It has been warm with temperatures in the mid-30’s, with one day reaching a high of 39 degrees. Way too hot for me, but some brave guests have gone swimming. The water will have to warm up a bit before I go for a swim. It’s currently around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, but that hasn’t stopped them from paddle boarding and kayaking.

At the Lodge, winter hasn’t been as cold as last year and there is not as much snow, although there is still more winter to come. But already there is more daylight up there than here at home gaining 6 minutes a day, and it doesn’t take long to add up.

Hope all is well, and you are getting ready for the festive season. Yes, it is that time of the year again, I find that as I get older these special occasions seem to come along a lot faster.

We got a flight out on the 10th of September back to the big city of Whitehorse. Its always funny to watch the expressions on the faces of the staff who have not been in the bush for a long period of time, smiles and regrets. And then there is Missy, but she doesn’t care where she is as long as there is some water close by, oh the life of a dog.

For us up here we had a pretty hot spell with thunderstorms causing some forest fires that could be seen from the lodge. With that came the smoke from fires in Alaska and the Yukon. Since then we have had some rain to help cool things down and the skies are clear blue again with unlimited visibility.

With everything that we have all been through this last couple of years it is nice seeing things getting back to normal especially with today's announcement about no more testing for international flights into the US.

Spring is well on its way here at home, but at the lodge in the Yukon, spring is slow coming this year with record snow falls in many parts of the Yukon and another cold winter.

For many of us in the north it has been an old fashion winter, maybe we just got soft with the last two winters being pretty easy. I know from watching the weather station at Snag Yukon, which is the closest place to the lodge, it was -60 one morning without the wind.

For us, fall has arrived here in the Yukon with the first flock of geese flying south starting on the 9 of August and we have already had a touch of frost that set some of the plants back in the garden. The leaves on some of the trees are starting to change colour along with many of the plants in the bush also changing colour. The ducks are all flocking up and the swans are starting to show up at the lake on their way south.

Great news for all of the American’s and other international travelers as the borders to Canada are opening on August 9th for anyone who has had both of their shots. For those of you who are booked for next year, you could come this year and enjoy all the fall colours, fresh air and a chance to see the northern lights.