A few weeks ago our dog Charly insisted that I take him on one last ski out on the Bay.  In case you think I’m a blithering idiot, you should know that on that morning, there was over a metre of clear blue ice out at Red Rock Lighthouse, so ol Tim figured we would be fine heading north in Shawanaga Inlet.  And we were!  The previous night’s snowfall had bonded down with the morning sun, and we were treated to a morning of perfect kick for skate-skiing on sparkling ice – flat and endless to the horizon.  Far out in the inlet, we discovered the track of an otter who had decided to kick and slide a distance of several kilometres right across the inlet.  Why would someone do that, but on a sun-filled, fresh morning, do you really need a reason?  If there is a church for wayward souls, this was it.  

We explored the outer islands and I shared my lunch with Charly on the porch of a Bay cabin in a t-shirt .  Charly took the opportunity to check out every nook and cranny of rock and snow chasing late-winter oak leaves as they skittered across the ice .  A few hours later, we’re heading home tired, happy and glad that there are wild places to explore out our backyard.