Back In Cochrane Ontario , But Only For A Quick Morning Hike.
After my gourmet meal of Frosted Flakes, as noted in my last blog I was soon fast asleep in the small but comfortable room at the Station Inn in Cochrane, Ontario. I stayed here for the night after my five hour train ride from Moosonee on the Polar Bear Express. The Inn is operated by Ontario Northland which also operates the Polar Bear Express. 
As usual. I was up early since I had a long day of driving ahead of me and I wanted to get on the road.
I left my room and explored the modest but charming Inn before heading outside for a morning walk through the streets of Cochrane. 
It was a sunny and cool morning. Temperatures were in the low 40’s and I probably should have dressed warmer. I left the train station and Station Inn, 
and walked back down to the lakes I had visited on my stay a few day earlier. 
The sun had risen and was still low in the northeastern sky.
I was the only one out by the lakes, except another common loon. I love loons and their haunting calls. Unfortunately I only heard one on my trip. I had hoped to hear a lot more.
I walked on a path between the two lakes and came to a residential neighborhood on the other side.
I walked through the quiet neighborhood and saw a church. It’s name was Transfiguration, the same name as my childhood church near my home in Pennsylvania. I took some photos of the well maintained homes and the church but I accidently deleted them. The only photo from the neighborhood was this lilac bush. And it was an appropriate one to have been saved. It seemed every yard had a lilac bush and the morning air was filled with their fragrance. 
I walked through the homes toward a wooded area I saw on my Google maps I followed a dirt road
into through the woodlands and came to some small pond covered in mist,
where I saw a few red-eyed vireos singing in the morning sunshine. 
Along the trails I saw some wildflowers, including bluebells,
a type of dogwood flower 
forget-me-nots and
the seeds from some dandelion flowers. 
A few large common ravens were cawing loudly on an electric utility line overhead the trail. 
I explored a few more trails, they all led to what I think was water and sewage treatment plants on the outskirts of Cochrane. I loved exploring the back roads of a new town.
I followed another trail and saw this northern flicker taking a bath in the dust. 
This trail took me to a larger utility pole line.
I love to follow utility lines and wish I could have hiked out here. However, I had a long drive ahead of me so I decided to hike back to the hotel. 
On the way I saw a few more birds in the woods and near the lakes, including a few black capped chickadees,
an American goldfinch, 
and a white throated sparrow,
a song sparrow and
a female house sparrow. 
After reaching the lakes I took a quick, and last, walk through the business section of Cochrane. I wish I had more time to explore the town and the surrounding area. I hope I may return someday. I quickly showered, packed and checked out of my hotel, I was starving, I had little to eat the day before, and I was tempted to have another breakfast at the train station. But I wanted to put a few miles on before I ate so I settled for a cup of coffee and was on the road again Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my hike in Cochrane. Cochrane Ontario June 6 2023. 
I decided to drive to the town of Callander on Lake Nipissing and stay there the night. . It was about a 4 1/2 hour drive on Route 11. So I left Cochrane and was on my way through the scenic northern Ontario forest and farmlands. It was a nice ride with a little excitement. I saw, and almost hit a moose. They are huge. I saw a truck in front of me hit it’s brake lights, and then it slammed on it’s brakes. I did too. And, just as I stopped a large moose looked down at me and ran into the woods. It was an amazing experience. I had seen them once before, from a distance, in Maine. I had no idea how large they are until I saw this one up close. I hope to see another moose on a future trip up to northern Ontario. 
.I was hungry but there were not many places to eat on Highway 11. It is mostly long stretches of woodlands and lakes. It was scenic ride and I did pass a few fast food restaurants in a few small towns along the way, but I don’t eat in fast food restaurants, so when I saw this sign at Gilli’s Truck Stop Restaurant in New Liskeard Ontario I had to stop.
It was a good choice. I loved the place, I had a nice chat with a pleasant waitress and a great breakfast. I was soon on the road again.
It was about a 2 hour drive to Callander and I had one stop to make, and it was a fast food restaurant too, a Tim Horton’s a Canadian fast food chain I never heard of. But a family knew of them and loved their hot chocolate. So I stooped at one in the town of North Bay and found a Tim Norton’s and got some hot chocolate. It was about another twenty minute drive to the town of Callander and my lodging for the night the Terrace Suites, 
I immediately loved the charming resort with a view of Lake Nipissing. After a nice chat with the owner I checked into my room. It was a beautiful suite with two fireplaces and a balcony. I loved the place,. I settled in and was soon off exploring the area this charming resort town. 
“My spirit gets nourished in faraway places. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a biological need, perhaps a biological flaw, that compels me to seek the excitement and challenge that comes of being in a place where nobody knows me.”
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