Camping at Manning Park
I’m writing this from beside a beautiful and boisterous creek, full of last winter’s melted snow in Manning Park along Highway 3. After minimal difficulties, I managed to get the trailer backed into the site. I am finally getting much better at backing the Arfpod into the previously too narrow campsites we visit. The sites have broadened with my backing skills. Besides a babbling creek and lots of fir trees, the campsite at Manning Park has a nice picnic table and a fire ring to burn some of the firewood I brought while I roasted some portabella mushroom caps.
Occasionally I am hearing the sounds of wolves howling on the other side of the creek. Jolene has made it pretty clear howling wolves make her nervous, and would prefer to camp elsewhere. However, a few cuddles within the safety of the Arfpod, and she’s sleeping comfortably beside me as I write this.
I have just 2 English pointers now. Jolene is technically an orange and white lemon pointer who came from Dogwood Pointer Rescue after she made her way up from Utah. Annabelle is my liver and white english pointer. Both of them are solid hunting dogs, and instinctively point birds, making springtime walks very stop and go.
Earlier today, a raven chirped from a tree in our campsite. Annabelle (the white and liver English pointer) fell straight into a full point. Pointers will do that. She pointed up in the tree. The raven sat there, obviously considering his ability steal a bit of leftover tomato that was still on the picnic table after supper. I grabbed the tomato and put it down on the ground, not far from the tree, but out of Annabelle’s reach. To Annabelle’s amazement, the big iridescent bird flew down. After ensuring the pointer and her human weren’t up to something, bravely flew down to tear the red tomato apart and consume it right in front of a stunned pointer and her human.
Pointers: Birder’s Best Friends
One of the best things about having a pointer: Pointers are great to have if you want to birdwatch. On our way off the ferry today, we stopped for a break at the rest stop near Tswaassen. Both pointers immediately pointed a huge (there must have been 50 birds there) colony of Great Blue Herons nesting in the trees nearby. I have never seen so many herons in one place, and it was very cool to see all the babies. I share with you these photos, taken with my iPhone, so not the best but if you squint your eyes and turn your head just the right way you can make out all the herons in the trees. Not bad for a cell phone photo!
Tomorrow we’ll go in search of a cell phone signal so I can post this and contact friends and family who are waiting to hear from me
