I just took a booking for a campsite after the long weekend, and amazingly the client just did the most fantastic ad for my place. Too bad I didn't have a tape rolling! He got engaged here years ago, and is bringing twin daughters for a first camping outing. And his new dog, who is a good boy.
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Last Sunday and this Sunday.
Right now I have happy people in cabins, and camping. Algonquin Park is full, so I am getting some overflow from there + my own campers. Last week I had people who were abusive to me ignoring check out time. The bathrooms are incredibly clean today. It's funny that the woman who wrote the TripAdvisor review last week said that the bathrooms were clean last weekend, because they were a pigsty from my point of view. I spent a lot more time bathroom checking and cleaning last weekend; the mess stopped when the unhappy people finally left. No one has been confused about canoe rental :-) People have spoken about the weather, but no one is afraid. There is rain in the forecast. There was dew this morning though, so it likely won't happen. 15 minutes of rain would double the size of the blueberries. The crop is lush, but they area little on the small side. More raspberries ripening every day. I had chanterelles for breakfast...
Raspberries are just starting to ripen. Saskatoon berries, also known as June Plums and Sugar Plums are on the bushes. It looks like the strawberries, which were late, are finished. I haven't had a chance to check for blueberries; they are likely in swing too. I still have a cabin opening from tonight until Saturday, if anyone is interested.
There is a contest and entry form on this website. Only a couple of people have entered. Only one has entered numerous times. That one has won the prize of a half day canoe rental. Yay! (confetti, horns) Perseverence has it's rewards.
You can enter too. Part of the contest is finding the entry form here on the site. Well, wasn't that a party?! All in all, a well behaved, happy bunch. Mind you, about 80% of the place was return clients. That always helps to set the tone. One client brought LOTS of fireworks for everyone's enjoyment.
There was one camper who won't be coming back. I don't tolerate people who purposely do damage and challenge my client guidelines at every turn. The full story is on my Red Deer Log Cabins page on Facebook. Anyone who doesn't want to cooperate can go and stay in a crowded, noisy, dirty campground. That's not what we do here. And now the summer, with waves of tourists. There are still a few full weeks left for people looking for a full fledged vacation, as well as strings of a couple of days here and there. Only a few full dates, so lots of opportunities still to rent a cabin. Camping is available for any date at this time, whether you have a tent or a trailer. 2 nights free when you book a week... Bookings are still coming in for the holiday weekend; one cancellation only. Still tent spots available, and one place with electricity. This summer is starting off with a bang! There is also still a group site up for grabs if anyone wants to camp with a bunch of friends. :-)
Just did a random internet search for this place, and I found no less than 12 listings that I did not create! Normally one would think this is great but...all of them had the location incorrect! Not really much of a help is it.
On top of that, my information at Ontariotravel.net was changed by someone, because my listing has a bunch of 'inaccuracies' in it. I update everything every winter, so someone got their hands on it since then. Figures, the government website has it WRONG! This website is created and maintained by me, and is best information. I can't control the internet...I just try to keep it from burying me under bad info! I get a lot of inquiry from western Canada and the western States. I never assume that those people aren't in Ontario looking for a place to stay...but sadly, they are quick to fill in the inquiry form or call, without noting the location of Red Deer Log Cabins. I know it can be confusing, a place called Red Deer in Ontario, but we have wapiti too! The name is historic, from the time before the elk were hunted out; they have been subsequently successfully reintroduced.
People come here from around the world, and I have had a few visitors from Alberta. I hope people in Ontario looking at the site aren't thinking this place is in the west...it is almost equidistant between Ottawa, North Bay, Toronto, and Kingston, so it's a great meet up spot if your friends and family are spread far and wide. 1. You can now find Red Deer Log Cabins on Facebook. Yes, I finally did it...just type Red Deer Log Cabins into the search bar, and it will take you there. Note: there is a Red Deer Cabins page that was made by someone (at Facebook) else. It is inactive. I tried to merge it into my page so it would disappear, and there would be no confusion, but no go.
2. Bookings for the July long weekend are heavy, so if you want a spot, make your bid very soon. Cabins are full; I still have room for about 12 tents. 3. Some of you may wonder why I don't post photos and insist on writing instead of showing. Simply put, my internet feed isn't up to it. I spent way too much time on Sunday trying to upload a picture of my father to Facebook, and it failed every time. I continue to look for a solution to this. My highspeed internet is not the equivalent of city highspeed, and my data usage is very very restricted. So please, read on! Flocks of swallows cavort, flying with their mouths open and eating biting bugs. Yay! Go swallows, go!
In the parade of spring, we have reached the special lighting effects portion of the program. Meanwhile, the bullfrog chorous is ramped up to its height. The soprano section, the peepers, are winding down.
And the black flies are definitely gone. It appears full functionality has been restored to my website. Of course, I don't trust any systems any more, so I am double checking message points to make sure that I receive any requests in a timely fashion. Thank you to anyone who has been patient while this glitch was being resolved.
It rained a lot of today, and this evening it is not possible to be outside. There are definitely bugs. We were on the edge of drought; grass was starting to die off where it had been cut. There is a fire ban the next township over. I haven't heard anything about here yet.
Speaking of fire bans, I am hoping with all of the consciousness about Fort MacMurray and the recent wildfire there that it will not be so difficult to get people to comply with fire safety rules here this summer. It's fine to be cavalier about your campfire, as long as you want to pay top dollar for the place after you burn it down..my insurance company will insist the bill is paid. Finding cigarette butts that were left to burn out on pine needles under trees is particularly nerve wracking. It does not take much; the natural environment cannot be made fireproof. The black flies are over. This is the second day I have not worn any bug proofing, and no bites. This is the earliest date to be clear of black flies in my experience. Those of very tender skin may still be attractive to them, but for all intents and purposes it seems safe to venture this way. Of course, there are ways that you can be more appealing to them; sweet scented and musky soaps, perfumes, hair products...all those kinds of things. Usually it is a good idea to skip bananas and eating lots of fruit this time of year, but I have not taken that precaution, and still, nothing!
Yay! It's too bad everyone pretty much gets their holidays during a 2 month stretch. Some cabin dates are already full, and people who have no flexibility for their vacations are being turned away. That being said, there is still camping available for all dates at this time.
So..."what about the black flies?" you may say. My hair oil from the east Indian grocery store works better than the sprays everyone buys. I have fewer bites (none), and my hair is very soft. It really does work very very well. It's much cheaper than spray, not toxic, and does not eat the finish off of furniture or melt plastic. Vatika with amla and henna seems to be the best oil to use. One application a day does the trick. The dragonflies are prolific this year as well; they love it when I stir their meal up out of the dirt as I clean the place up for camping. I am being surrounded by clouds of them. Enchanting! It's always a good sign to see the dragonflies show up. It means the blackflies are on the run! Can't say they are very bad this year, just an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Other than that I hardly notice them.
For reasons I cannot explain, it is taking some inquiries up to 24 hours to make it from the website to my computer. Not all, just some. I have investigated, and see a likely server culprit, but their IT department is in complete denial. I have checked that there is nothing being caught in spam, etc. It seems larger companies that I cannot affect are making a mess of things again.
Unfortunately, some people vacation shop as they are packing. The phone number is fool proof. Though I may not be right at the phone, the answering machine is, and I check regularly between other duties. I just saw 2 bats. That's a good sign; it's been years. If I am seeing them, the population is likely rebounding.
What an incredible day! Best day of summer so far. With a little luck there will be lots more for you to enjoy. Now is a great time to make your bid for a cabin or a campsite, to enjoy those lazy hazy days surrounded by nature.
I thought when the 911#s were uploaded by the Township of South Algonquin last September 30 that the GPS problems would be solved. I thought the problem was because there was no # assigned to my location (even though I provided lat/long in my signature and here on the website).
Because most people are now using cellphones for GPS, and do not use coordinates at all, only civic addressing #s, and because different phones use different map sets, which do not actually agree with lat/long data, people are now winding up at the local dump instead of here! At least I know where they are now when I get the phone call! One vacationer saw the sign at my driveway, and then continued another km south from here because the GPS told her to continue. So...I can still do nothing to fix your GPS. I still suggest (as I do on the how to get here page) that travelers use a map. GPS is definitely not accurate outside of heavily populated areas. My place is STILL where it was when I bought it in 1989. No one got lost on the way here then, following the simple instruction 2 km south of highway 60 on highway 523. Ain't technology grand? Friday Fun for Food Foragers!
On the menu this week: Gyromitra Esculenta Johnny Jumpups Dandelion Greens Bullrush roots Those of you who wait to the last minute to make plans can find a place here. It's looking like the weekend will be absolutely fabulous! What a difference a week makes...
Found 4 so far. It's a spring thing.
Speaking of spring, this is a summer to beat the last few. Inquiries and bookings are up. If you want to stay here, don't wait to make your request; some dates are close to full for cabins. That being said, there are few campsite bookings at this time, so if you have gear, the possibilities are virtually endless. A few of you have discovered the new facebook page. Official launch coming soon. You can jump that queue by searching Red Deer Log Cabins (there is a Red Deer Cabins page from somewhere/one/fb that is inactive, so make sure you get the name right!). Oh, I heard a Br0wn Thrasher this morning as I was working between the buildings, but did not actually see it. Seems early for that song. Today is the first day that the snow is completely melted in the grounds here. Apparently some parts of Algonquin Park still have 3 feet! Ranger cabin rentals were cancelled for this coming weekend because park staff couldn't get there. If anyone wants to celebrate Mother's Day in a lovely natural place, I've got space. It's a go! |
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February 2018
AuthorSince 1989, I have been known to many as The Red Dear. Most of the rest of humankind calls me Sandra. Categories
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