After setting up my tent on Friday, I covered my vehicle lights with red film and tape. White light is avoided after dark at a star party because it quickly ruins the dark adaptation that lets our eyes see faint objects in the night sky. Dim red light is used instead to help preserve everyone’s night vision. Friday night included Gerry’s binocular tour of the night sky, which is always one of my favourite parts of the Spruce Woods Star Party. This year it was also a great opportunity to use my new Canon 12×36 IS III image-stabilized binoculars under genuinely dark skies. There is an enormous difference between using binoculars in the city and using them at a dark-sky site. I spent time simply sweeping through the Milky Way and revisiting some of my favourite sights, including the Double Cluster in Perseus and the Andromeda Galaxy. After Friday night, I can also now easily find the Coathanger asterism near the head of Cygnus in the Summer Triangle, roughly midway between Vega and Altair. I brought my Seestar S50 as well and imaged several deep-sky objects over the two nights. Friday’s targets were the Double Cluster in Perseus (C14), M52, IC 1848, NGC 6946, C13, and M76. Saturday night I imaged M33, M31, and NGC 281. Another benefit of the Seestar S50 was that I could continue imaging from inside my tent and the comfort of my sleeping bag as temperatures dropped close to zero. Saturday afternoon, while waiting for another night of observing, I returned to the Spirit Sands. I have hiked these trails before, but usually on much hotter days. The cooler temperatures and cloudy sky were very welcome for hiking across the exposed sand. Starting from the parking lot, I followed most of the Spirit Sands Self-Guiding Trail, hiked the Dune Trail, and then completed most of the Devil’s Punch Bowl loop on my way back. It made for an excellent afternoon of hiking before returning to camp and preparing for another clear night under the stars. The star party wrapped up Sunday morning with a raffle and group breakfast. I didn’t win anything this year, but sitting down for breakfast with everyone is always a great way to end the event. Two clear nights, dark skies, binocular observing, Seestar imaging, a long hike through the Spirit Sands, camping, and good company made for a pretty excellent September weekend. All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro or Seestar S50.
After returning home from Pukaskwa, I experimented with artistically reimagining some of my photographs using ChatGPT. The results transformed forests, rock, driftwood, flowers, wildlife, and Lake Superior into more textured and stylized interpretations while still remaining rooted in the photographs I took. I also experimented a little more playfully, prompting ChatGPT to add Totoro sitting high in the forest above me in one image. What I enjoy most is seeing familiar places and moments from the trip translated into something different while still retaining their connection to the originals. The photographs are the record of the trip. These images are the trip reinterpreted and imagined.  Me and Totoro on the Manito Miikana Trail  Southern Headland Trail  Horseshoe Beach  Leg-Shaped Driftwood on Horseshoe Beach  Gorge Under White River Suspension Bridge  Middle Beach Butterfly - Close-Up  Middle Beach Butterfly  Toad  North Beach  Middle Beach  North Beach - Sunset Crescent Moon  Hattie Cove Campground - North Loop Note: All images in this post were generated with ChatGPT and began as photos taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro (minus the Totoro trail image that started as a photograph on a Samsung Galaxy S23).
I recently returned from my fifth trip to Pukaskwa National Park, located on the north east shore of Lake Superior and one of my favourite places on Earth. This time I finally hiked to the White River Suspension Bridge. The route was around 18 kilometres round trip, which I completed in roughly 4.5 hours of hiking, or about 5 hours including breaks. It was a long but rewarding afternoon through boreal forest, exposed Canadian Shield, and eventually out to the dramatic gorge and suspension bridge. Park staff give out a sticker for completing the hike, so if you ever make it out there, make sure you claim yours too. The trip also offered some excellent astronomy. On Wednesday, August 12, I observed a partial solar eclipse, and on the following Thursday and Friday nights, clear, dark skies gave me the chance to spot several Perseid meteors, the Andromeda Galaxy, the Double Cluster in Perseus, and plenty of time to simply scan the Milky Way with binoculars. Under skies that dark, the Milky Way can look less like a faint band and more like a luminous blanket stretched across the sky. Some of my favourite moments were quieter ones: Faerie-like paths winding through the forest, lichens spreading across rock, mushrooms rising from moss, a butterfly resting on driftwood, a toad nearly disappearing into the forest floor, sunsets over Lake Superior, and views from my favourite sitting spot high on a rock at North Beach. I took a lot of photographs while I was there. Some document the larger landscapes and destinations, while others are simply things that made me stop and look a little closer. These are a few of my favourites.  Southern Headland Trail  Horseshoe Beach  Leg-Shaped Driftwood on Horseshoe Beach  Gorge Under White River Suspension Bridge  Middle Beach Butterfly  Toad  North Beach  North Beach - Sunset Clouds  North Beach - Sunset Crescent Moon  Hattie Cove Campground - North Loop All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 9 After visiting Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the museum, I also spent time with a different side of Hiroshima: Its castle, gardens, and food.
I enjoy castles in Japan. They sit somewhere between architecture, history, and atmosphere. Even when reconstructed, they help you understand the older shape of a city before modern streets and buildings took over.
The garden was originally created in the Edo period for Asano Nagaakira, the feudal lord of Hiroshima. It was damaged in the atomic bombing, later restored, and remains one of Hiroshima’s peaceful green spaces.
It was a nice change of pace. After heavier historical sites, Shukkeien offered quiet movement and beautiful nature. Walk, pause, look across the water, take a photo… repeat. And then: Okonomiyaki. 😋
 It is filling, savoury, and extremely satisfying after a long day of walking.  The atmosphere made it even better. A small upper-floor restaurant with a stellar cook and host.  This was the lighter side of Hiroshima for me: Castle grounds, garden paths, and a hot meal at the end of the day.  From there, it was time to catch the ferry to Miyajima Island. Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 8 Hiroshima was one of the most packed and impactful stops on my trip. I was only there for part of the day, travelling from Osaka to Miyajima Island.  The Hiroshima Peace Memorial, also known as the Genbaku Dome or A-Bomb Dome, was originally the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall before it became one of the few structures left standing near the hypocentre of the atomic bomb dropped on August 6, 1945. It has since been preserved as a symbol of remembrance, peace, and hope for the elimination of nuclear weapons. Seeing it in person is difficult to describe. It is not dramatic in the way a monument is sometimes dramatic. It is quieter than that. The building stands there, damaged and skeletal, surrounded by a modern city that pulses with life. That contrast is the point. Memory and life exist beside one another there. Hiroshima does not hide what happened, nor does it allow tragedy to become the entirety of what the city is.
The Bell of Peace was another memorable stop. Visitors are allowed to ring it. The sound carries across the park in a solemn, echoing tone. It focuses the mind and encourages one to reflect on peace, loss, memory, and the shared responsibility of preventing such destruction from happening again.
The museum is emotionally heavy, as expected, but it is also important. It gives names, objects, images, and testimony to something that can otherwise be too abstract when discussed only as history. Hiroshima is often introduced through tragedy, but walking through the city also shows resilience. There are streets, shops, transit, parks, restaurants, and people living ordinary lives. That ordinariness matters too. A city can remember and still live.  Note: All photos and videos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 7  Nara is just a single train ride from Dotonbori in Osaka and offers a lot in a compact area: Relatively tame deer (you’ll notice many stores use sliding doors instead of automatic ones, likely because of them), a large and walkable park, a rewarding hike with views from Mount Wakakusa, and the architectural and cultural weight of Tōdai-ji.
Nara park spans about 660 hectares and is known for its free-roaming deer and concentration of historic sites.
How does a deer sound? Watch the videos above to find out. I spent some time there, took in the atmosphere, then continued on to Mount Wakakusa.
At the top, there were wide views over Nara, open sky, and deer moving across the hillside. It was windier up there, with autumn colours starting to come through. Definitely worth it. Practical Note: Use the washroom lower down in Nara Park before starting the hike. Many public toilets in Japanese parks do not have soap, and paper towels or hand dryers are uncommon. Bring hand sanitizer, and a small hand towel if that is your preference. Back down the mountain, my route led me through the Nandaimon Gate, the main southern entrance to Tōdai-ji. Inside are the large wooden Niō guardian statues, each over 8 metres tall and carved in the 13th century. They are imposing and full of motion, even at rest.
From there, I continued into Tōdai-ji.The Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world and houses the Great Buddha (Daibutsu), a massive bronze Vairocana Buddha. The current structure dates to the Edo period, after earlier fires destroyed previous versions. Inside, it is the scale that stands out first, then the detail. Massive space, heavy timber, and aged surfaces, with historic statues that reward a closer look. Nara works especially well as a day trip from Osaka. A spacious park, approachable wildlife, a short but rewarding hike with wide views, an imposing gate, and a monumental temple. That is a lot of awesome in a small area. Enjoy the park. Then keep going.All photos and videos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 5 
First: What these monkeys are. The park identifies them as Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata), an endemic species in Japan. They’re also described as “snow monkeys”, and the signs note they live in the northernmost monkey habitat in the world.
Then there’s the park’s relationship with the troop. Since the park was established at Iwatayama, staff have been feeding wild monkeys so they stay in the area and can be observed. The signs also note that, generally, there are about 30–50 monkeys in a group in the wild, and in this park you can find around 120 monkeys.
Those numbers quietly recalibrate how you see them. They’re not tiny. They’re not pets. They’re compact, muscular, fast, and fully built for their environment.
Diet-wise, the park describes them as omnivores, but specifically notes they don’t catch other mammals to eat. They like fruit and leaves, and eat insects in summer. It is also noted other wild animals share their habitat, including deer, birds, and boars.
Note: All photos and videos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 4 Part 3 ended with rain, bamboo, and the Katsura River… and the promise of monkeys next. Now it’s monkey time!  The Arashiyama Monkey Park (Iwatayama) is a great attraction and a solid short workout. The summit rest area (i.e. where you’ll see most of the monkeys) is about a 15-minute hike from the entrance, with over 100 metres of elevation gain. Don’t let the climb scare you off. This place is worth it, especially if you come from somewhere where monkeys are not a normal part of daily life (‘Hello’ from Manitoba, Canada). The troop (yes, that’s the official term for a group of monkeys) at the summit is the kind of wildlife encounter that lands right in the sweet spot between awe and adrenaline. Some monkeys were cute. Some were chill. Some were a bit hardcore, but mostly with each other. I didn’t see any aggression toward humans, and the staff shut down monkey-on-monkey conflict pretty fast. Watching them move through their own social gravity—unbothered, watchful, occasionally intense—was endlessly compelling.
The view is the other reward. From up high, Kyoto opens up in layers: City grid, river corridor, distant slopes, and that soft atmospheric haze that makes everything feel slightly cinematic. It’s the kind of vantage point that makes you pause (not because you have to, but because your brain demands a minute to render it all). Also: Modern phone cameras are freaking amazing. Between keeping my distance and the monkeys’ constant motion, the extra zoom on my iPhone 17 Pro really came in handy. It let me stay back and still capture expressions, posture, and those tiny moments that feel like they’ll evaporate if you don’t catch them.
With those rules in mind, the experience becomes what it should be: Observation. You’re visiting them, not the other way around. Stay tuned for part 5 on Wednesday, February 18th. More monkeys!  Note: All photos and videos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Japan Trip Series, Part 3  On Day 3 of my trip, I visited Kyoto. It rained off and on as I walked from the Saga-Arashiyama Station to the Arashiyama Monkey Park and then on to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. And while some people might be disappointed to get rain on their only day in Kyoto on their first trip to Japan, I was grateful for it.
Sure, I got a little wet. But the drizzle was a trade I was happy to make. I’d been expecting Arashiyama to be super crowded, and while it was still busy, it never reached that shoulder-to-shoulder intensity I’d been bracing for based on photos and videos online. The rain softened everything: The light, the pace, the mood. It made the crowds feel more like a stream with occasional logjams than a crush. It also gave me a very practical reason to buy an umbrella from a Japanese konbini (convenience store). I don’t remember exactly what it cost, but it was cheap. So if you find yourself in Japan without an umbrella, don’t stress. Pop into a konbini and you’ll be covered, literally.  The Arashiyama Bamboo ForestThe Arashiyama Bamboo Forest was a great walk. The bamboo rises in tight ranks on either side of the path, tall and straight, like a living hallway. Even with people passing in both directions, there were plenty of moments where it felt calm. All it took was pausing for a minute, letting a cluster of photo-takers go by, and listening to the soft hush of wind moving through the leaves. And yes: There were lots of people taking photos. It’s that kind of place. (I was one of them.)  Autumn Colours On The WayOutside the bamboo grove, the scenery kept getting better. Kyoto in autumn has a way of stacking colours. Greens still holding on, then bursts of yellow, orange, and deep red rolling up the hillsides. The rain made everything look more saturated, like the landscape had been lightly polished (another benefit of the rain I was thankful for). Along the walks, little details popped too. Stone figures tucked against wet greenery, mossy edges, and quiet corners that felt like they’d been there forever, patiently waiting for you to notice.  The Katsura RiverOne of my favourite parts of the day was simply being near the Katsura River. Wide water, misty hills in the background, and that steady, calming movement you can watch for far too long without getting bored. The river and the surrounding mountains made the whole area feel bigger than the individual sights. Arashiyama is less “one attraction” and more a whole mood. Next up: The Arashiyama Monkey Park and sky-high views of Kyoto. Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 17 Pro.
Western Manitoba • Sept 27–28, 2020 On September 27, 2020 I hiked Reeve’s Ravine on the eastern edge of Riding Mountain National Park. Reeve’s Ravine is a trail where bridges, stairs, and boardwalks climb steadily into forested gullies before opening to jaw dropping escarpment views with prairie in the distance. Autumn colours painted the slopes in gold and rust, a striking contrast against the shale ridges and a beautiful compliment to the distant prairie.  Reeve’s Ravine is a relatively new addition to the park’s network, developed with local partners to showcase escarpment terrain. Tight side-hill singletrack, cutbanks, and lookouts make it popular with both hikers and cyclists. Expect mixed-use etiquette and those classic escarpment ups and downs that gives your muscles a workout and makes those beautiful views feel earned. The trail was relatively quiet that day, with only a handful of other hikers and one cyclist.
The next day, September 28, 2020, I wandered Brandon Hills, a rolling patch of aspen-oak parkland just south of Brandon. From short 2 km family-friendly circuits to longer 7.5 km loops, you can stitch together a route that fits the light and your legs. Trails weave through forest and small prairie openings, offering a gentler but equally refreshing autumn walk. The network is volunteer-maintained and well-used year-round. Watch for muddy sections after rain.
If you’re planning a visit, check Riding Mountain’s Trail Conditions page before heading out. The Escarpment links make it easy to build longer days (Gorge Creek, J.E.T., Bald Hill). For Brandon Hills, the RM of Cornwallis page and local trail maps give good loop details. Sources & Additional Information
Note: All photos in this post were taken by me with an iPhone 11.
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