Members Only Blog and Posts | Sugar Lake Association

Nancy Pleich along with Bob and Joanne Thompson attended the FOCA March 6, 2021 AGM Meeting. Click here for a copy of their report.

FOCA Meeting March 2021 Summary Download

The January 2021 eLert from FOCA is all about Winter Safety. Check it out here:

FOCA January eLert

Does anyone use the Bell mobility wireless internet service which uses a small outside dish rather than the inside ‘hub’? Can you offer any advice to Cyd??

From Cyd: “I’m told this is their best internet for us but “technically” it’s not available for Sugar Lake area yet BUT if I saw any dishes mounted out here it might be possible….

“So hopefully someone is lucky enough to have it and could tell me the address so they will assess my situation and may reconsider?

“Thank you.”

Cyd Rutledge
145 Sugar Lake Rd
cydner@icloud.com

Wherever you will be this holiday season, FOCA reminds you to stay safe and follow public health guidelines.

The Canada-US border remains closed, and within the province public health organizations continue to discourage non-essential travel for everyone; however, if you will be relocating to your cottage country property, consider the following:
bring everything you need to avoid stops along the way, and so you can self-isolate for 14 days once you arrive there
remain only with your own household; this is not the time for family gatherings
if you are staying longer, contact local shops to find out about touchless, curbside or delivery options
keep in touch with your community through calls or social media (or even the dreaded Zoom!) to share stories about how you are doing, to talk about the good times at the waterfront, and to make plans for the season that include active, outdoor, COVID-appropriate activities.

Here is an example of several practical tips for seasonal property owners, from our colleagues at Peterborough Public Health. (PDF, 1 page)

Additionally, Seguin Fire Department has posted important fire safety information for those who may be wintering in their cottage for the first time.

How to find Comet NEOWISE this weekend

Comet NEOWISE has a weird name and it’s not as spectacular as photos might lead you to believe. But if you haven’t seen a comet before, this is your chance

IVAN SEMENIUKSCIENCE REPORTER

PUBLISHED JULY 17, 2020

UPDATED 6 HOURS AGO

“Comets are like cats,” Canadian comet hunter and author David Levy once wrote. “They have tails and they do precisely what they want.”

Fortunately for backyard stargazers, Comet NEOWISE, a giant ball of ice and gas that is currently hurtling through our planetary neighbourhood, seems to want to put on a show. It is not as easy to spot as some of the great comets of the past. However, it is one of the best in years and makes an easy target for observers with clear, dark skies or even under city lights when helped out with a good pair of binoculars.

The comet was discovered in late March by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, an earth-orbiting satellite whose acronym, NEOWISE, gives the comet its name. Since then, the comet has been racing through the inner solar system, reaching its closest point to the sun on July 3. It is now on the outward leg of its brief visit and for the next week or so will be well-placed for viewing at twilight in the Northern Hemisphere.

Comets are icy fragments left over from the formation of the solar system. They range from less than a kilometre to tens of kilometres in diameter and spend most of their time far from the sun where they are too small and too faint to observe.

It’s only when a comet draws near to the sun’s warmth that the celestial magic happens. Frozen gasses, including water vapour and carbon dioxide, which make up the bulk of the comet’s mass, are released, forming a glowing ball, or coma. Dust particles freed up by the vaporizing ice trail away from the comet, catching the sunlight and forming a tail that grows longer and brighter the closer the comet is to the sun.

All of this looks far better in a photo, where a long exposure can reveal the full extent and colour of the tail in all its glory. In most cases, what the eye sees, is only the diffuse glow of the coma, which may appear as a tiny fuzzball in the sky, sometimes with a stubby tail sticking out to one side.

That’s essentially how Comet NEOWISE appears now and this weekend is prime viewing time across most of Canada. The comet is low in the sky, skirting the northwestern horizon at dusk. To find it, start looking about one hour after sunset – roughly 10 p.m. You need a good view to the northwest that is free from obstructions and preferably as dark as possible (I found it by observing from my local schoolyard in Toronto.)

For city dwellers, there are no bright stars in this part of the sky, but the familiar pattern of the Big Dipper can be found by looking higher up, where the dipper’s handle reaches nearly overhead. The dipper can serve as a guide for where to sweep the sky with binoculars.

If you’ve seen a comet before, you’ll know exactly when you’ve found it. If not, be patient. As long at the northwestern sky is cloud free and you are looking where the map indicates, the comet’s distinct glow should pop into view.

If you are underwhelmed by what you see, consider that Comet NEOWISE will be about 103 million kilometres away when it’s at its closest to Earth next week. But by the time it reaches the farthest extent of its elongated orbit, it will be more than 100 billion kilometres away. The comet will not be seen in our skies again till sometime around the 89th century.

Dear Friends,

Whether it’s deer, racoons, turtles or other wildlife found around Sugar Lake, please don’t feed the wildlife.

Feeding wildlife almost always has negative consequences for the wildlife involved, including (adapted from the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority):

• Increased disease transmission
• The loss of natural foraging skills
• Eating foods that are nutritionally incompatible
• Altered reproduction rates caused by artificial food sources. Feeding wildlife may sustain higher than natural population levels.
• Affecting migration patterns
• Altering the ecological balance. Feeding one wildlife species and not another puts some at an unfair advantage and alters the ecological balance.
• Increasing human/ wildlife interaction. Wildlife may lose their natural fear of people, which could result in dangerous encounters with people and collisions with vehicles.

People who feed wildlife do so with the best of intentions and feel they are looking after the welfare of these wild animals; however, they should be aware that wildlife needs to remain wild. Wild animals should derive their food and shelter from natural habitats and under natural conditions. This will help maintain natural adaptations that ensure the long-term survival of the individual animals and of the species. For these reasons, it is illegal in many municipalities (including London, Ontario) to excessively feed wildlife.

The general rule is: Do not feed wildlife.

Wildlife, Pets and Rescues – Request for stories

As part of life at Sugar Lake we value the wildlife that lives in the area and are sometimes lucky enough to see. Pets can also become an important part of our life at the lake. Some kind people have opened their cottage or home to many rescued animals. Whatever the story, we are interested in including some experiences in the Sugar Lake History.

If you have stories or pictures to share, please send to lindabarker@rogers.com.

Sugar Lake History Project

Nancy Pleich, Ellen Philp, and Linda Barker are working on the Sugar Lake History Project. They are each concentrating on different areas and may get in touch with you, via e-mail or phone to confirm or ask more questions about a specific subject.

Thanks for any help you can give the volunteers!

What’s New on the Web Site

Sugar Lake Association

Category Archives: Members Only Blog and Posts

FOCA Meeting March 2021

FOCA: Winter Safety January eLert

A request for advice about Internet Services “at the lake”

From FOCA: COVID and Cottage Country

Sugar Lake Association Annual General Meeting

A “Once in several lifetimes” opportunity! Post your photos, get your name entered in a draw.

Message from the Sugar Lake Association President

Cottagers are Reminded: Don’t Feed Wildlife

Sugar Lake History Project — Request for Stories

Sugar Lake History Project

Sugar Lake History Project

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