MORNING MIST

With the recent cool weather at nights the mornings bring mist on the lakes, gradually lifting with the emerging sun. As the curtain is raised Edith and Wasan Islands appear, two of several islands that make up the Venetia Group, while between them in the background The Rosseau can be seen perched above the lake on a granite bluff.

SEEING STARS

Many cottagers and visitors hope to catch a glimpse of some of the celebrity stars known in the area but for this cottager they are more interested in the celestial stars. Their boathouse, on Lake Rosseau and seen from the bridge at Port Sandfield, includes an observatory that features a 12" Meade LX200 telescope with GPS for alignment.
[Click here to view some photographs taken using this same model.]

BYGONE DAYS

Like a re-enactment from bygone days the Wenonah II, a replica of the twentieth century steamships, waits to collect passengers for a cruise from The Rosseau, a modern resort modelled after the Royal Muskoka Hotel, built over a century ago, which reigned as the most luxurious resort on the lake before it was destroyed by fire in 1952.

FLY HIGH

I first saw this Falcon Tandem hang glider serve a double function as a sun canopy on the beach before it was picked up by a special boat. It is launched from a platform at the stern of the cruising boat and the tow-winch line released when it soars up to a gliding altitude of 1,000 feet, then landing later on the water with its fitted pontoons.
[Visit their website and watch their Boat Tow HG Adventure video.]

BAYWATCH

The lifeguards of the popular TV series Baywatch, wearing their red iconic swimsuits, patrolled the beaches of Los Angeles County while the lifeguards at Clevelands House patrol the beach and water park at Wallace Bay, complete with their stand and a red iconic Muskoka chair, the end of another day and season drawing to a close shortly.

TOURISTS & TRUCKERS

During the summer months Paul Fatijewski of Waterway Tours offers sightseeing cruises of Lake Rosseau aboard his pontoon boat. When the season finishes he returns south to his home in Tillsonberg, then during winter's coldest period he gets away... to the ice roads of the Northwest Territories! There he helps police the truckers for safety.
[Watch for his cameo role in Ice Road Truckers: Dash For The Cash.]

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Normally I would abstain from taking pictures when I have to contend with flare from the sun but in this instance I used it to my advantage to place a passing boat in the spotlight. The elevation of Armstrong Point offers one of the best views of Lake Rosseau with some of its islands, and with the trail not marked, one of the best kept secrets.

FLY FISHING

A fishing rod acts like a trawler's outrigger for this web waiting to net flies. I don't know what kind of spider weaved this web or who the rod belongs to either. It was left behind at the dock pavilion of the Christ Church in Gregory and reminds me of when Jesus said to the fishermen, "Come, follow Me, and I'll make you fishers of men".

TILTING

The last challenge was the tilting competition. Teams of two engage in battle with one member trying to maintain control of the canoe and the other their balance while sparring against their opponent, attempting to knock them overboard or overturn their canoe to win. On the licenced patio other variations of tilting were taking place.

DIFFERENT STROKES

Different strokes for different folks. A couple of teams demonstrate different techniques in the no paddles race, one of a pair of amusing challenges, the other being the out and in race: at the sound of the siren at the midway point the paddlers have to jump into the water and change positions before climbing back in to continue the race.

MLA REGATTA

Rain was forecast but held off for the 117th annual Muskoka Lakes Association Regatta, located at the Muskoka Golf & Country Club. This popular event is the oldest in North America, featuring canoes and skiffs in a variety of races and categories, with multiple families and generations vying for prestigious trophies and bragging rights.

WATER WORLD

My boys ready to wade out and tackle the Water Park adjacent to Clevelands House. We started with the closest structures, the gyro, trampolines and small icebergs, then graduated to deeper water to Walk the Plank and fly off the Katapult before finally attempting the tallest iceberg, where Stirling was the only one to reach its summit.

MY FAVORITE THINGS

My version based on the song from The Sound of Music:
Sunrises at morning and sunsets at night;
Beautiful beaches and trails that delight;
Call of the loons and trilliums in spring;
These are a few of my favorite things.

LILY WHITE

While attending the Butson's Boats show held at The Rosseau I was attracted to this idyllic scene at the far end of the docks, a Chestnut canoe floating amongst the lily pads, with the matching colour of the canoe and flower. It was an oasis of tranquility far removed from the centrepiece of the boat show and the bustle from the resort's beach.

WATERSKI SHOW

The waterski crew create a human pyramid as the finale of their show, entertaining the spectators gathered at Clevelands House. Performing their amazing show on various days and locations in Muskoka, the staff from Summer Water Sports demonstrate their skills and techniques with a variety of technical tricks and stunts.

CANADA DAY

[Photograph pending]
Happy Canada Day! To end the day of festivities at The Rosseau a fireworks display was launched from the water in front of the resort, a spectacular event watched by hundreds of guests around the hotel and over a hundred boats gathered offshore, their navigation lights a colourful display itself and contributing to the night's performance.

ABORIGINAL DAY

Today marks National Aboriginal Day which also coincides with the summer solstice. Hugh McKenzie, an Ojibwa Native elder, prepares for the beginning of the Sacred Sunrise Ceremony, a traditional Native ceremony to honour Grandfather Sun and the first fire of Creation, offering prayer, thanks and gratitude to the Creator.

REFLECTIONS

A glass partition on the patio captures a reflection of Windermere House on an overcast day, the clouds resembling smoke, reflecting the tragic time it caught fire during filming a Hollywood movie and burned to the ground. Established originally in 1870, the resort was rebuilt, restoring its grandeur and her status as "Lady of the Lake."

VICTORIA DAY

A boater cruises past Victoria Rock, a natural rock formation that resembles the profile of Queen Victoria, whose birthday we celebrate today. She reigned for 64 years, the longest of any British monarch, and also spent the last 40 years of her life dressed in black and in perpetual mourning after the death of her husband, Prince Albert.
[My kayak provided by Dan Arcand of Muskoka Sports & Recreation.]

A SUITE VIEW

To commemorate the 10 year anniversary of geocaching, I planted my first cache at this scenic lookout under the same title. Touted as "the sport where you are the search engine" geocaching is a high tech hide and seek treasure hunt that everybody can participate in using a GPS to find hidden caches, often in some interesting places.
[Visit www.geocaching.com to register for free and start searching.]