POLAR BEAR DIP

A participant waits his turn before being given permission to dive into the water at the Polar Bear Dip, the final event of Winterfest. When it was finished I overheard a bystander comment, "That's it? Where's the Polar Bear guy?" Referring to the costume I rented and my entrance at the end, it made me smile and last year worthwhile.
[Check out the February 8 post last year for a video my son filmed.]

SNOW SNAKES

With a deft toss a boy sends a snow snake along a groomed trail, the record being 107 feet. Originally a First Nations game, modern snow snakes are modified broomsticks that have been decorated and then waxed for better performance. Looking on is Doug Smith, curator of the Muskoka Lakes Museum, who hosts the event during Winterfest.

UP YER KILT

We'll never know what everyone wore underneath their kilts but they found out that running in snowshoes sends snow up yer kilt. Several souls braved the -20°C temperature to compete in the snowshoe in kilts race, part of the Robbie Burns Day celebrations at The Rosseau. Racers had to roast a marshmallow enroute as part of the challenge.

LEST WE FORGET

BETWEEN SEASONS

Today was another day of flurries, a preview of things to come. This rooftop scene of The Boatworks captured the bleakness of the day as well demonstrates how we are between seasons, the weather vane a reminder of the gaggles of geese heading south each passing fall day and the snowshovels stacked over the chimney, prepared for winter.