It Was Supposed to be TWO Inches

On Saturday, November 15th, it was predicted that we would receive two inches of snow in our area. Sure enough, about ten o'clock in the morning, big, beautiful snowflakes began descending all around us. It was a cozy inside day watching out the window at the beautiful scene before us as everything became blanketed in white.
The next morning we woke up to a gorgeous sunshiny day and over SEVEN inches of fresh snow. Most likely it will have melted by next week, so Joanna went out and took these pictures of the winter wonderland so you could enjoy it with us.

Hunters Hit the Jackpot

Our last group of Moose hunters left just this morning. Lee Lariviere and his group from Southeastern Ontario,shot the cow the day after they arrived. It was quite exciting for them. Then, a couple days before they left they brought down the bull. I think the majority of hunters that come get excited just to be out in the woods. Getting a Moose is simply a bonus. Some hunters don't even get to see a Moose. Some get to see them, but never get a shot at one. So, to be able to take two Moose home is quite an accomplishment. We really enjoyed having Lee's group here and we look forward to seeing them next year.

Sabre- Our Camp Dog

Sabre is a pure bred Beauceron. The Beauceron is a rare breed that originated in France. They are herding dogs as well as good guard dogs and loyal family companions. Similar to the German Shepherd, the Beauceron is very versatile and excels in many different venues from Police dogs or Search and Rescue to tracking, agility and other protection sports. Joanna came across this unusual breed, which everyone thinks is a cross between a German Shepherd and a Doberman, while looking for another family pet for us. While the guard dog instinct is very strong in them,we have found them to be very lovable dogs.
It's been nice to have Sabre roam the premises, alerting us to the presence of bears or wolves and chasing them away. He sure enjoys his new home where he is free to run all over and investigate what the cat is doing, walk beside John while he mows the lawn, run the outside perimeter of the dog yard fence during feeding time and check into the activities of the camp guests.
The Beauceron is supposed to be reserved with strangers and wants to check people out without being crowded or pet on the head. We tell our guests to just ignore him and let him smell them. Pretty soon he will be eager to chase after a stick or ball that someone throws for him. He loves to play.
Joanna took these nice shots of him on the hillside this fall when the wildflowers were in full bloom.

Our Mighty Mouser

Cricket is her name and hunting mice is her game. Though she truly is a fierce hunter and has drastically cut down the mice population at Agimac River Outfitters, she has a very pleasant disposition for a cat. It all began when our daughter Joanna asked us if we would like to have a cat join us in our move to Canada. I replied, " Joanna, we have 43 sled dogs, a family dog and lots of wild animals out there in the bush. Her chances of survival are pretty slim. Besides, I don't want just any cat- she has to be a good mouser, loveable and be able to survive living outside."
Joanna quickly replied that she fulfilled all three prerequisites. So, I relented, as I always do when Joanna wants to bring another animal home. But I was the one who was surprised. She turned out to be an unusually gentle, loving, affectionate cat AND a great mouser. (Take a look at those teeth in the open mouth picture. I sure wouldn't want to be a mouse caught in those.) She's still alive, so she must have some pretty good wilderness alertness skills.
At first John jokingly called her "dog" because she would follow him outside wherever he went, right behind our dog, Sabre. She even followed him up to the dog yard where 43 dogs went crazy to try to get at her.
She's part of the family for sure and now we don't know what we'd do without her. Thank you Joanna!