The local trail bike ride was this past weekend, Father's Day. There seemed to be about half the participants of 2014. I had to blast in to Bancroft for building supplies on Friday, and the road seemed pretty quiet for a Friday pm.
What a fabulous weekend!
The local trail bike ride was this past weekend, Father's Day. There seemed to be about half the participants of 2014. I had to blast in to Bancroft for building supplies on Friday, and the road seemed pretty quiet for a Friday pm.
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Renovating the washroom has been an absorbing endeavour. Not much of me left over after a day of work like that, every day for the last 3 weeks.
I will be really happy when the work is finished. It continues, inconsequent of planning and scheduling which said it would be finished tomorrow. I give it another week until there are showers and flush toilets. Fortunately, few have stopped by for a place to stay in that time. Every time I have been out to go to the building supply store the road has been quiet for this locale. OH! On the other hand, bookings continue to trickle in for the July non-long weekend holiday opportunity. 5 days from Wednesday? It's all good! Still cabins available and lots of camping through that week, if you are having trouble finding a place to PLAY. Days around 20C, nights around 12. Some rain some sun. Boringly pleasant.?! Little downpour this afternoon, very refreshing. I still find it odd that the black fly level is so low. I haven't been using any bug dope, even when cutting grass, even my nontoxic types, and I have fewer than 10 bites and have to look hard to find them.
This is difficult to believe, and I am having trouble writing the words, but there are almost no black flies. Ok, ask a newbie to the area, and s/he will heartily disagree. However, this morning at 17C it was completely possible to dig in soil. That should be impossible in June in this location in my experience of 26 years.
Male ruby throated hummingbird was just looking in my window. The fuchsia are up.! I also have Eastern Kingbirds back nesting under the eaves of the original house.
It was expected that we would run into standard nonstandard building technique when we looked at the job at hand, to replace the washroom floor.
I think we have discovered all of the anomalies, and are now ready to reassemble. Whew! It's such a trick to do renovations around here, because it is either winter or it's impossible to get good help...got good help, now just dodging tourists and blackflies to get the job done. Renovation pricing in effect until the job IS done. It IS warm enough to swim, and as there is no parasite in the waterway here, a shower is not necessary after a dip in the river. It seemed we were looking at low water levels in the river this season. NOT. The front campsites are not flooded yet. There is absolutely no trouble getting as big a boat as can fit under the bridge(s) in to the system.
There is now a sign indicating a public boat launch by the community centre, just across highway 60 continuing north (on the Major Lake Road). Boat launch is hidden behind trees. Signage is a little sketchy, as it is easy to be on the snowmobile/ATV trail instead of the driveway to the boat launch. Anyone wanting to camp this weekend, there is still room on the waterfront. Best to be in the open, in the breeze, for bug control. Got a cabin too. Amazingly, even when there have been bugs outside this last while, my porch on my house is completely bug free without screens. I don't know how this has happened. Up to my elbows in sawdust and plumbing pipes, not much to report here. Moving along, like molasses, but moving...
Bug season has so far proven to not be particularly buggy, but that can change yet. Sitting here with the contractor discussing the next step in the central washroom renovation, and noticed snow falling.
I'm charmed Because the weather has been so putrid the last couple of years for this weekend, it has been a wait and see for all of us for this holiday.
Here's what I see. Many fisherpersons, both camping and occupying cabins. 90% return clientele. Happy, prepared, realistic campers (only a little bother about black flies, and those are the newbies). Smudge fires going at a couple of sites. It's a free firewood weekend (lots of cleanup wood from opening up). Hardwood tag alder brush for great coals fast. Let the grilling begin! Pictures of fish caught and released this morning (darn bass aren't in season, can't keep 'em). The weather is incredibly flaky. Flies are not biting, but they are bothersome swarming. There are 22 types of black fly, and a lot of the first out of the gate are nonbiters. Only 2 types bite. The swallows are here in large numbers already, so it was likely the flies were going to be early. Fishing should be good. The last arrival called this a special event weekend. It is what you make it. Don't believe the hype. Countdown to the first holiday weekend of the summer, and the weather report is currently promising a good one. It's a good time to make your bid for space.
New sign up at the corner diner. Apparently they are now doing breakfast from 9 am on Saturday and Sunday. Who better to get the REAL picture on tourism locally than the toilet paper supplier? He's telling me it's all doom and gloom out there, but I'm seeing an increase in bookings over last year. Apparently a number of local year 'round spots closed down for the winter because pickings were slim. I thought it was a good snowmachine season...maybe not!
The Hydro One forestry crew was by as well. Lots of talk about the water level affecting fishing and tourists, and why the government can't make it rain to make up for the shortfall of freshet. Lawsuits flying from flooding a couple of years back; now the same people are burning up the phone lines being loud about not being able to get their big boats into the local waterways. Life is a carnival, 2 bits a shot. Wild turkey in the yard this morning! That's a first.
There have been a lot more in the area the last couple of years, but I usually see them when out for a drive. Why did the turkey cross the road? I figger he was on his way to see the chicken... Last day of April, and the forecast is fabulous as far as can be seen. Sun, warm days, warm nights (above zero), low chance of precipitation...we have survived!
Anyone want to come camping this weekend and help clean up? It's going to be a fabulous season for canoing and kayaking.
The beach goes on forever! Unless there is a LOT of rain, it's going to be a low water summer. That's after a couple of years of flooding, right? Nature likes balance. Having been through this cycle before, there are a couple of things you can consider. When the beach is big, the waterfall is taller. Fishing is excellent, because the same amount of fish are in a smaller amount of water. Beach lovers can find lots of terrain to play upon. CAUTION: due to an aberration that occurred when Ontario Hydro (or whatever it was called in 1939) expropriated the farmers along the river to create a reservoir, some of the river bottom is privately owned. If you stay on the water you are in the clear. Big boats may not be able to get into the system if the water doesn't come up substantially. Pretty sure that every time it's a big beach summer it is a hot summer. Snow is gone.
The tree stumps in the river are almost covered with water. Geese are back. Robins are everywhere. Sunrise is greeted with lots of chirpy happy sounds. Soon time to till the garden! Make sure you follow my "how to get here" instructions. Map search on Google is AGAIN sending people to the Township of Greater Madawaska and the town of Renfrew. Right now it is a virtual issue, as people are just researching for their vacations, but it could be a real problem for future travel.
Google has managed to make a 120 year old town disappear because of an amalgamation that was imposed 20 years ago. This area was settled in the 1860s, and Madawaska was a town of 5,000 people in 1900. That is equal to Kitchener, which was then called Berlin. So you are in good company if you like birds. Apparently we have the 'nursery' in our boreal forest.
So far the hours are very short, it's a lunch thing. The corner store owner and his wife are behind the effort.
Apparently they are not going to do breakfast. Burgers, fries, chicken fingers. There is a now a diner at the local store and gas station. Or again. New sign out front too, so it looks like a serious commitment. The last two efforts were shut by the health department, but no one is saying why.
More to come... Might be the closing of the food service at Riverland has made this opportunity for someone. Better late than never...
There are so many holidays to celebrate, from Solstice to Chinese New Year (yet to come) that I'm not usually in a rush to declare one in particular. I buy a fuchsia for my hummingbird every summer. Bet my hummingbird is 15; it's been one bird, same behaviour for years. No doubt the rest of the family hangs out somewhere else on the grounds.
Now that reviews are used to rank just about every consumer experience, an entire industry has popped up as a consequence.
What a monster. There is no point wasting time on this ridiculous exercise. My belief is that people want to be on vacation, not looking for things to write about where they are staying, unless they are a professional travel writer. If you would like to write a review for my TripAdvisor or Google+ pages, or for any of the other 400 places my business listing appears on the internet (61 verified), all of which are collecting reviews, please do. Yes, I was being sarcastic, but now I am sincere. Real reviews can't hurt. |
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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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