The sunset tailgate picnic outside the Burnbrae Church was just the beginning of a wonderful evening of comedy – local would-be stars perform skits in the church (to raise money for repairs) and then invite the audience to a homemade pie social (all you can eat)…. perfect ingredients for a great night out!

For 16 years the St Hilda’s graduating class of 1965 (nursing) have stayed with us…we love these ladies. I think they’re getting younger each year! Where’s Wilma?

Beautiful blossoms dot the property – wish you were here to see the colour.

Today the seaplane dock went into the water….just in time for float endorsements.

Despite the sunshine the boiler is needed to warm the pool water – over the years we have burned cardboard, wood pallets, corn and now oat hulls (breakfast cereal leftovers). How very green!

Vintage Boat Classic applications are now available for those who wish to join us on July 04 – age of the captain and the boat must add up to more than 100 years – what wonderful boats we will see….okay, I guess there will be some wonderfully rugged captains as well! Plan to come for Sunday Brunch and see the collection.

One last word…lets think positive about our Canucks and our Canadiens as they battle it out for the Stanley Cup (hockey). The game is on…..

Walking by the wooded area at the henhouse, I saw my first trillium of the season. This is the official flower of Ontario – grows in the woods in early spring.
I was corrected today as I mentioned we had 600 plants ready to go into the garden….my error, we have 6000 plantings for the grounds. The missing 0 was very big!
Despite the snow flakes today the colour was almost neon around the pool.

The greenhouse is blooming with over 600 plantings, waiting to go outdoors in May…all seeds and plantings were taken from the gardens last year…truly recycling the growing process. Join Bob on his weekly garden tour throughout the summer and learn more.

Happy Birthday Nadiya…6 years and counting. Proud Grandpa Peter and brothers Henry and Ryder celebrate with the birthday girl.

Mother’s Day is fast approaching….have you booked Sunday Brunch? Mom deserves a break!

Waking up to the swarms of ducks and geese can be unsettling….apparently they are resting here (even the birds know you can relax at Elmhirst’s Resort) as they continue their journey north. We expect them back in the fall – as they head south. They certainly are social! Feels like a scene from the movie “The Russians Are Coming”.

Great wind today for a kiting adventure….I found it chilly on shore, can’t imagine how fresh the water was!

The ritual of wheeling the docks back into the water is made easier by the large wheels on the docks….every fall we take the docks out as the ice in Rice Lake pushes up on shore and would wreck the docks. The main dock is 106′ long, yet it takes only 30 minutes to drive it across the runway and into place. The water level seems low for this time of year but we have had virtually no rain and there wasn’t much snow melt in the early spring. The dock is in place for those avid anglers waiting to get out for a feed of panfish.

Addendum: Backyard Barbecue Winemakers Dinner will be held on Sunday June 06 so we can take advantage of the afternoon sun. John Howard Cellars of Distinction will be featured along with a tasty grilled menu. You won’t want to miss this event!

It’s spring and the lines on the tennis court are being repainted….no excuses now.

Hair flying everywhere at the barn….meet Angela Corby, our Trail Guide. Angela has been working the horses, getting the kinks out, lungeing and riding so they are ready for summer rides – they get lazy over the winter (grazing and taking it easy). When I arrived Majestic was munching on Angela’s hair while Skye tried to chew the lead shank (no more work). This is called horseplay!

Join us on Saturday June 05 for a Backyard Barbecue featuring John Howard Cellars of Distinction. Enjoy a grilled menu of trout, chicken, sausage and porkloin with wine pairings. Everyone loves a barbecue!

Bob Phillips, our gardener, was in the greenhouse today sharing his plans (and plants) with Ellen Sweeney, a recent graduate of the Niagara College Horticulture Program. Ellen has joined our team to increase production in the vegetable garden and cottage gardens. There are thousands of seedlings waiting to be planted outdoors….the weather has been so wonderful it’s difficult to understand why the gardens are not in full bloom.

Peter Elmhirst of Elmhirst’s Resort was awarded the Ontario Hostelry Institute Gold Award this evening at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto. The family was on hand to celebrate the award for Hotelier presented to Peter at a Gala Dinner. It was quite an honour – Congratulations!
The Ontario Hostelry Institute endeavours to create bursaries for hospitality students as well as recognizing excellence and furthering development in the hospitality industry.

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