Finally, the First Day of Spring Arrives in the North!

It is a fantastic day today, sunny and heading to 17c, and at last I have been able to start my spring chores. Raking has begun in earnest (it is at least 2 weeks behind) and I will be busy all this week on outside jobs. Believe it or not we still have 2 large patches of annoying snow hanging around and I am thinking about getting a hose out and washing them away!

Hope to get the main dock connected back to shore in the next few days. I may have to go in the water, so I am just giving the water a few days of sun. Our Rave Bongo anchor, which is 3 concrete blocks and heavy chain that takes 2 people to move, was picked up by the thawing ice and moved aways out so I will somehow have to haul that back in.

I'll keep you up to date on progress over the next 3 weeks.

May 24th weekend, Victoria Day, is fully booked, however all the weekends are open after that until July, so if you want a mini holiday come on up in June. Most years the best weather we have all summer is mid to late June.

Summer is filling but we still do have vacancies in 2 weeks, July 30 and August 20, plus a cottage or 2 in some of the other weeks. We always fill up, so please, if you want to avoid dissapointment don't leave it too late.

Those of you who are looking for a shorter stay in July or August, say 3 nights or longer, we will consider those once we get closer to the date.

Till next time

John

Ice Out!

Finally, yesterday, April 27, late afternoon, I was looking at open water in the south end of Clear Lake. This morning it is all clear other then a few thin, crusty ice sheets floating around.

I just finished walking Mollie and ran into someone who said they have been up here for 32 years and it is the latest break-up they have seen.

Till next time

John

Lake Ice Report

April 27 and the lake is still frozen. I thought it would have gone by today.

The other day I heard our loon call and I think there was a sense of panic as there was no open water in which to land!

John

Ice Update

Well here it is April 25 and the lake is still frozen, although it is breaking up around the shore. I suspect it will go tomorrow or Wednesday. Definitely the lastest break-up I have seen since I have been up here. At least most of the snow is gone from our property now.

John

Where is SPRING!?

Where is spring?

Last year at this time the lake was open, I had my raking well underway, painting started... Right now I am looking out at a still very frozen Clear Lake (which is not surprising considering it was 6 below when we awoke this morning), several large patches of snow refusing to melt, one deep enough to still not allow me to even drive down to the cottages, and to top it off, 10-15 cm of snow forecasted for Burk's Falls for tonight (we sit halfway between Huntsville and Burk's Falls so who knows what we will receive)!

Lets go, winter is over.

Till next time

John

Cottages for Muskoka Triathlon/Duathlon Weekend

Just a note to say we have cottages available for this years Muskoka Tri weekend, June 25 & 26 2011. Last year, unfortunately, the tri was moved to July due to the G8, and we were fully booked with summer guests. However this year it is back in June and we have cottages available for participants, their families and supporters. Just give us a call or send us an emails.

Details are as follows:

•Saturday, June 25, 2011

◦Sprint Triathlon

◦Sprint Duathlon

•Sunday, June 26, 2011

◦Long Course Triathlon

◦Long Course Duathlon

Location: Huntsville, ON. (Canadian Summit Centre)

For more details go to Trisports website http://www.trisportcanada.com/muskoka.php

I don't want to brag, but the year that Samantha McGlone won she was a guest with us. I like to think we played a small part in her victory! Here is photo with our daugther Lucy.

Till next time

John

Spring News 2011

Hi Readers

Thought it was time to update you on springs progression here at Clear Lake.

The lake is still frozen (I walked out aways 2 days ago to retrieve the chairs I had out there for our ice rink) and I suspect it will be for another 2 weeks or so. There is still a good amount of snow in the trees and probably about 50% of our place still has snow cover. In town all the snow is gone.

We are booking up for the summer but still do have some vacancies in some choice weeks, so please see our vacancy calendar for details http://www.algonquinwoods.com/ . The May Long weekend (Victoria Day or May 24) is full but if you want a spring getaway come on up in June. Usually by mid June the lake is warm enough for swimming (last year we started swimming the May long weekend!), the bugs are backing off and I try and have the Rave Bongo and raft out by then.

Hope everyone enjoyed their winter. We had  a great ski season at Hidden Valley Highlands (I ski patrol there and Lucy now teaches on weekends) and had a blast on the final Sunday with Harriet entering a dummy in the infamous Dummy Race.

Now I await anxiously for this snow to go and the ice to break up so I can get at my spring chores.

Till next time

John