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Cottage Life

What can the colour of your outboard engine smoke tell you?

Photo by Lillian Tveit / Shutterstock

If your outboard engine smoke is not its usual colour, it may signal a problem. Reach out to your local mechanic to diagnose the issue.

White smoke may mean water or vapor. “Usually, white smoke is a sign that the engine is running hot,” says Kevin Dault, of Maple Leaf Marinas. If the engine isn’t getting enough water for cooling, the remaining water will evaporate, producing a white colour. It could also indicate a water leak in the cylinder head or gasket.

Blue smoke is a result of burning oil. This is normal in older two-stroke engines that run on a fuel-oil mixture, but in newer engines “this could be a sign that the engine was overfilled with oil or that the engine is just getting worn out,” says Dault.

Black smoke can be a sign of overfuelling or a “rich” fuel-air ratio. The engine is designed to burn a specific mix of fuel and air and too much fuel can cause the engine to run rough and produce black smoke. According to Dault, there are many possible causes, including a stuck-open fuel injector, a malfunctioning fuel pressure regulator, or a defective carburetor float.

This was originally published part of the article, “Secrets of the Outboard Whisperers,” in the Mar/Apr 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

Read more: Outboard engine trouble? Advice from the experts

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Cottage Life

Engine problems? These outboard whisperers can help

Photo by ilmarinfoto / Shutterstock

This story, originally published as, “Secrets of the Outboard Whisperers,” appeared in the Mar/Apr 2022 issue of Cottage Life.

In the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer, Annie MacLean (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) tracks down Tom Booker (Robert Redford) and says, “I read this article about what you do for people with horse problems.” To which he replies, “Truth is,
I help horses with people problems.”

It’s not so different with outboard engines: some mechanics just seem to have a way of understanding the meaning of every knock and grind. According to one outboard whisperer, most outboard problems are “human inspired” and, with routine maintenance and proper winterizing, can be avoided.
I can relate. Our old two-stroke Johnson Sea-Horse outboard engine was a hot-blooded, temperamental creature. It took a steady hand to make her go. Coax her
too lightly, and she wouldn’t start. Yank too hard, and you’d be left holding nothing but a broken pull-cord. We eventually sold Ol’ Sea-Horse, but several years and
outboards later, I wonder if we could have done better by her. If I could have learned to speak her language, to read the signs.
There have always been those who could see into an engine’s soul and soothe the trouble they found there. I sought out a few of these mechanical mystics to find out what it means when your outboard sputters, overheats, or just plain refuses to start.

Startin’ trouble

You’re ready to hit the trail but when you turn the key, your outboard lazily groans, or worse yet, stubbornly refuses to do anything at all. Before tearing apart your engine, rule out simple oversights. Is the battery switch on? Is the shifter in neutral?
Is the safety lanyard connected? “We get quite a few calls on those things,” says Kevin Dault, shop foreman at the Walkers Point location of Maple Leaf Marinas, which operates 12 marinas in cottage country. If it’s not one of the issues above, you most likely have a fuel or electrical issue.
Start your inspection at the fuel tank and trace the supply line to the outboard. Is there gas in the tank? Is the gas tank vent fully open? Pump the primer bulb until it becomes firm to ensure fuel is getting to the engine and inspect the fuel line for any kinks or loose connections.
Next, “Make sure your battery is in good condition,” says John Wachtler, the lead marine technician at One Way Marine in Gravenhurst, Ont. There should be no corrosion on the terminals and the connections should be tight. Drained batteries are another common problem at the cottage dock. Hook the battery up to a multimeter—if it reads less than 12 volts, there may not be enough voltage to start the engine.
If you’ve ruled out the above, you can also check your fuel filter and spark plugs (more on that to follow).

Prevention:
• Install a battery switch to keep from inadvertently drawing down your engine’s power supply.
• If your batteries have ring terminals, use nuts (and not wing nuts) for a more secure connection.

Sudden death

You’re charging along when your outboard decides to call it a day and comes to an abrupt halt. Running out of gas is one of the top five reasons boaters get stuck on the water. First, check your fuel level and prime the ball to ensure that the engine is getting fuel. Don’t believe everything your fuel gauge tells you. “They’re not nearly as accurate as car gauges,” says Wachtler. “Always treat a quarter tank as empty.”
The next most likely culprit is water in the fuel. Bernie Simpson, the owner of SG Power Products, a powersports and boat dealership in Victoria, has been in the business since the 1960s. If you don’t regularly change your fuel filter, it “will get to the point where it can no longer take out the water,” says Simpson. “Any water in the fuel and it just doesn’t operate properly.”
Keith Karlsson, the service manager at Sherwood Marine in Saanichton, B.C., suggests dumping the contents of your fuel filter into a clean container. “If it’s full of water, it tells you that your fuel source is contaminated.” If this is a recurring issue, you may want to upgrade to a fuel-water separator with a clear bowl, which will make it easier
to spot and drain water. Remember that fuel filters should be checked and changed at least once a year, and more regularly if you see water in your fuel.

Prevention:
• Keep a third of your fuel supply in reserve for unforeseen circumstances on the lake.
• Buy ethanol-free fuel whenever possible. Ethanol draws water from the air and adds it to your fuel.
• Add a fuel stabilizer whenever you fuel up to help prevent water problems.
• Pre-filter your gas before it goes in your tank with a water-separating fuel-filter funnel. Small gas docks with low turnover are more likely to have water in the bottom of their tanks, which can end up in your boat.
• Change your primary fuel filter every year and carry spare filters aboard.
• Always store fuel out of the sun as the heat can cause it to separate. Fuel can be kept for up to 24 months if you’ve added a marine stabilizer—though you should check the label for the manufacturer’s suggested storage time.

Running rough

Your outboard is causing a ruckus. At low speeds, it shakes like a sack of hammers in the back of a pickup on a country road. There are many possible causes, but spark plugs are a good place to start. “When spark plugs age, they might spark but they don’t get full spark,” says Karlsson. “So, you have a cylinder that’s not contributing as much as the other cylinders.” With your engine turned off, pull out the spark plugs and if one looks different from the others, it could be a tip off that something is amiss. Replace it, and ideally all of them, as they may be nearing the end of their life. You can take your old ones to a mechanic who can use them to diagnose any lurking internal issues.
If you’re not sure when you last filled the tank, stale fuel may be the culprit. “Fuel starts to lose its efficiency after 90 days, as the octane goes down,” says Simpson. The engine simply won’t operate properly if it’s running on bad gas. If you suspect your gas is stale, you need to swap out your fuel with a fresh tank of gas—which, if you have an internal tank, will require pumping it out, perhaps professionally. “If it was a fuel-related problem it will disappear immediately,” says Simpson.
It’s also possible that bad fuel, left to overwinter in the engine, has gummed up the carburetor or fuel injectors, which will then need to be cleaned. Ask your marina to dispose of the old gas, or take it to your hazardous waste depot.

Prevention:
• For older two-strokes, carry spare spark plugs and replace them every 100 to 300 hours (or every one to three years), as recommended by the engine manufacturer’s specifications.
• Buy your gas at a busy place where they’re regularly turning over their gas.
• Use a fuel stabilizer every time you fill up, or at least as you near the end of the boating season, to extend the life of the gasoline in your tank.

Running hot

You’re cruising along when your outboard emits a steady wail, the heart-stopping cry of the overheating alarm. “Throttle way back, let it idle for a bit, and if the alarm continues, just shut the engine off,” says Karlsson. You may need to get a tow or paddle back to the dock, but don’t continue to run the engine while it’s overheating.
“All engines are cooled by the water you’re driving in,” says Karlsson. “If the water intake is blocked off, you’re going to have an overheating situation.” Put the engine in neutral, trim the leg up, and inspect the water intake. If you see water plants or a plastic bag blocking the intake, remove it.
Also, look at the telltale—the water that sprays out at the back of the engine. “If you don’t see water coming out, you’re going to need to inspect the water pump impeller and that means removing the lower unit,” says Wachtler. It could be just a blockage you can easily clear, or, says Wachtler, “you could have a broken impeller blade or melted housing.”
In saltwater environments, another cause is salt buildup. “When saltwater goes through an engine, it dries and leaves tiny salt crystals,” says Simpson. “So, if a motor is not flushed or run into freshwater, eventually that salt will build up to the point where the water is not going to run through properly anymore.” Without intervention, it becomes an overheating problem. “You could end up cooking the whole motor.”

Prevention:
• Check for telltales every time you start up the engine.
• If you’re boating in saltwater, freshwater flush your outboard after every trip. Most modern motors have an easy-to-use garden hose attachment for this purpose.
• Change your impeller and inspect the water pump every three years or every 300 hours.

What can the colour of engine smoke tell you?

 

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Cottage Life

Cottage real estate region: Haliburton

Photo by Brian Lasenby/Shutterstock

In Haliburton, with its wide swaths of Crown land, the granite shore can be steep and rugged, flanked by white pines and leafy trees that turn fiery bright in fall. Many lakes are sparsely inhabited by cottagers, but filled with fish. In winter, groomed trails draw recreational snowmobilers. Haliburton’s true claim to superiority over some other Ontario cottage areas, however, may be the drive. Avoid the multi-lane highway, if you like, and the route takes you on two-lane highways and county roads that wind past grain silos, grey barns, and blue lakes.

Cottagers are drawn to Haliburton’s small, quiet lakes, though Kennisis, Kawagama, and Kashagawigamog offer big stretches of water for sailors and windsurfers. Many lakes in this region are reservoirs for the Trent-Severn Waterway farther south. Water levels are controlled by a series of dams and can fluctuate greatly over the course of a season.

For many years, Haliburton was under­valued. But as more buyers from Toronto discover this Shield country, within three hours of the city, those days are ending. As seen in most parts of cottage country, the COVID-19 pandemic has also increased demand in the area. A boat-access cottage that cost $7,000 in the early 1970s could fetch nearly a million dollars or more now.

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Cottage Life

5 reasons an area mosquito repellent should be at the top of your packing list

In more than three decades of summers at the lake, we’ve tried pretty much everything to keep mosquitoes from ruining our weekends. And while we love all things rustic, we’ll happily embrace a bit of technology if it means we won’t be itching like mad on the drive home after a weekend in the woods.

If you’re doing something stationary at the cottage, like fishing or enjoying the patio, an area mosquito repellent like the Thermacell Rechargeable Mosquito Repellent is the perfect way to avoid bites. Here are five reasons why Thermacell products like the compact yet powerful E55 should be a mainstay on your cottage packing list as you plan your upcoming summer.

It creates a zone big enough for your entire family

For parents, there’s already too much “prep” involved in simply going outside. Sunscreen needs to be applied, snacks need to be packed, and during mosquito season at the cottage, some kind of repellent is a must. When you’re at the cottage, one less step between you and the outdoors is always a win, so if you’re hanging out with your family on your deck or by the campfire, you can skip one of those steps with a spatial repellent. Thermacell’s E-Series repeller creates a powerful, scent-free mosquito protection zone to keep you and your companions off the mosquito menu. And if you place it near the sliding doors for an outdoor dinner, you’ll have an easier time carrying your dishes out without letting the mosquitoes in.

It doesn’t require any sticky or oily on-skin application 

Humid summers in cottage country create a contradiction, especially in a cottage without AC. On the one hand, you want to wear as little as possible to beat the heat. And on the other, you want to layer up to protect yourself from peckish mosquitoes. If you’ve struggled to find a repellent that doesn’t leave your skin feeling oily, but you also balk at the thought of dressing like a beekeeper, a spatial repellent can help you ditch your sleeves and keep your cool without the mess.

There’s no odour and no smoke

A weekend at the cottage is a feast for the senses, and your sense of smell gets the seat of honour. Whether it’s the mist rolling off the early-morning lake, the scent of conifers after a light rainfall, or steak sizzling on the grill, there are so many wonderful smells to embrace at the lake. So why mask them with a citronella candle or torch in hopes of not getting bitten? The E-Series  Rechargeable is smokeless and odourless, so you can enjoy the subtle scents of the cottage. And because there’s no flame, you won’t have to worry about the hazards of leaving it unattended.

It’s compact, lightweight, and flight-friendly

Even if you’ve mastered the art of “trunk Tetris” when packing for the cottage, every square inch of storage counts. Especially since you’ll be stopping at your go-to small-town grocer on the way. A spatial repellent might sound bulky, but it weighs just 0.8 lb., making it compact for travelling—or even for your carry-on if you’re getting on a plane. Its small size also means that it can be a nondescript centrepiece on your outdoor table without becoming the centre of attention.

Its rechargeable battery and long-lasting cartridge mean you’ll always be ready

Speaking of packing, since batteries are easy to forget in the midst of a long-weekend rush, you’ll want to choose a spatial repellent that’s rechargeable, so you never have to head back to town for a package of AAs. With five and a half hours per charge, the E-Series gives you plenty of time protected from mosquitoes between charges, and a single refill cartridge can last up to 40 hours.

Ready to kick mosquitoes out of your perfect summer? Find the Thermacell E-Series Rechargeable E55 at Canadian Tire.

 

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Cottage Life

A new demographic could be driving up recreational property prices in Alberta

Photo by Pixx Imaging/Shutterstock

Same as the rest of the country, Alberta isn’t exempt from Canada’s rising recreational property prices, says Royal LePage’s Recreational Property report. Alberta’s average price will continue to go up in 2022 at a nine per cent clip to an average of $1,170,660. Average prices in Alberta had already soared in 2021 by 31.5 per cent to $1,074,000.

Waterfront property isn’t as widely available in the western provinces. Instead, its ski chalets and mountain retreats that are driving up the price. “All properties have been selling extremely well,” says Brad Hawker, the associate broker with Royal LePage Solutions in Canmore, Alta. “It’s not limited to one segment or another.”

Year-over-year increase of recreational property price in Alberta in 2021

When it comes to Alberta, most of the province’s recreational property market is clustered around Edmonton, at least in terms of waterfront properties. Lac Ste. Anne saw the largest recreational property price increase, rising 44.2 per cent from $416,000 to $600,000; Pigeon Lake rose 20.4 per cent from $565,000 to $680,000; and Wabamun Lake rose 16.7 per cent from $762,000 to $889,000. In terms of non-waterfront properties, Canmore had the biggest jump, rising 32.7 per cent from $1,025,000 to $1,360,000.

Who are the buyers?

Canmore broker Brad Hawker has been selling properties in the Canmore area for 30 years. Twenty-eight of those years he’s sold to the same demographic: young people looking for a welcoming community where they can raise a family. Most often, they’re from Western Canada and are also looking for a recreational location. But in the last two years, he’s started to get a lot more interest from Ontario and Quebec retirees.

“A lot of their kids have relocated to Alberta. So, when they look to retire, where do they want to be? Close to their kids and grandkids. Edmonton and Calgary would be nice, but they also want to be active.” he says. “They want to come out to the mountains and ski and hike and mountain bike. That’s been a big part of our market.”

Similar to the rest of the country, Hawker adds that Canmore has also seen its share of millennial families who now work remotely and are looking to get away from the city.

Whereas Alberta’s lake district tends to be popular with Edmonton residents due to its proximity. “Since pandemic restrictions have limited Canadians’ ability to travel abroad, that demand has skyrocketed. Line-ups at boat launches and campgrounds are longer than ever,” says Tom Shearer, a Royal LePage broker with Noralta Real Estate, in the company’s report.

What’s selling and what isn’t?

The short answer is that everything’s selling. This includes waterfront cottages around Alberta’s lakes, as well as mountain retreats in Canmore. However, Canmore tends to be a unique situation. Similar to the rest of Canada, the area is seeing low inventory rates, but this is exacerbated by Canmore’s geography.

“We have very limited inventory, very limited construction, and very limited approval for new projects,” Hawker says, “so, we’re not even getting any relief on the supply side.”

Canmore is located in a valley between two mountain ranges. Both slopes of the mountain ranges have strict no-building policies, the area being used as a wildlife corridor to let animals pass unhindered. To the west, the town has Banff National Park, and to the east is Bow Valley Provincial Park.

“Getting a new land area approved for development takes an extremely long time because of the environmental side of things,” Hawker says. He predicts that within the next 15 years, all of Canmore’s available land will be developed.

Future predictions for Alberta real estate

Both waterfront property and chalet prices are expected to remain high in 2022. “Strong demand for waterfront properties continues to put upward pressure on prices in the region, and I don’t expect there will be any relief this spring,” Shearer said.

The same can be said for Canmore. In 2021, the town saw a record year in real estate sales, but despite the soaring prices, Hawker says he doesn’t expect them to keep rising at the same rate. In fact, he’s already seeing some levelling off. “You can’t keep having record year after record year of sales volume.” Already the first quarter of 2022 has been slower than 2021. Keep in mind, that 2022 sales volume is still 64 per cent higher than the first quarters of the four years preceding the pandemic.

As for what could be causing the levelling off, Hawker points to rising interest rates on mortgages. He expects the rates to start easing back to pre-pandemic levels. And if the pandemic causes a recession, people might not be able to afford their mortgages, making more properties available.

Regardless, Hawker expects that the lack of available land in Canmore will keep supply low, meaning that for the time being, demand will stay high, keeping prices competitive.

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Cottage Life

Outdoor cottage games for every family to embrace this season

From classic backyard competitions to fun DIY setups, lawn and beach games can be a great way for everyone to spend time together at the cottage. Perfect for families and small groups, the best games offer endless diversion for all ages, even when the weather isn’t ideal for swimming and watersports. Most are quick and easy to set up, and can be packed up and neatly stored away (or brought back to the city) when not in use.

Here are seven fun games to get families and friends together outdoors—and off their phones—during your next Vrbo vacation rental together. 

Ladder toss

Also called ladder ball or ladder golf, this classic cottage game tests your skill at throwing bolas—two balls connected by a cord—at a wooden or PVC ladder to score points. This game can be played outdoors on grass, sand, or anywhere else you have space at the cottage. Bonus: the ladders are easy to take apart, and most sets come with a bag for convenient storage.  

Croquet

Look for a cottage rental with a large, grassy yard, and you can channel your favourite Bridgerton character by getting together for a game of garden croquet, a classic lawn game where the goal is to use a mallet to send balls through a series of hoops. Similar to pall mall, the game played by the Bridgerton family in the novels and Netflix series, croquet can be played by teams of two or four. 

Cornhole

A family-friendly game that could be played on a small deck, grassy yard, or sandy shore, cornhole involves throwing beanbags into the hole of a cornhole board. To make the task more challenging, you just have to move the board farther away from the competitors. 

Lawn bowling

You can buy an affordable plastic lawn bowling set, or splurge for a nicer wooden set, at most big box stores. The main space requirement for the game is a long, flat surface that can serve as your outdoor bowling alley. This could be a lawn, a deck, or even a cottage dock. 

Badminton

If your cottage has an open, flat lawn or beach space, consider a badminton game for two or four players. A portable, foldable badminton net can be set up on grass or sand in less than a minute (making it perfect for hikes to the beach), and you can purchase a simple outdoor set with all the essentials like rackets and shuttlecocks. 

Spikeball

Looking for a good workout? Spikeball, or roundnet, is a competitive team game played that’s described by some as a cross between volleyball and foursquare. This active ball-and-net game can be played on the beach or on the grass at the cottage. 

Giant board games

Oversized versions of familiar board games like chess, checkers, Jenga, and Connect Four can offer all-day entertainment for both kids and adults. Most are designed to be packable and portable, and can travel well between cottages and the city in between vacations. Set up a few options on the deck, dock, or lawn, and let the games begin!

Looking to make memories with your family at a cottage this season? Find a rental that’s perfect for you with the help of Vrbo.

 

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Cottage Life

‘You’re not buying a $4 million property unless you have a lot of dough.’ B.C. recreational property prices skyrocket

Photo by Shutterstock/Protasov AN

It’s no secret—similar to the rest of the country, Western Canada’s cottage prices are on the rise. According to Royal LePage’s Recreational Property report.  B.C. is expected to see the average price of a cottage jump in 2022—a 12 per cent increase to a $1,029,280 average. This trend has continued from 2020, as the average price of a recreational property in B.C. increased by 22.4 per cent to $919,000 in 2021.

The closure of international borders during the pandemic drove cottage prices up as many Canadians sought domestic retreats. But even with international borders reopening, the prices continue to rise.

Unlike Ontario and Quebec, B.C. and Alberta don’t have well-defined “cottage countries.” Any waterfront properties that the provinces have are on the ocean or on a few specific lakes.

Since the areas where you can buy a recreational property in B.C. and Alberta are limited compared to central Canada, the surge in demand during the pandemic has kept inventory low and prices high.

Year-over-year increase of recreational property price in B.C. in 2021

All of British Columbia’s landlocked recreational properties saw an average price increase in 2021. Invermere, near the Alberta border, saw the largest change with an 88.1 per cent increase from $354,000 to $666,000. This was followed by the Comox Valley area, which saw a 28.7 per cent increase from $610,000 to $785,000. And then Pemberton, 25 minutes north of Whistler, increased 24.7 per cent from $1,000,000 to $1,247,000.

In terms of waterfront properties, Central Okanagan saw the biggest jump, with a 20.2 per cent increase from $1,955,000 to $2,350,000.

Who are the buyers?

The people buying waterfront recreational properties in B.C. right now are wealthy families, says Francis Braam, a Royal LePage broker in Kelowna. “Nobody else can afford it. You’re not buying a $4 million property to use on the weekend unless you have a lot of dough.” The same holds true for ski chalets, Braam says.

Interestingly, what Braam isn’t seeing lately is foreign buyers. He points to Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna as an example. “At Big White, we used to have a lot of foreigners who bought property—Europeans, Australians, Americans, they’re gone. It’s 100 per cent a Canadian market now,” he says. “They couldn’t get in for the last two years. Will they ever return? I don’t know. It’ll take time.”

What’s selling and what isn’t?

The average price of a recreational property in B.C. tends to balloon thanks to a couple exclusive areas, namely Whistler and Okanagan Lake. In 2021, the average price of a recreational property in Whistler increased by 14 per cent to $2,738,000. Whistler’s considered one of the best ski resorts in Canada, making chalets close to the hill extremely desirable.

The same applies to Okanagan Lake, which stretches 135 kilometres in length and is home to around 400,000 people. Although, many of the properties on Okanagan Lake are permanent homes, not just cottages, Braam notes. Since Royal Lepage isn’t able to discern what the property’s being used for, these waterfront homes are included in the company’s report, driving up the aggregate price of recreational properties in the area.

Another peculiarity with the report is that it recorded a drop in price for North Okanagan waterfront properties. Out of every cottage market in Canada, this is the only one to see a decrease in price, dropping 3.8 per cent from $1,403,000 in 2020 to $1,350,000 in 2021.

“That would be an anomaly,” Braam says. “If you took a house that sold 18 months ago on the water and then put it on the market today, it’d be worth more money.” What likely happened is that the more affordable properties on the lake sold in the last 18 months or in the last quarter, skewing the aggregate price, he says. “There’s no way the price of that product has gone down.”

Future predictions for B.C. real estate

In the real estate market around Kelowna, Braam says he’s already seeing prices settle. “I don’t think prices are going to drop, but we’re not going to maintain the same pace of two to three per cent per month the way it’s been going up for the last 18 months.”

Thanks to the province’s limited supply of available cottages, Braam doesn’t expect the market to crash. Even now, he only has a month’s worth of available listings. Supply in B.C. is likely to stay low. When you look at the province’s geography, Braam says development is restricted by lakes and mountains. Plus, B.C. has an agricultural land reserve, where large swaths of land are devoted to agriculture.

This means that the province is often restricted to tearing down old homes and building new ones, which is more expensive than developing on available land, Braam says.

“Thirty years ago, we could build a house in 90 days. That same house takes nine months to build now or a year,” he says. “It’s more complicated to build, the consumer has demanded more, they’re not as simple houses to build, and the building code has also made it much more difficult.”

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Cottage Life

How to keep birds (and yourself) safe from Avian Flu

Photo by Paul Reeves Photography / Shutterstock

The dramatic cacophony of avian personalities that arrive at our feeders is—along with the longer, warmer days—one of the greatest joys of spring. Practicing good feeder hygiene has always been important, but even more so this spring since a new strain of avian flu, the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is making its way across Canada.

This particular strain of avian flu primarily affects waterfowl, poultry, raptors, and certain shorebirds. Initially detected on the east coast, there are now approximately 100 confirmed cases of sick/dead birds nationally. According to Christopher Sharp, a population management biologist with Canadian Wildlife Service, “more important than the absolute number of confirmed cases, is that confirmed or suspect cases have now been detected across the country, with the exception of the far north.” And with birds on the move due to spring migration, that number will no doubt increase.

Where does this leave cottagers? Stuart Mackenzie, director of strategic assets at Birds Canada, says it’s important for cottagers to be aware of the disease. The most important thing is to avoid feeding water birds (ducks, gulls, geese)—tempting as it might be!—since it encourages wild birds to congregate around food sources, which in turn can easily drive up the likelihood of viral transmission. And of course, “if you see dead birds, don’t touch them, keep your animals away from them and report any sightings, especially of waterfowl, water birds or gulls to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative,” Mackenzie reminds us. Although the transmission of avian flu to humans remains rare, any handling of wild birds needs to be done with caution and followed by rigorous handwashing.

And what about our beloved feeders? One of the curiosities of avian flu is that it affects species differently: while water birds are the most common carriers, the disease appears to be most lethal to poultry, and holds the least risk for songbirds and other feeder visitors. Sharp believes that bird feeders are still safe on cottage properties as long as there is no domestic poultry anywhere nearby.

However, he emphasizes that feeders should be cleaned regularly and rigorously with “a weak solution of domestic bleach (10% sodium hypochlorite),” rinsed thoroughly and dried carefully before they are refilled. If you have backyard chickens on your cottage property, Sharp advises to “limit contact between wild birds and poultry,” essentially by removing “outdoor sources of food, water and shelter that attract wild birds.”

Although the Canadian Wildlife Service’s recommendation to avoid any unnecessary contact with bird feces seems straightforward enough, anybody with a waterfront property knows that such contact happens unintentionally—most often in the form of goose poop. Sharp suggests modifying waterfront properties “to make them less attractive to Canada geese,” including allowing the regeneration of natural shoreline vegetation, mowing less frequently, which makes the lawn less inviting to geese and putting up barriers that limit access to lawns. In other words, this might be the season to tend less to the lawn-manicuring, grab a good book, and let nature offer a makeover!

Backyard birding: how to help birds build nests

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Cottage Life

Wild Profile: Meet the flower fly

By Paul Reeves Photography/Shutterstock

Oh no, it’s a wasp…or is it a flower fly? Yep, it’s a flower fly. A harmless bug. These black-and-yellow bee-and-wasp imposters don’t sting or bite. Instead, they make it their business to pollinate as many white and yellow spring blossoms as possible. Like honey bees, and native bees, flower flies—along with other flies—are responsible for the proliferation of all kinds of agricultural crops, everything from carrots to cabbage. In fact, non-bees such as flower flies account for 38 per cent of global agricultural pollination. A huge shout-out to you, non-bees!

What are those bees that hover in one spot?

Flower flies are also called hover flies. When you spot one, it’s obvious why: they appear motionless in mid-air as they inspect a prospective bloom. Flower flies have two wings, not four like bees and wasps. But no matter! Those two wings whir at 1,000 beats per second, allowing the insect to hover, helicopter-like, instead of bobbing up and down the way a bee would. Flower flies aren’t as efficient at pollinating as bees are, but they make up for this by visiting more flowers in a shorter amount of time. They seem to prefer to forage in cooler temperatures, when there are fewer bees around.

Spot a group of hover flies? They’re probably males  

In the spring, male flower flies tend to hang out, hovering, over landmarks—paths, hilltops, or shrubs—in order to attract females. Mating, too, involves a lot of mid-air hovering. At least, at first: eventually, a flower fly pair flaps its way over to a nearby perch to continue with the important job of…well, you know. Their bug babies—a.k.a. maggots—spend their youth in puddles, rotting plant life, and animal droppings. They’re translucent and blind, but are excellent predators that feed voraciously on aphids and other tiny crop pests. It’s gruesome—they attack their victims and suck out the liquid innards. So disgusting. But so incredibly helpful to farmers.

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Cottage Life

Are you sharing the cottage with a slacker?

By Marko Aliaksandr/Shutterstock

Q: “I share a cottage with a sibling and two cousins. I’m the only ‘handy’ owner, but we all pull together for chores and big improvements—except for one of my cousins. He doesn’t lift a finger to help and avoids the work weekends that we have twice a year. He pays his share of the cottage dues, but that’s all he does. The others don’t seem to think it’s a big deal, but I’m starting to get mad. How do other cottagers do it?”

A: A brilliant entrepreneur I know (my wife) has this to say about co-ownership situations: “Ideally, when starting any new venture, the only business partner you should have is the bank.” Wise words. And I think the same could really be said about cottage co-ownership which, with family or others, is a situation to be avoided at all costs. If only to preserve your own sanity.

But for a great many cottagers, myself included, that perfect world does not exist. I feel your pain because at one time I shared a family cottage with my three brothers. We definitely experienced bumps along the co-ownership path, but work sharing wasn’t one of the problems, even though we had wildly varying skill sets. Like most cottagers I know, we each did our best according to our own aptitude. For example, one of my brothers had a physical disability, so he couldn’t build docks or hump asphalt shingles up a ladder. But he was a trained chef, and kept the chuckwagon open, turning out three squares a day so the rest of us could stay focused on the dirty job at hand. At the end of the business, he’d help clean up and pass out cold beer. All in all, a full and fair contribution. 

But a distressing number of cottagers are so inept that they represent a liability and a menace when it comes to cottage work. They are afraid of heights, cannot decipher the markings on a tape measure, and regularly lose their grip on swinging hammers. These people are very real, and you probably know at least one of them. The few that I know are well aware of their shortcomings in the handy department, but they compensate the old-fashioned way, with a liberal application of cash money. They spring for boat gas or buy an expensive new tool for common use. These bunglers are useless on the job site but will happily pay out-of-pocket for a new cottage sofa. Yes, they are buying their way out of work, but at least they try to contribute.

It sounds like this is not the situation at your cottage. To be blunt, your cousin seems like a complete jerk. Anyone who routinely shafts his co-owners—his own kin—with all the cottage grunt work, and does so knowingly, deserves a fiery eternity emptying Satan’s latrine with a sauna dipper. Maybe you could buy him out. Who knows? Your cousin might be happy to take the money and run, but I realize this could be impossible if the rest of you can’t afford to pay him to go away. (Plus, some sharing arrangements have legal agreements that lay out specific rules for buyouts and can include some sort of shotgun clause that could result in you losing your share of the place.) Your situation seems even more complex because it doesn’t sound like the other owners think your goldbricking cousin is a problem.

Personally, my go-to for these sorts of issues is public shaming. Start referring to the skiver as “my lazy-ass cousin” whenever he is within earshot. Make a sign for his bedroom that says “Count Slackula’s Den of Sloth.” At dinner, set out place cards for your co-owners. Susan’s might have a picture of a pretty bird, Tom’s a cute chipmunk, but Braydon, who doesn’t help out? His says “Deadbeat Bum” beside a photo of a bloodsucking leech. You get the idea. The possibilities are limitless and this approach is really fun.

That said, I have been repeatedly informed that public humiliation isn’t really “in” these days, so here’s plan B. The proper thing to do, the grown-up rational approach would be to seek consensus with the other owners before sitting down with Mr. Lazy Pants for a friendly and constructive meeting where you can talk about the subject in a blame-free, non-judgmental environment. Use powerful “I” statements: “I feel so frustrated with the whole situation” or “I just want to understand what’s going on here.” Maybe he will come to see your side of the issue and a new era of cottage cooperation will dawn under a halo of warm light, bringing hearts and hands together. You can certainly try this approach, but I think we both know that a habitual shirker like your cousin knows how to game the system and has done so for years. Clearly he is the kind of person who doesn’t bring wine or beer to a cottage weekend and selfishly eats all the pecans in the mixed nut bowl.

I am aware that it is impolitic to offend delicate sensibilities. Mustn’t hurt anyone’s feelings, right? Well, in this case I think you might need to employ some direct action towards your cousin by getting right up in his grill. Call it Plan B, Part 2, where you forcefully explain your side of things. Ask if there’s a reason for his behaviour. Don’t back down, and don’t let him squirm away. Make it very clear that the other owners are 100 per cent with you on this matter, even if they have never formally said as much. Explain that he is hurting your feelings (see what we did there?) and that the rest of you need his help to make this cohab a success. (“It’s tearing us apart!”) If you could squeeze out a few tears, that would be great. You need to use guilt as a power tool. (“Susan cries every night!”) I am convinced that you will get a powerful and emotional reaction out of him. And if you don’t, it’s a pretty good indication that he might be trending in the direction of narcissistic sociopathy so maybe you should lock your bedroom door and sleep with one eye open. Because when you share a cottage with blood relatives, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

This article was originally published in the August/September 2021 issue of Cottage Life magazine.