OUT LIKE A SWAN

We were out kayaking again, a week since we had to break our way through ice to reach open water. The Indian River is now open from the locks at Port Carling to where it merges with Lake Muskoka, which remains completely frozen over. Ice still exists on Mirror Lake however an open channel allows easy passage. While paddling we encountered a pair of trumpeter swans, a rarity for this area. They immediately took off, a beautiful sight and ending to this month.

MUSKOKA LIFE

The prodigal sun has finally returned, sending the temperature into double digits, positive ones for a change. I had to take advantage of the day by pulling out the Muskoka chair, cracking a Muskoka beer and catching up on some local news. Living the life... Muskoka Life!

SLED DAYS

Winter is winding down now but there's still a lot of snow around. The days may be numbered for sledders but they have had one of the best seasons in recent years. These sleds are for sale however the owner gave up trying to keep them cleared off this winter and they ended up buried, which I thought made for a neat shot.

COLD WATER KAYAKERS

A stretch of open water and the forecast of a nice day was enough for us to dig out our kayaks and launch them the following day. We were forced to break a path through a layer of clear ice formed overnight to reach open water, which exists from Mirror Lake to the locks at Port Carling, the extent of our first outing of the season.

PANCAKE ICE TUESDAY

A friend provided me with the tip about pancake ice that had formed at the dam above High Falls. There were dozens corralled together, ranging in size and appearance of tart and pie shells, to pizza dough. This was the first time I had ever witnessed this phenomenon, and was an interesting sight to see.