We both got away last week with Annie to take a short canoe trip into Algonquin Park. The weather started off brilliantly. It was warm and sunny, the wind was light; our first day was great!
After a late-ish start from Foxwood and some backtracking to the west gate to get a camping permit - we discovered that the permit office at Canoe Lake was closed for the season - we finally dipped our paddles into the water around 12:30pm. While loading up the canoe we met another couple who were also just setting out. Lo and behold we learned that they were both from the lakeshore in Montreal where Rob grew up, they went to the same high school as he did and Rob was in the same class as one of the sisters. Small world!
After 4 or 5 hours of paddling we settled on a campsite on Tom Thompson Lake. Dinner was rice soup and lentils, hot bread with pesto and cheese and a litre of wine. There was even a few slurps of scotch by at least one of us. The evening was cold, however we managed to keep warm.
Despite a forecast of rain showers, we were spared for most of the next day. Our campsite was well set up with firewood and a bed of pine needles under the tent; we did not want to set up a new campsite. So we decided to stay put and do a 5 hour day trip out and back. It wasn't until we returned that it started spitting with rain, but it wasn't enough to spoil the evening. Dinner was veggie chili, lots of it, but hot chocolate and no wine.
On the third day, our last, it rained and we had a rather adventurous trip home via Potter Creek. Had we studied our route a little better in advance we would have avoided that route as water levels were just bordering on being too low. Fortunately, we were going with the current, we weren't packed too heavy and it was our last day so finishing up wet was not a big issue.
The trip was fun and Julia even muttered that it was better than she had expected!
It was memorable year for weddings at Foxwood. We had four of them (and not one funeral) with the first one happening in the middle of June, just ahead of the G8 summit.
Richard and Stephanie tied the knot on our dock. The air was fresh, the breezes were refreshing, the backdrop was amazing and no one in the wedding party ended up in the lake!
Right after the Labour Day weekend we had three more weddings. Each time when the weather looked like it would not cooperate, it was the Foxwood magic that took over, the clouds parted and the sun smiled down on everyone.
Elissa and Steve were the first of the Fall. They had friends and relatives gathering from around the globe. Two weekends later it was followed by Pam and Josh. We tracked the weather down to the final moments and had a wonderful ceremony on the patio of the Main Lodge. Josh even made the wedding cake and was it ever delicious! Then Josie and David had their wedding just last weekend. There were a number of guests who traveled from all parts of the continent, including the the west coast, to attend. They had a wonderful Ethopian stew for dinner in the Main Lodge
Having a wedding or special function at a smaller resort like ours can be quite special. You have the resort all to your own so you can celebrate the way you want, even if part of it means staying up to sing song around the campfire with friends until 4am. Unlike any of the larger resorts or hotels Foxwood has a location that is so private, a setting that is spectacularly natural and pure, and an atmosphere that is relaxed and warm.
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.
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.
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.
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.
