ANNIE IS HERE

On Friday, December 18 we welcomed home our newest arrival to the Foxwood clan. Underhill Dreamboat Annie a 9 week old Border Terrier made her entrance.
Border Terriers when full grown are not big dogs, but they are tough as nails, full of energy and determined as ever. We really miss our other two pets, Shayla and Howie, however we love little Annie. She is so small but already is showing her fiestiness with our cats Martha and Zazu. Annie stands about 8 inches tall right now and will likely double in size by the time she is full grown.
So, welcome to Foxwood Dreamboat Annie!

WINTER HAS BEGUN

Saturday, December 6th marked our first official snowfall of the 09/10 season. There wasn't a whole lot, maybe 10cm, but it was enough to cover everything and it didn't melt! Now, 2 days later, it's still piling up and looking like it's here to stay.
We have managed to get most of our winterizing done...stowing chairs and toys, closing summer cottages, putting away boats, insulating the bee hive and chicken coop etc.... As is often the case something gets overlooked and we find it poking out of the spring snowmelt in March or April.
It will be nice with a few more snowfalls so that we can get onto our xc and snowshoe trails. Last summer we cut a new one which we hope will be as great in the winter as it was last summer.
We are now looking forward to the arrival of our newest Foxwood staff member. Look us up again next week and maybe there will be more news. Stay tuned!

THE ICING ON THE STRAW

Once we had the straw bales placed it was time to start the plastering. Over a period of two weeks we had 6 men spreading two coats of this mortar mix over the straw. It was quite a process particularly when we had to deal with temperatures dipping well below freezing half of the time. The last thing you want to have happen is for the water in the mortar to freeze. This leads to cracking and poor adhesion to the straw. It was also a problem having to deal with waterhoses that kept freezing on us.
The mortar was a careful mix of cement sand and fibreglass. Unlike ordinary sand which is rounder in shape, cement sand is angular and has more surface area which improves the bonding. The fibreglass strands were added to reduce cracking which can occur as the mortar dries and shrinks. In all, the mortar added another inch to each the inside and outside walls. Once cured, the walls in combination with the straw, become a strong, stable unit.
Unlike traditional walls today, there is no vapour barrier in a straw wall. This allows them to "breathe" and the cement tends to wick any moisture out and away from the straw. The air inside a straw home is very clean and without the vapour barrier there isn't the same worry about harmful gases being trapped inside. Even so, the materials used inside Chinook are all natural including all of the floor and wall finishes.
The next step with Chinook is to bring power and water into the building and then begin the interior finshing. We still have the soffits and some siding to do on the outside but all of the main work is now done.

POST THANKSGIVING STUFFING

The straw bale crews started preping Chinook in the last week of September. This involved taping up windows, sills and doors and anything that you had to protect from the cement that would be eventually covering the straw. The walls also had to coverd with a plastic type of mesh fabric. This would actually help to hold the straw bales and loose straw in place and would give something for the cement to grab on to.
The open wall spaces had full bales stacked one on top of the other while the openings for the door and windows were curved using a wire mesh. These area were stuffed with straw by hand and then rammed tightly with a board to fill the voids. To finish, the straw in the walls was literally stitched together using a long needle-like rod which pulled twine from one side to the other. The twine was pulled tightly to bind the straw together.
A small chain saw was used some of the time to cut out sections for around electrical boxes or odd shaped corners. The finished straw walls are about 14 inches thick and make Chinook smell just like a barn. It's all natural here! We are really happy with the "feel" of the place and the deep window boxes and maple sills look great.
It was important for the bales to keep dry so each night the entire building was wrapped up with a waterproof paper to keep the weather out.
After about 2 weeks of preping, stuffing and stitching, the walls were ready for plastering. This would require two coats of a mortar mix on both the inside and outside walls of the Chinook.

CHINOOK IS HEATING UP

Earlier on in August crews came in to install our in-floor radiant heating system. This type of heating involves laying a series of pipes within the floor - in our case a poured concrete slab - in which pre heated water is pumped through to warm the floor. There are no hot spots when heating this way. The floor is warmed and this warmth "radiates" throughout the building for a comfortable even heat. The concrete slab becomes warm and toasty just like a rock heated by the sun. Although the Chinook will take longer to get up to the right temperature, once stabilized, it will hold the heat for longer than most other buildings. The thick straw walls will insulate to almost R50 so it is a very efficient structure. We are still trying to figure out what the energy will be to drive the system; we are considering solar thermal and solar photovoltaic as possibilities.
Once the concrete floor was poured it was troweled to a smooth and even finish. Next were the floor polishers. It took about 5 days on slow, tedious grinding to get the finish we wanted. The grinding machines ended up taking about .25" of material off of the slab, exposing the beautiful array of aggregate within the concrete. Staring with diamond bits of about 30 grit, the finish grind used diamond polishers of about 3000 grit. The final product was amazing. Just like a marble slab where you almost see your reflection.

CANOEING, STUFFING AND NATURE

Meg and I just came back from 3 days paddling in Algonquin Park. It was a great experience (at least some would say that) and a shortish trip down Smoke Lake, across to Bonnechere and up to Head Lake and that back across to Smoke Lake. Between the driving rain, 1C temperatures and howling wind, we had snow! On top of that, somehow I forgot to pack our camp stove. Meg and I had to madly forage around for any dry wood that we could find. Fortunately, we were able to chop up a dead cedar and strip away some birch bark from an old downed tree to make enough dry stuff to get a flame going. The hot tea and lip smacking garlic pasta with red hot chili really hit the spot after our first day. There is nothing in the world that can rival smokey camp food to comfort a grumbling stomach.
Canoe traffic was negligible and the colours were brilliant. Algonquin Park is actually just passing its prime but the red and oranges are the best they have been for years. Our colours at Foxwood haven't quite peaked yet but are just about to.
Chinook, our straw bale cottage, is now getting stuffed...just like a scarecrow. It's looking more like a home now, well perhaps more like a barn with all of the bales stacked in the living room. The crew should have it all closed in and plastered in a few weeks time. We'll try to do a more thorough update with photos in the near future.
Last week our friendly neighbourhood fox got at 6 of our chickens. In the span of about 30 minutes they were gone, chicken heads torn off and dragged off in to the woods. It was quite shocking when we discovered the massacre about 29 minutes too late. Oh well, that's nature for you and unfortunately, is what a dog's presence likely could have prevented. At the age of 13 Shayla, our bordie collie, huskie, coyote cross sadly succumbed to cancer at the end of August. She was a great friend, and like Howie our chocolate lab who passed away a few years ago, was a tremendous partner in our family and played an important role at Foxwood. Now all we have to guard the place are our two cats, Martha and Zazoo. They are hardy what you would call ferocious, but nevertheless loved members of our family.

MY FIRST FISH

Earlier on this summer we had Max. Only about 5 or 6 years only, Max was determined, and destined, to catch a fish. Off he went to the end of the dock each day to catch that elusive big one, the one that we always hear about getting away.
The excitement of catching that first one is unforgettable. The tug on the hook, the bend of the rod and frantic reeling in of that fish. Pull it up quick and steady, keep tension on the line and get it on shore before it escapes. That was Max, catching his fish. It wasn't a big one, but it was a great one! And the great one did not get away. Yah!!
By the end of the week Max had his signature on just about every fish at the end of the dock. Needless to say those fish were very well fed, figuring that another worm was well worth the trip to the surface and another poke in the lip.

A GOOD FEELING

Occassionally, we hear something that just says it all. Recently, we had a couple and their young son come to visit for a few days. A day after they left Foxwood we received an email from them. Reading it made us feel great and we'd like to share an excerpt from it.
"We just wanted to say how much we loved staying at Foxwood this past weekend. What a beautiful and well-maintained place you have there! It was just exquisite. Our cozy little cabin was perfect for the 3 of us and you just can't beat the view from Chip! A piece of heaven. We were in and out so fast that there wasn't much time for chatting, but we just wanted you to know that we were really soaking in all the delicious magic that Foxwood had to offer. Among all the incredible offerings and moments...the fresh eggs, the friendly deer, the loons on the lake, regaining childhood on the water trampoline, breathing in exquisite peace under the blanket of stars, the bonfires, the music, the kindness of strangers, the main lodge that makes even rainy days FUN, and that abundant, thick, juicy air that I only wish we could bottle up and keep on reserve for our year in Toronto!!....it was just such a delight"
Every now and then we receive feedback that really make us feel good. We often get great feedback, not always though, but about 99% of the time.....we are still working on that last 1%

POSTS AND ROOF FOR CHINOOK

Despite the wetter weather that we have had in July and a few delays in our building schedule, Chinook cottage now has a roof overhead and we're dry underneath.
To keep a natural look we have incorporated several red pine log posts at the entrance and on the front screen porch. Like Snowshoe, we harvested the logs from our property. We had a good friend and a very skilled timber framer help us with the mortise and tenon joinery.
After waiting several days for the rain to stop the roofing crew arrived. It went on in just a few days and with the added colour, the building is really starting to pull together.
The next step is to put in the in-floor radiant heat lines, get it inspected and then pour the concrete floor slab. The plan is to have this step completed by next week. The floor will take about 3 weeks to cure and then we'll be focusing on installing the exterior straw bale and interior walls

WHAT'S HOLDING THAT ROOF UP?

The straw bale construction used on our newest cottage is just a little bit different than the more commonly used form of construction. It is a mixture between regular stick framing with 2 x 6's and post n' beam when larger dimension lumber is used and spaced farther apart. To make the walls using straw bales the centres between the vertical posts are greater, similar to a post n' beam house, and we use a couple of 2 x6's like most houses have, but they are aligned together to make a thicker wall. In between those spaces are where the bales of straw are stacked "on edge". Hold things together from above are larger box beams which are designed to carry the weight of the roof over those larger spans. In the end, the walls consist of 14" of straw bales and about 2" of a mortar type mix which is smoothed over the straw inside and out.
Our construction has been somewhat stalled this week with the wetter weather. We were hoping to get the steel roof on this week but we'll have to wait 'til next week. The roof trusses are all up and it's starting to look like a house.

SOME BUZZ ON BEES

What sounds like a roaring train and can send shivers down your spine? A swarm of bees!
A swarm is loud, impressive and a bit frightening if you don't know that swarming bees are incredibly docile and practically never sting. Swarming is the natural way for bees to expand and grow their numbers. When a hive is strong and healthy and the accommodation starts to feel a bit tight, the queen will ensure that the hive is full of honey, brood, eggs and newly developing queen cells. Then she, and about 20,000 of her closest attendants gorge on honey, exit the hive en masse and settle in a clump near by. There they stay until scout bees find a suitable location for them to set up their new house. This is incredibly unselfish. She does the work of building up a safe and secure hive, then leaves it behind to face the risk of starting over.
Commercial beekeepers do not like their hives to swarm as it slows down honey production in the old hive and leads to the loss of thousands of bees- unless of course, the beekeeper can capture the swarm and settle it in a new hive of their choosing.
On inspection of our hive a few weeks ago we did not find any eggs- often a sign that the queen has died. Instead, we found nectar stored in the brood space (the part of the hive where the queen usually lays her eggs). We had planned to wait a few days and check the hive again but before we had a chance, they swarmed! As we have learned since, nectar was flowing, but not abundantly, so the bees did not prepare the comb provided for honey storage but instead stashed it in the brood space. When the queen wanted to lay eggs and found her brood space full she decided the hive was too crowded and instigated the swarm. The bees settled in a very high branch of a nearby tree (pictured above). We tried to capture the swarm, intending to start a second hive, but when we dislodged it the queen flew back to the original hive, all her attendants in tow. We quickly added another honey super and some new frames in the brood space and so far she seems content with her expanded quarters.
Life is never dull at Foxwood Resort and we have great honey!

THE ROOF IS ALMOST ON AND IT'S HOT

At just about the same time that the foundation was filled, the wall framing began. That was June 15. Since then the roof trusses have been put into place and so we should be ready for the metal roof sometime next week. We are about a week off schedule but are still doing well overall considering the amount of rain delays that we ran into a month ago. A skyhook made moving the trusses into place so much easier. After labouring away for weeks, excavating and getting the foundations done, it has only taken about a week for the place to really take shape with the walls and roof almost complete. The month of June has generally been great and we have been lucky not to have been held up by wet weather. In fact, the biggest challenge has been the good weather...it has been so hot that it has made working on the site tiring. The lake has warmed up about 10F in just the last 5 days and is nearing 75F or 21C. At least one of the building crew has discovered it refreshing effect! While building is going on we are busy sorting out kitchens, doors and bathrooms along with the day to day routine of running the resort. Just this weekend we had terrific wedding and hosted about 100 persons. There was also a rather interesting event involving our bees which we'll tell you about in our next BLOG

STRAW BALE PROJECT TAKING HOLD

Since receiving the building permit on May 25 crews have made great progress on our straw bale project. In fact, by May 27 we had concrete footings and then, 9 days later, the foundation was poured. The worksite was a bit mucky and there was lots of rain to contend with. Our design has a frost wall foundation which is capped with a concrete slab containing an in-floor radiant heat system. The frost wall was built using insulated concete forms or ICF. They go together like Lego blocks and make up the wall forms and insulation all in one. Concrete is then poured into the hollowed centres of the blocks. It took almost a week of hauling truck load after tuckload, and over 800 tons of gravel, to fill up the inside of foundation which will eventually support the concrete floor. On June 15 wall framing began.

ROOTS ALMOST IN

Spring is always a good time to plant and set roots. Our straw bale cottage is no different. Last November we demolished the Gatehouse with the help of an excavator and a Bic lighter. Sadly, it took all but a few hours to reduce 60 years of history to rubble. The old building was stubborn and it took more than a week for the burning embers to finally become exhausted. We were looking over an old resort rooming plan and saw that the 8 Gatehouse units were called Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, He, Hi, Ho, Hum. What could be more simple! In a way it reminds us of how we are building this new cottage...out of straw, which is uncomplicated and well, simple! Since construction began in May the new building now has been planted and its foundation is firmly rooted into the ground. Next will be the walls and roof which we plan to get erected over the next 2 weeks.

LET THE BUILDING BEGIN

Last November we decided to retire the Gatehouse...we'll show you pictures of how we did it in a future BLOG...and then on May 19 we began the process of constructing a new straw bale home. When done it will be about 2500 sq ft with 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a den/bedroom and a huge living area looking down to the lake. Evolve Builders have been contracted to do the work (learn more about them and straw bale construction by visiting http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/article/615983). If all goes as planned it will be ready in Spring 2010. To do this we are working towards getting the foundation and roof on before the summer holidays. We'll then stop much of the work for July and August and resume again after Labour Day. This is an exciting project for us as it further solidifies our commitment to be a prime example of an eco friendly resort. To our knowledge, this will be the first straw bale cottage to be built at a resort. We haven't given the new building a name yet and we would be keen to hear any suggestions.

SPRING FLOWERS

Shayla and I have gotten into the habit of going for a morning walk each day. Sometimes we walk on the road, sometimes the Foxwood trails and sometimes both. We have especially enjoyed noting the daily changes in the woods this spring as the plants wake up and trees leaf out. We go on wildflower hunts and greet each new Trout Lily, Spring Beauty or Violet we find with enthusiasm. We have seen lots of small Trillium plants too and marvel at their resilience. After years of overgrazing by deer they still manage to leaf out and try their best to build up strength and energy before the forest canopy steals the sun away and they go dormant for another year. Hopefully the small Trilliums we see will be able to store enough energy to flower in future years. On the drive to Huntsville we pass a hillside that is covered in a mass of flowering Trilliums. It's quite a sight but nothing to compare to the single blooming Trillium we found on the Foxwood trail the other day. I felt almost as proud as a new mom! Since then I have found others stong enough to flower- both in white and purple- often tucked between the fallen branches of trees where the deer can't get at them. For the second year in a row we have noticed a drop in deer numbers in our area so there is hope yet for a hillside of floweringTrilliums at Foxwood.

A NICE REFRESHING DIP

Monday, May 4 marked the official first swim of the year here at Foxwood. A few weeks ago the ice was floating around and we probably had the first boat in the lake. This time it was Julia's turn by herself. She always makes that first swim, however this year she was a bit later than usual. Typically, it's January 1 when she jumps off the end of the dock. We have aerators going to keep the area free of ice so it's easy to get in and out of the water. This year something else must have been taking place so the New Year swim never happened...maybe it was because our daughter Meg wasn't home to keep Julia company. The temperature of the water on May 4 was a balmy 8C or about 47F. Julia's words as she got out of the lake, and perhaps not to anyone's surprise, were "it's not too bad". For most of us we can wait a bit longer, or until the mid part of June when the water temperature creeps up into the mid 20C's or 70F - 80F.

AND THE BAND PLAYS ON

Julia is now in her 5th year in the Huntsville Community Band. She, along with a number of others, decided to take up a musical instrument later in life with little or no previous music training. She is no Moe Kaufmann, however although she is quick to deny it, she does manage to crank out a pretty mean tune. The group practices once a week and every now and then they are invited to perform in front of live audiences. Last Wednesday they made the trek to the Kiwanis Music Festival, an annual event taking place in Orillia, half way between us and Toronto. Each entry to the festival is adjudicated and low and behold they won GOLD!

THE ICE IS GONE

True to form and as has typically happened over the years, the ice is now gone from our part of the lake. It is just incredible, regardless what the weather has been like, how regular its departure has been. Last night Julia and I, along with two of our guests, went out in canoes to check out what remained of the ice. We pretended to be ice breakers but some flows were still too thick to do anything. With the wind shifting these massive sheets of ice around we had to be extra careful not to get hemmed in. By this morning, April 19th, it was all gone!

SYRUP-ING IS ALMOST OVER

The sap runs this year have been OK but with the cooler temperatures and 15 cm of new snow earlier this week could this be the end of it all? Hopefully not. With some luck and the forecast of cooler nights and warmer days we should get one more boil done before we call this maple syrup season a wrap.
The next big event (for us anyways) is when the the ice leaves the lake. Since arriving at Foxwood in 2002 we have taken records of when we consider the ice officially gone. Although our records represent only a small snapshot of time - Tom Salmon settled the property in 1876 and the lake has had ice going in out for who knows how long - we find it interesting how consistent the dates are. Regardless of the year, the ice leaves the lake in front of us either on April 19 or 20....with maybe the last ice flow going on the 21st. We'll see what happens this year!