The week started off stormy and then mid-week hot and humid.
So far this Summer, the main theme of this year is Changeable!
From cool O degrees Celsius to +30's!
From extremely dry to heavy downpours of rain.
Every day is a new adventure!
This week, a day trip to stock up the freezers with meat for the dogs on Tuesday before the next heat wave arrived.
We are now well stocked and no need to venture out of here for another month.
Through all of this the dogs are happy and enthusiastic for their daily meals and personal attention.
The Black Flies are almost finished for another year.
However, the mosquitoes are plentiful.
This week, the Dragonflies have returned and are enjoying the plentiful harvest of their favorite meal, mosquitoes.
Ah, the beauty of Nature!
Until next week......

It takes patience to capture the the beauty of a Sunset as seen in the above sequence of photos.
Finally on Wednesday the heat wave ended after a couple of thunder storms with torrential rains passed through late Tuesday giving the forest some much needed moisture.
The rain was so heavy, that the water running of the roof of the chalet looked like a waterfall.
With the cooler weather, the dogs were more active playing with each other and continuing chasing the Butterflies.
However along with the cooler/damp weather, the Black Flies and the Mosquitoes were abundant.
Yes, Nature always has a way of humbling you!
Even with these challenges, life here is preferred to that of the city.
Soon the Black Flies will be gone for another year!
Until next week......

Most mornings and late afternoon, a stillness descends on the lake making it a mirror with the reflexions of Nature.
Never get tired of enjoying the beauty the forest has to offer!
We are experiencing a heat wave here this week with the temperatures in the 30's Celsius with a high in the Sun reaching the mid 40's!
Due to the heat, the dogs are fed earlier in the mornings and provided with plenty of water.
They are handling the heat fine!
They know how to relax!
​Until next week.......
 

Again this week, the sunsets were spectacular!
Nature has a way of brightening up everyday.
This week was another of extremes with warm  comfortable temperatures and then today cold Fall like conditions. Next week, the forecast is for a return hot/humid weather.
We had some storms pass this week with just a little rain and strong  winds.
The good news is the winds seem to have kept the Black Flies at bay making them far less bothersome as past years.
The dogs are enjoying the cooler temperatures playing with each other and chasing Butterflies.
All the Dog Harnesses were washed this week and are now ready for the commencement of Fall training.
This is the time of year that many of the yearly maintenance  in the kennel gets accomplished.
There are always chores that need to be done.
The planning on the breeding between Louis and Olive is on hold, awaiting Olive to come into heat.
So far, none of the females have come into season.
It is late this year, maybe due to the erratic climate conditions.
Whatever, nature will take it's course.
​Until next week......

Life here is a stark contrast from the world outside.
Life here is simple and all of Natures Creatures live in harmony.
Over the last couple of weeks, the the migrating birds have returned and the Hummingbirds have arrived in full force.
Maybe due the late Spring growth of the flowering trees and plants, the Hummingbird Feeder has been very busy with the abundance of visitors.
It is very entertaining watching them come to feed. They are not bothered by me sitting outside having my morning coffee close their feeder as they buzz over my head and feeding.
The young squirrels curiously come up on the porch to visit me showing no fear of my presence.
The Black Flies and Mosquitoes have also returned and also come up to visit me! Although they are not really welcomed, they are all part of the eco system and have their own purpose.
In another month, the Black Flies will be gone for another year.
The dogs are having fun chasing the the Butterflies that are fluttering around the kennel.
The Raven are back everyday, after the dogs are fed, looking for scraps of food the have fallen in the kennel and tipping over the dog bowls looking for any leftovers.
We finally got some much needed rain this week and the trees are now starting to leaf.
The forest is displaying some vibrant green foliage.
Yes, life here is simple!
​Until next week.......

Weather here is again the topic for this week.
Since last weekend, we have had unseasonably high temperatures reaching up to 30 Celsius. 
​Luckily, no more fires in this area.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, we received some much needed rain to quench the dry conditions here in the forest!
Now a cold front has arrived dropping the temperature down to 0 Celsius this morning.
This crazy flux in temperatures has caused some dificultes for a couple of the dogs to adjust.
Both Blue and Louis went off their feed for several days. However, the good news is they are back eating like normal now. Through this period, they were drinking well and kept well hydrated.
This week, the dogs kept busy digging holes all around their houses.
Yes, Summer excavations are underway!
Life here with my canine family is never boring!
Until next week......

Hot, dry weather this Spring has left the forest very vulnerable here in Quebec.
This Friday there was a forest fire 19 km from our kennel. That sounds far, but a fire with wind can travel very fast.
What also makes this more dangerous, the fire was between here and the village and could cause the closure of the only road out of here.
Luckily it was put out due to the quick response of SOPFEU (the fire fighting service here in Quebec) on the ground and by use of Water Bombers.
It is always worrisome with travellers coming up here and not paying attention to the warning signs not have open fires at their camps and with careless smokers throwing out their cigarettes.
The Inhabitants here understand, especially with COVID 19, the desire to get out into Nature. We just ask that they respect the dangers here to prevent Forest Fires.
All was fine here with the property and the dogs.
Also this week, we had the return some beautiful Sunsets.
For those who might be wondering about the effects of COVID 19 here, we have had no cases here in the Saint Michel area.
Until next week.......

It was a great week here to have Tepeu (Willy/Angel) return after a three year absence.
Tepeu spent the last two years with Rosaire Perron Racing in Quebec and last season racing with Guy Girard travelling to New Hampshire and Alaska.
It didn't take long for her to get comfortable back here with her family.
It will be fun having her running with her teammates back here at Miortuk.
It was another week here with the weather finally becoming more Spring like with some rain, warm sunny days and the last of  Winter's ice leaving the lake. 
Today, I saw the first Robin's return a sign that the Summer will be coming soon.
With all the changes in the World today, it is reassuring to see the normalcy of Nature.
Until next week....... 

It has been a strange week here with the weather and signs from Nature!
First the weather here has been been warmer in the early days of this week and turning very cold in the later days.
The warmth has finally caused the lake ice to melt quickly (as seen in the above photos) resulting in high water levels. Luckily we are on high ground here and no flooding problems.
The snow/ice is melting in the kennel leaving only one row of housing with snow left to go. The other sections are all dry and the dogs are enjoying their Spring digging.
Today it is cold and we are experiencing some light snow flurries.
Yes, it is May 9th!
This week we had flock of Black Birds here, which I have never seen before. They were here only a few days and then departed.
This week the Canada Geese started their migration.
The flocks were the largest I have seen here.
The unusual phenomenon was they were migrating North and not South just the reverse of their normal pattern.
Never have I experienced this before!
What is Nature telling us?
Also this week, the Loon have returned for the Summer.
It is wonderful hearing their intriguing calling.
Until next week....... 

Although it is about a month late, Spring is finally here.
This week more warm weather during the days and rain Thursday and Friday is speeding up the melt here.
The lake this morning was showing some water around the edges and some wet spots on the ice. Probably by the end of next week the ice will be gone until next Winter.
The slow melt has been good as not to cause water flooding in the kennel. That along with raising the dog houses after every snow storm, allows the houses to slowly sink with the snow melt leaving the houses high and dry.
The dogs are doing great enjoying the Sun and for recreation chasing the squirls that are teasing them with their scurrying around.
Quebec has announced this week, the gradual re-opening of travel restrictions imposed due to contain the spread of COVID19.
Luckily this area has been spared, so far, from this virus.
Although life here hasn't really changed, it will be nice to know the we can go out for supplies for the dogs.
Every day the Raven visit the kennel after the dogs are fed to clean up any food that was spilled at feeding.
The dogs are very used to them and don't bother them even though they intrude on their territory.
Isn't it interesting how species will get along here in the forest.
​Maybe humans could learn from them.
​Until next week.......