Monday, January 24, 2011

Aazhaawe/ My World

Aazhaawe Ferry. Virginia Beach, Ontario

My world is frozen and to show you just how frozen it is, here's the ferry that crosses from Virginia Beach to Georgina Island, home to the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation. Yep, the ferry is out of the water and securely tied to the shore.


Red marks the spot where the ferry is now sitting on the southern shore of Lake Simcoe

Closeup of Georgina and the route the ferry takes

The ferry runs April to December. In winter,  residents and visiting ice fishers cross to the mainland and back on an ice bridge in snowmobiles and, when the ice is strong enough, in trucks.


Ice fishing huts
Fishing is a pastime summer and winter, and right now the the lake is dotted with ice fishing huts.

Back of the ferry - Aazhaawe, means "to go aross."

The ferry holds up to 18 cars and there's also room for 50 walk-on passengers. It crosses several times each day, the schedule HERE but it won't be leaving till April!


Visit My World Tuesday  HERE to see tons of photos from around the world.

58 comments:

Michelle said...

Cannot imagine ice fishing! Just too cold.

penny said...

It is an icy wonderland in the winter where you live.. and I thought I was cold at 52 degrees last night.
I guess I should not complain.

Warm hugs'
Pam

Kathy said...

I especially liked the camper trailer/ice fishing hut!

Penelope Notes said...

Ice on a lake so thick a truck can cross over really IS extreme. Yet even that will melt in time and people have fun ice fishing and riding their snowmobiles. Thanks for sharing your COLD part of the world this wintry season with these interesting captures.

Darla said...

That is some thick ice! Stay warm.

Darla

eileeninmd said...

I guess one would have to really love fishing to stand the cold and be out on the ice. Neat photos of the fishing huts. I am so ready for spring, have a great week.

Lowell said...

Great photo of a grounded ferry. The only ferries I've ridden on were in south Texas on Mustang Island...there wasn't any snow around anywhere! Or ice!

Those ice fishing shots remind so much of Minnesota in the winter. I never did get into ice fishing. Might have been the weather?

The Chippewas used to camp on my grandmother's land in Cook, Minnesota, during the summer. I could see them from the back porch of the house. But they never came near the house. I was scared to death of them. Of course I was only about 6-7 years old.

My uncle had a reputation of "knowing" many Chippewa squaws...

Aw, such memories! Merci!

Yoshi said...

Great capture of icy view!

Carol said...

Great photos of that ferry and I like the maps you posted so we can see where it travels. The ice fishing looks interesting also. My husband has ice fished a few times when we lived much further north. My world is frozen today also!

Randi said...

Great shots of the grounded ferry! I miss ice-fishing today, but the Baltic Sea is today severely polluted and I would never is fish from here. That´s very sad...

My entry is here

Small City Scenes said...

Cool looking ferry boat. The electronic equipment is almost as big as the boat.
That's a lot of ice---we don't get much here. I did see some ice fishing on Moses Lake in Eastern Washing but none in Western Wa. Nope, just rain. Although we are supposed to have some sun tomorrow---I'll wait on that. MB

George said...

I don't often get to see ferries out of the water like this, but that is probably the best way to protect it in winter. I'm glad it doesn't get cold enough for ice fishing down here!

Paulie said...

How interesting! I haven't thought about ice fishing since I saw the movie of the two old guys doing it. . . can't even remember the name of the movie it's been so long. I enjoyed your commentary.

RedPat said...

I wouldn't drive on the ice for anything! Obviously not a fisherperson.

Craver Vii said...

18 vehicles? That's a lot of weight! I'd be afraid to board a ferry. Yes, I'm a big chicken... I know.

Kerri Farley said...

WOW! that ice must get pretty thick for trucks to go on it.

VP said...

I have never seen ferries pulled ashore and people crossing rivers in trucks...
Until now, but it is still almost unbelievable! Great pictures!

VP said...

I have never seen ferries pulled ashore and people crossing rivers in trucks...
Until now, but it is still almost unbelievable! Great pictures!

L. Neusiedler said...

well, it definitely looks way more frozen than ours :)). our 1 m snow seems a children's game!

Unknown said...

Wow that is quiet some ice, I love the little huts, only ever seen them in movies before!

Rajesh said...

Fantastic winter shots.

Photo Cache said...

I'd love to try ice fishing just once.

B i r g i t t a said...

EG I enjoyed this a lot. How cold do you have? What kind of fish do they get?
Hope the ice is really strong :)
Have a great day!

http://fotochip.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-world_24.html

Janie said...

we have ice fishermen here, but no ferries pulled on shore to avoid the ice!

Nessa said...

Fascinating. I might be able to get into ice reading instead of ice fishing.

Sylvia K said...

Oh, that is COLD!! I should quit whining about our gray, wet weather as the temps are not THAT low! Love your photos! Have trouble imagining ice thick enough for a truck to park on it. Although we did occasionally have very thick ice on the river when I lived in Montana! Hope you have a great week! Stay warm!!

Sylvia

Unknown said...

COLD..

Marja said...

Brr it must be so cold It takes a lot to get a complete lake frozen and the cars can drive around on it. In NZ they complain when it snows one day

Martha Z said...

A very different world than mine. Here even the birdbath rarely freezes.

Lorac said...

I din't realize there was a ferry there! Love all the shots. I haven't been ice fishing in a while and really miss it!

VioletSky said...

I miss seeing the ice huts out on the lake. Love the trailer one!

Lorna said...

I've never been able to align my thoughts with ice fisherman, and only recently have I been able to take a ferry without severe stress.

Inger-M said...

I could not believe my eyes when I saw the grounded ferry! Over here we depend on ferries summer or winter, so they run all year around. But we're by the ocean and the salty water doesn't freeze over.
Great photos!

Cildemer said...

Amazing shots!
Wouldn't like to live in such a cold place! Brrr!

***
Have a beautiful week and keep warm****

Kay L. Davies said...

I wouldn't want to drive a truck on Lake Simcoe, no way. I'll wait for the ferry to start running again, thank you very much.
-- Cowardly K

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Shammickite said...

I've walked on a frozen lake (Simcoe actually) and even tried ice fishing (once was enough) but I hate walking on ice knowing that there's cold cold water below me. I won't walk on ice unless I really have to. I hate it.

Shammickite said...

a wee bit chilly over the past couple of days, eh?

Indrani said...

Lot of snow in these shots. I too can't imagine fishing there.

Al said...

I've never driven my car on a lake, although there are a couple of lakes in my region where people do that.

Rose said...

Your part of the world looks even colder than here...and probably is but I am not positive of that.

Diane AZ said...

Your frozen world is fascinating. I've never seen ice fishing huts or trucks on a frozen lake. The ferry looks odd out of water!

Dianne said...

It was 6 degrees this morning !!
Oy

wonderful frozen shots

Anonymous said...

Does this mean you're not impressed with our 4" of accumulated snow? :)

Curious: is the ferry dry-docked, or did the ice heave it up like that?

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Oh my gosh that's really really really cold. I guess you're used to it where you are, but it's seeping down where people aren't prepared this winter. You know, I can't even imagine how you take pictures when its as cold as that; I'd think your fingers would freeze before you could snap it.

SandyCarlson said...

And I thought things were cold here right now! Wow...

Jack said...

That s a pretty impressive post, EG. It was -3 degrees Fahrenheit here today, but I don't dare play "top this!" with someone whose ferry sits in drydock all winter.

Elizabeth Lyng said...

Brrrr! Great photos but man, I feel the need for an extra blanket now!

stardust said...

I’ve never seen a ferry grounded on the ice in that way, though I’ve seen a stranded cruise ship due to too many floating ice in Hokkaido, Japan. Some people in Hokkaido camp on an ice-covered pond, fishing for tiny fish, grilling and eating them on the spot.

Thank you for sharing this.

Randy said...

I love the little camper sitting in the snow. Great shot!

Anonymous said...

Love the ferry pic and the small ice huts! Over here they keep the main waterways open for transport.

cieldequimper said...

Now that's a ferry I'd love to take with my Native BF. I'd love to ice-fish too. I like your world!

Amanda said...

That is truly cold!

LifeRamblings said...

beautiful winter shots, such a contrast to my hot tropical world.

LifeRamblings said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Serline said...

I can feel the chill in my bones just looking at these... brrrr ;-P

Carola said...

Great photos. I like the huts on ice, they tell a story. And thanks for the map. That looks like a very special frozen area.

Francisca said...

I was raised in Finland... but I never could grasp the pleasure of ice fishing! Your world is brrr... stay warm, EG!

BraCom said...

not so cold here!!
but you don't need the ferry to cross the ice, I think you can drive with your car now to the other side :-) you need to go back for the thaw

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East Gwillimbury is a rural town less than an hour north of Toronto, Canada's largest city. My family calls me CameraGirl because I take my camera with me wherever I go.