[JUN2022] I guess it’s finally time to tell you about a major happening here. Though this happening happened last autumn. One afternoon, in the midst of a day filled with rain and wind, I heard a tree crash down in the forest. Living spot in the middle of 40-50,000 trees, some of them old or…
Category: Features & Amemities
“New & Improved”
[MAY2022] Spring is usually time for a few fix-ups to enhance the guest experience. You’ll find some them chronicled in this blog over past years. Here’s a couple new/improved amenities this year. For Yurt Camping guests, there is a covered area near the fire pit with a little workstation they can use for food prep,…
This year’s Big Improvement
[MAY2021] Probably the most common question/request I get from camping guests is whether there is a grill for the campfire. While guests are responsible for bringing all their own camping gear, I have wanted to still provide something but all I’ve had to offer thus far was a grill from an old BBQ which could…
Trail to the Rising Sun
[OCT2020] Living surrounded by woodlands is lovely. But you don’t get much in the way of sunrise or sunsets. Several years ago, I added a short trail to a semi-open view of the western sky that offers great sunset views particularly during the weeks preceding and following the Equinoxes. With a little help from a…
Shower with a view, or not
[JUN2020] Restrictions on short-term rentals (e.g., Airbnb) relaxed a couple weeks ago. I try to approach hosting professionally so, proactively, developed a COVID-19 risk mitigation strategy. Potential guests can be clear on what is being done and make their own assessment as to whether that is sufficient. In addition to a minimum 3 day (72+…
A Cool Reflection
[JAN2020] I am humbled by the delightful words guests choose to write in their Airbnb reviews but, for a host, the biggest compliment of all is when guests make a return visit. My first return visit was by a lovely young couple who were just my third guests after I began hosting 4 years ago….
The Longest Night
[DEC2019] The winter solstice, when we due to the earth’s tile farthest away from the sun, occurred yesterday evening. The short days and long nights make this a magical time, and in some way more introspective and inward than the bright, lively, long days of summer. Though, coupled with the low angle of the sun,…
Solvitur Ambulando
[SEP2019] A major project here over the past 9 months has been the design and construction of a meditative walking labyrinth through the forest. With history dating back 4000 years and found in some form in most religions and spiritual traditions, a labyrinth (as distinct from a maze) is unicursal, having only one path. There…
SoundForest
[MAY2019] I have long been fascinated by the sounds of nature, and always enjoyed percussive musical instruments, so it was I guess only a matter of time until inspiration hit to bring them together. Out in the middle of the Red Pines area I’ve fashioned a set-up to suspend wind chimes between trees. Don’t ask…
Classic Winter
[FEB2017] It’s been a near-perfect “classic” winter here in Grey-Bruce so far this year. There has been lots of snow… snowshoes have been necessary gear to navigate the trails since early January… but not so much as to be overwhelming.
A Most Extraordinary Tree
[SEP2016] Over the past year, there has been a wonderful and ever-growing initiative in Grey-Bruce counties called The Extraordinary Tree Project which seeks to celebrate the significance and influence of the tree in our lives. Such a thing seems particularly appropriate in Grey-Bruce, seeing as it contains some of the highest forest cover density in…
Blowin’ in the wind
[AUG2016] August saw four consecutive weekends of guests here, most of them using the Private Camping option, folks who wanted access to the Bruce Peninsula but without the crowds and noise involved with actually staying there in peak tourist time… peace and space to come back to at the end of the day 🙂 Several…
Breakfast-in-a-Box
[JUL2016] So far, guests have all opted to come for breakfast at the main house… it’s great to chat and get to know guests, and I am able to offer them a broad selection of food choices. But I do offer the option to bring a light breakfast out to the Cordwood Cabin or to…
Sauna Improvements
[JUL2016] I can’t say that many guests, whether paying AirBnB guests or friends & family, use the sauna. The high heat and humidity isn’t to everyone’s taste, though there are many health benefits to be had (see below) for body and soul. Another reason, methinks, could be that the sauna and outdoor shower was exposed…
Off-Grid Retreat 