frosty...upover: Another quiet little weekend

After weekends in Quebec City for Bonhomme, Ottawa for Winterlude and a Family Day long weekend in Nova Scotia we decide that it would be good to spend some time around the town where we are living in 2011.

Now Gravenhurst and Narooma have quite a bit in common. Both with populations of around 10,000 that triple with a huge influx of tourists during the summer. Both with slightly larger towns to the north that appear to have a few more interesting things happening. And both definitely share one thing. They are both have great settings!!!

However there are a few slight differences. Gravenhurst is a teeny, eeny, weeny bit cooler. Narooma's temperature is not often -30C. Narooma is around 2 minutes from the surf compared to 2 days for Gravenhurst! And we have around a metre of snow in our front yard in Gravenhurst with the last snowfall in Narooma being in 1906.

But both places seem to be able to have a fun time. And after all this weekend was going to be the Gravenhurst Winter Festival. So how was Gravenhurst going to measure up to to the previous weekends and their festivals ??????

When we looked at the program it looked like a fairly busy weekend was on offer!!

So what did Skokie (the Mascot) have to offer??????

Well as it happened QUITE A LOT!!!!

And would we be ready for it

YOU BET!!!!!!!!!!!!

A look at the program showed just how busy we were going to be, but then I am someone who thrives on exhaustion, lol. Oh well I do have a bit of a go (most/some of the time)!!!

So here's the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival Program

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Friday, February 25, 2011
Spaghetti Dinner	Legion	5:30 - 7:30 pm
Opening Ceremonies	Muskoka Road	6:45 pm
Running Shoes Family Musical Performance	Gravenhurst Opera House	7 - 8:30 pm
Ball Hockey Tournament	Muskoka Road	7 - 9 pm
Up Town Music	Heritage Square in Front of Opera House	7 - 9 pm
Games Night - Pool, Darts, Shuffle Board, Cards, Mini Putt	Gravenhurst Legion	8 - 11 pm
Glow in the Dark Skating	Muskoka Wharf	9 - 11 pm
Dine and Dance with Brian Roman	Regatta Steak and Seafood Grille	9 - 11 pm

Saturday February 26, 2011
Lion's Pancake Breakfast	Gravenhurst Opera House	8 - 11 am
NBSSR High Speed Races	Muskoka Bay Park	9 am - 5 pm
Youth Ball Hockey Tournament	Boston Pizza	9 am - 3 pm
Skokies Doggie Dash and Demo	Muskoka Road	9:30 - 11:15 am
Snow Sculptures	Gull Lake Rotary Park	9 am - 3 pm
Tobogganing	Muskoka Bay Club	9 am - 4 pm
Skokie Mixed Darts Tournament ($40 per team)	Legion	Register at 10 am
Bed Races (18 years of age and older)	Muskoka Road	11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Helicopter Rides	Gull Lake Rotary Park	12 - 4 pm
Snowshoe Races with YMCA Camp Pinecrest	Gull Lake Rotary Park	12 - 4 pm
Nail Driving	Muskoka Road	1 - 3 pm
Kids Craft Zone and Air Hockey	Gravenhurst Opera House	1 - 3 pm
Lawn Tractor Races	Muskoka Wharf	1 - 4 pm
OPP Canine Unit Demo	Gull Lake Rotary Park	2 - 4 pm
Donut Eating on a String	Gull Lake Rotary Park	2:30 - 3:30 pm
Arm Wrestling	Boston Pizza	2 - 6 pm
Polar Bear Dip	Gull Lake Rotary Park	4 pm
Family Skating	Muskoka Wharf	7 - 10 pm
Skokie Dance - adults only	Legion	8 pm - 1 am
Karaoke	Regatta Steak and Seafood Grille	9 - 11 pm

Sunday, February 27, 2011
Pancake Breakfast - $5	Legion	8:30 - 11:30 am
NBSSR High Speed Races	Muskoka Bay Park	9 am - 5 pm
Awards Ceremony	Legion	11 am
Ice Mountain Bike Race	Muskoka Wharf	12 pm
Demolition Derby	Severn Bridge Fairgrounds	1 pm

Well as you may have worked out there was a bit to do. So how were we going to approach what looked like a full month of Activities???? Well in the words of the "Champions" get your head down and your bum up have a ........ go!!!!!

To lessen the MS fatigue factor for the chef (we maybe cook would be a better description here) we did partake in many of the dinners, breakfasts and lunches that were on offer. And we did manage to at least view most of the events. Photographic evidence and some descriptions follow...

Neither Julie or I had ever been a function at the "Legion". For any non Canadians reading this blog the Royal Canadian Legion http://legion.ca/About/background_e.cfm is an organisation very similar what we would refer to in Australia as the RSL (Returned Services League). Both were set up after World War 1 and both support not only returned servicemen and women but their families as well as the wider community.

We started the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival with a Spaghetti Dinner at the Legion. It may not have been the dinner that would have been served at Beppi's http://www.beppis.com.au/ but it was very, very good with lots of the friends we have made coming up to say g'day. The friendliness shown at the dinner continued throughout the weekend.

Of course we didn't leave it there. We went and stood outside the Gravenhurst Opera House (now that's something Narooma lacks) for the official opening, I must add it was well below -10C so thankfully the speeches were fairly short. And besides there was a Street Hockey game to watch... The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) were playing the local Firemen....

Given the participants I don't think it was a problem that Muskoka Road (the main street) was closed and used for the game. Luckily there was still some food available to keep the cold at bay and we finished Friday with a Skokie Tail followed by ribs and red wine at the Rib Warming Station.

Saturday saw us back at the Opera House for the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast before heading down the main street for the start of the morning's entertainment. What were we in for today???

Now I have been roaming around the streets to get to exercise classes, post letters, go to the Library, post letters etc, etc and haven't seen much evidence of any pets, birds, or any animals apart from the odd squirrrel and Hank's dog Duke which is a Sarah Street fixture. Well this all changed as the Skokie Doggy Dash and then the Skokie Doggy Demo again closed Muskoka Road.

Don't really know that Sarah's dog was actually dashing but as Sarah is lucky enough to have a Life Member of Surf Life Saving Far South Coast Branch and a sometime resident of Narooma as teacher she and her puppy were featured in the photographs. There were all sizes, shapes and breeds of dogs present and while some certainly dashed others moved at the speed they thought was appropriate. I can appreciate this attitude!

These are the type of hurdles I wish were in evidence at Albury High School during the 1970's, but only in my lane mind you!! Again I think that Kierra (the dog handler) may have had that same Life Member as her teacher. Amazing what having a teacher with a camera in hand can do for your fame....

We were joined by our neighbourhood pooch Duke and 4 of his siblings for a family foto op

While Duke (centre) didn't dash, I think it may have been beneath his dignity, his sisters and brothers did and Duke did benefit in the end by being the only dog we knew when we won a prize for dog lovers.... How lucky we one dog be????

The "still closed" road then became the domain of the bed racers for their qualifying races. This was a rough crowd if I've ever seen one. Perhaps an alternative to the Chariot Race at the Surf Carnival, ohhh if only we could.....

Note the protective attire that is being worn by this highly disciplined and well trained team. Competitors safety is always the number 1 priority for Pro Bed Racers !!!!

Our focus moved to Gull Lake Rotary Park to watch a demonstration by the OPP Canine Unit. I have now put another thing on my do not do list. The dogs looks very nice but I think I prefer it when they are tackling people doing the wrong thing. I'll be really good!

Promise!!!

There was another even that we contemplated at Gull Lake. The Polar Bear Dip??? Now both of us had our Surf Life Saving Patrol Uniforms here (sorry Mark, Andrew and Dobbo I don't know how they ended up packed in our suitcases). Both of us having participated in the early season Surf Life Saving requalifying swims we thought we would be able to handle the cool water of Gull lake but when we looked at the course it looked much to short to do our requalification and besides there were no waves!!!

See what I mean not nearly long enough for me to build up to top speed. And there was the possibility that I may not have emerged at all.

We called it a day and then changed focus a little by having a great chicken curry at Peter and Leslie's place. These are friends who live aroungd the corner share some important likes; music, food, wine, travel and fun, all necessities of life in the far north and indeed anywhere to the south.We went with them to another house concert fun way to end a day

The third day of the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival was going to challenge our stamina. BUT if the good people of Gravenhurst were up for it so were we and yet again more pancakes with the way we started, this time courtesy of the "Legion" slightly different pancakes but the same Maple Syrup. mmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

The day before we had watched some of the early runs of the High Speed Snowmobilers on Muskoka Lake. And today we went back to watch a bit more. These machines and the riders have to be seen (and heard) to be believed. They were hoping to break a speed of 200 miles per hour during the runs over the weekend?????? I think that the way it goes is that they start and about at the 500 metre a radar gun takes their speed. Insane? I don't think that I would do i but there were plenty that were trying!!!!

And no she didn't! But maybe one day..............................................

That left one final even before we retired to our safe little bed... The Demolition Derby!

Yes I know we have Demolition Derbies in Australia but what we saw on that Sunday at Severn (Sahi) Bridge was special. I think this is how it happens.