iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 06/04/2025

Another sign of spring - the chorus frogs are out! 🐸

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Signs of spring. Rain and puddles sure but also the skunk cabbage coming up quickly.

Duck Toller dog on wooden walking bridge.

Back of Duck Toller dog walking along wooden boardwalk in spring. Raining and puddles.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

A group of snowshoers (and a dog!) seen today on hike 9 of my #52hikechallenge - a 2.9k snowshoe. Another beautiful day to get outside!

A group of snowshoes and a small dog with a red jacket cross a large expanse of snow with a forest in the background.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

Today is National Flag Day in Canada and I think I spent it in a fitting way - skating on an outdoor trail on top of Blue Mountain 🇨🇦 I haven’t been skating in 2 years so I had a big grin a lot of the time. And while this wasn’t hiking, I’m counting it as “hike” 8 of the #52hikechallenge.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Have you ever heard of a wind phone? It’s a phone without a dial tone installed on a nature trail. You use to connect with a deceased love one. This wind phone is at the Ausable River Cut Conservation Area just outside of Port Franks, Ontario. I think it’s a beautiful idea.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 01/02/2025

Between shopping and sushi got in a short but beautiful 3.3k hike on the Grand Valley Trail. A crisp but sunny day for hike 6 of the #52hikechallenge. ☃️☀️

winter landscape featuring a snow-covered trail leading to a wooden bridge. The bright sun shines in a clear blue sky, casting long shadows on the snow. A frozen body of water stretches into the distance, surrounded by leafless trees. Two people in dark winter clothing are seen walking near the edge of the ice.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

I love how hiking forces your mind to focus on the present. On this trail, step after sideways step down the hill. #hiking

A snow-covered forest trail winding through tall evergreen trees, with branches dusted in fresh snow. The sky above is a soft mix of blue and white, with faint snowflakes falling, creating a peaceful winter scene.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 24/01/2025

A frozen and snow covered Ausable River Cut on my hike today. #ausablerivercut

tree-covered ridge and a frozen body of water in the foreground.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 21/01/2025

Sunset walk to film my next episode of #grimwood. Crisp and cold at -13C/8F. Weather that makes you feel alive!

winter scene featuring a snow-covered landscape with bare trees, a rustic log building, and a soft pastel-colored sky at sunset. A picnic shelter with snow on its roof is visible in the foreground

A close-up of a log cabin covered in snow during the winter. The scene captures a vibrant sunset, with colorful clouds in the background and bare trees surrounding the cabin.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 19/01/2025

Hike #3 of the #52hikechallenge. 5.75 km on a new trail for me - the Vansittart Woods in Woodstock, Ontario. A nice easy trail (although crunchy with snow and ice). I loved the signs they had to tell hikers to stay on the trail. #hiking #hikingadventures

Sign in a snowy, grassy area reading, ‘We don’t walk on your food, please don’t walk on ours! Please stay on the trail. Thanks, The Deer,’ featuring an illustration of a deer and a deer hoof print.

Sign in a snowy forest reading, ‘We don’t jump on your head, please don’t stomp on ours! Please watch your step and stay on the trail. Thanks, The Frogs,’ with an illustration of a frog and a frog footprint.

A smiling woman outdoors on a snowy day, wearing a blue knit hat, black winter coat with a fur-lined hood, and a teal backpack. The background features snow-covered ground and blurred trees.

Close-up of bird tracks in the snow, showing small, distinct three-pronged footprints against a white, snowy surface.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

Hike #2 of the #52hikechallenge. A wee 3.1k hike in the woods in an area I was visiting this weekend. Today was the perfect snowy winter day. And after, I was glad to get home to Marco who missed me and is cuddly.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 05/01/2025

Hike 1 of the #52hikechallenge. Patterson CA in SW Ontario. 3.6k.

A rustic wooden cabin with a snow-dusted roof stands amidst a winter landscape. A large tree with bare branches is in the foreground, partially obscuring the cabin. Sparse snow covers the ground, with evergreen trees in the background under a pale sky.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 24/12/2024

Only ran into two birders. Quiet time amidst the business of the holiday. #naturelovers #naturephotography

wetland landscape with bare trees in the background, calm water with a log in the water, and scattered snow patches on the foreground vegetation and shoreline.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Louring: look dark and threatening (related to the sky, weather or landscape). #logophile

Black and white image of an old, weathered church with peeling paint and an aging steeple. Bare trees surround the building.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Misslieness (n.): A feeling of loneliness caused by the absence of something or someone who is usually around. (Scottish) From: ‘A Winter Dictionary”, Paul Anthony Jones #logophile #winterwords #wintertime

A black-and-white photo of a snow-covered landscape with a small, fenced graveyard in the foreground. The graveyard contains a few tombstones, surrounded by bare, leafless trees. The background is shrouded in mist, with faint silhouettes of distant trees and a forest edge visible.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

Hemel (n.): A freezing fog. From, “A Winter Dictionary”, Paul Anthony Jones #winterwords #winter #logophile

Snow-covered rural road lined with leafless trees fading into a misty, foggy background, creating a serene and minimalist winter scene.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Beware the watchful eyes of the Yule Cat 🐾 This towering feline isn’t just a festive myth—it reflects the cultural values of preparedness and resourcefulness during harsh winters. Will your new clothes keep you safe? #grimwood #folklore #yulecat #icelandictales #spookystories #winterlegends

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 08/12/2024

Getting in the festive spirit. Christmas horse-drawn wagon rides 🧑‍🎄🐴 #christmastime

This photo shows a festive nighttime scene featuring a horse-drawn wagon decorated with holiday lights and bows. People are gathered around, dressed in winter clothing, enjoying the atmosphere. The area is illuminated by streetlights and colorful string lights in the background, giving the image a warm, seasonal vibe.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Enjoying the last of the snow before it rains next week. #snowday

A woman smiles while standing in a snowy forest, wearing a knit winter hat with a pom-pom and a maroon vest over a hoodie. Snow falls gently around her, and a trail winds through the trees in the background.”

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

The Cedar Hollow. Imagining all the little ones seeking shelter here, safe from the harshness of winter. #forestmagic #simplenature #cedartrees #trees

A snow-dusted cedar tree with exposed roots forming a hollow at its base. The hollow looks like a natural shelter, surrounded by patches of snow and scattered cedar branches, evoking a sense of quiet refuge in the winter forest.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

Walking the back alleys at Christmas time in our little city. #christmastime

A snowy alley at night, illuminated by the soft glow of streetlights and colorful lights from nearby houses. A duck tolling retriever walks ahead on a leash. Bare trees and fences frame the scene.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 04/12/2024

Not all holiday legends are full of cheer—Krampus is here to keep the naughty in check. Would you survive his visit? 🎅👿 #folklore #krampus #krampusnacht #folktale

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

Did you know beavers use scent mounds to mark their territory? They secrete castoreum from their glands to mark a ball of mud. This tells other beavers that the territory they’re on is taken. Thus, scent mounds help avoid disputes and keep the peace in their watery world. #beavers #natureiscool

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

A local Christmas display at the St. Thomas railway museum. They did a great job! #railway #trains

A woman stands, arms open, in front of a red train with a red bow on it. Christmas trees frame the side.

A Christmas tree is to the left. On the right is a close up of an old black train with a bell on the front.

An underwood typewriter sits on a wooden desk with a Christmas tree and presents in the background. A bird cage is off to the right. Harry Potter theme.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

No deer today, just geese and a bitter wind 🌬️

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Grimwood Episode 11: German folk magic/religious guide ‘The Long Lost Friend’. This book offered Pennsylvania Dutch settlers remedies and charms to protect themselves and their livestock from medical issues, thieves and even witchcraft. #folkmagic

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Seeing deer on the trail today. Just a dusting of snow at the moment! #optoutside

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Our first home made wreath (except the ribbon and wire backing). I think we’ll make this an annual tradition. We had quite a bit of fun collecting the materials. Everything is from the woods except the rose hips - those are from my garden. The Christmas season is upon us! #christmaswreath

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I was recently reminded me of a part of my past. It brought up memories - some good, some bad, as well as a good amount of grief for what I left behind and who I thought I would be in life. It was long enough ago now though that it’s like a different life, a different me. It’s just a memory.

A rustic wooden mill with a weathered waterwheel sits peacefully by the calm ‘Burnt River’, surrounded by pine trees and soft autumn hues. Kinmount sawmill.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Mid-day sun in colour and black and white. Taken on my early Christmas gift - new iPhone 15 pro. I’m torn as to my preference on which edit I prefer. #naturephotography #inthewoods #forest #forestphotography #forestvibes

Pine needle covered path leading to a gate in the background. A tree with an arrow produces a long shadow from the mid day sun.

Same as first photo but in black and white.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 24/11/2024

Did you know that minnows eat mosquitoes 🦟? #minnows #naturefacts

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

A quick walk after work. Such a pretty conservation area!

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

In medieval Europe #folklore, it was thought that if a wolf broke a twig & alerted a shepherd’s dog to their presence, they would turn around and snap at their own foot to punish it. This led to photos of wolves with their feet in their mouths in bestiaries of the time. - Lopez, “Of Wolves and Men”

A gray and black wolf lying in the grass, its yellow eyes staring at the viewer, ears forward and perked.

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

I’m closest to Lake Erie - pic below - but work near Lake Huron as well in Ontario, Canada. 🇨🇦

A woman in a pink shirt and green pants walks toward the camera on the beach of Lake Erie, bluffs in the background

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Part two: conditions in the Icelandic Settlement of Kinmount, Ontario and the travel westward. 2/2 #history #kinmountontario

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Heather @explorationproject.bsky.social · 19/11/2024

Grimwood episode 10 is out! It’s about one of the first Icelandic settlements in Canada. What brought them here and why did they leave the tiny town where they first settled? 1/2 #icelandic #canadianhistory #ontariohistory

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