Making a collection

Zebra rocks, polkadot rocks, tiger rocks and more!

Two is such a wonderful age. It takes so little to be amused. The whole world is waiting to be discovered and everything is an adventure. At home Abby's favourite adventure is a walk up the hill beside Grandma and Grandpa's house to sit on a big rock that overlooks the houseboats and the lake. She would go on that adventure several times a day if someone would take her. I was looking forward to seeing what adventures would be her favourites while we were on our houseboat vacation.

We had a lovely ride to our first campsite on the houseboat. Abby has a sticker book she’s been working through that kept her busy for a long time. There was a lot to see on the way out: green and red buoys had to be watched for; boats had to be waved at as they passed by. She helped Daddy drive and enjoyed a few snacks along the way.

'Stonehenge'

Our first stop was Sand Point. Abby was so excited to have arrived she was taking her clothes off to put her swimming suit on before we were even tied up. We spent a fun couple of hours digging in the sand and exploring the shoreline. We began by digging for treasure and finding lots of interesting rocks in the sand. Mike came out to play while I got my swimming suit on and he showed her how to make 'Stonehenges' with her treasure rocks.

Then we began to make collections. Abby was collecting orange rocks and I was collecting white rocks. There were a lot more orange rocks to be found than white as we wandered up and down the shore. Abby’s bucket was quickly filled and emptied into a pile at the water’s edge. She soon turned to collecting interesting rocks as she sang about her collection. We found zebra rocks, tiger rocks, polka dot rocks and just plain cool rocks. There were also lots of big pine cones to add to the collection.

Rocks, exploring, swimming, pine cones... Sometimes we feel the need to plan a multitude of activities that must happen before our family vacation can be complete. But two years old doesn't require every moment of the day to be organized. It only requires some water, some rocks and someone to share it with.

Another great rock for the collection

Bugs in the snow

"There's a snow flea!"

One of many, many little snow fleas

In honour of spring's arrival accompanied by a LOT of snow I thought I would post about a little something that has captured Abby's attention over the past few weeks. With the coming of warmer weather and melting snow the snow flea has been out in force. Our walks and playtimes outside have become searches for snow fleas (a species of dark blue springtail) and for the somewhat bigger snow scorpionfly. Of course this means that a walk down our driveway takes at least half an hour instead of six minutes (yes it's a long driveway, especially with an inquisitive two year old) so we need to allow for a lot of extra time to get anywhere and sometimes mommy gets a bit tired of seeing yet another snow flea. But I love to see Abby so interested in what's happening around her.

The slightly larger snow scorpionfly

Somehow I managed to live most of my life in Northern Ontario without ever hearing about bugs in the snow. I always thought I was pretty observant and paid attention to details but somehow these tiny creatures escaped my notice. Snow fleas and scorpionflies come out on warm days, almost as if they are climbing out of the snow to avoid the moisture that is collecting down below as the snow melts. I did a bit of reading about snow fleas but most of it wasn't terribly interesting until I found this cool snow flea blog. Apparently it's a good thing to see snow fleas because it means you have healthy soil. (Very cool.) They are also being studied to see if organs waiting for transplant can be stored at colder temperatures without freezing just like these little guys can survive at such cold temperatures. (Even cooler.) The snow scorpionflies are insects which are so well adapted to the cold that holding one in your hand would kill it. I'm glad to know that as Abby is always wanting to pick them up and bring them inside! So far we've only been able to pick them up along with a handful of snow but now we won't try to bring one home in our bare hands.
Neither of these bugs will bite. They just jump around and look neat. So if you've never noticed them before keep your eyes open over the next few weeks as the snow melts (if you still have snow) and see if you can spot either of them.

Can that actually move this houseboat?

9.9's about to make their last trip of the season - onto the trailer to come out of the water for the winter

I am always surprised when people stop in to take a look at our houseboats. It's the kind of thing I often think about doing as I'm driving along the highway but I never ever do it. I actually enjoy showing our houseboats off and giving a little tour of what's inside. It's so nice to hear people's reactions as they step on board and see what our  boats are like. The one thing that amuses me, I wait for it in fact as the men in the group check out the back deck, is a little question that comes up probably 75% of the time. I don't know how many times I've heard it - "There's just a little 9.9hp on this thing?" "That motor actually moves this houseboat?"
Honestly, we love our little Yamaha 9.9hp four stroke high thrust motors. Yep, that 's a mouthful and for anyone who's not motor savvy I totally understand that it's also nearly incomprehensible. I grew up on a farm so conversations about Massey Ferguson and Chase-International and combines and tractors and balers still have much more meaning to me than outboard motors and fishing boats but I've learned a lot in the last ten years.

Peter working on a motor that's missing a little piece at the bottom:  that would be the part you lose when you hit a really big rock really hard.

I've observed that our Yamaha motors have been very dependable. That's great news for anyone taking a vacation on one of our houseboats. They just don't break down very often. Now mind you we keep them in good repair and replace them regularly but just the same most of our service calls for motor repairs are because someone has hit a rock or had a rope stuck in the prop, not because the motor has failed.
9.9hp means that it's not a big motor. If there is ever a break down we can simply replace the whole motor and you can carry on your way. That means less time stopped when there is a problem and more time enjoying your vacation.

Little motors hard at work

Four stroke is all about fuel efficiency. Your car has a four stroke engine. You don't have to mix fuel and oil. It doesn't use as much gas as a two stroke engine. That means a cheaper vacation for you and no hassle when you need to add fuel to the tank.
High thrust is what makes the 9.9hp work for us. This is the part that surprises people. They have big props on them, much bigger than your average motor of this size. They are made for pushing barges through the water and that's basically what your houseboat is, a fancy barge. You aren't going to go water skiing behind it but that's not what houseboating is all about is it?

Too small to kayak you say?

Our little Abby has been dying to go in a kayak ever since the 'big kids' came down to visit a few weeks ago. She sees other people going by in kayaks and she excitedly points them out. Mike has been working on  a kayaking fishing video for his Fish Temagami project and she loves to watch it.
The last few days Grandpa has been letting her sit in one of the kayaks in the morning after their daily Rhino ride. She loves it. She sits there and asks to please go out on the water.
Tonight was finally her night. Mike got out his kayak and put her on his lap and away they went. You can see from the picture that she was just a little excited as she and Daddy paddled away.They kayaked along the docks and over to the big rock near the island across from us. 
It was a very exciting end to a hot, busy day.
Thank you Mitchell for capturing the moment on video and in pictures for us!

What is a grocery store?

Exactly what is a grocery store? For most of you in large communities it is a place to buy food, maybe get in on some good sales or a place to pick up a quick supper on a busy day. You have several to choose from and have your favourite places to shop. So the answer to my question is a simple one.
For a community like Temagami our grocery store is so much more. It is of course a place to buy food. But when the next closest store is 40 minutes away you appreciate the convenience of having options close by. A grocery store becomes a place to pick up something to cook for supper, fresh buns to go with the chili you just made, ice cream that will never make it home on a hot day. It is also the place where the owners and cashiers all know who you by name and ask how your little girl is doing. It is where you can order the things they don't have in stock but you need. It is where you can get your meat cut just the way you like it.
It is the center of the community. It is where you see your friends and neighbours and find out how they are doing. It is where you find out about everything going on in town at the bulletin board.
Grocery shopping is about so much more than groceries in a small town. When I first moved here I got to know the people who worked at the grocery store and the post office first. They knew me by name before I knew their names and they were always interested in how I was doing.
With the grocery store closed last winter it seemed like we lost touch with one another. It was harder to find out what was going on in town because there was no one spot to check for coming events. It seemed like the winter was long. For me personally with a new baby last winter it was also a lot more work to have to plan a whole day out so we could have food to eat. Grocery shopping meant a long day away from home instead of a walk with Abby in the stroller to pick up the things we needed. I know that I was not alone in missing the grocery store. For the seniors in our community who don't drive it was also a long winter trying to figure out how to get out of town to get the supplies they needed.
For our business and for many others in the area a grocery store is essential. Visitors to our community need to buy groceries while they are here and they would rather not take the better part of the day to buy them. So many items don't travel well and it seems like you always forget to bring something.
It has been so nice to have our grocery store open again. I am thankful for it every time I need to buy groceries.
Our Daily Bread held an open house last Friday complete with baked goodies, and hot drinks. It showed off what it had to offer: the shelves are full with an excellent selection of everything you might need. The fruits and vegetables continue to be fresh and tasty. The bakery is now open and it is so nice to walk into the store and smell fresh bread baking. It's a real treat to be able to pick up fresh buns to go with supper when we want them. They are also stocking almond and soy milk for those of you who need non-dairy milks. You will find Udi's gluten free bread in the freezer section if you are limiting or eliminating your gluten intake. There are rotisserie chickens available Thursday and Friday which are always a tasty treat after a long day of work. There is a nice sitting area set up to enjoy coffee and a muffin with your neighbour and catch up on some of the news or enjoy some  homemade soup and a fresh bun which are available at the store.
I hope our community has learned how important our grocery store is. Unfortunately we live in a seasonal community and many people are unemployed in the winter. As a result there is not a lot of extra money to go around for groceries that cost more than they would at a bigger store and I understand that. But I hope our town will support our store throughout the winter so that we don't lose it again.

Riding the Dreamcatcher Express

The last two weekends have been busy but fun. The Dreamcatcher Express comes to town at this time of year and brings people to enjoy the fall colours during their trip from North Bay. They get to spend four hours in Temagami and then ride the train back to North Bay in time for supper.

We have had the privilege of driving our houseboats to provide a cruise on Lake Temagami during the Dreamcatcher for the past seven years and it has been a lot of fun. We have met so many nice people and had the chance to share what we love about our town. It's busy but a nice change from cleaning houseboats since right now we are busy getting them ready to come out of the water for another year :)

This year the fall colours have not been as spectacular in Temagami as other years but there was a nice showing in North Bay which made the train ride quite scenic.

For the first time we had the opportunity to ride the train and I have to say I was impressed. The dome car is beautiful and gives a great view of the scenic beauty you are traveling through. We saw four great blue herons on our trip back to North Bay and on two other mornings the travelers saw a moose. The entertainment car is spacious and the music had everyone's feet tapping.

Little Abby loved her first train ride and it made us want to travel by train again. It was so relaxing and we could all take in the view instead of keeping our eyes on the road and watching for dangers along the way. We took Abby for walks up and down the aisles and it was easy to amuse her. She made friends with a little boy on the trip. They played peek-a-boo between the window and the seats for at least 45 minutes. It was so cute to watch. Abby's ears perk up now whenever she hears the train go through town.

Abby and I go geocaching

I've been looking forward to trying to find a cache for months now. I was going to go in May but first it snowed, then it rained and then things just got busy... Today I decided that we were going to go no matter what. And then I realized why I hadn't gone before now as it got later and later in the day. When my little girl decided she was not going to nap this afternoon I seized the opportunity.

I wanted to try what looked like a nice easy cache for our first one and went to the picnic area at Net Lake. Believe it or not I have never stopped there before. I was surprised by how busy it was and I quickly wished I'd brought a little picnic for us to enjoy. We always went on picnics with my family and I have lots of great memories of enjoying the outdoors and family and great food. As Abby gets bigger I'm sure we'll head back here for a picnic or two.

I got out our little yellow Garmin Gecko 101 and Abby was immediately interested. Yellow is her favourite colour and there were buttons to push! As we followed the arrow to the cache I

discovered that the pipeline passes through the area and there is a well used ATV trail on it. We followed the trail until the GPS showed us that the cache was off the trail. Now this was something I was not prepared for. Carrying an eight month old baby and wandering through the bush was not an easy task. I was worried about the branches hitting her face so I was moving slowly. Unfortunately, our little Gecko needs movement in order to work properly and in the bush it just didn't go very well. Judging from the comments on Geocaching.com I spent a bit too

much time in the bush and overshot it. I know I was close. I could see where others had also searched for this cache. I probably almost stepped on it.

We did have a lot of fun. Abby discovered leaves

and needles and tree trunks and ferns. We also saw a family of almost grown grouse. I'm sure they thought we were chasing them as we went round and round looking for the cache. We had to give up because it was supper time and almost bedtime for a little girl who hadn't wanted to nap. Maybe when Abby is a bit bigger we'll try this one again when she can help me search for the cache and I don't have to worry about her so much. I can see this being a lot of fun with our little girl in a couple of years!

Grocery News

We are very excited that our grocery store has reopened. It is now under the name Our Daily Bread. As with most new beginnings it takes a while to get everything running smoothly, however things are coming together nicely.

If you went grocery shopping in town the first few weeks after the store opened you may have been surprised by what you didn't find. The stock was quickly bought up by our enthusiastic town visitors. It was great to see how quickly inventory could be turned around in our little community.

All of the basics are there: bread, milk, eggs, meat, ice cream and ice (in the middle of summer when it's 30C these are staples), and dry goods can all be found on the shelves. You won't find three different brand names of each product for comparison shopping but you will find what you need as you shop the aisles.

There is a good selection of fruits and vegetables which are grown right here in Ontario making them nice and fresh when they arrive. The meat is also grown and processed locally either in Warren by Creative Meats or by our butcher, Norm Lacroix.

Nine months without a grocery store in town certainly made us appreciate the convenience of being able to run to the store to pick up what we need. We hope that Our Daily Bread has a successful season and will be around for many years to come.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

So much for the 15cm of snow they warned us Temagami would receive today. As you can see in the pictures the snow is sitting on the plants but there really isn't much on the ground. I thought the tulips looked especially cute with their little caps of snow. Thankfully the cold weather isn't supposed to last long. By Wednesday we should be enjoying more seasonable weather again.

Despite the beautiful weather we've had the whole month of April the trees have refused to show their leaves... until this week. It must have been too dry. The morning of rain we had on Wednesday changed the trees from barren branches to beautiful green overnight. It finally really looks like spring is here!

May 15: Opening day for fishing... and houseboating!

The weather network is promising warm weather for opening week with only a bit of rain - if you can trust what they say. If they're right it sounds like perfect weather for houseboating and for fishing.

Since the ice went out so early this year I was curious how warm the water is and if the pickerel would spawn early. So I checked the water temperature this cool, rainy morning. (Yes, we finally received some real rain!) The water is currently 56 degrees Fahrenheit.

That still didn't mean a whole lot to me since I've never checked the water temperature at this time of year before so I turned to the internet. Now I know you can't rely on everything you read online but I checked out a few sites. I discovered that pickerel feed the most between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. One site said their feeding peaks at 64 degrees. Another site said that it all depends on your latitude - how helpful...

Another said that their feeding was 'most voracious' just after spawning. So I visited the folks at TAFIP (Temagami Area Fish Improvement Program), our local fish hatchery to see whether the pickerel have finished spawning. I was told that they have finished and that the first batch of eggs will be hatching next week. I've included pictures that were taken a few years ago at TAFIP of both the eggs and the little guys just after hatching.

So the conclusion is that the pickerel fishing on Lake Temagami should be great opening week even though it is earlier than usual. Now I can't promise that there won't be snow. And I can't promise that you'll catch fish. I can only say that it looks hopeful and I wish you all the best!

First boat in the water!

It has been a beautiful month of April. That means all the painting has been finished ahead of schedule and the boats are ready to go. It's always exciting to see the first one slide into the water and drive to its parking space.

This year the water is exceptionally low and the boats can't pull right up to the dock so it could create some challenges for the cleaning girls! It could also create some challenges for those of you renting our houseboats this spring. There may be some campsites you won't be able to get to because of rocks that were not visible before being very close to the surface... or above the surface! We don't usually pray for rain at this time of year but we could certainly use some with a fire ban already on and water levels being so low. We'll see what the next couple of weeks bring.