HAPPY HOLIDAYS

With the holidays upon us and in the wake of the recent snowfalls we've experienced, there hasn't been as much time as I had hoped to get out to take new photographs. With things being busier at work and home, I also haven't had any time to update this blog. My new year's resolution is to get out more often and take more pictures. Stay tuned and from my family to yours, Happy Holidays & New Year!

MUSNOWKA

Mounds of snow blanket everything as over 100 cms fell over the span of a few days, breaking recent records and creating chaos throughout Cottage Country. Schools remained closed for 3 days straight and many local businesses were forced to close when power outages and dangerous road conditions prevented people from getting to work.

WINTER HAZARDS

A motorist negotiates a gauntlet of drifting snow and white out conditions. Before freeze-up, snowfalls, combined with moisture contributed by the lake effect, can produce significant amounts, a boon to snowmobilers but the bane of drivers. Drivers must also remain alert for deer that frequent the area during the winter.

SIMPLICITY

In this day and age of extravagance, where more and bigger are better, I was impressed with this scene by its simplicity. A single tree and deer stand on display at the end of a boathouse, illuminated and reflected in the water, captured my attention more than any lavishly decorated place.

FIRST SNOWFALL

December first and the first snow to blanket the landscape following a squall during the night. There is always something special about the first snowfall of the season, and how it makes the transition from drab scenery to one of serenity. I visualized this scene earlier in my travels and wanted to make this my first winter picture.

TRAIN STOP

Trains no longer stop in MacTier but it owes its existance to the railroads. Formerly known as Muskoka Station, the village once played a vital role as a switching station, due to its location halfway between Sudbury and Toronto. I like how their village mural extends low enough to the ground to include the bushes in the picture.

TINTANIC

I was amused by the name of this boat at first, and found it ironic when I noticed the ice off its starboard bow. Three years after the real Titanic sank, Port Sandfield was home to the invention of the Dippy, a wooden boat specially designed that its propellor retracts automatically if it should accidently run into an underwater hazard.

CHURCH CONGREGATION

When I was photographing Christ Church at Gregory, I was attracted to their dock with its pattern of knots and colour of the weathered wood. Countless leaves were wedged between the rows of planks and resembled the congregation sitting in the pews.

END OF THE ROAD

Will this be the end of the road for this 1942 Dodge Tandem truck, or is it waiting to be discovered and lovingly restored by a collector? In the meantime it continues to rest and rust at the end of Butter & Egg Road, near Bardsville. I loved how the palette of colours from the truck matched the surrounding fall foliage.

BOOKENDS

While exploring the area over different days I captured these two pictures and found them remarkably similar, and the reason behind their title. The top is Madill Church, near Huntsville, and the bottom the Seguin Township Museum, near Humphrey, both examples of the few remaining squared, white pine buildings with dovetailed corners.

THE WALL

One of the first attractions I found in my new home of Port Carling was what locals refer to as The Wall. From a distance the mural features the Sagamo, the flagship of the Muskoka steamships; a closer inspection reveals a mosaic composed of 9,028 individual historic photographs depicting 100 years of Muskoka history.

ROSSEAU REFLECTIONS

I moved to Muskoka shortly before the autumn colours peaked, and during my leisure time explored the backroads in pursuit of photo opportunities. I was rewarded one morning when I discovered this location and was captivated by the reflection of the trees and a neighbouring boathouse in the water, lending an impressionistic quality to the scene.

WELCOME

Welcome to the launch of my first blog, Muskoka Seasons. As a new resident to Muskoka I wanted to create a blog to allow everyone to share the beauty of this area and its seasons, featuring some of my photographs and experiences.