Civic Long 2010

Games galore this morning and then the evening will be spent off site down at the Dwight Beach on the Lake of Bays for the festival of lights in support of our local Fire Department.

Summit Inspired Gift...

Here I sit, sleepless but with a cowboy coffee just outside the camera's lens. I love my new RCMP bear. Thank you for the gift Mr. Crafter from down south.

10 Minutes south on Highway 35

This is the reward for climbing the Dorset Fire Tower. The view is amazing, and afterwards I suggest you have an early dinner at the Fiery Grill; sit on the water front deck and watch all the boats float by and watch the mischievious kids jump off the ole one lane bridge over the narrows.

Summer is great when your best friends can hang with you. This action shot is a good indicator of the level of happiness this group exudes when they're together. They frequent the pool and the beach and the ice cream counter....its go go go all day every day.

The Surf

Dwight Beach on the Lake of Bays is an awesome day of sun, sand and surf...especially when you can have shore service from friends! Mers helps Mary get the feel for boarding! Super happy to have Mers at the park this year...congratulations on your success.

Portage Store Canoe Rentals

These paddlers choose Portage Store on Canoe Lake in side the provincial park at kilometer 14 from the West Gate entrance. The service from summer student employees is great.

Birthday Girls 2010

5 years later, I am still invited to the annual birthday party for Miss Shi and her celebrating friends from KW. Happy Birthday Shi! You're a superb person to know. I adore your choice in friends.

Summer Time Fun

Swimming in our heated pool is great but with Dwight Beach so close, the options are great! Here is Simon on a serious search for aquatic life with his friend Mers.

What the?

All I have to say is Oh My Gawd!! Ick! What is this chubby striped legged white shelled spider? It's a freak of nature, it must weigh 3 ounces! Its shell is the diameter of a nickle. Do you know what this is? atrailsresort@sympatico.ca

A common request of both provincially and privately operated campgrounds is that our traveling camper clients not move any type of wood. And although recent attention has been on the Emerald Ash Borer beetle, any type of exotic infestation begins with the movement of simple every day items. Domestic bound overseas pallets which would be an accurate mode of transportation seem far removed from our daily lives but simple crticial thinking would point out that we are surrounded by opportunity to pick up a bug, and not knowing, give it a free ride to a sustaining environment perpetuating infections.

I remember as a child losing many trees on our property to the gypsy moth. Now that I own a campground I am just shy of paranoid of a nasty re occurrence caused by something the same or different. Please....when traveling do not move any type of wood. There are more than 40 buggies on the most wanted list in Ontario! You have better chances of being the cause of an infestation than that of winning any of the potential lotteries on the market!! How do I know? I finished Michelle Boue's University Statistics class with a final mark of 86. Not to mention I had Chemistry class with a Canadian Food Inspection Agent who specialized in bug detection within Ontario. So take it from someone who cares about the greenery in her life. Do not move wood, it has nothing to do with making money off of wood bags delivered to your site...remember any reputable camping establishment will credit you the wood you did not burn while camping with them...it has everything to do with listening to the leaves dance in the wind without the sound of chain saws dominating our backyards and vacation spots. Prevention is better than Reaction to an unwanted change.

How are tree infestations spread?

The human movement of infested materials such as firewood, logs, branches, nursery stock, chips or other wood is the most common way damage has been spread. Research indicates that adult beetle can fly up to 10 km, but generally do not stray from the immediate area when it emerges.

Where have beetle infestations been found in Canada?

The movement of infested firewood or other forest products causing infection has been confirmed in the municipality of Chatham-Kent; the cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto; the counties of Elgin, Essex, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex and Norfolk; the regions of Durham, Halton, Peel and York in Ontario; and Carignan and the municipalities of Chambly, Saint-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, Richelieu and Saint-Basile-le-Grand in Quebec.

Making Friends

Mary and Simon sporting their new friendship necklaces from Connor and Dylan. When my two run out the front door of the office down into the playground, I never know what stories they will come back with. Yesterday they met some very kind and gentle young men...as they put it. True. On their way out of the park today, Connor and Dylan presented Mary and Simon with thoughtful hand made necklaces. The kids say.... "Thanks Guys! You're the Greatest!"

Ahhh the wildlife....

We are frequently asked if we have black bears on site...the honest answer, not this year. Not in 2006, 2007 or 2008, yes in 2009...but not this season. As I understand; this years natural food sources are fruitfull for them. The black bears typically only deviate from natural food sources deep in the bush when natures bounty is not plentiful. Last year it was common place to watch them frequent nearby eateries and their deep fry grease diposals. I am happy to report the only sitings are limited to jack rabbits, red squirrels...or as my Genetics Professor would command, black squirrles with an allele issue, chipmunks, owls, toads, dragonflies, hummingbirds, wood peckers and various small entertaining non threatening species. As summer moves into full swing we enjoy the sights and sounds of nature surrounded by happy laughter of campers around the pool, playground and campfire rings. Thank you to all of our return and new camping clients for a wonderfully busy season.