SUMMER IS OVER

Fall is now upon us. The temperatures are cooling, the days are getting shorter and summer has now become just a memory. Where did the time go? We often look back at the summer videos we post on our Facebook pages to rekindle the stories, the people and the great times we had this summer. And what a beautiful summer it was.
Annie, our little border terrier is now 11 months old and she had many neat experiences. She had her first kayak ride in the spring, then in August she made it across to Haystack Island on the stand on kayak. She had only one slip into the drink but thankfully her customed designed life jacket kept her floating high in the water.The weekly puppy training classes were another event that also got Annie really excited. They were a big hit for both her and our guests.
The other dog we had at the resort never had a name, though it should have. Her, or she, was rescued in June while floating down the lake alone after storm had sent her adrift. Nobody came by to claim her so she just hung around and did her thing with the kids....and a few adults too!
The lake warmed up to about 78F/24C this summer but it has now now dropped down to under 60F/15C. Still swim-able for some, but a little on the cold side for most. The fall months are a wonderful time to hop into a canoe or kayak and paddle though the calm waters and morning mists. With few people around it can be so peaceful and serene. Some of the maples found along the shoreline are starting to turn bright red. It won't be long before every tree is ablaze in colour.
Fall is here. We hope you can visit us.

THE QUEENS HAVE ARRIVED

A few weeks ago we came to the conclusion that our hives might be missing their queens. The bees seemed healthy enough however we couldn't locate a queen bee - they are larger than all of the others - and we couldn't find the eggs that would be the sign that she was around.
So two new queens were ordered on Friday. Instead of driving the 3 or 4 hours to pick them up, we had them express posted to us in the mail. They arrived the following Monday, each in a small cage accompanied by a couple of their "attendants". The tiny cages were packed into an envelope and sent off to us.
When we got the queens we introduced them to their new hives while still in their cages. Each one has a small sugary plug in the end of it which stops the queen from escaping quickly. Over the span of a few days they eat through the sugary plug and then are free to move into their new home. This slower integration gives all the bees a chance to acquaint themselves with each other gradually.
It's been close to a week since the new bees arrived. We'll wait a few more days to check and see how things are going. It will be a good sign if we see some freshly laid eggs.

CHINOOK HAS FIRST GUESTS

We were about 2 weeks late getting our final occupancy permit for Chinook but the place is now ready and had its first guests arrive on Monday. The building started way back in November 2008 when the old Gatehouse was torn down. About a year and half later, and after lots of work, the building is finally up and standing strong.
The photos above show the dining/living area seen from when you walk in the entrance and the other is of the guest room.
Chinook has many other interesting features. Some of them are: Eco-friendly mattresses made from soy foam, propane fueled "on demand" in floor radiant heat, wide eaves to keep the winter sun in and the hot summer sun out, dual flush and water saver fixtures, fiberglass low E argon filled windows, long lasting metal roof, passive solar gain window placement design, and beautifully polished concrete floors created through a process involving the slicing off layers of material using diamond cutting sanders to expose the aggregate within.
We still have a bit of fine tuning left to do like moving furniture and artwork around to the right spots, some landscaping and the usual touch ups here and there. Overall though, the place looks and feels GREAT! If you are looking for an amazing spot to stay and feel really comfortable then have a look at Chinook on our website.

TALK ABOUT NICE WEATHER!

What a fabulous May Long weekend, all three days of it. The resort was full and the weather was absolutely amazing. The water temperature on our beach was about 70F/20C today, the sun was shining, the winds were calm and the thermometer hit 88F/29C.....it couldn't be May, it feels so much like the middle of the summer. It boggles the mind to think that it was only two weeks ago that we had 2 inches of snow on the ground and guests were using brooms to clean off their cars.
Today, we took advantage of the beautiful weather to get the raft in and do some swimming. Even our guests were taking to the water.
The next few weeks will continue to be warm so we should swimming almost daily from here on in. By the weekend we should have our water trampoline in as well.

FIRST KAYAK RIDE, FIRST SWIM

A little less than a week ago Annie, our 6 month old Border Terrier, had her first kayak ride with Julia. The water was calm and so was Annie. It will likely be the first of many rides that Annie will have this summer. Border Terriers are not really considered water dogs, however Annie has been curious about water and she is definitely not worried about it. She has already had her first slip off the dock into water over her head. She made it out of the water likely thinking to herself "I'm still alive!", all the while displaying that Terrier bravado of "was that it?" We are looking forward to having her accompany us and our guests on the regular swims that we have to Haystack Island located about 800m across the bay from Foxwood.
Today, the weather warmed up to just over 22C. It was very summery and it was perfect for that first swim of the year. Annie didn't go in this time. Instead, she was a spectator as she cheered Julia on into the 9C water. A little cool, but actually quite warm for this time of the year. Julia normally makes it into the lake sooner; last year it was about a week earlier and just about every year she gets in on January 1.....we think that she has a few screws loose! In another month, if the weather cooperates, the lake should warm up to 20C or higher and then it will be a good time to get out onto that water trampoline.

LAKE ICE OUT EARLY

Ever since we arrived in February 2002 the lake ice has always departed around April 19 or 20th. This morning at 7:30am the air temperature was an astounding 23C and the lake ice was gone!
Yesterday we took a photo with Julia, Annie and Martha playing down at the dock. The ice was ready to go and would just take a bit of wind to break it up. On a sidebar, notice in the photo the three ducks. Two of them are males and they are both trying to win over the heart of the lone female. We watched the males throughout the day trying to impress the young lady by beating their chests, flapping wings and spraying water at each other.
So Spring is here and it's about 3 weeks earlier than what we would have expected. It will be nice to get a jump on our annual clean up and will allow us to get onto the landscaping around Chinook, our new straw bale cottage. If you haven't seen Chinook, take a look through our earlier BLOGs or go to the Accommodations page on our website. Hopefully, we have it ready to go by the end of May.

LEGEND SKIING AND PALMS

Our California trip continued after a long drive from Mammoth Lakes, through Death Valley, and then after 9 hours of driving we arrived at Big Bear Lake. Big Bear is home to a couple of really neat ski areas, Snow Summit and Bear Mtn. Not giants in vertical but very popular to the LA and San Diego crowd. Both have terrain parks, but Bear is really a mecca for them. They have "features" everywhere, top to bottom and Meg loved them! The temperatures were warming, the snow started mushing up around lunch, but we got in a lot fun skiing while there.
We also had a chance to stay and ski with Rob's uncle Doug who has made a living in the ski business. In fact, one of the first places he started off was at Snow Summit in the early 50's. He went on to a career that included writing a number of ski books, he was editor in chief of Skiing magazine and his biggest claim to fame is being recognized as the father of freestyle skiing. At just over 80 years of age he sports a long flowing pony tail and can still tear up the slopes faster than most.
We also had a chance to visit Palm Springs and the Indian Canyon. Incredible how beautiful the canyon was, and all of it located in the middle of a scorching hot desert. We ran out of time and would have wished to explore the canyons more.