Chicken little, chicken little...

The sky is falling.



Helicopters above,

body parts below...

Thankfully, they seem to arise from a non-local issue.

More Questions Than Answers in Missing Body Parts Case

1 Jun 2010 ... Moose FM CFBG 99.5 - Police confirm body parts found in Muskoka do belong to the same victim. But they won’t say what remains were found. OPP Constable Peter Leon says additional pieces of the murder victim are still missing. Police do say the white male was violently dismembered.

What is the world coming to?! Our May 24 long weekend was the safest one ever, though.

Lots of people, with lots of near-misses, but a great time had by many.

Hydro crews take a much-needed lunch break, especially after recent storms. They've been working hard to clear up after storms, and working on the trees threatening hydro wires. They work in all seasons (see below)!

Many are still recovering from our local storm from Friday night.

Wouldn't catch me climbing THIS tree! I'm with the guy with the HUGE chain saw down below!

Another storm two nights ago. Lots of lightning, as you can see from my video, but isolated, as not all of Muskoka had rain. Watch out for dry land, susceptible to fires. Quebec is having a bad time, with the city of Ottawa having issues with drifting smoke.





These guys on the barge waved madly as I appeared to be a tourist taking photos!

In terms of safety, drinking and driving incidents and drownings are down, in total in Muskoka. With a huge arrest for drugs:

Drugs seized, 27 Muskoka residents charged

MUSKOKA — OPP officers raided five homes on the morning of May 27, seizing a quantity of drugs with an estimated street value of $50,000, following a seven-month undercover operation targeting 31 Muskoka residents alleged to be involved in street-level drug trafficking.

  Addiction issues in Muskoka are a problem. With fewer resources than the city (human, financial and institutional resources), many must drive long distances for counselling and therapy. Many cannot afford it. This is The Myths of Muskoka: all are happy, rich, wealthy. It takes a huge infrastructure to support a 3-season economy. And many choose this lifestyle, no question. As I explained to a Macleans reporter yesterday, not all are cottaging in multimillion dollar seasonal homes! Many have inherited modest cottages bought in the days when property (like ours in 1960) sold for $2000!

Housing is a difficult issue in Muskoka. In the spring of 2009, vacancy rates for Muskoka were 2.8%. Industry standards say that 3% is considered a “healthy” vacancy rate. There are approximately 450 households waiting for rent-geared-to income housing in Muskoka (2009).

However, news reports of people 'from away' doing dastardly deeds is so unsettling. With many who live and play in Muskoka, we have great people around us. Thank goodness for our OPP who come to our rescue. Bless them all.

Some visitors ought to be locked up...

May 22 Muskoka Online Reports Two Men Arrested for Behaving Badly

A couple of men tried to party crash at a rental cottage in Doe Lake, where a couple of Orillia women were renting. They told the women that the landlord sent them to check fire alarms. No deal. Sent away, they returned at 1:00 a.m., wanting to share their beer. No dice. A fight ensued and police were called.

Even the seagulls behave better than this. It took off when we ignored it eating our panini at Annie's Cafe eating in the great outdoors.