Tuesday July 31: Bobcaygeon

We rented a car, left the boats at the Peterborough Marina and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Randy and Cindy's home - about an hour north of Orillia. It was time for Liam and Mea to go home and for Randy and Cindy to attend the annual party with a group of friends.

We were invited to join them - so we did! Thanks, Larry and Anne :-) It was a Mexico themed party - fun times and Steve and I actually learned some new dance steps. Can't remember the name of the dance but that's ok because we don't remember the dance steps anyway :-)

Back to traveling on Monday - a long distance of almost a mile! Stopped at Ashburnham - the lock just a short way from the marina. Good enough for one day. Nice dinner ashore (which was typical for the next week as we traveled without power (which means Steve's induction burners are not used to cook).

Tuesday we decided to stop at the lift lock visitor center. We'd been there a number of years ago but Randy and Cindy had never stopped.

The last time through this area for them was when they completed the loop (for info the "The loop" if you don't know it, click here.)

The museum is all about the building of the lift lock - complete with models of other lift locks that were used as inspirations for the lift locks here in Peterborough.

The models worked on similar principles but were definitely not the same as the lift locks here.

It seems we never tiring of going through these locks :-)





We continued through the next 3 hand operated locks and ended up stopping at Duoro - Lock 24. The draw? Showers :-)




Of course we have showers on our boat but something about the unlimited hot water is always enjoyable!

The locks in this stretch are quiet

and peaceful. No towns nearby. A limited traveled road running alongside but in general just very pleasant places to spend the night.

Wednesday was another long day of 2 miles :-) spent at Lakefield again but we stayed at the lock instead of the marina. Dinner on shore again. Enjoyable.

Thursday the destination was the lower end of Burleigh Falls. Only room for 2 boats and it had the required afternoon shade we were looking for.

On the way past the falls, we counted 6 houseboats either pulled up to shore or anchored nearby. The draw was the falls itself - now flowing with more water than ever thanks to several days of badly needed rain.

Another quiet night - until the 12-sleeper Happy Days houseboat came in!! It docked on the opposite side of the lock wall (ok since it was after the lock was closed). Cindy checked the internet and that boat rents for almost $8000 a week!!! But it was really very nice and the extended family aboard was also nice. We were guessing 3 generations aboard - from Las Vegas. It sounded like maybe they normally rent boats on Lake Mead but the water level there is down 150 feet so they came to the Trent instead.

Friday was a short 2 mile trip to Lovesick Lock. Steve and Cindy had a GREAT day fishing off of the dam! Steve with a large mouth bass and Cindy with a number of small mouth bass.

Guess what was for dinner ......


On shore of course. Such a nice place.

We ended up staying a second night just because we could :-)

Cindy had her first fish cleaning hands-on lesson. She did a great job - and no cuts!!

Also no bones - the best part :-)

Gigit in the meantime entertained everyone (and herself) by waiting and watching patiently at the base of the tree up which the squirrel had run. She never did give up until quite some time later.

Saturday we moved another short distance - 6 miles to Buckhorn Lock. This time we stayed below the lock. No power but such a great spot!

Once we stop, the solar panels, bikes and chairs come off and we just kind of set up camp :-)

The plan was to just stay here two nights but shortly before the locks closed on the second day, we moved to the top so we could connect to power overnight.

After 6 days without a good recharge, our batteries really needed a good long charge - which we could do connected to power.

Steve had a great view of the entrance to the lock as he peeled the sweet corn for dinner ....

Kayaking was nice as the wind was so calm most of the day


We continue to see newly hatched ducklings - maybe second batches??



So that is a capsule look at where we've been the past 10 days :-) Now in Bobcaygeon - arrived before 10 this morning from Buckhorn and were able to pick up 2 spots with power. Again - not a prerequisite but just a nice bonus. We'll stay a couple of nights (the limit for dockage here) and then head on to Fenelon Falls. The long term plan is to continue back to Orillia and then north to Georgian Bay for a month.

Thursday July 19: Peterborough

Liam and Mea arrived Sunday afternoon to Buckhorn. They are Randy and Cindy's grandkids and were here to spend 5 days on Margaritaville!

First - how about some fishing from the Guppy's swim platform? Using fishing net :-)

Didn't work so well until Steve threw some instant oatmeal into the water and then it worked so well Mea actually caught 2 at once! Sunfish of course. Not eating size but still fun for the kids to catch - fun for us to watch!

There was still more work being done but mostly by Randy. He wanted to add a couple of portholes to their front v-berth.

Cindy was the "catcher" of the oval piece of fiberglass which was cut out of the side of the boat.

Somehow it always makes me nervous to see any cutting done on the side of anyone's boat! Randy did his usual excellent job - not sure when the other side will get done. Most likely after the kids go home :-)

Steve had Liam and Mea's attention when he pulled out the leeches. There was definitely some hesitation on the part of the kids to touch and hold them but in the end both decided they were ok to handle.

They just kept saying how slimy the leeches were - and they of course were right. I know I'm not a real fan of fishing with them!

Course I'm not a fan of fishing in general so there's that :-)





The beaver mascot (of the Trent) was visiting at the lock today. It was about 85 degrees and how this person managed to survive in this furry beaver costume was beyond me. Seemed like cruel and unusual punishment  ....

The first dinghy trip of the season was somewhat of a bust. No fish and Steve couldn't get the engine started so he and Cindy decided to give it up.

Fortunately they hadn't gone too far and were able to use the kayak paddles to make it back to the boat. Maybe next time we should send a phone along with them!



We headed on to Lovesick Lock on Monday. Strangely enough we were the only two boats that spent the night at the lock.

Typically this is a difficult lock to even find a spot at as it's very popular. So much so that there is a one night limit on docking. With no road access it makes for a very quiet night.

The water is now almost 80 degrees so swimming was a hit for the kids. And of course jumping off of the boat and the dock was fun!

And of course the climbing wall was an attraction as well. Both Liam and Mea made it to the top! This is the same wall that my brothers and I climbed back in the 50's :-)

Guess some things never change ....

Mea, Steve and Liam

Including the fishing opportunities for Steve! He lucked out with a nice bass which was dinner. It was actually a group catch with Steve hooking the fish and Cindy manning the pole while Steve managed to reach low enough to net it. Good thing Steve wasn't alone as the fish would have gotten off the hook for sure.

Mea also caught a small bass which became part of our dinner.

All in all it was a great stop for the night! And a nice sunset to boot :-)

There was an ice cream stop early in the day on Tuesday at Burleigh Falls after a walk around the rocks at the lower end of the falls.

Steve was able to keep up with the kids but not by much!!






Tuesday night we spent at Young's Point. Steve was hoping to replace his lost Tilley's hat at the Lock Trading Post located here but the sizes were limited.

Apparently there is quite the demand for these hats!!

It was a nice spot at the bottom of the lock with little current going over the dam so there was no concern with the kids being swept downstream in the current.

We were sucked into ordering another chelsea roll from the lady at the Young's Point General Store - this time it was perfect!!

What a sugar rush first thing in the morning though. Must be something wrong with that since Steve and I both ended up searching for the Tums bottle later in the day :-)

The weather turned a bit during Thursday so it was a bit cool and windy so we didn't stop at the sandy shoreline on the way to Lakefield.



We did spot a couple of loon chicks along the way. Unusual in that most times at least one of the parents will stay on the surface if there is any danger to the chicks.

Both parents were around though - definitely keeping an eye on the two young ones!

We stayed at the marina so we could pick up a replacement air conditioner. There was an "oops" moment when Steve and Randy were making a drain hole in the one we installed just a couple of weeks ago :-(

Not only did the replacement air conditioner come to the marina as ordered but Steve and Randy had it once again permanently installed using the 2x6x8 that Steve strapped to his bike! Safety did prevail however and he walked the board and bike back to the marina :-)

We're now in Peterborough and will stay a few days!

Thursday July 12: Where Did 10 Days Go?

So I'm just not sure where - for real - the last ten days have gone.

Cricket

It was a quick start after we met Randy and Cindy in Fenelon Falls as the first thing to happen was Randy and Steve worked on a permanent installation of our air conditioner. We carried it all of last year but never used it because of the unseasonably cool summer.

Being with Randy and Cindy of course means we get to see Cricket and Gigit again. The best dogs ever :-)

We went by the giant pickerel on the way out of Fenelon Falls. This fish has been here for ??? many years. The colors are fading a bit but the pickerel still stands!

The wind was picking up as we left Fenelon Falls. Margaritaville followed us out onto Sturgeon Lake ...

and continued as we headed for Bobcaygeon.

The tops of the waves were being blown sideways as we cruised toward Bobcaygeon.

We ended up below the lock and spent a quiet night. It was a Friday night but strangely no houseboats arrived but that was ok with us. The last Friday night we spent here a couple of boaters called both the police and Happy Days Houseboats to report a boat making WAY too much noise at 2 am :-)

Breakfast was onshore. One of our favorite things to do :-)


Saturday we were able to move across the harbor so we could plug into power. Not really a big deal but it just makes it easier. Plus most of the day is in the shade and with higher temps it makes for a more comfortable day.





Bobcaygeon really hasn't changed much over the last 20 years or so. It remains a popular spot for the local cottagers as a lunch or ice cream stop. People watching is always great!

Steve with his bass.

Having spent our two day maximum stay, we headed south toward buckhorn with the intention of doing some fishing (Steve and Cindy) and some kayaking - for all of us.

Cindy with her baby perch.

The winds were predicted to be low for the night so we decided to just move to a bit more protected anchorage and just spend the night.

Since the wind was very calm in the morning, we headed out for a kayak ride around the island.

Not a long way and the water was quite calm. Made for a nice kayak ride.

After moving on and spending a couple of days at Buckhorn (where we had power) it was on to - again - Lovesick Lock!

The weather here has been extremely nice. And extremely dry. Little or no rain.

While we were at Lovesick, it was not difficult to see large amounts of smoke coming from one of the island north of the lock. Soon there were flames visible on the island.

Fortunately there was no cabin on this island - just a barren island on which some campers had built a fire - which turned into a large fire but contained on the island.

Anchoring out again just on the other side of the lock on Wolf Island required some interesting kayaking for Steve! Ever try to drag an anchor with chain to shore? Almost impossible :-)

In the end we managed to get a line ashore. Randy and Cindy then came in and joined us and we spent the night.

More kayaking (had to check out the burned island!) - good exercise for sure:-)

Randy and Cindy were having some minor engine problems so we decided to return to Buckhorn. Power, a hardware store and a marine beckoned. Plus Randy and Cindy's grandkids were joining them for a week and Buckhorn was a relatively easy place to meet up with them :-)

Tuesday July 3: Bobcaygeon - Again

Finally - success in finding the best Chelsea Rolls since the bakery in Bobcaygeon quit making and selling them.

And at Young's Point's general store of all places! The sign indicated a bakery but it's kind of not open at regular hours and what you want needed to be ordered.

No problem - called and ordered a chelsea roll for the next morning (last Thursday). Steve walked up and picked it up - no charge because the lady that makes them wasn't happy with how this one came out. She didn't think it was done enough and as it was the first of the season for her, she said to just take it! Truthfully, she was right - it wasn't really done but that didn't stop us from enjoying it anyway. And the outside ones were definitely done enough. We ate a couple and left the rest for the lock staff as no way we needed to have it in the boat! Good thing it's a just once in a while thing!

More great weather was around - in fact it was getting to be unseasonably hot - like mid 80's headed to mid 90's.

We were leaving Clear Lake and headed to Stoney with the initial intent of anchoring out. That quickly changed as the temperature continued to increase.

Now the challenge was to figure out where we could dock and be in the shade. The answer was to stay below the lock at Burleigh Falls.

Below lock at Burleigh Falls

There is a long relatively narrow channel leading into the lock - running mostly east to west. As we pulled in, it was the perfect spot :-) Enough sun to power the solar panels but plenty of shade and more to come as the sun moved to the west.

Looking forward toward lock doors.

This lock is one of the two on the Trent system that were originally double locks (two locks together so boats were lowered in one lock and then moved into the next lock to be lowered again). The problem was the lack of technology that allowed a lift or drop in excess of about 25 feet in a single lock. The old lock walls actually form the canal which leads to the new lock.

It was a very pleasant night and we were up early and through the first lock up of the day.

We traveled a whole .5 miles and decided that was far enough! Our favorite, SHADY, spot had opened up so we called it a day.

Plus one of our breakfast stops was down the road just a bit and was air-conditioned.

Perfect :-)





Plus it is a great place to kayak. It was a pretty neat place but no spotting of turtles or very many fish.

Four or five years ago a terrific wind went through this area and blew down some very large trees. The root system on these trees is extremely shallow - they are basically growing on top of the granite rocks which make up much of the shoreline around the area.

Over time, the weather has washed away most of any dirt that was on the roots with the result being some beautiful wood sculptures. I'm thinking the folks in Toronto would really go for these - perhaps there is some money in this???

In the meantime we moved on to Buckhorn and were able to plug into power to run our air conditioner for the day. So hot.

And we spotted an Albin just like ours (well, mostly). Nice couple on it - from the Ottawa River. They said we should stop by if were ever back on the Rideau Canal again.

Who knows - maybe someday we'll take them up on it.

Tuesday we moved onto to Bobcaygeon as we are meeting Randy and Cindy (from Banana Bay tomorrow in Fenelon Falls.