LOCKING THROUGH

Following a tour aboard the Peerless II and in anticipation of it locking through, my boys found a great place to catch the action.

BUTTERTART FESTIVAL

Rain and thunder did little to discourage people from attending the Buttertart Festival, sponsored by Muskoka Life and held at the Muskoka Lakes Museum. Several local bakeries were on hand, busy promoting their versions and vying for the coveted People's Choice Award. The sun eventually made an appearance and everybody left happy, their cravings satisfied and umbrellas stowed, and for some, like us, with a door prize of more buttertarts to enjoy afterwards.
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BIRD'S-EYE VIEW

From the top of Huckleberry Rock Lookout one can get a bird's-eye view of Lake Muskoka and several islands from Bala to Port Carling. Following a brief rainshower, I climbed up to capture some of the islands surrounded with mist, and was joined by a Turkey Vulture.

FAMILY TREE

This small deciduous tree appears to be in full foliage, set against The Wall, a photo mosaic composed of hundreds of photographs of early pioneer life during the first century of Port Carling's history, and a record of some of its residents.

HOME OF THE CROCUS

Oak Gables Heritage House, "Home of the Dispro", built by W.J. Johnston, was also home of the crocus, the first I've seen this spring. In the rock garden beside the original stairway a solitary striped blossom grows, its yellow stamens radiating like rays from the sun.

YACHT TO FIX

I never noticed before the error on the sign posted on the kiosk at the waterfront. It should read Wanda III, the replacement for the Wanda II after it burned. Commissioned for the Eaton family in 1915, it was acquired, restored and was the second ship to join the Muskoka Steamships fleet in 1993, but is now in a state of disrepair.

CHINKING

Port Carling woke up to a fresh snowfall of six inches, and at the waterfront the new snow covering the remaining ice looked like chinking, matching this log boathouse, a familiar landmark on the bay across from the large lock.

THE PERFECT CALM

The aftermath of a rain shower, mild temperatures and remaining snow and ice, all conspired to form the perfect calm, where the mist turned the waterfront pavilion area and later at twilight, a downtown section, into ethereal scenes.

WINTER'S PASSING

It was a grey and somber day today, the type befitting a funeral. I was visiting the waterfront above the locks to monitor the progress of the melting ice, and thought this scene depicted the same mood, a funeral for winter's passing, a rectangular mound for every month.

PINING FOR SUMMER

Nature never fails to impress me with her surprises and my partner Morwen, her eye for detail. During a late afternoon stroll across the lock to the island, she noticed amongst the scattered conifer needles and snow, a trio that formed a crude resemblance to a sailboat. It was enough to make us pine for summer.

TURTLE'S PACE

Although it is officially spring, there is still a lot of snow blanketing everything, and we are hoping for a slow melting to avoid flooding like last year.

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.

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.

FORT JOHNSTON

The stone walls of Fort Johnston still remain, named after Benjamin Johnston, an early pioneer and the first postmaster of Port Carling. Concerned about the potential threat of attack from Fenian raids, it was built strategically atop a rocky promontory that commanded a view of the Indian River and any invaders, but now offers a scenic view busy with boaters, and with the Canadian flag flying proudly.

PORTLY BEAR

I have seen a rash of black bears this spring during my number of outings, however was surprised to encounter the largest one at my back door in Port Carling. It retreated to the side of the road then chose to cross just as a car was approaching. Thankfully the driver was quick enough to slam on his brakes in time to avert a tragedy.
[Photo courtesy of Tim Dunn, who captured it with his cell phone.]

TRILLIUM TWINS

One of my favourite signs of spring is when the trilliums appear. I intended only to photograph a single flower, however after getting into position I noticed how the second flower dovetailed nicely with the first, and was pleased with this result. The floral emblem of Ontario, trilliums are white at first, then turn pink when they wilt.

MISKODEED

An Ojibwa tale tells of the encounter between two men, the elder Peboan and the younger Seegwun who visits him, where overnight they compare their influences on the landscape. By sunrise the old man melts away, his true nature revealed as Old Man Winter to his guest, the Spirit of Spring, leaving behind in his place, Miskodeed.
[Thanks to fellow blogger Susan Oling, for contributing her photo.]

During my ramblings through the woods today I came across several patches of Spring Beauty, and was reminded of the tale, the Ojibwa calling this wildflower Miskodeed. The name of the young character from this story, Seegwun, the Spirit of Spring, is also the source of the name and meaning that's attributed to the Muskoka steamship.

BUOY CORD

Similar to the dimensions of a bush cord of firewood, this cord of buoys lie stacked by the river's edge, waiting to be deployed for a new boating season. The various colours serve different functions, from guiding traffic to warning about hazards, in addition to their unique identity codes acting as navigational aids on marine charts.

UNCLE JIM

The tugboat Uncle Jim sits idle at the dock by Foodland, silhouetted against the misty surface of the Indian River with Hanna Park in the background. Last night the temperature dipped below zero, autumn slowly being moved along as if by a tug, making one appreciate the beautiful mornings like today while they last, before the snow flies.