Summer in Farside cottage

FARSIDE (so named because it is at the far side of the property) is one of our most popular cottages... and we just got a cancellation for the week of August 6 to 13th.   This is a two bedroom housekeeping cottage, with well equipped kitchen, fireplace, and it's own private dock, located just steps away from the water's edge.  

Last year, the muskrat had a home in the bank in front of this cottage, which made for some great opportunities to watch the wildlife up close.

We do have some other vacancies scattered through the summer months,in other cottages (including space in the big 6 bedroom LODGE which is perfect for a small group of 10 to 18 people) but this is the only week open in Farside... Call us 705 635 2261 ‪#‎bondivillageresort‬

Spring Song Cheat Sheet

at this time of the year, so many birds are returning that the air is loud with their songs. 

This is a little Junco who got stuck in my porch and needed to be rescued.  Check out those tiny little toes!

everyone knows what these bad boys sound like! Our
young mallards are in full breeding colours, and
look magnificent.

It can be really hard to tell just who it is you are listening to, but this wonderful 'thingy' will solve your issues.  Just click on this link:  it will open to a magical page where when you click on the bird's picture, the bird will sing for you. 

 Magic.

and this chap you won't hear -- he is a turkey buzzard, the
give away is those long 'fingertips' at the end of the wing.
Today there were two of them just hanging on the air currents over the
lookout, gliding for ages.

Bondi Beach is Best

 What a day it was along our 1200' of sandy beachfront!   There were people just chillin' - like Bindu with Anjali, Ashok and Ronan.

Sand sculptures being carved, water being played with.  Kids were just having a wonderful time in shallow water.




Others were lounging on the Muskoka chairs, soaking up the sun.  Or actually swimming -- distances even, not just out to the water toys like the trampoline, iceberg or water slide.

 Carol and Brian spent almost the whole day in the water, or on it.  They weren't just relaxing, however. They were involved in the very important job of teaching our Bondi Kids how to waterski.



With Carol in the water beside the skier for support and advice, every one of them was up, up and away in just a few attempts.  We are really keen on kids learning this sport. It gives them so much more of a sense of accomplishment than just hanging onto a tube -- although that too is great fun.  The expressions on their faces, though, when they actually master the art of getting up on skiis -- that is priceless! 



Lauren was up on her first try -- although not for long.  By her third attempt, she was off around the bay and had mastered a new skill for life.











Taffy found some mermaids on the dock. She spent some quality snuggle time with Rebecca, who was watching her daughter's friend learn to ski.




 Anne and Megan were on a distance swim 'mission', but they paused at the dock to chat up Taffy as well.

 
 Melanie was up on her first ever try skiing, and looked like a pro. While the 'usual' trip is Twice Around the Bay for our beginners (and one of our guests, Rob Horne, wrote a memoir of his summers at Bondi titled just that "Twice Around the Bay") Mel just kept sailing on for double that distance.


you can check Mel out in this video clip!  What great style for a first-attempt!!

 Over at the water slide, there were water-canons, and sliding kids, and kayaks. All action, as Arlene's grandchildren took to the beach.  Tim, Nate and Mardy never slow down, and now that Elisa is a year older, she's a true water baby as well.  Arlene swims to the Point and Back every day that she is here. It looks like the water gene has definitely run in her family!

 Over at the iceberg, there was some serious climbing and jumping taking place.  Graeme, Gavin, Ethan, Lauren and Lindsey were all successful in conquering the iceberg. And in departing from it.

 While the trampoline was busy most of the day, there were some quiet moments, when Bindu and Anjali could enjoy some sun-time just hanging out.







As the day wound down towards suppertime, Brian and Carol took the opportunity to swim to the Point.  Nancy hopped in a kayak to be their boat support -- it is 500 metres each way, in deep water, so it's good to have a boat along for safety.  Taffy, who fell out of the kayak twice on her first attempt to master the craft, pretty much had it down to a science this time round.


She is, of course, wearing a PFD. A Poodle Flotation Device.  If you have ever had to pull a wet dog back into a boat, you will appreciate the convenient handle on the back that is custom made for just such an occurence. 

2014?

 Yes, indeed... Napster is helping in Nancy's office, and yes, indeed, that is the 2014 calendar! Yikes!

We still have some vacancies during July and August in mostly three bedroom cottages. We've got space for that lovely first week of the summer, which takes in the Long Weekend, in a two and a four bedroom cottage as well, but please do note that we book by the week.

With some of our guests returning this summer for their 52nd year, we must be doing something right!

We've already started to get some bookings confirmed for Thanksgiving -- and the booking Napster is checking out is for next FEBRUARY!   

If you want to be sure you've got your Bondi Time, it pays to plan ahead!

Summer's Almost Here

We still have vacancies scattered through July and August in two, three and four bedroom cottages.









It is looking to be a long, HOT summer, so don't miss out on reserving your cottage at the lake!


We've got space and a place for everyone's tastes. From those who crave adventure, to those who just want to kick back at the beach. Young and old and everything in between -- we've got the privacy of the private cottages with all the benefits of a resort. In so many ways, it's better than renting a private place - there's just more to do here when you want to do things, and there are people here to ensure that your stay goes smoothly, all the time.

We've got summer vacations the way they are meant to be. Explore Nature on our 600 acres of private wilderness, or just plain go jump in a lake.  Boat rentals, frisbee golf, hiking trails right on site, combine with our Nature programs such as Dark Skies and Wolf Howls and you can top up your "I need to be out in Nature" batteries easily at our place.



Give us a call!

Storms

 My dad, Paul, had a saying.
"Hard rain short, Soft rain long."  It meant that if the rain comes in hard and furious, it won't last long. It is the soft gray days when the drizzle seems to dangle in the air forever.

So yesterday, when the storm came rolling up the lake -- and roll it did! - we knew it wouldn't last long.  You could watch the wall of water come across the bay like a curtain pulling in from the Point.  Wind whipped the trees ahead of the rain, the sky lost all its light. You can tell when weather is upon you.

The usual preparations took place -- scurrying about to switch off things that don't like power surges. TVs and computers, for instance. And to make sure there are some pitchers full of water for when the power goes down. That's expected. We do have generators here at Bondi Village, so we can keep the lights on, the water running, and guests comfortable, but you just know that when you get a good storm these days, Ontario Hydro is going to be out with the linemen.

After the storm, the air is rainwashed fresh and fragrant. Everything underfoot is squishy.  Time for boots, and to go walking.   The ferns are unfolding at the pond.  And down the horse pasture the spring puddle that dries up all too soon is seething with tadpoles.  Who, as it turns out, are not good camera models and won't pose.  You can find them in these pictures, though, if you look a bit.  The water in places was black with the little guys, all on their way to becoming frogs. We welcome the rain for that, because it ensures the pond will not dry up too soon.  They've got a lot of growing to do still!

The sunset was dramatic, looking from the stable towards the Lookout hill.









Today, the horses were thrilled to be out on grass. They had no objection to getting their feet wet, and were quite happy to be grazing beside the puddle-pond.








Beside it. And in it.  Move over tadpoles...

Work Experiences

First marathon Swim of the summer. We had a small turnout -- several guests sheepishly confessed they had slept in and were enjoying a lazy morning.  It meant, however, that I didn't need Natalie to come along as one of the escort boats.  Which freed her up to go flying with Brian!

The swimmers and boats were treated to a close up look at both the take-off, and the landing phase. Perhaps it is something deep in my psyche, my Dad was a float plane aficionado, my brother still flies Dad's plane, my nephew is learning to fly...  but I think there are few things more beautiful than these small water planes.

Once the plane was back in the hangar, Natalie reported for duty with Carol.  This time of year, a lot of that duty will be found in the garden where Carol wages war with weeds.  Here's a photo of Natalie, in her Farmer in the Dell persona.

 And one of Carol, with two indespensible gardening items:  her personalized wheelbarrow, and her big shade umbrella. The gardens, I might add, look wonderful this year.  We are all grateful for the dedication and very hard work she puts into them.









Later in the day, chores done, we found Natalie hanging out on the iceberg, looking like a mermaid.   It's all in a day's work here!

Lighting up the Sky

Canada Day Weekend. That means flags flying, picnics, celebrations, good times.

And Fireworks.

Huntsville puts on quite a show. So does Baysville. And Dorset, thanks to the very active Community Group, is proud to be able to compete with any of them for their display.  I was there in the afternoon, as the volunteers were setting up the pyrotechnics on the barge. Moored out on Trading Bay, with the full moon for a backdrop, the Dorset fireworks is a wonderful sight, and the village -- and the bay-- was packed with people on Saturday night.

Sunday, here at Bondi, we had our own show. Thanks to the BMD (Bondi Maintenance Dept.) of Brian, Dave and Mike, with some welcome contributions from our guests, we had a fun evening.

The location, down at the beach, is ideal. Some of the guests didn't want to face the mosquitoes that roam at that hour, so they were able to watch the whole show from the comfort of their cottages.  Most of them came out, however, to crowd around and ooh and aah.






In addition to fireworks, Mardy provided us with some old roadway flares, that burned with a steady red light for twenty minutes and made for an excellent night-light for the pyrotechnicians.


Come morning, David collected up all the empty casings while Mike raked beaches, so we were ready for the day.

Happy Canada Day! How blessed we are to live in this country.

When a Plan Comes Together

here she (or he?) is... she didn't even pause to fold her
legs under her.

It is a rare privilege to watch a Plan come together perfectly.  Yesterday Taffy and I were putting the flags up on the Frisbee Golf Targets. We have a wonderful, fun, challenging, laugh-filled 9 hole Disc Golf course right across the road in our back fields.

Coming home, we extended our walk into the far field, home to cross country training fences for the horses and to large amounts of blueberries, strawberries, blackberries...  And deer.

Before I zoomed in the shot. Remarkably well hidden,
for a small deer lying in a patch of sand!

It's not unusual to see deer in those fields.  I think our record was 20 in one hike a few years ago in the autumn.  The property is in a management agreement with the M.N.R., to be managed for wildlife, which means we do keep the fields mowed and open.  We don't mow until late in the autumn, however.  We need to keep the milkweed for the monarchs, and the tall grass for the deer, and a myriad of ground nesting birds that like that field too.  There is a family of bluebirds there, a woodpecker nest, and a large flock of wild turkeys.

I'm very close, and she's still tough to see

I saw the doe and her tiny fawn about the same time that she saw us. And -- wow -- I got to watch the Plan executed to perfection.  You could almost hear the doe tell the fawn, "DROP!".  The tiny one simply collapsed.  And let me tell you, if I had not seen her go down, I would never have found her.  The doe headed for the bush, in huge pronking leaps, whistling loudly to draw attention to herself.  Taffy was a very good dog -- she came right to me when I called, although she was watching the doe, and tugging at my sleeve to tell me "there is a deer right over there. See? See?  Can I chase her????"  All her doggy attention was on the doe who stood just inside the tree line about 100 feet away, snorting loudly.

(Mom said if I shut my eyes, you can't see me...)

All my attention was on finding the fawn.  Even seeing her go down, knowing the approximate location, it was a challenge.  This is a survival technique for the tiny ones. Although they can get up and run without moments of birth, they don't have much stamina. Rather than exhaust themselves trying to outrun a predator, they hide.  Their spotted coats afford amazing camouflage. The fawns at this age have no scent. They understand that when Mom says "Don't Move," she means DON'T MOVE. At all. 

That pile of dried grass? That's a fawn. I'm about 20
feet away from her.

Without scent, visual or auditory clues, it is very hard indeed to find the fawn. Mom does her bit by drawing attention to herself -- predators (and large apricot poodles) are only too happy to take that bait.

Meanwhile, I played "Spot the Fawn".  Even if I had not had Taffy at heel, I  would not have gone closer.  Thankfully, I've got a decent telephoto on my little Canon Powershot. 

Spot the Fawn. She is right in the centre of this picture.

It is possible to walk right up to a hiding fawn. Every year people make that mistake, thinking the fawn has been abandoned. It is possible for the doe to leave the fawn hiding for many hours, so just back off.  Never touch a fawn unless it has been to your certain knowledge alone for over 12 hours.  I don't care how cute you think it is, YOU are not going to be a better parent so leave be, and let Mom come back and do her job.

What I found extraordinary was that this fawn had not even taken the time to fold her long legs under her body. When Mom said "Down", she downed...

I also found her endearingly, heartbreakingly beautiful, and right there forgave her for all the flowers she is going to eat in my future gardens.