All tidied up

We hadn't been over to the Rec Hall since regatta, so I hadn't seen the final clean up. I think this will probably be the end of the new trail. We like the big rocks they planted.

A very old fireplug on a very new trail

It's amazing what you see when you are looking for something different. I can't count how many time I've walked this path in my lifetime, and I don't recall ever noticing this old fireplug before. Having walked the trail today, but looking at it as a historical exhibit, I suddenly noticed this very old fireplug up in the woods. It's probably always been there.

A last walk in the woods

Carolyn heads down the trail towards our car as we end our last walk in the woods until the lake freezes over. Bye bye until the winter.

Splash of Orange - One Week Later

Last week was definitely the peak for color as most of the leaves had fallen between last week and this. Here is the "splash of orange" shot from last week - minus the leaves.

A carpet of needles

The leaves aren't the only things that have fallen in the last week. The forest floor is thick with needles as they turn brown and cover the ground.

Foggy night

When we arrived on Friday night, the sky twinkled with stars and the dock twinkled with frost. Later on the sky clouded over and we had a little snow. The water has gotten colder, but not colder than the night air, so we had some pretty thick fog on Saturday night - which you can kind of see in this picture.

A chilly kitchen

Since we didn't do any cooking in the kitchen, it was pretty chilly by the time Carolyn went to do dishes after dinner. A heavy terry cloth robe and her sheepskin vest helped keep her cozy while she washed up.

The warmest Thanksgiving ever!

Although the sun never shone all weekend, it was still the warmest Thanksgiving I have ever experienced! On a weekend where it often snows, we spent much of our time outside in shirt sleeves or in a light jacket. That meant we got to spend much of the weekend outdoors appreciating the spectacular fall colors. By this weekend, the reds had pretty much disappeared but they were replaced by striking oranges and golds. All in all the colors this year were pretty spectacular!

Emerging Artist

Well, we all found out what Ted does in his spare time when we were invited to view his summer's work. Here Ted explains his artistic process, surrounded by the paintings displayed for us in his cabin.

Thanksgiving swim

Although it wasn't the first time I had swum at Thanksgiving - it was certainly the warmest! The water was a balmy 64 degrees on Saturday, and 62 on Sunday.

Fishing Derby

This Thanksgiving the girls progressed to real fishing rods so here they get in a little casting practice with Mom.

A Hike on Head

The hardwood forests along the Head Lake trail made for a colorful walk.

Fun at the beach

Amy and Isabelle had a good time throwing pebbles and poking sand at the beach at the end of the Head Lake trail.

Art and Nature Project

Using leaves that she picked up on our hike to Head Lake, Amy creates a "montage" for Carolyn.

A Teepee on Wahbahmimi

Using a few old two by fours, some string, some branches and some imagination, Andrew and the kids built a teepee on the point.

A splash of orange

On the way out of the Park, we stopped to take a shot of this wonderful splash of orange as we came around the corner. For more pictures of Thanksgiving weekend, click here.

Fall Chores

After three weeks away (too long), we returned this weekend for a spectacular couple of days. The weather was sunny and warm, so I took the opportunity to install the storm windows in preperation for the cooler weather to come.

Fall Colors

The Park was in full color this weekend and the reds were really spectacular. There are still lots of yellows in the birches to come, but the reds appeared to be just after peak.

Blue Morning

I was up at 6 a.m. loading the smoker with ribs for lunch. Dawn was just beginning so I shot this picture of the blue light and a touch of mist rising from the lake.

Kingsleys in the fall

Peter, Catherine, Nicole and Benton paid us their first visit in the fall and so we had a family lunch of smoked ribs on the point and a fun round of the Harry Potter Mystery game before Carolyn and I had to return to Montreal. The Kingsleys were staying for a couple more days, so Carolyn and I also had the rare pleasure of walking out without closing up.

The trail progresses

Work on the new trail appears to be well underway, and a new sign at the head says it will be ready for 2008.

Food and Drink

4 adults, 3 days and two fridges full of food and drink. Jamie, Shawn, Carolyn and I start our fun-filled Labor Day weekend!

Yum

Those two fridges were full, but we managed to pretty much eat and drink everything in them by the time the weekend was over. Here are our two dinners - pulled pork, coleslaw, beans and corn the first night and grilled lamb, spinach with shallots and sweet potatoe in smoked poblano peppers the next. I think we will all be dieting for the rest of the week!

Good food, good friends!

Gathered around the table for our first dinner, we sat down to good food, and an evening filled with stories, singing and laughter.

Dog meet dog

The little dog in the middle is Jamie's new pup who paid his first visit to the island this weekend. His name is Trigger, but we think his name should be called Digger, after all the little piles of dirt we found this weekend. On Sunday, Whitney Brice brought her two dogs over for a doggie play date. Trigger may be smaller, but he's spunky and gave these two guys a run for their money. I would say a good time was had by all.

Bats in Daylight

We found these bats hiding behind the doors of Richard and Barb's duckhouse. In the first picture you see the bat hiding between the back of the closed door and the front wall of the duckhouse. In the second, we have opened the door and exposed the bat. He didn't like it much and took off in a surprise flight which caused some screaming from the peanut gallery as I took pictures. To watch the video (and hear the screams)click here.

Coon Damage!

Also on the wildlife front, it seems we have a raccoon on the island. We found our hummingbird feeder dragged about 15 feet from the tree and with this hole chewed through the top. Definitely not the work of squirrels. I had a live trap out all weekend, but either the raccoon had already vacated or he was too smart to sample my sardines!

The end of a wonderful weekend

The boat is loaded and we say goodbye to a great weekend. It was a perfect three days with wonderful company, wonderful food and wonderful weather!

Champagne Cruise

This weekend our friend Chris visited for the first time. We arrived in the parking lot at 11 p.m. and as we loaded the boat the rain began to fall. We were all good and soggy by the time we arrived on the island but Chris took it all in stride. Saturday was gray and rainy, but when we saw a sliver of blue sky at the end of the day, we decided to jump in the boat with the bottle of champagne that Chris had brought to take a cruise around the lake. We made it all the way to the other end before the blue sky disappeared and the rain began to fall again. No matter - we drank our champagne and did our best to ignore it as we carried on our merry way.

Beaver Pond

Sunday started out grey and cloudy but by 11 a.m. the sun was out and the sky was as blue as could be. Here Carolyn admires the view at the end of the portage into Beaver Pond.

The Historical Walk Begins

Work has already begun on the new Cache Lake Historical Walk. Plans call for the walk to have 5 stations, and here trees are cleared for the location of the first one.

Sue and Carolyn's Excellent Vacation

Rest and relaxation were the guiding principles for this vacation and we spent a lot of time sitting on the dock just soaking up some sun, chatting, nibbling, reading and admiring the scenery. This picture was taken immediately following the one day of rain in our entire vacation.

Family Time

We started this vacation with some time with the Kingsleys Senior and Junior. We all met at the cottage after my brother and his kids finished the Scout Jamboree in Quebec that brought them to the east. We missed my sister-in-law Catherine, who has a new job this summer and so didn’t have enough vacation time to join us.

New Activities

This year Benton and Nicole both tried some new activities. Here Benton carves the steak that he cooked to perfection, and Nicole takes the helm as we go for a spin in the motorboat.

Lake Business

The leaseholders meeting took place on our first day of holidays. As secretary, I took minutes at the meeting and then I took the opportunity to transfer them to computer asap, so I could relax and enjoy my vacation time.

Regatta Weekend

It was a perfect weekend for regatta with blue skies, warm temperatures and light breezes. This shot was taken during the “round the island race”.

Safety Boat

And to supervise the race – Richard Rigby and a couple of his weekend guests followed the paddlers around the island to make sure this exciting race was a safe race too.

Secrets of the WahBah Sisterhood

Together, these bathing beauties represent over 100 years of lasting friendship as they have known Barb for 30 plus, 52 and 50 years respectively.

River Cruise

Carolyn finds a comfy spot to admire the view as we putt down the Madawaska as the sun is setting.

Spectacular Sunset

As the sun went down in White’s lake, the skies showed off their most beautiful colors and the still waters reflected an almost perfect copy of this Algonquin moment.

Duck Grooming

These three ducks were part of a group of 6 who stopped off at the point of our island to do a little fluffing and preening. They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn’t seem to notice me sitting less than 10 feet away snapping their pictures.

We Saw A Cougar in the Park!!!

OK – this is actually a picture of my cousin Heather’s cat – Maggie Muggins. She’s standing in for the cougar that Carolyn and I saw crossing the highway at kilometer 5 at 7:30 a.m. when we were on our way to the market in Gravenhurst. I slammed on the brakes as a large cat-like animal bounded across the road in front of our car. I backed up to try and get a picture but the animal was already gone. When we stopped and described what we had seen to a couple of Park wardens, they assured us that from our description we had most definitely seen a cougar. It was about 5 feet tall with a very long tail and after it crossed the road, it leapt up the nearest hill in two long bounds. Apparently cougars have been spotted before, but since there has never been one trapped or killed in the Park, they are not considered “confirmed” as part of the wildlife population. They are however, mentioned in the “Mammals of Algonquin” guide along with lynx and bobcats as possibly present. We’re here to assure you that at least one cougar is definitely in the Park!

Bartlett Brunch

A yummy time was had by all at this year’s annual leaseholder brunch at Bartlett Lodge. The food was fantastic (I particularly enjoyed the braised bison shortribs), and it was fun chatting with lots of different leaseholders.

Back on Cache

A highlight for us on this year’s vacation was a visit from David and Louise Bond. A ride around the lake, some catching up with old friends and a shared meal and stories made up their visit with Carolyn, myself and the Rigby’s.

Fresh Smoked Bass

One night as the sun was going down, I caught two nice bass off the end of our dock. The very next day they went straight into the smoker for lunch and oh they were good. The delicate smoke flavor combined with the sweet taste of very fresh bass was fantastic. The smoker got a big workout during our vacation. I smoked: salmon, bass, black beans, pineapple, pheasant (a bit dry because I left them too long, but tasty all the same), bison eye of the round, and brisket.

A New Stove

The smoker wasn’t the only new cooking appliance on the island this year. Here Richard lends a helping foot as Rob Durnan delivers our new propane stove. We now have burners that have pilots and light with just the turn of a knob!

Mexican Treat

It’s amazing what you can cook in a barbecue. Here Carolyn takes a turn, grilling up some tasty Nachos and cheese as an appetizer before our hot tamale dinner!

An Algonquin Setting

We were filled with admiration when we saw this fantastic table decoration at a dinner party at the Brices! Note the details, including the campfire, miniature tents and surrounding wildlife.

The Holy Grail of Barbecue

With just three days left in our vacation, I decided to take the bull by the horns, (or in this case the cow by the chest), and smoke a brisket – the defining dish in “real barbecue”. It’s a big undertaking that requires a large brisket (small ones don’t barbecue the same way), lots of patience and an ability to forgo sleep. The pictures in clockwise order:
1. 24 hours prior to barbecue the 12 lb. brisket begins it’s bath in Shiner Bock beer (courtesy of my brother-in-law from Texas), Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon and sliced onions.
2. 3 a.m. It’s me, the stars, a lantern, a smoker and a brisket – ready to begin a 15 hour journey to barbecue heaven.
3. At 3:45 the smoker has hit the perfect heat (225F) and the brisket slides onto the rack. From here on in I check the smoker every hour to add wood chunks and water when necessary.
4. Checking the temperature. About half way through the process I insert a temperature probe into the meat. This little gadget is wireless, which means I can check on the progress of my meat while I enjoy a martini on the deck.
5. At precisely 7:30 p.m. the thermometer displays the magic number (180 F) and the meat comes out of the smoker.
6. Approx. 16 hrs. after I got out of my warm and cosy bed to start the process, the meat is ready for carving. The taste and texture were perfect. Not something I would do every weekend, but definitely worth repeating.

Cottage Laundry

Back in the city we empty out the laundry bags and prepare to tackle the cottage laundry. It’s amazing how many clothes, sheets and towels that we can go through in the course of just two weeks! If you'd like to see a larger selection of pictures from our vacation, click here