Autumn from Above

Brian snapped this shot today.  I never get tired of this view of our beautiful Bondi Bay, with Dwight
Bay and the mouth of the Oxtongue in the background.  And the colour -- while we are not at peak colour here yet, being about a week behind Algonquin Park for that, just look at the reds and oranges that are here already.

We are booking for Thanksgiving, and autumn weekends, and this year the colour is more than worth the drive.

Good Dog/Bad Dog -- Problem Solved

Taffy's friend Webster comes to visit at the stable while his "mom" Meredith is riding.  Trouble is, Webster can be a bad boy, and often refuses to come when called.   Rather than leave him shut in a stall, Taffy got called up for baby-sitting services, and the pair of them had a great time zooming about.  Taffy DOES come when called... which leaves Webster little choice in the matter.

First Response in Action

 When you see the big Hercules search and rescue plane overhead, it always makes you sit up and pay attention.


This one was circling overhead yesterday.

Apparently, a float plane that belongs to one of our neighbours was flipped over by the strong winds and rainstorm while it was tied to the dock.  That act caused the Emergency Landing Transmitter to activate, and send a signal out for help.   It is incredible, really, how rapidly the response is!

A few years ago, Brian accidently activated his ELT while he was putting the plane away.  We got a plane overhead... then a phone call... then a visit to make sure plane and pilot really were all A-OK.  We're glad this was a false alarm -- nobody was injured or in distress -- and we're pretty impressed at how well the rescue centre operates!  It is reassuring to know that they can swiftly locate a downed plane and get help there.

Another Wedding

 The rain stopped in time for the ceremony -- Kristin Williams, who has grown up here at Bondi every summer of her life, married the love of her life, Jeff Mitten, in this lovely ceremony at next door Lumina Resort.

What a lovely bride, handsome groom, and beautiful setting for a wedding!

We wish you happiness, patience and tremendous joy as you embark on this adventure!  Can't wait to see you here again next summer!

Sunny even in the Mist

 Sunflowers have a very special meaning for one of our long time Bondi guests -- this weekend she was here to help celebrate her niece's wedding -- and these beautiful blooms were just calling out to her in the morning mist.

One of the most cheerful of the flowers, we are always happy to have them in our garden, complete with the flocks of birds who also enjoy them!

Just Wow

This is one of the first photos we've had back from Kelly Holinshead, the wedding photographer par extraordinaire (Shutterbug Gallery)  for David and Megan's wedding.

Although for most of the day we were under cloudy skies, even rainy intervals, apparently Kelly has connections - and the sun came out just in time.

Sam's Moon

One of our young guests, Samantha, sent us this lovely photo she took this summer of the last full moon of summer.


Love the mood in this! Thanks so much for sharing Sam! 

Pretty Skies

This is the time of year when we are not only treated to spectacular colours in the forests, but to wonderful and vivid sunsets.

This one, last week, was the sort of sunset that made me wish I could paint...

Busy Day at the Feeder

I love the jays -- this time of year, their calls
make me think of the old poem, 'Along the
Line of Smokey Hills'

 I have a new bird feeder, and I am quite pleased with it -- no longer do we have birds hiding on the far side of the feeder, just out of view -- this brings them right "into the frame" so to speak.


And what an assortment there have been this week!

 Sometimes, it is better when you share!

 The purple finch opted for the old style of feeder.  Despite the rain...

 And this little chap just sort of 'popped up' to join the party...

there is one of these in every crowd...

The Glory of the Pilot

It is called "the Glory of the Pilot".  Brian captured this image from his plane last week.   He says you get the shot by hanging out the plane's window with the camera in one hand and the plane in the other.   However he managed it, we think it is an incredible and beautiful image.

A 'glory' is an optical phenomenon that resembles an iconic saint's halo

about the shadow of the observer's head. The effect is believed to happen due to classical wave tunneling, when light nearby the droplet tunnels through air inside the droplet and, in the case of glory, is emitted backwards due to resonance effects. Which is a fancy way of saying that the light enters the cloud, and is then bounced back from the cloud to the observer.  

The glory can only be seen when the observer is directly between the sun and cloud of refracting water droplets. Which means you have to be pretty much above the cloud...  Hence, it is commonly observed whilst airborne, with the glory surrounding the airplane's shadow on clouds (when it is called The Glory of the Pilot). Glories can also be seen from mountains and tall buildings, when there are clouds or fog below the level of the observer

Knot Tied

Congratulations to David and Megan. They were married Saturday, in Huntsville, in a church that Megan's great-great grandfather helped to build. Five generations married in the same church. Pretty special!

 

Get me to the Church on time... except it was still locked
when the groomsmen and the Groom arrived. They wisely took
shelter from the soft rain that was falling.

These are just some 'teaser' pictures. We had Wedding Photographer extra-ordinaire Kelly Hollinshead in attendance -- we'll be delighted to share some of her creative and lovely photos a bit later. These are just snapped from my little camera.  We couldn't wait... we had to share.

 

After the Rev. Dawn told stories of lost wedding
rings, Mike was taking NO chances!

Kelly, hard at work!

Who IS that girl??? And what has she done with our Sarah?
We had to look twice to recognize her - so very lovely!

David, Shahira and Mike -- the BMD at full strength.
Lovely to have Shak back with us!

Warm hearts... cold day outside!
Carol and Sue huddle while waiting for the photographer to
call them over.
 

David and Sue

Piper Brian Hutcheson piped the couple into and out of the church and reception
 

Sarah, Courtney and Kiera

Brian, Carol, David, Megan, Peter and Sherry

Welcome to the family Megan!

 

Brian had them a bit worried when he flipped the text
for his speech down over the front of the podium

First dance

Cutting the cake

Mother/son dance... to The Wind Beneath My Wings.

There were tv camera crews on the site as well -- Megan was
picked for an episode of Say Yes to the Dress.  Although in truth, she was saying Yes to David..
 

One More Sleep

 
 Here we go... tomorrow is THE DAY.  David is marrying Megan Saturday Sept. 13th.


Today we were at the church for the rehearsal.  It's a great opportunity to get some of the nerves out and figure out where to stash the box of kleenex for the Mother of the Bride...   Who stands where, and when... it's a dance, really, as well as a very solemn occasion.

Back at the resort there was a lot of work done to decorate our sign. We welcomed everyone here for the rehearsal dinner. Again, a super opportunity to meet and mingle, while still being relaxed. Dave and Mike were in charge of the bbq. 

Rev. Dawn is amazing. That's it. Enough said.

 Gifts to the grooms' men were these snazzy "men in black" shades...  Not entirely sure when they are coming out during the ceremony, though...

Megan gave her brides' maids lovely personalized bracelets.


And we are off...   The big day is here.

Wishing David and Megan the very best, both tomorrow as they pledge their vows and through the rest of their lives. We welcome Megan to our Bondi Family, and look forward to 'showing her off' and introducing her to all of you!

Rusty's Camp Photo

Marianne comes to stay in early September.  She brings along her masterchef of a husband, and her horse, Rusty.  She and Barry spend some quality time in the cottage, on the beach, in the canoe... and she and Rusty spend some quality time schooling with Nancy.  It ensures that she gets to train with her horse while getting the time with her family, and it works out well for her.

We promised that Rusty would have a "camp photo" to take home to his friends.  He had never been in a lake before, and was a little reluctant when the idea was first introduced.  But Taffy was on hand to show the way, and before long they were all having a little splashfest by the hangar dock.

He took this picture home with him, to make the other horses at his stable jealous...

Toadilly...

 
This little guy was found near the lake -- perhaps one of the toadpoles that we rescued back in the spring.

He is looking toadily amazing. Such incredible little creatures, toads.  Check out those delicate toes!

Race Crew

The first weekend after Labour Day is the traditional date for the Muskoka Ironman 70.3. That's half the distance of a complete Ironman (and more on that later)

It takes a village to run these events. 
The bike route circles the Lake of Bays.  The bridge in Dorset is closed to traffic for the duration. Virtually every intersection has 'traffic control' crews on duty to ensure the safety of the bikers and the drivers.

We constantly ask that people Share the Road.  Let me tell you, on Race Day, when they are 'in the zone', the bikers sometimes don't stay to the shoulders. Drivers have to be patient, and vigilant. Please and thank you.

I was lucky to be working an intersection with a great crew:  Julia, from Foxwood Resort, Marianne and Barry, who were guests with us at Bondi, all pitched in.

Next year, the Trisport folk plan to bring in the complete Ironman -- and they plan to hold it on August 30, which is a week BEFORE Labour Day.  The bikes will be going around the Lake of Bays not just once, but twice. Even then, they don't get quite the needed distance, so the plan is to bring them down the Fox Point Road, turn them around somewhere near the church, and come back out the same road.  Yikes... that will be one congested piece of highway that day!

Stars and Moons

 The night skies up here are fabulous on a clear night.  I had a guest from Holland, an older gentleman, who commented that in all his life he had never seen the Milky Way.  We were out on the Bondi front lawn, calling the wolves (who did answer), and I was able to simply point up.

"There you go."  He was so delighted.

This photo was taken by Peninsula Lake resident Harold Doran, in Algonquin Park.  He has some serious photographic 'skillz' as the kids now say.  He also has a website, and he was kind enough to send me this photo to post here.  Much thanks Harold.

We didn't see much of the Milky Way, or the stars, this past week -- that's because the last full moon of the summer, and the last "super moon" of the year was eating up all the sky.  My cousin Robin Tapley took this through his telescope.  It's a beautiful look at our near neighbour.  Robin has a website, too.

It is essential to our health and general well-being that we preserve dark skies, and quiet places.  At home, turn out your exterior lights, except for a motion detector. Ensure that all lighting is low wattage, and directed downward to prevent light spill into the sky.  If we all worked harder at this, our friend from Holland might have a fighting chance to see the stars in Europe...

'where did everybody go?'

 Taffy has spent the past two months visiting cottages, schmoozing at BBQs, getting treats from our guests, playing with the kids, chasing the geese away, helping me with the wolf howl nights, patrolling on her golf cart to be sure all is well...

All of a sudden, just after Labour Day, she was left to wonder, 'where did everybody go?'

It's not desparate, however. We have guests again, and weekends are busy, and the lovely family here from the Ukraine adopted her for their BBQ night...

Slow Down, and Look Both Ways

This little lady wasn't paying any attention to my car Thursday evening.  Kids are like that -- they get all caught up in the moment and forget about car safety. 

She was more interested in the itch behind her right ear than in the car  It is a good thing to slow down and take your time on the country roads, especially at this time of year, especially in the mornings and evenings when the wildlife is moving around. 

On the opposite side of the road, up in the bushes, was Momma...   Maybe she called to the fawn, maybe the fawn just realized she was too far away... Whatever, she walked out in front of my car without looking both ways.

The deer don't look. They don't understand ballistics, trajectory, the sheer Right of Weight of the car.  Accidents are always tragedies for the deer, and often for the cars as well.

So, when you are up here looking at the autumn colours, slow down, take more time, look both ways along the shoulder of the road, and keep an eye out for the 'kids'. We want to see them grow up too!

One Last Day before School

Labour Day weekend is the 'last gasp' for summer before the kids head back to school, and the weather was excellent this year to make sure they got lots of beach time!

It goes very quiet when the beach toys have to be put away. It's wonderful to see the children playing, hear their happy voices, and see the sheer joy of being on the shallow beach here at Bondi --

as well as in the deeper water.

It is about learning new skills through play, being unstructured and creative... and getting wet.We miss them when school reels them back in...  Beaches are just better with kids on them...