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Week of May 27th, 2018

Weekly Temperature
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30 May31 Jun 01 Jun 02
High 30 23 23 32 30 19 18
Low 13 13 14 16 18 12 10

The weekend of May 26/27 is big in our family because these dates reflect our wedding anniversary and birth of our elder son. Michelle’s Mom came to visit as she has every year since Ben was born 23 years ago. This is the third summer we’ve been in Wasaga Beach.

Sunday, May 27th, 2018 – there was serious rain the night before. I was struck by the deep chasm opened on the beach by this culvert near 17th street. Often when there is flooding this part of the beach eroded.
Sunday, May 27th, 2018 – Our tax dollars hard at work! Wasaga Beach is designated as a Provincial Park. The province and town do a great job keeping the beach looking good for tourists in the summer months.
Monday, May 28th, 2018 – The people who planted this tent obviously left food in plain site. A bad idea. Seagulls were all over their campsite while they headed down the beach.
Monday, May 28th, 2018 – Seagull in mid-flight looking west returning from Beach One.
Tuesday, May 29th, 2018 – Beach one was surprisingly quiet for such an awesome day. Things look so much better in May than in the winter!
Wednesday, May 30th, 2018 – In the greenspace to the west of 13th street there are multiple entrances to the beach. This is the same path I found almost impassible back in January due to snow drifts.
Thursday, May 31st, 2018 – A beautiful day looking toward the Blue Mountains to the northwest.
Friday, June 1st, 2018 – The fog descended today and temperatures off the lake were very cool. It looks like a Stephen King novel or Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds”.
Friday, June 1st, 2018 – looking east towards Beach One on a cool foggy day.

 

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Week of May 20th, 2018

Weekly Temperature
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26
High 12 16 13 20 22 29 29
Low 6 2 8 7 8 16 13

This week we got our first real taste of summer weather. What’s great about May is that the days are warm but the nights are nice and cool. No air-conditioning required.

Monday, May 21st, 2018 – Beach one is looking good. I’m amazed how much work it takes to get the beach ready for guests after a rough winter. It was surprisingly quiet for Victoria Day weekend.
Monday, May 21st, 2018 – A series of homes just west of the boardwalk. The  perfect retirement property if you want to live on Georgian Bay near beach one without a lot of maintenance and fuss.

The cranes like overcast still days when the water is calm. I think it is easier for them to fish because they can see fish swimming more easily.

I’m not 100% sure, but I think the white crane I followed down the beach today was a Snowy Egret Crane. Information about these birds here – http://naturalcrooks.com/rambles/what-large-white-bird-wading-marsh-swamp-ontario/. Apparently these birds are relatively new to Ontario. Their range has expanded north as the climate has moderated. The dark crane might be a Sandhill Crane whose range extends to Southern Ontario for breeding in summer. Maybe someone more knowledgeable can help me out. I’ve decided to call them Mr. White and Mr. Black.

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – Today was all about the birds. I followed two cranes a few kilometers down the beach on a cloudy Tuesday. Every time I got close enough for a picture, one or both would get scared and fly a hundred yards to the east. (it never occurred to them to head west and they could have been done with me) I took about 50 pictures. Hard to get close to these guys. This is one of the only times I caught them together.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – My friend “Mr. White”. I couldn’t get closer than 50 feet before he/she would fly away.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – “Mr. Black” was a little less nervous and I could get closer. They were fishing as I watched them. They would fly out over the water and periodically return to shore with a minnow and prance about.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – When I got a little too close to Mr. Black he took off – this picture captured just prior to his going airborne.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – Mr. Black flying away from me down the beach as I got too close once more. This cycle repeated itself about 20 times.
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018 – Last one – I promise. Mr. White showing his vertical-take-off-and-landing (VTOL) skills.
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2018 – Today was just one of those perfect days! Windy but warm. Picture taken near 13th street looking toward Blue Mountain. Too windy for the cranes to fish today. Only seagulls.
Thursday, May 24th, 2018 – Looking west from beach one across the boardwalk.
Thursday, May 24th, 2018 – driving to the beach we had to pull over. The local OPP were escorting a bike race down the length of Mosely drive parallel to the  beach. This was on my way to beach 3.
Thursday, May 24th, 2018 – As I entered the beach at my usual spot at 18th street I snapped this picture. The folks in the lower left spotted me and thought I was taking a picture of them. Great people it turned out and we had a nice chat. I don’t want to post their pictures to respect their privacy.
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Week of May 13th, 2018

Weekly Temperature
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19
High 21 19 16 23 13 19 19
Low 2 6 7 3 9 3 12

This is the perfect time of year. It’s getting warm during the day with cool evenings that are great for sleeping. We’re on the cusp of the May 21st Victoria Day long-weekend (aka the May 2-4 weekend)

The town and provincial park been working to get the beach in shape for visitors, and by today it was looking awesome. Friday at noon, carloads of teenagers were showing up from the Toronto area and various other points. It’s cool to see people return and the town turn on like a light switch.

Sunday, May 13th, 2018 – looking east as I walk from 18th street down the beach one.
Sunday, May 13th, 2018 – I met this Fox on Sunday morning. I tried to get close but it was skittish and ran away. I’ve seen a fox in the same location twice just west of 13th street along the beach but this is the first time I managed to get a picture.
Monday, May 14th, 2018 – Monday was gorgeous. This time of year my parents are in town (between Florida and Manitoulin) and Mom often joins me for my walks. This picture taken look east from the west end of the beach one boardwalk.
Monday, May 14th, 2018 – Picture of Mom taken at beach one with Georgian Bay in the background.
Monday, May 14th, 2018 – I really need to get educated and learn what kinds of birds I’m looking at. I recall seeing the same bird last year. They are clearly fishing, ducking underwater looking for something to eat.

Here are the same birds pictured above last April. 

I met our friendly neighborhood kite-boarder again this week. It looks like summer weather, but the air temperature Wednesday morning was about 8 degrees Celsius (46 F) with a brisk north wind as you can see from the pictures. Jordan’s wearing a toque but I was cold just watching him.

Thursday, May 17th, 2018 – This is a picture of Jordan out kite-boarding. He came in to see Mom and I as we were walking down the beach to say hi.
Thursday, May 17th, 2018 – Jordan posing for a picture on shore with his kite high in the air. At times the winds were strong enough to lift him off the ground.
Thursday, May 17th, 2018 – This is the closest I’ll ever coming to kite-boarding
Thursday, May 17th, 2018 – It’s hard to capture the air-borne pictures – this is the best I could manage at a distance.
Thursday, May 17th, 2018 – A work crew installing a new sign at beach one. You can see how the workmen are dressed – it was pretty cold.
Friday, May 18th, 2018 – the beach is getting all “spiffed up” before the Victoria Day weekend. Heavy equipment removing all the sand that has drifted up against the boardwalks.
Friday, May 18th, 2018 – Beach one is looking great! All the business starting to open, most for the first time this year.
Friday, May 18th, 2018 – Cool new signs posted along beach one before the long weekend. It’s great to see these improvements being made.

Happy May 2-4!