Grady's Paddle: The Route

I spent a fabulous afternoon on the water today! And whether you're paddling for SickKids, supporting us with pledges, or simply want to know about a great flat-water day trip, you'll want to follow along. 

The outing was a chance for the Grady's Paddle committee to travel the route our paddlers will take on July 10th. The leader of the event—my friend, Judy—kayaked the full 32km last summer in order to test it out, but for our purposes today, we took it easy in a motor boat.

The route starts at the Burk's Falls Town Docks. A launch master will be counting heads and boats as they put in between 7am and 10am. 

From there it's a leisurely paddle with the current down the Magnetawan River. You'll pass some homes, cottages and other boats. In other sections, you'll think you're in a wilderness park with nothing to interrupt the view of trees, sky and water. We saw two herons and countless turtles as we chugged along.

The river opens up into Lake Cecebe, a large, open lake with a few islands and bays. Echo Rock is a handsome cliff on your left—see if it talks back to you as you pass!

Continue on to Lion's Park in the village of Magnetawan. You'll have a map of the route to indicate which shoreline to follow. There are homes and cottages on Lake Cecebe, plus there will be volunteers in motor boats on the water.

Along the route there are at least three pee stops, plus a take-out at 21 km for those who prefer a shorter paddle, as well as emergency pull-outs should anyone need to exit the water mid-point. Motor boats will be supporting the paddlers as needed, ferrying them to take-out points straight to the park.

The park is a lovely spot for the after party... barbecue, music, prizes, 50-50 draw, and silent auction will be set up under and around the pavilion. Trailers will return canoes and kayaks back to Burk's Falls and buses will transport paddlers.

It promises to be a great day in a gorgeous setting. If you're a paddler, it's not too late to register! Visit Grady's Paddle for details.

Happy Canada Day!

July Events in Muskoka & Almaguin

What's happening in and around Muskoka and the Almaguin Highlands this summer? Lots! 

Check back often; I add events as I hear about them. Do you know of an event I missed? Tell me and I'll add it, too.

Blue Rodeo at the Summit Centre

Kicking off the summer season in Canadian style, Blue Rodeo performs at Huntsville's new Summit Centre. Tickets are $40 when you stay at one of the accommodation partners (such as Fern Glen Inn!) or $45 at the door. Click for info on the Blue Rodeo concert or Blue Rodeo packages.

Huntsville

June 30, 8pm

Canada Day Celebrations

All-day festivities, all around town. Start the day at River Mill Park in downtown Huntsville with cake, O Canada, and the Muskoka Concert Band. The Trillium Jazz Band will be outside the Town Hall. The Legion is hosting a tractor pull, bbq lunch and roast beef dinner. Fireworks over Hunters Bay from dusk till 10pm.

Huntsville

July 1, 10am - 10pm

Muskoka Heritage Place Strawberry Social

Entertainment, demonstrations, costumed narrators, strolling minstrels, Portage Flyer train. Strawberry scones while supplies last. Step back in time at this museum & pioneer village. Free admission for this Canada Day event. Visit Muskoka Heritage Place for details about this and other events.

Huntsville

July 1, 10am - 4pm

First Friday in July

The first Friday of the month features a cultural walking tour through downtown Huntsville. In July, the spotlight is on the art and images of the Huntsville Festival of the Arts. Various artwork will be on display, often accompanied by the artists. Events include culinary, visual and performing arts. More about First Friday in July here.

Huntsville

July 2, beginning 6pm

Used Book Sale
Hosted by the Muskoka Literacy Council, avid readers and book lovers are sure to find plenty of gems. Most books sell for $1 or $2. At Trinity United Church.
Huntsville
July 9, 10am - 7pm

Edge of the Woods Theatre Festival
Enjoy a summer evening of unforgettable, exhilarating entertainment. The outdoor performances include breakdancers, stilt walking, beat boxers, comedy, and high-energy tap. Tasty treats and free art activities for all ages. Admission is by donation ($10 suggested). Touring four evenings in three local towns. Read more about the shows and the Edge of the Woods Theatre Festival.
July 7, Burk's Falls Stan Darling Park, 6:30pm
July 8, Sundridge Lions Park, 6:30pm
July 9 & 10, Huntsville town docks, 6:30pm

Creative Changes Art Show & Sale
Paintings, pottery, woodcarvings, jewelery and much more. Friday evening wine and cheese reception for $5/person. Free admission Saturday and Sunday. Everyone welcome.
Kearney
July 9, 7pm - 9:30pm
July 10, 10am - 5pm
July 11, 10am - 3pm

Grady's Paddle
Raise money for SickKids Critical Care Unit with a great day paddling down the Magnetawan River. Free transportation for paddlers and their canoes/kayaks, discounts on rentals, barbecue, entertainment and lots of great prizes up for offer. Get details and download your registration form from Grady's Paddle. Stay at Fern glen Inn for the event and we'll sponsor your pledge sheet.
Burk's Falls
July 10

Jazz in the Garden
Smooth jazz will fill the air in the beautiful gardens at Spencer's Tall Trees. Bring your lawn chair and enjoy light snacks and refreshments. Tickets $15.
Huntsville
July 11, 2pm - 4pm

Huntsville Firefly Festival
Downtown Huntsville presents a night of performances, sales, live music and more.
Huntsville
July 16, 6pm - midnight

Second Chance Charity Sale
Find new, almost-new and not-so-new items at great prices. Silent auction, tea leaf readings, live entertainment and more. Hosted by Robinson's Independant. All proceeds to the Canadian Cancer Society to help fund the costs for patient transportation to chemotherapy.
Huntsville
July 17, 8am - 3pm

The Limberlost Challenge
Ultra trail running race through the Limberlost Forest and Wildlife Reserve. 14km, 28km and 56km races, part of the Ontario Ultra Series. Visit the Limberlost Challenge for details and registration.
Lake of Bays Township
July 17

Hawksley Workman
Juno award winner Hawksley Workman returns to his hometown stage for a live performance showcasing his two new CD's, Meat and Milk. The 400-seat Algonquin Theatre provides a perfect venue to experience this prolific and critically-acclaimed musician. Tickets $40. Visit the Huntsville Festival of the Arts website for details and ticket information.
Huntsville
July 17, 8pm

Labour of Love - Cycle Doc
Feature length documentary follows ultra cyclist Caroline van den Bulk as she races to be the first Canadian woman to complete the world's hardest endurance cycle race. Following the screening at the Algonquin Theatre, join Caroline, producer/director Virginia Hastings and members of the race team for a Q&A session. 90 minutes. Rated R. Tickets $15. For details and ordering info, see Labour of Love at the Algonquin Theatre.
Huntsville
July 19, 7:30pm

Loggers Day
The Algonquin Park Logging Museum, located at the east end of the park, will be brought to life with demonstrations and interpreters. Learn about life in the early lumber camps. Admission is $1 in addition to your valid park permit. Hosted by Friends of Algonquin Park.
Algonquin Park
July 24, 9am - 3pm

Daylily Festival
Two day festival celebrating daylilies and all things gardening. Stroll the daylily fields at of the local garden centre and choose from thousands of blooms to come home with you, dug to order. Marketplace, crafts, art, face painting, charity barbecue and candy floss. Northern Lights Steel Band play on Sunday, filling the air with their Caribbean beat. Free admission, everyone welcome. Visit Fern Glen Garden Centre for details.
Emsdale
July 24 & 25

Huntsville Western Rodeo Royale
Watch exciting performances, including bull riding, bareback bronc riding, saddle bronc riding, tie down roping, team roping, steer wrestling, barrel racing breakaway roping and more. covered licensed bar, dance Saturday evening, vendors and food. At the Huntsville Fairgrounds. Ticket information at Huntsville Western Rodeo.
Huntsville
July 24 & 25

Muskoka Triathlon and Duathlon
Sprint triathlon, long course triathlon and long course duathlon. Post-race party and awards. Enter the race or cheer on the athletes as they swim, bike and run through some lovely Muskoka scenery. Visit Tri Sport Canada for course and registration details.
Huntsville
July 24 & 25

Meet the Researcher Day
Drop in to the East Beach Picnic Pavillion at KM35.4 in Algonquin Park for a look at some of the topics and results of current research being conducted in the park area. Meet the people behind the work. Charity barbecue from noon to 2pm. Free admission with valid park permit. Hosted by the Friends of Algonquin Park.
Algonquin Park
July 29, 10am - 3pm

En Plein Air
Cheer on renowned local artists and dignitaries as they create masterpiece works of art, outdoors in downtown Huntsville, in just four hours. After watching the creative process in progress, you can bid for your favourite piece in the live auction at 3pm on the Town Hall steps. Proceeds support Muskoka-Wide Art Scholarships. Hosted by the Shutterbug Gallery and the Huntsville Festival of the Arts.
Huntsville
July 29, 11am - 4pm

Alex Cuba 
This Cuban-Canadian has taken the Canadian world music scene by storm with his cross-cultural stylings of jazz, sweet melodies, pop-soul and rock. Catch him live at Huntsville's Algonquin Theatre as part of the Festival of the Arts. Tickets $32.
Huntsville
July 30, 8pm

Summer Ski & Snowboard Sale
Once again, Algonquin Outfitters is offering great savings on winter clothing, gear and outerwear; as well as deals on snowboards, skis, mountain and road bikes. Up to 70% off last winter's stock. Visit Algonquin Outfitters.
Huntsville
July 30 - Aug 2

Creative Art Day Camp for Adults
Art teacher Diane Finlayson will direct adults who want to recapture the fun of play. The major project of the day will be to make a dream catcher from natural objects found around the workshop site. Hosted by Fern Glen Garden. $20/person includes materials and coffee or tea at Lily's Place Cafe.
Emsdale
July 31, 10am - 4pm

Un-Gardener on a Rescue Mission

Fern Glen Inn • www.ferngleninn.blogspot.com

Reading though this blog, it's easy to see some themes emerge. I write often about food and cooking; hiking and other outdoor activities; local wildlife of both the animal and plant variety. I write about these things so often because I enjoy them immensely. One thing I don't write about is gardening.

The reason, quite simply, is that I don't like to garden. I wish I did. I was born into a family of green-thumbs, a family well-populated with hearty growers of produce gardens, fruit trees, flower beds and house plants. Somehow I missed that gene.

I'm not an anti-gardener (I admire gardens and gardeners too much for that); I consider myself an un-gardener. I follow a strategy of benign neglect and will happily eat or admire most anything that chooses to put down roots and make a go of it here.

I love the grasses, flowers and plants that grow naturally and abundantly of their own accord. Contained—just barely—by rock borders in the lawn or at the edge of the woods, they create height, texture and colour as lovely as it is unplanned. They add their own brushstroke to the canvas that is this property. I like that. I try not to mess with it too much. Whatever grows, grows. Whatever doesn't, well, maybe it wasn't meant to.

Or so it was until the wild rose bush that runs like a hedge at the front of the Coach House became sickly. Ever since our first year here, I've love that bush. Its vibrant green leaves and brilliant magenta flowers put on a showy display non-stop from June through September. Now, though still blooming, many of the leaves have turned mottled and brown. It did this last year and I thought it was due to the unusually cool and wet summer we had. But here it is mid-June and it's started again.

So I decided I would have to take action and try to save it. Mount a rescue mission. I know, theoretically, that cutting back a plant will encourage denser, bushier, healthier growth. Armed with shears and clippers, I started cutting away. Under the top layer of foliage, most of the branches (canes?) were horizontal from growing outward toward the open side, and many of them brittle and dead. I cut away all the dead stuff and cut back the sickly stuff. I removed more than I left, by the looks of it, and now there are bald patches in the bed amid nearly-bare stalks of shrubs. I really hope this is one of those situations where things have to get worse before they get better. And that the "better" comes soon!

We've had a day and a half of rain since operation Rose Rescue, plus gorgeous sunshine today. Most of the leaves that do remain look perky and well. I'm feeling optimistic that this wild rose hedge will survive my "helping" it. Any words of wisdom or advice from real gardeners out there are most welcome!

Oh, and for the record: wading chest-high through prickly branches and hauling out thorny canes has done NOTHING to convince me to expand my gardening efforts. An un-gardener I remain.

Blue Rodeo kicks off summer in Huntsville

 Fern Glen Inn • www.ferngleninn.blogspot.com 

Iconic Canadian band Blue Rodeo will be kicking off the summer season with a live performance at the new Summit Centre in Huntsville on June 30th.

Huntsville is proud to welcome the group just days after hosting the world leaders at the G8 Summit.

Seven-time Juno award winners, Blue Rodeo's countrified rock/pop style has won fans across genres and generations for the past 25 years. Recently inducted with a star on Canada's Walk of Fame, they are a band both well-loved and critically acclaimed—and sure to put on a high-energy show!

There are lots of other events happening in the days after the show, all part of Huntsville's Summer Kick Off:

• Canada Day celebrations
• Canada Day fireworks
• First Friday art scene
• Group of Seven Mural Festival
• Muskoka Heritage Place Strawberry Social 

With a tip of our hats to Blue Rodeo, we'll also help you and your travel mate get lost together with a day of self-guided paddling on our local waterways. Now what could be more Canadian than that?

Stay at Fern Glen Inn June 30th and get Blue Rodeo tickets for an additional $40/person. Or choose from three Summer Kick Off Packages:

: :     : :     : :

Blue Rodeo & Canada Day

Wednesday June 30 - Friday July 2

Package includes:

• 2 nights accommodation & breakfast
• ticket to Blue Rodeo live at the Summit Centre
• itinerary for Canada Day celebrations
• Canada Day souvenir

Price: $140/person, based on double occupancy

Add a third night for $45/person 

: :     : :     : :

Blue Rodeo and the Lost Together Getaway

Wednesday June 30 - Saturday July 3

Package includes:

• 3 nights accommodation & breakfast
  
• ticket to Blue Rodeo live at the Summit Centre
  
• itinerary for Canada Day celebrations
• Canada Day souvenir
• one-day canoe rental from a local outfitter 

Price: $199/person, based on double occupancy

: :     : :     : :

Canada Day Long Weekend

Thursday July 1 - Sunday July 4

Package includes:

• 3 nights accommodation & breakfast
  
• itinerary for Canada Day & Summer Kick Off events
• Canada Day souvenir  

Price: $155/person, based on double occupancy

Add a one-day canoe rental from a local outfitter for $25/canoe

: :     : :     : :

Applicable taxes are extra. Call, email or reserve online for your Blue Rodeo and Summer Kick Off getaway.

Dandylion Pride

We have dandylions! Why, you might wonder, am I proud to proclaim this fact? It's because dandylions and other spontaneous flowers show that we choose chemical-free gardening.

Our lawns—and all the wonderful things that grown in and around them—are safe for people, birds, dogs and other animals to enjoy.

Some of the vegetation is for people to eat (asparagus, rhubarb, berries, herbs, pansies); the rest is for birds, butterflies, bunnies and other wildlife to eat or nest in. Pesticide-free lawns are also great spots to catch a nap in the shade, to sunbathe, or to challenge your travel mates to a game of bocce ball or croquet.

Plus, flowers in the grass are pretty! Right now we have waves of tiny purple flowers, cheery yellow buttercups, and white strawberry blossoms which may even develop into berries! Later we'll get fiery orange-and-red flowers (my neighbour calls them devil's paintbrush, but I don't know their proper name) and ornamental jewelweed in every shade of magenta.


The naturalized lawns are also much more drought resistant. They're made up of different grasses and other green groundcover, such as clover. When freshly mowed, it makes for a smooth sea of green, and who cares if it's not all from uniform blades of grass.

Then the lawn flowers (I don't like the term weeds!) grow back and, at least until the next mowing, we're treated to delightful splashes of colour again. Now that's something to roar about!

Bitten by the Jelly Bug

Fern Glen Inn • www.ferngleninn.blogspot.com

Guests often ask me if the jams we serve with some of our breakfasts are homemade, probably because so much of what we offer is made-from-scratch and freshly prepared. And I'd always have to answer 'no'. I never tried my hand at jams and jellies, citing the amount of time involved and the fact that we are always deep in our busy season when local fruits and berries are ripe and ready for canning.


But we have an abundance of rhubarb now during our gently-paced quiet season; and the strawberries at the grocery store, while not local, are sweet and flavourful. So I decided it was time to make a batch of strawberry rhubarb jam. Searching online, I found a common recipe shared on a number of sites and blogs, and it's nearly the same as the one on the Certo Pectin box, and I ended up using a compilation for my fruit preparation. 


When it came to the important steps of sterilizing the jars and processing the jam, I found the best directions on the Bernardin website. If you're new to jam-making, I highly recommend you read their step-by-step guide to home canning.


Our first batch of jam was a success! Now I've been bitten by the jelly bug—I want to make more! Even though I'm very new to jam-making, I couldn't resist tweaking recipes and flavours and putting my own twist on things. The resulting Roasted Rhubarb-Ginger jam is pretty darn good, if I do say so myself.


If you've been thinking about making your own homemade jam—go for it! It's a great feeling to see those lovely jars lined up in the panty, and even better to slather your very own jam on a piece of warm toast. 

Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
Makes 6 or 7 250ml jar

• 1 1/4 lbs (approx) rhubarb (to make 1 3/4 cups prepared)
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1 3/4 lbs (approx) ripe strawberries (to make 2 1/2 cups prepared)
• 6 1/2 cups sugar 
• 1 pouch (85 ml) Certo Liquid Pectin 

Prepare the Jars
Place 7 clean 250 ml mason jars on a rack in a canner (deep pot with a rack on the bottom). Cover with water and bring to a gentle boil. Set screw bands aside. Heat SNAP LID sealing discs in hot, not boiling, water. Keep jars and discs hot until ready to use.

Prepare the Fruit
Wash rhubarb but do not peel. Chop into 3/4" pieces and place in a medium sauce pot. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 3 - 4 minutes. Transfer 1 3/4 cups of the mixture to a large sauce pot (discard the rest or save for another use).
Wash and hull strawberries. If large, remove and discard the white pithy core from the centre. Cut strawberries into quarters or halves. Crush with a potato masher or your hands. Measure out 2 1/4 cups and add to the rhubarb in the pot.

Make the Jam
Add sugar to fruit mixture in sauce pot and stir to combine. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat and continue to stir for 3 minutes. Use a metal spoon to skim off and discard any foam.

Pack, Process and Store
Remove jars from canner. Ladle hot jam mixture into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads with a clean, wet cloth. Place hot sealing discs on jar rims. Screw bands to fingertip-tight. Place jars upright on the rack in the canner and add water if necessary to cover jars by at least 1" of water.
Place a lid on the canner and bring to a full boil. Once boiling, start timing. Boil for 5 minutes.
When processing time is complete, turn off heat and remove lid. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove jars and stand them on a rack or dishtowel, with at least 1" of space between jars. Let stand undisturbed for 24 hours.
After jars cool, check seals. Sealed discs curve downward and do not move when pressed. Store jars in a cool dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.

Roasted Rhubarb-Ginger Jam
Makes 6 or 7 250ml jar

• 2 lbs (approx) rhubarb (to make 3 cups prepared)
• 1/2 cup white wine 
• 5 1/2 cups sugar, divided 
• 1/4 cup, packed, finely diced crystallized ginger 
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger root (I use a rasp grater) 
• 1 pouch (85 ml) Certo Liquid Pectin 

Follow the directions for the Classic Strawberry Rhubarb Jam, but use the following method to prepare the fruit:

Prepare the Fruit
Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash rhubarb but do not peel. Chop into 1" pieces and place in an ungreased 7"x11" glass or ceramic baking dish. Add the white wine and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir to combine. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes; stir gently then continue roasting until soft and starting to caramelize, about another 15 minutes. Transfer 3 cups of the mixture to a large sauce pot (eat any extras!).
Continue with the directions above to Make the Jam, adding the remaining 5 cups sugar, the crystallized ginger and the fresh ginger root to the rhubarb mixture before bringing it to a boil. See Pack, Process and Store to finish.

Enjoy!

Sheekey Sheep and Lamb Sausage Stew

Fern Glen Inn • www.ferngleninn.blogspot.com

I've mentioned our nearby neighbours, the Sheekey's, before. Val knits vitamin scarves, and Ray's cat, Titou, spends his winters entertaining our guests. And, coincidentally, I worked with their son back in my "big city" days.

We also get our lamb from the Sheekey's. Every summer, Val and Ray raise two or three sheep in a lovely little pasture at their home alongside the Magnetawan River. The sheep are well cared for and naturally raised. In fact, they are sometimes more free-range than intended, escaping their pen to explore the world!

In the fall, the sheep are loaded into the family car and taken to the local abattoir/butcher, soon to be returned to the Sheekey's in neatly wrapped brown paper packages that go straight into the freezer. The sheep from last summer are the lamb chops, sausage, and rib roasts we enjoy for dinner this year. It felt uncomfortable at first to meet my food while it was still an animal, but I know this is the way consumption used to be, the way it should be still.

Val and Ray sell the various cuts of lamb—as well as eggs from their free-ranging chickens, veggies from their garden, and homemade jams, jellies and pickles—to friends and neighbours. If you'd like to take some home for yourself after your next visit to the inn, we'll send you on over to meet the Sheekeys.

You can also savour lamb sausages during a dinner here at the inn. Just let us know in advance and we'll work it into the menu. I've served them with chili, with balsamic vegetables , and with a fresh corn and zucchini saute garnished with Val's amazing mint jelly.

The lamb recipe here is for a casual one-pot meal I like to make for Jim and myself when we want something filling without a lot of fuss. I keep it simple with ingredients I usually have on hand in my pantry and freezer.  

Lamb Sausage Stew with Chickpeas

• olive oil
  
• 1 pound lamb sausage, casings removed
  
• 1 onion, diced
  
• 1 stalk celery, diced
  
• 1 carrot, diced
  
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 of a 900ml can diced tomatoes with juices
  
• 3/4 cup israeli couscous or orzo pasta
  
• 1 cup chicken broth, more if needed
  
• 1 700ml can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  
• 1/2 of a 300 gram bag of spinach leaves, washed (or frozen spinach, thawed)
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, mint, or basil (or a pinch of dried herbs such as thyme, oregano or herbs de provence)
  
• crumbled feta cheese and crusty bread for serving

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven. Add the sausage, crumbled, and cook until nicely browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add more olive oil to the pot if it's dry, or remove excess oil if there's more than just a thin film of it. Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened. Add the garlic and stir for another minute.

Add the tomatoes, israeli couscous (or pasta) and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes. Add the reserved sausage, chickpeas and the spinach. Cook, stirring often, until the israeli couscous or pasta is tender, the sausage is heated through and the spinach is wilted, about another 5 minutes. Add more chicken stock or water if the mixture is too dry and sticks to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the herbs.

Ladel the stew into shallow bowls. Top with crumbled feta cheese and serve with crusty bread.