2018
Dog Days of Summer Solstice
Today is the longest day of sunlight in 2018. Of course that is only true if you live north of the equator. The summer solstice is upon us.
These two skimmed by my cottage a few years back. I didn’t know what else to do with the photo so I’m posting it here. 🙂 Don’t forget to visit my Instagram where I post at least one photo per day. Mostly Muskoka related but sometimes my travels get in the way.
http://instagram.com/edboutilier
2018
Show Ski Canada – Off the Docks at Clevelands
I was enjoying lunch and a brew at Pie Wood Fired Pizza on the upper deck at Cleveland’s House recently and noticed Show Ski Canada practicing. The SWS Muskoka people with the marina next door are very involved with some of their people on the team and their Mastercraft boat powering up the talented skiers. It’s SWS that runs the amazing water ski shows around Muskoka. If you haven’t seen a show I highly recommend you check one out. Schedule here. This year the Deerhurst in Huntsville Ontario is hosting the World Water Ski Show Tournament September 7-9, 2018.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2017
Sunsets on Lake Rosseau
I decided to take a tour over to Brackenrig Bay on Lake Rosseau. It was a beautiful warm autumn night as I stopped my Seadoo in the middle of the lake and soaked it all in. There are not many of these nights remaining this season so I savor what I can.
2017
Bestest Friends Revisited 7 Years Later
Back in August 2010 these two lovely ladies visited Muskoka to celebrate a 16th birthday. It’s now 7 years later and we had a fun time trying to recreate the original photo as best we could. There were a few challenges such as different light, high winds, new camera, large waves and an annoying drone that someone insisted on flying around us. I hope we won’t have to wait 7 years for the next visit.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2017
SUP Muskoka Style
Have you tried Stand Up Paddle Boarding? Its lots of fun. It takes a bit of balance, dexterity and Ninja skills and you might go for a few little spills in the beginning. Kind of like learning to ride a bike I suppose. I picked up this sweet Muskoka themed board from Canadian designer Lee Kline.
https://klinesup.com/
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2017
Kicking off the May 2-4 Weekend at Clevelands House
It’s the kickoff of the quintessential Canadian May 2-4 weekend. This is an early morning shot taken at Clevelands House in Muskoka. Apparently there has been renovations and new food operators for the boathouse this year. Always a great place to check out.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2017
D. A. Dunford Painting
It is always a great feeling when people recognize and appreciate your work. Recently I had the privilege to connect with renowned Muskoka artist D. A. Dunford. Doug asked if he could create a painting by using one of my photographs as a reference. Here is an image of the painting with my original photo below. What an honor!
The original Blog post for this photo entitled Therapeutic Exploration.
2017
The Spring Melt
I visited Muskoka yesterday for the first time since the fall season which explains my Blog inactivity. I spent the winter months in the warm climes of the Hawaiian Islands. It was blissful!
I was in Bala yesterday checking out the falls (and the construction) and there is significant water flowing out of Lake Muskoka into the Moon River to Georgian Bay. The ice should be off the lakes by the end of this week. Water levels are down to summer levels on the lakes at present and will rise over the next 10 days. Hopefully no flooding this year.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2016
A Short 100 Mile Cruise Video from the Air
This is a very short video taken from the air of the 100 Mile Cruise back in August of 2012. This appears to be the final gathering place at the top end of  Little Lake Joseph. You can really get a sense of the amount of antique boats that accompanied us on this historic cruise. I was fortunate to be on the RMS Segwun for this special cruise. I wish I knew who to credit for the video.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2016
Macassa Point
This is the Macassa Point boathouse on Lake Rosseau. I suspect this is a pretty old boathouse. I recall a number of years back it had a bit of a lean to it.
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2016
Removal Time
Just a quick iPhone shot while removing the Seadoo’s for the season. Thanks SWS for being so generous with your ramp allowing me to access it each season.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
We’ve Got Beaver Problems
We arrived at the cottage and noticed that a 30ft tree was down and leaning against the roof. At first I thought there must have been a windstorm however upon further inspection I discovered a Beaver had taken it. I pulled the tree off the roof with plans to clean it up in the morning.
The morning arrived and I went out to clean up the tree. Well, the tree is missing. Where did it go? It was a 30 ft high poplar tree and it disappeared overnight! Fast-forward to the next morning and I noticed another tree is down. We are dealing with super power Beaver. At this point I decided I better wrap the trees or he is going to keep taking them. After wrapping the trees I set up my trail-cam on one of the wrapped trees thinking he will surely come back to this area. I really wanted to get some photos of this magnificent creature.
So after setting up my trail-cam I come out the next morning to find the tree that had the camera mounted on it is now on the ground. This tree was wrapped with a hard plastic mesh however the Beaver dug down into the soil and took the tree down. He is a spiteful Beaver – LOL. This is tree #3 that he has taken within a few days. At this point I still have no photos of this creature. Fortunately he left this tree and I was able to recover my camera and some nice photos of the sky. The next day I found this 20 ft tree floating in the lake some 200 ft away.
I attempted to photograph the Beaver 4 times and could not get a decent shot. I was using IR settings with video and JPG photo setup. He is a very stealthy Beaver. After I setup my tripod I later returned and mounted the camera to a piece of wood. I was worried he may take the entire tripod and camera home.
Finally after 5 attempts I got many shots of this magnificent creature. He is a big boy and a very diligent worker. We have searched the area looking for some evidence of where he’s coming from but have found no clues thus far. After wrapping all of the poplar trees I have seen no further evidence of Mr. Beaver. I’m sure he is not far away and some neighbor is now enjoying their own adventure.
We learned a lot about Beavers. If they become a nuisance you can live trap them however they can only be moved 1km away. Apparently they don’t do well outside of their established domain and may end up fighting with other Beavers for the territory. The Ministry does allow Beavers to be harvested by a licensed trapper if they are causing destruction to your property. They are magnificent creatures and live throughout the Muskoka area. Controlling Beavers on Private Land.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
The New Builds in Muskoka
There is an architectural renaissance happening on the Muskoka lakes with plenty of new cottage and boathouse builds. As the new money flows in people are moving away from the traditional Muskoka look to a more contemporary design. I have noticed some of the new boathouse builds have boat-slips turned into entertainment areas with pool tables, gyms, bars and large screen TVs. Here is an example of one of the new boathouses located near the top of the Joe River.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
I’m Heading Home
As the end of the day neared I was close to the top end of Lake Joe when the sky turned all dark and gloomy. I’ve been caught out in a thunderstorm in the past and it is not much fun so I decided to head home. As I was blasting across the water I noticed this little island and made a quick stop to get one last photo in.
2016
Muskoka Article from the Wall Street Journal
There is an interesting new article out by The Wall Street Journal on Muskoka and the growth of lavish homes being built especially on the Big 3 lakes. “A new cohort of younger and wealthier buyers has discovered Muskoka, a scenic vacation area north of Toronto, creating lavish homes, helipads and a bit of local pushback.” The article features a few well known business people such as Kevin O’Leary and lesser known Patrick Dovigi who have residences in Muskoka. The original on-line article is located here but please note you may need to subscribe to get it. PDF Full Article Here
In: historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
Frolicking Otters of Muskoka
I arrived to the cottage, switched the waterfall on in the pond and within a few minutes I heard splashing and high pitched squealing. I stood and watched these three Otters perform Oylimpic level somersaults and backflips. They were having a grand old time. After a short time they noticed me standing near by and fearlessly swam up to the edge staring at me in deep curiousity. Obviously I was no threat as they continued on with their antics for the next two hours. I’m not so sure there are any frogs or fish left in the pond though.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
Dark Clouds Rolling
Whoever is in charge of sunsets this season has done a remarkable job. On this particular night it appeared that we were going to get some well needed rain. I took off on my trusty Jetski and found these ominous clouds on Lake Joseph near Fairy Island.
By the way – I just started using Instagram and I’m finding it useful and fun to post photos on the go. You can follow me here and I will follow you back.
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2016
Contemplating Life
In a few weeks these young people will be back in University. Hopefully they shall return next year for their Muskoka fix.
2016
James Lumbers, Twilight Cruise
I purchased this print many years ago by well known Canadian artist James Lumbers. The print still hangs in our cottage today. It is a scene that would have been once viewed from the road side in the early days of Gordon Bay Marine located on Lake Joseph in Muskoka. Years later Mr. Lumbers and I would become friends. We had the opportunity to travel together in Alberta.
Most Canadians have probably viewed Jim’s work at some point with his trademark “ghosting” reflecting memories from days gone by. If you are not familiar with Lumbers work I invite you to check it out here.
In: boathouses of muskoka, historic muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
