be downloaded https://digital.library.mcgill.ca/countyatlas/Images/Maps/TownshipMaps/Small/has-m-marysburgh-s.jpg
Thanks to …. http://www.pec.on.ca/pehac/historic_notes.html
“The United Empire Loyalists
This changed with the arrival of some 500 Loyalists (plus disbanded British and German allied troops) subsequent to the American Revolution. Captain Justine Sherwood carried out a reconnaissance survey of Prince Edward in 1783, and the following year, surveyor Collins came ashore at Prinyer’s Cove, erected a log cabin and began to survey the “5thtownship”, now Marysburg, the first to be done in the County. The first Loyalist settlers, led by Lieutenant Archibald MacDonnell, arrived in the fall of 1784 at MacDonnell’s Cove, later named Prinyer’s Cove after his son-in-law, and began to build their cabins and clear the land.
This early settlement was followed by similar activity in the area up the shores of Picton Bay, then called Grand Bay, across the old portage to East and West Lakes and to Wellington. The Daniel Reynold’s Loyalist house was finished and he and his new bride moved there in 1792. It has been carefully restored and still functions as a residence. Interestingly, both these areas, although not tilled until the early 1800’s, reflected the influence of nature: they are easily accessible by water, and have good soils.
Throughout the 1800’s, Prinyer’s Cove was used by commercial schooners as a safe haven. There were several docks, where local products could be loaded onto the ships. Many other safe harbours in The County received similar use throughout that Century, including Picton Bay, Weller’s Bay, Bay of Quinte, Smiths Bay and South Bay.
The Marysburgh Settlement
Among the early Loyalist settlers in Marysburgh Township was a group of about forty disbanded German mercenaries who, by 1784, had begun to clear land and cultivate crops in the vicinity of Waupoos. This was one of the earliest German-speaking settlements in the province. (On the grounds of the Marysburgh Museum, Waupoos Road, off County Road #8, Waupoos)”
