Rubbing Shoulders

While Squeegee was enjoying time in his paddock, his 'person' Judy was hard at work. She was asked to arrange some of the flowers at Delta Grandview, for the arrival of Governor General Michaelle Jean.

The Governor General was in town to attend the National Youth Caucus, held concurrent to the G8 at Deerhurst. She also met with seven leaders of African nations and the President of Haiti during a working luncheon.

They got to watch the American helicopter arrive with President Obama -- out here, we got Canadian helicopters only. Which was all well and good, but we would have enjoyed the buzz of seeing Marine One overhead.

Asked to produce something "Muskoka and Natural", Judy found herself and her two grand-daughters combing through the woods near Grandview, seeking out birchbark and wildflowers. (The Muskoka and Natural theme seemed to prevail throughout: Russian President Medvedev ordered venison at Randy Spencer's Tall Trees restaurant. No shortage of that around here! But rest easy, fans of the local fauna -- it wouldn't be one of our deer that turned up on the President's dinner plate) (This one was working for the G8 Security team, as a radar installation)

The floral arrangement turned out very well, and when Judy came out to play with Squeegee, she still had a few bits of petals and birchbark in her car, a little souvenir of her brush with the G-G.

It wouldn't surprise us if a few of Squeegee's hairs found their way out of Judy's car and into the birchbark at Delta Grandview... a little souvenir of her brush with the pony.

Heard any good G8 Rumours Lately?

Dave and Chippy Chip share some confidences by the office.

We had Security Personnel here all last week, working on the G8 Summit in Huntsville.

So it's quite possible that Chippy overheard some interesting tid-bit of rumour. After all, what with the tall tales of submarines in the lakes, and the arrival in downtown Urban Dwight of the Tamil TV broadcast van, everyone was waiting for the next 'big thing.' David assures us that if Chippy did hear any buzz, he didn't pass it on.

Achmed kept hanging out near the cottage, where the nightly de-briefings occured... but if that cat did hear anything, his lips remained sealed on the subject. He was just thrilled to have so many uniforms on the property, where he could leave tell-tale bits of cat hair...

Nor did the deer have anything of moment to impart. It all went smoothly, and quietly, and the crew we had here were a joy to have on board.

All in a Row

It's important to get all your ducks (or geese) in a row. So goes the old adage, which means that everything is under control, and proceeding in an orderly fashion.

Which means its definitely time to nail down your Summer Vacation times. We still have spaces available during both July and August, so whether you've got a small family, or a big one, give us a call.

All our rates include a pass into Algonquin Park, right next door, along with all our resort facilities. We've got so much space at our resort that you'll see plenty of wildlife right here -- but chances are you won't see a moose unless you pop into the Park. You won't feel crowded either, with our 2000' of shorefront, we've got plenty of room for everyone. Our guests often tell us that Bondi is better than having your own private cottage, because it comes with no hassle, and there's plenty of things to do for kids and adults alike, but all at your own pace.

Our place, your pace... Give us a call.

CANADA DAY Deals

The roads are open, the fence is coming down, we're back to normal, and to reality -- but with more decorations and some great deals to be had.

Things got a little over-heated in Toronto during the G20. Wouldn't you rather be relaxing by the Lake? Not the Fake Lake, but the Real Deal?

We still have vacancies in 3 bedroom cottages for the Canada Day Long Weekend. Come to your senses, come to Bondi. Give us a call.

A Little Respect Goes a Long Way. Toronto Should Try It...

What is the matter with the crowds currently ripping up the streets in Toronto?



The real messages, the valid protests, they've just found themselves drowned out by a bunch of numbnuts (am I allowed to say that?)



Nothing is gained by trashing Starbucks. Nothing is advanced by getting into the face of the officers who are charged with a duty of care to ensure the safety of the delegates hunkered down behind the fence. A little timely reminder is in order, that the very right to protest that they are currently so happily abusing in Toronto was hard earned for this country, and that should be respected.

And lighten up... it is a fence... it will be gone in a few days. They will ALL be gone in a few days. Up here, in Huntsville/Lake of Bays, we simply drove around ours, life went on. Folks came out to the downtown to see what was going on. They got excited to see the Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean drive through. They were delighted to learn the Russian President turned up for dinner at Tall Trees, and Obama sent an aide to buy him an Obama Muffin from Soul Sistas. We had some fun with it all.

The Security forces were unfailingly polite... but then, they were met with smiles, hugs and gifts of flowers. Our protestors -- and, agreed, they were pretty thin on the ground -- were respectful. People read their signs. We did tease them, just a little bit -- as you can see from the sign on the lingerie store, Petticoats. No credible reports have been received to this point as to how many of the officers were in fact brave enough to go in.








We get it, Media... if it bleeds, it leads... and we're pretty sure you were getting desparate for something juicy to cover up here. But honestly, all you twits tossing rocks and torching police cars, you need to get a life. Give me the Monk for Peace, quietly sitting in the Flag Square... or the gals campaigning for Water as a Human Right any day.





The World Leaders have left us -- and yes, while the motorcades where moving through, there were road closures. I got stuck in one. Like everyone else, we all hopped out of cars and crowded the roadside to give a cheery wave. And of course, to take a photo. Seems nobody does anything any more without taking a photo of the fact. We had no idea who was in the motorcade passing us... we didn't care. We waved anyway, and wished them well. Please let there be some good for the World to come from these face-to-face meetings.

As for the Security forces and Military that have been lining our roads, hiding out in our underbrush, retrieving our lost golf balls, directing our traffic, and generally making sure that we were safe, all of them there to serve and protect, all of them on the front line of something bigger than we really comprehend... Well, for all of you, Ya'll Come Back, Ya Hear???? You're welcome anytime.

Summit? What Summit?

All night, the frog song was interrupted by the clatter of helicopters, somewhere in the dark.

All day, the drone of aircraft provided background sound. The Heads of State for the G8 arrived at Deerhurst -- MP Tony Clement dutifully twittered each arrival, along with 'teasers', such as the 40 geese that paraded across the landing pad for the helicopter bringing POTUS; and the tid-bits that the UK's new PM Cameron went for a dip in Pen Lake, and Russian President Medvedev went out to dinner at a Huntsville restaurant Thursday. No word on which one... we have our suspicions.

There were police cruisers everywhere, but it was eerily calm. The local news radio reported that at the 'designated free speech area', every protestor had their own port-a-potty. In a field capable of standing room for 5000 people, 6 had showed up. There were small, friendly-enough protests on the main street, but the atmosphere from all reports was fairly festive.

On our side of the fenced area, it was even quieter. If you wanted action, you had to turn on the TV and watch the news out of Toronto, which is where the crowds seem to be. Good luck with that, Toronto...

We'd hoped to see the American helicopters pass overhead, but we're too far from their landing zone at Deerhurst for an overfly. Unless Pres. Obama is reading this Blog, and cares to direct them for a fly-by en route to the G20. We won't hold our breath.

We can still hear the planes, out there in the dark. Apparently, even something as huge as a G8 can't completely disrupt the beauty and tranquility of Muskoka.

Friends Marc and Margaret, who manage the Fairy Bay Guest House -- inside the Security Fence and right across the bay from Grandview -- drove out to pick up free-range eggs. Armed with their trusty G8 Green Passes, they sailed through the check-points.

I had to go to North Portage -- except for cruisers parked at every intersection, it was business as usual.

Tomorrow the leaders will take that final dip in the lake, and head to Toronto. It will be a different summit there, from all evidence to date. Perhaps it will make them long to be back here in the beauty that is Muskoka.

After all, Obama told Clement that it is lovely here, and next time he comes, he'll bring Michelle... To which all we can say is, Don't wait too long...

close your eyes and take a deep breath

After yesterday's downpour, we no longer have to worry about the Fire Hazard in the forest.

The mock orange trees are in full, glorious bloom. Carol says we need to find a way to bottle the scent they send out, it's wonderful.

Short lived, mind you, but wonderful...

Something in the Air

Right next door, the largest security operation ever undertaken in this country is in full swing.

You would be hard pressed to tell. On this side of the Security fence, away from Huntsville, today was remarkably serene. It's like a duck -- on the surface, all is smooth and serene, while underwater it's paddling away like crazy, trying to kick the snapping turtle off its toe...

All this, and a moon that is waxing full.... Toss in a fistful of World Leader's to provide a focal point, add a dose of protest, and the silly season rises ascendant.

District Chair Gord Adams got kicked out of the Fake Lake in Toronto for dipping his toes in the water. Knowing Gord, who is quite the sport as well as quite the sportsman, we should perhaps be grateful that he didn't try skinny dipping...

If you hop in the car, you won't go far before you find evidence of Security. Plenty of it! In Huntsville, the streets seem to have more security personnel than "real bodies".

There were two small protests in town today -- one, from Oxfam, involved 'Big Heads" -- models of the world leader's heads -- wearing nude pregnancy suits tastefully adorned with red maple leaves. The cause is laudable, but the images left on the retina may well inspire nightmares. Another protest involved Maude Barlow, leading a small flotilla of canoes down Fairy Lake, heading for the Summit site. As protests go, it was stunningly civilized. Out in the middle of the lake, the police and the protestors exchanged protest messages and safety tips. "You should be wearing lifejackets," the police advised them.

Helicopters zoomed overhead all day. And they are numerous now, out there in the dark. We gather that they are busy shuttling the Leaders to Deerhurst late this evening. Too bad... they won't get much of a view of the place from the dark sky.

Meanwhile, we had plenty of air traffic right here at Bondi. The woodpeckers have their babies out of the nest and enrolled in flight school. The kids need some practice. Their shrieks of alarm as they attempt to close in on the feeders is quite entertaining. Mom and Pop look bedraggled and exhausted, but the youngsters are in their very best, fluffy, shiny new first-day-of-school feathers.

Mr. and Mrs. Bluebird are constantly coming and going to their nest. They could give the G8 Leaders pointers on the difficulty of feeding hungry mouths.

So could Mrs. Barn Swallow. Her babies have just hatched, and she is run off her wings bringing back food. It's a task made harder by Climate Change, which more and more puts stress on these beautiful birds, whose migrations now don't always mesh with the life cycles of the insects on which they depend.

They could no doubt give some messages to the World Leaders about Climate Change, and the importance of the Environment to all of us, as well.

Storms Pass. Earthquakes too.

Jackie sent me this picture. This is Muskoka, after the storm.

We got enough rain tonight to leave everything washed clean. The fields and trees are suddenly alive with the songs of frogs. Fireflies are out. The deer came creeping out of the bush (where they are no doubt chatting up the hidden soldiers).

And, as it does, the sun came back. So it is with all this commotion. It will blow over. There was a small earthquake today -- well, it was certainly small up here, although it was about a 5 on the Richter scale in Toronto. We were shaken, but not stirred. It might be prophetic for the G8 that Nature has spoken up in Toronto...

We seem to be back on solid ground again, with a rainbow to take home and dream about. And perhaps that, too, is prophetic of this Summit. Let us hope so.

Different Ways to Howl in Protest

One of our guests reported today that a friend of hers, with the OPP, related to her a wonderful G8 tale. On their reconnaisance and familiarization tour yesterday, inside the fenced Red Zone surrounding Deerhurst, our man-on-the-scene stepped off the path, and walked a short distance up a hill into the bush. His aim was to get a photograph, and the height of land offered a better vantage point. As he relates, "A tree tapped me on the shoulder, and suggested that I should leave." He was standing next to a camouflaged soldier, in what is called a Ghilly suit, and had not realized it. That's how good the camouflage is. He showed his OPP security badge, and the 'tree' suggested that he should still leave. "So I left the tree in the forest," he confessed, "and I left."

In Huntsville today, the Monk Who Walks for Peace arrived on his walk from Hokkaido, Japan to Huntsville for the G8. That's a message that needs to be heard, again and again.

As for the wolf cub at the top of this post? The photo was taken by David Harris, of Huntsville Online. According to Dave, there is a wolf den located not far from the edge of the field that has been selected for the protestors, as their "Open Speech" site. Now, we're not convinced that protestors are going to go to an empty field with a handful of journalists... It somehow seems a little romanticized and naive. We'd expect 'em to be a little more 'in yer face' and where they weren't really wanted to be in order to make an impression, but never mind...

This pup has been watching the bulldozers transform what was once a pretty good mousing ground for him and his siblings into a Protestors' Paradise. Let's hope the protestors appreciate the sacrifice this little guy and his wolf pack have made for the G8, and let's hope that their happy hunting ground is treated with respect. Although we would not be surprised to learn that alpha Wolf Momma has relocated the cubs by the time the noise levels diminish. We also expect that, if asked, the wolves would have a little bit of protest of their own about all of this...

Some of our guests heard our wolf pack last night. We wonder if any of them are sitting under the night sky, howling happily, right beside a soldier masquerading as a tree...

They're Here... and Here's to Them!

Mike and I had to go into town today. This is the last day we can do that by driving Hwy 60. Tomorrow the Security operation "goes Live". Highway 60 will be closed to through traffic, and anyone heading to Huntsville from Dwight will do so along South Portage Road, Brunel Road, or through Dorset and Baysville. It's a long way around, but on the other hand, the view is nicer.

The final touches were going onto the Security Fence. Crash barriers, cement bollards, check points. The whole enchilada... It's quite the sight.

Mike spotted a pair of tanks inside the fence, being covered with a camouflage tent. You don't want to argue with those puppies... He and Brian were flying last night -- last time they'll have the chance until after all the dust has settled -- and Mike reports that he knows where all the police cars in Ontario are currently parked. Not to mention an entire field full of buses, waiting for the delegations. From the air, there are military tents everywhere. There's even some kind of balloon at one of the staging areas, but we have no idea what it is doing. We considered flying one of our own, here, that reads GOOD LUCK!

It's not only Hwy 60 that will see traffic restrictions starting tomorrow. Peninsula Lake will be closed to all boat traffic. Brian's plane is grounded -- there is an 80 km. NO FLY zone, and since we've seen the F18's zipping overhead, he has no ambitions to take them on. As Mike said, "I don't want to get shot down. I want to have supper..."

Today there were big helicopters circling over Deerhurst. That resort has been in lock-down for almost a week now. There's a lot to prepare, and we know that Joseph Klein and his crew at Deerhurst will do us all proud.

We got a look at one of the Police Boats that are patrolling Pen Lake. Disappointing, really, since no-one was waterskiing behind it... now THAT would be our tax dollars in action!

I asked if it was alright to take a photo for the Blog, and the RCMP officer replied, with all courtesy, "It's a free country, and we're working hard to keep it that way."

Three cheers for him. And three cheers for all the men and women who are here, working long hard hours, doing their best to ensure that this is an uneventful three days for most of us. Let's hope that it's a productive meeting... that something good and lasting emerges from this. Let's hope that some of the beauty of this part of the world sticks in the minds of the leaders of the world, and reminds them that we are all part of this wonderful World. That we can't pull on one string in tapestry without affecting the entire weave. That we ARE the world. And the world is us. And wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get along, so that this massive security presence was not such a necessity.

Let's hope that the protests -- and there will be some, and they have a right to assembly, a right to object, a right to be heard -- will also be respectful of the rights that have been so hard earned for them in the first place.

Calm Before

Summer is officially here. The Solstice arrived, as it always does, on June 21.

For a brief period of time, the sun stood still. We aren't Stonehenge, but the Solstice Sun has its own time-honoured markers here as well. The big willow at the Main dock stands in for the capstones at the henge... and we have less crowds, so it's all good.

Before the sun crested the horizon, everything was softened by the morning mist. The sun soon burned that away.

The lake was a mirror. The trees and the ducks were perfectly reflected. .

This is the calm before the G8 storm hits the area. It's hard to grasp, on the shore of Lake of Bays at 6 a.m. that not far away one of the largest security operations this country has ever seen is swinging into action.

In Huntsville the National Aboriginal Day Unity PowWow got underway at 5.30 am with a Sunrise ceremony.

We were waiting on the arrival of guests, so we stayed at home, at Bondi, and greeted the sunrise with our own ceremony. Achmed and the Ducks were more than happy to join in.

Bluebird Bountiful

We cherish our Eastern Bluebirds. We wait every spring for their return, fingers crossed that they have made it through the long hard winter.

They are a truer indication that spring is here than robins, who frequently show up before it's stopped snowing. Not that we don't look forward to the the robins, too, but we have a special spot in our affections for the colourful bluebirds.

They have their own Society. And if you visit the webpage, you can hear them. That way, you'll be familiar with their call when you come to Bondi. We currently have at least two breeding pairs, and we're pretty sure there is a third.

Our property is well adapted for these birds -- they like a mix of forest and open fields, so the horse pastures and the garden and lawn suit them very well. Every year we repair and rehang nest boxes, being sure the entry hole is precisely the right size. You can see on this nest box that a little repair was needed to get the hole corrected!

This Mom was working hard today bringing home insects for her fledglings in the nest box.

Blessing the Water

The Inaugural Water Festival took place today at Rivermill Park in Huntsville.

The square was beautifully decorated with stained glass works by Evelyn Wolfe.
Just seeing them was worth the visit.

Now, this festival may not be for everyone. But, then, the same thing applies to Festivals centered around Rap Music, or Heavy Metal. It's a big world, there is room for all. I think it's great that there is such variety to be found in this part of the world!

The Festival brought Rivermill park to vividly colourful life. There was a lot of chanting. Some wonderful songs. A terrific children's choir. A lot of water... Prayers offered to the four directions. A nifty maze marked out in blue on green grass. Blessing offered to the water. Healing thoughts sent out to the water suffering from BP's oil disaster. (you can bet they're not chanting for harmony, but perhaps they should be. Not much else is working)

It was a holistic, alternative celebration, very gentle, very respectful, and very colourful.

And it helped bring some focus on the often overlooked importance of fresh, clean, healthy water, for us, for the planet.

Perhaps it brought a small but timely message to the World leaders... It is often cited that the next big war will be fought over water. We cannot live without it. It's time we treated it better.

Local Colour

Darla, from Soapstones, on Brunel St. in Huntsville, has the best soap anywhere. Really... There is always a bar or two of her product in my bathroom. (her lilac scented soap is what gets me through the darkest winter drearies!)

I ran into her today at the Water Festival at Rivermill Park. She had gamely submitted to facepainting by the crowd next door, and had a lot of product on display. Her soaps are biodegradable, environmentally friendly. And, in case you need to know, Soapstones has provided all the soap for the G8 delegates.

If you are one of that crowd that need to know just what soap Harper, Obama, Sarcozy and the rest of them are using to bath their bits, well... now you know!

Just one booth over from Darla was Ken. He's the force behind Springhill Freshwater. It' another company located right here in Huntsville. He's heading to Toronto, where he will be providing water at the Muskoka Alley display, promoting Muskoka Water, and Savour Muskoka, to the several thousand journalists who are meandering about . It's a wonderful opportunity. As he says, "you might as well get on board and get excited about it, because it's coming, it's here, it's happening, and it's the biggest thing I've ever been involved in."

The bottle he's holding is still under wraps -- so I make no apology for the photo not being as crystal clear as the water in the bottle. It is the showcase bottled water that will be provided to the G8 delegates.

Just imagine... after a long hard day of saving the planet, the World leaders will be able to lounge in a tub full of Soapstone bubbles, (we hope in separate tubs...) sipping a long tall cool one from Springhill Freshwater. AND enjoying the view of a real Muskoka lake... it doesn't get much better.

Mom likes Me Best

Every spring, Joan brings her bevy of daughters to Bondi.

They always have a great time. And every year, they've got something new. What happens at Bondi, stays at Bondi, so they tell me... and we're okay with that.

Joan did manage to get around the question of "which one is Mom's favourite" -- all of them, including Mom, were sporting snazzy t-shirts labelled #1.

Mother Duck came up the lawn to check them out. We wouldn't be surprised to see all the little ducklings sparkline with sequins announcing #1 before too much longer!

Water, the World, and a Sunrise Ceremony

Buses are plying the roads. Military vehicles are everywhere. There are high speed boats on Peninsula Lake. We were chatting with the vet who is on contract to take care of any issues for the Police Dogs K9 unit. The crash barriers are up on Hwy. 60. This morning the F18's were screaming overhead, wingtip to wingtip.

Everywhere else, in this bizarre scenario, life unfolds peacefully and as usual. There are parking spots in town. Lots of stock in the stores. Cheerful faces. Plenty to talk about... Nothing like an international Summit to provide talking points to one and all.

The International plaza built for the occasion in town is proudly flying all the 8 nation flags, plus one for the EEC.

Deerhurst is now closed to the public. It's a beehive of activity putting on the finishing touches. After all, Deerhurst will be front and centre in the Photo Op.

There's lots else going on as well. This Monday, June 21, the Summer Solstice, will see National Aboriginal Day taking place in Huntsville. If you get yourself up to the Memorial Park behind the new Summit Centre at 5.30 in the morning, you can take part in the Sunrise Ceremony. If you tend to rise a little later, the PowWow is on all day long. This event, honouring World and G8 Leaders is hosted by Chippewas of Rama First Nation and Wasauksing First Nations. The Powwow Grand Entry begins at 12:30

The Water Festival is on, June 20, at Rivermill Park in Huntsville. In its inaugural year, Huntsville Water Festival celebrates water and its life-giving qualities by educating and exciting our local community on water stewardship responsibilities and green energy resources, while raising awareness and funds for the growing world water crisis. There are a lot of events... you should go. Tell Jessica I sent you...

The second part of the Water Festival happens Thursday, June 24. The Girl 8 concert - with performances by Tina Turley, Sherisse Stevens, Linda McLean, Ruth Cassey with Ivan Blackbird, Sarah Spring with Tobin Spring and Amanda Penner, Chistine Heron, Meg Jordan, Jaime Payne and Sarah McNeil and the Huntsville Youth Choir.

Money raised from the Water Festival will go towards the purchase of respiratory masks for clean-up crews battling the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill in partnership with Robert F Kennedy Jr’s Waterkeeper Alliance; and to Huntsville High School’s Me to We Program – a program born out of Free the Children – recognizing students who have volunteered their time and enthusiasm to making Huntsville Water Festival and Girl 8 a success

After the Rain

We were suitably impressed last year when one of our young guests, Quinn, won the Robert Bateman Get to Know photogrpahy contest. Quinn, who takes all his pictures with a small Sony Cybershot camera he received when he was 12, has a remarkable eye for a picture. Not to mention an affinity for Nature and a prodigious talent for being in the right place (quietly, patiently, observingly) until the right time shows up. He takes remarkable images.

We couldn't have been more proud when he won last year.


So we thought. Now Quinn, 15, has done it again. For the second year in a row, his digital photography entry has won in the Robert Bateman Get to Know National contest. His winning entry is titled After the Rain.

Last year he got to meet Robert Bateman at the Ontario Legislature and received a hand written letter and card from him regarding this meeting which he cherishes.

The awards ceremony for 2010 winners was held this week, June 18, at the Toronto Zoo. We expect Quinn found some photo opportunities while he was there.

There is a one week Art and Nature Camp, in Waterton National Glacier Park, Alberta, offered to the winners of this contest. Quinn is over the moon about this, and so are we. Art, and Nature... and Quinn with a camera... anything could happen!


Congratulations Quinn, from all your "Bondi Family."


Isn't it truly marvellous what young folk can do when they get out into Canada's Big Backyard?

16 Things

Old Mrs. Sinclair, a true blue old-fashioned farmer's wife who used to live near Huntsville, had quite a philosophy on life and marriage.

Her son-in-law one day was teasing her as she made apple pies... His wife wasn't as good a cook as her mother; she spent too much of his money, not frugal like her mother; liked to get out and about, rather than stay in the kitchen and cook, like her mother; needed all kinds of fancy machines to get the work done, rather than just carry on with the old stuff, like her mother...

Mrs. Sinclair kept rolling out the dough for the pie, silent. When he ran down, she raised one eyebrow. "Is that all?"

Well, he allowed, with a smile, it probably was.

"That's four," she said quietly, adding cinnamon to the apples. "She's got twelve more."

What?

"When you married her, you took her FOUR better, FOUR worse, FOUR richer and FOUR poorer. You've only complained about four things so far, so she's got twelve more..."

It's a wonderful outlook. When Dawn and Andy Fisher were here to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary with all their family at Bondi, we're pretty sure that they, too, know all about the secrets to a long happy life together, and the give and take of 16 things on each side of the marriage... It is a remarkable achievement to share 50 years of your life with your heart-mate, and it is something to be celebrated.

It was a joy to have them here with us, and we hope to see them back here -- long before another 50 years have passed!!

Getting Ready

Huntsville is getting ready to welcome the world to the G8 Summit. So are the blackflies, but that's another matter entirely.

The infamous G8 Fence is almost complete. It's not pretty. My suggestion that it be painted bright Pink to mimic the wrapped islands in the style of the artist Christo met with disapproval. One can but try.

Not that many folks are going to see those fences, if all goes according to plan. Vehicles will be detoured around Hwy. 60. So we have to enjoy this while we can. There are new stoplights, and the road is down to one lane -- this is to let the workers erect the fencing without risking being run over. Good plan.

Not taking any chances, however, it's not enough to set up stoplights. You have to wait to follow a Pilot Vehicle. Just in case you've forgotten that red is for stop and wait until the lights turn green. One can never be too careful.

A low flying Hercules aircraft causes the ground to shake and rumble. We know. One flew over us almost low enough to hand up a cup of coffee last week. This is the chapter in which we learn that the ground shake produced by such a big engine overhead is enough to trip car alarms. What fun!

The town looks very nice. There are tons of flowers, everything is clean and shiny. Dr. Hunt, who founded the place in the 1800's, would be very pleased.

You can buy an Obama Muffin at Soul Sistas restaurant, a Canada Maple Leaf at Seven Main. The Chip Truck by the bridge is into political lobbying. Obama for Prime Minister... maybe... perhaps we could just do a straight swap: give them Harper, we'll take Obama. Just a thought.

Army trucks are everywhere. The boys (and no doubt the girls) in camoflage are in all sorts of unlikely places. Deerhurst is now closed to the public. Last minute details are being fine tuned, and the clock ticks forward. It's all got this frenzied sense of something impending and huge on the one hand.

While on the other, at Huntsville's waterfront, life could not look more serene.

For our guests arriving this weekend, it will be a curious adventure coming face-to-face with the preparations underway. Next week, we will have other guests, more familiar with this sort of game.

And then it will be summer, and life will ebb back to the normal. We'll be able to hear the loons over the rumble of the F18's. Boats will be back on the lakes. Detours will come down. The last Obama muffin will be munched. Muskoka -- who never asked for all this fol-de-rol in the first place -- will return to her natural beauty, imbuing a sense of well-being into all who visit her.

So, folks, get off the shore of Lake Waste-of-my-Taxes in Toronto, and come on up. It's fabulous here!