Maple Lake Ontario

Where to stay when I’m on my way to the cottage

Ξ July 3rd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Photography, Travel/Vacation, canada, family, holiday(s), opinion, service(s), summertime |

Boy, I wish I could have gotten in my Mustang and driven to the cottage today. I won’t go into the details because frankly, they are the kind that would probably have you nodding your head that yes, that sounds like a great reason to drive 675 miles. As it stands, we have three weeks to spend–plus Labour Day weekend there coming up (but not soon enough!). I had planned to stay longer because with the satellite Internet installed I can work from the cottage when I need to.

Just arrived

On of the biggest challenges when one first arrives at the Lake after a long drive like that for the first time in the summer season is “opening up” the place as it’s been there for the duration since we had last been there the previous year. The water needs to be put in and that can be a big job, certainly not one you want to perform in the dark. You also need to have separate drinking water as the stuff out of the tap is the same stuff you swim in. So long story longer I got to wondering if I could find a overnight stop, just short of the cottage that wouldn’t break the bank and would put me (us, actually) within an easy drive to get things all set up the next day. Secondarily, I was curious to learn more about a place that I might want to stay a bit longer at–a few amenities, a pretty setting, in other words, a place that I could afford to splurge at. It seems that we’ve been driving past the sign for Sir Sam’s Resort on Eagle Lake for most of my life. I don’t know that it has been there quite that long but upon checking Hotels Combined I see that it is a well-established resort and it is quite pretty. See:

Sir Sam's Resort on Eagle Lake

It is however a place I’d prefer spending more than one night at as it is a resort with a number of  typical resort amenities. Maybe someday.

Another place we pass when nearly, but not quite at the Lake is Skyways Motel in Gravenhurst.

Take  a look:

Skyways Motel near Gravenhurst

This is exactly how it looks from the highway. It’s a basic place but it has amenities as well and bonus: a continental breakfast so you can get up and get going first thing if you’ve got a cottage waiting for you, groceries to purchase, drinking water to obtain, and so on. As pretty as Sir Sam’s is and I’m sure that staying there  would be charming, the Skyways would probably get my business if I’m looking to make a quick overnight stop. Also, at $68 per night, it is about $100 less per night so it suits my needs such as they are when I simply need a place to rest my weary noggin.

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‘Our True North’ Thoughts On Canada From Cdn Ex-Pats in the US

Ξ July 1st, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ United States, canada, holiday(s), humour, opinion, weather |

Source: New York Times online

UNTIL 1982, Canada Day was known as Dominion Day. I always thought that had more of a ring to it. Beyond the zippy alliteration, it reminded us citizens that our domain of orderly domesticity was graced by the dominant power of our “Dominus.”

And the rights granted therein to us by the glorious English crown through her colonial appointee, the right honourable governor general.

There was another problem with Dominion Day. Dominion was the name of a national grocery store chain. It would be like calling the Fourth of July D’Agostino’s Day.

Independence (now there’s a great name for a day!) came slowly to our country. In 1965, we dumped the old, staid British ensign for our own new flag. in lIt’s the one with the big red maple leaf in the middle. A simple, sweet leaf! We also have moose and beavers on our coins. And we call our dollars loonies because the coin has an image of a loon. Another old bird, the Queen of England, is on the other side of the coin.

I remember singing “God Save the Queen” every morning in school. “Long live our noble Queen!” we belted, thousands of us tubby little obedient Canadians. I guess it worked. She’s still alive. Now they sing “O Canada” in schools and at most sporting events; usually in French and English. Around the time we were changing anthems, dumping ensigns and renaming holidays, the official use of both languages became mandatory, except in Quebec where the required use of English is a bit fuzzy.

Canada Day comes and goes modestly every year. Sure, there are retail sales promotions and a long weekend. But there isn’t bluster or commodity in Canadian celebration. Canada isn’t big on bunting. Or jet flyovers, fireworks, marching bands or military pomp.

Canadians defer. We save our loonies and don’t jaywalk. It’s illegal, eh. We stand on guard at red lights, even when there is no traffic. We wait for clear, green governing lights to signal our turn and lead us on. Then we tuck our heads down, under wooly toques and worn-out scarves, one eye barely open, squinting headlong into the harsh prairie wind, cautiously, quietly, demurely Canadian.

— RICK MORANIS, a writer and actor

Back home, hockey highlights lead off SportsCenter. That is the height of civilization.

— SEAN CULLEN, a comedian

The gourmets say there isn’t a native Canadian food worth remembering after you’ve left the country. The gourmets have never bitten into a Coffee Crisp.

A Coffee Crisp tastes like Canada to anybody who grew up gnawing on that confection, a memorably crisp blend of coffee cream, cookie wafers and milk chocolate as wholesome and satisfying as the Canadian national anthem. It was a square-edged rectangle, like a brick, wrapped in a yellow-going-to-gold paper that seemed to elevate its value above all rival confections. It was unlike other chocolate bars.

I say “was” because no sooner had I left Canada than its originator, Rowntree’s, was absorbed into the giant international food conglomerate Nestlé. Soon enough, factors beyond the ken of the layman led its new owners to “improve on” the faultless original. Coffee Crisps were reshaped to be longer and slimmer and, as the infallible taste buds quickly revealed, reformulated to be less crisp and less coffee-flavored. Nestlé next undertook to expand the brand: Coffee Crisp Orange, Coffee Crisp Raspberry, Coffee Crisp Café Caramel, even Coffee Crisp White and, God save us, Coffee Crisp Yogurt.

But even in its diminished form, the classic Coffee Crisp still ranked superior to all the sticky-sweet American “candy bar” alternatives. I’d snaffle up half a dozen on a Canadian visit and wolf down a couple right away, just to make sure it wasn’t all just nostalgie du chocolat. It wasn’t. Taste memory never fades.

The demands of homesick Canadian expatriates were finally answered, circa 2006, when Coffee Crisp made its debut south of the border. But Nestlé’s efforts at carving a niche in the United States, alas, seemed half-hearted. I never saw an ad, and found only one seedy neighborhood hole-in-the-wall that even sold Coffee Crisps; the single box was all but hidden down on the bottom row of the candy display rack near the dust kittens and lottery-ticket stubs.

A month later the box was still there, its contents by now grayish and moldy and stale with age when the wrapper was torn away. In another month the box was gone. Coffee Crisps slunk back out of the American market in 2008, as quietly as they’d entered.

I suppose the Coffee Crisp debacle proves yet again that Canadian products — with the notable exceptions of Bombardier jets and half the comedians in Hollywood — just can’t compete in the American big time. But all visiting Canadian relatives and friends arrive at my door with pockets mysteriously bulging, or they won’t be let in.

— BRUCE McCALL, a writer and illustrator

In history class, in seventh grade (or as we like to say in Canada, grade seven) we learned the story of the American Revolution — from the British perspective. Turns out you were all a bunch of ungrateful tax cheats. And you weren’t very nice to the Loyalists. What I miss most about Canada is getting the truth about the United States.

— MALCOLM GLADWELL, a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author, most recently, of “Outliers: The Story of Success”

I miss the “u” in color. — LISA NAFTOLIN, a creative director

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Happy Canada Day! The Forecast Says Go West for Good Weather

Ξ July 1st, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, NON paid Post, Ontario, canada, cottage country, entertainment, events, family, fun activity, holiday(s), opinion, personal, weather |

I’m sure its not amusing to read the Southern Ontario weather forecast if you are in Southern Ontario hoping to celebrate Canada’s birthday outdoors. I doubt too that it’s any help to know that here in the Chicago area we are having (and have had for the past few days) exactly the same weather as you have. It is overcast, it is quite cool and it feels like its going to rain. Blech.

As I mentioned previously, at least the Canada Day celebrations run over the course of this week so depending upon where in Southern Ontario you happen to be you may be able to celebrate in a nearby town, if not your own. OTOH, you may decide that fireworks while pretty are fleeting, expensive, and if it weren’t so damp would increase the risk of fires.

As I plan my upcoming month on Maple Lake I’m really hoping that my neighbour, who is kitty-corner from me on the lake makes this choice before he invests thousands of dollars to set off fireworks every. single. weekend.

Cheers!

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One Of Those Things

Ξ June 30th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Accessories, computer, health/happiness |

A lot of folks seem to be cutting back on expenses of late and that in and of itself is probably a wise choice. Personally I feel like my family has gone a bit overboard at times simply by not having the extra willpower to forgo certain luxuries no matter how small, because we are used to having them. We’ve agreed now on a new way of making “‘luxury” choices (anything that is not a necessity) in that we will always consider the budget and think twice before going forward.

There are certain areas where I will skimp and others were I will not, however.  Health care for example, is one area that there is simply no room to skimp. Another area is when it comes time to buy computer equipment. I spend about 12 hours a day, six days a week at my desktop computer. I wish I could say I was having fun surfing the ‘net or playing computer games but that would not be truthful. I’m working (though I do enjoy my work) and while I work several parts of my body are feeling the stress. I do yoga to help relieve neck and back strain and I use wrist rests–the keyboard-length gel kind and a separate wrist rest for the mouse. Without these two items to augment my desktop computer equipment I’d be in a lot of pain–period. And these are only temporary until I can invest in another ergonomic keyboard. Unfortunately, the one I had was a budget one and since it worked (or was supposed to work) in tandem with the ergonomic mouse, when the keyboard went fluey the whole caboodle went in the trash.

My plan is to get a different brand, slightly more expensive ergonomic keyboard and a completely separate mouse because if you spend any amount of time at your computer you will feel pain eventually. Pain is your body’s way of telling you that you need to change something. As I said, some things you simply cannot skimp on. Computer equipment that takes the stress off your body is one of those things.

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Canada Day 2009 - Events in the Haliburton Highlands Begin on Sunday!

Ξ June 27th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Algonquin Township, Haliburton Highlands, Haliburton, Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, NON paid Post, Ontario, art/crafts, canada, cottage country, entertainment, events, family, holiday(s), summertime, weather |

Canada Day falls mid-week this year so you’ll find events occurring for essentially the entire week, beginning tomorrow,  Sunday June 28–which is a very good thing as the weather will be iffy on several days.

As they say, there is  something for everyone from fireworks on July 4th in Dorset to nail-driving and pie-eating contests in West Guilford on July 1. Details about where, what, and when are below.  For further details or if you have questions  you can go online and visit www.haliburtonholidays.com or call 1-800-461-7677.

Canada Day Events in Cottage Country

Kinmount - Sunday, June 28, Kinmount Fairgrounds, beginning at 5pm

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Looking Towards The Future: A Personal Choice

Ξ June 27th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ health/happiness, opinion, personal, service(s) |

I think most people like me who have a chronic condition–in my case heart failure which I’ve been living with since 1998–have very mixed feelings about the knee-jerk reactions about using stem cells which are said to have such great potential to cure previously incurable conditions.

Regardless of our feelings or the seriousness of our conditions however because of public misinformation (in some cases) it has been necessary for scientists to move forward in the search for cures by exploring alternatives to embryonic stem cells like umbilical cord blood stem cells.

If you have been considering banking your newborn’s umbilical cord blood some recent information from Cryo-Cell may hold great interest  for you.

Were you aware that thousands of umbilical cord blood stem cell transplants have occurred worldwide in an effort to combat over 75 different diseases? And here is something that astonished me:  Cord blood stem cells are 100% match for the infant donor and 1 in 4 match his or her sibling! Science just boggles my mind sometimes–in a good way.

Here is some more great news but you must act quickly to take advantage of it: From now until Sunday 6/28/09, you can save $725 on Cryo-Cell’s U-Cord service by using the promotional code HOT.

If you been seriously thinking about storing your baby’s cord blood this may help in that decision.

Though you need to act quickly to take advantage of the huge savings, you want to do your homework before making this choice. It may help to know that Cryo-Cell is at the forefront of the cord blood banking industry having worked with tens of thousands of clients and most importantly in my opinion, Cryo-Cell has more accreditations than any other private cord blood bank, anywhere.

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Weekend and Long Term Weather - Haliburton Highlands - Maple Lake - Bug Report 6.26 - 07.03

Ξ June 26th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Bug Report, Maple Lake Ontario, Photography, beach, canada, cottage country, holiday(s), marine/marina, summertime, weather, webcam |

Tomorrow–Saturday the 27th– will be a simply perfect day. It’ll be sunny with a high of about 78°F and mild humidity.

Weekend Weather June 26-27

Remember to CLICK each thumbnail to see full size.

Weathercast and Bug Report for Maple Lake and Haliburton County

Sunday starts off bright and mild but by Sunday afternoon expect scattered showers and a high of 73°F.
Monday, temperatures drop to 68°F for a high with afternoon isolated showers.
Tuesday expect light rain and a high of only 64°F.
Happy Canada Day! Wednesday brings clouds and showers and a high of 66°F.
Thursday will include light rain and a high of 64°F.
Finally, on Friday you can look forward to a beautiful, sunny day with a high of 77°F.

Overnight temperatures throughout the week: Monday, Thursday and Friday are all forecast to be 57°F overnight with Sunday and Tuesday bringing a cool 51°F. Wednesday will be about 53°F overnight.

You can view the Haliburton Highlands Bug Report by clicking on it (above). The bugs are still quite thick with all of them either medium or high in intensity.

Please click the thumbnails (above) to see several photos of Sauble Beach on Lake Erie during today’s windy afternoon, as well as one of my favourite webcam spots, Kincardine Harbour, also on Lake Erie, Ontario.

Have a great week !

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Weekend and Long Term Weather - Haliburton Highlands - Maple Lake - Bug Report

Ξ June 20th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Bug Report, Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Photography, Travel/Vacation, canada, cottage country, marine/marina, nature, weather, webcam |

Chapleau River - June 19, 2009

[View with PicLens]

 

Happy Friday and welcome to the Haliburton County/Maple Lake Weather and Bug Forecast!

Though temperatures have remained mild, the rain has been fairly frequent and therefore in regard to bugs, please click the little icon above to get the full picture. Sorry. It is not pretty. I’ve included some pretty webcam shots taken today from around southern Ontario along with the Bug Report and both Short and Long Term forecasts for Maple Lake and Haliburton for this weekend through next Friday–to take the sting off somewhat (sorry, could not resist).

Tomorrow, Saturday, expect cloudiness and showers throughout the day with temperatures in the mid 60’s F.  Sunday the 21st, brings drastic change with temperatures near 80°F, partly sunny conditions and a “feels like” temperature of near 90°F.

In fact for all of next week–right through Friday temperatures every day on the ‘feels-like” index are to be around 90°F.

Mainly sunny weather is forecast for Monday through Wednesday with each day’s temperatures between 78°F and 80°F.

Thursday brings thundershowers, a high of 80°F, and the lowest nighttime temperature of the week: 53°F. Otherwise, your nighttime temperatures throughout the week range from 55°F to 60°F.

Friday looks wonderful with sunny skies and a high of 80°F.

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What is the problem with your dog?

Ξ June 20th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ My dog, Raven, health/happiness, opinion |

What does Raven need?

I just went through the Dinovite solutions center finding customized packs of dog-care supplements that contain a lot of familiar ingredients that humans will find in their own health supplements such as vitamins and amino acids as supplemental nutrients. These though are for your dog in addition to his or her regular diet.

The website is easy and fun to use. I’ve provided an example above of  ”Step Six” but there is less than ten questions about your dog and they are very easy. I only had to double check that Raven’s diet is more meat that grain. My spouse does the shopping and I thought we’d discussed getting a brand that was of high quality and good for her and one that she liked! And I guessed right.

Raven is an older dog and she’s gotten a bit fussy in the past few years. Certainly her dog food was not a good balance when she picked through for the pieces she liked–and left those she didn’t.

Thankfully, she likes what she eats now and she eats well. We take Raven in to her vet for checks and she has been pronounced “in excellent shape” for an older old.

Raven is a Schipperke and she has a different shedding cycle than many sort haired dogs.she blows.

What that means is during a major change in season she sheds her undercoat in great gobs.This is normal for her breed and the rest of the time she’s not bad about shedding  but her fur is very thick with the undercoat so there is some shedding year-round. She’s just now finishing a blow cycle, thank goodness and is wearing her summer coat.

I realize that we have been very lucky with Raven and her health but inevitably health or hygiene issues can crop up with any canine.

The  Dinovite Customized Solution is an easy way to gauge what your dogs issue is and to suggest solutions that besides the supplements include all-natural dog shampoos. If you have a dog it’s an excellent site to find out more about. Just click the links above.

Raven on vacation with us

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Rainy Days In Cottage Country- Short Term Weather Forecast Haliburton County

Ξ June 16th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Photography, Sorry, Travel/Vacation, canada, cottage country, marine/marina, spring, weather, webcam |

Late afternoon, Kincardine Channel, Penetangore River, Lake Erie, Ontario - June 16, 2009

Today the weather here in the Chicago area went from rain to steely gray skies to thunderstorms and now we have heavy rain. With such delightful weather, <sarcasm> my thoughts of course, turned to wondering what the weather is like at Maple Lake in Ontario, Canada.

I was happy to see that this afternoon’s high in Haliburton County was about 75°F and it was not raining so I jumped ahead with the weather forecast and was slightly dismayed to see something not all that unusual. For meteorological reasons beyond my scope, Southern Ontario often gets “our” weather  a day or two after we do.

Here is what you have to look forward to tonight and Wednesday:

Tonight (Tuesday) is mild and a pretty good night to stargaze with mainly clear skies.  Wednesday starts out with variable cloudiness and a high of 66°F. However, by Wednesday afternoon it becomes cloudy with showers, which continue though Wednesday evening and right through Thursday. At least the temperatures remain mild.

I realize that it’s small consolation to say that the 14-day extended weather forecast looks very nice for next week. That’s a very good thing as right now it look like the weekend of June 20-21 at Maple Lake will be a complete washout. I really do feel badly for the weekenders and for cottage country businesses  but I’m keeping good thoughts that the good week coming up will help warm up the lakes for swimming and  dry things out somewhat.

Here is a look at some Southern Ontario scenes from today June 16, 2009.

Kawagama Lake, Dorset, Ontario - June 16, 2009.

Kincardine Harbour, Lake Erie, Ontario - June 16, 2009

Hawkesbury, Ontario, Canada - June 16, 2009

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