After the flood floated the dock across the pond during the first week of April, it was sitting on the west side wetland area, nice as you please, with four cement block anchors, a canoe and a paddleboat still tied to it. When the water had receded enough that we could get to the dock, the mud left behind had pretty much locked it in place.
​Spring turned to summer and we were still not able to come up with a workable solution. Some good rain storms expanded the pond over the wetlands but not quite far enough to float the dock.
Towing from the other side, winching .... still too wet to use the truck or gator. Maybe if we dug a trench to get water to the back of the dock ... nope!
Then, (light bulb!!!), some good old-fashioned ancient technology was remembered and it was almost too simple! We have several used ginseng posts on hand... round posts, about 8-feet long. We unchained the canoe and the paddleboat from the dock, and lifted the cement blocks onto it. Two of us lifted the dry end of the dock while the third slid a pole under the front of the float. Same at the other end where the dock was already in water. A couple good, strong pushes and that was that! The dock rolled beautifully into the water! (Those ancient peoples were so smart!)
Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer hopped on board the now buoyant dock and used ginseng posts to pole it across. Just, really, entirely tooooo simple!
A walk back to the west side, lift the paddleboat into the water, tie a rope to the canoe, and another short trip across the pond had all the pieces and parts back where they belong. From that point it was easy enough to dig a squared off mooring spot, and anchor the two blocks on the berm with T-posts, using a post driver to pound them in good and deep.
​The summer isn't over, so we're hoping to get a lot of fun time on the water from here on ... if I can just find the keys to the padlocks!

If you follow our Facebook page you will have seen the happenings over the past many months, but I will try to be more diligent to keep things updated here as we move forward  ...
The pond and wetlands are an amazing testament to Nature's ability to restore a virtually barren area into a lush, green haven. Last year was so dry that almost none of the wildflowers planted ever showed signs of surviving and by the end of summer the pond had shrunk to a couple wee puddles, barely enough for animals to get a drink!
The first few days of April this spring saw the Sydenham River rise to the point of breaching the 6-foot bank, spilling over onto the wetland, into the pond and eventually covering about 12 acres of the crop field. Almost unbelievably, the water rose to a depth of at least 4-ft deep above the pond, confirmed by the fact our five trail cameras were totally submerged for a few days! Even more incredulous, all the memory cards were retrieved intact and four of the cameras are still in perfect working condition! If you are interested in seeing what the area looked like at that point, check out the drone video on our YouTube channel youtu.be/wI5Fui6S3D0
As the water receded, a few large fish were caught in the pond and have spawned. I couldn't get a close enough view to know what kind they were, but we suspected carp. A few weeks later, though, I noticed some odd behaviour of what I thought were frog or toad tadpoles near the shore. When I was able to zoom in later on the video I took, we have proof that at least two of those big fish are catfish. Those wee babies have whiskers!
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A wet spring and continuing rain over the past weeks have kept the pond filled to overflowing onto the intended wetland where marsh flowers have flourished. The rain also allowed the seeds sown last year to finally germinate and grow into an abundance of black-eyed Susans, wild bergamot, several prairie grass species and other lovely wildflowers and plants.
Other, not-so-nice plants such as giant ragweed, were able to take advantage of the bare soil and establish themselves, particularly on the east berm, creating a nice looking, but deceptive, green blanket. Even though they have a few redeeming features, including medicinal properties, being a valuable survival food source believed to have been cultivated by Indigenous peoples a few hundred years ago, and having the ability to remove industrial waste and toxins from the soil, ragweed plants are one of the worst pollen producers for allergy/hay fever sufferers and so prolific that they end up taking over to the point of becoming a nuisance. With that in mind, we have employed some local teens to pull these offenders, allowing for a more diversified plant landscape to settle in. 
​Please visit our Facebook page for more pictures and information.

Monday, March 21 was a rather momentous day here at Bentpath Getaway! After several months hard work and planning efforts by a very talented and experienced group of people and agencies, excavation of a pond and wetland area began. The big CAT has been in operation every day this week as the preliminary work continues.

This afternoon I spoke on-site with the contractor who shared his vision for final actual shape of this project  - one which will provide
- enhanced wildlife habitat for birds, animals, turtles, salamanders, pollinators (bees, butterflies, etc.)
- wetland that will hold and filter rain floodwaters, and slow down the flow before the run-off enters the Sydenham River adjacent to our property
- erosion control
- AND a natural water feature for guests to enjoy as they walk the area, rest on a bench to enjoy the view or, perhaps,  take advantage of our canoe or pedalboat for a ride.
This is going to be a fantastic space! 

Having enjoyed hand-dug small ponds in my own back yard, I can guarantee there will be frogs and birds, dragon flies and loads of other interesting inhabitants finding their way here in no time. I can hardly wait.

Among the plans for the six acres we are retiring as farmland, there will be a prairie area planted with native grasses and wildflowers, plus more trees and shrubs. We're doing some research to see about stocking the pond with fish as well.

Hopefully, the weather will oblige enough over the weekend we'll be able to post an updated fly-over of how much the work has progressed in only a week. Much is still to come, so stay tuned ... and in the meantime, have a look at the beginnings of our project in the video below.

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​The snow had already stopped when I got up at 6 a.m. and the wind had died down but not before totally burying the fruit/nut muffins I had lined up along the porch rail yesterday for the birds. Industrious and hungry, the juncos and sparrows remembered where the muffins were and dug them out this morning. Doves stopped by for a while and the ever raucous blue jays are taking a share as well.
I had two big bags of seed in the truck to refill the feeders but I don't have have the strength to carry them to the bin on the deck. Last night my B&B guest was kind enough to bring them to the bin so I will get the feeders refilled this morning when I shovel the drifts off the deck. It's been great fun watching the muffin buffet in the meantime. Plus, breakfast provided some bacon grease to which I added peanut butter and tossed in stale bread to soak it up. That will get tossed around for the birds as well.

With 2021 behind us - some would say "finally behind us" - we are starting to think about each cold, dreary, snowy day as one day closer to spring when everything comes to new life again. Yay for that!! We hope you all had a safe and healthy Christmas and holiday season.

Our seed catalogues have arrived and we have already purchased some veggie seeds for the garden we will plant this spring. Fingers crossed we'll find a green gage plum tree this year and that the pawpaw seeds we kept from the delectable fruit we bought last fall will germinate and grow.  Even at the bitter cold -10°C temperature today, there is some warmth to that sunshine as it came through the kitchen window earlier this afternoon. That's always a positive sign. The cold days do present the perfect opportunities though, for making sourdough breads, waffles, pancakes, muffins and so on as well as creating pots of hearty homemade soups to fill the house with wonderful aromas as well as fuel the tummies.

This time of year people are often starting to plan vacations, too. For Ontario residents, an interesting incentive is being offered for anyone planning a getaway within the province in the 2022 tax year under the new "Ontario Staycation Tax Credit" program.  You'll find the link for more information here: www.cp24.com/news/ontario-announces-plan-for-staycation-tax-credit-and-here-s-how-it-works-1.5652600  We hope you'll consider a stay here at Bentpath Getaway sometime in 2022! 

In the meantime, stay safe, stay warm, good health to each of you, and be kind to one another.

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​With 2021 behind us - some would say "finally behind us" - we are starting to think about each cold, dreary, snowy day as one day closer to spring when everything comes to new life again. Yay for that!! We hope you all had a safe and healthy Christmas and holiday season.

Our seed catalogues have arrived and we have already purchased some veggie seeds for the garden we will plant this spring. Fingers crossed we'll find a green gage plum tree this year and that the pawpaw seeds we kept from the delectable fruit we bought last fall will germinate and grow.  Even at the bitter cold -10°C temperature today, there is some warmth to that sunshine as it came through the kitchen window earlier this afternoon. That's always a positive sign. The cold days do present the perfect opportunities though, for making sourdough breads, waffles, pancakes, muffins and so on as well as creating pots of hearty homemade soups to fill the house with wonderful aromas as well as fuel the tummies.

This time of year people are often starting to plan vacations, too. For Ontario residents, an interesting incentive is being offered for anyone planning a getaway within the province in the 2022 tax year under the new "Ontario Staycation Tax Credit" program.  You'll find the link for more information here: www.cp24.com/news/ontario-announces-plan-for-staycation-tax-credit-and-here-s-how-it-works-1.5652600  We hope you'll consider a stay here at Bentpath Getaway sometime in 2022! 

In the meantime, stay safe, stay warm, good health to each of you, and be kind to one another.

Autumn presents the perfect opportunity to look back over the year and realize how much has happened, and hopefully see how much has been accomplished. Pictures are the best way to document the goings-on and today, as I've been going through them, it is almost astounding how the landscape around Bentpath Getaway has changed from earliest spring until now. 
Although we still have a few trees to plant and the herbs to harvest and dry before the winter settles in, most of the outside work is finished for this year. We have an orchard! That's the biggest and most significant change. Along with 25 fruit trees and countless fruit bushes, mostly native to the area, the wildflowers, strawberries, sunflowers and various herbs have flourished and provided colour as well as great flavours. 
We actually even harvested a single apple, WooHoo! From a first year planting, that's a worthwhile statement, at least in my estimation. The strawberries, in particular, have done extremely well, still producing the odd one for a nibble as we wander through. I do believe planting plenty of garlic cloves throughout the other plants has been helpful in keeping some little furry foragers away. 
All in all, I consider this year a success from the agricultural perspective. 
Going forward through the winter months we will operate on a B & B basis. Please check the brochure  for our special, all-inclusive package over the Christmas Season ... and share it! 
Till next time .... stay safe, get some fresh air every day and take advantage of every moment of sunshine. 

​Walked to first rows of the corn field picking up walnuts. I see the deer have been nibbling and really tromping down a couple areas. It was raining again by the time I came back to the house with my walnut loot, some late rhubarb stalks and a bouquet of small sunflowers.