It is a good thing Karen keeps on top of what day it is. She has posted her Feb 2011 desktop photo calendar on her blog. If you would like a touch of her “backyard” on your computer to keep the thoughts of a Canadian fishing trip with Ignace Outposts dancing in your head, download it now. Here is the link.
I look at it this way. Only 3 1/2 months until walleye season opener.
Many of our guests purchased an Ontario outdoors card 3 years ago. Since these cards will have expired at the beginning of this year, it is time to renew. Check the last two digits on your outdoors card for the year of expiry. If it reads 11, you will need a new card. Renewal notices were sent out before the New Year but if you missed it or have not already renewed your outdoors card, here is some help.
Helpful links to our government website.
As is typical with a government website, navigation is not easy.
What is an Ontario Non resident Outdoors Card?
How to renew an expired Outdoors card.
A little simplification:
To renew your card you will need the following information:
Your Outdoors Card will arrive in approximately 20 days.
If you cannot print your e-licence, call the Outdoors Card Centre toll-free at 1-800-387-7011 and they will print and mail you a copy.
Buying your card over the phone:
Call MNR's interactive phone line toll-free at 1-800-288-1155. Again your Outdoors Card should arrive in approximately 20 days.
Similar to any government, phone purchases can be an interesting experience.
Having a current Outdoors Card when you arrive in Ignace to go fishing or hunting will simplify the licence issuing process. If yours has expired, please renew and if you have never had one, please consider getting one before you arrive.
During the summer months, we have hundreds of guests drive to Ignace to experience the great Ontario wilderness and abundant fisheries. The highway through this part of the country is mostly two lanes and we often share the roadway with moose and tractor trailers.
During the winter months we have another thing to deal with. Moose don’t hibernate so they are still common on the road, and tractor trailers carry goods that keep the country supplies, so they are still sharing the road. The additional concern is snow and winter driving conditions. I wish I could say we can get used to it but we do have to exercise extra care this time of year.
The photo is the trans-Canada highway between Ignace and English River and out of cell phone range. We took our time and made it home from two weeks of sport shows safely. I am not sure whether the excessive traffic on the roads south of the border in a snow storm is any more desirable than the lonely roads in our area during a snow storm.
We are back in the office for a week or so. If you missed us at the shows last week, give us a call and we will set up your Ignace Outposts summer fishing trip.
Yikes! I am sleeping at the switch. Karen has her January Desktop up on line and I have yet to post it here.
So, for those who like to put these on their computer desktops and have a piece of Ignace year round, here it is.
Click here to get the proper size for your screen.
For more of Karen’s great photography check out her blog Images of my Backyard
Happy and Prosperous New Year to All
During the holidays, with the kids scattered about the country, I have lots of time to play in the kitchen.
Today Karen had the brilliant idea to have walleye for supper so in honour of a new year, I thought I’d invent a new recipe – something other than fried fish. For lack of a better name I call it Fiesta Walleye.
Thankfully I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions. This is not exactly diet food but it sure gets the juices flowing for another season of fishing at Ignace Outposts.
Here is Fiesta Walleye:
Ingredients:
Walleye (about 1 lb of fillets – 2 fish) I suspect any white fish will do if your next fresh walleye won’t be until next summer at one of our fly ins.
2 cups of mushrooms sliced and diced (not too small)
2 large cloves of garlic – mashed
1/4 cup of dark rum – be sure to keep the rest of the bottle for a imbibing
1/2 cup of whipping cream – yes the real stuff
3 – 4 Tbsp butter – not margarine or any other facsimile
1/4 cup diced (small) red peppers
1/2 cup of salsa
1/4 cup grated fresh/real Parmesan cheese
S+P to taste
Instructions:
You have to do two things at once so don’t start the rum drinking until things are under control.
In one pan, sauté the mushrooms and red peppers with some butter and the garlic. Careful with the S+P since the cheese at the end will be salty. Add the rum and reduce to a glaze at low simmer stirring often. Add cream and salsa and simmer on low to reduce about half and the mixture is thick. Add another dab of butter and stir in.
In the other pan, fry the walleye fillets in batches with a little S+P. Carefully remove the cooked fish to avoid breaking and place in an oven proof dish. I used a 9x9 clear cake pan.
Cover the fish with the mushroom sauce and sprinkle with the Parmesan.
In the oven put top rack about 8 to 10 inches from top of oven. Turn on broiler to high to heat up. Broil until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Serve beside steamed veggies – we should all have something healthy once in a while.
ENJOY - we did!
ps. We let the dog lick our plates (Karen wouldn’t let me do it). He tried to lick off the color.