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PS.... very few new canoes in the store right now possibly an indication that demand is high. Or maybe production has stopped because of COVID 19. My guess is that people have been locked in all winter ordering gear and there will be an insane mad rush to get on the water once the lakes go...

Algonquin Outfitters' and The Portage Store's used canoes are no longer available for sale or appointment once ice-out begins in Algonquin... there still are about 25 composite Nova Craft canoes, 2nd grade and demos available in London Ontario at the factory outlet store but no Nova Craft...

Bill Conner, Algonquin was crowded enough before COVID 19, last year it was said to be packed (from reports anyway, I did not go there) and it appears this year will be as well or maybe even worse. News reports now saying that campsite reservations are double that of last year and Ontario...

Glenn M... OK, time to kill some time... after some very interesting googling, the entire world holds about 1,420,000 lakes over 10 hectares in size (about 25 acres). Canada holds 880,400 or 62%... be sure to see 'em all. Lake distribution map, this is where to go if you want lakes... the...

Pete S.... about cataract surgery, I had mine done during the summer and fall 2020 (they did only one eye at a time in case of a bad reaction or result). I had to sign waivers in case of permanent vision loss or <ack> even death which was on the consent form, so I wasn't exactly looking forward...

Easiest and quickest way to post photos here, for me anyway... I thought I had something quick previously, Alan Gage showed something even easier. - store photos on Flickr, find the photo and open in new window - hit the "share photo" button (the arrow symbol below) - copy the url info in BB...

Iskweo, the tent photo above is small in the thread and too large in the photo link, so I copied the link version into my Flickr account and then linked to that copy to see if this will work... well, it works, if the "medium" size is selected. Hope that's OK, I wanted to see if it's possible to...

Toronto's High Park has a popular hawk watch hill since it's easy access to a million or more. The most abundant raptors at times are usually broad-winged hawks which can be in the hundreds... most city residents won't notice them since they're at altitude looking like scattered grains of...

Dagger, This might help reduce shake, bracing the hands against the bony sides of the eye sockets or against the cheek bones... "place the first knuckle of your thumbs into the indentations on the outside of your eye sockets"... see in the link below. This is shown for stargazing but works in...

The prices for quality optics have come down quite a bit over the past few years as a result of computer-aided automation... $200 to $300 will get you some decent optics now with binos when previously it was $1000 plus. Yes, the Monarch 5s are an established standard with birders but for me...

PS... red-eyed vireos are the most common songbirds in the Algonquin area deciduous forests, they can be heard singing nonstop all day June-July but difficult to see since they're almost always hidden by leaves high in trees. Finally got to see one out in the open and it too, spent most of it's...

I was lucky enough to keep a broad-winged hawk which became almost tame several years ago... I found it sitting in the driveway, it did not fly away and I picked it up after it ran into some tall grass. It had a temporary home perched on a dowel under the cap in my truck, eagerly eating bits of...

Earliest ketchup might be to bushwhack through Algonquin while poplars are beginning to leaf out, canoeing in might not be possible if ice is still on. Maybe to Alsever and catch the view from this cliff which I haven't been to yet. Photos taken from another, lower cliff. Did not record the...

Yet another reason to go decaf... OTOH not getting the caffeination fix on a bad day might create the same problems. Present company excluded of course.

Those laminated blanks look great and I can only imagine much pleasure there was creating and carving them into useable paddles. Only had a quick look so far but I will reread through the entire process, lots of details mentioned that add knowledge... outstanding stuff, Brian.

Boreal Birch, I have heard that cowboy coffee is easier on the stomach since it's been boiled, may or may not be true. I'm not a big coffee drinker and early mornings there is coffee and then that's it. Will not have any past noon since it will probably keep me from sleeping, same goes for tea...

Erik Normark's vids usually have some coffee in them... here, he describes how cowboy coffee's made while enjoying the sights and sounds of the day. Coarse grind is recommended and it seems it's better to make it strong rather than weak. He also brings a special wooden cup to enjoy the coffee...

Perhaps more properly belongs in the "swim stories/photos" thread but never mind... for those that are being driven crazy by others constantly stopping for selfies at the worst possible time or parading around with selfie sticks.

Herb Pohl's The Lure Of Faraway Places edited by James Raffan... after seeing this brief discussion with Kevin Callan. The Herb Pohl bit starts at about the forty minute mark. He liked finding scenic spots in the landscape it seems so combined with the other comments, I placed a hold on it at...

I've told this story before but WTH... On a portage there were couple of trippers who seemed to be having a rough time. We saw them approaching and said hello when they were close. And the first thing one of them said to us after pausing for dramatic effect and grim intensity...... "This is a...