Friends of Ellenwood Park

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18TH – FROM 2 to 4 PM (Rain date – Sunday, October 25th) Pumpkin Carving- This will be our 5th Annual Pumpkin Carving. We hope you will join us and create the perfect Jack ‘o Lantern for Hallowe’en. Pumpkins and cutting tools will be supplied. This activity is suitable for all ages, adult supervision is required. For those with mobility difficulties, we are able to assist you from the gate to the cabin. Please let us know! Coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cookies will be available in the cabin. Donations to FOEP, welcome.

…preparing for some Hallowe’en fun!

…fully focused;-)

Our photography workshop on Sept. 27^th with Sue Hutchins was a huge success. Everyone left with useful tips, fresh perspectives, and feeling motivated to get to know their camera better! We learned 5 key questions to ask ourselves when selecting a subject and how to arrange and focus on the elements within the frame. Sue used creative props to demonstrate how the camera’s aperture works and gave us a handy way to remember depth of field rules with a catchy verse! Sue’s a great photographer and an effective teacher too! There was truly something for everyone. Finally, we went outside the cabin to practice what we learned. You should have been there;-)

…depth of field at work

…leading the eye

…restful horizon

…deliberate diagonal

Attached is a sample of how our participants applied their new skills. Not bad, eh?

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2015 – FROM 2 to 4 PM Nature Photography Workshop – with Sue Hutchins – well known local photographer Taking impressive images of nature, doesn’t depend on your camera; it depends on your vision. Take a walk with Sue Hutchins, through Ellenwood Park and learn some techniques that are sure to give your photography a boost. She’ll talk about light, shapes, focusing techniques and much more. Group size: 10 Call 902-881-2658 to register. Meet at the ski cabin at 2 PM – 20 minute walk from the gate. Equipment: An open mind and a functioning camera. (Spare batteries are a good idea!) A tripod is optional. Dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. Donations to FOEP, welcome.

BLOOD MOON ALSO HAPPENING ON SEPTEMBER 27TH – There will be a total lunar eclipse beginning at 9:10 pm on Sunday, possibly the largest in 18 years. It will be a rare supermoon that night and there’s no better place to see it than at Ellenwood where open spaces and minimal light pollution make for ideal viewing! A supermoon looks unusually big because it’s a time when the moon is closest to the earth. As the Earth’s shadow passes over the moon, it will appear red. This is referred to as a Blood Moon and it will be a sight to behold in the night sky over Yarmouth County! It will be at its peak by 11:47 pm and it will all be over by 2:22 am, Monday. Keep your eyes on the skies! There won’t be another like it until the year 2033!  What a perfect time to try out those photography skills!

FRIENDS OF ELLENWOOD PARK EVENTS 2015

MONDAY, DECEMBER 14th – from 4 to 8 pm 2015                                              Geminids Meteor Shower and Chilli Fundraising Dinner                                                   Join the Friends of Ellenwood, to view the 2015 Geminids Meteor Showers. Ellenwood Park has very minimal light pollution, so it is the perfect place to view the Geminid meteor showers. We will be serving chilli, buns and hot drinks in the cabin. By donation. For assistance for those with mobility difficulties, contact Stephen at 902-742-6252 in advance. There will be more information about this event on our Facebook page.

 In 2015, the Geminids will peak between December 13 and 14. A waxing crescent Moon (Moon’s phase after a New Moon) will create good conditions for viewing the shower. The Geminids are one of two meteor showers that occur in December. Northern Hemisphere observers should try their luck right after sunset. The Geminids can be annually observed between December 4 and December 17, with its peak activity being around December 14. The shower owes its name to the constellation Gemini from where the meteors seem to emerge from in the sky. Unlike most other meteor showers, the Geminids are associated not with a comet but with an asteroid – the 3200 Phaethon. The asteroid takes about 1.4 years to orbit around the Sun. The Geminids are considered to be one of the more spectacular meteor showers during a year, with the possibility of sighting around 120 meteors per hour at its peak.

As part of The Recreation Department’s Active Living Week, we planned to have a Nature walk at Ellenwood Park. Unfortunately, the black flies have come out in profusion, which would make the walk very uncomfortable for participants.

We have changed the venue to start at my house 129 Chebogue Point Road, on Sunday, May 24th, from 2 to 4. We will walk down to the end of the road – Chebogue Point, which is about  7KM  round trip. The road has very little traffic and there are views of pastures, the Chebogue River and the ocean. There is usually a breeze which keeps the black flies and mosquitos away.

There is parking on the roadside between my house and 163 Chebogue Point Road. We will have poles available, for those who would like to try walking with poles. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress for the weather. We will have bottled water available.

We hope that you will come out and join us. Any questions please call 902-881-2566.

Stephen will be opening the cabin on Sunday, March 29th from 2 to 4 is.

He thinks the skiing will be good as there is a solid base with 1 to 3 cm of snow forecast for Saturday.

Leprechaun Fun at Ellenwood Park

Walk, ski or snow shoe and join the Friends of Ellenwood Park  on– Sunday March 22nd from 2 to 3 at the ski cabin.

The walking path has been cleared to make it easier for walking, please do not snow shoe or walk in the ski trails. Please use caution as there could be some icy patches

Help the the Leprechaun find the gold coins and shamrocks he has lost in the woods.  Bring them back to his helpers and the Leprechaun will have a special surprise for you. Suitable for all ages, must be accompanied by an adult. Cookies and hot chocolate available in the cabin. Donations welcome.

Please share with friends and family, a great way to end Spring Break

The ski conditions are very icy and fast. Yves has groomed a lot of the trails and will groom some more on Sunday morning.

Please be very cautious when you are walking, snow shoeing and skiing in the park.

The cabin will be open on Saturday from 1 t0 4 and Sunday from 12 t0 4.

Enjoy the park.

The cabin will be open from approximately 1 to 4 today and the ski conditions should be quite good, especially with the new snow.

There will still be some very slippery areas under the snow, so please use caution while skiing, snow shoeing and walking throughout the park.

The Carlton students will be coming to the park about 2:30. Please try leave the parking area empty, to allow for the school bus to get in.

There are still a few spots left. Call the Rec. Dept. to register.

Ladies over 40 are invited to come out to Hebron Rotary Center February 21st from 9:00am—12:00am to learn how to cross country ski followed by refreshments. No cost to join. No experience required and all equipment will be provided. No scents please, instructor is very allergic! Please call Yarmouth Recreation to register 742 8868 !