Bidding farewell in a rainy fall 秋楓秋雨別離時

【Ontario Yours to Discover】
October 14, 2013 was the last day of the Thanksgiving holiday. It was also the last day before the closure of the Oastler Lake Provincial Park Campsite in this year. it will be reopened in May next year. In the late fall, maple leaves have changed their colors. It is a good time to appreciate the fall colors. For this reason, I went to Oastler Lake Provincial Park campsite again, 230km north of Toronto to see the colors of the maple and take pictures of the last day of the park.

At 7:30am, I left Toronto and drove along Hwy 401 West to Hwy 400 northbound. I changed to Hwy 96 and continued the journey to Oastler Lake Drive. It took 2.5 hours to arrive at the campsite. It was already 10am. A young camp staff gave me a daily vehicle permit which lasted till 10pm of the day. He told me that the campsite would be closed at noon next day.

I drove along the hill road and saw less than 10 campers. Some of them had packed their camping stuff and were ready to leave. The busling noise and excitement of the camp ground heard in summer no longer existed, but this tranquility had given me an easy access to each of the campsite. I continued to drive slowly on the hill slope and gradually entered into the dense forest. The campsites were on both sides of the road. The colorful leaves fell in the breeze and covered the road in layers. Sunlight casted tree shadows on the leaf-heaped ground. The maple trees were seen all over the hill and heaps of maple leaves stacked on the road. I pulled my car aside to enjoy the colors of fall in the forest.

I drove to the old campsites I had been there before.  They were either by the lake or deep inside the dense forest up on the hill. The environment of the camp grounds looked the same as before but the maple leaves had changed their colors, making them all the more desolate and cool. Visiting the old place in this late fall, though not a long time ago, I felt that it was a little strange and unusal at this moment!

A sudden rain came, making the desolate campsites look more tranquil. A few pieces of maple leaves and duckweed were floating on the lake.  The raindrops had created some charming ripples and lovely rhythm in the moment I bid farewell to the Oastler Lake Park!

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Photo equipment:
Nikon D300s, Nikon GP-1 GPS
Bower Fisheye Lens 8mm f/3.5
Nikon Coolpix P520 24-1000mm
Nikon Coolpix P7700 28-200mm
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【安省景物 由你發掘】
2013年10月14日，是感恩節長周末的最後一日，也是奧士拿湖省立公園營地今年關閉前的一日，營地要待明年5月才重開。適逢深秋，楓葉變色，是賞楓的好機會。為此，我再訪離多倫多230公里的奧士拿營地，欣賞楓林紅葉，拍攝營地最後一天的情境。

早上7時半從多倫多出發，沿401公路往西到400公路北上，轉96公路，最後轉向奧士拿湖大道，行車兩小時半，在上午10到達。將車停在營地辦事處前的停車場。年輕的職員為我辦理即日的營地行車証，有效期到晚上10時。營地於翌日中午12時關閉。 

我駕車沿營地小路行駛，所見剩下不到10個的營友，部分已開始拆營和收拾行裝，準備離營。暑假期間營地熱鬧情況不覆見，但對我倍加方便，可以自由進入每一個空置的營地瀏覽。汽車慢慢進入了小山坡，駛進密林，兩旁都是人去冷落的營地。彩色楓葉隨風飄送，汽車緩緩在楓葉滿地的樹林中行駛，陽光透過密林，穿過樹梢，落在厚厚的黃葉地上。漫山楓樹，紅葉遍地，車停林中，獨我漫遊，別有一番情趣。 

我駛回曾經住過的營地，近水邊的，也有在山坡密林中的，環境依舊，秋色黃葉已為營地換上秋裝，變得冷清，秋意盎然，舊地重遊，雖不是很久以前的事，但看來卻感到有點陌生了！ 

天上下了一陣雨，使蕭索的山間营地更加孤清。離別奧士拿湖省立公園之際，湖邊出現幾片紅葉浮萍，雨點為它們增添一些可爱的漣漪。雨聲顿時成為悦耳的旋律。

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(Click photo for a larger view)

1. Maple leaves and shadow of trees appeared on the lake shore.  A pair of senior couple enjoyed their leisure of paddling and appreciating the lake scene in fall.
Nikon Coolpix P520 @9.8 mm, 55 mm, (35 mm equivaltent), f/8.2, 1/500sec, ISO 400
湖畔黃葉樹影，一對年長伴侶，女的在享受湖上泛舟，男的欣賞浪隨槳落舟飄過。

2. The leaves turned yellow and the ground was covered with maple leaves.  The fall has changed the lake scene.
Nikon Coolpix P520 @4.3 mm, 24 mm (35 mm equivaltent), f/8.3, 1/500sec, ISO 400
樹葉轉黃，楓葉滿地，秋天將湖畔景色換新裝。

3. The colors of fall appeared everywhere in the dense forest.  These few pieces of leaves seemed to invite me to stay for a while to appreciate their splendid look!
Nikon Coolpix P520 @25.8 mm, 145 mm (35 mm equivaltent), f/7.7, 1/250sec, ISO 400
在密林中處處見楓色，這幾片楓葉似乎向我這孤独客人招手，要我停下來細心欣赏她們的楓釆！

5. The camper must have left this site for a long time as the ground was covered with heap of leaves.  A few pieces stayed on the rock!
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @7.6 mm, 34mm (35 mm equivalent), f/8, 1/6sec, ISO 200
客人肯定離開這營地已有一段時日了，地面已舖上厚厚的落葉，三片落在石上中！

6. The broken tree fell on the lakeshore and the camp table was desolate.  My friends and I had barbecue here before.  The bustling with noise and excitement had gone! 
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6 mm, 27mm (35 mm equivalent), f/3.2, 1/1000sec, ISO 800
湖畔殘枝、孤獨餐桌，曾與友人在這裡燒烤，原來熱鬧的營地，現在變得冷冷清清。

7. We had been camping here in 10 odd days ago for the joy of scenic photography.  In revisiting the old campsite and seeing the fall scene, I felt that they appeared strange and new to me!
Nikon Coolpix P7700 @6 mm, 27mm (35 mm equivalent), f/3.2, 1/640sec, ISO 800
十數日前才在這裡紮營，享受湖畔攝影的樂趣。雖然舊地重遊，眼前的楓景秋色，看來卻有點陌生！

8. Driving inside this dense forest with tall trees on both sides of the road, falling leaves in the breeze and tree shades scattered on the leaves covered road, I could not resist the temptation of pulling aside to appreciate these lovely scenes!
Nikon D300s, Fisheye lens 8 mm, f/3.5 @f/9, 1/200sec, ISO 200
在密林中行車，兩旁高樹，落葉隨風送，疏疏樹影落在楓葉路上，此情此景，怎可不停車細細欣賞？

9. This is one of the campsites on the roadside with a water-supply tap installed.  As the camper had left and the whole campsite was soon to be closed, it looked very tranquil and desolate!
Nikon D300s, Fisheye lens 8 mm, f/3.5 @f/9, 1/100sec, ISO 200
路旁另一個營地，旁邊是取水的龍頭，營客已離去，營地關閉在即，現在變得冷冷清淸。

10. They sky used to be shielded by the maple leaves.  Now the trees were scare and scattered whereas the hill road was covered with thick layers of leaves.
Nikon D300s, Fisheye lens 8 mm, f/3.5 @f/9, 1/800sec, ISO 200
原本紅葉閉天，現在樹木疏落，山路已鋪上厚厚的落葉。

11. This campsite was embraced by the yellow leaves and the fall colors.  The long shadows of the trees made the leaves covered ground look stripped and colorful!
Nikon D300s, Fisheye lens 8 mm, f/3.5 @f/9, 1/125sec, ISO 200
這營地被黃葉秋色所包圍，長長樹影在黃葉地上增添班駁色彩！

12. Ripples of the rain drops on the lake
Nikon Coolpix P520 @89 mm, 400 mm, (35 mm equivaltent), f/7.7, 1/1000sec, ISO 400
雨點落湖泛漣漪

13. Rhythm of the rain
Nikon Coolpix P520 @62.4 mm, 280 mm, (35 mm equivaltent), f/7.6, 1/500sec, ISO 400
雨的旋律

14. Daily Vehicle Permit used to drive in the campsite on Oct 14, one day before its closure.  Behind the permit is a copy of the 2013 Oastler Lake Information Guide.
這是10月14日營地關閉前一天的營地行車証及介紹奧士拿湖營地的指南。

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               A: Toronto

               B: Oastler Lake Provincial Park, 380 Oastler Park Drive, Parry Sound