July 2, 2011

Killbear


Now I know that our family is actually very predictable. On Canada day, we decided to head north – to one of those beautiful places about 250 kilometers away from our home. Despite the fact that we expanded heroic effort (well, my husband did) on getting up extra early, we ended up leaving the house around the same time as all the other people who were going in the same direction as us. By nine o’clock, the traffic outside of Toronto allowed us to move no faster than 20-30 km/h.

Three lanes were moving at this snail pace in search of new adventures. We covered 60 kilometers in two hours. It’s a good thing when, in the confined space of the car, there are only grownup people without any children or pets. Many sufferers had to stop their cars in search of a convenient location around the inhospitable zone near the highway. Nobody beeped or yelled things like “I can see you!” or “Get a washroom,” because everybody knew, they could be next.

The place that we eventually got to is called - Killbear.










This country changes pretty rapidly. Ten years ago, when we went to visit Killbear, the road had two lanes, and now it is an expansive highway.











It’s impossible to prepare yourself for the sights of this place. Even my photos present a pale imitation of this massive, extraordinarily beautiful manifestation of Canadian nature. Imagine pink granite stones, which disappear into blue-green-turquoise water. Enormous rocks glimmer in the sun, and change colour, as if according to their own mood. They are covered in moss and lichen of many different enchanting shades – from bright salad-green to a subdued shade of grey. The rocks and stones are so pleasant in texture to the feet, as they curve and break and reveal their veins, capillaries, and arteries. In the spot where the stone meets water, it changes its colour. The water, too, transforms upon meeting a shade of pink, and acquires its own unusual colouring.







Throughout the day, depending on the location of the sun and the general attributes of the weather, you can witness many changes. The forest sometimes changes into a bright green dress; sometimes it dongs a purple veil, and sometimes it darkens and emits ominous whispers.



Although our intention intention was to open the swimming season, and the temperature in the air indicated that this would be possible, I chickened out when I put my foot into the water. It was freezing. Other members of our family were brave enough to get in, but it wasn’t long before they got out.







We didn’t get to meet any bears this time. Someone we did see was this elegant snake, who was searching for a cool place to rest. She found in a crevice under a stone. I always walk around this area barefoot. I never would have thought that, two centimeters away from my feet, there could be a curled-up, sleeping snake.















Another thing I like about this place is that there are several kinds of beaches. There is even a shallow, sandy one for the kids. For those who love to swim in deep water, there is the rest of the area.











It’s too bad that all these beautiful nature spots are so far from Toronto.

I hope you enjoyed my story about this unique and mysterious place. And how do you like the name?

54 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. What a gorgeous place! The field full of flowers is just amazing :) Your posts are always so entertaining with your stories.

    P.S Love the title!

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  3. I did thoroughly enjoy that story :) and also, that yellow - gosh, it's almost blinding. Images just don't any better than that.

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  4. What a beautiful set of images........It is a grand country you have.

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  5. Gorgeous place...
    Thanks a lot for this walk Olga !
    Enjoy your day...

    Pierre

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  6. very impressive nature, indeed!Worth long, tiring journey!

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  7. Oh, Canada. What a beautiful country you live in, Olga! You must have good eyes to have been able to see that snake half hidden under that rock. Question: Do you still walk barefoot now that you have met the little guy? Veronique aka French Girl in Seattle

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  8. Thanks so much for the tour. I always imagined that Canada was beautiful, these photos prove it. I have to say that water looks cold I don't think I would be swimming either!! Diane

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  9. This is magnificent surroundings, so beautiful! I´m not fond of snakes though...

    I hope I´ll get to see Canada one day, it seem to have the most perfect nature! :-)

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  10. you took some AMAZING photos. that place looks so beautiful, all of that wide open space!

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  11. From the look of your stunning photos it looks as if the journey to Killbear( love the name)was well worth the effort.

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  12. What an amazing place, I loved your photographs and those rocks are really beautiful, both at the edge of the water and how they colour it in the shallows.
    Thank you for this Olga and Happy Belated Canada Day.
    'Killbear' is an unusual name.

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  13. It is a very beautiful setting. I can see why so many want to visit here during the holidays. The traffic jam reminds me of a hurricane evacuation we had some years ago when the roads heading out of Charleston were bumper to bumper for a hundred miles. It was a terrible thing to experience. So we got off the main highway eventually and took the back country roads to escape.

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  14. This place looks amazing. I love lakes that are surrounded by rocks, it makes the water so clean and clear. It is too bad it was so cold. Those yellow fields are blinding!!! It looks worth the long slow drive.

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  15. Olga, thank you for arranging your trip to the magical and beautiful nature. Increased I have pictures to scan and transferred into pure wilderness. With traffic on the roads it's probably everywhere in the civilized areas of the same. I am fascinated by the rounded shapes of granite rocks. Must have water and frost. They are really beautifully colored. The entire color palette. Snake would probably scare me. Love! Peter.

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  16. I love snakes, and that one was so cute =)

    Killbear seems a nice place to visit

    Regards

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  17. Hi olga, thanks for this magic trip, so beautiful photoes, so fantastic country!!! many colours and beauty! kisses from thessaloniki, greece, Fany.

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  18. ЧУдные места! Желтые поля просто фантастичны.
    У мишек губа - не дура, понимают толк в выборе местожительства.

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  19. freedom can be seen here.
    emotions to live ........

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  20. A perfect post on Canada for Canada Day! Do you know the Neil Young song "Helpless"? It begins: there is a town in north Ontario. To me it is the perfect Canadian song, and one I play often on my ipod. Thank you for the snake warning, I had to scroll down quickly because since childhood I've had such a fear of them.

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  21. Wonderful pictures. I love the North, I guess that comes with somehow being a Southerner myself.
    I didn't know that Toronto was that bad with traffic, but you should :-)
    As for my "Canada Day" I didn't even take the car for my "Fishing Sunday"!

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  22. OOOO I dislike traffic. But dear, these photos are so beautiful! I want to visit Canada again! :)

    LOVE!

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  23. Dear Olga
    The pictures are like a dream! Wonderful!
    Have a nice week and I send you a lot of greetings from Switzerland.
    Hugs Yvonne

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  24. Great pics from your Canadian get-away. I especially love the lake photos, those huge rocks (right down to the water's edge), the perfect round lichen, the bear warning sign, that beautiful snake . . . and all your wonderful memories.

    Thanks for shooting, thanks for sharing.

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  25. Thank you for sharing places of such a wonderful place Olga :) Canada seems a beautiful country indeed!Hope you're having a good day.

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  26. Killer shots! Pure awesomness. Is that a word? =)

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  27. Poor bear! I used to be very afraid of snakes but I'm getting a lot better. I loved the shot of the snake you posted here as well as all the other photos. I've been to Toronto but nowhere else in Canada so it is lovely to see the real beauty that it has. Thank you. x

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  28. It looks like a place that is worth the long drive and inconvenience.wonderful series of photos.

    joanny

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  29. It's not Canada Day for me without a field of Canola featuring somewhere. :) Canada is awesome!

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  30. Excellent post with some great photos. Except for the snake. I just can't handle snakes. Enjoy your week!

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  31. What a beautiful set of images;-)
    Best greetings.
    Florentyna

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  32. Beautiful pictures all except the snake... I am so scared of snakes ... yo have no idea!!!!! a big kiss

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  33. Olga, how splendid! You make me dream!

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  34. Fantastic pictures! Very beautiful!

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  35. Hi Brenda,
    The name of the place can befuddle anybody :)

    Hi Wong,
    Lots of space in Canada, but only up north...not so much where we live, unfortunately :)

    Hi hila,
    These are the beautiful places we have in Canada...you might not even suspect if you spend too much time in the city.

    Hi Adrian,
    Thank you - great indeed!

    Hi Pierre,
    You're welcome to take a walk with me anytime :)

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  36. Hi Ola,
    I'm glad you enjoyed our northern nature :)

    Hi French Girl in Seattle,
    If only you knew how pleasant it is to walk on these stones with your bare feet when the sun has warmed them up. The texture is so wonderful and rough. Yes, I still walk there with my bare feet, only now I'm more frightened :)

    Hi Amin,
    Thank you for the compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

    Hi Diane,
    The water was freezing cold! Maybe in August it will be swimmable :)

    Hi tinajo,
    Nature is absolutely fascinating in this country. At least all the places that we have visited so far beckon us to come again.

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  37. Hi Krystal,
    Most of the resorts are condusive to tranquility and meditation.

    Hi Lindy,
    As soon as you arrive at Killbear, the irritation from the road and the tiredness just disappear :)

    Hi Dianne,
    When you head up north in Canada, the adjectives that come to mind are "magnificent", "incredible", and everything else that would seem like an exaggeration in any other place.

    Hi Doug,
    What a story you told! It must have been really frightening; having a hurricane behind your back.

    Hi lilylovekin,
    The drive was very long, but in good company, it's not so unpleasant after all.

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  38. Hi Peter,
    The magical thing about this place is that, throughout the day, everything changes. The colours, the weather - maybe because it is next to the enormous Georgian Bay.

    Hi Sérgio,
    Snakes are cool, but you have to be careful :)

    Hi Fany,
    I'm glad you enjoyed our northern country. The nature here is wild and beautiful.

    Hi tattina,
    Наши друзья видели как медведица с двумя медвежатами спокойно шла вдоль хайвея в этих местах. Да, они умеют устроиться эти мишки:)

    Hi Paolo,
    Glad you enjoyed our northern nature. The emotions it inspires are grand indeed.

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  39. Hi Dolly,
    You'd be surprised, but I am not that afraid of snake. I was once swimming with a snake in that very same place. I'm just a little more cautious now.

    Hi Pet,
    This is how we live in Canada - hard, unspoiled, ready to face all the difficulties :)

    Hi tywo,
    You are always welcome in Canada. Just let me know; I'll show you beautiful places.

    Hi Yvonne,
    I'm glad you enjoyed it. Despite the terrible traffic, we were able to have a great time and enjoy the magnificent nature.

    Hi Rick,
    Thank you very much. I'm glad you enjoyed moments of Canadian nature. There's more coming!

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  40. Hi M@risa,
    Yes, if you approach Canada with an open heart, it can give you many amazing moments.

    Hi Sandy,
    Of course it's a word! And I'm going to use it.

    Hi Staive,
    Nice place indeed! Thank you for visiting.

    Hi Happy Frog and I,
    I'm absolutely not afraid of snakes. I approached it several times, to look at it sleeping under the rock. There's something that fascinates me about snakes.

    Hi Joanny,
    Definitely, it was worth driving there. Everything that happened after the long drive made me forget about the unpleasant moments.

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  41. Hi The Vegetable Assassin,
    I also can't imagine Canada Day without canola. It can even be "patted on the head"; it's very resistant to the touch.

    Hi Randy,
    We have a good relationship with snakes. But only at a distance. Have a good week too!

    Hi Florentyna,
    Thank you for following me and for your comment. Welcome to my blog!

    Hi Colores,
    Snakes are lovely! At a distance. Thank you for your comment.

    Hi orfeenix,
    It's a huge compliment, coming from you. I'm glad you're dreaming about Canada.

    Hi Mikko Tyllinen,
    Thank you for your comment, and welcome to my blog!

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  42. Wonderful and varied set with precious and exquisite framing approaches. I wish you a happy summer.

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  43. breathtaking landscapes! you captured it all so well. i loove those rock formations and the reflection on the water too, very lovely x

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  44. Hi Leovi,
    I'm glad you enjoyed our Canadian landscapes. I wish you a happy and exciting summer.

    Hi galatea,
    In Canada, nature is always nearby, and I'm happy to show it to my readers :)

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  45. that is my version of a dream place... i grew up at tahoe and love lake living at its best, this is magnificent...

    and the mustard is heaven~

    what a spectacular getaway... i am jealous!

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  46. чУдные фото... пахнут водой!

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  47. Absolutely beautiful, everything is so...clean! Great pics.

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  48. Hi once in a blue moon,
    Thank you for your kind words. Look who's talking! A woman who sees the ocean every day :)

    Hi Ирэн,
    Такой, знаешь, холодный и свежий запах :)

    Hi 1-2Punch,
    Everything really was clean, cold, and other wonderful things :)

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  49. Breath taking! I love nature... i enjoy the photos and I wish that place is not far..

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  50. Hi Robert,
    Thank you for popping over my blog! I'm glad you enjoyed our Canadian landscape.

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  51. Ah! Shield country, Central/Northern Ontario. That's where my heart feels at home. I did a lot of growing up in that area, a few hours out of Toronto (as well as in North York).
    Beautiful pictures; glorious day! And even a snake to visit you. Glad it wasn't a rattler.
    I just wish people wouldn't give us Bears such a bad rap. You understand us; lots of people don't. Sadly.

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