Leading up to New Years

Mild temperatures, overcast sky with intermittent drizzle summarizes the weather for December 30.  A good time for a day trip around the Bruce peninsula.

CR-13 Road at Sauble Falls

Note the guy in the hip waders fishing downstream

Lions Head harbour

Hope Bay

Swim platform decorated for Christmas

Brightly colored house overlooking Hope Bay

December 29 and Counting

With New Years day approaching the Park is filling up.  Yurts are in demand and several RV's arrived this evening.  Light snow flurries continue to fall but some mixed precipitation is in the forecast overnight.

Santa in his inflatable RV

Pathway to comfort station

Site 65 waiting for a RV to arrive

Decorated for the Christmas season

Snow has Arrived

Last evening the temperature dropped to minus 7 degrees at our campsite and the snow began to fall. Now this is winter camping. 

While eating supper yesterday we saw the first deer (of the week) on our campsite.

Snow packed roadway

Snow covered evergreens

Boxing Day Drive

With no snow on the ground and it being Boxing Day, we decided to take a leisurely drive around the Park and then toward the Nuclear Power Plant. It was very windy down by the lake and hence, lots of whitecaps.

Below are a few of the photos we took along Sunset Drive and Concession 10.

Tall, tall grasses

Wind Turbines on Concession 10

Ultimate Fighting (Red Squirrel style)

Why pay big dollars to view Ultimate Fighting in Toronto when you can watch the Red Squirrels on your campsite, right from your dinette window.

 

Long Tailed Weasel

While eating lunch yesterday we saw a Long Tailed Weasel running through the brush behind our camp site.  It had its White winter coat with a Black tip on the tail.  Had there been snow on the ground we most likely wouldn't have seen it.  However, later in the afternoon we saw it crossing the road and then subsequently, within a few feet of our RV several times but unfortunately were unable to get a decent photo.

Below is the link to a web site that contains some good pictures including the one attached below.

http://www.google.ca/search?q=weasel&hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enCA415&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=9Kn4Tp6QL-j40gHHpKTMAg&ved=0CEcQsAQ&biw=1440&bih=670

Enjoy!

Christmas Morning at MacGregor Point Provincial Park

MERRY CHRISTMAS to ALL from site #61 at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.  Last evening we watched "Miracle on 34th Street" and this morning slept 'til about 10 a.m.

At the moment things are bare and dry but rain is in the forecast for this afternoon.  Hence, the umbrella in our Christmas 2011 photo. For comparison we've included a Christmas photo from 2010.  What a difference, and at this point there's virtually no snow in the forecast for this week.

No sign of any deer yet but the birds are busy with their Christmas dinner.

Christmas Day 2011 - Ready for Rain

Christmas Day 2010

Christmas Eve at MacGregor Point Provincial Park

We were hoping that the Park might have been treated to a bit more snow than elsewhere but these photos around 1:00 pm today show otherwise.  At the moment it's rather quiet here with just a handful of yurts filled and three Winter Warrior couples (ourselves, Lorraine & Maynard as well as Trish & Ken).  One or two "regular" sites are filled.

It's nice and cozy in the RV and periodically there are light snow flurries. At the moment we're just listening to some Christmas carols and shortly we'll be firing up the barbeque for steak and grilled veggies.

Our site #61

Park office

 

 

 

 

 

Potluck at MacGregor

Thanks to Tom & Kerry for organizing a potluck supper for the Winter Warriors. Twenty one people attended (including three new couples) and the food was plentiful and tasty.  Also thanks to the Ontario Parks staff for allowing us to use the Visitor Centre.

On another note, earlier today Ontario Parks staff and the winter hosts decorated the Birch Boulevard comfort station with Christmas lights.  It's sure to add a bit of cheer to that "midnight run".
 

Pre-dinner Chat

Tom & Kerry organized the event

The Food Line

Decorated Comfort Station

Snow at MacGregor Point Provincial Park

Arrived at MacGregor Point Provincial Park around 2:30 this afternoon.  What a joy to see a light blanketing of snow on the cedars, roadsides and campsites.  The tarp on our RV had done its job as all of the snow had slid off.

Not much activity here yet but that should change tomorrow as more Winter Warriors arrive for the 5:30 pm potluck supper at the Visitor Centre.

Entering the Park

Birch Boulevard Campground

Our Site (#61)

One of the new Yurts waiting for occupants

A new sign for Maynard & Lorraine

-

There's a fifth wheel RV under there somewhere

Home Sweet Home Away from Home

Winter Warriors Update

It's now official...  22 of the 26 available sites have been booked for the winter on-site program at MacGregor Point Provincial Park.  Considering 2 of the remaining 4 sites are a double site that leaves just 2 single sites open.  A big improvement from last year's 16 sites booked.  All "transient" sites in Birch Boulevard  seemed to be filled this weekend, as well as at least one site in Ash Woods.  A good number of the yurts were also being used.

Today was relatively warm (at 14 C degrees) and very windy, with winds gusting to 56 km.  A good day for checking how well the winter tarps were secured,  "tweaking" some ropes and adding a few more.  We drained and winterized the fresh water system and emptied the gray and black water tanks with the tote / honey wagon. 

Yesterday we heard and watched a pileated woodpecker in flight and saw a female pheasant at the rear of our campsite.   Lots of red breasted nuthatches this year.

Newest Winter Warrior

Gray Skies over Turtle Pond

New Wood Storage Shed by the Office

Another Mud Room Under Construction

Transition

The temperature was about 3.6 C degrees when we arrived at 3:30 this afternoon.  After running the furnace and electric heaters for about 45 minutes the temperature inside the RV was quite comfy.

During half of the two hour trip we saw between 2 and 3 inches of snow on the ground, but at MacGregor Point Provincial Park the ground is bare.  On our way into the park we came upon a young deer eating grass beside the road and a few seconds later a second young deer came out of the cedars.

Things seem to be relatively quiet at the Park.  We are staying until Sunday afternoon and hope to provide blog updates.  Now we're off to Port Elgin for fish and chips.

Snowy field near Brockton

Konijn enjoying the ride to MacGregor

Deer beside the Park road.  Photo taken through window with smartphone. 

Winter RV "Coverup"

With the beginning of the MacGregor Point winter on-site program each year there is a flurry of "construction" activity.   Each participant has his/her own unique design, depending upon the type of RV and their expectations of what "old man winter" has to offer.

Maynard's "low roof pitch" approach

"Conventional" approach

"RV in a garage" approach

Hugh and Dot's "new and improved"

Will this setup include a "mud room" again?

Tom's "high roof pitch" approach plus porch

"The campground hosts'" approach

And the winner is?

To be determined after a winter of heavy snowfalls.