Spring is here. Two days of rain have pretty much put paid to snow in cottage country. Even though snow fell on Monday, it was gone by afternoon. Remnants of winter hide in the shade. Only where snow banks were created or snow fell in hollows or on the north slope does it still have [...]
MarketWATCH Muskoka: 24 March 2021 This past Monday, cottage country was flowing. Whether you were in the woods, walking down a country road or on a lakeshore, the trickling sound of spring run off was everywhere. Ice and snow are leaving. Maybe that’s why the trickle sound seems such a happy noise. At the same [...]
The lakes may look firm but the ice is rotting. Stay off the lakes! In winter 🧊ice roads are made for builders to drive to island destinations. For 8 weeks, sometimes more, islands are reachable by truck🚚, a bit longer by sled. But when you hear the ‘song of the ice’ which sounds a lot [...]
Photo Credit: Aaron Huber MarketWATCH Muskoka: 17 February 2021 Hump day.. we all know what that is. Half way to the weekend. Today is hump day of a sort. We’re half way between the beginning of the year and April. Not exactly, but close enough. Winter is on the wane. That said, we had a [...]
MarketWATCH Muskoka Autumn. This week is classic. Warm days, cool nights, gentle breezes. Morning mists, glasslike waters and no bugs. Perfect for paddle boarding, taking the kayak out or just soaking in dock time. It's a time to decompress and marvel. Leaves are starting to turn. There's the occasional flash of brilliant red as one [...]
Warm days, cool nights, bonfires, walks in the woods, calm waters and no bugs. What's that called? September! One of the nicest months of the year (this writer's favourite), September brings golden hues, great boating and a relaxed vibe not found in high season. This year might be a little different with more people working [...]
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 [...]
Summer is back! This week is a classic September weather pattern for these parts. Earlier in the week we were showing property on some smaller lakes. Bright, cloudless day and absolutely calm. The only things moving were frogs, butterflies, fish jumping, deer and birds (including a large flock of turkeys). We were the loudest noise [...]
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) [...]
