THE POINT

For as long as I can recall, Armstrong Point has always been a popular spot for anyone to visit that knew about its location. Following the unmarked trail, bountiful with wildflowers in the spring, brought you to its lookout with the most scenic view of Lake Rosseau, and a bench from which to watch the spectacular sunsets. When I visited recently I was disappointed to find a number of "No Trespassing" and "Private Property" signs posted and spraypainted on over a dozen trees at the trailhead. I am not aware of the details behind this change but I get the point.

HEAVEN

For a brief moment I thought I had died and was on my way to Heaven, heading down a dark passageway toward a beckoning bright light but then remembered I was paddleboarding in Muskoka and already in Heaven!
[Thanks to Peter DeMos of Muskoka Outfitters for use of the SUP.]

INDIAN PIPE FINDERS

We weren't hunting for Indian Pipe when we happened upon some, including this cluster with its pink variation. Often mistaken for a fungus due to its colour, it is a plant that lacks chlorophyll, the green pigment responsible for photosynthesis. It instead receives its nutrition from parasitizing fungus that are in turn connected to trees, an unique and interesting arrangement.

SUMMER COTTAGE TOUR

The Summer Cottage Tour, a Muskoka Conservancy fund-raising event, started and ended at Touchstone on Lake Muskoka, with the Wenonah II delivering the tour group to a pair of cottages, a contrast of old and new Muskoka. Willardby, named after its original owner, Dr. Lewis Willard, is one of the oldest and most original Beaumaris cottages found on the famous Millionaires' Row. A chapter and photographs of its boathouses can be found in the coffeetable classic, Shelter at the Shore. The other is a modern log mansion and boathouse at Montcalm Point, the name inherited from a former hotel that once occupied this location. Its boathouse is also featured in print however to truly appreciate the whole property and its latest renovations a virtual tour is available online. It is currently listed on the market and can be yours for $8 million.
[Program front cover images by Nicole Lee Photography]

PREP TOUR

It was a beautiful day for cruising Lake Muskoka, where I joined Muskoka Conservancy staff and other volunteers in visiting the two cottages that will be featured on the Summer Cottage Tour. Several boats were needed to shuttle us all between locations, where we were given an orientation of both properties and learned our roles for the following day, when the sold-out tour takes place and the destinations are revealed, with the Wenonah II delivering the visitors.

MUSEUM LECTURE

As part of their 50th anniversary season the Muskoka Lakes Museum is offering a series of free lectures, held most Wednesday evenings. Tonight's feature was "Cottaging 50 Years Ago" and was presented by Susan Daglish, who regaled the audience with her experiences of cottage life then and before. Their cottage, on Lake Rosseau, is one of Muskoka's oldest, originally a squared log cabin and is called "Subha", an East Indian name meaning "place of peace and healing."

DEVIL'S GAP

Today we hiked the first section of the Devil's Gap Trail, originally the colonization road between Gravenhurst and Bala. It was still very muddy in places with several pools of water to negotiate around. We encountered several species of mushrooms flanking the trail, such as this Fly Agaric crowned with a colourful leaf. Local folklore claims an early pioneer, after getting his wagon and team of oxen stuck in the mud, went for help but when he returned there was no trace of them. If the bugs were as bad as today I'm sure the team managed to extricate themselves and hightailed it out of there!

DISC GUYS

Our first discs were directed at the camera and professional photographer Scott Turnbull, who happened to arrive at the same time and volunteered to take this photograph on my behalf. He was also one of the people responsible for building this disc golf course, which recently opened at the end of June and is a fun way to spend some time!

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.

SUNSET COTTAGE & CRUISES

Captain Randy Potts of Sunset Cruises, pilots the Peerless II down the Indian River and past Sunset cottage. The Peerless II was built in 1946 and for 49 years it plied the three bigger Muskoka lakes, making deliveries of gasoline and home heating oil. It was then retired from active duty and later sold privately in 2003, where after being restored it now makes rounds of the same lakes again, this time as a tour boat offering scenic and sunset cruises.

TUBS & SHOWERS

A major attraction of the second annual Rotary DockFest was the revived bathtub derby, where racers competed in a series of heats, completing an obstacle course on the river waterfront. Along the course racers were forced to pass beneath a column of spray, supplied by a nearby fire truck. Funds raised from this year's event will help support Top Hat, a local youth charity, and also towards River Mill Park improvements.

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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ORANGE SODA

We were hoping to try out the natural water slide at the Port Sydney dam and along with others, were disappointed to find it too fast and furious for comfort. My boys were content to cool down instead with a chilled orange soda from Muskoka Dry, their first time trying it and my first time finding it available, which I believe has been brought back again.

SUMMER STROLLSTICE

The first day of summer was beautiful and made for a pleasant stroll through the Upjohn Nature Reserve, one of several properties trusted to the Muskoka Conservancy. Led by Bill Dickinson, one of the directors and a well-versed naturalist, I joined the small group attending the event, touring the reserve with its fieldstone farmhouse, through the forest to the beaver pond. Along the way Bill shared his knowledge of birds, fauna and flora, providing us a lot to digest, including a couple of wild edible plants.

TURTLE TRACKING

We joined Miranda Virtanen, a field technician involved with the START Muskoka project, for a day tracking female Blanding's turtles to monitor for potential nesting. Using radio telemetry to home in and wearing wetsuits, we slogged and waded through the wetlands, often relying on a float tube to negotiate across deeper areas. Once in close proximity we had to blindly search for them with our hands and feet in the murky water, Miranda making it look easy and successfully finding each of the subjects.

MUSKOLKA

This year has been brutal with bugs, the worst I've experienced in my five years living here. If you're coming to Muskolka be sure to have plenty of repellant and you may also want to consider bugnet protection.

FROGDAY THE 13TH

Friday the 13th turned out to be a lucky day, when a gray tree frog showed up for a photo op. One of 13 species of frogs and toads in Ontario, it is one of the most elusive, rarely leaving trees except to breed. The patch beneath their eyes distinguish them from other frogs and they possess the ability to change colour from green to gray to match their surroundings.

A WING AND A PLAYER

I am amazed at how camouflaged and motionless a killdeer can be, and almost stepped on one before it startled me with its movement and shrieks. This one was protecting its nest and clutch of eggs. The nest is a rudimentary affair on the ground, the pattern of the eggs blending with its surroundings. If threatened, the parent will perform a broken wing act to distract and lead predators away from the nest.

START MUSKOKA

I attended a presentation hosted by the Muskoka Conservancy and floored by Scales Nature Park staff from Orillia, for START Muskoka, Saving Turtles at Risk Today, a joint project launched last year involving several entities and efforts. It was interesting, informative, and highlighted the species we have, those at risk and how we can all contribute to the success of this program.

THE MONUMENT MAN

Today we visited the Dyer Memorial, a stone monument set amidst a secluded nature reserve of landscaped grounds and ponds. The monument was commissioned by Clifton Dyer as a final resting place for his wife. They had honeymooned in Muskoka in 1916 and returned twenty years later, and from then on as regular visitors. His wife died in 1956 and he joined her three years later, the amount of time it took for the memorial and grounds to be completed, their cremated ashes placed together within it.