Congratulations to Peterborough – recently named one of the Top 10 Walkable Cities in Canada by Westjet Magazine. Vancouver tops the list with Peterborough coming in at #5 – how cool is that? Peterborough and the Kawarthas appear to be more newsworthy all the time! Next time you’re in the city stop by the Canadian Canoe Museum, visit the galleries and art shops and eat out at the local sidewalk cafes, take the Little Lake boat and don’t miss the Festival of Lights. There are so many small wonders to see in the countryside, you’ll need at least a week here.

Meet Debbie Spencer, responsible for cutting and trimming 32 acres of grass on the resort, including the runway. All summer long Debbie can be found on the Alice Chalmers deking inbetween trees and around cottages ensuring the grounds are presentable for arrivals.
A crisp morning turned into a beautiful day…again. Have you booked your last hurrah-mini vacation yet? It’s almost time for the fall Couch Potato Midweek Getaway – guilt-free, great value package, designed for you and a friend!

Sad to say so long to our Summer Recreation Director Justin Gingrich, who will be returning to university this week. Justin has been with us for several years on waterfront – this was his first summer taking on a full program. Well done! We’ll miss your smiling, “sure can” attitude.

Yet another lovely day in paradise….the outdoor patio was filled with golfers having a pint; the pool was alive with cannonballers; the waves were lapping the shore and tonight the bar is hopping with kareoke singers….everyone else is at the campfire. Just for the record, Gen Y do not sing campfire songs – they talk. Happy Anniversary to Erich and Karin who met here, were married here and then emigrated here from Switzerland.

It’s hard to believe we are in the last week of summer…our Super Savings Rates kick in August 29 – offering considerable savings for those who want a last minute getaway before school starts. I was quite taken by a guest comment today – the family enjoyed a trail ride, went to waterskiing and tubing, built a sandcastle on the beach and then sat around the campfire after their barbecue dinner – the comment was innocent enough – “we never thought we could actually be doing this outdoors, ourselves”. It made me realize we don’t say “real” in any of our marketing – should we? I’d love to hear your comments.

This lovely watercolour was painted by Barbara Brintnell, an Ottawa artist, who was recently at the Resort for an East Central Ontario Art Association paintout. Titled “Welcome to Elmhirst’s” the painting captures the gardens and the entrance to the Resort. It makes me want to enter the image. Several artists including Lucy Manley, Gertrude Sorensen and Olga Szaranski are displayed for sale in the Hearthside Dining Room. I promise to feature their work in the next week.

There was a brief interlude today when the Ark in the Park playground was not crawling with little monkeys…everytime I go by and hear the squeals of delight it makes me want to join them on the zipline and big slide. Another nice day in paradise with an early evening rain.

The sun came out at noon, making it quite balmy, but the wind was howling most of the day. Whitecaps on the lake – the outdoor pool was a protected area and as a result it was busy – no tennis or badminton action today. Everyone seems to be making the most of the water before summer is over. We were lucky last night with no major trees down or damage – our neighbours lost their roof and their barn…no injuries reported.

What an amazing night of rain and lightning. The downdrafts were immense – we’ll have to wait until morning to assess the damage. Tonight on Rice Lake you can hear the wind and waves and it sounds very Caribbean. I can’t believe it’s Aug 20 already…not much time left for a quick getaway before school starts….just a reminder to check out that last week of August when the rates go down – very affordable!

Embraced the dawn cooking Cowboy Breakfast for two experienced riders. So much to do….archery and then the horsedrawn wagonride, waterskiing and time for a swim. What fun!
Ended the day with a dinner cruise and energetic pyramid. At dusk there were many folks at the campfire – another great summer day at the cottage.

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