JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE KITCHEN

The Nanamo Bars are mine- I make a mean Nanananampo Bars - as I call them - we are ready for the Bake Sale tomorrow (Friday) at the Northern Credit Union in Thessalon. Come One and Come Hungry. We baked our little aprons off today from 9am til 3pm. And I made my fudge tonight and packaged it. We have butter tarts, cookies galor, apple sauce loaves, cinnamon buns etc.

Also, this is for Ed and Barry, when we were coming home tonite from our sauna, in the fog on the left hand side of the road was a rather large buck crossing the road - pretty near our property. Just thought you would want to know. For next year.

Gotta go.

See Ya By

A DAY BIRDING

We headed out this morning at 9am - we met Joy and Arnold and headed out down the trail. It was a bit chilly - I will know better next time what to wear. I had on a turtle neck, sweat shirt, fleece hoodie and my hunting jacket. I had on tights, jeans and my rain pants. I will need more layers for Saturday when we are heading out again. Joy got 2 birds and Arnold got 1. I missed my bird twice!!! But at least I got to fire my gun. Joy was in the lead on the 4 wheelers - she stopped and got off her bike - a sign to me to follow suit. I got my gun off the rack and put in 2 shells. I caught up to Joy and she pointed with her gun and I saw a bird. But not the one she was pointing at. Later we figured there had to be at least 4 birds together. I fired and the birds scattered. Joy got a shot off at her bird and got it. I watched my bird fly down the road and come down. I walked to where I thought it came down and there he was. But deep in the thick brush beside the road. I aimed and fired but somehow I missed. The one that got away. There were other birds but by the time you get off the bike, load up the gun and cock it, the bird has either flown away or ran into the brush and once they are in the brush and are still, you can't see them. The first bird Joy got was standing right in the middle of a trail off the main road. It stood around while she went thru her routine and she fired and missed. It still stuck around for her to take her second shot. These are not the smartest birds in the bush.

We are going to do it again on Saturday - another all dayer. We will either eat partridge or chicken for dinner - I am hoping for partridge.

BETTY...BETTY CROCKER?

Only in Wharncliffe...today we were cooking at the Hall - more perogies and meat and fruit pies for all of our orders. There was Phyllis, Vickie, Cheryle and myself. Later in the afternoon, Debbie called to see if we were working and when she found out we were, she decided to come over to lend us a hand. This is how she showed up for work. She is a hunter and felt lucky today so she came prepared because you never know. She came in her car. She usually shows up in her Argo (2 person 4 wheeler) and her beautiful yellow lab Bo travelling with her. She goes hunting by herself and has got a few birds this year. One day I will call her up and see if she wants to go hunting with me. I think we would have a good time out on the trails and in the bush. I know she could teach me a few things about hunting . Debbie is always there to help out in the kitchen. She works the bake sales too - speaking of which, there is one this Friday, November 20th at the Credit Union in Thessalon from 9am to 2pm or when we run out of goodies (which usually happens).

We are going hunting with Joy and Arnold tomorrow - for birds. Deer season is over - just watch and see how many deer we see tomorrow - they know. I think they get their own calendar with all the special dates marked for them. I'll take my camera to record all the fun stuff we do and maybe even a few birds.

See Ya By

FIGURES

All the hunters are gone, the guns and ammo are all locked up again and the deer are starting to make their presence known to us. We saw fresh tracks right along side the house on my garden path today. Who knows where they were during the 2 week hunting season - maybe they go south as well. All I know is they weren't around here. Maybe next year. We don't feel so bad because hardly anyone else got any. And the ones who did got them right out their back doors so it was just a fluke. It was few and far between that anyone got one out of the bush. Just wasn't a good year.

The picture above is of Barry's Condo - as they call it - all the comforts of home. I think next year there will be a big screen tv and a bar set up in it. He is very comfortable in it. The other picture - of the dark brown structure on top of the hill - is one of Rejean's permanent blinds - it is the one I sat in this year. Again, I was very comfortable - there is a portable heater that keeps my hands and feet warm. I don't like to be cold.

Tomorrow I cook again all day at the Hall - meat pies and perogies and then on Thursday we bake for the bake sale on Friday at the Credit Union. I'll make my famous rice krispie squares and my fudge that sold out last time. Maybe I'll keep some for myself this time.

Today we transferred the rest of the tongue and groove pine to the garage so that I can start finishing them for the downstairs this winter. Two coats of varathane, sand, then another coat. There are over 200 boards so I will be busy.

See Ya By

STUFF FOR JOANNE AND MITCH

I had to Blog your pictures because I couldn't get them to e-mail to you from Picassa so enjoy - the one view is from Joy and Arnold's dock - right across from you. Another shows your neighbour's place from your front porch (time to plant some cedars), your new table cloth (it looks better in person) I forgot that I bought one too. It goes on when the hunters leave. I also included you starting a fire in your new place with your tie die shirt on that we got in Portland - I still have mine and I'll get it out the next time you come to visit.

More later.

The guys are out for a final push today and I am doing the garbage - it is dump day and it is part of my chores to take the garbage to the dump - also a chance to catch up on all the important news in the area. It is a social event to go to the dump up here plus I take a look in the "store" to see what treasures there are. You know you are a redneck if you come home from the dump with more than you took - it has happened to me a few times.....

See Ya By

A GREAT DAY IN THE BUSH

It was a great day in the bush - unfortunately for us (fortunately for the deer) we didn't get anything. We did see fresh deer poop but no deer. On our first push I lost sight of Joy and kind of went on my own for a ways. I did not panic because it was first thing in the morning and I had a loaded gun. I stood where I was for about 20 minutes and listened. I couldn't hear anything so I finally used my radio and asked someone to whistle so I could find them. Turns out I wasn't that far away from anyone. So I just pretended I meant to be that long. I knew that someone would find me eventually if I was REALLY lost.

We finally finished at about 1pm and then had a few bevereges at Joy and Arnold's. I had a soaker so I was starting to get a bit cold. I got the soaker stepping into a stream that didn't appear to be that deep but was. It could have been worse - I could have fallen into it.

Tomorrow is the final day. I have a couple of venison loins that I will cook into something called Beer and Deer - a recipe that I taped from Canada In The Rough - and it is exactly what it says - beer and deer with dumplings on top. It will be our final meal together. Then the guys go home

and we get back to "normal" which means "work".

See Ya By

ps - the crew from left to right: Barry, Joy, Roger, Ed, Rejean and Arnold - I was taking the picture but I was also in my blaze orange outfit - it is a fashion color up here.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Today Rejean and I met the McDougal Fuel truck to lead them to Joanne and Mitch's place for the installation of their new propane tank. It is in but it took all day long. They got it installed with no problem - level right away - but there was a leak that took them a while to find - it turned out to be in the brand new regulator - thank goodness they had an extra one and it was put in place and everything was working correctly.

I passed the time by tending the fire, collecting the lotions left in the sauna, reading a couple of Reader's Digests I found in the outhouse, raking some leaves etc. It was a beautiful day and we found out later that no deer were taken by our group. Some hunters along the hiking trail took a large fawn (probably the one that has been hanging around our place with it's mother) and a wolf apparently approached them and came within 15 feet of them. No wonder there are no deer around - the wolves are scaring them away.

Tomorrow there are about 8 of us doing a big push on Axe Lake - I'll be pushing because I don't want to find out I can't pull the trigger when I am staring a big buck or doe right in the eye. I'll let someone else do the deed. Time is a'runnin out. I'll take my camera and try and get some action photos. Wish me luck.

See Ya By