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
The Return of Little Miss Muskoka
It was 2011 when we were last visited by Little Miss Muskoka. Six years later and at 10 years old she is just as photogenic.
2017
Lets Connect on Instagram
I will continue to keep this Blog going however if you would prefer to get more frequent photos I would recommend we connect on Instagram. I’m currently posting a photo per day on Instagram mostly about Muskoka and other interesting things including my travels. instagram.com/edboutilier
In: uncategorized
2017
Casting Shadows
We’ve had lots of snow in Muskoka this year. At one point there was about 3 feet that fell within 24 hours. The big lakes have not frozen over yet but it appears they are well on their way. The December solstice has passed and the days are getting longer now. I long for the days of being out on the beautiful waters of Muskoka.
2016
Goodbye 2016 – Hello 2017
I’ve been away from Muskoka for a bit and hope to visit soon for some winter photos. In the meantime the beach is my Etch-A-Sketch.
Goodbye 2016 – Hello 2017. Onward and Upwards!
2016
Ho-Ho-Ho
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Seasons Greetings, Happy Mall Parking and what ever else aligns with your world. Peace, love, health, happiness and great success in 2017 – Ed
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
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
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
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
2016
Aloha from Kauai
Aloha! It’s been an unusual season for me. Usually I’m visiting Muskoka during the winter however I must confess that I have not made it up for some time. I’m fortunate to have someone check in on the cottage for heat, water lines and mice. Im currently exploring the beautiful Hawaiian Islands. Here is a photo from my helicopter ride through the rainforest in Kauai recently.
2016
Hello Winter
I’ve been beach bumming in the Caribbean and haven’t had the opportunity to visit Muskoka recently. Winter was slow to arrive however I think we are in it now. 🙂
2015
Fall into Muskoka Video
This is a cool video with some drone shots around Bala, Torrance, Port Carling, and Gravenhurst areas of Muskoka. Thanks to Jon Corbin of Corbin Visual
Fall into Muskoka from Corbin Visual on Vimeo.
In: in and around muskoka ontario, tripin around towns, uncategorized
2015
Unrelenting Blue Jays
Last week most Canadians were cheering for our beloved Toronto Blue Jays hoping they would make it to the World Series. Unfortunately it didn’t happen however the series was extremely exciting and it brought many people together. These past few weeks I’ve noticed other unrelenting Blue Jays frequenting the gardens to feast on the seeds from the dying sunflowers. I found it very difficult to get close for a clean shot. They seem so nervous and never stay in one place very long.
2015
The Lone Gull
It was a gloomy afternoon and the sun was dropping quickly with the feel of rain approaching. I teetered back and forth on whether I should go out or not. I ended up in one of my favorite areas to travel to on Lake Joseph where there is hardly any development. I noticed this rock island, shut off my engine and slowly drifted into it. There was a lone seagull who stayed with me while I shot a bunch of photos taking it all in.
