Kukagami Autumn

Kukagami News Autumn 2009

 

Some folks say the summer of 2009 never happened.  Here at Kukagami, we had a great summer!  There were at least two days in June at 30+.  I do remember the sun shining for a minimum of 1½ days in July, and for sure there were 11 days in a row of summer in the middle of August, and the first 3 weeks of September were fabulous! 

 

The lake is especially beautiful this week, with magical misty mornings on the lake, and calm waters reflecting the beginnings of fall colours.  

 

This past winter was one of the busiest we've ever had, and in August we had visitors all but three days near the end of the month.  Whew! There are a few more bookings in September;  and this year our Thanksgiving Weekend is going to focus on cooking, canoeing and fall colour hikes!  Currently, we still have space available for Thanksgiving, so let me know if you would like to come north for a weekend full of fine dining and guided walks through our beautiful forests.

 

The only other scheduled event is the Annual Work Weekend, which will be October 16-18^th.  This is a free weekend for you, in exchange for helping to bring the firewood under cover for winter, burn rocks and fill holes on the ski trails, trim overhanging branches and generally have a good time.  Let me know if you are interested! 

 

New at Kukagami this year!  As usual, not much has changed.  Or at least there's not much change that you will notice.  We've put new shingles on buildings here and there, a new porch on the sauna, moved the dock.

 

The one big new thing is that I started doing pottery again, after 26 years!  I joined the Sudbury Basin Potters, which gives me a key to the studio so I can go there to work whenever it fits my schedule. I'm happy to say that potting is sort of like riding a bicycle, in that it didn't take long to get the basic skills back.  I've been having a great time making bowls and more bowls!  And a few giant mugs.

 

To celebrate our 25 years of Kukagami Lodge, every guest this summer got to select a bowl to take home.  I'll be working in the studio a lot this fall to build up enough bowls for each winter guest.   And for those of you who love pottery, there will be bigger bowls and a few mugs that you can buy while you are here.

 

Have a great Autumn!

 

Viki and Allan

 

 

Oh yeah.  There is one more small plan that you may be interested in…. Allan and I are starting to talk about retirement.  Indeed, all those roofs and decks and docks to repair…it may be time to pass on Kukagami Lodge to an energetic young couple.  Do you know anyone who fits this description? 

We are not in a big rush, so we hope to be able to choose a buyer who will love this place as we have.  Someone who will take care of the ski trails, and you, our guests, for another 25 years.  It could take a while to find this couple, so don't worry yet.  We may be here for another 5 years! 

 

 

 

 

Spring Newsletter

The Loons are Back!

 

            First thing each morning I go out to have a look at the ice.  This last remnant of winter is slowly receding from the lake.  The solid surface we travelled on for the past four months is melting away.  Last Saturday evening I crossed the lake on the ice for the last time.  On Monday, I walked out a hundred metres to measure the thickness of the ice. 

Wednesday, I launched the canoe!  Oh it did feel good to be afloat again…even if the travel was restricted to a two to three-metre ribbon of water along the shore.  By evening, all the ice from the lodge out to the island was gone.

            This morning there was twice as much water showing.  I stood on the sauna dock, looking out toward the end of the bay.  Packs of ice had shifted halfway out, blocking off the shoreline route I had paddled yesterday morning.  Then I heard the loon!

            Ahhhh!  They are back!  Our loons made it through another winter, another migration.  This loon came from the southeast, as it does every spring.  First I heard its 'I'm Home!' tremolo.  Then I heard the beat of its wings.  I love to hear the whoosh of wind as the loon pushes its way though the air. 

            Next I saw the reflection of the loon in the lake as it rushed by.  The clear still water of morning gave the perfect mirror image – a sight we've not had since late November.

            The loon kept on flying, out the bay, then over the hill to the south bay of Kukagami.  I walked along the shore toward the boat dock so I could catch the warmth of the morning sun. 

            As I walked, I slowly became conscious of another call.  It seemed so commonplace that at first I hadn't noticed – then suddenly, I recognized another of the loon's calls, the wail.  Another loon was calling from MacDonald's pond, just a half kilometre to the south.  The ice likely went off the pond yesterday.  One of the loons who will spend the summer there was calling for its mate. Wooooooo………

            From the bay to the north, a third loon called out with the yodel.  The first loon called its tremolo from the south bay, and the second called from the pond.  A pileated woodpecker tapped its resonant call on a hollow tree, the white-throated sparrow sang its clear sweet song, and the chickadees are courting too. 

 

            With the return of 'soft water' to the lake, the silence of winter ends, and the joyful noise of spring begins.

Skiing March 29th

Thanks for your note, Barb!

 

Here's a wee photo of Kate and Allan skiing yesterday afternoon.  It was beautiful!  All this spring sunshine is so energizing. 

 

Warmly - in the early spring sunshine,

 

Viki

It's Snowing!

We may be the only people in Ontario who are happy to see the snow still falling! The ski trail base is excellent, which means we wil be able to set a new track, perhaps the best of this year!

This last weekend of March will be the last chance for a ski weekend this winter....but we need skiers!

Drop a line to lodge@kukagami.infosathse.com if you can take advantage of this last minute opportunity!