Getting Ready for Winter

Things are progressing well with our preparations for the oncoming winter.

All the cottages are now drained of water, anti-freeze is in all the "S-Bends", the pump, UV, filter etc are safely stored in the warm basement. Picnic tables are all leaning against a tree, chairs are all stacked away and today I brought in all the boats, surf bikes, paddle boats, kayak and canoe, plus the motors. I did sneak in one last quick spin on the lake with snow/sleet swirling around about my head.

Raking is going well, but I must admit I have had enough of it! I have found the most effective tool is a snow shovel.

We have guests arriving this Friday for 2 nights (don't forget cottages 1 & 10 are available all year round) and it looks like the weather is going to be sunny and warm (well its going to be above 10c).

We have had a family of 4 staying with us this past week or so but they have refused to register or pay anything (they were here last year), and the other night they were right outside our dining room window eating the tops off what was left of our flowers. They also have a nasty tendency to jump out in front of our car when we are heading out along our driveway.

Well, better go and cleanup from after dinner.

Hope everyone likes are new additions on the website (vacancy calendar, and cottages page with interior photos). If anyone has any suggestions for other things you would like to see on our site, please let us know via Email: info@algonquinwoods.com

We would also like to update the scrap book page so if anyone has any photos, please feel free to send them on, just remember we are on dial-up up here at the "Woods" so keep the number of pixels down!

Till next time.

John

Leave, Leaves, Leaves

The leaves continue to fall and pile up. I am refusing to start raking/shovelling/carting/burning/dragging.... until they are all down.

Started putting things away yesterday (we store a lot of things in the basement of the house and under the cottages 7 & 9). Put the storm windows back on the house amd must do the same for cottages 1 & 10. Today/tomorrow I plan to disconnect the pump and drain all the cottages.

Went to a Small Business Workshop in Bracebridge on Tuesday and found that very informative. It is always interesting to hear of the successes (and not so successful) stories from others who run their own show.

Louise has just finished shooting interior shots of all the cottages and is putting together a new cottage page for the website.

Better go and see what Harriet is up to.

Till next time

John

We Won An Award!

Hi Everyone

I am very proud to announce we won an award, or I should say our Website has. We are the recipients of a 2005 Northern Ontario Gold Key Award for Website Design. Plus our Blog is being put forward as an example of effective blogging. Louise's hard work (she is our Webmaster) is paying off and it is always a good feeling to receive recognition for all her effort.

http://www.tourismkeys.ca/goldkey.htm

Sorry for the lack of communication but it has been a fairly busy Fall.

Thanksgiving weekend was a success, the weather was beautiful (despite a cold Friday night where our guests just about burned every stick of wood in the place to try and stay warm!) and everybody had a great time. Many are talking about coming back for next summer or even up again during the winter.

We are full again this weekend, and although it is rainy at the moment, the lake is calm and it is not too cold, plus there is still some magic colours about on the trees and the zillion leaves scattered on the ground.

Three deer have been hanging around for several days now, and yesterday they were playing shuffleboard. I guess they like the place.

The raft is now in, as well as the buoys and this week I may start pulling out the boats etc.. If things are quiet booking wise, I will start the process of shutting down the cottages before the really cold weather sets in. Remember, Cottages 1 & 10 are winterised and available all year round, but we close the other 8 cottages down. It is really quite a process and I'll fill you in once I start.

Well, better go and organise myself for our guests checking in today.

Till next time

John

Our New Look for the Office

Here, finally, is a photo of our new entrance with the house freshly painted, new cedar screen door, stone paving and the old concrete stoop repaired and painted, plus a scarecrow to greet our Fall guests. The message board was blown down a few weeks back but it has been repaired and is now firmly back in the ground.

Hope you like the look. Let us know what you think.

Till next time

John

Summers Return Continues at Clear Lake

Unbelievable weather. We have three cottages full this week and they are having just fantastic weather. 28c forecasted for today and tomorrow. More guests arrive tomorrow (3 cottages worth) and they are also in for a treat. I even had a swim yesterday. Imagine, less then a week until Thanksgiving and I was swimming.

We had a good weekend (fully occupied) and all our guests had a good time. We went over to Algonquin Park ourselves and the colours were magnificent. Yesterday we did a drive out through Kearney and in the back way to Burk's Falls and saw some excellent oranges, yellows and reds. A very nice drive, one we had not done before and one I would recommend.

As you know, we are fully booked for Thanksgiving, but if the weather holds and the colours continue, we still have cottages after Thanksgiving weekend, although 4 cottages are now booked out for the weekend of the 15th.

Better run

Till next Blog.

Summer is Back

What a fantastic today and next few days we are forecasted to have. Today 23 and after that 24-25 for at least the next 4 days. We are full for this weekend (and for Thanksgiving now as well) but we still have cottages available during the week and after Thanksgiving.

Just finished another busy week of painting, curtain making & hanging, chopping wood, raking, rescuing a paddleboat that went adrift in Thursday nights storm and getting ready for the arrival of guests.

Two deer just wandered up our laneway to have a look at me through the office window, then turned around and headed away.

Till next time

John