There have been issues surrounding our lakes of late. In short, what I would assume are “anglers” have taken it upon themselves to introduce Smallmouth Bass (an “invasive species”) to the nearby Cole Harbour system of lakes and runs (see Article). Signage placed at the parking area, a hopeful deterrent that notes the criminality of this, prompted me to get in the boat and test the waters of Smelt Lake for potential introduced fish.
In my vigilance, I actually landed a series of nice trout (beautiful fish in our lake) and nothing but native species. It prompted a “what might I do with the accompanying catch”? After a brief search, a solution presented itself in the flavour of “Applewood Smoked Trout in a Maple/Balsamic Glaze”. Great recipe to hone… and a wonderful new “meal” to add to the camp menu!
The next fishy thing was the total non-compliance of the propane fridge. It had served us well for several years, but becoming ever more unpredictable, temperamental, unreliable… not sure if I’ve personified my relationship with this appliance enough or not, but we were definitely headed for a break up 😂. In May we decided to bite the bullet, and invested in a Solar Fridge to try and remedy the conundrum. This included expansion of the existing building array of panels and battery complement. By late May, installation at camp was complete and testing well underway. So far, all systems are a go and fingers crossed that we will maintain constant refrigeration for the summer months 👍.
To extend the “something fishy” idea, what’s up with Mother Nature? May ended in a flash! That being the uncharacteristic spark of spring wildfires 🔥 in several NS counties and the early closure / ban of activity in woodlands across the province. In fact, on one of our weekday visits, we unceremoniously departed after arrival and catching news of the closure. Water levels, fire index, and weather conditions are daily concerns and becoming a regular part of camp life. I’ve learned over the years to treat each with the utmost of respect and have only been lucky to have not had incidents in the past.