MUSKOKA AS WALDEN

A WARMER WINTER - BUT IT ISN'T OVER YET

IN MUSKOKA, WE ALWAYS PREPARE FOR WINTER AS IF IT WILL BE LIFE THREATENING. SERIOUSLY COLD, WITH MANY STORMS, A GREAT DEAL OF SNOW, AND THE WIND….OH, THE WIND. WHETHER THE PROGNOSTICATORS ARE RIGHT WITH THEIR PREDICTIONS FOR THE WINTER AHEAD, OR NOT, WE PAY ATTENTION TO THE PRECEDENTS OF THE PAST…..AND THERE ARE MANY.

THIS PAST SUMMER SEASON, ESPECIALLY IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST, THE CHIPMUNKS AND SQUIRRELS AROUND BIRCH HOLLOW, WERE IN A NEAR-FRENZY, TRYING TO BUILD UP A STORE OF PROVISIONS FOR THE WINTER SEASON. WHILE THE GREED FACTOR IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THESE CREATURES, AND THEY WILL STEAL EVERY LAST MORSEL OF BIRD SEED, IF AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY, THIS YEAR WAS ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS. AND IT WAS ALL AROUND, THAT I WITNESSED A MORE AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER, FROM THE ACTIONS OF THESE MODEST LITTLE BEASTS. SUZANNE ALSO POINTS OUT THAT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE DIDN'T HEAR THE FAMILIAR SOUND OF ACORNS HITTING THE GROUND, FROM THE TREE JUST ACROSS THE LANE. THE SQUIRRELS WERE HARVESTING THEM OFF THE TREE IN THIS SAME FRENZY. SO THIS IS WHAT WE LOOK AT, TO DETERMINE JUST HOW COLD AND LONG THE WINTER SEASON WILL BE HERE IN SOUTH MUSKOKA. WHETHER WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT THIS, WELL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GO BACK ON THESE NOTES FROM BIRCH HOLLOW, IN MAY, TO COMPARE WHAT WE PREDICTED, AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY TURNS OUT. KEEP IN MIND, WE'RE JUST REPORTING WHAT THE CRITTERS WERE DOING THIS SUMMER…..NOT THAT WE'RE PART GROUND-HOG OURSELVES.

THE PROBLEM FOR MUSKOKA, AS A REGION, IS WHEN GEORGIAN BAY HASN'T CHILLED THE WAY IT SHOULD BE…..TO THE POINT OF A THICK ICE COVERING. WARMER, OPEN WATER TENDS TO INSPIRE SNOW EVENTS, UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THIS YEAR THERE HASN'T BEEN THE CONSISTENT COLD, DAY AFTER DAY, TO MAKE THIS CHANGE. SO IN THE WINTER YET TO COME, WE'RE LIKELY TO RECEIVE SOME PRETTY MEAN, SHORT-LIVED SNOW EVENTS, THAT MAY NOT BRING THE INTENSE COLD, BUT I THINK SNOW LEVELS WILL GET PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL OVERALL…..JUST NOT HUGE AMOUNTS THAT LAST ON THE GROUND. THIS WON'T BE THE BEST YEAR FOR SNOWMOBILERS, AND AS A REGION, THAT VERY MUCH NEEDS THIS INFUSION OF RECREATION, WE WILL EXPERIENCE SOME INEVITABLE ECONOMIC LOSSES.

IT'S STILL VERY BEAUTIFUL HERE, AT BIRCH HOLLOW, LOOKING OUT AT THE ICE AND SNOW COVERED WOODLANDS ACROSS THE LANE. IT IS A VERY INSPIRING WALK THROUGH THE HARDWOODS, AND THE BURDENED OLD PINES, THE BOUGHS WEIGHED DOWN HEAVILY……WITH CONSIDERABLE EVIDENCE OF LIMBS BEING SNAPPED OFF BY THE HEAVY LOAD. IT IS A VERY SERENE VISTA, AND WITHOUT THE COLD, IT IS PLEASANT TO JUST STAND OUT HERE, ON THE BRINK OF THE BOG, AND ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL PANORAMA. YET THE VOYEUR MISSES THE DRAMATIC SHIFTS, WHEN THE SNOW AND WIND TUMBLE TOGETHER OVER THE FAR HILLSIDE, AND TRANSFORM THIS PLACE INTO A MORE DYNAMIC, EXCITING ADVENTURE. BUT THIS IS OKAY FOR THE ROMANTIC….THE POET ME, AS TODAY I HAVE ONLY REQUIRED A LIGHT JACKET, AND MITTS, TO STAND OUT HERE IN THIS MUSKOKA WINTER, OF JANUARY 2011.

IT WILL ARRIVE SOONER OR LATER, AS IT ALWAYS DOES. THIS THIN JACKET WILL THUSLY BE RETIRED TEMPORARILY, FOR THE THICKER, HOODED GARB, AND FUR HAT WITH EAR-FLAPS, HUNG ON THE ADJACENT HOOK. TAKE A WALK YOURSELF, AND SAMPLE THIS AMAZING LANDSCAPE. IT'S GOOD FOR WHAT AILS YOU.