Breeze Creek

Just west of Duncan Lake on the highway Breeze Creek staring to open up.

Click for larger view.

Duncan Lake-Northern Lites and Lyrids Meteor Shower

Out to find both and ended up coming home a bit after midnight.  I took a lot of pics but couldn't find any meteors or Northern Lights  Here is one looking down Duncan Lake of the Milky Way. Click on pic for larger view.

Just west of Firth Lake

A shot along the road looking east at the bottom end of Firth Lake.  You can see the Tamarack and the Red osier Dogwood is starting to change colour.  Something spring like may be happening.  Cleared more snow this morning and getting well below zero C tonight.  The road has a few spring bumps in it.

East of Gowganda

The melt is starting all over.

A couple more from yesterday at Firth Lake

Down to Firth Lake today

My neighbor mentioned to me that the Robitaille's were at their cottage fishing at Firth Lake and when they cleaned their fish up to 4 Bald Eagles had been feasting on the remains left on the ice.  Today I went down and stayed for awhile and never seen them.  They had just come back from fishing and were going to put out the remains later.   I headed down to Duncan Lake and an hour later back to Firth, no eagles.  Waiting in the cottage for awhile the crows came in and finally one Eagle came in on the ice and landed a way from the bait, it was hesitant on the ice and never did eat any.  I got a few good pics and this is the best one.  Make sure to click on the pic for larger view..

Whole lot of melting goin on here

Temps up today and every thing melting.  Lost a lot of snow today when the sun was out tonight it's only going down to 1C so it should melt tomorrow and then Tues night down to -11C.
 Wapus Ck has opened up around the bridge at the highway here's some pics.

 Some ice on the rocks down by Duncan Lake

Star watching earlier this week

Out taking some star photos last week on one of the warmer nights.  About 10:30pm a group of stars north of Orion called the Pleiades(the cluster between the trees)  in the western skies.  These are sometimes called the 7 Sisters.  With binoculars there are many faint stars with a small telescope you would see more than 100.   click on pic for better view

Something starting to happen

The last 2 or 3 days the snow has started to melt a bit.  Yesterday I headed for the dump and on the way back checked where Miller Creek crosses the road just south of Miller Lake sure enough it has melted through the snow and running.  Last week I checked and there was no water.

When I came back I headed down towards the Montreal River at the bridge and it is starting to open up too but not to much water coming thru.

Today we are waiting for a major snow storm heading are way,  the freezing rain started about an hour ago chances of 15 to 20 cm. of snow by tomorrow.

Long time no post

Finally getting close to finishing the renovations on the kitchen/dining room.  A bit more painting and a bit more drywall will put it finished for this year, the new flooring will wait till next year.
 Had to get out of the house this afternoon and just at the same time it started snowing.  Drove down the highway to the Spear Lake Rd. its all plowed out for a cut somewhere down the road. Maybe go back on the weekend when there are no trucks on the road.  Took a couple of pics along the way too.

Working on kitchen

How to grout a backsplash in 39 seconds.

Sundown tonite

click for larger pic

High winds and blowing snow

 The last few days have been windy with whiteouts. You can hear the wind coming and the house shutters with it's force.  It's going to get colder again for a few days too.
   Good thing I have been working inside on the kitchen, dining room for a while.  All the tiles are done except for the grout, the drywall almost finished and most of the drywall is primed. It's finally all coming together.  Here is a recent pic of the river looking north from the bridge.

Video of the river yesterday

Another from yesterday

Snowshoeing along the river

The weather finally is mellowing around -7°C today sunny and no wind.  Finally got out on the snowshoes and walked in from the road, south along the east side of the river. A good meter of snow in the bush sinking down about 30cm under the tree cover but in the open there was a soft crust that made it a bit better.  Here is a pic of river with pillows of snow on the rocks.

click for bigger pic

More snow pics

West of Gowganda

(click to see larger pic)

Dark Sundown

Just happened to look at the stats today

Today I was looking at the stats of Gowganda Views, this gives the number of people and what country they hail from, as of today more than 90,000 views by readers that have dropped in for a look since the start of the blog in 2008.  Thank you for all your participation.
 This year, the cold has kept the amount of new blogs down but I have some plans when it warms up a bit and the wind finally slows down.  Today it has been very windy, snow blowing all over, even walking down for the mail with the wind was not too comfortable.  Here's a pic of the homestead today.

Tonite's sunset

Pics from today Outlook Pt

Just a couple of pics from Outlook Point

Waiting for the northern lites last week

Last Thursday and Friday were to be good nites to observe the Northern Lites,  it  fell a little short as the suns blast was not quite straight on to the earth where we are.  I was out and in Thursday waiting but no sign of the lites.  Here is a token picture taken out the back yard about 11:30pm, temperature was cold and skies partly cloudy.  After that I packed it in.  Apparently they did see some around 3:00 am.  Friday nite turned out to be cloudy.

A bit warmer today, by Saturday possible +5° C

Heading into a warming trend the next few days. Out for a couple of pics along the highway.

Cold and more snow

Another couple of dumps of snow the last couple of days, yesterday just too cold to go out and clean it up.  Today better but not by much.  The summer chairs look so cool disappearing into the snow.  I know too much cold chills the brain.

Back to Gowganda yesterday afternoon

Great trip over the holidays, Worthington (west of Sudbury), Lindsay, Toronto, Peterboro, east of Parry Sound, and Huntsville. Lots of good food and catching up with everyone. Drove back from Huntsville yesterday the roads were dry and in good shape all the way home. 
 Not quite the same story this morning waking up to this....

Spent a few hours cleaning this up and it has snowed on and off the rest of the day too.  It's great to be back.

Last post for this year

 Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Thanks for watching Gowganda Views 

Winter solstice approches

Winter officially begins on Dec. 21, marking the slow return of the sun making the days become longer for those north of the equator. The day itself is the darkest and shortest day of the year, when the sun reaches its southernmost point in the sky.

Cold weather is not moving out yet

Very cold the last few days with the temps in the morning around -30° C one morning.  Days have had terrible wind chill too.  Snowmobiles are now on the lake.  Ice fishermen have said there is over 6" of ice.  Here is a pic of the old well in the back yard as the sun is setting.

Finally a bit of sun

After the ice storm and melt a bit of sunshine today

Back to the river

Down at the rapids where I took some pics earlier (Nov. 9), now with the snow a new view.  There is 10 inches on the ground in the bush right now.  Most of that will have disappeared with the rain last night.

Snow starting to add up

 After the last week or so temperatures have fallen and the lake is frozen over.  Snow is building up slowly even to getting the snowblowers out all over town, snowplows keep the roads clear and sanded.  Winter has set in.  Here are a couple of pics from last week.

Snowblowing today

 More than enough snow to get the rust off the snowblower today.  Always nice to get out and make sure it's working well for the rest of the winter.

Banker's bay yesterday

  To day it snowed off and on the whole day, it didn't look like it was coming down too hard but by the end there was at least 10 cm. 
   A pic of Banker's Bay and the ice that was pushed up from the south winds.

Tonight's sundown

Couple more from last days shoot

 

First picture is from the same spot only looking east.  The bottom pic is on the road just south of Firth Lake.

Wapus Creek

Warm and wet today with more rain to come tonight.  Out for a ride towards Wapus Creek for some pics. Walked down the old road bed where the bailey bridge used to be, the water is high just like all the areas right now.  Took some pics looking west from the bridge.

Tuesdays cold clear night

There was hard ice almost an inch thick in Outlook Bay, the south wind by the afternoon was pushing it up in front of the Post Office.  Earlton weather station logged in -16°C from midnight to 3:00 am.

Video of Montreal River

 A short video of the rushing water.

A very busy Montreal River

This picture was taken about half way between the dam and the bridge yesterday.  There is a lot of water coming down right now much like the spring runoff maybe even more. Don't forget to click on image for larger view.

Lots of rain the last few days

With all the rain and the fact that they took 4 logs out of the dam the water going down  Burke and Edith Lake like a flood.  The boat ramp at Edith is underwater and the concrete boat anchor they lock the boats to is 6 inches underwater. Here is a pic taken today.

Hedlund marsh iced over

Great day today, lots of sun and cool.  Headed out west on the highway and never got past Hedlund marsh.  Here are a couple of pics.  All of the water has a thin skin of ice.  This was taken around 3:00 pm.

Changes to a dull picture

Before 

After