Thank You

A late post today or should I say early morning. I want to thank Gert and Paul for the great lunch and her disaster cake (her name for it but was just the opposite). As usual more food than you can eat and great. Also the great yak sitting in their porch overlooking the lake.

Carol arrived a little late because of the Freedom Ride at the Biker's Reunion. They closed the highway for the ride. She was about 10min. late of getting to the turnoff to Elk Lake. Anyway it slowed her down to let the tiles cool on the front of the car(inside joke).

We were catching up on things when Lauch phones and invites Carol and I for supper. Again a great supper only Ruth can make with more choices that you can shake a stick at. The birthday square with the candle was great. Wayne and Dana, Teresa and Jake were there too.

I want to thank the Barnstaples and Everett's for their birthday wishes too.

Zach, Brenden and Jeremy phoned from Sudbury and Kate from Huntsville. An excellent birthday again I thank everyone.

We sure need more rain, it's dry in the house

Another soaker today and probably again tonight and tomorrow. How can you tell it's a long weekend.

More puttering inside this morning. Carol phoned early and she is coming up for a couple of days, going back on Tuesday. A great surprise.

When the rain stopped for awhile I went out to start covering up the firewood (so it wouldn't get wet don't you know). Will finish it later on.

More pictures of the garden, just can't get enough of all these Iris. Also a red poppy this time.

For some reason you can always click on the upper picture and get a bigger view, not so with the ones below the printing.

Finally a dry day

Started off pretty foggy but cleared early to a bright, hot day. Cutting grass in sections as it got drier.

About 11:45 the paddlers from Virginia arrived, after how do's they were on their way to the Wapus. They, Bill and Jo Henry were all prepared, I helped get the canoe off and the packs etc. went in and they were off. They hope to be back before the 14th if not to send out the search party. I drove their truck back to the house for safety.

As a token he had bought up a Gowganda map he purchased off eBay which was dated 1929, the road stops at Gowganda and there is no Stumpy Lake along with all sorts of other changes. He harvests honey and I have a fresh jar of locust honey that looks delicious and some huge onions out of their garden. Hope they have a safe and great trip.

Tried to get a picture of one of the guard swallows that keep divebombing me, will try again later. Last year they never bothered us. Ask Doug White what he thinks of our guards.

Home Day

Busy today cleaning up. Tomorrow I'm expecting a couple from Virginia coming up to canoe. They will be starting at the Wapus going to Matachewan and then back down to Gowganda. All in all they will be gone till around the 10th of July. I will be shuttling them to the start and bringing their car back home for safe keeping.

Got a lawn tractor repaired today and sharpened and made up a new chainsaw chain while doing the rest. All in all not a bad day.

Just a couple of pics of some of Cathie White's flowers, a white poppy and a columbine flower.

Back from the Bay

Took my time coming home and stopped at a few places, if it didn't start to rain. Beautiful AM in North Bay and by the time I got above Marten River there was lightning strikes, thunderheads and sheets of rain. Drove up to the Temagami tower and waited in the car until the rain stopped a bit and then headed up the hill. There was a sign at the base of the tower that if there was lighting and thunder to get off the top of the hill and stay away from the steel tower. Duh.

Took a couple of quick pics and headed back to the car, just in time for the skys to open up and unleash another rain storm.

I took a picture of the Latchford bridge from the little park beside the information area, quite a nice little spot overlooking the train bridge, rapids, road bridge and the dam.

In North Bay tonight

Connected up to hispeed tonight at the motel. Good trip down the highway, still a lot of construction below Marten River, 3 stops all together. Terrible truck accident just south of Latchford on a bend, they were just removing the pieces of the truck part when I went by, it left a crater at the side of the road. Will be pictureless today, I'm going to try and get some pics around North Bay while my tracer is doing it's job.

Quiet day today

Again more rain overnight and on and off all AM. Busy doing housework and cleaning up after the crowd. Got in the garage and did a few jobs and caught up on some paperwork and bills. Tomorrow I'm going to North Bay to stay in the motel for my appointment early the next morning. I decided to go down early as there is a lot of construction on Highway 11, last time down I spent over and hour waiting at 3 different stops for blasting etc. and I don't want to be late.

A few random pics, Bab's Lake, Creek from Miller Lake, Pine sentinels.

Great Visit-Time to head out

Everyone didn't take long to get to bed last night after the long trip up from Sudbury. The boys were asleep in no time and none of us were up till 7:30AM this morning. A big breakfast was made and they got ready to go.

They were on there way about 10AM. The weather looks favourable, and their tanks were full of gas. Stacey had the boys bikes on the truck until they get to the Sand Lake Rd. and then they are on their way too.

Waiting for the bikers

A little after 2PM the truck drove in with Stacey driving and the boys sleeping, both bikes in the back of the truck. They had made the trip from Sudbury up to Highway 560 and then put the bikes in the truck as they can't travel on the highway. It was Brenden and Zack's longest trip ever and they were no worse for wear other than a little pooped. It's a good thing that they had been out so often around Sudbury to get use to their bikes, Kawasaki 140cc. The two big boys Jeremy and his friend, Sheldon have dual purpose motocycles so they were finishing the trip by the highway. A little while later they drove into the yard to both tired and butt weary.

They had a good trip and only run into the storm quite near the end of the trip but I don't think that ruined the feeling of such a good trip. Stacey bought up one of her great rigatoni's which disappeared with no trouble, and we finished that up with a couple of Emily's apple pies with ice cream. A great feast. They are returning tomorrow by the same route hopefully there will be no rain.

While waiting this morning I was out taking some pics of our Iris's and some Phlox which are so colourful.

Out to town today

Left around 7:30AM and back by Noon. My kind of trip organized and fast. Nothing in New Liskeard to see anyway.

Anyway a few pics from the other day. Blue eyed grass in bloom, Labrador tea and a pic of the bridge with it's new decking. These were all from the Spear Lake Rd near Duncan Lake.

Back to the bog

Came back to the bog to see if the flowers on the Pitcher -plant had opened. Found they were almost out, put on my chest waders and headed in. I have never seen the mosquitoes as bad as I did in the next half hour. I had my bug jacket on and the back of my hands covered in deet. Can't use it on the hands because of the camera. They were so thick I had to open up a stop on the camera to let the light in. (slight exageration) Unfortunatly the way the flower hangs it's almost impossible to take a picture of the bloom as it hangs down. Some of the shots taken were holding the camera low and shooting up, because you can't look through the viewfinder you just hope you get the right shot. Finally had to use the flash.

Found a Pink Lady's Slipper or Moccasin-Flower at Margarette Lake and a view of the lake. A stump covered with Bunchberries looked as though it had been planted.

Back to Gorman Lake Heronry

Headed back to Gorman Lake were the heronry is. I was there on June 1 and took pictures of the heron's on their nests.

Today there were no herons, I expected to see young birds and adults feeding them. What I found were eaten eggs, bunches of fresh juvenile flight feathers and bones. I suspect ravens may have been the culprits as I found a raven feather too. Unfortunately the nests were cleaned out along with some young birds.

I continued my trip south and portaged (liftover) into Logan Lake, a long narrow lake. It is just north of Margarette Lake and I hope to portage to it one day.

Catch up day today

Busy catching up on all sorts of odds and ends today, especially house cleaning. Somehow it always gets left to the end.

Jeremy called and he and the boys are riding their motorcycles from Sudbury to Gowganda, they will have Stacey driving the truck behind and if the boys get tired they will put the bikes in the truck. It will be a full house this weekend as a friend and his wife are bringing their tent camper up too.

Today some pics of the bog, cotton grass, and pitcher plants.

Spring Wood Stacking-----FINITO

Finally have finished with the spring wood supply by finishing the stacking today. Won't have to worry about more wood until the fall. Put in over 5 bush cords not to bad for spring wood.

Posting some more spring flowers today, all in bloom. Bunchberry, clintonia, and the flower of the nodding trillium I posted back on May 30th

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Father's Day

Had a busy morning and afternoon stacking wood. Going along faster than I expected but then the sky turned dark and the lightning started that was the end of the stacking.

Went to Lauch and Ruth's for supper, Paul, Gert, Doug, Cathie and Mark and Laurie VanCamp from New York were there too. Another great meal from Ruth with more than we could eat as usual the best. Had a great gabfest after supper too.

Kate and Jeremy both phoned today and I got to talk to tomorrows Birthday Boy, Brenden (11)

Found this fellow along the road as I was being chased by mosquitoes.

Grass cutting

Well the grass had to be cut today, if not I would have to borrow a baler. Too wet to start with so started with the drier grass and finally finished about 1:00pm. Trimmed and all.

Got out about 2:00 and headed for the Spear Lake Rd, wanted to go down and check a couple of spots. One of them a great little bog that I photographed a few years back. Nothing says the boreal forest like a bog. When working with the Lands and Forests that was where I usually could be found. I'm fascinated by the complex ecosystem that creates a bog with all different moisture regimes and the vegetation that grows there. Anyway I'm saving those pics for another day.

I did happen to find a relic among the trees, and a great clear water pond.

Wood Splitting all done

Couple of hours finished off the wood pile for this spring. A good breeze off the lake kept most of the flies at bay. Going to have to wait for National Wood Stacking Day now. Again no fresh pics, I hope to get out tomorrow and catch up on the flowers that are coming out. Rain or shine I will be out.

National Woodsplitting Day

Started splitting around 9:00AM had some lunch and split to 4:30PM, not quite finished but it will only take about an hour or so to finish tomorrow. All in all 12 truck loads of wood, should be about 4+ bush cords.

Out after supper to get a few pics of the lilacs, deep purple. There are white and some light washed out purple ones in the same group, but these stand out so well. Hopefully a nice bright sunny day before they pack it in I will get some more pics.

Another half work day

Well only worked a half day today as I had to go to Elk Lake in the morning. Woke up with the carbon monoxide alarm at the foot of the bed ringing it's head off, the power went off. It came on and off 2 or 3 times and then went right off. Had to start the generator to have a shower and warm my cup of coffee.

Worked all afternoon at Ruth Somervilles again but that is it until more material (another new window) arrives. Will start splitting firewood tomorrow. Hope to make some good headway and get it over with.