Aylen & Moose Hunting

 Aylen Lake, Canada is where I have been the past seventeen summers. Here rural beauty gleams it's best and man is surrounded by complete nature. Quite a little distance away from the nearest town, Aylen is a place I consider remote and peaceful, mesmerizing and full of adventure. My sisters and I, over the years, have enjoyed swimming around the dock, fishing, canoeing, water skiing, tubing, snorkeling, driving our little boat to sandy beaches nearby, jumping from rocks and cliffs, hiking, exploring, digging for treasure left from the 20's from old logger camps, campfires, parties, listening to legends and old stories told by those who've been there since the forties, participating in regattas, kayaking, knee boarding, and much more. 

We have stayed in an old, little cottage, near the shoreline, our family of seven. I have the greatest memories from these summers here and we have shared so much fun with neighbors and family alike. But my favorite thing is when we walk the little path, every Sunday morning, about half a mile to a wooden shelter up on a hill overlooking the lake below. Here is a chapel where anyone on the lake is welcomed to worship, fellowship and hear a sermon. I love singing old hymns, people harmonize and our voices echo out over the waters. Hymns I rarely hear or sing at home. This is the place I have learned them all. 

My family and I have two dear friends up at the lake, Leslie and Dave. Leslie is very much the adventurous type. She, my mom and sister, Nan, enjoy exploring through the bush and around rivers, mines, and the deep woods. Leslie and I both share a love for taking pictures. She asked me last summer if I would care to join her on a moose hunt so we could try to get some pictures of any moose we came across. I woke one morning at half past four and got my things together. Leslie picked me up in her car and while it was still dark we headed off on our search. This is the best time for spotting moose, when the sun is just rising and there is mist still on the ground. A perfect time for picture taking too. But the truth is we stopped so many times to take pictures of all the beautiful scenery that we didn't do a very good job of looking for a moose. Yet we had a blast and I did get a picture of a beaver.

 After driving around for a few hours we turned around to go back to the lake. On our way, we stopped by a cute little grill and sat at a table for two against a window that overlooked a creek below. The sun shone brightly through the floral curtains, and we talked and talked. It's been a while since then but I just came across the photos I had taken from this trip. These are not of Aylen but of Algonquin Park, a beautiful place to be when the sun is rising.

 

I had to take a picture of it's take-off!