Category Archives: Seasonal

These Lazy Hazy Crazy Days Of Summer

July 9, 2010

With the recent heat wave across Ontario, we have seen a definite increased interest in cottage real estate. Our summer season is in full swing with the area provincial parks full with campers and most cottages getting lots of use.

If you’ve been thinking about buying your own piece of cottage country, this is an excellent time to get into the market. Overall, our listing inventory is up 31% from 2009, which means there is an excellent selection to choose from. For example, you can get into a comfortable 3 bedroom cottage with access into Whalley Lake and year round maintained road for only $214,900.

If you’re more of a do-it-yourself type, we have a 15 acre parcel on Murdock Lake with a private road access and 689 feet of waterfront for $114,900.

And who said it was expensive to get into the cottage market?

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Don’t like blackflies, then eat garlic!

May 6, 2010

Yesterday morning, I attended a home inspection at a cottage on Lake Manitouwaba.  It was a warm, mid-spring day, with the sun occasionally poking its head out from the clouds and a moderate south-westerly breeze blowing in from the lake.  As the morning progressed, the on-shore breezes became lighter and intermittent, allowing voracious clouds of blackflies to descend on to the unsuspecting inspector, cottage owner and buyers.

Luckily, my clients (the buyers) heeded the Boy Scouts motto (be prepared) and arrived with a full bottle of Deep Woods Off.  Insect repellents containing  DEET certainly seems to be an effective solution to biting insects such as mosquitoes and blackflies, but there are plenty of other “less toxic” solutions floating around.

A recent article on the Northern Living website suggests avoiding bananas and eating plenty of garlic to ward off biting insects.  Read the entire article here.

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Blackfly Facts

April 27, 2010

Last year I wrote an interesting (and somewhat popular) post featuring the much misunderstood blackfly.  As blackfly season is early this year (by about 3 weeks), I’ve decided to republish these little known facts:

  • Black flies (unlike mosquitoes) do not attack at night and will seldom bite indoors or even in a vehicle. Once they sense they’re trapped their attention seems permanently diverted to escape
  • Only females bite and use blood for egg development.
  • Black flies are strongly influenced by colour, finding dark hues more attractive than pale ones.  Light-coloured clothing is a much better choice than dark-coloured clothing.
  • On humans, bites are most common around the hairline, the neck, behind the ears and around the ankles.
  • Black flies have several natural predators, which include birds such as swallows and other insects (i.e. dragonflies).  Attracting these insectivores with feeders or by creating suitable habitats should naturally help control black flies.
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Hunting Season

November 1, 2009

elmerfudd

If you’re planning to talk any walks along the back roads of the Parry Sound area for the next two weeks, please be aware that it is deer hunting season for the next two weeks.

Remember to wear bright orange of red clothing (no fur hats, please),  keep your Ipod at home, and put bright ribbons on your pets.  While accidents are not common, it is better to be safe, than shot at.

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Fishing Georgian Bay

July 9, 2009

Georgian Bay Sunset

I used to be a decent angler, honest!

But after catching an out of season lake trout back in May (and of course, released it back into the water) I’m batting 0-8 ever since.  Skunked! Nadda!

I’ve tried crank bait, spoons, jigs, rapalas, rubber worms…all to no avail.  I’ve installed an…errr…. let’s just say an “expensive” (in case my wife reads my blog) fish finder mounted handsomely onto the dash of my 20’ Invader which shows all sorts of activity beneath the surface of Georgian Bay’s water.

Last night, I dropped anchor just north of swing bridge heading to Parry Island to try to jig for whatever chose to “take the bait”.  I found a spot in 85 feet of water, dropped anchor, turned on the fish finder and baited my line with a small spinner made specially for the type of fishing I was about to attempt and attached a small, rubber minnow to the end of it.

The fish finder showed large schools of fish consistent at the 20 foot, 45 foot, and sporadically, suspended just about the lake bottom.  I figured this would be a no-brainer, as I essentially bobbed the bait in front of the fish.  The odds were, in my opinion, favourable that there would be at least one hungry fish amongst the lot.

I guess they had an early dinner, because after 90 minutes of patient jigging, I didn’t get one single nibble.

Any that knows me, knows that I’m not a quitter, and have more than ample patience and perseverance.  And, as I established earlier, its not like I’m a novice fisherman, having grown up on Whitefish Lake and taking up the hobby when I was barely past my toddler years.

I’ll continue to head out a couple of times a week in search of the elusive lunkers (or even a sunfish at this point) of Georgian Bay and if more experienced anglers wish to take pity on me and share their favourite techniques or fishing spots, feel free to drop me a line at jimmarshall@gmail.com

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Market Update

May 28, 2009

The first long weekend of spring has come and gone and we’re finding an increasing number of buyers venturing into the Parry Sound area in search of cottage properties.  This is good news to people like myself who were unsure a mere year ago of how the recession would affect the local real estate market.

Overall sales are still down slightly from last year (12.5 percent, according to Parry Sound Real Estate Board MLS stats) but most of this number is attributable to dismal January and February sales volumes.

I’m hoping for an improvement in the weather, which has given us few warm days, instead bringing lots of rain and cool weather (similar to 2008).  While lakes have not warmed sufficiently for water sports like swimming, bug numbers (black fly and mosquito) have been mercifully tolerable, despite the weather.

Also posted in Local, Market News – 0 Comments

Blackfly 101

April 19, 2009

black_fly

As we are quickly approaching  blackfly season (about a month away), I thought I’d give a few interesting facts about these annoying pests:

  • Black flies (unlike mosquitoes) do not attack at night and will seldom bite indoors or even in a vehicle. Once they sense they’re trapped their attention seems permanently diverted to escape
  • Only females bite and use blood for egg development.
  • Black flies are strongly influenced by colour, finding dark hues more attractive than pale ones.  Light-coloured clothing is a much better choice than dark-coloured clothing.
  • On humans, bites are most common around the hairline, the neck, behind the ears and around the ankles.
  • Black flies have several natural predators, which include birds such as swallows and other insects (i.e. dragonflies).  Attracting these insectivores with feeders or by creating suitable habitats should naturally help control black flies.
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Spring, in and around Parry Sound

April 2, 2009

Spring is definitely in full gear here in the Parry Sound area.  Most (but not all) of the snow has melted away but the area lakes are still ice covered and still a few weeks away from being navigable.

After talking to a number of potential cottage buyers last weekend at The Cottage Life Show, I think there is a belief that once the snow is gone is Toronto, the snow is also gone in Cottage Country.  For example, while cottages with ploughed road access are accessible this time of the year, those with seasonal roads are still a week or so off.

Here are some time frames that will hopefully give you an idea of when “things” happen during the springtime in the Parry Sound area:

  • Snow melt complete (although you still might find the odd patch on north slopes, etc.): mid-April
  • Ice off area lakes: April 15th-20th
  • Smelt run: late April
  • Trilliums in bloom: early May
  • Trees leaf out: mid-May. Unfortunately, Blackflies start around the same time of the year  :)
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New website is live (finally)

March 25, 2009

After several months of development, I’m very pleased to announce that my newly designed website is up and running.

Geton.com Technologies Inc. of Kelowna, B.C. did a fantastic job with the design and back end of the website, which offers most (if not all, to be honest) of the things ,clients have been asking for…..a clean, easy to navigate design, large, detailed property photos, interactive mapping, and multimedia functionality (check out some of the Animoto videos).  Users will also be able to search for properties using “tags” (i.e.:  you can find properties with sunset views, or rocky shorelines).

Check it out at www.jimmarshall.ca and feel free to get back to me with comments or suggestions.

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Happy Holidays

December 23, 2008

Christmas is a time when families are reunited, and have to reflect on the things that matter most. In this day and age of uncertainty, the time we spend with family and friends over the holidays takes on more meaning and importance.

From all of us here at RE/MAX in Parry Sound, we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Enjoy the brief respite from the anxieties of our times and may 2009 be happy, healthy, and prosperous for everyone.

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