Home Safe by Susan L.

  Killbear Provincial Park is a massive tract of land with over a thousand camp sites spread over six or so areas. We had one of the best, I think, because it was more private than some of the others that seemed to be crammed one on top of the other. It's a beautiful place nonetheless. The Canadian Shield bubbles up between patches of mixed forest in great swooping embankments of pink and gray granite. Small coves provide sandy beaches with breath taking views and crystal clear water. The forest floor is littered with boulders deposited there from the last ice age.
   It is home to bears, which we didn't see and a healthy population of white tailed deer. We saw several does and best of all a young three point buck which is a real treat because they tend to be more shy. We saw a doe with twin spotted fawns just as we were leaving to come home. What a great farewell to an awesome trip.  
  The highlight was seeing a small rattle snake, a species at risk. There's approximately two hundred an fifty in the park. Because of its size, sightings are rare. We were blessed. Another hiker had spotted it while we were on a guided hike with a park naturalist. The park asks if you see one to let staff know. They microchip them and take general statistics. This little one was too small for that so our guide simply made note of its location via GPS.
  They have short fences to stop the snakes from crossing the road and have provided tunnels underneath for all sorts of wildlife, not just snakes. The low tunnels are monitored by motion sensor cameras and microchip readers. If a snake goes through, they'll know exactly which one it was. They can also see what other animals use them to get across the road as well. The park services as many as five thousand visitors a day. The roads are a dangerous place for wildlife.
  The weather was perfect, not a drop of rain fell. The mosquitoes were no where near as bad as I expected them to be. I didn't even need repellent! Except for the potential for bears, the only real risk we faced was the danger of being beaned by falling acorns.
  It's good to be home. My goodness how the grass has grown since I've been gone!
  "The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles be glad!" Ps 97:1