Busy with grandsons

Jeremy dropped the boys off on Sunday last for a week in Gowganda. The first time by themselves and for me. We have been keeping pretty busy and eating hearty. They are stomachs on legs.

The other day we were out fishing in the canoe at Tiger Lake for Splake, we saw them jumping along the shore and so did a mink watching from the other side of us. No fish but lots of showers as we have had every day so far. Zach is handling his fishing rod pretty good with the cast on his broken wrist.

Another day we went back to the bog to get some better pictures of creeping snowberry and some of bunchberry that had just turned red. The boys found some Indian pipe which I will post when I get them off the camera (just too busy you know).

Everyday they have been swimming whether it was nice or not.

Emergency services in Gowganda

For those who don't know, Gowganda is 88 Km. (55mi.) from the nearest hospital which is in Englehart. Our town has a great first aid team that go through their training updates every year. They also have some of the best equipment available. When you are in trouble it is these people who are the first on the scene whether it be a coronary problem or an accident.

Again this week there was an emergency that had to be handled, the first aid team and usually volunteer firemen are there as quick as possible to administer first aid and gather lifesaving data for the arrival of the ambulance.

Backing up all this is the provincial ambulance sevices which can come by land or air with the air ambulance. Highly trained paramedics that can turn a poor situation into a good one by getting the person involved to a hospital in the shortest possible time.

To all who look after so many a great thank you.

Out to the bog

Where I was picking up some firewood there is a small bog, with black spruce overstory, these trees are up to 10 meters . Underneath the spruce was a foot of Sphagnum moss ,and then a peat base and a watertable just under the Sphagnum . Nice to walk on.

Labrador tea, Clintonia, Bunchberry, Creeping Snowberry and some Small Bog Cranberries. This is the first time I have seen the Small Bog Cranberries in bloom. The bloom is unusual as the petals go backwards and the stamens stick out way in front, sometimes described as a Turk's cap.

On the way back home on the roadsides the Fireweed is in bloom , this is a closeup of one of the blooms.

First trip out for firewood

Not a bad AM to go and get a bit of firewood today, I had seen a few dead cedars that I wanted for kindling in one of the cuts earlier. Weather was cooler in the AM but soon got very hot again. Weather predictions are for several more days of rain coming in, as if we don't have enough all ready.

Before I left the house I spotted a dew soaked spider web in the lilacs, you never quite see them as good until they get wet.

Stopped at an old beaverpond where the reflections were splended and the sun was still low.

Finally found some ripening blueberries, not to many as I was eating them while taking the pictures. It won't be long before some areas are a sea of blue.

On the way to town

For some of you that don't know the area, Gowganda is in the Boreal Forest but to get there from the east you have to go through the Little Clay Belt. This was formed 1000's of years ago during the retreat of the ice a large lake occupied what is now the Clay Belt. Deposits from the lake settled forming a large clay area when the water drained away. Farming is quite extensive with both crops, beef, and milk cows this is one of the richest farm areas in Northern Ontario. It is in extreme contrast to the rugged, rocky and forested Gowganda area.

From Gowganda to New Liskeard is approx. 110 Km. Over half of this is through the farmland on the claybelt. Large farms and huge acreages are seen along the way. Most of the farm seem pretty well to do.

A couple of pictures from coming home the other day, one of Triangle Hill a lookout area that has a panoramic view of the farmland both to the north and east. There is a trail to the top that I hope to be going on this summer.

Canola is one of the main crops in the summer and contrasts greatly to all that surrounds it.

More flowers

Best day of the whole summer so far. Sunny, no humidity, around 20C and the bugs were scarce what more could you ask for.

Went up to the tower for a look see, not too much new, one of the internet radios have been moved towards Lost or Long Lake to the east. The microwave cables are connected to the two dishes pointing towards Shinning Tree, other than that not too much.

Out for an ATV run on Bouche cut road late this PM finally got it all mapped out. It's surprising how close you can get to the north end of Firth Lake, a short 50 meter walk

A Wild Columbine and some Blue-Eyed Grass.

Some pics from last week

Can't tell what kind of weather it's going to be these days, but you can always count on having some rain. Cool temperatures as well.

Tower update from Ontera, all is coming along quite well and testing may begin tomorrow with a visit of an engineer arriving tomorrow. Looking good.

A few pics from last week mountain ash in bloom, the south end of Margarette Lake and some lily pads.

Two years today

FOR THOSE I LOVE

AND

THOSE WHO LOVE ME!

When I am gone release me, let me go---

I have so many things to see and do.

You mustn’t tie yourself to me with tears,

Be thankful for our beautiful years.

I gave to you my love. You can only guess

How much you gave to me in happiness.

I thank you for the love you each have shown,

But now it’s time I traveled on alone.

So grieve awhile for me, if grieve you must,

Then let your grief be comforted by trust.

It’s only for a time that we must part,

So bless the memories within your heart.

I won’t be far away, for life goes on,

So if you need me, call and I will come.

Though you can’t see or touch me, I’ll be near;

And if you listen with your heart, you’ll hear

All my love around you soft and clear.

And then, when you must come this way alone,

I’ll greet you with a smile, and the words---

“Welcome Home!”

Author Unknown

Spear Lake Rd

Down the Spear Lake rd. to check out the bridge yesterday. The bridge is in good condition and if we decide to go around the lake this bridge has to be there as the Wapus is to deep and with all the rain is flowing strong.

A rose among other flowers is always a rose, a Canada Anemone, and the blueberries are going to be great this year.

Picture stop

Always time for a picture stop, here's Paul with his new machine.

A small creeping plant called Twinflower, with its twin flowers of course, and a lunch stop at Elkhorn lake at the landing.

Weather turning cool this week with temps tomorrow around 14degrees C.

ATV ride to Elkhorn Rd. and more

Great day for a ride, sunny, cool and a gassed up bike, what more could you ask for. Picked Paul up about 9:00AM and off we go. Headed for the Elkhorn Lake Rd.

Went right down south as far as Holt Lake, and on the way back up went into Elkhorn, and Margarette Lakes. We managed to do all the off roads we could find. On these trips we are mapping with Garmin GPS units. These maps can be transferred to the computer and then anyone else with a mapping Garmin GPS can use the file.

Took lots of pics these are of daisys that looked like snow in the distance.

July 1st, all ready

For the last few days we have had one storm after another go through. More is expected in the next few days too.

Tonight was the fund raising supper for the Gowganda Community and Recreation Association (GCRA), there was a great turnout over 150 hungry people that left very satisfied with the food the Busy Bee's put together. They just about had to turn people away as there weren't enough tables and chairs. The food being so good that there was little left. Congratulations Busy Bee's and to the volunteers.

Todays pic is a plant that I have always found up at the mine area called Maiden Pink, especially around the roads where it is drier.

Millerett mine

East of town the Everett Lake Rd. takes you up to the site of most of the mines that occured near Gowganda in the early years. There were several mines in the area and one of them was the Millerett mine. From 1910 to 1912 the mine was the main producer which produced over 500,000 ounces of silver. This picture is all the remains of the site. The other is tailings from the mines of long ago.

The wasp nest is attached to the soffit of the house, it has a grand entrance way. I'm going to let it grow to see what will happen.

Town day today, ptuii

When I got home there was a call from the Ontera manager that looks after the tower, she said they were busy testing the network. Meaning the dishes on the towers that send the signal back and forth to Gowganda. This is part of the larger network, the testing in town will begin when this is all finished. They don't want to start it all up and find out problems with it. When all this is done they will test within Gowganda and from there Ontera installers will be setting up individual houses in town that want the hispeed. Still no final date for that but it can't be that far away.

Another rather unique flower today called Perennial Cornflower, Mountain Cornflower, Bachelor's Button, Montane Knapweed. I had tried to identify it but couldn't but sent an email to Andy Fyon of Andy's Northern Ontario Wildflower at http://www.ontariowildflower.com/ who agreed to take a look at the pictures and picked it off right away. You have to check out his site it is great and full of information on flowers and the sites they prefer.

Originally from Europe it has found its way here and is even classified as a weed in the Ontario Weed ID Book.

More tower installations

Went up about 10:00AM just before they hoisted the 8 foot dish up to the top. Had to be done carefully as they were working around the guy wires to get it up there. They make it look so simple. Two dishes installed both to point at Shining Tree's new tower.

While waiting around some shots of Bunchberry and Labrador Tea in bloom. This hot spell has to end.

Another tower Update

This was the day for tower testing according to the manager I had talked to 3 weeks ago. She said that it would be about the 22nd but don't write that in stone.

Went up late in the afternoon and sure enough the Ontera tech had just left according to the workers that were installing the last two dishes. You could have knocked me down with a feather. He will be back again tomorrow. The two remaining dishes will be pointed at Shining Tree but will have no effect on what happens here. The tech I talked to said the system looks pretty well good to go. We may have lift off in June yet.

Lots of lupines coming up now, the lilacs are just about finished and the iris are just starting.

Reeve-Dobie

Just north of the Bartlett mine was the Reeve-Dobie mine (named after the 2 lakes on either side of the find) . It operated intermittently since 1908 and was closed down in the fall of 1920. High grade ore was found to occur in open cuts. Later a mill was erected to process small veinlets containing native silver.

This mine has now been decommisioned meaning capped and vented, with all structures now taken down.

These pictures are courtesy of Paul Trudel and were photographed around 1996.

Gowganda is 100 years old

Actually it is a little older but the townsite of Gowganda was laid out 100 years ago. In its early beginnings there was a rush of prospectors searching for silver deposits. Some of them found claims that were very rich in silver. Mines sprung up all around the Gowganda townsite and some lasted for many years. Today only more exploration is being done and there are now no active mines in the immediate area.

Paul Trudel and I ATV'ed down the Mann Ridge Road which is famous for for it's namesake years ago as a prosperous mine. Further south on the west side of Gowganda Lake near it's southern boundry was the Bartlett mine. Records show that production began in the year 1909 when two tons of ore were shipped from this mine. It was the first recorded shipment of ore from a mine in the area

This started the Gowganda silver mining and from 1910 to 1925 several mines produced over 8,420,509 fine ounce of silver, this is exclusive of other shipments that were not recorded.

Our trip was to find what was left of the Bartlett Mine. Most of the area has all been recently cut for timber but we found the site beside a small pond. The tailings pile stands out the most as it is a large esker shaped pile of broken rock. At one end are large concrete structures that held up the headframe, and the shaft which has several pipes sticking out of it, these were to supply air pressure for their drills and possibly water. It was hard to get an overall picture of the site as it was so grown over with old growth,

After leaving the mine site we ventured up to a high viewpoint that overlooks Hangingstone Lake and Frying Pan Lake.

Tower check

Haven't been up to the tower in a long while, not to much new. Another cable on the old tower has been decomissioned. All the new cables are in the control shed now including the internet radios. I have been told that there may be a start on testing this month. This I was told is not written in stone, but one can hope.

While at the tower I took a panorama shot from the west towards the towers. On the ground a few Fringed polygala or Gay wings.