The Birchdale Letter May 2026

Finding the Beauty in Black-flies and Other Invitations

I learned something recently that I am pretty sure every born-here-Nova-Scotian can tell you: black-flies arrive on Mother’s Day and leave on Father’s Day. That’s the deal. There’s no actual contract, and some years are leaner than others,  but the general  terms are clear and non-negotiable. For six weeks, the woods belong to them, and we are just visitors with warm blood and poor judgment.

They are so bad this year. (I think you are not supposed to say this)

I’ve been thinking about this—not just the flies, but the way they bring us together and the things we say. You can be getting gas at the Carleton Store, visiting Hubert and Belle’s, in Port Maitland, or buying flats of annuals at JR Comeau’s while slapping your neck, and the conversation is pretty much the same. “The flies? ” “Yuh. Some bad this year”  And just like that, you are in fellowship with a stranger! Last weekend I met a guy with a canoe atop his ATV. He was sitting by the entrance to Birchdale, heading up the road towards Moose Lake. Said he was going fishing. When I asked about the flies he was at the ready with:

“I’m up there fishing but I expect the only thing I’ll catch is a mouth full of flies.”

Black-flies are the great Nova Scotian equalizer. They don’t care what you do for a living or where you come from or how much your property is worth. They just want your blood, and they want it now, and there’s something oddly democratic about that.

Which got me thinking about challenging things. The things that are hard or uncomfortable or that make you want to quit and go inside.

Chicks and Chainsaws

A chainsaw, for instance. Last weekend we celebrated Mother’s Day with Chainsaws.

There’s an origin story for our first Chainsaws for Chicks workshop. This weekend, as it happened, coincided with the arrival of the flies. But back to the story! It’s called: When Lloyd bought Lois a Chainsaw. For those of you who have met Lois… you will know that she is Nova Scotian through and through… and knows the woods around Birchdale as good as anyone and better than most. And yet, she had never learned to use a chain saw. So when Christmas came and Lloyd gifted her with a saw they spied a problem. A teacher, preferably not a husband, was needed!  Lloyd looked around and noted a lack of opportunities for learning. And, as these things go, with random conversations between friends our first workshop was born! And like all great ideas, it became clear that learning opportunities for women with chainsaws was truly lacking. Women reached out – of course – but then guys did too,  and then parents followed up about their kids. Chainsaws are scary things. The woods are something we all love. Learning how to bring the two together safely is a hard or uncomfortable thing.  It can really make you want to quit and go back inside. But… after the incredible planning by Nicola, with the hands-on teaching of Dale Spates, Ken Gray, and Nicola, every woman who showed up learned how to cut things safely, and actually cut them too! And I can tell you, there were some  women there who were convinced they never would. And remember those black-flies I mentioned? Well…the energy was so high… they were more like prized guests than the daily nuisance they often are.!They actually added to the challenge in a fulfilling and meaningful way!

Afternoon Tea 

Next up… we are hosting our very very first Afternoon Tea. And along with the perfect planning of Joan Semple and Barb Leblanc, which includes dainty sandwiches and sweets, comes the introduction of a signature Birchdale Tea!  Infused with sap from our local Birch trees! And what’s even better is that it’s a world away from chainsaws! A proper afternoon tea  is inside the gorgeous main lodge or on the new screened-in porch sequestered from the flies! And yet! I’m not sure it’s all that different from cutting down trees. Because…sitting down with people you may not know, trying out rituals you may have never experienced before, with cups and saucers and tiered trays……It really is its own kind of adventure! An invitation to try something different, to slow down, to share food and company instead of staring at screens. And its an invitation to be inefficient with your time… to spend it bouncing down a long and bumpy dirt road to find a beautiful spot that offers a chance to sit and take notice of the light and the smells and the wonders in this life.

Black-flies, chainsaws, the radical act of sitting still with a teacup. This is our May. The lake is warming. The loons are back. The bugs are literally DANCING!  It is all happening at once and it is all worth being here for.

Come and find us. We’ll be swatting right through ’til Father’s Day!

UPCOMING AT BIRCHDALE