Carefully, oh so carefully, we have been working. In the past couple of weeks we've had 5 offers accepted. Two of our listings have sold and we have successfully negotiated deals for 3 buyers. Real estate in the time of COVID is different, but it's still active. We've also had enquiries from people who did [...]
Photo Credit: Timothy Joseph Elzinga of North Bay MarketWATCH Muskoka: November 2019 Ice making. Unusual for this time of year, however Mother Nature has thrown us a curve. All across cottage country we see vestiges of winter. Normally we think of vestiges as 'leavings' but in this case these leavings are signs of things yet [...]
Cranberries. Tis the season of colour. There's a lot going on in Muskoka right now. Artists have opened their doors for their Studio Tour (part deux), the forest is flashing red and gold and cranberries are punctuating it all with their tart brilliance. Tart? That depends. Cranberry butter tarts are tarts but not tart. Cranberry [...]
The North woods. The North woods have attracted artists with their magnificent solitude for more than a century. Tom Thompson is celebrated in Huntsville. The Group of Seven changed Canadian art in the 1920's and their influence is still felt today. Cottage Country, and Muskoka in particular, is a haven for those driven by artistic [...]
Monday it happened. What? You might ask. We'd rather not say, especially after looking at charts and histories of various organizations. We were early. Not a record, but early. Muskoka had its first frost. Now don't get me wrong, the District was not covered in ice. It was just a glancing kiss. Some would call it [...]
Arts and crafts. The term relates to a design period of the late 19th and early 20th century. The 'old Muskoka' style is an offshoot - especially the shingle style cottages of that period. For some, that classic genre represents the Muskoka ideal: large porches or verandas, deep fireplaces and (if you're a purist) [...]
Balance. Balance is something we seem to need in our lives. There's work/life balance many of us strive to achieve (getting away to the lake helps). As we age, balance becomes an ever-increasing issue. Losing core strength increases chances of falling. Responding to challenging situations takes balance. Get a little off-balance and people can be [...]
This is a week for shows in Muskoka. Shows of all kinds. Heavenly shows, shows of muscle, art, iron, music and Muskoka shoreline. There's something for every eye to see. Of the heavenly kind the Perseus Meteor Shower begins this week. We think of it as August Fireworks. There have been times when we've seen [...]
There's an axiom in cottage country. The bigger the lake, the more expensive the land. It's pretty simple, really. The bigger the lake, the more options you have. Lakes like the chain of Fairy, Vernon and Peninsula, the Big 3 of Muskoka, Rosseau and Joseph and Lake of Bays all offer destinations. On those lakes [...]
Ditchburn, Johnson, Duke, Minett-Sheilds, Greavette are all names of Muskoka boat builders. Some of them go back to the 1800's. Greavette was making wooden boats in the 1970's. Wooden boats are something Muskoka is known for, even today. This Saturday, at Gravenhurst wharf, the Annual Antique boat show is underway. If you've never been, it's [...]
