Calling the Wild Ones from Days Gone By

Heritage Day in Dorset is always fun. There are so many exhibits at the Museum -- log sawing, crafting square timber, art, music...

George brought his team of logging horses, complete with a log. Our father Paul used to swear there was nothing better for working in the bush than a good team. The horses work patiently, listening to the handlers, and creating the smallest possible footprint drawing out the timber. Not like the big machinery that needs a road hammered through the bush just to get to the trees.

Steve was hanging out with Mike, our resident old-time trapper. Mike had an impressive display of traps, wildlife pelts, old tools and items from the old days. Once upon a time, when animals were sought after for the pelts, fur trading was what opened up this part of the country. Nobody understood the ways of the animals better than the hunters and trappers.

Steve was demonstrating animal calls. He can mimic just about anybody you'd find hanging out in the wild, from squirrels to moose. If you've got a good moose call, come autumn you can often lure the big fellows right up to you. Not always the wisest thing to do, because when the bulls find out you are NOT the cow of their dreams, they can get testy. Loons will answer a loon, and Steve's got a great loon call. In fact, he has a whole necklace festooned with gadgets that help him sound as unlike a person as possible.

He was calling the wild things at Mike's trappers booth... and with evident success, because Jo, Maddy, Izzy and Sydney all showed up! "Give yourselves a big pat on the back," Steve told them. "For being outside having fun instead of stuck inside watching t.v. on a day like this!" We can attest that this gals get plenty of outdoor time!

It's okay, however, events won't get out of hand, because the First Muskoka Militia were there. Although field pay for a Sargeant is only $1/day, and the uniform is a little warm this time of year, the spirit is more than willing, and their rifles produce lots of lovely smoke.

That's an 8-man field tent... a very cosy 8 main field tent, from the looks of it! Comfort was not so high on the priority list. Volunteers are always welcome to join this group, and you don't have to sleep in a bunch in the tent, so come on down and sign on.

To the left of the museum, there was a nifty display of small steam engines. Brian and Mike got quite caught up in the discussions around these, although thankfully -- since the old machines don't have safety guards -- nobody got caught up in the machines themselves.

No visit to Dorset is complete with stopping in the Museum to look at the stunning scale model of the famous Gilmour Tramway, created by Bev and Paul. It's worth a trip all on its own.

This was built in 1893 to lift the logs from Lake of Bays over a 70' height of land into Raven Lake, from where the could be driven on through the Black River system to the mill at Trenton. It cost over a million to build... moved a million logs... but it took two years to put the logs over the tramway, and a total of three years to get them to the mill. It was abandoned after just one drive.

Good thing we have museums, and folks who collect the histories. Such wonderful, brave and desparate schemes should be remembered. our past should be celebrated... after all, if you have no idea where you've come from, it can make it hard to know where you're going, and there's so much that gets lost along the way that really should be kept.

Cheers to Heritage Days everywhere, and to the folk in Dorset who organize this every year. What a fantabulous day you provided!