August 12th and 13th, 2000 - Go Home Lake (off Georgian Bay south of Parry Sound)

   Made record time getting up there.  Jeff spent most of the time fishing while Paul and I were in the water most of the time.  'Saw a large Dock Spider that night with a huge egg sack underneath it, which hatched early the next day.  (I was told that the Dock Spider is the largest spider in Canada - I think they're a type of wolf spider).  That night Paul went into Parry Sound with my brother and his friend, Jeff and I stayed up fishing.  While we were fishing a bat kept flying around our heads annoying us so we went back up top and built a fire.  Bats, huge spiders, hornets nests, and to top it all off the guys building our dock saw a Mississauga Rattler over near the outhouse.  (I have't seen a rattler up there yet but apparently they're common in that area.  Photos of one next to our cottage is here)  Aug.2004 Update:  now have 2 Massassauga Rattle snake sightings.  Pictures here http://www.zeroreality.com/cottage/photos/  and here http://www.ontariostorms.com/gallery/wildlife/

Jeff looks beat ...
... goes fishing to wake up.
Paul gets in on the action
Go Home Lake at dusk
Jeff catches a monster bass
Paul in the canoe
Dock Spider in the boathouse

Looking for a spot to lay her nest
Baby dock spiders
Looks like a tarantula!

Paul & Jeff...
Guarding a cement bag...
Weekend traffic on the lake
They won't be this small next summer!
Watching over her babies
Jeff goes night fishing
Spiders on the ground, hornets in the air
Fire at the end of a long day

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