Year of the turtle

This year there has been an incredible number of snapping turtles burying eggs along the side and sometimes in the middle of the road. Painted turtles are also in abundance. If you can, try to avoid these 'turtle holes' with your vehicle.

Please don't touch grating

Some well intentioned person removed the grating from the beaver culvert north of Tusk Trail on Sunday June 12. This allowed the beaver(s) to pack mud, branches, grass, etc for at least 5 feet into the culvert and stop all water flow.
The cleanup required wading into the soft mud with hipwaders and a long hoe and pulling out debris. Unfortunatly there are some large branches wedged in the culvert which have found a home.
"No good deed goes unpunished." Removing the grating does not improve water flow.

Beaver Fever

The beavers north of Tusk Trail are indeed industrious. They plug the culvert at night and during the day. There is a shovel on the east side of the road. A quick push with the shovel will allow the water to pass. Any extra help is welcome.
The culvert just south of the mill, before the mill hill is also having problems with beavers. But, as you saw in another posting, if this gets plugged and there is a heavy rain, then the overflow eats the road and stops traffic. There is no shovel there at present. By the way, the west side of the road is great for catching minnows as several fishermen have discovered.

Red trilliums and blackflies

Red trilliums opened up Sat. May. 7. Blackflies appeared in noticable numbers Sun. May 8. Road is dry and very passable. Watch the ruts on the enchanted forest hill.

Crush

Luckily no one was on the road when this monster maple decided to block passage. If you have a cottage you probably need a chainsaw.

Road is in fairly good shape, only a few soft areas that are passable.

Leeks

Leeks are starting to appear in sun exposed and well drained areas.

Windy

Strong winds all day. Several trees down on road but no trees seen on cottages.

Trilliums are almost ready to blossom. Most frost out of the ground.

Spring chronology: racoons, chipmunks, mice, ants, trilliums, leeks, blackflies, dragonflies, mosquitoes.