At last!  The blueberries are ready!

Well, lets start off with some fun facts about blueberries:

Blueberries are perennial flowering plants that have either blue– or purple–colored berries when matured. They are in the same class as cranberries, bilberries, huckleberries and Madeira blueberries. There are generally two types of blueberry bushes; the wild (‘lowbush’) and cultivated (‘highbush’) blueberries and all are found in North America.

Blueberries usually grow close to that ground, with a woody stem system, and a plant can vary in size from 10 centimeters to 4 meters in height.

The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, and 1–8 cm long and 0.5–3.5 cm broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a berry 5–16 mm in diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally dark purple when ripe. They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit (and are fruit for the bear!) in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude, so the peak of the crop, in the northern hemisphere, can vary from May to August.

Getting Some: 

Blueberries are one of the easiest berries to find.  July to August is typically blueberry season, but that can vary based on the weather. According to Northern Ontario Tourism, when hunting for your perfect spot, look in high, sunny areas. Check barren areas, rocks and cliffs, trails and hills, and if you find some crunchy, dried out moss, there’s likely blueberries nearby.

But remember, picking wild, lowbush blueberries is hard work. According to the team at Northern Ontario Tourism, bringing some key gear along makes for better picking. Be sure to bring:

• Long pants
• Hat
• Sunscreen (blueberries like high, sunny spots)
• Insect repellant (blueberry season is also mosquito season!)
• Water
• Bucket/basket for berries (bags can damage your haul)

Great Eating:

And of course the best part is eating the blueberries!  Whether you eat them raw (I have a hard time filling my container, because I eat faster than I pick!), or in your favorite pie, the blueberries are delicious.

Here is some nutrition info:

Top seven health benefits of blueberries:

1. High in Antioxidants
2. Help Fight Cancer
3. Amp Up Weight Loss
4. Boost Brain Health
5. Alleviate Inflammation
6. Support Digestion
7. Promote Heart Health

A 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of raw blueberries has:

• Calories: 57
• Water: 84%
• Protein: 0.7 grams
• Carbs: 14.5 grams
• Sugar: 10 grams
• Fiber: 2.4 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams

And finally, here are 10 delicious blueberry recipes from Northern Ontario Travel (just click the link):

Blueberry Recipes

Blueberry Pie

Here is an article from CBC, this July, which discusses the possible future regulatory impacts on the ATV community related to ATV rollovers and possible mandatory safety devices.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/atv-rollover-safety-1.5197959

The article discusses one type of device.  Here’s a link to another which is also interesting.

ATV Lifeguard Rollover Bar

and yet another called a Quadbar….

Quadbar

What do you think?  Are rollovers really only due to irresponsible riders?  Should such safety devices be mandated?  Or, should the devices simply be an add-on option available to riders?

Some interesting material for discussion on our rides!

The WNATV Club held a ride on June 22nd in the Silver Lake and Deschamps Lake area. There was practically no dust on the 805 and mosquitoes were not a problem on that amazing sunny day.

There were thirteen signatures on the attendance sheet.

We stopped at many lakes including Silver Lake, Tee Lake, the Spiank Stream and Deschamps Lake. This region is rich in history in the lumber, mining and fishing industries. The group was very dynamic and the riders were quite receptive and interested in learning about the area’s historical facts. In the photos, people are smiling a lot, which is a good sign.

The WNATV Club provided a surprise treat of pie and beverage at the pavilion of the private Club de chasse et pêche de Verner at Brightwater Lake.

Thank you to Club de chasse et pêche members, Yves and Serge, for the warm reception. I also wish to thank Jacques Lachance and Art Constantineau for helping me make this ride a memorable one.

The Silver Lake ride was sponsored by TGP Power Sports. Thank you, Rock Gagné.

Ride leader,
Claude Patenaude

The Kukagami To Murray Lake Ride was the Second ride of the season for the West Nipissing ATV Club.

There were 18 ATVs and 4 Side-by-Sides with a total of 27 riders in attendance.

Under a sunny sky and a cool 12 degrees C, we left from the parking lot at 9.15 a.m.

We headed down to a trail that led to an abandoned track bridge where we stopped for a quick break.

From there we proceeded through Red Pine plantations and on to the end of Ashagami Lake Road.

Next we continued on a old mine road to Washagami Lake and then proceeded to Pine Falls Lodge at Murray Lake Dam and Bridge where we stopped for a lunch break.

After lunch we traveled on camp roads to a trail that were a bit rougher. We took a well deserved break at Murray River before proceeding on to the Murray River Bridge, then onward along the trail to Knowles Lake.  After heading to Murray Lake, we stopped for a break.

Leaving Murray Lake we traveled over a trail to Dwyer Lake.

We left Dwyer Lake and drove down the trail to the old mine road and to Ashagami Lake Road.

The group continued on down the Ashagami Lake Road leading us back to our vehicles.  We arrived back at the parking area at 4:35 p.m.

The total ride was rated as a difficulty of 3 on our scale,  and everyone had a good day.  All returned satisfied and  really dusty from the dry roads.

We couldn’t have asked for a better day weather wise at 26C and I’m sure fun was had by all who attended.

A great ride for all.

Art Constantineau – Ride Lead

Mike Labelle- Ride Tail

Did you know that the Common Loon is the provincial bird of Ontario?  Most of you know that is the namesake of our $1 coin…..the “loonie”, which sports an image of the common loon.  But do you also remember that the loon was also proudly displayed on a previous series of $20 bills?

The loon is also known as “the great northern diver”, and anyone who has spent time on the local waters in the evening will most likely have seen this bird diving and staying submerged for quite some time.

To read more about this crazy laughing bird, check out the link to Bio Expeditions discussion here:  Common Loon

Or perhaps Audubon’s site at Common Loon

And here’s their “haunting” sound of the loon that you just might hear in the evening while out paddling your canoe, (or from your ATV if you turn it off at the edge of a lake!)

The Tilden Lake Ride was the first ride of the season for the West Nipissing ATV Club.
There were 19 ATVs and 5 Side-by-Sides with a total of 33 riders in attendance.
Under a cloudy sky and a cool 4 degrees C, we left from the parking lot at 10. a.m.
The trails had lots of water and were covered with a little bit of snow and a lot of mud that made for a little bit of a challenge.
We arrived at the Restaurant at 12.40 pm for a WNATV Members lunch
The group continued on down the trail leading back to our vehicles. We arrived back at the parking area by 4.30 p.m.
The total ride was rated as a 3. and everyone had a good day. All returned satisfied and smiling!
A great ride for all!

Art Constantineau

Hello WNATV Club members, and guests visting our webpages.  Below are some ATV events happening in our Region.  Please note that these are not WNATV Club events, but they may be other ATV related rides you may wish to look into.  If you have any questions, you will have to contact them.  (Try the websites attached below for details).

April 27th, St-Charles Big Bear Rally  https://www.stcharleson.ca/st.-charles-big-bear-rally.html

May 11th, Bonfield Lion ATV Rally  https://www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/bonfield/page-9.php

May 25th, VMUTS Spring Poker Run https://www.facebook.com/RideVMUTS/

September 28th, Pembroke Ride for Dad September 28   http://www.ridefordad.ca/pembroke/

And finally, (I couldn’t find a link, so speak with someone from the Knights of Columbus to confirm!)

August 31st, Field Knight of Columbus ATV Rally

Four feet of snow in the front yard.

Three feet of snow in the back.

Flurries today bringing more snow (albeit, wet and melting).

…..and what to my wondering eyes should appear? (not St. Nick)

I nice, colourful, plump looking Robin, in the one patch of grass where the neighbour’s sump pump is draining.

Yes…….It’s official, Spring has arrived.

Our friends at All About Birds tells us……

The quintessential early bird, American Robins are common sights on lawns across North America, where you often see them tugging earthworms out of the ground. Robins are popular birds for their warm orange breast, cheery song, and early appearance at the end of winter. Though they’re familiar town and city birds, American Robins are at home in wilder areas, too, including mountain forests and Alaskan wilderness.

Look for American Robins running across lawns or stalking earthworms in your yard or a nearby park. Since robins sing frequently, you can find them by listening for their clear, lilting musical whistles. In winter they may disappear from your lawn but could still be around. Look for flocks of them in treetops and around fruiting trees, and listen for their low cuck notes.

Well, I know at my place, it’ll be another month or more before we see worms being pulled out of the ground by robins!  Until they can get their own food you might want to consider feeding them.  To attract these birds to your feeder, put out some chopped apples, maybe some berries or mealworms (get these at the pet shops). But remember that robins don’t eat birdseed.  Also putting out some  water might be important for a week or so until we get back to melting snow.

Find out more about Robins at Audubon or All About Birds.