Ontario Winter Games - Bala RIngette

Bala was just hopping today!

They are having so much fun! I've never even SEEN a ringette game. Seriously!

Not that I'm not into sports, we often skated on the canal when we lived in Ottawa, I played volleyball -indoors and out, and I played softball.
My daughter, at the ripe old age of 30, has played in adult soccer leagues, keeping herself active.

This team was warming up in the Community Centre parking lot. Such a wonderful day to be outdoors, they took advantage of it. 

 It is a grinding schedule, even for young women. These 4 were taking a deserved break! The tunes were making toes tap.

All the parents, coaches, volunteers, and friends and families were having a grand time. It takes a whole community to make this type of event a success. We talked to folks from far and wide: Sudbury and Bracebridge.

 

Lots of Muskokans have hosted, helped, volunteered or broadcast these games. 

A great time was had by most! Our walk through town was kept interesting by the sights of the Moon River, Bala Falls,  sledders stuck in a town without snow,

the Train roaring through Bala , pigeons, and Pileated woodpecker in the woods !

Lots going on in Muskoka

 If you like places and open spaces, come see what is happening! The birds are busy, as are the critters.

The pileated woodpecker was bashing away for lunch. I am still working out how to get a good shot.

Part of the issue is the exposure compensation. With critters, like bear, below, on white snow, you can compensate, but I am having a hard time as a panic once I realize I have an opportunity for a great shot. I am doing some research, and practicing on the snow, which hopefully will disappear soon, anyway! You can see my problem in the snowmobile photo at the bottom. It is overexposed.

 

The woodpecker was on the feeder, throwing seeds down for the squirrel, who STILL haven't figured out the new feeder from Lee Valley Tools!

Here catch, it says, knocks them onto the tray, and flings them down to scatter them for the happy squirrels.

Bear, however, seems quite content watching the world go by.
Some of bear's world includes the snowmobiles...still active.
For tomorrow's Camera Critters, you can see what bear spotted Friday, at noon.


For some, they get bored either snowboarding or skiddooing. This pair (below) tried both at the same time.

Back they came after a few hours on the frozen swamps.

We have the Ontario Winter Games from March 4 - 7 in Muskoka.


Here is the Ontario Winter Games  Event Calendar! 
Lots to see and do, if you didn't get enough of sports, or if you want to cheer on our young people.

Air Rifle/Air Pistol	Curling	Hockey - Men's	Snowboarding	Weightlifting
Alpine Skiing	Diving	Hockey - Women's	Speed Skating	Wrestling
Biathlon	Figure Skating	Indoor Field Hockey	Squash
Badminton	5 Pin Bowling	Judo	Synchronized Swimming
Boxing	Freestyle Skiing	Kickboxing	Table Tennis
Cross Country Skiing	Gymnastics	Ringette	Taekwondo

Ontario Winter Games approacheth

And, for that reason, I am publishing a guest post from Rick Wilson, a friend who is attending the Olympics. The post provides info and subtle advice on being a good guest and visitor.

I know that Huntsville will be hosting the G8, and 'locals' are truly going to be affected, many negatively. In addition, the entire community (towns; The District Municipality of Muskoka Lakes, Sudbury, Bracebridge, Lake of Bays, Hunstville, private businesses; The Moose FM, FedNor, Rotary Club, hotels) is involved in the Central/N. Ontario Winter Games (March 4th - 7th). Here is the list of events. So far the press is positive, unlike much coverage of the VANOC 2010 event.

Local students step up to the challenge

HUNTSVILLE — When the bronze, silver and gold medal winners take to their podiums during the Ontario Winter Games, Huntsville High School students will have special reason to cheer.

Gymnast plans to have fun at Ontario Winter Games

Feb 17, 2010

Skater trying to overcome injury, illness in time for Ontario Winter Games

The Wilsons Olympic Experience

Hello All

We are having a great time

Yesterday was our first set of events. We got on the subway at 9 am for 1 pm start for speed skating After a 20 minute ride we walked 1 mile to the Richmond Oval. A beautiful warm sunny day for the walk.  What a building, beautiful wood ceilings and a great facility. Weird things though: like 1 concession facility on our side of the arena and porta potties.
      After going thru airport type security which is everywhere we went to our seats which turned out to be front row in the corner. We met the mother of one of Canada's skaters in line and it was great fun to talk with her.  Her daughter is only 20 and in her first Olympics.  She finished 34th out of 36 but learned a lot.
      A great view and we watched the athletes warm up and practice.  TV does not do justice to the speed they achieve and how close to the edge they are on the turns.

      They rank the skaters and go 9 pairs at a time, resurface the ice and have 2 races.  We were there for 4 hrs in all.
      The Dutch are incredible skating fans and are really into it.  They even have a Dutch Oom Pa Pa band that plays beer hall songs during the breaks.
      The tension builds for the final groups as the fastest race last and the Korean winner won by .05 of a second.
      Quite a spectacle and these women are amazing athletes.  We saw some falls and the devastation they feel knowing they have lost their chance at a medal is hard to take.
     We left from there at 4:15 and had to get to UBC for a women's hockey game.  Line ups for the subway, crammed cars and then line up for a bus and a jam packed ride for 30 minutes. We finally arrived at the rink around 5:45 and had to go thru security again. Reached our seats around 630 -- after our 2 hr journey.  Had seats in temporary upper deck behind net.  UBC rink has been temporarily expanded from a three thousand seat rink to over 5,000 seats. Washroom and concession facilities were overwhelmed and hallways very crowded.

So, our dietary excellence continued. All told during the day we had a hot dog, a drink and then water and a granola bar during the whole day: Cost $30.00.

The game was between Finland and China.  The crowd was really into it and the rink was full except for the empty seats held for IOC officials. ( same thing at Speed Skating) Everyone expected a blowout and the Finns outshot the Chinese 45 to 5.  The Chinese goalie was fantastic and the final score was 2-1. We left, lined up to get out, lined up to get on packed bus and then changed for a packed subway.  We got back to Yaletown around 10:30 and found a bakery and finally a sandwich... some real food.

Back to hotel and passed out at midnight.

      In spite of all the crowds, transportation hassles, etc it is an incredible experience.  We are meeting people from all over the world and from all over Canada.  Every one patient and happy and enjoying the experience.
      Lots of $$$ being spent by Government on this event that could be better used but they wouldn't anyway.  

     Lots of problems.  My favorite is Zamboni trouble in speed skating ice making. I joked with others that they will probably bring new machines from elsewhere. (saw news and that is what they did). Commercialism runs rampant (only Visa cards can be used, only coke, etc.). Hassles with transit as systems are overwhelmed but they are trying. 
     In spite of all this I will still support the idea of the world getting together to compete in sports rather that kill each other.
      Today we head to men's hockey game -- Finland vs Belarus.  We can walk there. 
Back to Island tomorrow and return next week for men's quarter final hockey game.
What a trip!

Ontario Winter Games

How very exciting. The Ontario Winter Games are coming. Not quite the Olympics, but fun nonetheless.

Held in Rosseau, Baysville, Huntsville, Gravenhurst and all sorts of places in Muskoka. Cast of thousands! Athletes will be staying in a wide variety of accomodations. There are maps of the venues, as far as Sudbury!

The Ontario Winter Games are scheduled for March 4 to 7, 2010. Opening Ceremonies, March 4th, 2010, Gravenhurst Wharf. Cross-country skiing will be held Jan. 16 and 17. This will prove to be a good practice run for the G8 2010 - with similar numbers expected. Much less security, mind you!

Even if there were snowshoeing races, I prefer the peace and quiet around our place. Crowds give me the heebee geebies, after spending a career in crowd control (a classroom!).

They expect 3,300 athletes, coaches, officials and up to 10,000 spectators. Holy smokes. An estimated $4 million in economic benefits for the local economy. You can register as a volunteer, before Dec. 20. Your local face for the 2010 Ontario Winter Games These are the folks hired to coordinate it all.

On that note, the only games I've seen have been the neighbour's kids. In the city of Nepean. In the backyard! The last year we lived in Nepean (2006), I borrowed the school video. These were large lots, 100' x 150'. The people behind us had a wonderful property, and big bucks. They had an inground pool, a hot tub, and in winter they put up a snowboarding ramp. Really!

Now, Muskoka has quite a few ramps. There are several I've spotted, but this one really tops it. In the backyard, made of metal. It tooks days to put it together each year. I would watch and wait to see if they made it to the other side. He'd often do a faceplant! Sorry you can't watch, Gaelyn, but it is a funny video.