Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I have some friends from Trenton who are flying to Cuba today for a week, so I'm posting these photos for them. This one is from Havana, off the tourist route, which I'm pretty sure they won't see.

This is more of what the Trentonites will be seeing as they enjoy the sun and warmth and all-in service. Sun and warmth, hmmmm, could have saved some dough and come to North Bay for that this week.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I took a photo of this pile of cedar rails a few years ago in the winter ( and sold a few copies). This is the first time I've revisited the site, but all I did this time was snap the photo as I was shooting the fire damage that was on the other side of the laneway. By the way, Mr.P., when was the winter cedar rails photo posted?

Monday, March 29, 2010





My buddy, Mendo from across the lake, came home from a "mission" in town on Saturday afternoon to find a brush fire at his place. Seems his neighbour, insert your own derogatory term here, was burning brush on a very dry, windy morning, and he left the fire unattended for a while. The results as seen from the photos above could have been a lot worse if Mendo hadn't returned home when he did. The fire department had to be called to put out the fire. Although the fire kept low to the ground, it burned along the ground very quickly and could have threatened a lot more of the bush and the nearby houses without the stopping power of the fire department. The upside is the burnt area will be very green and happy with new growth over the next few weeks.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

I took this photo about 5 minutes ago. We have quite a lot of open water in front of our place. It's the earliest we have had so much open water in the 12 years we've been at the lake. Time to get the canoe ready.

7:40am, Monday, March 29, 2010

The ice in the above photo between the 2 sections of open water, i.e. the ice with the "open water" writing on it, disappeared over night, so there is a huge section of open water on the lake in front of our place.



It's pretty amazing how precarious some places are that trees hang on to. This white pine and red pine tree relationship is not only interesting because of the edge of rock they are hanging on to but also interesting in how intertwined their different root systems are.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Duschesney Falls was showing the cold nip in the air yesterday with lots of ice formations along the falls.

Friday, March 26, 2010

Here's another ice reflection photo taken yesterday morning. The melt of the lake ice has been slowed for a day as a 24 hour cold front moved in last night dropping temperatures to -19C with no hope of climbing above 0C until tomorrow.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I took this at 9am this morning, looking eastward towards the sun. The lake is melting, and it looks like the ice will leave earlier than normal.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

For the most part, the snow has all but disappeared. Now we're just waiting for more warm temperatures so the ice will all melt.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

The spring melt will be slowed somewhat over the next week or so as the high temperatures will hover around the freezing mark. It won't last, however, as time is against winter.

Monday, March 22, 2010

This photo of Sunny was taken last weekend while it was still possible to get out on the lake ice. She's standing pretty close to the pressure crack that is now really open. To get on the ice now from our place you'd need chest waders and nerves of steel as the ice is 10 feet from shore, and then it's pretty flimsy for 10 or more feet: not worth the effort.

Sunday, March 21, 2010

GAWD and the Ice Marshall prepare to relax and enjoy the view down the length of Trout Lake.

"Shanky's Retreat" in all its glory.

With chainsaw and other implements of destruction, we scaled the heights of the Ice Marshall's land yesterday and carved out a spot for a lookout over the lake. A few large rogue trees had to fall, and we fabricated a bench from some of the smaller "victims." After the hard work was accomplished, we celebrated our endeavours in the usual manner.

Saturday, March 20, 2010


The fall opening of the new bike/walking bridge over Highways 11 and 17 that was constructed last summer was too late in the year for me to check out on my bike. I did check it out, though, the other day and took these shots from inside. It's a complete enclosed bridge, obviously for safety reasons. The upper photo is looking southward along the highway, and the lower photo looks northward as the highway "snakes" through North Bay.

Friday, March 19, 2010

Yesterday afternoon, I went for my first bike ride of the year through town via the bike path along Chippewa Creek. It's pretty amazing to see some of the backyards and all the crap folks store there. This one in particular is really nasty.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Waves on open ice at the pressure crack.

Even though it's been warm and the ice is melting, if you choose to go swimming, as the sign says, "Caution, no lifeguards on duty."

Monday, March 15, 2010

Portage Park on the main part of Trout Lake is one of my fave spots to take photos when the seasons change. The ice break up is just beginning, and the snow is rapidly melting.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

This pressure crack now has open water, and at this point it's about 50 feet deep.

We went for a walk on the ice yesterday, probably the last one this winter. In this photo Pat and Spike are walking along the open pressure crack that is about 100 feet off shore. The open water is in an area where the water depth is 50 feet. It's a very early spring here, and it looks like the ice is starting to break up early. It is, however, 4 weeks or more from being ice free.

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Dry dock, umm, snow dock, err, ice dock??

Friday, March 12, 2010

This was taken from deck level of the Chief Commanda II looking out at the ice shacks on Calander Bay. The Chief is in dry dock until May, when it will once again ply the waters of Lake Nipissing.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

The government dock at Calander Bay.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Here are some of the ice huts on Calander Bay of Lake Nipissing. On the North shore is the "expensive" subdivision with monster, "over the top" houses that are part of the area around the Osprey Links Golf Course.

The worn ice road leading to the ice huts will get a lot worse over the next week or so as the ice fishing season winds down, and the huts start getting hauled of the lake.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

It was a beautiful pre-spring day here yesterday. I took this photo on Calander Bay while I was catching a few rays on the ice while shooting the village of ice shacks that are slowly being returned back to shore.

Monday, March 08, 2010

This past weekend was our annual, the 14th, foray into Kemptville for the Oldtimers Hockey Tournament and our mini reunion. As usual, way too much fun!!!

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

First Day on the Planet
Our newest member of the family, Emmy Lis, daughter Mair and Ryan's baby, arrived this morning shortly after 2 o'clock. She's beautiful.

Monday, March 01, 2010

And what a haul of gold it was!!! A record number of gold at a winter Olympics! I guess "Own the Podium" meant "Own the Top Tier of the Podium!!!"
I think this photo pretty much sums up the Olympic men's hockey tournament. Go Go Gold, Canada!!