Late Summer in Town and Country

A good couple of weeks.  A visit with my guide, "Master of the Marsh",  Bob,  to Oshawa's Second Marsh.  Unfortunately this was more of an encounter with vicious mosquitoes and sex-mad Midges than a photo trip.  Also it was back on my bike again around Courtice to catch up on changes.

A sunrise visit to the Cherry Beach area of Toronto with Randy and John started with some rain but it cleared and there was still some good light.  As a first-time visitor, the Cherry Street area was full of surprises for me.  Cherry Street Bridge from the 1930's is a "pont a bascule" - a see-saw, lift design with two giant 750 ton counterbalance weights. How would it have looked new? Possibly this postcard recreation would be close:

Some other views:  

In the best possible world, the "Danger Sign" would not be there to distract our eyes - so I took it off!  The splash of red bumper is much better.

This is a bridge with great angles

and lots of photogenic rust

The Cherry St. Beach area is also full of other surprises:

From pleasure boats?:

to mountains of salt :

Salt mounds view from the Cherry St. Bridge.

Back to the country

At the Second Marsh signs that fall is coming are clear but still lots of summer colour to enjoy: 

Highbush Cranberry

Not much left to eat on this one:

Don't know what these are but "Madonna Mushrooms" works for me:

From 'extensive' google research these are most likely swarming Midges (Diptera Chironomidea) in their last life cycle stage - intensive mating:

And, an indefatigable Cormorant enjoying the early morning.

Then Bob wandered off and I haven't seen him since -maybe he is doing a blog?:

Courtice  is getting ready for the fall as farmers re-vitalize their fields:

The evening light is great, here catching the blowing Silver Lindon trees

And best of all, cooler weather and strong clouds are creating lovely bright, contrasty light to bring out the best in the landscape: