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
2016
Chasing Sunsets Up Joe
About an hour before sundown I like to jump on my Jetski race out and chase the sunset. I took this photo about mid-way up Lake Joseph where there are beautiful unobstructed views.
2016
Storms Never Last
Here is a short video I made after a storm blew through the Muskoka area Friday July 8th, 2016. I sat in my dining room and watched these trees come down in the high winds. It was very surreal. We were extremely fortunate that they missed the cottage. We now have a new unobstructed view of the lake with about 30 feet of shoreline being blown out. We heard the next day that there were tornado sightings in the area. Don’t mess with mother nature – 🙂
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
Chicks on the Dock
Sometimes there are no words 🙂
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
2016
Lake Rosseau Boathouse du Jour
A beautiful day for a jetski cruise. I don’t recall exactly where I was when I took this. Somewhere near Tobin Island and the Venetian Group of Islands on Lake Rosseau.
In: boathouses of muskoka, in and around muskoka ontario, on the water
2016
Frog Eyes
I have a small frog pond at my place that starts to come back to life this time of year. This guy allowed me to get real close with an iPhone in hand. Click for a biggie photo.
2016
The Iconic Muskoka Chairs
This is a well recognized scene when you visit Clevelands House on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka. Americans know them as the Adirondack chair however we refer to them as the Muskoka chair. You will see them on almost every dock or lawn throughout the Muskoka and cottage country region.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, tripin around towns
2016
I’m Ready
The water levels have dropped and it has started to warm up a bit. For many it will be a busy season dealing with contractors to repair and rebuild the damage the high water and ice has caused. I’ve been researching the real estate market on the Big 3 lakes and can’t believe how high the property values have climbed. If you invested on these lakes I’m sure you have seen your value increase substantially over the past 10 years. Taxes too. I’m ready to start enjoying the season – starting now.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, on the water, uncategorized
