December 7th, 2011
The sign says it all, doesn’t it? The cabins are closed down, water drained, blankets folded, one more coat of varathane in Cabins 1 and 2. Curtains hang in the Lodge windows to keep out sun and protect carpets.
Now it’s time to enjoy the transition from fall to winter. The process is slower this year – the lake is still open. In fact, I was in the kayak yesterday and hope to make it today or tomorrow.
The chair that I left out for one more sunset is not so comfortable now – I think I’ll have to give up and bring it in for the season.
The snowy days are a study in gray and dull, but when the sun comes out-
It is such a lift – and I keep running out for one more picture, trying to capture the intensity of white and blue, until the day has moved from steel gray through sparkling snow and on to rose and mauve….
and I know again why I love living here year round. I hope your December brings you some of the serenity so easily found at Hay Lake….
May this season of dark and lights fill you with comfort and joy.
And may we all find a way to work towards the Peace we each desire
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November 14th, 2011
Do beavers impress you? Are you amazed at the dams they build, the non-stop-busy-collecting-branches lifestyle? I was hiking the Centennial Ridges trail in Algonquin Park a week ago and I asked my friend Lin to stand in front of this dam, just to show how high the beavers had worked:
It’s all well and good to admire their handiwork, but it can get out of hand.
We sent a note to the township this month, letting them know beavers had been working near the road and had plugged a culvert. Last Tuesday the road crew came out and spent some time trying to clear the pipe. They pushed 25 feet of pipe up the culvert, and working diligently, managed to get a trickle of water draining.
Just as they were about to drive away, the water gained force. Trees started to move towards the road, the ground started to slide, and here is what happened:
The workers ran, and both township trucks were washed over the side.
It took 5 seconds. We think there was another beaver dam upstream, and when the pressure of the water holding it in place lessened, it let go too.
Five seconds to wash out, and two days to fill the hole back in. No one was hurt, and I was only stranded for a day and a half. But I hope you’ll understand if I am not over fond of beavers!
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October 21st, 2011
We have wrapped up another season at Hay Lake Lodge and Cottages. Some people find the end of fall gloomy, so here is something to think about for next year. I asked Phil to write about fall fishing:
When the brilliant leaves of autumn fall on the hills around Hay Lake most anglers are winterizing their boats and getting ready for hunting seasons. But anglers who don’t put their tackle and boats away at the end of summer can be rewarded with some of the best walleye and smallmouth bass fishing of the year from mid- September to mid- October. As the day length shortens and the water cools, these fish start feeding actively in advance of the coming winter and they can be found at multiple depths and in a variety of underwater habitat regions.
Last weekend a friend spent two days on Hay Lake catching walleye from 3 to 7 lbs. and smallies up to 4 lbs. Although he caught several dozen fish he only kept a few smaller fish for the frying pan and released alive and unharmed all the larger fish. The largest fish are the most successful spawners and they make the most significant contribution to the future of a healthy and vibrant fish population in the lake. Because fish grow more slowly in northern latitudes, it is important to carefully release larger fish in order that they can also provide multiple great angling experiences when they are someday caught – and live released – again. Smaller fish are better eating, more numerous and Hay Lake has plenty of ‘pan sized’ walleye and smallmouth bass.
In addition to being able to catch good numbers of larger fish in the fall, there are a variety of presentations that work in different depths including crankbaits, stickbaits, drop shot rigs with plastics and trolling. Autumn weather at Hay Lake can vary widely from days that are downright hot with some of the most beautiful weather of the year to days with cold wind and rain – which for those anglers who dress for it find that this weather also causes the walleye to really ‘turn on’ ! I like to think of it this way – the weather in the opening days of fishing season in April and early May is normally a fair bit cooler than what we experience here in the fall. After a long winter most of us can’t wait to get out on the water in the spring so we dress for it and go – and in the autumn the water and weather is warmer and the fishing for walleye and smallmouth can be really hot .
If you are someone who normally puts the boat away after Labor Day, I suggest you may be missing the best fishing of the year. Give Erin a call and book a fall fishing reservation at Hay Lake. When you get here we can give you the latest information on what the fish are doing. Bring a decent cooler – but remember to put the larger fish back alive and unharmed. The reason Hay Lake has some of the best walleye and smallmouth bass fishing in the region is because most anglers here practice good conservation. If we all do so, we can have great fishing for generations to come.
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October 10th, 2011
That’s what my Dad used to say. All the time. ”Friend, if you could —-, I’d be so grateful” ”I am so grateful”-
After the week of sunshine and warmth we’ve just had, what else can I say? I am so grateful for the Thanksgiving weekend we just had – cooking turkey in shorts! Amazing! Sitting on the deck with pumpkin pie watching the golden light of a warm (26 degrees!) autumn evening. Brilliant! Victoria even went swimming! well, yeah, that was breath-taking.
While I was making the stuffing the radio was playing an interview with the author of the blog and book “1000 Awesome Things” His point of course is the joy and delight of life’s small details. It would be fun to see what list I could come up with, living here at Hay Lake. It really doesn’t have to be major achievements or life-changing events. The red that fires the maple leaves. Coming around the point this evening and being surprised by the moon rising over the lake. Marking a 20th anniversary with long-time guests. And of course, the happiness of all the family home at the same time.
We’re almost done for another season – we close on Sunday. I’m grateful for this business, which brings rich conversations with people from everywhere, and ever-renewing natural encounters. I wish you all your own 1000 Awesome Things.
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September 23rd, 2011
That’s what I think it feels like. The first time I climbed out of my kayak and stepped onto a cranberry marsh – it takes faith. You need to trust that the bog will support you – yes, your feet sink a little. Yes, you can hear the water sucking around your crocs. But there I stood with a whole new view of the lake. 
Of course the fall has a special reason for bog-walking: cranberries. We are lucky to live in a place where we can pick our own cranberries for sauce. Last week I took my friend Joyce to show her where cranberries grow.
Now don’t expect this:
Here is Joyce standing on the spongy marsh
. You have to look close for wild cranberries-
their leaves are much like rosemary and about the same size.
You can see it was a beautiful day to be out picking – so we brought home a small bag and added cranberry sauce to the dinner menu. (I’ll even tell you my secret ingredient in my cranberries – mango chutney- try it!)
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September 10th, 2011
It’s really a no- brainer in my opinion. The best time to be at Hay Lake and Algonquin Park, hands down, is the fall.
I’m sorry I haven’t posted this last month – hosting family and running a lodge means some things get overlooked – but it’s time to think about fall – when you can see the Park at its best.
There are so many pluses about visiting now:
1. The colour show. The leaves are starting to change. The view out my Lodge window becomes a six-week show, each day marking the spread of the brilliant reds and oranges, and the golds of the birches and poplars following.
2. The water. Yes, the lakes are cooler now, and will keep getting colder, from refreshing to brisk to bracing to numbing to frigid, but how can you not love the way the sun sparkles and the water looks so blue ?
3. Fires. All of our cabins have fireplaces, and there are two firepits for campfires. This is the time of year when a burning fire spells cozy.
4. My mother calls it ”good sleeping weather” – nights are cool, days are pleasant, hikes are fun – you should come!
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July 20th, 2011
In the beginning, Algonquin Park was the land of the canoe. 
It has been the best way to see the Park’s interior. Canoes can hold families or individuals, all their gear and/or their pet dog. Portable enough to transport on top of your car or truck, then carried from lake to lake on trails called portages – it has enabled thousands to explore Algonquin’s natural beauty.
But if you may have noticed, there’s a new kid in town.
Of course, kayaks aren’t new – the Inuit have used them for hundreds of years. But the modern polyethylene /fiberglass versions have moved into Algonquin, and they are more popular all the time.
But which is the better choice? The answer of course depends on what you like to do. The great people at Frontenac Outfitters have a wonderful page comparing the two.
I can tell you that there are lots of both here at Hay Lake – my friends Marti and Dennis were just here and have been canoeists for years – and they certainly enjoy paddling the lakes here. Here is a recent July early morning:
But can a canoe take you here?
Then again, do you really want it to? At any rate, enjoy your time on the lake!
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July 9th, 2011
When I write this blog, I hope that reading it will give you a taste of life here at Hay Lake. I try to describe the beauty I see here. I often talk about the details of running a lodge because that is part of the picture too. And of course our guests are a very important component of our days. I always include pictures. A photo can show something that words can only begin to approach. On the other hand…. 
Here is a special picture shared by my guests Sandor and Ildiko. You can see the double rainbow arcing over the gazebo. They captured a unique moment. Yet still the picture doesn’t quite capture the moment. We miss the breadth of sky, the intensity of the colour – each picture only brings us closer to the reality we see. Which means, I guess, you have to come and see for yourself!
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June 20th, 2011
I’ll bet there are certain signs of summer in your neighbourhood. You know, the particular signals that the season has shifted.
When I was young, the jangle of the ice cream truck’s bell 
announced that summer was well and truly here.
I don’t know what your local signs are, but here at Hay Lake, you know it’s summer when:
The road sides are blooming with Hawk Weed,
Swallowtail butterflies gather at the beach to eat the minerals in the sand
Water Lilies fill the marshes
And the most important sign of summer at Hay Lake-
the dragonflies return. The undeniable truth is that we do have blackflies in the spring, and the return of the dragonflies means Rescue is at hand! Dragonflies take care of our spring blackflies and Summer Begins!
Here’s to a wonder-full summer for each of you. What means “summer” in your neighbourhood?
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June 13th, 2011
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but it still amazes me that we have been here at Hay Lake Lodge and Cottages since 1982 – that means we’re in our 30th summer! And there’s no denying that it’s not only the incredible sunsets
that keep us going – it’s the kind words from our guests.
What has changed over the years, though is the format for those kind words.
We started with the 
guest book by the door for our guests to leave names and comments.
With guests from around the world, I treasure the international comments. At my request, some of the comments are written in other alphabets. I prize the Japanese kanji
and the Arabic blessing a guest from Jordan left for me.
These days, though, as in so many things, technology has re-invented our compliments. It began with emails thanking me for a stay. Then guests started sending us pictures over the Internet. Now the world of 
Social Media has become a part of my life. I have just heard from a long ago visitor on my Facebook page.
The reservation I just got from Spain tells me about a Travel site, a blog from Jorge Mir who stayed here and sent me photos
http://phylosoft.com/Canada
And of course there is Trip Advisor, where you can type in Hay Lake Lodge and find out what previous guests have said.
For the moment, I have not listed those comments on my website or blog. I guess I’m a little old -fashioned – it seems too much like bragging. I’d rather you come and find out for yourself what it is like here. But if you enjoy your stay, I do love to hear your impressions!
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The sign says it all, doesn’t it? The cabins are closed down, water drained, blankets folded, one more coat of varathane in Cabins 1 and 2. Curtains hang in the Lodge windows to keep out sun and protect carpets.
The chair that I left out for one more sunset is not so comfortable now – I think I’ll have to give up and bring it in for the season.
It is such a lift – and I keep running out for one more picture, trying to capture the intensity of white and blue, until the day has moved from steel gray through sparkling snow and on to rose and mauve….
