Seeing the Wind,Watching the Weather

Changeable. That's the word for the weather.  At least, that's the kind word.

We had a cool and fairly wet May here in Muskoka.  Everything greened up beautifully as a result.  Friends in England point out that they are in a drought, the ground very hard, the crops just not growing.  We, on the other hand, are usually grabbing an umbrella as we head out the door.  I'm counting on the old proverb, "A cold wet May will fill your barn with Hay."  I'm also counting on the Farmer's Almanac (are they ever wrong???) that says it's going to be a hot dry summer... and we're getting the rain out of the way early.

The cool weather did an abrupt turnaround last week, soaring temperatures into the 30's, and shoving the humidex higher and higher.  Blessed are we indeed to live by the Lake of Bays, with it's constant cooling breeze!  Plants leapt out of the ground so fast you could watch them grow. Especially the asparagus, which -- rather alarmingly -- grows about eight inches a day.  The corn has all managed to push leaves up out of the ground, setting us dreaming of August when we'll be enjoying roasting the cobs. There is nothing better than sweet corn that has literally just been picked. Our father, Paul, used to insist that the pot be on the boil before he picked and shucked the corn, and cooked like that it is so sweet it is almost sinful.

Trees know a lot about weather.  Contrary to the belief that they just kind of stand in one place passively, trees are actively involved in their environments. Poplar trees, for instance, transmit messages over unbelievably long distances, somehow telegraphing if there are insects or blight moving in.  Trees also serve as excellent weather barometers.  Just before a significant change in the weather, particularly one that is bringing rain, the trees will flip their leaves over, showing the silver underside.

We may have trouble seeing the wind, but the trees have no such problem.

It can melt any time

David and Brian got the canoes out yesterday.  Not that we're pushing the season, although you can still see the ice on the bay behind them.  Just that we like to be ready!

Taffy took the first dip -- actually her second dip, but the first that was intentional.  Last week, running on the beach, she made the mistake of trying to run out to the ice.  The chest-deep-for-small-dogs water stopped her (dare I say?) COLD!  Never having met a lake, she was more than a bit suprised by the introduction.

Having explored the canoes thoroughly -- including jumping into one of them before it went up on the racks, she volunteered to be the one to test the waters.  Verdict? Still too cold to swim, unless you are a duck.

They returned this week as well!  We'll keep you posted on the progress of the Great Spring Melt.

What a Difference in a Year

Last year this was the Easter Weekend -- and Spencer and Winston were playing IN the lake.  Flowers were up in the gardens.  The first swallow arrived a full 18 days ahead of schedule, on April 4th. We were riding the horses in the outdoor ring.

April 1, 2010!

Brian and David took out the 10 hp fishing boat on April 1st -- not a joke!  The ice was almost completely out of our bay, and they were able to cruise out around the island. Yes, there was a nip in the air, but the land was dry, and the ice was well on its way to gone.

That was early -- but the earliest record we have of ice out was on March 31, in 1946. (thank goodness for diaries!)  On the other hand, it's been as late as May 9... in 1956.

Yesterday, out hiking, I took a 'shortcut' across the back field, and found myself over my knees in snow. You could ski those back fields, quite nicely thanks. There is two feet of snow on the north facing toboggan hill.

Our first robin showed up this week. While there is lots of open spaces around trees and driveways and on the southern side of the hills, the bird still looks a little disgruntled at having to cope with snowbound worms.

Red winged blackbirds are back. Starlings are here in force. Finches by the swarm.  The ice on the lake is still thick -- although it is starting to fray at the edges, driven back by springs and creeks that are starting to shrug off their winter coats of ice.

Seedling trees are doing their best to push up through the snow.  Their green needles soak up solar heat, melting the snow around and above them. There is still a bit of distance to go, however!  Sunny days in the forecast will help. You can almost see the snow recede.

And we know -- we just KNOW!!! -- that Spring is under there somewhere.  We'll keep looking...

This is the Day they said would Rain

 What a glorious spring day, with sun sun sun and temperatures driving up to about 10 degrees.

Our guests skied and hiked out to the Island -- a mile away (1.6 km.)  Easier, perhaps, than swimming that distance, as we do every week in summer, but just as beautiful.

Anna was trying cross country skis for the first time, and found the lake the perfect place to find a rhythm of kick and glide.

Later in the day, as the sun continued to shine, the lake began to water up -- these are classic March conditions. Skiing will now give way to skating on the bay, probably early in the day before the sun gets a good grip on the snow.

For those who are making maple syrup, these are the money days:  for the sap to run, warm days are needed, along with cold freezing nights and lots of snow on the ground.  Last year's thaw was so swift that the syrup season was truncated, so with any luck, this year will be a better run.

Fish huts will be coming off the lakes in the next week or so, while conditions are good for moving them.  It's been a few years, but who knows, maybe Brian will have a chance to get the Ice Boat out -- when we see the ice watering up like that, and we know there's still cold mornings in our future, if there's just a bit of a wind, the Ice Boat is more fun than you can really justify...

So, on this day that the Weather forecasters said would rain, we had brilliant, achingly bright sunshine, sweatshirt weather, bird song and soft snow...  Nothing wrong with that, except the forecast. Don't believe everything you see on the Weather network...