Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Greetings from the land where rubber boots are considered casual footwear.

It is with great regret I report that grooming has come to a halt until more snow falls. I don't know the reason for this I just know it is so.

The weather is mild to day and yesterday also. Rain is in the forecast and the only time it is right is when it's something we don't want.

None the less it has been really busy the last couple of days and there are no real complaints about the trails. The rail bed is getting beaten up but bush trails are not too bad.

No point in blathering on when the news is bad so I'll end here.

I will update as soon as conditions improve unless there is a touching story to share.

Have a great and safe New Year. I hope to see you back soon.
Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

One last update before Christmas.

We haven't had much new snow. A little is falling today, but not enough to make a big difference. The long range is calling for sunny and cold days until the middle of next week. Great travel weather but after the weekend I am starting the snow dance again. I don't care who I tick off.

The groomers were out yesterday. One went to Whitney the other left at 7.00 am for Bancroft and didn't get back until 4.00 pm. What a long day that would be.

The trails that have been groomed are in good shape. Roger D and Dan C rode to Whitney, Madawaska and back down yesterday. Most trails were good except from Madawaska through the dump at Cross Lake. They said it was like sledding in the 70's, pretty rough. The rest was just fine.

The diner will be closed Dec 24 & 25 opening at 10.00 am on Boxing Day. So unless the sky falls I won't be updating before the 27.

The log trucks will be running the Mink Lake area on Wednesday and Thursday the 28 & 29. So if a sign says watch for log trucks-DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD. These guys take no prisoners and they are bigger than you are.

Happy Holidays to all. Have a great weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year if not sooner.

Cheers
Nancy

Monday, December 20, 2010

What a great weekend we had. Good weather, good conditions = good times.

It was really nice to see so many familiar faces back sledding again. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks also to all the people that said they read the blog. It soothes my fragile ego and let's me know that you came this far is because of what you read. It also gilts me into updating regularly.

The trails were in good shape on Friday but with so much traffic on Saturday by Sunday they were toast. No grooming was done on Sunday night so its still pretty rough out there.

I haven't heard when grooming will resume. One of the groomers was undergoing repairs this week. If they start up again I will let you know.

It didn't snow much over the weekend so no new snow yet. It is overcast and my sinuses are all plugged so that may mean more snow.

New this year to Bancroft are the Snowmobile Races. February 5 & 6 there will be two days of racing. The track is being built just across the road from Cafe BC in Birds Creek. I am not sure of the details but check out www.highspeedmotorsports.ca or call Harold Foyster (705) 457-2278 for more information. When I find out more I'll share with the class.

Don't forget that we have fuel in Lake St. Peter now. Go figure--a gas station that actually sells fuel AND all kinds of other stuff!!!

I am happy to report that Jim had his new sled out last weekend and returned home unscathed in one piece not needing any repairs. Now his new friend Gin Boy-well that's another story. I'll just say that he is much nicer at breakfast than later in the day.

That's it for now. I'll be back when I have more info to report or maybe a sad and touching story to share.

Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The picnic tables on Monday after the big snow fall


Well it goes without saying that we got snow. However unlike other parts of the province we get our snow in sensible amounts. Just a few inches every day or so. We have had a good amount this week. I took a really great pic of the snow on the picnic tables but I misplaced the camera cable on the way from the house to the restaurant. That is why I am not allowed out with any substantial amount of money or other valuables.

The groomer has been busy this week. It was out last night to who knows where and out again today to Martin's Mill. All riders in today said that things were great. The creeks are still sloppy but the trails are well covered. Most riders have come from Bancroft or Mink Lake but we did have some in from Barry's Bay today.

I'll keep my ears open to see where else the groomer has been. But so far all looks good.

This is a great chance for some early riding so if you don't have family commitments this weekend load up and hit the bush.

That's it for now.
Cheers
Nancy
Grampa enjoying some quiet time now that Gramma is gone
The reindeer being arrested by the C.S.I. Maynooth officer

The whole gang getting ready to head to the parade


Sunday, December 12, 2010

It is still snowing like crazy. The trails are in pretty good shape for early in the season.

There have been riders in both Saturday and Sunday. All are saying good things about conditions. A group of four just left that had ridden from Madawaska. I would guess that the groomers will be out tonight if the temperature stays cold. It's hard to tell just how much has fallen. Enough fell that the lot has to be plowed.

FYI if you see something orange heading your way at mach speed get the hell out of the way. Jim M just got his new 1000 Arctic Cat. Lets hope he has better luck this year than the last two in the repair department. His buddy's have gone out and bought a fancy orange tow strap so that he is colour coordinated when they have to bring him home! After all looks are everything.

We had a great time last night. It was the Maynooth Santa Claus Parade and we put in a float. Thanks to all the staff and friends that helped build it and participate in the parade. We had a great time and continued of at the ANAF after. We took lots of pictures and if I fiddle around long enough I may post some. Our theme was Grandma got run over by a Reindeer. It was awesome and we took third place in the judging.

I guess if the snow is going to stay I have to keep this up on a more regular basis from now on.

The dish had to be cleaned off in order to access the internet today so if you don't hear from me real soon it's because I haven't found a tall enough person to clean it off again.

Well I'm off now. Firefighters Christmas dinner is tonight.

Hope to see some familiar faces sledding in soon.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, December 09, 2010

YEA------GOOD NEWS

The groomer is heading to Whitney tomorrow.

It has snowed every day since last Tuesday. The sun came out for the first time in a week and it's bloody freezing!!!!!

Got to go. Snooker tonight at 8:00.

Cheers
Nancy

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Well-The weather outside was frightful.

And---It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Even better we had our first two sledders in last night.

Now let's not get all excited but if there isn't any more rain and the snow stays things will be looking good soon.

We have had three dumps of snow, all substantial but a couple days of rain washed it all away. SOOOOOOO Let's hope that this one is here to stay.

It is a great day today. The sun has finally peaked out and it is quite cool.

I'm not sure if my snow plow guy has left town or just hasn't taken the snow fall seriously. But if he doesn't show up soon he will be my ex-snow plow guy!!!

The water in the lakes and creeks is higher than anyone can remember because of all the rain and the pesky beavers. The culvert on the highway just past the diner is blocked up and is being repaired. The guy fixing it wanted to start Monday so that the trail wouldn't be all dug out over the weekend. They were working on it Friday, so let's hope it gets finished soon.

The trail should be smoother now though because the snowmobile club and the township both graded the rail bed.

The diner will be closed at 3:00 pm next Saturday, Dec. 11 because of the Santa
Claus parade in Maynooth. We are putting in a float and then we arranged for music to be at the ANAF in Maynooth afterward so that we can have a little party. So join us for the festivities next weekend. The parade starts at 5:00 pm and the carry on some time after that.

Well I'd better end now. It has started snowing again. Shelia will be getting all cranky because she is already tired of shoveling it. Feel free to pick on her the next time you are in if she starts whining.

See you soon.
Cheers
Nancy

Monday, October 18, 2010

I'm baaaaack!!!

Greetings all. I am sorry for the long delay in posting but I had someone scrutinizing everything that I wrote and it took all of the fun out of it. Can you imagine me trying to edit myself? I think not. So probably no more sad and touching stories and bone head plays unless they were done by someone else. As usual you are all fair game.

The summer was great with lots going on. Many strange visitors and amusing stories to the diner but it's too late to go into all that now. If you were here you got them first hand.

My family has grown with the addition of two new granddaughters. One in Maynooth and one in Nova Scotia. I have also acquired a golden retriever puppy. He is 1 1/2 but he still acts like a puppy compared to the 15 year old dog that is not impressed with the new addition. I must say that the cats are not amused either but they are getting used to him.

Brian and Jim behaved really well this summer and did not leave me with any funny incidents. Thanks guys for taking out the air conditioner.

Not as many ATV's around this fall like most years. There have been more since Thanksgiving weekend.

The religion known as Moose hunting started here today. So things will be pretty quite for a while. With rain promised for every day this week it will be a soggy hunt.

Snow flurries are predicted for Thursday so I may have to rethink my sandals. I'm not putting them away just yet, it's not that far to walk to work. I did wear them most of last winter.

Fall came quickly and the trees were almost bare by Thanksgiving. So if winter comes as early as the spring, summer and fall there should be snow by the end of the month or November for sure.

The snowmobile club has purchased some land on Boulter Lake Rd and is finally getting a real home. They will eventually put shop on it so that repairs can be made on the equipment more easily. This couldn't be done without all the people that purchase trail permits from the Maple Leaf Snow Skimmers. So way to go Snow Skimmers and all the club members.

Well I'd better sign out. Not that it's busy, but baby Ava is here for visit and I am obligated to fuss over her.

Back soon, I'm just not saying when.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, July 22, 2010

We're having a real old fashion summer weather wise. It has been great all month. It mostly rains at night just like it should in my rule book. Even when it rains during the day it's not bad. There is nothing wrong with 20 minutes of rain and 12 hours of sun and heat. I'm sure pregnant woman everywhere are disagreeing with me but that too will change.

There are lots of people around. Trucks with trailers and boats are passing by constantly. The parks are full or nearly full. There have been a few ATVer's out this last week or so. But the water is so warm and the beach is so nice I can understand why riding may not be the first choice for an activity.

I has to go to Oshawa for a day to babysit my two grandsons. I arrived home unscathed and both boys survived an overnight with Gramma with only a few minor incidents and lots of spoiling.

Not too many bone head plays lately and no touching stories this week. Most were done by me and I am not sharing with the class. I still want you to think that Bullwinkle the cat is the village idiot, not me.

However one small story I can't resist. My son-in-law loaned me his trail camera so that I could mount it to a tree and take pictures of the deer feeding in the yard behind the diner. So, as I am technically challenged I passed the camera over to Martin to fiddle with it and see how it worked. Not being much better than me after a day or two we finally got it sorted out. Well we were having some cloudy periods with a thunder storm and I couldn't figure out why there were so many flashes of light and mostly behind me. After a day I realized that the camera was in the on position and every time I reached over it, it was activated and would flash a picture every 60 seconds. I now have about 40 pictures of the ceiling and the camera is still not mounted on a tree. I'm sure they will be good quality pictures when I figure out how to get them out of the camera!!! That is the only down side to your children growing up and moving away. There is no one to reprogram and run all this technical junk that we "have to have".

I thought that I was going to have to replace a speaker because after a storm a week or two ago it was all static and could not be used. But lo and behold after a thunder storm and lightning (not the trail cam) this week the speaker is now working better than ever. Now that is my kind of electronic device. Self repairing. You've gotta love it!!

I have decided for a number of reasons to cancel the September ATV ride.

The general store continues to be a hub of activity and is now open until 8:00 pm every day but Sunday. They even have gas and cigarettes. That is making lots of people happy. They increase their stock weekly and it is looking good in there now.

The paving is starting soon on Hwy 62 so the road will be good again for a few years. The wild turkeys are still roaming around with the baby chicks and the deer and the antelope play. Life in Lake St. Peter is good.

Well that's all the news that's fit to print. Hope to see you soon.

Cheers
Nancy

Monday, July 12, 2010

July is turning out to be not a bad month. Good weather for the most part. Yes I do consider a heat wave good weather. For the first time in the restaurant business that I can remember it was actually hotter outside than in the kitchen. We had to close the door to keep the heat out. The kitchen door is always open unless it's snowing.

The lake is really warm, the people are happy and smiling, the mosquitoes are happy and smiling. It doesn't get any better than that.

This is old news because it happened a week ago but I have had two firsts last week. The grass was getting very long and I had to suck it up and cut it myself. So my daughter delivered their riding lawn mower, we unloaded it with the help of Kevin A from the trailer park because we couldn't get the truck close enough to the hill and away I went. Well after a bit of trial and error off I went. I was very nervous at first but I figured I've been riding sleds and ATV's for years how scary can this be. As it turns out once you get the hang of it not scary at all. However those indestructible dog bones-ha I think not, and who knew orange snow fence could fly so far. So after all was said and done I rode my little orange tractor around the fence to Marty's and had a cold one with him. Well that's what he always does when he is finished I just thought that must be part of the job. Turns out I was right. Go figure!!!

My next feat was to make a pot of coffee at home. Now I can throw together a dinner for 50 without breaking into a sweat but ask me to make a pot of coffee in a non-commercial coffee maker and I get the shakes. Well after only two phone calls (one to find out how it turns on) I was able to make a half decent cup of coffee for a guest I had coming over one morning. Now, a second cup was not asked for but I'm sure it had nothing to do with the quality. If I'm lucky it will be another 56 years before I have to do that again. I don't like the pressure.

There haven't been many ATV's out this summer but lots of people that have just found out that the riding is great here.

Diane and Shamus area going a great job since they have taken the store back over. We can call it a convenience store again not an inconvenience store. They even have gas if you can imagine, they are open past 4 o'clock and not closed because of the flu on Sundays.

The music is still going strong on Saturday evenings starting at 6:30. We have a few new people playing this summer. Here's hoping they are good. My screening process is a little slack but we have been pretty lucky so far.

Thanks to Connie and Jim for having me over for cocktails a swim and the boat ride. It was a great time. I hope I was a good girl and can come back again. Thanks also to Brian and Jim for installing the AC in the dining room window.

Now is that soccer finally over? I have seen more soccer in the last few weeks than in my whole life. It was nice to have some fans in to watch the games though. Most of the time they were all cheering for the same team so there were no bar room brawls.

Well I'd better run. There are dinner people in and looking for service.

Back when something more exciting than me cutting the grass happens.

Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Happy Canada Day

Another long weekend (sort of) is here. Please if you are coming north this weekend would you do a sun dance or at least bring some hot weather.

If I ever get around to cutting the grass I'll need a hay baler. At least the wild flowers growing in the lawn look nice. And my tomatoes are going to be as tall as me soon. Oh I may have to put the planters on the deck to get that.

No excitement while I was away. Every body played nicely and there were no incidents. The only excitement this week was the rescue of the four kids that rolled a 4 wheeler over down a bank on Hwy 127. Four kids 2 about 14-15 and 2 about 8-10 were let out alone on two
atv's for a days adventure. They ended up in Lake St. Peter from Benoir Lake which is a fair trip. They were trying to get to Helmers Rd. so the drove down the Hwy. What the hell were the parents thinking!!!! Oh ya they were back at the rented cottage. The bike rolled down a bank at a culvert. Myself and three others helped get the bike out of the creek and I drove the kids back home. No one was hurt too much. Grandpa might not be too happy when his bike comes home though. Oh well it takes all kinds I guess.

Now for the good news, bad news. The general store up the highway has gone to power of sale sort of. The previous owners Dianne and Shamus will be taking it back over. It's a shame to see anyone lose their business but it will sure be nice to have a gas station back in town. They will also have more stuff in the food dept. It may take them a while to get all the shelves full again but I'm sure they will do a good job. They are back July 1 and the gas tank has already been filled.

I haven't been doing much deck research this week but the flies don't seem to be too bad which is good because the mosquitoes have come out to help. Until the temperature gets back closer to 30 degrees I'll be doing my research from inside the house for a while. I don't mind taking one for the team but let's not get silly.

Well here's hoping you head up north soon. We will be here waiting.

Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

It was a fairly quiet weekend in LSP last week. But I'm happy to report that the weather has smartened up some days so that the black fly research can continue on the deck.

My findings for this week-THEY'RE STILL HERE!!!!! Not so bad though. On Sunday when it was hot they weren't bad at all during the day but just after dinner when my guests and I were sitting outside they got a little friendly. Oh well it was time for them to go home any way.

The Wal-Mart sign is still causing alot of buzz. He He He.

Our little neighbourhood turkey now has four chicks. If she doesn't stop crossing the highway she won't have any soon.

If anything really exciting has happened lately I either forgot about it or missed it completely. The farmers market in Maynooth is doing really well on Saturday mornings. There is a guy there that sells homemade bread that is made is a stone or clay (whatever) oven outside. Last Friday he baked 40 loaves of bread outside in the rain. Oh is it ever good. He sells out by about 10:00 each Saturday. The homemade jams and stuff are also good. One couple sell Diabetic jam and lots of it.

When I publish next week it will just be rumors and hearsay. I am heading down to Nova Scotia tomorrow to see my grandson. It has been almost year. At least they are getting closer to home with each move. An hour and a half plane ride is much better than the flight to Reno. Much less expensive too. He works away in Mongolia so his sister and I are visiting while he is gone. At least I won't be getting into any trouble this trip with two pregnant women and a three year old. Oh who am I trying to kid. Trouble follows me everywhere I go especially when I'm with my daughter.

Well back next week with more news from down town Lake St. Peter.

Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Just another day in happy land.

I would like to know who turned the heat down. It would be appreciated by all if you would turn it back up!!

It has been quite cold of late. At least most days are sunny so that is not too bad. Not too much rain lately, just threats. So I guess the weather man is finally right with his daily forecast of partly sunny with a chance of showers. Rewind and play for 6 months until it changes to partly sunny with a chance of flurries.

Well my sad and touching story today is there is no sad and touching story nor were there any bonehead plays this weekend. I thought for sure that with Jim and Brian having a guys weekend ATVing that something exciting would have happened. But alas they let me down.

We had a great Friday night with Jane, Bob and Victor. All of their biggest fans showed up for the farewell performance. We had a blast. They played until after 11 and a good time was had by all.

The black fly report is looking good. They haven't been bad at all for the last little while. Now they may have headed to Florida for a few weeks until we get the heat thing figured out. Sadly I have not been able to continue my wine on the deck research because if the cool nights lately but rest assured I am keeping in shape by partaking in the house where there usually aren't many black flies but research must continue!!

It's still quite during the week but I'm seeing more cottagers each week.

Not much more to report. Of course I'll think of something as soon as I log off.

Back next week unless something earth shattering happens.

Cheers
Nancy

Friday, June 04, 2010

Another great week in the wilds of Lake St. Peter. A little rain has freshened everything up and the gardens are looking great. Not mine in particular because I think that gardening is an extension of house work and I don't like to do either. I can't believe that some people actually think that it is therapy. It's just another chore to me. Volunteers encouraged!!

We are looking forward to another great weekend. We have a special treat this Friday night. Bob, Jane and Victor are playing. It's kind of their farewell performance as Bob and Jane will be moving to Nova Scotia shortly. We will miss them. They are great performers. I hope that they hook up with someone down there and continue to entertain. Now if we could just get Victor to partner up with someone else that would be a real treat.

The log home on the lodge property is up now and looks great. Not to be outdone by the Wal Mart story but Honeydoo's sent a letter to the editor of the Bancroft Times last week suggesting that a Tim Hortons go on the property that they own next to the lodge property. What we won't do for some cheesy free publicity.

The black flies aren't gone but they sure aren't too bad. We have been lucky this year. As a test I sat out on the deck with a glass of wine last night after work to see how bad they were. I was pleasantly surprised. They let me finish my wine and start another. I know it is a tough way to have to judge them but I will continue with my experiment until they are gone. Only because I know you are all so interested in the results. If I am still running this test in November you must stop me.

I have had a few customers in that say this is the earliest that they have been in swimming because the water temp is so nice.

Not too much new other than all the new homes that are being built this year. There seems to be a lot of property for sale this year and it is moving quickly.

Not touching stories or whining this week. I'll be back next week maybe something exciting will happen this weekend. After Jim and Brian are up on a guys weekend. They are bound to get into trouble some where. Oh Connie, bless your strong heart. It must be tough always being the responsible adult.

Oops customers in, gotta go. Back soon.

Cheers
Nancy

Monday, May 31, 2010

Here it is the end of May already. Where do the days go?

The second season of the year is now upon us. That would be Yard Sale season. On my drive to Bancroft on the long weekend Saturday there must have been 15 yard sales just on the highway alone, never mind all the side roads. If you stopped at all of them you wouldn't get home until after dark.

The long weekend was great for the cottagers. We weren't too busy at the diner because the weather was so beautiful why would anyone want to go out to eat.

It is the first May long weekend that you could sit at a bonfire without a ski jacket!!!!

This past weekend was just as beautiful. But who ever says that a few days of good hot weather will kill off the black flies must have been smoking something and not sharing with the class. We have had really hot weather and the little buggers are still here. Not as bad as some years but here all the same. Even the deer flies are out.

I was able to sit out on my back deck on Sunday with the Star crossword for a long time and not be pestered by the flies. It was great. Then my daughter and son-in-law showed up with the granddogs and all hell broke loose. Running around in the long grass (that needs to be cut) stirring the little rascals up. Then after a trip to the pond for a swim they brought the deer flies home with them. There is nothing like a wet black dog to attract deer and horse flies. We weren't long heading inside then.

The Walmart coming soon sign on the Lodge property has created a lot of buzz. It's amazing how gullible some people are. It even caught the attention of the Bancroft Times last week. There was an article complete with a picture. It has been a lot of fun though. Kudos to Warren and Norm for the good idea and to Jeff for the sign.

Speaking of the lodge property, the logs arrived today for the new house being built on the property. It should look really good and be finished in no time.

Someone had the boat launch at Dog's Point on Lake St. Peter blocked off by the township with big boulders preventing access to the water. It only took one person to make the change with no consideration for others that do not have lake front property. You could still walk down but that was about all. It only took one day to have the situation reversed. Kudos to Ted for getting things rolling. He only had to get a memo with two signatures to have it reversed. In less than 48 hours he had at least 50 with more to follow. The little people still have a say. YEA!!!

Bark Lake still has not been filled up because of the low water levels. It is an amazing site. There are docks that are 50-100 feet away from the water. Some are 10 feet and more off the ground. It will be interesting to see if the level is ever up this year. I feel badly for the business that are on the river and are being held hostage by the weather.

Not much else to report. I'll do a black fly update later in the week or early next week.

Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

It's a Feeding Frenzy

It is 28 degrees this morning as I am writing this. As far as I'm concerned it can stay like this until November. The week has been beautiful. However with the nice spring weather also come those little black buggers!!

I went out to change the letters on my sign at the Highway and WOW they were very hungry. I got quite a few bites just being out that short time.

So here begins my touching story. Last year an old guy was bitten all over his bald head when we were digging leeks. He was very itchy and he asked me to rub Whiskey all over his head. Now I thought that this was alcohol abuse buy none the less it was his rye not mine, he could do what ever he wanted with it. I poured a small bit in my hands and rubbed it all over his head and presto he wasn't itchy any more. So in my infinite wisdom I though I should try the same when I came in this morning. I got thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea to be serving customers smelling like the rye bottle so I tried a little Vodka behind my ears and on my arm. Go figure-it works!!! Again this may be alcohol abuse but it is better than being itchy when you have nothing else to fix the problem.

I wondered how a person would do in a breathalyzer if you did not drink the rye, just dabbed it on but stunk like a booze hound.

So my advice is everyone should come up north this weekend and help us feed the little critters. That sounds like a good plan. If this really hot weather keeps up hopefully they won't last too long. They were our really early this year because of the early spring.

We did our annual paddle down the Papineau Creek last weekend. A good time was had by all, drinks were served and not one canoe flipped (it's usually mine) this year for the first time in 5 years. We did have one spring a leak. God bless duct tape.

Sadly though I did not finish dry. I slipped into the creek getting out of the canoe while trying to visit mother nature. It goes without saying that after my dip in the creek there was no need to go into the bushes after all. Well what would a trip down the creek be without a few water fights and at least one dunk in the creek.

There is a new sign up at the Algonquin Lodge property advertising the new Wal Mart and Harvey's coming in 2012. It is causing a lot of buzz and has been very amusing for all the folks around the diner these last couple of weeks. I even had a nit wit from the Bancroft Times come in to ask about it. It must be a slow news week.

It's nice to see the cottagers back for another season but no ATVer's are around this year. Is it the gas thing or just too much on the go? Riders are really down this spring.

Well that's it for today. Back soon.

Cheers
Nancy

Sunday, May 02, 2010

It rained on my parade-AGAIN!!!

After three months of no rain and dusty trails, when does it rain. Of course-on the day of my ATV run. I've been told that if it wasn't for bad luck I wouldn't have any luck at all.

The run went well even with a small turn out. Only about 55 entries. At least it didn't rain all day just for a short time in the afternoon.

Here's a shout out to Jim Hodder from Barrie. He won first prize in the run and donated all the money back to the ATV Club. What a nice thing to do. I wouldn't have thought of that. They were thrilled with the donation.

Another shout out goes to Norm Stringer who upon receiving is winnings for second place immediately bought the house a round of drinks. Yea Norm. I'll let him win cash more often.

Just a little bad news. The black flies are back. They are not too hungry yet just swarming and being annoying.

So far the fishing has been great for everyone that has been out, except for Norm S. He has been out a dozen times and comes home with nothing but a sore butt. Better days ahead Norm. I can say what I want about Norm, he doesn't have a computer so he will never know if I don't tell him.

Well I'm taking most of today off so I end now so that I can go and find something exciting to do.

Back soon
Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Who turned off the heat!!!!

It's been a while since I've updated and I am getting some flack. Granted I was away for a week but I have been back for quite some time now.

After a couple of weeks of really great weather the temp has dropped like a stone today. -5 this morning. Still sunny though so every one is cheerful.

DON'T FORGET OUR ATV MUD RUN ON SATURDAY, MAY 1. It should be a fun day. Good trails, good prizes, good food, good people.

It has been pretty quiet lately. There are not even ATVer's around. I wonder if it is still the gas thing or are they just not out yet? The trails are in good shape although a little dusty because of the lack of rain.

There has been a fire ban on for about 3 weeks now. No one remembers a ban starting this early. Maybe that means a hot summer. It also means those little black buggers will be around soon.

We have had a few wild turkeys in the neighbourhood this spring. They show up every couple of days cleaning up the deer feed and bird seed that was left from the winter. I'm sure my neighbour across the pond will have them all in his freezer soon. He'd shoot anything that walked near his property.

There was a real bad storm on Easter Weekend, high winds, rain etc. etc. It caused two house fires on the same day and both burned to the ground. Fortunately no one was hurt in either fire and both foundations were saved.

Our new addition for this spring is an ice cream freezer. We will be selling ice cream cones this year. I am looking forward to this because it means I'll be buying new clothes to fit me after sampling the goods trying to get things right.

There is another mud run the week after mine, May 6 in Maynooth. It is a fund raiser for the Maynooth Mud Dawgs. They are the group that put on the mud bog for trucks in September. So if you can't get up to the diner run, try for the next weekend. Better still come to both.

We are still doing the music on Saturday nights. I have some new bands booked so there will be new faces.

Well I'd better get back to work. Or at least make it look like I'm doing something.

Back when the nagging starts again.
Cheers
Nancy

Monday, March 29, 2010

Just when we thought that spring was just around the corner Mother Nature showed her crabby side and dumped some snow on us last night. Now not enough to get excited and load up the sleds but snow all the same.

It was starting to get so nice.

The good weather has brought out the ATV's and a nice weekend should get people up to the cottages this weekend. The lake was nicely breaking up when it got so cold on Thursday and Friday that it froze over again. It should start melting again now because it is only about 2 -3 degrees.

The Porterville Diner had it's 15 minutes of fame in the Toronto Sun last Friday. Mark Bonokoski did an article about us and Jane Seary, a lady with a fabulous voice that sings with two friends often on Saturday night. It was a great story that can be found at torontosun.com/colums. Click on Mark's column. In my little world that was pretty exciting.

Other than that it's still pretty quiet here. I will be away for 10 days starting this Friday so there will be no witty banter during that time on the blog.

I hope you all have a nice Easter or Passover and get to do just what you want to.

Don't forget the ATV Mud Run on May 1.

Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Spring must be just around the corner because the March Break is over. It was pretty quiet. Not much snow left so there weren't many cottagers around. Great weather though.

The snow is almost gone. Lots in the shady areas and where the plow left banks. A few buds have started and some unidentified stuff is sprouting out of the "garden".

We didn't get the big dump of freezing rain and snow predicted for yesterday. Once again the weather person gets paid for being totally off base.

It's nice to see some of the summer people heading back up north. The ice is still on the lakes but if the great weather keeps up it won't be long going.

The good news is no bugs yet. There are a few moose roaming around the village this month.

The Algonquin Lodge property finally sold. It closes this week. It will become a private residence with the cabins still being rented out. Another chapter in the book closed.

Other than that nothing new or earth shattering to report.

Don't forget the ATV Mud Run on May 1st at the diner. It's always a good day.

I'll be back next week with all the news that's fit to print.

Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Well this weekend may have been the last. There is still good snow in the bush and for the most part the rail bed is good. The problem is getting to the trail. The side roads are as clear as the highway is.

The beautiful days have really taken the snow down. On Friday you couldn't see the parking lot for snow. By Sunday we are down to the pavement on most of it.

The stakes were taken on Lake St. Peter and Baptiste Lake this week, so the lake crossing is closed officially.

We had a few sledders in yesterday but none today.

One last sad and touching story. Brian, Jim and a buddy went on their annual trip up north. Jim had all the bus routes planned out so that when the inevitable happened he would be ready. Well you guessed it he blew up his sled AGAIN, this time between Cochrane and Smooth Rock Falls. A 50 mile tow to civilization ended in not a bus ride the the train back to New Liskard for the truck to pick up the dead sled. Now he was warned a few weeks ago to take his wife's sled as a back up. But did he NOOOOO!!!!! I think that this might be the last straw. Towed in four times in the last six or eight weeks on top of all of last years repairs. He may just retire to Skidoo and switch brands.

Not to worry Jim. It's almost time to get the ATV out you have so much better luck with that. Brian even sent me a picture of the dreaded tow to insert. If I was more computer savey I would share it with you but alas I just know enough to get myself in trouble.

The impending rain promised for the weekend may be the end of another sledding year. I will be back next week unless something earth shattering happens.

I started this on Tuesday and it is now Wednesday morning so I guess I'm finished. Thank goodness this stuff just saves itself so that I can find it later even when others have used the computer. Life is good.

If you are doing the St Paddys Day thing this weekend have a blast. If you are on the way to the cottage for March Break we will be here.

Back Monday.
Cheers
Nancy

Friday, March 05, 2010

Spring Riding At It's Best

This week has been great riding. Cool sunny days and cold nights.

On my way home from Pembroke last night I saw the groomer coming out of Barrys Bay heading into the bush to who knows where. The trail following beside Hwy 62 had been groomed the night before and there were not tracks on it yet. There were one or two bare spots on the trail to Barry's Bay but you would have no trouble going around them off the trail. There was lots of room.

I walked across the road this morning to check out the rail bed. It was freshly groomed well frozen and not a track on it.

This weekend may be rough on the trails but I don't think that we are through with snow yet.

Check in on Monday for and update after the weekend traffic. Let's hope it holds up.

We will see you if you are by.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, March 04, 2010

The last two days have been second to none for sledding. Beautiful sunny days, cold nights to keep things frozen and well groomed trails.

It is hard to say what the weekend will bring with the warm sunny days ahead.

I just spoke to a rider that went from Lake St. Peter yesterday down as far as the Paudash Club House. He said the trails were great but some muddy spots are starting closer to Paudash.

Even though it is sunny today it is still quite cold.

The local club will continue grooming through the March Break (for those of us without school age kids that is til the 21) as long as the snow holds out. After that they will continue if it still snows.

It's still early today to know how the weekend will be, so if you need further information on conditions call us on the Hooterville Hot line at 613-338-3043. I may not get a chance to update tomorrow morning.

Let's hope things hold out for the weekend because it sure has been great this week.

Drop by if you are in the neighbourhood.

Cheers
Nancy

Monday, March 01, 2010

Another great sledding weekend up here in the wilds of Lake St. Peter. We had a substantial dumping of snow late last week that was well needed. I think that some of the locals have put a hit out on me for doing the successful snow dance. Some folks are getting tired of the snow. I am way too happy about it.

It would be nice to keep the snow through March at least the March break if we could. I must admit it was nice to see the sun out for a while today.

It is to get quite mild during the day this week but go below zero every evening. The rail bed was all groomed up nicely last night. It was well frozen before any traffic was on it.

It is pretty quiet today so conditions will stay mint. Mid week riding should be great this week.

There were a lot of long distance riders out this weekend. We had two guys that had ridden over from Gravenhurst among other places. Lots are riding from Dorset and there are many groups doing the RAP tour. You can tell that it is getting late in the season. The groups are getting smaller mostly twos and fours. Not so many large groups.

My touching story is about the guy a week ago that had just left the diner and the OPP were waiting for him on the other side of the trail. His sled was in the shop for repairs and a new windshield. He was given a new demo sled from the dealership to try out for the weekend. Sadly it didn't have a permit on it. He had all the paperwork from his own sled even the green paper from his permit. The cocky one was going to charge him with everything from trespassing to no permit and anything else in between. The final tally was reduced to $200.00. He was not too pleased. I know you should have a permit and all that. Who's responsibility should it have been, the dealer or the rider? Maybe he should have purchased a 3 day, if you can find one now. They are pretty hard to come by sometimes. None the less it was an unfortunate incident. Makes people angry at the police for possibly over reacting. Makes sledding too expensive for most people with extra expenses like that.

Well that's all the news that is fit to print. Back later in the week with the weather report.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Rewind Play---I think I'm starting to sound like a broken record.

It's still snowing, they are still grooming, trails are good, roads are bare, side roads are snow covered, life is good.

It's been light snow, a short period of drizzle and more snow all week. The daytime temps are about zero or just above every day. More snow is expected today and tomorrow.

Lots of long distance riders. My group from Harcourt Park went to Pembroke Tuesday and back Wednesday. Fairly good conditions all the way. More snow here than there but if they are getting the same downfall we are this should improve. Lots of riders in this week had done the Dorset run and said all was good the whole way.

The general store has just received his second load of fuel in one week. Does this mean that he will still have fuel past noon Saturday?? Who knows.

No earth shattering news to report. After all it's only been two days. Things in Lake St. Peter aren't that exciting. No ranting or whining today either. What is wrong with me!

I'd better get back to work. There are hungry sledders in here to feed.

Hope we see you on the weekend.

Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I waited until Tuesday to update to see what the weather would do. Well I kept letting a black dog outside and letting a white dog in so I guess it snowed quite a bit overnight.



After watching Kevin from Breakfast Television get his weather hysteria turned on I figured we might be in for some flurries.



Can't say how much fell but I wished that I had worn my boots home last night so that I had them for this morning. It is still snowing now with no signs of stopping any time soon. The temperature is staying below zero so nothing is melting. We are to have snow for the next few days, making the weekend sledding great.



The groomers were out Sunday and Monday so the trails were in pretty good shape yesterday. We had quite a few sledders in on Monday that said conditions were fine but more snow was needed and now we have it.



Here is a shout out to Nancy from Pennsylvania. Bruce was here on the weekend. He behaved very well and was having a great time. He should come back. Thanks for reading the blog.



Bone head play of the week goes to Jim M. Brian had to squeal on him. They always run the ripples on Baptiste Lake. Well this past week they had taken the toboggan with them because they had packed a picnic lunch for the group. Jim thought that he would run the ripples with the toboggan still attached, after all it has skis on it just like the sled does so what could go wrong. Apparently the toboggan acts somewhat like an anchor. It flipped over, some stuff, not all, fell out and he just barley made it to the other side without sinking like the Titanic. So note to self, when running the ripples remove all towed objects first. I love it when someone does something more stupid than me. Kind of makes you feel like the only one without the hangover after the party.



We just had some riders in this morning heading from Harcourt Park to Pembroke. They found the trails to be in good shape.



Congrats to the MLSS club on another successful poker run. They had over 300 entries. It was a great day and a good fundraiser for the club. Perfect weather for having fun.



Well that's it for now. I'll keep up later in the week.



Cheers

Nancy

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Some snow is better than no snow

I was all ready to get excited yesterday when I woke up and it was snowing. It snowed most of the day and night. But it was just light flurries. It was enough to cover the ground well, a couple of inches. It is starting again but still light. The bright side is it isn't rain.

Riders in today were very pleased with the trails for the most part. The trail to Madawaska was just groomed today and is in great shape. A group is in now that just came across the hydro line from Haliburton. They said that it was choppy. I thought that was how you described the lake on a windy day, but what do I know.

The temperature is still mild but cold enough that the snow won't melt. Great sledding weather.

Bullwinkle the cat continues to amuse the guests by cruising the parking lot for the sled of his choice for a sit down.

My amusing story for the day is a guy in last night was wet from the seat of his sled. He asked if I had a hair dryer to dry his butt. I got the one from the house and he started to dry his pants. He has on those stretchy tight thingies. Probably the latest in fancy pants. A few minutes later he came over to show me that he had melted a very large hole in the butt of his pants. I am glad he thought it was funny. I'm sure the washing instructions said tumble dry low and don't use a blow dryer.

My whiny story for the day is I just burnt the crap out of a huge pot of chili that I was cooking. The burner was on too high, I got busy and forgot about it. I put pot and all out in a snowbank until tomorrow. I don't feel like dealing with it tonight. Besides there is no cook in now and I would have to wash the pot. Therefore that will be a tomorrow job. So no chili this weekend.

The snow has stopped now but the sky is really dark so it may start again.

Sorry the news isn't better but it could be a lot worse. I guess we will just have to make the best of it and go sledding anyway.

Hope to see you this weekend.
Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

The gate must be up again.

It was a great long weekend for riders and the diner. Lots of people around. Good weather and good trail conditions. It was really busy everywhere.

Now that it is Tuesday it feels like someone put a gate up at Bancroft and is not letting anyone through. It is very quiet today. A great day for riding if you don't have to work. The groomers were out and few sledders are out. You would have the trails all to yourself.

We still need a little snow to improve things. Only snow flurries are predicted for this week. But who knows that can change in a heart beat. The temperature is not to go above plus 1 or 2 all week so we should be keeping the snow we have. The highway road crossings are looking a little slushy and dirty.

I'll get started on the snow dance so things get better for the weekend.

I had booming gas sales on the weekend which is a sad thing all the same. 19 jugs on Sunday alone. I may have big muscles by the end of the season lifting all those gas cans. Thanks to all the folks that are really good about only being able to get a small amount and still come back to Lake St. Peter.

And now a new pet peeve. This one is not mine, I am taking requests now. So don't be thinking that I just sit around thinking of things to bitch about.

A couple in this weekend that sled all the time are getting annoyed at all the oncoming riders that don't signal that there are riders behind them or when they are the last rider in the pack. This is a great help on the weekends when the trails are so busy. It is nice to know when someone will be coming around the corner. Even if you are going light speed you can take one hand off the handle bar for a second and give a quick signal. Remember people safety never takes a vacation.

Any further pet peeves may be delivered to me in person for publication on the blog.

They lady next door to me came over on Monday to ask that sledders do not jump the snow bank over the split rail fence into her back yard. I told here it wouldn't happen again. Don't disappoint me now.

There was one lucky sledder last week. I had given directions for gas in Maynooth. Apparently my directions were not all that good. They ended up going down the Peterson trail However all was not lost (or maybe it was). They came across a trail of stuff, wallet, camera, bathroom stuff and clothes. The three of them collected everything up and found two riders looking frantically for the lost articles. The guy was quite surprised when the new comers new the mans name without even having met him before. All items were returned however the cash was missing from the wallet and tossed off to the side. Now these folks were curious. There were T-shirts, socks and other stuff but no undies!!! hmmmm

Well that's it for today. No bone head stunts this weekend to report, no whining, no snow.

I'll be back Thursday unless something exciting happens.

DON'T FORGET THE MLSS POKER RUN THIS WEEKEND.

See you soon
Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Thursday Update

The Family Day long weekend is quickly sneaking up on us. We are hopping for a busy one around here. This last week has been very quiet, today especially.

There has not been any new snow to speak of but the trails are still in great shape. The groomers have been out every day and so has the sun. The days have been just beautiful. Sunny and mild but cold enough to keep the snow from melting. The nights have been keeping cold also.

There are lots of single riders out which is unusual as most of the time the groups are large.

And now for my rant of the week. I have a new pet peeve. It is cell phone use in the diner. I would be interested to see if any other servers have this same issue. This year more than any other I have noticed people using their cells as soon as the enter the restaurant, like it is an addiction. Now I know that for some people having the phone with them means that they are able to come out and play while still dealing with issues at work. If they didn't have the phone they would have to stay behind. I understand this and can accept it. BUT---- Could you please order your drink and your lunch before you start checking e-mail and returning phone calls. It is frustrating when you are trying to serve a table, when you are busy and you are being ignored by someone on the phone or checking e-mails. Not every one is rude lots of people are very polite about their use so don't take offence at this.

This week there was a group of five in with a table of eight right behind them. I was here by myself. I had served the drinks and was taking food orders. All four had ordered when I got to the last one (he couldn't have been more than 17-18) he ignored me first, then said take all the other orders first. His buddy remarked that she already had. Well I don't know what I want (while still trying to talk on the phone). He then waved his hand in the air at me and said "Come back later when I decide.". I very politely and not sarcastically (stop laughing) in my calmest voice said that it would be a long while before I would get back to him.

I know that food servers are very low on the food chain but we have a job to do also. Dam you Telus for giving away all of those Blackberry's. You have created a society of cell phone addicts!!!

Whewwww-I feel better now.

Hope you have a great long weekend. Drop by if you are in the area.

Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Another great weekend in the wilds of Lake St. Peter. Great weather, good snow and good trails. A little more snow would be great and I understand that it is coming in a day or two.
The groomers have been out every day or evening lately and our local trails are in great shape.

You can tell it's February. There are a lot of overnight riders around. I had a nice group in last night and this morning that had ridden from Eganville and other points over that way. They said that riding was good all the way. Thanks Gene for being a good sport. As always the abuse is always free at the diner. Another group passing through yesterday had taken a day trip from Dorset and were on their way back. They said trails were good all the way.

It looks like we will be in good shape snow wise for the long weekend this weekend.

Brian and Jim are regular visitors to the diner almost every weekend. I always pick on Brian because he makes it so easy. But this week it is Jim's turn. Jim and Brian each have 2006 Skidoos. Jims has a bigger engine than Brian's.

Now the fun starts.... Jim has spent more on repairs than he paid for the machine. 3 engines, 3 tracks and numerous other things that I can't even spell never mind remember. So it wasn't unusual to hear that for the third weekend in a row Jim had to be towed by Brian back to the cottage at Lake St. Peter. They are leaving for a week in Cochrane next week. Jim was not amused when I suggested that he take his wife's sled as a spare. He could just tow it until he needs it and then he would be good to go again. Have a good trip guys.

Now FYI if you have your sled stuck in a slushy spot (driver error) and five guys are trying to pull you out. Eventually you have to be pulled out by Jim (on his wife's sled now-he he). When you get out and still can't go anywhere don't keep trying until you blow a belt. TAKE THE PARKING BRAKE OFF FIRST!!!! True story. Oh the goings on at Mink Lake, it's something new every weekend.

That's all for today. I was scolded enough times this week about slacking off updating so I will be back by Thursday unless something exciting happens.

A big group in this morning said "Nothing but smiles today on the trails".

I still have gas available if you need it.

Have a great Valentines Day and weekend. If you are in the area drop by, we love to see you.

Cheers
Nancy

Friday, February 05, 2010

Another Great Weekend Ahead

It looks like we are in for another great weekend for sledding.

All of the trails are groomed up. Great riding is waiting for you all through the area.

Riders in this week were all pleased with the trails. The lake crossings are good and the side roads are still well covered.

We have had a little snow everyday this week so everything is still looking fresh. Add the sunny days and longer daylight hours and it is just about perfect.

It is now 5:00, I started this update at 9:30 this morning and I am just getting back to it now.

We got slammed today. As busy as any Saturday. A rider in today said that the best trail was from Whitney to here. The trail through the Hydro Line in the park is not so good. It hasn't been groomed for a while. Trails to Makenzie Lake were done last night and are in good shape.

Well that's it for today. It is probably too late for info because you are already on your way up.

Hope to see you over the weekend.
Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

It must be February

By the look of the diner both today and yesterday at lunch time it must be February for sure.

There are finally some weekday riders out there. Great conditions this week. All the trails are groomed up nicely, the sun is shining, fresh snow has fallen. It's a sledders delight.

First off I would like to give my best to Eric M the sweet young guy that had the accident at the dam on Mink Lake last weekend. Eric is a seasoned rider that is in the diner often. It just goes to show how quickly accidents can happen. His surgery's went well and he is resting in an Ottawa hospital. Steve and his brother will keep me updated on his condition. All the best Eric-get well soon. We will be thinking of you.

Bill B was out today to stake Lake St. Peter. It had a couple of soft spots in it. I didn't speak to him after he finished but if anything is amiss I'll let you know. Great news for Bill too. He was able to get into the groomer this week after a long time out. They finally tricked the folks up the street. You sneaky little ninjas. Good job Bill.

My whining story for this week is not a real heart breaker but annoying all the same. I have a great ice maker we call Monty because he usually gives us the full Monty all the time. But this winter he seems to work like a trouper from Monday to Thursday popping out ice faster that we can use it. Then comes Friday and bingo-he goes for a crap. We are scrounging around for ice all weekend, unplugging and plugging him in to trick him into working again, then come Monday he steps up to the plate again. Go figure. Come on Monty give us your all!!!

Well there is not much to say in the sledding department that hasn't already been said. Great conditions, great weather (stop whining about the cold-how else do you think we will keep the snow), the road crossings are good and the side roads are snow covered.

It didn't snow today and I don't know what is in store for the week. I haven't had time to chat with the coffee boys that know all. I will be back later in the week with anything new and exciting that may or may not have happened.

Have a great week.
Cheers
Nancy

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Brian's Thursday Update

It looks like we are back in business. The snow has been falling off and on since Monday night. Just the little flakes that add up without noticing that it is snowing much. The trails are well covered but the road crossings are still messy because the highways are so clear. The side roads are okay to run if you have to travel on a cottage road to get to the trail.

Both groomers headed out today for parts unknown. The OPP were back in the neighbourhood again. Maybe they will be finished here by the weekend!!!

Riders in today (all 8 of them) said that the trails were good. Two guys had trailered to Apsley and ridden from there. They said that it was good all the way here. The lakes are starting to freeze over again but I haven't talked to anyone that has crossed one, so no info there.

Word around the coffee table is that it is to continue snowing for the next couple of days and get really cold. That should make for good riding this weekend.

It's been really quiet this week so no gossip or sad and touching stories. Not even much has broken down this week but I didn't say that out loud.

I am still keeping premium gas available for those that may be expecting to find gas at the gas station.

Well that's all the news that's fit to print today. Brian you should be proud of me I didn't let you down this week and miss the Thursday report. Man can he whine!!!

Hope to see you over the weekend
Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Things are getting better.

What a difference 24 hours makes. It snowed a few inches overnight and it has snowed off and on all day adding a few more inches. The temperature has dropped below freezing so nothing is melting.

We had only 6 riders in today. They came from West Gilford. They said that the trails were not too bad at all and they had seen much worse. I guess the rain didn't do all that much damage after all and the new snow has improved things somewhat.

All is not lost in the sledding world after all.

I will update again tomorrow evening.

Cheers
Nancy

Monday, January 25, 2010

I'm too depressed to think of a whitty title

Well I guess there is no point in telling what a great sledding day Saturday and most of Sunday was because it all went for a crap today. It rained for about 24 hours. It stopped at about 3 pm this afternoon. The puddles are huge. The driveway is an ice rink and the trails are a mess.

A little fine snow started about 6 pm. The temperature is to drop Tuesday and Wednesday and more light snow come.

The good thing about rain on Monday is that there is always time for it to smarten up by Friday.

I'll do the snow dance and see what that brings. Maybe a broken hip if I slip on the ice. Would I get 6 weeks off with pay??? Probably not.

I'll update again on Wednesday with changes. Here's hoping for good things.

Cheers
Nancy

Friday, January 22, 2010

Sorry about being late

Sorry for not updating in Thursday but the day got away on me and I had to go out last night. It always make me feel like I let you down when I miss Thursdays.

Not any new snow to speak of this week but temperatures have been low so no melt down. The groomers have been out every day. The rail bed was perfect yesterday. The trail to High Country and Madawaska was in great shape all week.

The lakes have tightened up a bit and they are still being ridden but no stakes yet.

We had a fair amount of riders in this week that are on overnight trips. Most riders in this week said that they hadn't met any one or very few sled all day.

Jim and the guys from McKenzie Lake trailered to Apsley yesterday and rode up to the cottage from there. They said the trails were good all the way. They are heading to Pembroke today so I'll check with them tomorrow when they are back. There were not any real complaints about trail conditions this week.

We are not expecting any more snow until sometime late next week. Well you know how that goes. They can't predict the weather correctly for 24 hours so I don't know why we should pay attention to seven days in the future.

If Saturday is anything like yesterday and today (and it looks like it will) it will be a great weekend. Here's hoping.

My sad and touching story for this blog is the three guys that were in yesterday for a late lunch. I didn't ask where they had ridden from but non the less they all got a speeding ticket just outside of Lake St. Peter. $110.00 each for driving over 50 kpm. They were in pretty good spirits about the whole incident. I gave them my amortization speech. If you divide the money over each time you were going to fast on your sled it would probably work out to about $1.50 per trip. It was a great day and no one was on the trails (except the OPP) they were on a long flat stretch it's hard to be good all the time. Better luck next time.

Well I'd better get off my duff and get busy.

Hope to see you this weekend
Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

What a weekend!!!

What a wild weekend we just had. We were about 2 clowns short of a circus this weekend but all went well anyway. Thank you to everyone that stopped by for a meal or a coffee. We were really busy and everyone was so patient if they had to wait a bit for service. You may have noticed that your servers are getting a little long in the tooth and we don't move as fast as we used to.

I waited until today to update to see what the weather would do. That is my story and I'm sticking to it. It was mild and dreary on Monday but a little snow is falling today which is a good thing because it was getting a little sad and depressing looking out there.

The trails were groomed on Sunday and Monday. The groomer has gone by the diner a few times over the last couple of day. Mink Lake trail was done. Brushing continued on Monday.

Bill B has the stakes to mark Lake St. Peter but although folks are riding it is not quite safe to mark it yet. Two riders in on the weekend said that there were a couple of open spots by the island. So use your own judgement and leave your wallet at the diner if you are crossing it.

Here's a shout out to Harry from Port Perry. Harry was in for the first time this weekend. This must mean that the season is officially open!! We didn't see much of Harry last winter. I hear he was busy frolicking other places after his retirement. Oh to be young and frolic.

I found out last week that even a few local people follow the blog. Now neither need it for snow conditions, they can just stick their heads out the window and check, therefore it must be for the witty banter. So to Darren down the highway and the hottie from the golf course thanks a bunch.

That's it for now. Let's hope the snow keeps up. I will be back on Thursday to let you know how much fell and any other disasters that may have happened.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Is it Thursday already?

Another week is almost over. Not too many around this week but everyone in said that all the trails are in great shape. The groomers have been out regularly and the old boys club that is brushing the trails have been out every other day trying to clean up.

The 177 is still impassable and will be for a long time. There are two groups working on it one from each end. They haven't met in the middle yet.

Yesterday the groomer was on it's way to Whitney when it blew a tire. They made it to Hay Lake Road where the service guy could meet them and they were able to get it fixed. But it took quite a long time. Our cook Pat and Bill stopped and helped fix it. You can imagine how much help Bill was. I'll bet he gave directions better than any one else there.

We haven't had any new snow for a few days. A smidgen of freezing rain yesterday but it is cold and damp. My sinuses are starting to act up so it is either going to snow or I have had too much white wine this week. I think it's going to snow!!!

We have gas at the gas station today after six days without. I am still keeping premium fuel on hand for emergencies.

There is a winter festival happening on the family day weekend with lots of activities all weekend in Bancroft, L 'Amable and Maynooth. As part of the festival I am organizing a Snow Shoe Baseball Tournament. If you have a group that would like to put a team in we would love it. Just call the diner at 613-338-3043 to register your team. You must supply your own snowshoes. It's a lot of fun.

The MLSS Snowskimmers Poker Run is the next weekend.

Well no disasters here this week and no touching stories, at least none that I can share so I will end so that I can go outside and do the snow dance.

See you on the weekend
Cheers
Nancy

Monday, January 11, 2010

Happy sledders abound.

It was a great weekend of sledding. The trails are in good shape. There are a few that are still not open because of low hanging branches. I keep getting mixed reports about the trails to Papineau Lake. That lake is still open so folks had to use the road to get to trails and there is one that is still blocked with branches. The guys were out again this morning working away at them.

Riders in on Sunday were quite pleased with the trails. They had all been groomed and there was not much traffic on Sunday. There were a lot from Halibution, Wilberforce, Coe Hill that had had great rides.

We felt really bad for the young guy that broke down on Saturday afternoon. His sled was brand new and the track broke. He was stuck at the diner for five hours waiting for a ride back to Gooderham. Had I known what the problem was I would have put him to work in the kitchen washing dishes to help pass the time!!! He was so patient and quiet. Bless his little heart. I would have been half tanked and madder than hell waiting around all that time. To add insult to injury his ride had only every been over here by sled and didn't know how to get here by truck. But finally he got rescued. We may never see him again. If he makes his way back I hope he reminds me that it was him.

The lakes have not been staked yet. I will check for a later post on the lake conditions. I haven't heard that they are not riding them. I know they are on Baptiste and Lake St. Peter.

So that is about it for now. Gary assures us that he will have gas for this weekend. If not I will always have some here. I was trying to get a tank of some sort so that I could have more on hand but that looks like it won't happen. I can't even get a temporary tank for the short term. That would make life too easy.

Oh well lets see what happens. I sure one of you will come up with a solution.

Have a great week.

Cheers
Nancy

Thursday, January 07, 2010

Thursday Report

Each day has been busier than the one before, which is a good thing because Monday and Tuesday I thought there was a gate up at the township border it was so quiet.

Grooming continues and so does the snow. Today is the only day that it hasn't snowed in a while. What a beautiful few day today was. Sunny and cold most days. Today was milder and lots of sledders were out. They came from all directions and everyone said that the trails were great. There are still a lot of low hanging branches but there is not much that can be done about that.

An old timer from McKenzie Lake said the only way to get the ice and snow off the trees now is for it to rain boiling water. He thinks its here til nearly spring. I nearly threw him out on his ear.

I learned something new yesterday. I learned that you don't clean off the oil tank with a shovel. You use a broom or your hand or something else that is soft. Who know that the little thingy that lets you know how much oil is left was so sensitive? It now has a cute little jam jar on top for a while. (In my books that's about 10 years.) Oh the joys of winter.

Not much else new to report. Other than myself no one has done anything noteworthy. Some one had better make a bone head play this weekend or life will be getting dull.

Hope we see you soon.
Cheers
Nancy

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The clean up continues.

The groomers have been out daily but the trails are so full of downed trees and low hanging branches that it is a huge job. The groomer went to Whitney three times last week. Two trips took 12 hours and the other took 14 hours there was so much brush to clean up.

The group out brushing 177 this morning were out for over 4 hours and think that it will take at least three more days to complete. They were soaking wet and freezing when they came by for coffee on the way home. So if I hear any whining about how poorly we are cleaning up I'll give these guys your number. Keep in mind they are all volunteers and most are well over 60 years old. They are doing the best they can.

The snow just doesn't stop. We get a few centimeters each day which is keeping everything fresh. It is still very cold so no snow is being lost. But it is making a great base.

Now for my touching story of the week. With all the snow lately my satellite dish at the house was covered and I had no reception last night when I got home. Well no problem-I'll just put on my big girl panties, big boots, take the broom, climb the TV tower and brush that sucker off. So I tromped through the six feet of snow in my yard to the side of the house, made it safely to the TV tower looked up to find that the dish is about 500 feet up in the air (well maybe not quite). Still I really think that I can do this. So big rubber boots, kitchen broom and all I tackle the tower only to find out that these things are built so that kids and short people can't climb them. 5' 3" isn't tall enough to get past the second step. Thank goodness it was 7:30 at night and no one was watching. I'm pretty sure if I had gotten any higher I would still be there now frozen solid to the TV tower. I decided to give up at that point. Got into my car and drove to my daughters to pick up my winter coat that I had left there. The lack of a warm coat would also have been a reason I would have been frozen to the tower.

Oh well. I will get that fixed one of these days and life will be good again.

It was nice to see lots of the regular sledders back for another season, and great to see some new folks.

Once everyone has had a breather from all of the holiday activities I hope to see you all back for some great riding.

I'll be back later in the week with clean up info and trail updates.

Cheers
Nancy

Sunday, January 03, 2010

A grand start to the new year

After a very quiet New Years Eve, and I mean in my jamies by 6:30 quiet we were off to a running start on New Years Day.

The snow keeps falling and the trees are still so laden with snow and ice travel is really difficult. Crews have been out brushing and more are going out on Monday but there are so many trails it is hard to get them all. Grooming was not stellar over the weekend but the groomer was out last night and just went by heading north this morning. I am guessing that by the end of the day everything should be done.

For the second morning in a row there has been no cell service due to the weather. It usually comes on about noon. It has been blowing and snowing all night so there is quite a new accumulation. Any delays in posting is for the same reason. Some days I just don't have Internet service. Today is one of them. I will have to save this and publish when the dish clears.

The lakes are not staked yet but riders in yesterday said that they have been running Baptiste and Lake St. Peter for a few days. A few have been on Mink Lake but I don't think that it is a good idea yet.

No one was real impressed with the trail conditions on the weekend. Not for a lack of snow but for non grooming and the trees. Hopefully this will not be the case by next weekend. It has just been so frigging cold and windy that it is hard to get out and do anything (like fix my snow blower).

I am afraid for my safety if one of Lake St. Peter's residents comes in today. He used to call me the snow witch because I was always wishing for snow. Now he calls me the f@&@#*ng snow witch because it won't stop snowing. Oh well I've got broad shoulders-bring it on. Charlie Foster the older gentleman that plows about 65 driveways keeps telling me to stop doing the snow dance but I don't listen to him either.

Well that's all the new there is to report for now. I'll be back in a couple of days to bring you up to speed.

Best wishes for a Happy and Snowy 2010.

Cheers
Nancy