Bondi Resort BLOG

Sled Report for the Weekend

2012-01-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

Well I bet we are in for a busy weekend. Our trails are pretty much as good as they get. Highland Rovers opened up trails 78-79 for us and its listed as limited. Also limited is trail 77W from Tally Ho to Dwight. It is still a bit rough in some ares due to the tree canopy not letting the snow to get to the ground. All others are good to go. Any road running has pretty good coverage and with the predicted snow each day should keep it that way.

Thanks to Tim, of the Algonquin Snowmobile Club, for this 'up to the minute report' on the local trails! Conditions have been such that now that we have the snow, there are a lot of keen sledders hoping to get out there!

Tim writes: " Well I bet we are in for a busy weekend. Our trails are pretty much as good as they get. Highland Rovers opened up trails 78-79 for us and its listed as limited. Also limited is trail 77W from Tally Ho to Dwight. It is still a bit rough in some ares due to the tree canopy not letting the snow to get to the ground. All others are good to go. Any road running has pretty good coverage and with the predicted snow each day should keep it that way.

The warm weather we had, wet snow and cold nights have made for a great trail base. I went for a ride on Oxtongue Lake and was surprised it was in better shape than the last ride a few days ago. It has firmed up but still a bit wet near shore. We have not staked it yet, hopefully after this weekends traffic and some more cold will firm it up so we can stake it.

Just another reminder about our Chili Cook Off this Saturday on Trail D101B just north of the Shelter. Be sure to stop by and vote for your favorite. Hope to see plenty of ASC Members throughout the day.

If you are in the area, trail 76 is must trip and also trail 65 from the Shelter around towards Dorset. Trail 74N to D101B to Oxbow should also be on your bucket list. With the logging that went on this summer its an awesome ride, even in the groomer. "

Thanks for the update, Tim, and huge thanks to all the volunteers and Club members who work so hard to ensure our local trails are shining stars in Provincial network! There's just no place better to be!

Over the Hill and onto the Trails!

2012-01-26T13:55:00.000-08:00

My timing with the camera has been off this week.

Either that, or the battery was drained. Which meant that I spent the week just missing the best photos of the year so far. I have fingers crossed that our guests will bail me out, and email me some of their photos!

We had kids having a total blast on the toboggan hill. We had a group that snowshoed up the mountain (and I kick myself for missing THAT photo -- three of them, bright spots of colour, seen through the leafless trees) And this week we had the Over the Hill Gang here, snowshoeing, skiing and hiking. Although we had rain on Monday, that soon turned to snow, and Brian was able to get the trails groomed and gorgeous.

But you have to take my word for it... because my timing with the camera was bad...

For anyone thinking of coming north to see what a Canadian winter should look like, to try skiing, snowshoeing, bird watching, or just enjoying a sunset across a frozen lake, North Muskoka has what you're looking for. Winter's here.

Winter Colour

2012-01-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

I've been 'disconnected' from the Internet for a few days while we worked on the system to improve the overall access for our guests at Bondi.

So I am a few posts behind, for those of you who read this Blog with any regularity (and, gosh, we love those of you that do!)

So, check out THIS sky! I went up to the arena with a student, and the day was coloured in winter whites and sky blues with hints of forest green. We came out of the arena an hour later and walked smack into this breath-stealing colour.

By the time I had walked down to the lake by Clover cottage, the colours were muting. Sunsets change by the second.

Still, this colour palette was just as lovely, with the lake ice a shade that I think is described as Cobalt? I should ask Napster... artists usually know the correct names for colours!

That little dot out there, past the boathouse, that's the BMD's Fish hut. And that gleam of light under the boathouse, that's a product of the ice away keeping the water open. More on that, later...

Dwight Bay -- not only where the ice is, but where the fish are too!

2012-01-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

That fine looking fish hut belongs to our cousin, Ross Tapley. He's got a couple of them out on Dwight Bay this winter, and if you are staying here with us at Bondi Village, you can rent from him, and spend the day cosily waiting for fish...

Of course, those of you who prefer not to fish can leave the fishermen to have at it, and spend the day on our ski and snowshoe trails instead. Or curled up by the fire with a lovely cup of tea and a deer looking back at you from the lawn.

Or you can all saddle up the snowmobiles -- yes, trails ARE open (but be super careful on lakes -- most of the lake trails are not open yet.) You MUST know the ice conditions (Ross knows!) Dwight is blessed with two rivers entering the bay, making it a great site for fishing at any time of year. Located just five minutes away from us, it lets the fishermen enjoy their sport, while the 'rest of us' play with the snow in the great outdoors.

The snowmobile trails are all posted on the Muskoka Snowmobile Region website.

Thanks to Gloria Woodside for these pictures, snapped yesterday. That's the Dwight Dock, all covered with snow, at the public beach at Dwight. this is an iconic dock for the Muskoka region -- once upon a time it was a prime stop for the big lake steamers. The roofed section ensured that folks waiting for the boats were sheltered from all weather.

Here's Looking at You Looking at Me

2012-01-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of guests here this week -- much snowshoeing, and hiking, and cross country skiing were the orders of the day.

Some of our guests went into Algonquin Park, enjoying the beautiful trails on offer there. We asked them, as they returned the Park Pass that we include for all our guests to enjoy, if they had seen any wildlife. The answer was negative, with the exception of birds. (which count, really they do! )

But they had seen plenty of wildlife here on our own property. That included the red fox who was circling the Chicken Coop yesterday, trying to find the entrance to the Drive-Through Take Out.

And the deer, who have packed their own roadways through the snow and can be found at almost any time of day along the lakeshore.

These guests paused at the top of the slope going down to Lantern cottage, to enjoy the sight of the deer gazing back at them from the lakeshore.

Last year, when the Ancient Mariners Canoe Club was here for their winter excursion, there was great excitement because they spotted a Bald Eagle while on some of our ski trails. This year, the excitement continued -- but this time it was a Golden Eagle. Those are a little more common, but still rare enough to cause a stir here. Two confirmed nesting sites were located in Algonquin Park last year for Bald Eagles, who seem to be making a bit of a comeback. And some guests this morning coming in to ski our trails reported a deer-kill site near the Port Cunnington Road, which was heavily decorated with Ravens.

The presence of that deer-kill indicates that the Wolf Pack is back in town. We were out looking at the winter constallations this past week as well -- Orion is at its very best this time of year. Next time, we'll have to have a little Howl, just in case the pack is close enough to answer our call!

Moving Matters

2012-01-22T09:46:00.000-08:00

Moving snow is serious business.

We remember well visiting friends in London, England years ago. It was early February. An ivnitation came to come up and see friends in Northampton, which seemed like a great idea.

Except that it was snowing. First of all, the concierge at the hotel advised us that we would not be able to make it even as far as the Train Station.

Unequipped with a map or GPS, we were in no position to argue, but we were Canadian, and made of stern stuff. Besides, there was less than an inch of snow on the sidewalk. Grumpily muttering about Colonials, he called a Taxi. The driver whereof explained in great detail that the roads were so bad he didn't know if he would be able to get us to our destination. In the middle of his "godawful roads, national crisis, unprecedented snowfall' diatribe, I offered to drive.

As it unfolded, we discovered the dang station was only two blocks from the hotel. We could have easily walked it, on the mostly deserted streets (all inside, hunkered down waiting for Apocolypse). We boarded the train. Departure time came. And went. And went a little farther along.

Finally the plummy voice on the p.a. announced that the tracks were frozen, trains were shorted out, and there would be as short delay. Enough time passed to read all of War and Peace, in the original. For plum trees to bloom in the spring. At least, it felt like that. In reality it was only a few hours.

When the voice came back on, it announced that Thanks to God and British Rail, transit could be resumed. I'd prefer to leave God out of that, since I'm fairly confident it was Brit Rail that designed tracks and trains that could be shut down by an inch of snow, without any input from any Diety.

When we arrived at Northampton, we were greeted by ther cheery news that the Gritters were out, so there was a fighting chance we could get where we needed to go. Britain, with tiny, narrow roads and congested cities, suffers from that over-arching issue of having no-where to put snow, so any snowfall can be of consequence.

Here, Brian has a solid grasp on the need to have places to put the snow. Ways to move it off the travelled areas, and leave room for the ploughs to work. One of the weapons in his arsenal of snow moving equipment is the snowblower, pictured here.

Rural Ontario, particularly up here in the Northern regions, has a firm grasp on this principal as well. Weather conditions that cause mayhem in the cities to the South often pass with barely a mention. There is a Lake Effect in Ontario that can blast snow in blizzard conditions across the Province near Barrie, so that is a notoriously tricky bit of highway in winter -- but once north of that, driving conditions tend to be pretty darn good.

Except that we are still working on convincing folks that having 4 wheel drive is not a license to drive at speed on winter roads. 4-wheel drive may help you claw your way back OUT of the ditch -- it will do nothing at all to prevent you sliding off INTO it. Winter tires, driving within the limitations of the conditions, allowing more time... these are your best friends in winter.

Tracking Trout through a Blizzard

2012-01-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

It was ever so slightly reminiscent of the Scott Expedition to the Antarctic...

They set off boldly, through the snowstorm, in search not of the Pole, or (at the other end of the globe) the Northwest Passage, but of fish.

Although the adventure is in the trip. As the old saying runs, Better to Travel Hopefully.

This was Day One of actual fishing use at the hut this year. It is just possible that the weather conditions were not optimal.

Real fishermen are not daunted by the weather, however. Nor do they limit themselves to fishing only from within the sheltering walls of the hut itself.

As the afternoon progressed, the snowstorm grew ever stronger. Winds were persistent. Or, as Mike called them, "Gale Force." Visibility, shall we say, diminished. Finally, Dave and Mike called it a day, and came home for a dinner that, sadly, did not include fish on the menu.

Never mind. They had better Fish Stories to tell. And -- as they pointed out -- you just couldn't beat the view!

Yep, that's the hut, out there... somewhere...

Snowflakes that Stay

2012-01-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

One of our favourite songs comes from The Sound of Music -- My Favourite Things.

One of the verses runs, "Girls in white dresses, with blue satin sashes; Snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes."

Well not so much the girls, but today scored big on the second part of that.

We are constantly being asked if we have any snow this winter. Yes, would be the short answer.

Today we got even more. Brian has been busy moving it out of driveways, and grooming it on trails.

The Ancient Mariners group is here -- one commented to me that it was like skiing through a Christmas card.

Snow like this sticks beautifully to trees. It muffles sound. It reduces the view to the immediate (we can ask Dave about that, in another post: he was out in the fish hut for the afternoon) It brought a lot of birds to the feeders as well.

The horses were happy outside, munching on hay. Squeegee has such a thick winter coat that not enough heat escapes to melt the snow. By the time he came in for the evening, he was just a walking snowball.

Taffy was more than happy to demonstrate how deep the snowfall was.

She's on one of the driveways, before Brian got to it with the plow.

So, to answer the question, is there snow up there? Why, yes.

And it is one of our favourite things.

Deployed

2012-01-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

The Fish Hut is out. It's been a slow start to the season, but the weather has relented and decided that, yes, it is indeed Winter in Canada.

David and Brian got a trail packed in across the bay. This is a crucial ingredient in the exercise, since the recent heavy snowfall produced a lot of slush on the lake.

Slush is not fun -- it forms a watery layer between the snow and the ice. You won't fall through the ice -- but you will fall into the slush, which will promptly freeze and clump and make travel next to impossible. On skiis or snowshoes, it is brutal. Drop a snowmobile into it, and you're probably parked there till spring melt...

Once a trail is packed in, however, the slush freezes down solid and there is a solid footing on which to tow the fish hut. This is a good thing -- you can't tow fast enough to keep a sled up out of the slush. Taffy was also appreciative of the packed trail, which kept her paws dry.

Dave has a Fish Finder... which would doubtless work better if the fish down below the ice didn't have their own Dave Finder which will probably let them avoid the entire operation.

Time and bait will tell! The hut is strategically located close to where Vic and John had really good fishing luck last year. Good luck, that is, except for the time the eagle swiped their trout right off the ice.

Winter in the Wild

2012-01-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

Here's a great notion! Algonquin Park is offering the first Winter in the Wild Festival, February 18.

Now, that just happens to coincide with the Family Day Weekend -- so how great is that?

We still have some cottages for that weekend. Stay with us, and combine it with these great Park activities. A winter wolf howl! (you might even hear our own pack of Algonquin timber wolves singing you to sleep here at Bondi)

If it's a clear night, we'll toss in a Dark Skies Star Search, too.

Use your new found tracking skills on our ski and snowshoe trails -- you'll be amazed at who your neighbours are on those trails.

It's a Wild Idea, all right... don't let this one get away!

Sweet Sled Deals

2012-01-15T10:11:00.000-08:00

Algonquin Snowmobile Club, Happy Wanderers, Tall Pines and DuYaWanna clubs have all opened trails this weekend. The snow is here, the trails are ready.

And Haliburton Sled Rentals has re-opened for the winter at the Beacon, in Dwight.

Mark's offering some great deals, for those who have always wanted to drive a snowmobile but perhaps don't have one of their own parked in the yard.

Weekdays are 50% off -- pair that up with one of Bondi's Super Specials, and you've got a great getaway.

If you're a little shy about trying the trails on your own, HSR will take you on a guided tour, starting at $99/person.

Sunset in the Northern Sky

2012-01-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

Walking along the shore this evening, with one sunset lighting up the western sky over the lake, I looked back at Springside cottage, and was treated to a second sunset painting the opposite sky.

It might be a little chill to sit in those Muskoka chairs today though!

Groomed, yes. And Track Set.

2012-01-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Brian spent all morning working on the cross country ski trails.

Thanks to the recent snowfall, we now have all our trails open.

All our trails groomed.

And all our trails track set.

Just some of the trails have different tracks set in them than other...

The packed trails make for some easy running for our local whitetail deer.

Getting their "Bondi" On

2012-01-14T19:52:00.000-08:00

The Baillie family have been coming to Bondi to celebrate their New Year for over thirty years.

First order of activity is to hit the toboggan hill -- with a large array of gear designed to get the most number of people down the hill in the least amount of time.

Saturday is pretty much devoted to a rousing game of street hockey, set up in one of the parking lots right next to the Lodge. Nice and close for everyone to dash inside to warm up with some hot chocolate when there is a break in the action.

Although breaks in the action are few and far between.

They come Game Ready, and as you can see from the winter game equipment at the door, they come to get their Bondi On!!!

It's always fun to have them here -- the family has such fun together, and we're delighted to be included in their Family Tradition.

Look there...

2012-01-13T11:03:00.000-08:00

Look there... see that hay bale? Well, it gets smaller daily, in part because during the day the horses are out there chowing down, but in part because the very moment the horses come back inside the stable, the deer appear as if by magic.

Sometimes, in the late afternoon, they don't wait, and it is not at all uncommon to find a deer, or two, munching away standing in beside the horses. Now, that said, keep in mind that Jake (in the red jacket) is tall enough the deer can actually walk under him and only have to duck a little bit.

Yesterday, coming back from the arena, one of the free-loading deer suddenly saw Taffy. She is currently known as Taffy The Joyous, and she only has one speed when she is outside -- full gallop. She loves being in the snow.

Said deer took one look at the approaching horse, rider, and poodle, and left. And we do mean left.

See that white fence behind the horses? That five foot high fence? She sailed over it as if it was not even there. They truly are the most amazing jumpers, these deer!

Over by the entrance to the Lookout Trail, we found an antler polishing tree. It began life innocently enough as a striped maple, but this one was selected by our buck to be the place where he rubbed all the velvet off his antlers this autumn.

Things like this make a simple walk down from the arena quite the wilderness adventure. You just have to keep your eyes open.

Slide, Click, Enjoy...

2012-01-13T10:16:00.000-08:00

Deb's family stayed with us at Christmas time, and she has very kindly sent us some photos of the 'gang' playing with the Bondi winter.

They do have the most elegant of sleds, which (coupled up with the flying saucer that also serves well as a hat) got a lot of exercise on the toboggan hill.

A little 'coaching' and a lot of photography happened. There were also an assortment of hikes (with and without snowshoes) to the mountain Lookout, a bit of skiing.

Not all the photo subjects involved hurtling down hills... a few were simply for the photograph itself. Some of the old farm implements that we have on the property transform in wintertime into something quite magical.

And, once back in the cosy comfort of the cottage, sitting by the fire, a tad of Wildlife Watching.

Thanks for sharing your memories and photos with us Deb!

Trails Update -- Gentlemen, (and Ladies!) Start your Engines!

2012-01-12T20:35:00.000-08:00

The Algonquin Snowmobile Club has had a slow start to the season. The snow was just not as co-operative as we had hoped. You need a decent base to handle the big grooming equipment! One look at this big groomer explains not only why the ASC trails are considered among the best in the Province, but also why they require a certain depth of snow, and well frozen ponds and boggy bits!

Add to that an electrical 'gremlin' in the groomer's inner depths, and it has been 'tear out the hair' time for the gang of dedicated volunteers that get the trails ready.

But be of good cheer, oh dearly beloved, the season is brimming with hope. And open trails. The ASC is opening trails 74, 73, D101B from the Shelter to Oxbow Lake Rd. and 77 east to Dwight as limited. There are still a couple spots that need another 6" of snow due to the rocks on D101B but other than that its pretty good. Trail 76 will be fully open and is in great shape as usual. Remember, this takes you to the Lake of Bays which is no where ready to be on so its just a nice 12km trail that you can turn around and double back to D101B.

Other Clubs, such as the Happy Wanderers, and the Tall Pines are all out grooming, and there are lots of places now open to ride. Tall Pines has a great little up-to-the-minute video on trail conditions. It's well worth the watch -- you get a good look at the groomers, for those of you who may not be sledders and therefore unfamiliar with this equipment.

Stay off any lakes unless you have checked that they are staked and have sufficient ice. Don't take any chances out there troops... that water is just too cold and unforgiving this time of year.

And yes, it snowed all day up here... more in the forecast, too!

Ice is Nice, on Dwight Bay

2012-01-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

The main lake, down by Bigwin Island, is still open, so don't get your hopes up to go roaring off on your sleds across the frozen tundra just yet.

But over on Dwight Bay, which is more sheltered, the ice huts are going out. Ice fishermen rejoice!

We are partnering with our cousin, Ross Tapley, this winter -- stay with us at Bondi, and rent one of his fish-huts (two hole or four hole!) to fish on Dwight Bay. With two rivers flowing into that bay, it's a favourite of the fish.

And half of the success of fishing is knowing where the fish are going to be hanging out.

Makin' it Work

2012-01-07T09:04:00.000-08:00

The Bondi Maintenance Dept. is seldom at a loss when things 'go wrong.'

Yesterday, in the evening's failing light, Brian and Dave lit the place up doing a little metal working to repair a baffle from one of the wood burning furnaces.

Owls! Rare Birds Indeed!

2012-01-07T08:51:00.000-08:00

Syl and Kelly come to stay with us in the early autumn, and spend a lot of their time hunting for birds -- armed with cameras.

They keep adding to their Life List of rare birds. (Syl is still way out ahead: he spotted Kelly, the rarest and most precious "bird" of all. They were birding in Algonquin Park, when Kelly -- absorbed in spotting an elusive warbler -- was called over by Syl. "Not now," she hissed, I've got a good bird over here."

"I've got a better one" Syl replied, producing a small red box containing the engagement ring.

This December, Syl sent me some photos of more rare birds they have spotted together. These owls were near Point Pelee/Kingsville.

It's not common to see Great Gray owls. They are Manitoba's provincial bird -- but here we are well south of their normal range -- which means sightings are elusive, and rate a gold star on a Birder's Life List. The largest of our owls, they can easily be three feet high, with wingspans up to five feet across. This one obligingly perched on a stump near the road, making it possible for Syl to get a good view, and a good photo.

And the Snowy Owl, equally obliging, checked out the tv reception, posing beautifully for his adoring public. Stunningly beautiful in their Winter Whites, these are huge owls - we do see them here, but not often. When these owls leave their Arctic ranges, it indicates a shortage of mice up there to the north. Given the number of mice in my stable this winter, I'd suggest that the entire northern population might be here, but I could be exaggerating. It is not uncommon for these owls to periodically descend upon Southern Ontario, following the fluctuations in rodent populations that regularly occurs. Syl and Kelly were very fortunate, and we are quite green with envy, that they were able to see these fantastic owls.

photo by Gary Schulz, with permission. Snowy Owl.

Quinn has been here over the Christmas holiday, and we discussed owls -- he recently rescued a Northern SawWhet owl that had been 'bowled over' by the wind of a passing car near Bronte Park. Sadly, I've not spotted any Snowy Owls here: they seem to have travelled right on south in search of copious mouse populations.

I'm including this video of a hunting Great Gray Owl, courtesy of the BBC. The photography in both these video links is astonishing, and watching how these incredible birds hunt only adds to the awe in which I hold them!

Lake Songs

2012-01-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

40 below is the point where David (Celsius) and Sarah (Fahrenheit) agree on the temperature scale.

We're not there just yet. But we are hovering at around 30 below as I write this, late at night, under an enormous but not yet full moon that played havoc with our Star Gazing earlier this evening.

Even with the moonshadow, our guests had a blast learning how to track from the Big Dipper to the North Star, to Cassiopeai; from Orion to the Pleiades, to Sirius. We were bundled up against the cold, and nobody needed a flashlight, with the moon shine reflecting back from the snow.

In the silence, you could hear the lake snap, and growl. It's not a noise that you hear unless you are outside at night, when it is really cold, and it is not a noise you soon forget. Like loon tremolo in the spring and summer, this is a truly Northern song, the song the lake sings when it is making ice. As water freezes, it expands. As the bay freezes over, that ice expands too, pushing against the shores. Those shores are made of stern stuff -- fabulous high quality Muskoka Granite. It hasn't moved in millenia and it has no intention of moving now, just because of a little ice-push. That causes tension to build in the ice -- it's the classic immoveable object meeting up with the irresistable force. To release that pent up energy, the ice will crack and shift as fault lines form.

And that is what causes the lake to sound like someone shaking a sheet of metal, like a low growl, or a sudden snap. Freezing lakes aren't silent -- despite the serene surface stillness.

Winter is here. For true. We know, because tonight we heard the lake sing.

Up and Running

2012-01-03T20:25:00.000-08:00

Skis, toboggans, sleds, snowshoes... everything is set for some winter fun. The snow is here, and the cold weather (and yes, tonight it is exceptionally cold out there -- clear skies, huge moon, and deep deep cold). That will firm up the trails and the lakes, so it's a good thing.

Brian has about half of our ski trails groomed and track set. There are some that still need more snow before they are really ready for the groomer, but they can be skied without being track set.

He set a big figure8 loop through the open fields behind the resort, that is absolutely ideal for getting back on skis for those who need a place to 'find their snow legs'. The fields have a lovely, gentle roll to the terrain, and are interspersed with the tracks of wildlife. From these you can loop off onto several of the trails winding through the forests around Bondi.

He's also set a trail around the resort property itself. In these pictures, you can see him coming back across the lawn, from the lakeside of Beaver cottage, behind Cedars cottage. How convenient is that? You can step out of the cottage directly onto this trail, ski one or more loops around to get yourself warmed up (or wait for your friends to get their gear on!) and then head out for a longer ski!

Guests today also hiked up the mountain -- the snow is not so deep that snowshoes are really required, and it was clear and sunny, perfect for a day out! Provided you were dressed for it! Scarves over faces, woolly hats and good boots are the order of the day.

Slip Sliding Along!

2012-01-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

Looking for something a little different to do with family and friends this winter?

Arrowhead Provincial Park -- home of great cross country skiing trails every winter -- has added something new and fun.

They've flooded one of the mainland roads, and created a SKATING TRAIL. With campfire sites along the way, you can spend some time skating along the road, stop for a bonfire, roast a marshmallow, toast the day with some hot chocolate, and skate on back.
With the lakes being still a bit unco-operative about ice conditions, this is just a fun and funky way to get your Skate On!

We provide a vehicle pass for our registered guests. Otherwise, a vehicle park pass is only $14.00, and it is a great way to get outside and enjoy the wonderful winter season!

Weird Winter? Here's some Perspective from 1932 on Lake of Bays

2012-01-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

In 2005, for our Centennial Year here at Bondi Village, I began an archaelogical dig through my grandfather's diaries. Talk about layers, and details! It's a treasure trove, although hard on the eyes to decipher. His son, my father, Paul began his own diaries at an early age as well, adding a very different perspective to life here on Bondi Bay. As part of the project, I worked up a series of articles on Bondi's early days. And I'd like to share a little of that here.

Old ice house -- these buildings were built ―inside out’ with the
paneling on the inside, because of the sawdust
needed to cover the ice and for convenience
in stacking the ice blocks.

Because in 1932, we experienced a winter that -- when it comes to mild -- puts this one to shame. It's a long post, because it was actually written as a full article, so it sort of calls for a cup of coffee, or tea, or even a stiff tumbler...

"I BECAME AN UNCLE"

It is a very Canadian trait to talk about the weather. Joseph Tapley recorded the weather on a daily basis – it was of great importance to a farmer. It is interesting to look back at the weather patterns over a century – and 1932 was certainly a noteworthy year in the weather department.

On Jan. 8, the North Bay, facing Dwight, was still clear of ice, and a week later, on Jan. 14, Joseph went golfing… That would have been on the course at Britannia, at South Portage. He golfed for three days straight before being reined in by a sharp frost. There was some up and down weather, but the mild winter continued.

Young Paul (who would be 14 in December) was having a blast. ―

Jan. 9, bicycled to Hungerfords.

Skating.
Jan. 10. Cycling on ice.

Jan. 12, Got bob sleigh from Gordon Allinson.
Jan. 13. Snow gone.
Jan. 16. Gorgeous spring day. Went to Marsh’s Falls on bicycle.

But it just couldn’t last. It started to snow on Jan. 24, and kept at it. Paul put his bike away.

Feb. 1st brought something other than the weather into conversation. Son Percy and his wife Louise welcomed their first child, Mary Louise into the world. Paul wrote, ―I became an uncle at 9 o’clock.

Paul notes that on Feb. 3 the cars were still able to run the roads as far as Dwight, although Hillside was blocked. He went to a boxing match at Dwight on the 5^th, and the next day flew his kite and got his bike back out of the shed. On Feb. 7 an aeroplane passed overhead, worthy of note as this was still quite a rare occurrence. The next day, Feb. 8, Joe described as the roughest day this year so far. Blizzard.

It didn’t last. By Feb. 12, gale and hurricane weather had removed most of the snow from the hill and the ploughed fields were showing.

Joseph at Walmsley's place, Port Cunnington

It wasn’t until Feb. 24 that the first team crossed from Thompson’s Portage to Port Cunnington on the ice. With the roads in rough winter condition, the loss of the ice routes for transport must have caused some problems, but the weather was certainly giving folks a vacation: On Feb. 28, Joe wrote ―Very fine day. At 3 p.m. thermometer registered 90 in the sun.

The first crow arrived at Bondi on Leap Day – Paul had an eye for the wild creatures, and noted their arrivals and departures. He was also keen to get his fishing lines back into the water. And he’d just received a raise in his allowance, to .50/week.

March 1st saw many cars out on the ice. Mel and Godlip Stone and Arthur Gibbs finished putting in the ice supply for the year, and covered it with sawdust.

Franklin had increased from 502 people to 578. Huntsville from 2246 to a whopping 2817. (April 7, Forester)

Joe must have been employing half the Township that winter. Pete and Dick Cotterchio and Alec Thompson were working at the farm cutting wood and hauling logs. So were Bob and Stan Wilder, Lance Allinson, Godlip and Mel Stone and Clarence Bouges. Not all at once, but their names crop up on a regular basis. As does Mr. Hughson, who visited Bondi almost every day during January and February and March.

There was an election in Franklin Township. Taylor Bradley (with 89 votes) beat out Jno. Robinson and Leslie Fleming for the Reeve’s chair. Council saw Gordon Thompson, V.C. Asbury, T. Burns and W. Boothby win seats at the table. Joe clipped an article comparing the 1931 census in Franklin and Huntsville with the 1921 census.

Violet returned to Toronto on March 22. Paul cut classes in the morning, and ―went to Marsh’s Falls to try and catch the snowmobile to Huntsville, but there wasn’t room Don’t think skidoo… Once upon a time, a regular Stagecoach ran that route, Dorset to Huntsville, too!

The next day, Paul left home at 5 a.m., arriving in Huntsville at 10.30 a.m. with Otto Munroe, and left for Toronto on the 1.00 train. He had a wonderful time: went to a movie, a play, wrestling bout, hockey match, another show, twice to Church on Sunday, more shows, another hockey game, a visit to Dr. Laurie’s (during which he lost his sister’s gloves), St. Simon’s Church, and a concert at the Royal York, the show The Barretts of Wimpole St., 8 more shows, a concert at the Collegiate, St. Paul’s church, and – most exciting – ―saw fire reel go to fire. He came home in need of a rest! But April is a busy time, and the diary entries are almost breathless.

Apr. 17, ice melting fast.
April 18, burning grass
April 19, 1st batch of chickens hatched
April 14, 1st loon
Apr. 18, got 28 lay chickens from Tom Hungerford
Apr. 29, Ice completely gone.
Apr. 30, 1st tree frogs
May 1, found first spring flowers
May 11, 1st whip-poor-will
April 12, cows left out for first time.
Joe’s take was more somber. He was struggling with gout and arthritis, a bout of rheumatism in his left wrist. Dr. Davies sent in medicine, and Joe clipped out news articles about the best ways to deal with the infection that caused arthritis. He spent most of April confined to the house, emerging in early May to have a tooth extracted. At 70, he wasn’t having as much fun as young Paul, who was managing to fit in some time in school in between fishing and biking.

Paul, evidently, was also going through a forgetful phase.
May 13, lost knife.
May 17, got knife.
May 21, Violet and Don Laurie came. Went to Hogs Trough, caught a trout.
May 23, fishing, Goose Lake and Marsh’s Falls. Violet left.
May 24. Lost knife.
May 27. Got knife from Chris Ash.
May 30. Killed groundhog under boathouse. Lost knife.

Joseph didn’t get back onto the golf course until May 22, one month and three days since he last hit the links. Elizabeth, with her 28 new laying hens, was doing well – she got a new chimney in the wood shed kitchen, and on June 12 she caught a 3 lb. trout. This impressed both the men in her life. A hawk scooped three of the chickens on June 3^rd. She no longer walked to Dwight – her horizons had rapidly expanded, and she got to ride in style – and not just to Huntsville, but to Toronto!

Bondi Farm continued to plant enormous gardens – and they were now expanding. The time spent removing the stumps from the fallow with dynamite paid off – it was planted with squash for the first time.

Violet, living in Toronto, and finishing Secretarial School, headed off in May on what is described as her New York tour. When she came home, she came by car. Her own.

That impressed her young brother. The nice weather continued, and the first tea on the verandah was taken on May 15. June saw some drenching rain, and then – on June 5 – it was 80 in the shade. Paul got an allowance increase to .75/week. He earned it. Chores included hoeing potatoes, and picking strawberries, blackberries and blueberries for his mother. That let him see more of the wildlife –
June 2, ―saw baby fox and mother.
June 22, absent from school in the morning scuffling potatoes. Saw baby pheasants.
The heat wave continued to June 18, but on the 20th , hail and thunder rolled in and returned temperatures to normal

Joe noted in the diary, the old dictum of Chauncery, ―It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt. Alec Molnar called looking for work. Joe started him at $1/day, and raised it to $1.50 after a week’s trial period.

There was also a new road under construction into Dwight. In late 1931 the municipality had worked out an agreement with the Ministry of Northern Development, and were relocating the Dwight Road from Cain’s Corners to Dwight without following the old road along the shoreline. Some of the gravel for this road came from Joe’s pit – a good source of income for the farm, and a deal that kept men living near Marsh’s Falls in a work camp for much of the year. Paul would frequently cycle out to the camp and have dinner with the men.

June brought the summer people back to the lake. Not a day passed without company at Bondi. Elizabeth must have got good mileage out of her new kitchen and stove. Irving Beach arrived on June 25, and Paul pretty much vanished to Beach’s cottage at every opportunity to guide him on fishing trips. On June 28, ―Miss Beach gave me electric engine. Hungerford’s Bull in with the cows, he writes, and follows this up with the next day’s entry, ―Engine Worked! (there is no comment about the bull) The bicycle saw plenty of use. ―Elizabeth no longer had to walk to Dwight – Paul could ride there to get the mail and deliver produce.

Joseph, 1932, cuts a figure in his new plus fours

Equipment at a farm takes a lot of abuse. On June 25, Hyram Wilder worked from 2 – 7 p.m, scuffled 28 rows of potatoes, and then smashed the scuffler. On July 18, the Haying mower broke down. Undaunted, Joseph purchased a new set of golf plus fours for $2.95.

The neighbours were having a rough time. On July 2, a garage and car burnt at Hyram Wilder’s. Mrs. Stan Boothby (Birdie) passed away – Paul sang Beautiful Isle at the funeral. Mrs. Sylvia Kakes funeral was the week before.

Mr. Carter took Paul for a spin in his sea flea at the end of July, and then – oh wow – on July 30, Paul drove Violet’s car for the first time! Paul continued his fishing career – on Aug. 2, he caught three fish: a 4, 5 lb. and 3 lb. trout. The following day he guided campers fishing, and caught 6 bass. These campers – Mr. and Mrs. Hill -- paid Joe $2.50/week to set their tent near the water’s edge.

Violet took her young brother back to Toronto on August 12 – in her car. They went, of course, to as many shows as they could fit in, visited Sunnyside Beach, and motored up to Keswick and fished all day, before coming home 5 days later.

Buster, fish, and gun, with Vio's
car

The car had opened up the world – on August 18, Elizabeth headed off to Toronto, but not before driving up to Limberlost with Joe at 10 a.m. for Lunch with Rowland and Gordon Hill. This would have been unheard of with a horse and buggy. She came home on August 20 – arriving at 5 p.m. Two hours later, Percy and Louise arrived – it was their first return to Bondi since the wedding on June 12, 1929. They arrived in a heat wave – 86 in the shade They didn’t’ stay long. Percy was in the process of relocating from the States to Toronto, still employed by Teck Hughes Mines. He would move into his new house on September 10

Joe himself had been to Toronto at the beginning of August with Violet – heading straight for the “uptown Talkies” every day, and paying his daughter $5 for gas and fire plugs. Alec Molner returned from Sudbury, and came back to work at Bondi.

On Sept. 1st, school started again, but Paul was notable by his absence for the first week, picking blackberries.

On Sept. 5, Violet and Paul went for a ride in an aeroplane at 11.15. Joe noted, “Paul’s first time. Height 1400 ft. today, weight of plane 1800 lbs. To Toronto 1 hour 20 minutes ($40) The trip here, 7 ½ minutes, $2.50 (20 trips a day necessary to pay. Business very poor this season, Bigwin especially so.) Mike Paport, aeronaut, staying at Tally Ho.” This sparked a life-long love of flying in young Paul, and to this day we still have (and fly) his beloved bush plane.

The next day, Violet and Elizabeth left for Toronto, but only for a few days.
On Sept. 13, their neighbours, the Hawkes – who lived next to site of the Oxtongue Craft Cabin, were burnt out at 2 a.m. . Joseph had been working hard at Pratt’s cabin, near Dwight, to have it ready to rent.. A new toilet had been installed – and only finished on July 31. Joe had cleaned the floors, burned the remains of the old barn, cleaned the shelves. Joseph ―rented Pratt’s cabin to Mr. Hughson, on a monthly tenancy for $10/month beginning Sept. 17, with $5 allowed for oil cloth, and $5 cash paid.‖ The weather was –finally—turning cold. Sept. 17 saw the first fire in the living room.

Paul was still busy outside of school hours, hunting and fishing. On Sept. 19, he and his sister upset the canoe in the lake at 9 p.m.. It must have been quite the wreck, because Joe not only notes it, he underlines it heavily. Sept. 29 brought the first snow, and the comment ―Wild weather.

That snow turned to rain, and pretty much continued that way until mid October, prompting Joe to write on Oct. 9, ―dull depressing dismal gloomy day. Occasional rain. Throughout the weather, the corn was stacked, potatoes dug, fields ploughed and manure hauled. On Oct. 16 the geese called it quits and headed south. Oct. 18 was Alec Molnar’s last day. ―Paid him $50 in full settlement of account to date.

Percy wrote his father, ―Paul is developing into a fine young man. One notices such a change in a year. Joe was also struck by Percy’s fact that $22,000 approximately paid monthly by Teck Hughes Mines to Hydro Electric.

November 2nd, Bondi hosted a Musical Evening – Paul was the star performer. The weather had turned around again: the next day Joe went golfing. Paul saw, on Nov. 17, what I think are wolf tracks in fallow.

Joe’s sister-in-law Celia wrote him that ―Alfred is now thrilled with wireless, a play ―Sir Christopher Wren by Whittaker Wilson, a man the Reeves (Reeves were relatives, with a book business in London) publish for and Alfred has revised most of his books.

The open verandah was boarded up, although the cattle were still grazing on Dec. 2. It changed fast however. By Dec. 16 it was 30 below. ―The complete lake has been frozen the last three of four days. Today the Stones walked across from their place to M. Munroe’s,‖ Joe noted on Dec. 18. The Children started crossing the lake from point to point to get to the school the following day. Elizabeth and Paul went to the Christmas tree celebration at Port Cunnington. The cold produced great skating conditions, and Paul took full advantage of that with his friends.

All the same, it was a Green Christmas. Percy and Louise arrived on the 26
and took Paul back to Toronto with them. And so the year wound to its close, still entertaining weather changeable enough that it would be recalled by Paul through the rest of his life.

The world was still fighting off the Great Depression. Joe was clipping articles denouncing the tariffs, following the rise of the Labour party in England, and continuing his extensive correspondence with friends and family.

On Oct. 6, his brother wrote from London, ―As you will have gathered from Celia’s letters, this year we spent our holiday at Hove. We had an apartment with people recommended by (sister) Gertie, of the name Marcall. Strange to say, they have a son who is a curate at St. Andrew’s Stockwell. (Stockwell was where Joseph was born and grew up)
Of course I was able to tell them a little about the church in the olden days, and did not forget to mention the occasion on which you took the solo when the bishop preached (was it the Bishop of Winchester?) and how the solemn service was preceded by a little curtain raiser in which a young man from the country, Harry Lavender by name, determined to have good seat so as to enjoy your solo to the full, made himself comfortable in the bishop’s position at the Communion Table, until the lady care-taker, aflame with wrath, ignominiously expelled the trespasser.
.

Making Tracks on New Years' Day

2012-01-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

Perhaps there is not as much snow as one might wish, living here in Ski Country. But let us hasten to add, there IS snow.

Brian groomed a loop for skiers circling our big back Pioneer fields -- not a very long loop, but you could just keep going, getting into stride, warming up legs and reflexes, climbing gentle hills and zooming down others.

We had several guests head out onto that. And three who decided to Boldly Go...

They tackled the trails through the woods - including Hill and Gully, which is one of our hillier (hence the name!) trails.

And the verdict? "Just fine. We'll be back."

Now they did confess that it was a little bit of heavy sledding for the lead skier -- who had the job of breaking the thin crust which impeded the ability to turn. This is an over-rated capacity anyway, said she, who can only turn reliably in one direction on her alpine skis.

Once that first track was made, however, it was smooth sailing. We are still waiting for more snow to enable Brian to get out there with the heavy equipment, the groomer that will pack and set track does demand just a few more inches of fluffy white stuff before it works well.

The colours of January have been monochrome so far. We've had a little dust of snow every day, keeping skies gray. When I walked in the later afternoon, everything was in a palette of grays and blues, and the darkest of dark greens in the evergreens. The only spot of colour was the beech leaves that remain valiantly throughout the winter season.

So be of good cheer, as the new year arrives. So do the seasons. You can still get out there and play!

Some of our guests spent the week at Hidden Valley, there two youngsters enrolled in the Christmas Ski School, and they have had a fantastic time. We've had others at Rock Ridge, enjoying tubing. Several on our own toboggan and tubing hill, which just gets faster as they pack it in. As for a rink? Well, we're optimistic, and are going out this week to see if there is some smooth shore ice of sufficient depth.

Happy New Year. Be sure that one of your Resolutions for this coming trip around the sun is to get outside, a little bit every single day. To get back in touch with Nature and all the beauty that is our Big Backyard. To take a few moments to breathe air that is full of the scent of pine trees, not auto exhausts. Be well...

Solid Water and Tracks in the Snow

2011-12-30T21:53:00.000-08:00

The bay is frozen. Not just here in Bondi Bay, but all the way across, beyond the Island to the far shore at Vimy Ridge. Which is not, we hasten to report, to say that it is safe for travel, but it has begun!

The main lake, down by Bigwin Island, is still open. We're fortunate that our smaller bay is sheltered from the main currents, so freezes sooner. There's a really good chance we'll be able to clear off a rink during the coming week, in close to shore, if the weather stays cold!

Two of our young guests this week have been having a blast at the Ski School at Hidden Valley. They are now proficient at both skis and snowboards. Another set of guests have been tearing up (or should that be down?) the toboggan and tubing hill. The more these get packed in, the faster they get! Brian was able to groom a cross country ski track around the back fields -- we do need more snow before most of the trails in the woods are in good shape, but you can get a great ski in through the Pioneer Fields, with rolling hills and open spaces.

While walking along the shore to check out the conditions, we also found where the deer had been napping peacefully under the cedar trees at Beaver cottage. I love this shot -- which shows where Bambi's knees marked up the snow as the deer got up, and even shows the imprint of one hind leg where it was all tucked under.

It's a lot of fun to decipher the animal tracks in the snow at this time of year!

But not nearly as much fun as making those tracks. Be that with hiking boots, snowshoes, skiis - or paws...

I love this shot of little miss supermodel Taffy, sporting the ChillyDogs jacket she got for Christmas, tearing up the shore.

Shopping, not Dropping

2011-12-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

I was in town yesterday -- Taffy spent the afternoon at Dog Gone Beautiful, and came home looking just that... dog-gone beautiful.

While she was enjoying the spa treatment, I was on a mission to find a particular book. Which lead me into the Mall. No crowds, lots of parking, and oh my, the Boxing Day Sales prices are still in full cry.

One of my favourite stores, The Clothes Closet, had amazing deals. Slightly fewer amazing deals after I spent some time there...

I truly enjoy shopping locally. Not only does it help the economy here, it helps my friends and neighbours. It's really lovely to find friends behind the counters or in the aisles, ready and willing to help you. (and in this case, Jocelyn kept bringing me clothes from the various racks, because she knows me, knows what I like... The shoe store is the same, they have a file wherein they keep information on styles, sizes, etc. that you have shown a fondness for. I love that) Huntsville has a wonderful array of stores that offer unique CANADIAN MADE products. I love that, too!

David did Christmas shopping in town too. One gift he gave was a collection of hand-made soaps from Soaps Stones, on Brunel Road. This is a store that David describes as "the best smelling store in the World."

Darla -- we must admit -- does whip up an impressive line of soaps, lotions, bath salts and the like, all of which smell absolutely divine and most of which are made right there. It's right next door to Taffy's Spa, so I stuck my nose in there for a therapeutic 'sniff' as well.

David's analysis could well be correct. You sort of exhale tension as soon as you step inside.

So here's a cheer to our local stores, storekeepers, entreprenuers, artisans and craftspeople. Here's to the people who frequent those establishments, and here's to the unique, the locally made, the different. And here's to a shopping experience that is devoid of the hassle, crowds, frantic frenzy that seems to permeate the season, while offering prices that really are amazing.

Hooray for Here!

2011-12-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

A hike is always more fun in company.

Judi and I headed out, just before sunset. We had Taffy the dog, and Squeegee the pony along for the walk.

And Achmed, who refuses to be on a lead, but equally refuses to be left behind.

With the sun painting the sky, and the snow sparkly and white, it was a wonderland.

We wandered up through the back fields, where the cross country course is located. There are over 50 fences back there, for training horses at every level of competition.

Brian has been 'pruning' the trees in the field. At least, that was his word for it. We see a bonfire in our future.

But not tonight. The colour tonight was all courtesy of the sunset. To the west all golds and reds, to the north, lavenders and blues.

Makes me wish I could paint! Perhaps we should offer these colours to Napster, and see what he creates!

Splish Splash... and BRRRR...

2011-12-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

Never mind wading into the malls for some Boxing Day madness... David donned hipwaders and stomped out into the lake to retrieve the red marker that sits on the water intake. The ice, alternately shifting and forming along the shore, pushed by the wind and current, had knocked it off its stake.

Now, even wearing hipwaders, its chilly in there. In the chapter wherein Dave had to reach underwater to locate the stake, he discovered there was a small hole in one glove. That water is cold. Never mind all that nonsense you see in the movies where the hero dives into the frozen lake -- it's breath-stoppingly cold in there.

He hoisted an iceberg, to show how thick the ice is. About an inch or so -- which quite obviously is not enough to support a person. It is enough to support Taffy. She got a good education in thin ice today. As David stomped about, cracks formed and widened, the ice under her paws shifted and tilted. She got pretty excited, trying to tell David he should 'Get Back to Shore!'

But, Boys will be Boys -- and who can resist splashing in puddles? Not our Dave, who had some fun Stomping his way along the shoreline.

Good thing it's very shallow!

Of course, the hipwaders provide excellent insulation and keep him dry. He's wearing layers. He's in very shallow water, with back-up (me, not the dog) in case of anything untoward.

Cold water is not to be taken lightly. But that doesn't lessen the appeal of iceberg hopping.

Be of Good Cheer

2011-12-26T09:07:00.000-08:00

First Day, First Chair, First Run.
Hidden Valley. Shred!!!

We are still waiting for more snow... but that said, do not despair, oh dearly beloved.

You have no need to worry about boredom up here in North Muskoka.

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area is open with four runs in operation. Ski School is in full swing -- a super option if you have youngsters or if you yourself would like to develop some better ski skills. Skiing is a lifelong pursuit -- we have friends from 4 to 84 who enjoy

hitting the slopes, the older of whom maintain that a Bad Day Skiing still beats a Good Day at Work.

Rock Ridge Tubing Park is open, as of today. Slip slide away...

Algonquin Provincial Park is offering daily short movies at the Visitor Centre, and their wonderful hiking trails are all wide open. The "other Park", Arrowhead, is often overshadowed by Algonquin, but it's well worth spending a day on their trails too.

Broomhill Farm (just 5 minutes away); Little East River Farm (30 minutes) and Algonquin Highlands Trails (10 minutes) and Back of Beyond (40 minutes) are all open, offering trail rides, or wagon/sleigh rides, often with a bonfire and hot chocolate thrown in.

If you'd like a different kind of Trail Hike, check out Tim Yearington -- he is offering Spirit Walks, to Thunderbird Mountain, some of which might well change your life.
Usually in winter, the mountain hike takes place on snowshoes... just plain hiking makes this walk a little easier.

Here at Bondi Village, our hiking trails are all open. We have a six target Frisbee Golf Course open for play. For registered guests, if the night is clear we are offering Dark Skies programs. The chickens, horses and pony are all ready and willing to greet our guests -- Squeegee is taking our younger guests for Pony Rides.

Both the arenas in Huntsville and Baysville are offering Family Skate times, and it is possible to book the Baysville arena for a private hour on the ice just for you. The local spas are all open, if you'd prefer just a day of pampering while the snow slowly falls... Browsing the main streets of Huntsville and Dorset are another great way to spend a little time, searching out the unusual. Don't get me started on the wonderful restaurants that are located within a half hour's drive of Bondi... too many and too diverse to truly list, but all of them are well worth the visit.

And sometimes, it is more than enough just to be away, to find yourself in a quiet place, where the deer graze the lawn, birdsong can be heard in the trees, traffic noise and sirens fade away. A place where you can set up a jigsaw puzzle, or a card game and discover that you have a fantastic family. Sometimes just snuggling by the fire and doing nothing at all, that's enough for the spirit.

A Delicious Day

2011-12-26T08:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas involves getting together with family and friends, an activity that seems to gravitate to the dining room table. After all, where better to gather to celebrate than at the sharing of great food?

All of which means that a lot of time is taken up with preparing that food. There is the traditional baking of cookies and goodies, preparing the main meal, trotting out treasured family recipes...

I have my Mom's very old, very tattered recipe book. It was given to her in the 1930's. In the margins, she wrote down adjustments to favourite recipes, comments on the end products, and --most interesting of all -- notes about what was going on with the family: dates of births, deaths, weddings, notes on unusual weather, or on interesting people that were sharing one of the meals. The book is a labyrinth of information, the best of which has nothing to do with food.

People all have different traditions at Christmas. One of ours is that David and I make the breakfast. Carol makes the actual Feast (and it is always spectacular). My role has evolved from the early days, when I had to help David every step of the way as we whipped up Eggs Benedict -- where his contribution started out as simply stirring the hollandaise and setting the table. Now all I really have to do is blend the fruit juices and make sure the muffins don't burn in the toaster. The lad has a solid grasp on the making of a World Class hollandaise sauce, and knows his way around a kitchen.

We enjoy a lot of food this time of year in which we wouldn't indulge during the rest of the season. One item is the traditional "killer eggnog." David and Mike helped with the construction this year. Good thing we have chickens, since the recipe opens with LOTS of eggs. It then moves on to whipping cream, sugar, and a dash (or two) of whiskey and brandy. Taffy has never seen the process before, and was enchanted to have the two young men whipping up a storm in my kitchen.

And speaking of foods in which we don't usually indulge -- while Taffy did get to lick one of the beaters, it's not a habit she should get used to.

For all of those who, like me, perhaps overindulged in fabulous foods, be of good cheer. One of my Mother's quotes, inscribed in her recipe book above one of the Christmas pudding recipes... "It doesn't matter what you eat between Christmas and New Years. What matters is what you eat between New Years and Christmas."

So very true.

Enjoy!

Lovely and Dangerous - Stay off the Ice!

2011-12-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

Just prior to Christmas we were experiencing some Global Warming effects -- one of the very very rare Green Christmas' in our memory.

I do recall, as a teenager, taking my Mom out in the canoe on Christmas Eve, so it is not unprecedented, but it is very rare.

In the absence of snow for skiing the trails, we have been -- quite simply, and quite gloriously -- hiking.

Sunshine pouring through the pines along the River Loop trail turned it into a cathedral -- very fitting for this holy season.

The Beaver Ponds have embraced the season -- frozen over, they provide a focal point to the hills beyond, which are themselves dusted with a light snow.

Now, we did get more snow on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We now look white... and Christmasy... but we are, admittedly, still short of snow, still long on hiking opportunities.

Not to say there's no winter up here -- in addition to long wonderful walks (and as a quick editorial aside, guests who were here for Christmas Day told us that they were delighted to just be hiking and spending time together. "It's easy," said Jasmin, "to do too much. We're happy just to be here, together.")

In another slide aside -- we caution people to STAY OFF THE ICE. Beaver Ponds may look enticingly skatable, but there can be currents that undermine ice and right now, while it is still firming up, it can be extremely treacherous. Taffy gave me minor heart failure when we got to the river. She happily ventured out following otter tracks... but just beyond this little swale you can see the river run. And run it does. The flow is fast. The shores are frozen. There is absolutely no way to get to anyone, dog or person, who falls in. I turned and ran the other way, calling, and she came racing after me. Whereupon she found herself on leash until we were well clear of the river. I felt really stupid -- I was the one who knew we were approaching the river. I was the one who knew about ice. She was just interested in the fascinating smells of otter paws... So -- keep in mind the Rule of Ice:
One inch: Stay Off
Two inches: One Person May
Three inches: Small groups.
Four inches: Okay.

Christmas Letter -- Our Year in Brief Review!

2011-12-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas, 2011

Greetings to all our friends...

Despite best intention, we are again running late with this greeting. The arrival of much enjoyed Christmas letters and cards always reminds me that I need to get our own letter underway! Through “social media” we are able to keep in touch year round through our Bondi Resort Blog, Facebook and (heaven help us) Twitter, so this letter will be shorter this year. We’d be delighted to have you “follow” the blog, etc. -- those of you who enjoy that sort of thing... for those that don’t, we like to continue this ‘old fashioned’ contact. We introduced an on-line booking system this year, too, but we still much prefer to talk to our guests rather than have them be just a click on a screen!

2011 was another busy year. Brian’s health has been good this year, for which we give constant thanks. Among other projects, he has been installing a third solar collector system, making Bondi even greener. Hopefully it will be connected by year end – Ontario Hydro, in this fight against global warming, moves at a glacial pace. Every opportunity that allowed him to get into the plane saw him in the air. Which isn’t saying all that much – he would always like more flight time. Weather conditions don’t always mesh with available time. A planned balloon trip is still on hold after repeated weather delays pushed it clean into next year.

We are constantly upgrading and improving the resort and its facilities. Along with renovations, we have upgraded the television system (reluctantly, since we truly believe families need more than ever a chance to spend time together ‘unplugged’) and the Internet accessibility all the way across the property. Carol is tireless in her pursuit of improving the interior design and conveniences in every unit. We know our guests appreciate those efforts – and we do too! She has an amazing ‘eye’ for decorating and it is thanks to her the cottages are sparkling. Thanks to her, we also have gardens that bloom beautifully and provide the very best veggies on the table. It’s easy to forget just how much work goes into making sure that happens – it’s important, and it is appreciated.

Winter brought us less tourists than usual, despite fantastic conditions for winter sport. It would appear the lure of cheap flights to Cuba prevails – understandable for some, but others succumb to a new found fear of winter driving. Yet, with the possible exception of a short stretch near Barrie, the highways have never been better. Canadian winter is part of the identity of this great nation, and we would like to see more people embrace it and enjoy it! Vacationing closer to home is also affordable – worth considering in this economic climate! We were delighted to see the National Geographic Travel Editors select Muskoka as the Number One Summer Vacation destination, and keep it in the Top Ten for Year Round vacations. That was a great reminder of just how beautiful and special this part of the world is!

We enjoyed an old-fashioned HOT and dry summer that came on the heels of a cold and wet spring. Oddly, we had vacancies scattered throughout the season, sometimes in weeks when we frankly did not expect to see space open. Many bookings are being made with less advance notice – folks’ day timers are complicated these days! It’s always worth a call if you are thinking of a last minute get-away. Research is piling up on the benefits of getting back into Nature, fighting what is now labelled “Nature Deficit Disorder,” and by golly, have we got the place for that! Over the winter, we’ve got some ‘sweet deals’ on offer too, close to the skiing, snowmobiling, and just ‘chillin’ by the fire’.

We look forward to welcoming back familiar faces each year, but we also welcome our newcomers. New guests mean forging new friendships. Returning guests mean family -- we were honoured this summer to welcome Evelyn Hadden home to Bondi for the 50th year, and to take part in her 90th birthday party.

This year the boys of the Bondi Maintenance Dept. embraced fishing. The early part of winter was spent hand-crafting an ice hut. The bass boat hit the lake early. A special trip into Algonquin to fish Lake Opeongo was a highlight for all of them. The fish population seems to be standing up well to their onslaught, but some success fuels their enthusiasm. Golf also moved onto their agenda. Seeing as several of the clubs were gleaned from the Recycle Shed at the local dump, we don’t need to comment on the quality of their game. Now hunting is looming on the horizon, with attendance at gun classes and hunting permits. The deer seem remarkably unconcerned, although there is the occasional ruffled grouse. Archery is also under consideration – as David points out for all these endeavours, “they need practice.” It all helps get them out of the house – they have done a lot of work on our ski/hiking trails, coped with a lot of windfall trees that needed to become firewood, hammered and sawed their way through a multitude of projects.

Carol’s grand-daughter Sarah came for two week in late June. That evolved into a six week stay, and she proved to be very helpful at the resort. Almost 15, she is growing into quite the young lady. Carol got her a new camera, which was never far from Sarah’s hand, and she supplied us with wonderful pictures of activities at the Resort, many of which were featured on the Resort Blog.

Dave passed his last exams in August and in October we celebrated David’s graduation from Georgian College in the Architect Technologist program. He can now officially create plans and get them from paper to standing structures. We are really proud of what he’s done – and his marks reflect that Georgian is really proud of him as well! We are delighted to have him working here at Bondi!

We’ve enjoyed having Mike Bechtel with us again, rounding out the complement of the Maintenance Dept. A cheerful, willing worker, we always miss him when we lose him to the ski hills in winter. He and Dave are plotting a trip out West to (as they say) ‘shred the gnar.’ New skis have already been acquired.

Abby, ridden by Nancy's friend Chris. Anyone looking
for a truly lovely young horse should give us a call!

Nancy had an unhappy year in the health department when she suffered a detached retina. Incredible work done at St. Michael’s hospital was able to repair this – but the recovery period is long and limiting. Beginning with a week lying face down, it was followed by a summer without riding, swimming, boating, or anything strenuous. For a while, she sported a Pirate patch – and was loaned a turkey vulture in lieu of a parrot. At the end of it, however, she has good vision again. Dr. Muni is a miracle worker, and the Canadian medical system certainly stepped up for this. She continued to judge, coach and conduct clinics both in Ontario and Manitoba. Abby, her young mare bred here at Bondi, is now reluctantly up for sale since she is a bit more horse than the doctors currently recommend. Blizzard and Bailey, and the pony Squeegee are all well, so the barn is still full and happy – and the chickens continue to produce their very popular eggs as well.

Her bright spark came in January -- a new puppy, Taffy. From the same kennel as Holly (and before her Toby) this standard poodle is a joy and a mischief. There’s a lot of learning involved in being a Resort Dog! Taffy remained glued to Nancy through her recovery period, and they are now taking small (and somewhat unruly) steps into the world of Dog Agility.

Re-elected last October for another term on the Lake of Bays Council, she is working with a new group of Councillors and a new Mayor, with often differing viewpoints on the importance of community and environment on the Lake of Bays.

Napster, our painting cat, had a huge year. A wedding gift to the Royal Couple produced a charming letter from the Palace. Another became a gift for the Governor-General. He has sold around the world (including Iceland, Tokyo, N.Z.) and one design is being sold as a Christmas card for an Amsterdam-based charity. In all, sale of his work has raised almost $4000 for charities this year. He has his own Blog, linked to the Resort site, telling about his artistic adventures. We never thought that David’s inspiration for the Cat to take up art would lead to this! Achmed, the ‘other’ cat, continues to enjoy taking guests for Nature Hikes and riding on car roofs.

Come November, Nancy stayed home to “hold the fort” while the rest of the gang headed off to Florida to play at Disney. While Brian and Carol comment it may be their last trip to Disney World, perhaps the same can’t be said for David and Mike. They had a great time – even when Brian was “captured” by a living statue! David’s friend Megan was busy at University, so she missed out on this trip.

It has been an interesting year, globally – and looks to continue that way for a while. We send our best wishes to you and yours, and hope you will stay in touch with us. This is the time of year when we pause, reflect and remember. Christmas is not a time or a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.

It is very true that the Gifts of Time and Love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. So, here we are, wishing the very best of the season to all of our friends. We hope to see you in 2012!

And never let us forget, “Love is what is in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents, and just listen.”

Easy, breezy, beautiful...

2011-12-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Well, it took a few years, but here we are on the Cover of the Winter Scene publication! This picture is from 1962 (when we were very young!) That's Nancy, Rosemary and Brian enjoying some bike adventures on the frozen Bondi Bay.

Yes, mountain biking is a lot of fun at this time of year -- when the trails are frozen solid and before there's too much snow for those tires. Frozen lakes are also a great place to ride when conditions are right.

It's one of the more unorthodox ways we play with winter up here. Brian has a new business card -- in part it reads, Any Resort can Do Summer... Come See what we Do with Winter.

We were featured in the magazine in several other pictures. One of my Mom, Rosemary, with her cat Mandy, taking part in the Dice on Ice car races that used to be popular. Of course, the ice had to be good for this game -- and not too much snow, so they usually occured in mid-March.

We don't see these any more -- perhaps we've let go of that pioneering spirit, perhaps insurance companies simply blanched at the very concept... Hard to say. They were fun while they lasted! Mandy enjoyed taking part, as Chief Cat and Navigator. I suspect Achmed, who adores riding on car roofs, would also enjoy the speed, the wind in his whiskers, zooming around the Island...

There's another Bondi photo in the magazine. My Dad, Paul, standing at the base of the Ski Jump hill at the old Curlew Ski Centre (he's the one on the left side of that little group of men) -- now long gone, just south of Huntsville. He's watching the winning jump, 110' down the hill, on skis that weren't much more sophisticated than curved planks.

But if some of those more adventurous events are gone from our winter calendar, there's still plenty to do. The Arenas in Huntsville and Baysville both offer Family Skating times. Baysville will let you even book the place for an hour for private skating with the family. The two Curling Clubs -- again, Huntsville and Baysville -- are open.

Wagon rides are available in the area at a couple of centres, and Algonquin Highlands Trail Riding has opened up their trails for winter trekking with the horses.

Right here at Bondi, our trails are open for hiking. Wander up and see how the Beaver is enjoying this mild spell, and check out his logging operation. Bring your frisbees along and play a round on our Frisbee Golf Course -- we've kept six targets open for the winter, and it's a game anyone can enjoy. We're also offering Dark Skies programs on starry nights. Orion, Perseides, Leo -- all those gorgeous constellations that are hard to spot on a summer's night -- are in their glory right now.

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area has taken advantage of the cold -- they've stockpiled snow, and are open for the season now. Their ski school is a super place for the kids (and adults!) to get started into this lifetime sport!

There's plenty to do... so come on up and see what we do with Winter! All sorts of Winter!

A Trip down a Sideroad

2011-12-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

Bondi Bay, 1929 - note the log jam in the corner of
the bay and the open pastures behind!

Our little Blog gets read in a lot of unlikely places -- which is just fine with us. We have some very loyal readers (oh dearly beloved!!!) and some who just click in, read, click out...

One of our readers is Sarah Ryeland, of Sideroads of Muskoka magazine. Sarah is also an avid fan of Napster's, and in fact painted with him for an article in an earlier edition of the magazine. She noticed a couple of posts on the Blog this fall -- one about Vikings, one about Names...

Passing them along to Gillian Brunette, she got the ball rolling. Came out to the Resort. Got some old historic photos to go with the article...

The result is a fun feature in the Winter 2011 Sideroads of Muskoka, all about Buried Treasure. Now -- we hasten to point out -- it is completely unknown if a) the Vikings really did get to Lake of Bays; and b) where the treasure might be buried. Gillian likes to place it in our bay, Bondi Bay.

Given the geography of the lake, this seems to us unlikely -- somewhere between the portage into Dwight Bay and the exiting river at Baysville seem more along the probability curve. That said, we're all for giving this old-fashioned geocaching a try -- let's go treasure hunting!! Why not!?

Original farmhouse at Bondi, 1905 -- Joseph and Elizabeth
Tapley, with their two young sons Douglas and Percy,
and Mr. McIlwaine. They would have been delighted to find
Viking silver on the land!

From what we've been told, this bay was considered a place of healing by the First Nations. With it's southwest face, shallow bay, deposits of clay and open beach, it was an ideal location for a spring camp, a place to soak up some long-awaited sunshine after a long winter. Come to that, it still is. And that could well be the Real Treasure of Bondi Bay.

Still Shopping?

2011-12-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

If you, like me, are stunned into silence by the discovery that Christmas is NEXT SATURDAY, and your Christmas shopping consists of a few bags of ribbons and wrapping paper, then take heart.

Dwight has some great little places to browse around and find fun, unusual and lovely gifts.

I was in one of them today -- I went in for bird seed... I came out with Christmas presents for the unfeathered members of my family.

Dwight Garden Centre is looking particularly 'festive.'

Linda has a great selection of items, including some truly gorgeous floral arrangements for the season. (This one is hers, but on display at the Dwight Market -- another great place for last minute shopping, and with the very best meat counter around. Not to mention the pies. Fantastic!Why would anyone cook when they can score out pies like these that just need to be popped in the oven?)

By shopping in the community, we help each other. And isn't that what Christmas is about, really?

Besides, these gifts are unusual, attractive, useful... there's mugs featuring a map of Lake of Bays, local history books, lovely flowers, funky tree ornaments, and a sign that reads "A woman who is looking for a husband never had one" -- now, that should make someone smile!

Oh, and yes, she's got lots of seed for the birds, too! At least I remembered to buy what I went in to get in the first place! Usually I get distracted by all the other fantastic stuff, and come out with something totally different from the Plan!

Skating Rink, Under Construction

2011-12-18T18:41:00.000-08:00

It needs to be a bit thicker, we grant you, but just look at how nicely Bondi Bay is freezing in!

One of the advantages of this being a shallow, sheltered bay with no major rivers flowing in is that it does freeze over early. We usually have a rink for Christmas near the red roofed boathouse, very close to the shore.

So, yes, we are optimistic! The rink is Under Construction. If Mother Nature doesn't slack off, we'll be good to go!

Big Guns

2011-12-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Centre opened today. Conditions, thanks to Mother Nature, were more limited than is usual at this time of year, but they had a run open, and three boxes... and the Bigwin Quad Chair got everyone up the hill fast.

Dave and Mike were there early -- and yes, much to their undisguised glee, they got First Chair. First Run.

They were sharing the hill with lots of good company. The great deal, $20 to let you Ski All Day merged perfectly with the Ski Fever that has been building up all fall to get people onto the slope!

The Big Gun are out at the Valley -- this is the way we make snow over here, provided the temperature is low enough. The stockpiles are then spread over the hill and groomed, producing everything from silky smooth fast runs to a half pipe.

There was snow all day today as well, which just added to the fun.

It was wonderful to see so many people out enjoying the Valley. I was greeted by several people who pointed out that they knew it was me, bundled up as I was, because they recognized Taffy. We got greeted by cheers and waves from those on the lifts as well as some snowy sliding stops to say Hi as the skiers aced the hill. I'm not sure what it means when people recognize my dog before they recognize me...

Taffy was pretty excited to see her first ever skiers, and didn't understand why she, too, could not just Bomb the Hill!

The Ski School was up and running on Day One as well. Mike knows all about that! He will be teaching at Snow Valley this winter. On their opening day he was called in for On Hill Training, but he's got a couple of years teaching at Grouse notched on his belt now, and before very long they had him out there teaching.

The great technology they use at Hidden Valley means that there will be plenty of fabulous skiing over the Christmas holidays. Rock Ridge Tubing Park also boasts snow-making equipment, and they are set to open on Boxing Day.

Between the ski hills, tubing park, and the fantastic hiking that is still on offer, there's no shortage of activity. The indoor skating rinks are also open for the holiday, with plenty of free ice time for families.

Boy's Toys

2011-12-15T07:14:00.000-08:00

It is said that the difference between the Men and the Boys is the size of their Toys...

So when Brian forwarded these photos, we knew he was just a teeny bit envious...

Our cousin Michael is currently working in Belfast, supervising a dredging/scour protection contract preparing a berth for 2 new ferries on the Belfast to Cairnryan (Scotland) route.

Due to the location and nature of the seabed a large backhoe dredger was used – by large I mean a 25m3 capacity bucket.

Brian put this into context, pointing out that one scoop from the Nordic Giant is equal to one truck from the local gravel pit, fully loaded!

His excavator is just a little smaller than that...

Nevermind. It gets the jobs done, and we have no desire to muck about with the lake by dredging -- that's not a good thing for any environment. Belfast may have to undertake this operation, to keep the shipping lanes open -- after all, Islands need to be able to stay in touch through ferry lanes!

Without that pressing need, we'd rather have fish, and clams in the lake bottom dreaming of glory in the Clam Race, snails and little benthic 'thingy's' all happily contributing to a natural world.

We're happy with smaller toys. But still, the Bondi Maintenance Dept. being 'boys', after all, there is just that touch of wide-eyed "Wow" when they see the toys Michael is supervising!

All Day the Snow Fell

2011-12-11T19:58:00.000-08:00

Snow comes in many guises. This week's installment came like the snow on a movie set. Like Christmas card snow.

Big flakes, hanging softly in the air as if reluctant to land on the ground.

This is pretty snow. Not so much the kind that comes howling down on the wings of an Alberta Clipper, driving sideways, stinging eyes and freezing cheeks. This was soft snow. What you might call Warm Snow, except that's an oxymoron of sorts.

Snow that really called out for cameras, and people to get outside and scuffle through it. Snow for the horses to roll in happily. For Taffy, there were tracks of deer to snuffle, and snow to be thrown aside as she ran for glee.

Here's a Roar for the Lion's!

2011-12-11T19:52:00.000-08:00

Communities are glued together by volunteers, by community groups that unite.

High on this list would have to be our local Dwight Lion's Club. Today they hosted a Christmas Social at the Community Centre -- a great excuse to get together, enjoy some munchies, visit with friends before we all get too busy with the season, have some fun.

Five dollars, and a donation to the Food Bank got you in the door... Of course, there were tickets for the 50/50 draw available, and a door prize to win the centrepiece. It all goes to great causes.

It was also the occasion for the Club to hand out cheques, from monies raised through their fundraising efforts, to the Huntsville Hospital, the Salvation Army, and the local kids involved in the Me to We trip to China next spring.

The Club raised a LOT of money for all of these causes over the past year.

They are always on the look-out for new members, by the way. You should come on out and get involved. After all, that old saw about 'you get out what you put in' is true. Involvement in community is what makes Community.

While many of the winners of the 50/50 draw were from the area, the big winner came with a 519 phone number -- which just shows that during the summer when the Lion's are out there selling tickets it's well worthwhile to chip in. The winner this year took home over $500, which will be most welcome at this time of year, we're sure! (a cautionary note for those of you at Bondi: be on the lookout for Brian, who has his very effective methods to sell his allotment of tickets! )

Marcy was delighted to win the centrepiece -- we just worry if the table at home is big enough to house it, or if the family will have to peer around and over it to chat over the Christmas turkey!

Thanks to the Dwight Lions (and Lionesses, of course!) for putting on the Social, and for all the work you do for this community all through the year. Long may you Roar!

Happy Camper

2011-12-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

Dave can't wait for the snow.

He just brought home a new set of skiis, from Algonquin Outfitters. Great skiis, great deal, great people... how could you possibly go wrong?

He posed with them, so we could check the AO logo on the straps.

Dave is one of the people who dreams of winter, of slopes, and snow showering away from edges. He enjoys snowmobiling, snowboarding, skating on the lake. He knows how to drive the trail groomer and set track. He can play frisbee golf on snowshoes. Helped to build his own fish-hut...

Dave does winter. Don't complain to him if it's snowing.

Colonial Bay Talks about Skiing in Muskoka

2011-12-10T17:57:00.000-08:00

This isn't my post -- it was posted by Bruce Howell on the Colonial Bay website. I am sharing it here -- because there is no way I could say it better.

We partner with Colonial Bay, and other area resorts, in the Resorts of North Muskoka venture. We're proud to promote their quality accommodation, along with our own. Together we are stronger, offering our guests more choices.

When it comes to skiing, the Howell family knows their stuff. Bruce's niece, Dara Howell, is currently competing at Copper Mountain, where she just finished 10th in her first World Cup Half Pipe competition. Dara started skiing here at Hidden Valley.

So when Colonial Bay put up this great post about Skiing in Muskoka, sharing it seemed the best way to spread the word! People often overlook Arrowhead Park -- with it's extensive ski trail network. (Here at Bondi, we have over 15 of groomed and track set skiis, and we include a day pass into Arrowhead or Algonquin Park with all our rentals.)

You can read it here... or link over to the post on their site.

Colonial Bay: Skiing in Muskoka

Muskoka’s landscape – hilly, rocky and treed – isn’t just beautiful. It also offers amazing terrain for skiing. Whether you prefer the thrill and speed of alpine-style skiing or the tranquil tracks of cross-country skiing, Muskoka is the perfect location for both.
Arrowhead Provincial Park has 29 km of groomed, track-set, cross-country ski trails and 12km of skate skiing trails for beginner to expert skiers. Both classic and skate skis can be rented from the Park Pro Shop. Glide silently through the trees and then warm up next to the bonfire before exploring another trail.

Our local alpine ski area, Hidden Valley Highlands, has surprisingly varied terrain given its size. With twelve runs ranked from easy (green) to most difficult (black diamond) and a terrain park, there’s something for skiers and snowboarders of all ages and abilities. For first-timers and those who want to improve their skills, the Snow School offers both beginner group lessons or one-on-one private instruction.

Weather permitting, both Hidden Valley and Arrowhead will have terrain open through the holidays.

If you’re planning to be in Muskoka for the holidays, Hidden Valley has two celebrations: the Christmas Eve Torchlight Parade and New Year’s Eve family-friendly fireworks. Check out their events page for info.

Other local holiday events include:

December 17 – A Portage Flyer Christmas at Muskoka Heritage Place - Ride the Portage Flyer to visit Santa from 5-8pm

December 17, 28, 29 – SantaFest at Santa’s Village - Admission includes horse-drawn sleigh rides by Twin Maples Farm, Ice Skating (weather permitting), sliding, guided ATV rides by Bear Claw Tours, winter Olympic biathlon, gingerbread cookie decorating, craft making, colouring & letter writing, petting farm, marshmallow roasting, story time and visits with Santa

December 20 – Michelle Wright Christmas at Algonquin Theatre

We hope to see you this holiday season!

Many thanks to Colonial Bay for such a super post. Winter -- bring it on!

Lights Up, Limbs Down, Candles Lit

2011-12-10T17:29:00.000-08:00

In the snow that was falling like it belonged in a Hollywood movie, Brian monkeyed up the ladder and nipped off a few branches that were threatening to gently jostle the hydro line. Best to stop that before the winter storms come along -- trees and hydro lines don't play well together.

Over at the Dwight Municipal Office and Library, Phil Pavey loaned the use of his spider-lift to help string trees into the big white pine. And we do mean big. This was part of the Friends of the Library initiative this year to Light Up Dwight. They "done good."

We'd suggest leaving this up there year round. Maybe they could light up on the August long weekend when the local firemen host Firefest at Dwight Beach.

Not as lofty as the pine, the tea light shining in the ice-star is a perfect Christmas season accent. All you need is the mold, and a place where the forms can freeze. A friend told us that her freezer this week held nothing but these lovely lantern-shades.

If Martha Stewart isn't stopping over, you can get a low-cost version by simply freezing water in a small bucket until only the centre of the bucket remains liquid. The effect is very much like this -- but of course, there is something totally charming about the stars shining along walkways.

The bright lights are one of the very nice things about this season, when it gets dark early and the colours in the land have dwindled into muted blacks, whites and grays.

We're Christmas Season ready up here in North Muskoka. And we can't wait to see you!

Hiking in December - Wonderland

2011-12-07T08:50:00.000-08:00

Columbia Clothing has a great tag line: Get Out... and Stay Out.

Which goes to show two things:
a) the power of advertising. That this line sticks in memory for years and years is powerful stuff.
b) that with the right clothing, there is no place better to be than OUT.

Well dressed for the climate, and ready to enjoy the Great Outdoors, tThe Baysville Hiking Club dropped over to Bondi Village Tuesday and spent several hours happily rambling our trails.

We have plenty of trails to ramble. Almost 20 km in total. 15 of those are groomed and track set for winter cross country skiing. About 5 of them are not really suitable for hiking at this time of year, due to their location nestled adjacent to or within wetlands. That still leaves plenty of scope.

Not to mention plenty of great landscape views!

With the leaves down, you can see far into the forest, right to the rocky 'bones of the land' and that amazing Muskoka Granite. It's beautiful stuff, but small wonder it defeated those early pioneers who thought they could turn it into farmland.

Down by Damalot, where the beavers live, the wetlands fill in with colour of their own -- after the leaves are gone and before winter wraps it all up in White. The bittersweet's bright reds and the unfurling cat-tails make interesting camera studies. The ponds themselves are filling in with shelly ice -- that too makes for interesting photos and plays of light and shadow.

Sometimes the brightest colours out there are the clothes of the hikers themselves -- and that too makes for lovely photos. Walking through the sugarbush, the woods are so wide open you can almost see to the far horizons! We love our trees and forests, different in every season.

Still, I am reminded of the Saskatchewan farmer who retired into the mountains of B.C. Asked how he liked it, he shrugged. "It's nice enough," he avowed, "but the mountains sure do block the view."

Much the same can be said for a summer woodland. Come this time of year, the view sort of 'opens up.'

Many thanks to Gloria Woodside for sending me these beautiful photos of the Baysville Hiking Club's hike with us!

Uber Egg

2011-12-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

Gracious... Look what we found in the nest box yesterday! This chicken is an over-achiever!

(and probably walking a little gingerly today, one might think -- wow... that thing is HUGE!)

David measured it around the circumference at 6 3/4 inches.

It is for sure a double yolk. Perhaps more.

It is certainly the biggest egg we've ever seen -- other than of course a duck egg or an ostrich!

Dwight Gets Bright

2011-12-02T15:25:00.000-08:00

Yesterday evening Dwight got together to Light up the Night, turning on the Christmas tree lights and welcoming in the season with Carol singers (including our perennial favourites, the Muskoka Music Men!).

Inside, there were hot drinks, plenty of goodies from the area bakeries and the Friends of the Library, a penny sale, representatives of Family Services from the District, and in general a crush of happy people.

Across the way at the School, the Open House welcomed parents and friends alike, and the children were proud to show off their projects, and present an evening of entertainment.

Congratulations go to the Friends of the Library, and to the hard-working Librarians who make not only our Dwight Library but our entire Community so special. Last summer, they worked hard to bring the Community Garden and Book Nook to completion, and this season they were determined not to let an opportunity pass by to get the entire Community into the Spirit of the Season.

Lights went on all over Dwight. Several of the shops opened up, or stayed open late, with some great Christmas deals on offer. At the Dwight Garden Centre, Santa himself was on hand -- with Linda acting as the "trusty elf" for the evening!

What a lovely start to the season, to see the lights glittering and glowing against the snow! It is the small things, the events like this, that are at the heart of any community, and Dwight, well, you done yourselves proud!

Diamonds are a Quantum Physicists New Best Friend

2011-12-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

We are not even going to pretend to understand what is being discussed in this article from the CBC's Technology and Science News, Dec. 1. The closest we've ever approached Quantum Physics is watching Dr. Sheldon Cooper on the Big Bang Theory... although we do have a handle on that 'equal and opposite reaction' law...

But... check out the names of the graduate students doing the research. That's one of the Bondi Family kids -- Michael Sprague. Better known to those of us at Bondi Village Resort for his exploits in keeping the sailboat upright.

Margaret, a guest of ours from Iceland, wrote that this was the first time she had ever heard of a 'femtosecond.' I'll 'second' that...

Diamonds -- Canada is known for it's diamonds, mined up in the north (close to Apipiskat in fact, but let us not go down that sideroad right now. It's a disgrace and a horror) Diamonds are well known to industry. And to the jewellery business. Science and romance, on the surface at the opposite end of the scale.

The article speaks of the fact that the hardness of diamond makes it possible to put them into entangled states that are less susceptible to disturbances that normally destroy coherence. Is that why diamonds are traditionally used to bring the entangled states of two people together into something that should encourage coherence? We haven't a clue...

But we are hellishly impressed with Michael Sprague, all the same. Wow. Maybe all that fresh air here and tsummers spent swimming in the lovely Lake of Bays helped keep his mind clear and sharp for this sort of research. We'd like to think so!

Take your breath away beautiful.

2011-11-30T19:54:00.000-08:00

Whatever else one says about snow, it sure does make for pretty pictures!

We woke up this morning to find there was enough snow on the ground to set the boys to cheering (avid skiers, both of them); and to require the plow truck to put in an appearance.

The deer had left a string of tracks, like a pearl necklace, cross a lawn that was otherwise pristine. The sun came out, and made sunglasses a necessary piece of apparel.

Ice is just starting to form along the shore. We usually are able to have a great skating rink for Christmas. That's in part because Bondi Bay is shallow and protected, so freezes up sufficiently for us to 'go and play' while the deeper lake, out past the points, may still be wide open water.

Everywhere you turned, there were photographs, just waiting to be taken and put on Christmas cards!

Even the old hayrake took on an air of romance, nestled into the lilac bush and playing games with the shadows.

Time to be sure the coats and hats, mittens and warm boots are all close to the door for easy access!

Counting the Days!

2011-11-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

Our American guests have gone home after enjoying their Thanksgiving here with us, avoiding the crowds and feverish overspending of Black Friday and CyberMonday. They opted instead to hike Algonquin, drop in on a Bluegrass festival, take photos of the deer on our lawn. With November behind us, we are getting ready for the next season.

December is on the doorstep. On Dec. 1st, Dwight will Light Up the Night, with a community festival. At the Dwight Community Centre, at 6 p.m. there will be carols sung, hot chocolate guzzled, goodies munched and a Penny Sale held, from 5 to 6 p.m Along with that will be the lighting of a tree on the grounds. There will be life music from the Mason Trio, carolling with the Muskoka Music Men, and more. The Irwin Memorial School's Open House will be happening, just across the street, and area businesses will be turning on their Christmas lights and staying open late. Check out the deals on offer, and get into that Christmas spirit. Shopping locally helps us all.

As our thoughts turn to Christmas, they also turn to Christmas holidays. Bondi Village is a fabulous place to spend some time over the holidays. With our own on-site ski/snowshoe trails, toboggan hills, tube run, skating rink there's no need to be getting in the car -- there's plenty for everyone, of all ages and ambition. Got someone who is mad-keen to be hitting the trails? Let them! Those less inclined can easily come back to the comfy cottages and fireplaces without any guilt about cutting short someone else's fun or hanging about in cold parking lots waiting. Just step out our doors, and you are on the trails! That's perfect for kids, who can play outside and then right away, be back in the cottage without having to deal with getting in and out of cars, wet coats, and the like. Don't have the equipment? No problem -- Algonquin Outfitters does, less than 10 minutes away, and you can bring it back here to use it on our trails. Snowshoes we've got for rent, and lots of toboggans and sliders to borrow.

Dara Howell, bronze medal, NZ Winter Games. National
Post Photo of the Week.

Close by, we've got Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Centre. Not as mountainous as, say, the Alps, the hills offer a great variety of challenges for all levels. The ski school is excellent, friendly, relaxed and guaranteed to get you off to a great start. Local talent Dara Howell learned to ski at "The Valley" -- recently she won bronze at the New Zealand Winter Games for her performance in Pipe and Park. Our local hill is a fantastic place to learn and hone skills, close by, affordable. You can be there, from Bondi, in less than fifteen minutes!

Rock Ridge Tubing Park is also just a quick drive away, and what a fun place that is! Into the tube at the top of the hill, and then Hang On as you slide and spin to the bottom. They have it all, from single person tubes to big family sized ones for extra fun. Anyone wanting to take a break, or just watch the kids for a little while, can hang out in the spacious club house with coffee or hot chocolate, and enjoy the action through the big windows.

Sleigh rides are on offer at several local farms. Big, steaming horses will pull the straw laden sleighs out to bonfires for hot chocolate, and there is magic in the sound of the horses' in the snow, the runners underneath the sleigh, a timeless joy that never gets old.

Dog sledding is faster paced. It's not just sitting in a pile of rugs watching the south end of northbound dogs -- there are lots of places that will teach you to drive the team, and if you've never been, you'll be astonished at how fast, how gloriously happy, these dogs are to be out in the woods. The dogs' enthusiasm is completely infectious -- we have yet to see anyone go dog-sledding without a huge smile on their face.

Want to just relax? We've got that too. Sit by the windows, next to the fireplace, something warm to drink close to hand, and get the family together over board games, cards games, word games. Create some winter crafts. Build a snowman, or a quinzhee hut, hand craft an igloo... or just watch the colours change on the snow as the sun sets.

Christmas is about families, and families are about spending time together. We've got just the place. Get the family together and come on up to our place. It's all about being together, as families. So, let's get 'unplugged' from the computers and take our ears away from all that din and commotion, let's spend the time with each other instead, in a truly beautiful part of our country.

As Bing Crosby once memorably said, "Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won't make it 'white'."

Movember!

2011-11-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

Achmed just wanted to send out a cheer of encouragement to those people taking part in the Movember challenge.

As the month draws to a close, and we are threatened with more facial hair growth in DecmBEARD, here's a cheer for those who put their faces on the line and their razors on the shelf in the name of a worthy cause.

But, we must confess, when it comes to beards, sideburns, 'staches, Achmed's got it covered.

Voted Number One

2011-11-25T15:03:00.000-08:00

Robinson's Store, in Dorset, has repeatedly been voted the best Country store in Canada.

Cheers to that! If this store doesn't have it, chances are really good that you don't need it. Housed in one of the oldest buildings in historic Dorset, it's worth prowling through the store just to look at the building itself.

Don't forget to look up, to the pressed metal ceiling tiles! That's something you don't see much anymore, but how beautiful, and how long lasting they are!

Early accounts of the village indicate that Zachariah Cole in 1862 built a hotel and store on this site. It burned in 1886, as old wooden buildings with wood stoves were wont to do. He rebuilt it as the Fairview hotel. That also burned, in 1907. Given the use of candles, oil lamps, slightly enebriated loggers with cigarettes and limited fire fighting capacities, it's a wonder everything didn't go up in smoke back then. The next frame building to try its luck here was the Red Onion -- parts of this hotel still remain, upstairs in Robinson's General Store, and house a great selection of clothing and gifts. Once upon a time there were also the five cent slot machines -- until the Province banned such iniquities.

In 1921 the McKey's built a general store next to the Red Onion. After Fred's passing, his wife married Harry Robinson's, in the early 1930's and the store became known as Robinson's. It's still owned and operated by this family. You can usually find Brad in there -- and if you want to know anything about Dorset, he's your man.

Along with Brad, you can find pretty much anything else to make your time on Lake of Bays outstanding. Bruno the Bear will be happy to give you a hug...

There are lots of local producers' products available, including Yummies in a Jar, Maple Syrup products and Big Ass Garlic -- all Lake of Bays produced.

From the produce on offer through the Foodland Section, through the gifts and clothing section of the store and on to the Hardware and Garden department, this really, truly, is a General Store. It should be on your Must Visit list when you are up here, in North Muskoka.

Tell Brad I sent you...

If you want to learn more about the history of Dorset, get your fingers on the Dorset Heritage Walking Tour booklet put out by the Township of Lake of Bays Heritage Advisory Committee. There's more fun facts in there than you'd think, and a lot of very unexpected history as well.

Black Friday? Blue Skies!

2011-11-25T14:48:00.000-08:00

While our neighbours to the south worked off their Thanksgiving Turkey with an excess of shopping frenzy, we kicked back with one of the loveliest days you'd ever want to have in November.

Perfect for hiking, tidying up in the gardens, getting Christmas lights hung, or just kicking back watching the deer on the lawn near Beaver cottage!

We have guests here for the American Thanksgiving -- Paul and Cindy spent the day up in Algonquin Park, enjoying the solitude of the Canadian northwoods.

It's quiet in the Park this time of year, so the chance of seeing wildlife is much higher, and with the leaves down you can see farther into the woods, right to the massive granite bones of the Muskoka Shield, the true shape of the land.

Come evening, we were treated to a fantabulous sunset -- a harbinger of another great day coming tomorrow. Really, wouldn't you rather be outside than fighting your way to a cash register at some box store? After all, if you've seen one big box store, you've seen 'em "mall."

A Yummie Christmas Open House

2011-11-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

John and Lynn Murden live near Baysville. He is an artist and a photographer. She is the driving force behind Yummies in a Jar -- wonderful sauces, dips, jams, jellies, candles...

Together they host an amazing art gallery and shopping experience. Glorious for the eyes and the tastebuds both.

And this week, they hosted an Open House Fundraiser for the local Animal Shelters. The Animal Shelter for Huntsville, and the newly opened Muskoka Animal Shelter in Bracebridge were beneficiaries.

Moon Shadows Estate Winery -- featuring maple syrup.
Not as sweet as you might fear -- the Rhubarb wine was
my favourite!

Naturally, Napster wanted to donate one of his prints for the Silent Auction. The cat is a staunch supporter of Animal Shelters everywhere. (One of his prints is going up for auction at Sechelt, B.C. early next year!)

Helping to spice up the occasion, Savour Muskoka was on hand -- the culinary experience is always enhanced with the use of regional specialties, and Muskoka is truly rich in opportunities. Chef Randy and Karen from Tall Trees were on hand -- roast duck was part of the sampling on offer, along with a to-die-for pumpkin mousse... Randy, by the by, was the winner of Napster's print -- we can't wait to find out if it is going to hang in the restaurant, or at home. Tall Trees has long been one of our favourite restaurants -- long before the Russian Prime Minister made an unexpected stop there while here for the G8.

The Lake of Bays Brewery, which calls Baysville home, was on hand with samples. So, too, the Moon Shadows Estate Winery. There was a sampling of pumpkin soup and wild game terrine from Black River Food Co.; gluten free pasta from Beat the Wheat; a great selection of Yummies in a Jar dips and sweets... and so much more! I can't believe we got out of there without gaining ten pounds!

The day raised just over $2100 for the animal shelters. Of which $50 came from Napster... not bad for a cat!

Thank you Lynn and John and family for organizing and hosting this event! The place was -- dare we say? -- Jam Packed!

A 'Grease'y Getaway!

2011-11-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

What happens at Bondi stays at Bondi -- mostly!

We just could not resist posting a few pictures of the gals from Oakhurst Farm, in Ashton, who went all out for their Getaway Weekend with us with the costume theme of all things "Grease." The Burger Palace "boys" (great hair!) and the Pink Ladies (envious of the Poodle Skirts, we are!) were out in force.

And what fun they had that evening, with a mix of games, Scavenger hunts and the movie itself. Way to make your own fun, girls!

They got in some good shopping trips -- Jim, at the Oxtongue Craft Cabin was asking me weeks before which weekend they would be here. There was lots of good fun, good fellowship, a lovely long walk in the woods so we could tick off 'exercise' in the List of Things to Do...

And Laughter... well, that box got ticked again and again!

Somethings to Shout About!

2011-11-22T18:09:00.000-08:00

Wow! Our extended family here at Bondi Village Resort contains some amazingly wonderfully talented young people. We're always happy to showcase some of their magic!

We were delighted to feature Noam Bierstone, when, at age 18, he won the Canadian Music Awards, age 19 - 30 category in keyboard percussion. Yes, he's that good. I, for one, had no idea that a xylophone could actually be played like that, and I'm still in awe. Check out his videos, and prepare to be amazed.

Earlier this year, we were thrilled to feature Emily Swinkin's poem, The Children of Fishermen, winner of the University of Toronto's Alumni Short Story and Poetry Contest. This week, we got an email -- you never know who is reading this Blog! An agent for a publishing company found her poem on the Bondi Resort Blog, and wants to include it in a new series of contemporary Canadian literature for high school students. We were more than happy to pass the request along to Emily, and are hoping it all works out.

Owl feather, Quinn Dalgarno photo

Then, hard on the heels of that, we got a copy of a video about Nature Deficit Disorder that Quinn made for a Grade 11 Tech Class. His mom, Lesley, told me that she 'absolutely loved it' and just wanted to share. We feel the same way. Of course, we share Quinn's passion for the Great Outdoors, for Nature, and we agree completely that people -- and especially a lot of children now -- just don't get enough time outside, unplugged. Here at Bondi, we provide plenty of spaces and places where that magic can still happen -- a place to just chill, watch the wildlife, walk through the woods with only birdsong in your ears, smell the air in every season -- from the lilacs in spring, through summer's torrent of flowers and grass, autumn's cooler, earthier scent laced with evergreens, winters crisp bright air smelling of wind and snow -- We have places where you can laugh and shout, run, play, make your own fun and touch the earth. Places where you can be silent and let your soul catch up. Room to let the kids be kids.

We are astonishingly proud of the accomplishments of these young people -- all of whom have spent many many summers here at Bondi, finding inspiration in the wild that surrounds us. We are honoured that you are "Bondi Kids."

P.S. Emily just let us know that McGraw Hill has contracted to use her poem in an anthology -- so we have had to remove the link to the poem itself at this time.Trust us, it's lovely...

Optimists, All

2011-11-19T15:39:00.000-08:00

Our guests were perhaps a little optimistic, bringing a canoe with them this weekend.

On the other hand, last Thursday I met Kevin at the Dwight Public Library. He was there to catch up with his 'social media' on one of the computers. He and a friend were staying in Algonquin Park, in a Yurt, and, yes indeed, they both went swimming.
Not just a quick dash in and out either.

So perhaps its not out of line. Besides, the primroses are back in bloom. Can't be that cold, then...

Go for it, we say!

One Dam Fine Hike

2011-11-19T15:35:00.000-08:00

The Ladies from Oakhurst Farm are here again for their Gal's Getaway. We look forward to seeing them every autumn. They get here early, and take advantage of some outstanding shopping opportunities in Huntsville and the local craft stores. Jim, at the Oxtongue Craft Cabin always asks which weekend they are coming, so he can be sure to open early. He's on a first name basis with most of them now!

Saturday we go for a long Nature Hike. The weather this year was perfect. While there was a skiff of snow, it was a great temperature for hiking. This year we headed up to Damalot, our collection of Beaver Dams.

On the way there, we stopped at the Hidden Lake, to check out pitcher plants (eliciting the best line ever: "How will we recognize a pitcher plant?" "They are the ones with a frame around them.") We then contemplating the mirror surface of the bog and wondered if it's true old Hyram Wilder's moonshine still is down there, somewhere.

Some deer thought about coming along with us, but when they saw Taffy, they changed their minds.

We played in the sandpit -- it's all about staying in balance, and on your heels! (get those 'hocks' engaged!)

Beaver has been hard at it. He has spent much of the summer shoring up and putting the finishing touches on Dam #5, which is conveniently located very close to our ski/hiking trail. We were able to admire the dam, and marvel at the 'canals' he has cut into the banks to move branches and logs, as well as his Skidding Path nicely worn in from the dragging of materials across the trail.

You can see how much water is being held back by this dam, and how the creek below has been choked off to just a trickle. A trickle which Taffy felt needed close inspection! Why would we want a Polar Bear instead of a Beaver for our national animal? Look what Beaver has created, instead of just hanging out on a dwindling ice floe hoping for a seal to surface. We're impressed.

The hike took us about 2 hours, and worked up a great appetite for the lunch that was waiting back at the Lodge at Bondi. It's always lovely to be out on our trail network -- the variety of terrain and eco-systems keeps it interesting, every step of the way!

Muskokalicious!

2011-11-18T12:13:00.000-08:00

Judy, who owns Squeegee the Wonder Pony, scooped me up last week and took me out to dinner.

That's always a treat. We have a LOT of truly excellent restaurants in the area that cater to all tastes and pocketbooks.

Muskoka on the Rocks got the nod that evening -- chosen for the convenient location that suited both of us -- and we had a great dinner. But then, I have never had anything other than great food at Muskoka on the Rocks. Tom and Lisa do a fabulous job.

It goes beyond just having a wonderful time out with friends and great food, however -- right now there is a contest on, run through Muskoka's MOOSE FM and 105.5 radio programs and SAVOUR MUSKOKA. Yes indeed, Muskokalicious 4 is happening.

What's that, you say? Muskokalicious 4 is a gastronomic celebration, featuring a long list of area restaurants. When you dine at one between Oct. 31 and Nov. 27, you can enter your name in a draw.

Check out the participating restaurants! In addition to EVERY participating restaurant offering a draw prize of lunch or dinner for two from October 31st through November 27th, there are 4 dynamic GRAND PRIZES to be awarded by Resort partners, Delta Grandview; J.W. Marriott The Rosseau; Touchstone; and Deerhurst Resort. You could win a two night stay...

All that, just for enjoying a great dinner. What a Muskokalicious idea!

Just because it's November doesn't mean there isn't a lot going on -- we're off tonight to the Warren Miller Film Festival. Girls' Getaway Weekend just wrapped up; Christmas lights are going up, Santa Claus comes to Huntsville Nov. 25th; and fun is where you make it happen.

Now THAT's more like it!

2011-11-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

Dave and Mike practice all summer crafting the bonfire for the Cookout on the Beach. They are, we confess, pretty darn good at it.

But this bonfire puts all those efforts to shame. This is the time of year for Fall Cleaning. That's not just limited to houses, cottages, garages and gardens -- here that means making sure all our Ski Trails (all 20 km. of 'em) are Snow Ready. We've had several trees that had to be removed this year, some victims of windstorm, some simply succumbing to age. While much of those become fuel for the fireplaces, the branches and assorted debris needs to go somewhere...

That somewhere is the Master Bonfire, and today was the day to light it.

The Bondi Maintenance Dept. (that would be Brian, David and Mike!) are on Twitter... you can follow their shenanigans at BondiMaintDept

RAP it up... Ride Round Algonquin Park

2011-11-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Considered the best Loop trail in Ontario for serious snowmobilers, the RAP (Round Algonquin Park) trail opened in 1995, and covers 600 miles of trails. That's a lot of scenery, not to mention sledding.

Bondi Village is located just minutes off the main RAP trail, and we offer accommodation to those 'RAPping Riders'. Check out the SPECIALS (What's New) section on the opening page of our website for details!

Our comfortable cottages welcome you after the day on the trail -- and with the Algonquin Snowmobile Club trails all around us, you might just want to spend a few nights right here, riding the ASC trails and enjoying having us as your base of operations! We are located close to several restaurants that cater to the snowmobiling fraternity -- and our housekeeping cottages provide everything you need if you'd rather come home a little early, and have dinner by the fire. There are several locations close by where you can pick up a take-away meal. We offer a Breakfast Basket special to those riding the RAP who would like to make a more leisurely start to the day. Being away from the main trail, just that 'tiddly bit', and away from the highway means you'll be sure of a quiet night!

And here's a PLUS -- we have fuel, on site, for our registered guests, so you never need to worry about where you can top up the tank!

So, when you're ready to RAP, think of us!

Thinking Christmas and the New Year

2011-11-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

National Geographic gave Muskoka the nod as one of the BEST DESTINATIONS in the world. Not just for summer... the other season are pretty amazing too.

We've been getting our own 20 km. of groomed ski trails ready here at BONDI VILLAGE RESORT. The boys are stringing the Christmas lights. Our Frisbee Golf course is ready for snowshoe play. Nearby, Hidden Valley Ski Hill has the lifts primed and ready; the Rock Ridge Tube Park is just waiting for the snow; the dog sled teams are fit and ready to rock... The Algonquin Snowmobile Club has their new maps out and the groomer ready to roll.

We think that Winter in Muskoka is pretty darn amazing. We concede that what passes for Winter in Southern Ontario -- that almost endless slush, ice, grayness and grunginess -- is not a whole bag of chuckles. But that is not Winter. That's sort of an endless November, too cold to swim, too warm to ski, short on sunshine and gets dark too early. Get away from that -- come to North Muskoka, where the air is crisp and clean, the sun is blinding bouncing off the pristine white snow, you can still hear birds sing rather than car horns blare, the stars are so close in the night sky you feel you could reach up and take hold of one (and you don't have to be a night owl to enjoy their spectacle!). We love the sound of snow crunching underfoot, of the lake ice 'booming' as it freezes harder. We love the look of huge snowflakes hanging in the air, clinging to mittens and rosy cheeks. We love the smiles at the bottom of the toboggan hill; the shouts on the big ski hills, the silence of the nordic trails winding through woods laced with the tracks of animals. We love the smell and the sight of the steam coming off the big team of Belgians pulling the sleigh, the excited barks of the sled dogs who just cannot wait to get onto the trail, the hush of snowshoes breaking trail in deep untracked places. We love coming back inside -- where the heat wraps around you like a blanket, and there's always a cup of tea, or coffee, or cocoa, waiting. We understand why folk want to get away from City Winter. They should Think North instead.

The Christmas and New Years holidays are a fabulous time to come north, instead of south. Avoid the airport jams, the trek through Customs -- we're just 2 hours away.

Canada has seasons. We truly believe that there is magic in all of them, and that we owe it to ourselves to discover how to enjoy them all. Mike and Dave can hardly wait to get back on skiis, they've got the fish-hut primed and ready to go, they've checked out the snowmobiles so they are winter-ready... all they need is snow.

Luckily, due to altitude and attitude, North Muskoka enjoys the kind of the winter you CAN play with. Give it a try!

Think Snow... help Stamp out Summer...

Justin Beaver?

2011-11-15T16:11:00.000-08:00

"I WILL stop the water!!!" says Justin Beaver, "just as soon as I finish eating the bark on this branch."

What wonderful photos of a Lake of Bays beaver hard at work!

Thank you to Gloria Woodside for sharing these -- they are quite spectacular.

Like me, Gloria always carries a camera. Unlike me, she seems to capture really amazing pictures. Luckily for me, she shares.