Maple Lake Ontario

Are You Ready For A Change In The Weather?

Ξ March 4th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ home and garden, opinion, weather, winter |

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of AccuWeather. All opinions are 100% mine.

Maple Lake Ontario sunset

Ah, the weather. Any day now it will act nicely and then another day and so on until there may be a string of lovely days. The catch? Right now the calendar says that it is only early March. But too late–we will have been lulled into the notion that spring! is! here! Even though I know better, I will get on the bandwagon too, pounding the drums of joyousness in solidarity. I’ll probably even go for a spin in my Mustang GT convertible, top down.

If only it would stay this way, continuously moving closer to better weather. But rudely,  reality does intrude. We don’t like to think such thoughts but when the inevitable occurs we are bummed because “the weather sucks.” And it seems to suck more because we’ve enjoyed such delicious samples of the yumminess that is spring only to get  a strong  shove back into reality.

Yes, reality. It seems much more than a concept when it rains for a week straight and you’ve just about forgotten what the sun looks like.
Not that anyone needs reminding, but for me, I will continue to relish the good days, acknowledge the “bad” and try not to let thinking about the “weather” monopolize too much of my time–which brings me to the AccuWeather website. I use an online weather resource every single day–at least a couple times each day because I live in an area where winter weather is not to be trifled with. During a Midwestern winter you need to be dressed properly, your car needs to be fully winterized, you have to know how the weather is impacting traffic–there are so many considerations one must take into account before walking out the front door. The AccuWeather site can help me with each concern so I can feel confident that my family and I are fully prepared to take on whatever Mother Nature send our way.

At the newly redesigned AccuWeather site it is super easy to find what you want to know because the site has been redesigned with ease of use a top priority, whether it is tabbed browsing, a clean, low-clutter page or a variety of new lifestyle areas like one I especially enjoy–Weather and Home and Garden. I didn’t expect to find helpful information about Home and Garden Shows but there is was. Nice touch, AccuWeather!

Help Your Neighbour – Save A Life

Ξ February 6th, 2010 | → 1 Comments | ∇ opinion, service(s) |

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Cryo-Cell International. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you have been considering banking your newborn’s umbilical cord blood I think that some recent very unfortunate events in the world and how Cryo-Cell is responding to them may hold great interest for you.

Cord blood, or umbilical cord blood, is blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta at the time of birth. In years past it was standard practice to dispose of them following delivery. However scientific research discovered that cord blood is a rich source of stem cells making umbilical cord blood a usable substitute to bone marrow in thousands of successful transplants. Cells taken from your newborn are a perfect match for your child throughout his or her entire life!

As you probably know, our neighbour Haiti, which geographically is part of North America and only one hour away from the United States by air, experienced a devastating earthquake in January 2010. The city of Port-au-Prince was nearly leveled with tens of thousands dying and injured. They need help now in rebuilding and resuming a semblance of a normal life again but children are especially vulnerable in the meantime.

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

February is the shortest month of the year so time is short for you, throughout the month of February to make a difference in the lives of Haiti’s children as Cryo-Cell will donate $25 to the “Save the Children: Haiti Relief Fund” when you enroll now .

It’s smart when making a not-insignificant choice like this to do your homework–to find out all you can– 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 accreditation than any other private cord blood bank, anywhere.

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!

Fun Things To Do in the Haliburton Highlands – Car Racing On Ice!

Ξ January 20th, 2010 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, NON paid Post, Ontario, Photography, canada, cottage country, fun activity, nature, opinion, winter |

As you might know I’m a Canadian national residing in the United States. I’ve done so for a very long time and so am familiar with American’s idea of  ‘extreme’ sports. In my mind it is a given that the Canadians–just take a look at a map of Canada to know why I say this–are a hardy lot. Could the Canadian view of what constitutes an extreme sport be slightly different than their southern counterparts?

Reading about some of the winter fun times that folks in one of the mildest areas of Canada (Southern Ontario) take part in–in this case car racing on ICE reminds me that Canadians have no need to prove how hardy they are. Good times people, good times.

Ice racing

Car Racing on Ice
January 23-24 2010
Ice Racing started in Ontario more than forty years ago, and it continues to thrive as an inexpensive, fun part of the Ontario motorsport scene. The events were originally held on frozen lakes and rivers – and some still are – but in the late seventies, the Ontario championships moved to more permanent facilities at the fairgrounds in Minden, Ontario. The track is laid out, then repeatedly coated with water until a thick layer of ice is built up between the snowbanks that delineate the course. The ice race season starts in mid January and runs until early March, usually consisting of six two-day events.

Learn more about this Truly Canadian Motorsport!
Minden Fairgrounds Minden
Contact: Info Centre Tel: 705-286-1777

Maple Lake: It starts with one kindness

Ξ September 9th, 2009 | → 1 Comments | ∇ Maple Lake Ontario, Ontario, Photography, cottage country, family, health/happiness, opinion, personal |

Peggy Lamb, Jim McCrackan, summer 1955

This is my dad and mum at Maple Lake during the summer of their courtship.

Photographs preserve moments in time, many of them precious.

My father is now the patriarch of the family. He carries his father’s name, James McCrackan, and his son–my only sibling carries the same name. It is my last name too after giving it up for 6 years and then getting the name legally returned to me decades ago. I’m taking it to my urn (no grave for me).

I don’t think my grandfather had any time for pettiness, jealousies, vindictiveness–certainly none for gossip. My father is very much like his father and I learned from him at his knee that these traits are highly undesirable.

After a truly awful experience at Maple Lake of which I”m not sure what the end result will be ( though unless addressed in an honest way the repercussions will go on for years) I was astonished to hear of a genuine kindness that was extended towards my spouse on Labour Day. I shan’t name the person–it was “persons” actually, but one in particular who sat aside what might have got in the way of being a good neighbour, a decent person and just helped. It meant a lot even if it wasn’t  intended that way. For all the snark that flew past this summer, one person managed to adjust the sails and set a course correction.

It starts with one person.

Weekend and Long Term Weather – Haliburton Highlands – Maple Lake – Bug Report 8.14.25 – 08.19.09

Ξ August 15th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Algonquin Township, Haliburton Highlands, Bug Report, Haliburton, Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Ontario, My dog, Ontario, Photography, Raven, Travel/Vacation, beach, boating, canada, cottage country, health/happiness, marine/marina, nature, opinion, personal, summertime, weather |

The weekend weather forecast for the Haliburton Highlands is the best so far this summer!

It’s truly gorgeous–sunny, clear, humidity is tolerable. And it’s going to be nice on Sunday, too! Can you believe it? I need to pinch myself ‘cos it’s been so long since Maple Lake has had an entire weekend that was this nice.

My weekender neighbours are quite fortunate since they just need to pack an overnight bag and in a snap they can be in paradise. Not quite as fortunate are folks like my immediate family who left today to return to the States.

Turning quite serious, folks, we are all on the same page on global warming now, right? We acknowledge it; it is happening right now. We have used and abused our poor planet and it does not have to be reflected as “warming” in certain spots. Here in the Haliburton Highlands, it’s been really cold and wet until this week. Pay attention to the excessive precipitation, especially.

Maple Lake, to be frank, has given me an eye infection simply by using lake water to wash my face. I know this because I wear goggles in the lake as I am unable to see without my contact lenses. The waters of Maple Lake have spewed up all kinds of garbage this summer–literally all kinds of plastic, coke cans. I’ve not ever seen it like this and it makes me really sad.

I’m sure I’m not the first but I feel that the year-rounders, the permanent residents should move forward to protect the lakes of Haliburton County. Obviously, we cannot change how Mother Nature is behaving right now but we can change human behaviour. Impose restrictions to protect our lakes and all nature that depend on the ecosystem, as people haven’t shown willingness to “reign it in” on their own.

First, I would like to see the obvious pollutants removed from the Lake. I would like to see a ban on motorboats that leak gasoline into the lakes and nearly drown swimmers like me with their huge waves (not kidding– HUGE waves).

Truly, I hate the noise too, but it’s the pollution that is sickening me. The boats are getting more powerful, ridiculously fast, and burning petrol at a time when I thought we were supposed to be practicing conservation. Our lakes are what make this area the paradise that it is. And we are doing our damnedest to destroy paradise.

Please, Haliburton Highland year-rounders, restrict the use of motorboats to the weekend and otherwise allow all the the other nonpolluting boats free and unfettered any time. The beautiful sailboats, the rowboats, canoes, paddleboats—all of them wind/man-powered and not harmful to our dying lakes.

If we don’t start reigning in our excesses and our abuse of the lakes of Cottage Country there is no doubt in my mind that we shall lose them. Nothing would be sadder if our unquenchable need for “things” and need to have the biggest, fastest motorboats and personal motorized vehicles hastened the death of our lakes–leaving nothing left for anyone.

I can only hope that the fine people that live year-round on Maple Lake and in the Maple Lake area take action this winter and next summer to deal with the craziness that breaks out every weekend here with ridiculous amount of polluting watercraft on what was what was once a clean lake. It’s not just here but throughout Cottage Country.

Also, as related to a lesser pollution, what the heck is with the unrestricted use of fireworks on Maple Lake every single weekend? Hey, I LOVE fireworks. They can be really special–but every weekend?! WTH? My poor dog is terrified. She shakes and glues herself to her people.

Ban fireworks on Maple Lake except for Canada Day, period. Stop the insanity, please.

/end preachy rant

Here’s the rest of the weather. If you can, stay up an extra day as Monday will still be beautiful:

As for the bugs, it has warmed up, they like warm, there are lots of them. Stay in the lake and otherwise slather on your insect repellent of choice.

Have a great week!

[View with PicLens]

‘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

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!

Calling All Haliburton Residents and Cottagers – Why Do You Look So Bad?

Ξ May 15th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton, Haliburton Highlands, Internet, Maple Lake Ontario, NON paid Post, Ontario, Photography, Trails, Travel/Vacation, boating, canada, cottage country, image, marine/marina, nature, opinion, personal, service(s), software, webcam |

Kincardine Harbour Marina, Lake Erie, Ontario

Kincardine Channel, Penetangore River, Lake Erie, Ontario

As a Canadian ex-pat who married an American and is currently raising my youngest son in the Chicago area, I must admit that there are times when I just ache to get a glimpse of my beloved homeland Ontario, Canada

Though I long ago left my birthplace Toronto, (my father was transferred here when I was a child) I’ve continued to enjoy a spot in Haliburton County that my family has owned for going on 70 years.

Once a week or so I pick through the webcam shots which are available through the Ontario Weather Network and I click to the areas that are closest to our cottage with the hope that I’ll get an approximate glimpse of an area much like ours. Every time I’m disappointed and disheartened by what I see–which is very unlike what I see in person when I come to stay each summer in the gorgeous Haliburton Highlands.

The area that is closest to our cottage geographically is the town of Haliburton, 12 miles from our lake.

The webcam for Haliburton is hosted by Halcom Communications Ltd. where one must often click through to their advertisements before getting a glimpse of the webcam shot.

Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a webcam shot of Haliburton that wasn’t out of focus. The person representing Halcom Communications Ltd. who set up the camera overreached and the camera is insufficient to render the entire top half of the webcam shot as anything but a haze, on my screen currently, a purple haze. The camera also to put this charitably, is at such an angle that Haliburton’s best side is not showing. It is also at such an angle that I feel compelled to adjust it.

This would not be the end of the world though no matter what, it is an exercise in waste of resources but Haliburton County depends on people realizing what a jewel it is and visiting –perhaps for an extended stay?

What’s the best advertisement for Haliburton County? Haliburton County itself! And if you cannot see the county in person, a webcam image like the ones below (except the Haliburton one) should capture the area so you get a general feeling of it’s great attractiveness.

Though I have emailed Halcom Communications Ltd and politely asked them to adjust their webcam, I have gotten no reply and worse, there’s’ been no change in the quality of the webcam image.

To sum up, Halcom Communications Ltd does a terrible job of representing Haliburton and thus Haliburton County with their poor webcam image that the entire  world is privy to via The Weather Network webcam feature.

Halcom Communications Ltd. takes full advantage of offering it’s crummy webcam feed to flog their services to the public yet gives virtually nothing in encouraging folks to visit Haliburton County.

I know first hand that there are some wonderful professional photographers in Haliburton and I urge anyone that cares about contributing to the economic health of Haliburton County to alert them to this wasted opportunity to promote the town and county and at the same time their services. A number of town like Barrie for example have more than one webcam  image ( Barrie has 4!)

Please, pro photographer or amateur please consider adding your webcam feed of the beautiful Haliburton Highlands to the Ontario Weather Network. It is in fact free advertising that can potentially reach millions of people. All you have to do is care enough to show off the place you live.

Thanks!

Please note:  both Kincardine  photos are showing as pixelated because the originals are small.   I should not have included them in the gallery but I love these areas–so excuse, please.  The main point was for you to see Haliburton, which is offered as a large image by Halcom and contrast that with Reach Harbour in Lakefield, Ontario which is a very good, large webcam shot.

At top is how Kincardine is supposed to be viewed, I have enlargef them slightly which is causing  a bit of pixelaton but even so, there is far more detail in their small shots of the harbour than the ginormous one taken of Haliburton by Halcom.

[View with PicLens]

The Art Hive: I Found It at the Dump

Ξ May 6th, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Haliburton Highlands, Maple Lake Artisans, Maple Lake Ontario, NON paid Post, art/crafts, business, canada, cottage country, events, fun activity, jewelry, opinion, personal, shopping |

In an effort to freely support local business I’m giving a shout out to The Art Hive, a business that is mostly woman-run. If you have not visited yet I strongly urge you to do so.

I came across The Art Hive late in my stay at Maple Lake last summer and went inside to find a lovely and talented artist who welcomed me warmly and told me of the the many artists and craftspeople involved in “The Hive.” Many pieces representative of these artists are on display in the store.

My initial interest and reason for stopping by was not the art but the building in which The Art Hive is housed. Decades ago, it was a general store and I have clear memories of tagging along with my cousins–all of us barefoot–in hopes of getting some penny candy if we behaved. In the ensuing years the store has had a number of incarnations but I hope this particular one ’sticks.’  This is wonderful showcase for cottage country local talent that wholly deserves the support of their community as well as visitors who truly want to take home a beautiful piece that represents the Highlands.

Please read more below and clear your calendar Saturday afternoon on May 30. You’ll be glad you did!

Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9, 3-5pm
A recycled art exhibition and partnership fundraiser
Fundraising Auction will be held on Saturday, May 30th.
A recycled art exhibition and partnership fundraiser. Includes at least one component which has been reused, scavenged, found or repurposed. Entries can be sculptural, functional, decorative, wearable.
Visit Website: www.thearthive.com
The Art Hive, 10239 Hwy 118, 4 km east of Carnarvon
Phone: 705-754-0021
Email: thearthive@live.ca

Laguna Beach Tide Pools *Photos*

Ξ May 2nd, 2009 | → 0 Comments | ∇ Photography, Travel/Vacation, United States, beach, family, fun activity, marine/marina, nature, opinion, personal, spring |

On our recent trip to Disneyland, despite it being early spring and the Pacific Ocean waters too cold to swim in we booked one night in a room on Laguna Beach. We like to snorkel but since there really wasn’t time, not to mention fundage, I plotted out where the best tide pools might be. Laguna Beach has plenty of them, especially in the vicinity of Fisherman’s Cove. Lowest tides occur very early in the day so we set out in the morning with the payoff shown in the photos. We were exhausted from 4 days and nights at Disneyland, time crunched with having to check out of the hotel, and we had catch a plane home so I would definitively stay in Laguna Beach again later in the season so I could take full advantage of all it has to offer.
The people of Laguna Beach are quite protective of their environs but the result appears to be a wealth of natural wonders that I’d not ever seen in the Orange County area.