A WALL ALMOST COMPLETE

We have almost completed the one wall - Rejean just needs to put the molding on the drawer. I am very happy with the results. The little door by the big door holds our keys and the fire extinguisher. The next smaller door holds the kindling and all the sunglasses and stuff. Then there is my big drawer that holds the wood. We are next going to transfer the flooring down to the garage in the finishing room. To make more room for us to work. I guess the floor may be bit in the future. But it is coming along. I varathaned the moldings today and Rejean made the frame for the cork board for the Wall of Shame/Fame out of oak - it will be stained the black that will go with the rest of the cabinetry. He also made the base for hooks to hold coats. It will match the one in the bathroom. It is also made of oak and will be stained as well. Tomorrow I will finish these. It's nice to be working on a project.

See Ya Bye

A 'RUDE' AWAKENING

This was the temperature when we woke up this morning (Friday). It was only 57 in the house. And, because I had changed a comforter to a not as warm as the other one one, Rejean complained he was freezing during the night. A "discussion" ensued as to who could adjust better to the temperature. I ended up changing to a warmer duvet. We had heard 2 loud noises during the night that was probably the wood adjusting to the frigid temperatures. But it was chilly none the less. Thank goodness I wasn't planning to be outside for any length of time today. It was cold going from the house to the garage and the mailbox.

Tonite is the Legion fish fry and we'll be going. You can't beat the great food, good company and fun environment.

See Ya Bye

CHORES

There are things that you just have to do to survive (live comfortably) up here. Today I topped up my wood drawer and the wood stand in the workout room. I also replenished the kindling bucket for upstairs and the one in the workout room. I have two axes that I use for this activity. One is my new 5 pound splitting axe. In the wood shed the pieces of wood are sometimes a bit big for the wood stoves. I take about every third one and split it. I set the piece on end on the snow by the wood shed and take aim with the axe. I must admit that sometimes I miss or take off just a slice. But I am getting better. The squirrels know to stay away from me when I am swinging that axe. The one I use to split the kindling is smaller. We cut about a cord of cedar last spring and that is what I am splitting. It was a fairly straight tree with few knots. Easier to split. I sit on a pop crate and turn on my tunes and split on the cement floor downstairs. A chore I don't mind. So far no cut feet or hands. Touch wood. It is one chore you have to focus on what you are doing. I consider that part of my exercise routine - upper body. Later on in the afternoon, I got in 1/2 hr on the treadmill at #3 elevation. My little birds and squirrels entertained me while on the treadmill. Makes the time just fly by...
See Ya Bye

LINDA'S DESERT

PICKLED EGGS - JOHN LIKED THEM

Linda and John invited us over for dinner the other night - I said I would bring the beets and pickled eggs. It was the first time I made pickled eggs. I couldn't eat one but Rejean and just about everyone else up here likes them. They all liked them. The beets were made by Mari-Lou and were a gift to Rejean. Everybody liked them as well - except me - I don't like them either. I didn't starve tho. Linda cooked 2 roasts - one beef and one pork - mashed potatoes, spicy carrots, SOUR DOUGH BREAD, and a great desert. Yum Yum.

See Ya Bye

GETTING THERE

We are getting there with the panels and doors and shelves. See my kindling drawer? It holds two rows of kindling. It's great that you don't have to chop some up when you don't want to. It's right beside my big drawer for my logs. There will be 2 raised panel doors, like the one beside the door (notice the new "water" glass above the door) And above the kindling is a shelf where the binoculars will go. I like them to be handy to the outside - just in case you see a moose swimming across your lake. Rejean will work on the doors tomorrow, I'll do the finish on them and then they will be all set to go. The we start the pine. There is enough for the whole wall. I still have a ton more in the garage to finish but I'll do that next week. It will be good to get one wall done. We are already using the panel next to the door where we hang the keys. The fire extinguisher is also housed in there.

We finally are having some winter weather. Believe it or not I missed the winter cold, the snow and flurries. It's winter, not spring. It's nice to be cold.

See Ya Bye

PG13 ADULT SUPERVISION

Rejean set a mouse trap under the hood last night and he got one this morning. He said it was the same one he saw previously - he recognized it by the white on his face - he said he was cute.

We took the car to the garage and took the panel apart and found this other one - the one that was killed in the fan. I always know that when the fan "thumps" the is a mouse being killed. I told Rejean that I was going to put a mouse trap in my car's engine every couple of days. If those mice start chewing wires...I'm sunk. This is one time I don't mind too much that we have to kill something.

See Ya Bey

ROAD TRIP!!

We headed to the Sault today. I had a doctor's appointment so we prepared a list and we actually got everything on it. We first hit the glass store to get the two pieces for over the new door. We picked out the "water" glass but we had to come back later in the day because no one was there that could cut it - do you believe that? But since we had other things to do we didn't mind. We then went to Home Depot and got a light fixture for the entry way downstairs. It is similar to the ones we have in the workout room - the same type glass and same finish. We picked up other stuff like stick pins for our "Wall of Shame/Fame" We needed to get some cork board so we can frame it and display all the great pictures of fish, creatures, escapades etc. of all our company. Can't wait to get it up and going. Beware. No one is safe. We even picked up a new splitting axe. I was swinging it around in Canadian Tire. I wonder why no one was coming down that aisle. I'll be trying it out tomorrow.
While I was getting my bone density test, Rejean took the car to get the oil changed. He had commented that there was a funny smell in the car and he thought it might be mouse urine. I couldn't smell it but knowing that my car had housed another mouse before, I didn't rule it out. He actually saw the little guy when the hood was up for the oil change. He poked his little nose out to see what was going on then turned around and went right back to the safety of the engine compartment. Just as we were pulling into our driveway, there was a thump in the fan again - so I knew that the poor little mouse had found his way to the fan and was probably toast. It was too dark to check it out so tomorrow morning, Rejean will have to pull my car apart again to get at the little corpse. At least we know what it is this time. No surprises.
The weather has been very mild. The lakes are starting to thaw. I wouldn't go out on them right now. We are supposed to get colder weather so we may be ok in the next little while. If it freezes right now we could ice skate on them.
See ya Bye

AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION

Chris asked me last night where we had put all the stuff that was on the wall that we are in the process of finishing. Good question. As you know if you have been up here, we have a lot of "stuff" on that wall, including our fishing rods. Rejean got this idea and he built this stand for 25 - yes 25 rods, that can be pulled up and stored against the ceiling in the garage. Sorry about the one picture - I don't know how to maneuver it to display correctly. But you get the idea. There is even a safety feature built in so that just in case somebody releases the ropes, it won't come down on you and kill or maim you. You have to release the locking mechanism. There is a trick to it. but it is perfect for the rods. You don't need them in the winter and in the summer you just lower the stand and voila - there are your rods. He even put the spools of line on the side for easy access. And his filet board is on the other side.

There is still a lot of stuff we have to remove from the room before we can proceed but it is slowly getting done. Today I sanded and put the finishing coat of varathane on the boards and the cupboard for the keys and fire extinguisher. Rejean finished the door for it today so it is in the process of being finished by me.

Dump day tomorrow. And I have stuff to take.

See Ya Bye

THE DOOR IS DONE

We (Rejean) got the door in place and trimmed today (notice the beautiful finish on the door), and the transom windows are framed in. I did have a doctor's appointment in the Sault tomorrow but they called and cancelled it until Monday so that is when we'll get the glass for the windows. They will be in place probably on Tuesday. We also cut the pine to size and did the "V" cut on the ends. Now my job really begins. I have to finish them all - we have enough cut for the wall the door is on. We also have to put in a drawer for the kindling and we already have a big drawer for the wood. Rejean will put a door on them both. And, you can barely see it, there will be a slot for all the keys to be hung up and a place for the fire extinguisher. One thing I learned early on living up here - you have to hang your keys up or you will lose them. With all our company and all the stuff laying around, it is very easy to lose them - and no, it is not an old person thing.

I really like the door - in the morning, it lets light into the stairway. It is very private too. It distorts images from either side. I do have to give credit to Rejean for he is the one who picked this door out at Home Depot. I had my eye on a 6 or 8 panel french door with the decorative glass in it but he liked this one. And now I like it too.

Weather up here has been very mild. Today it was sunny and mild. Not good for the ice fisherman - but everyone says the ice is fine. Rejean was supposed to go ice fishing in North Bay with the farmers but decided to stay home. There is a spring fishing trip that he will, for sure, go on. John is planning a gathering on Axe Lake off the island. Everyone will have their fishing hole and we'll have a bbq and a big fishing derby. Sounds like fun!!

See Ya Bye

FINALLY, I CAN DO MY JOB

I can finally begin my part of the new project - the finishing. You can see the detail of the glass in the pictures.

It is very thick and you can feel the texture on both sides of the door. The hardest part was the discussion of how we wanted to finish the wood on the door. We had choices of leaving it clear pine and just varathaning it, staining it black to match the cabinetry and the bar (future projects) or a stain to match the red in the pine knot holes. We decided to keep the clear pine finish - which means 4-5 coats of varathan with sanding between the 3rd & 4th or 4th and 5th. That is my job and, if I do say so myself, I do a good job. Then there is all the trim for the door and we have to locate a glass similar to the door to go above it in the transom windows - I called some places in the Sault and it sounds like they have what I want. I have a doctor's appointment in the Sault next week so it presents a good opportunity to check it out.
It is always good to be involved in a project. But it is so many details....
See Ya Bye

ps - you can get the same door at Home Depot and I hear they are going on sale - all interior doors 15% off. Wish I had waited.

THE BEGINNINGS OF A NEW PROJECT

Rejean took the door right out of there and prepared the opening for the new door. It is a beaut. It is thick, textured glass and you can feel the thickness and texture on both sides. It is framed in clear pine. It will be magnificent when we get finished with it. And it will go right there.

We are also going to put two small windows of glass above the doorway just like in the bathroom - I think they call them transome windows - they don't open but they look like they do. And they allow more light to enter both areas. I just have to locate some glass to match as close as possible, the glass in the door below it. It'll look good. AND, bonus, we can use the previous door for my sauna when we build it in 4 years.

See Ya Bye

JUST WALKING THE DOG

First my report on babysitting Choco for a while. Choco is a big, friendly chocalate lab. And I took him for a walk when ron and Mary were in the Sault. I used one of those leashes that extend on a long line but it is retractable. First time I ever used one of those things. Choco picked up a "tree" branch and carried it for the good part of our walk. Have you ever walked a dog carrying a tree? An adventure to say the least. We both enjoyed the walk.

See Ya Bye

THE WEEKEND

Yesterday was dump day and I usually go myself. this time I made Rejean take back all the empties - beer cases and liquor bottles. We tend to put off this chore until I can't stand it anymore. We took back a total of 6 empty cases of beer and about 24 empty liquor and wine bottles. Under the bar they had been accumulating from last year. We have lots of empty space now. We also scheduled a haircut Saturday morning. We were both READY for a cut. I don't know why I let my hair grow longer - I like my hair short. And it is short again.

I also got my cross country skiis out and tried them out on the lake. I will have to work on my technique - I tried to go down a small hill onto the lake and, needles to say, it was not a pretty sight - I went down. But got right back up and out onto the lake. I got completely around the lake - it was quite a workout. I had to stop a few times to rest. I will check with a few of my friends up here if I am doing it correctly. I did glide a bit and found it got easier as I progressed around the lake.

Today I went out by myself - Rejean was out cleaning a trail with the guys - and I heard noises from the lake. I got a bit scared and cut my excursion short. The guys say it is just the lake making ice and there is a lot of ice out there and I should be fine. Yea - they didn't hear the noises. Better to be safe than sorry. I'll head out again tomorrow - after I make Rejean check the ice depth with the auger.

I also make pickled eggs today. Rejean got his mother's recipe and I made them today. It takes 2 weeks for them to be ready to eat. I'll let you know how they turn out. I personally don't like them but it's like liver - I'll cook it but I won't eat it.

Well, I have to go do my exercises then relax on the couch. Tomorrow I get to walk Choco, a big chocolate lab. Ron and Mary are babysitting him and they have to go to the Sault. So I'll head over at 1pm and let him out. Should be fun.

See Ya Bye

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Last evening I was just getting ready to do my exercises and Rejean was "snoozing" on the couch. The phone rang at about 6:30 - it was our friend Ron and he had gotten his tractor in a ditch and needed our help in getting it out. Adventure!! We got dressed and were soon on our way. Ron and Mary accompanied us down the road - we were going to put a rope on the truck and pull the tractor out. We finally pulled him out but what a different way to spend an evening. It was nice and bright with the headlights all on. We got him out. Then we warmed up over some smoked fish, cheese, almonds and beer. Fun!!

Then today, it was nice enough to go out on the lake for the first time. I made Rejean venture out first because I was a sissy but I soon found out it WAS safe - about 9" safe. It was a nice sunny day and we zoomed up and down for a little while - all I need is a ramp and a ring of fire and I'm ready for the show. Tomorrow I am getting out my $2 cross country skiis and give it a go on the snowmachine tracks. It is supposed to be sunny but cold so I will prepare - I've got some snowboard sox that I got for a Christmas present from Jodie and Dave that I think will do just fine with my skiis. I'll let you know.

Well that is another report of my life - but I was thinking today about my friend Jim-Bob. I remember some good times up here with you and the gang. That is how I remember you - in the fresh air, sitting laughing with the guys after a hard day of fishing. I laugh when I remember how you tried to steal Rejean away from me because he was such a good cook. Yes he does make a good wife. Sitting around the camp fires sipping beverages and telling fish stories and stuff. The good times. Stay strong Jimmy!

See ya Bye

ONE LESS MOUSE ON THE PLANET TODAY

The other day when I went to turn on my heater fan in my car, I heard a noise and then the fan sounded bumpy. We thought it was ice or something had fallen into the fan. We put the car in the garage to thaw out and see if it made a difference - it didn't. It sounded worse. We opened the hood and checked around. At first inspection we could see nothing. Rejean pulled a panel from a place right below the windshield and he found a mouse nest. It was stuffed with a fluffy pile of stuff. It pretty much filled the space. Plus there was an abundance of bird seeds. On closer inspection we could see the mouse had chewed thru the screening. We would have to access that area from inside the car. He pulled the fan out and there was a freshly killed little mouse.

That mouse had it made before he got a little curious. He could have spent a nice warm winter in that space - there was enough fluff to keep him very warm and enough bird seed for the winter. But, curiosity killed the cat - er mouse. Too bad.

See Ya Bye

THE OLYMPIC TORCH IN THESSALON - OF ALL PLACES

I have never seen so many people in downtown Thessalon, ever!! The Olympic torch was coming to our little town. Thessalon consists of one main street with one of everything. With a population of 1400 (give or take) it was a major event and I think everyone appreciated that fact. We first hit the Legion for their meat draw. You purchase a chip with a number on it - there are only 30 per draw. Then they spin a wheel and if your number comes up, you win meat!!!! Well, I finally won yesterday - actually everyone at our table won something. My prize was 4 strip loin steaks!! Yipee. I was not winning anything with my name - Janet S so the girl asked me what my last name was so I told her and I won - my first name is obviously not very lucky. The draw finished just in time to catch the torch. We bundled up tight because I think it was about -20C out there - my fur hat is being put to good use. We slipped inside the Sinton tavern once or twice to warm up. Finally it was time. We headed outside with our red mittens on and cheered along with everyone else. A few big trucks went by and we got a Coke Zero commemorative bottle - a treasure I'm sure. Then I saw the flame - I was trying to take pictures with my mittens on and I guess a missed a picture but did manage to get a good one as she was almost by me. When it was all over we went back to the legion for a couple of beers. Then we decided to crash the mayor's house (yes we did) We called ahead of time and Al, the mayor's husband, said he only had 1 beer so we stopped by the local LCBO and bought some to take. I guess you are not supposed to take photos inside an LCBO but they let it slide this one time. We were at Al's for about 1/2 hour and Donna, the mayor came home from the festivities - we talked a bit then we went to the Shoreview for dinner - we were hungry. All 7 of us had a great time Al, Donna, Linda, John, Lynn, Rejean and myself. Who said there is nothing to do up here??

See Ya Bye

WHOOOOOO ARE YOU?

I just happened to be looking out the back window and saw this fluffy guy. I noticed a different color and I first thought it was a fat raccoon but then I saw that it was an owl - a barred owl to be exactly. I quickly grabbed the binoculars and tried to zoom in on him. Well with my tremor that is just about impossible. I had to steady my elbows on the table to get a good view of him. Rejean did me a favour and took a couple of pictures for me. He turned his head a number of times and was looking right at us I think a bit. After about 10 minutes of looking at him and seeing that he was in no hurry to move I lost interest. When I went back about 1 hour later, he was gone. I think he should have moved to the front of the house where all my little red squirrels feed. I am not missing any this morning so maybe he just flew away...

See Ya Bye

WELCOME 2010

What a great night!!! A feast was prepared starting at about 2:30 - John, Bob and Davey got the briquettes going and bbq'd the ribs, chicken and sausages. Everyone brought something - it is usually pot luck up here for these special occasions. The newbys on the lake brought devilled eggs as well - I said it would be like Bobby Flay's TV show - which devilled eggs did everyone like the best - but they were all eaten up pretty fast. We were all standing outside enjoying the cold day - Bob was showing the new girls how to snow board down his driveway - they were pretty good. Once everyone was there we ate - there was tons of food. Linda had made - I swear - 50 pounds of potato salad and there was still 40 pounds left over. I took it into Bob's house to put in his fridge - I put it on the counter and - I don't know how it happened - but it fell on the floor up side down!!! Thank goodness the tin foil on top didn't come off and we were able to save the salad - no harm done. And I hadn't even started drinking yet!!! After dinner we all hung around outside around the fire - it was a good night - just a few snow flakes and it was cloudy - I was hoping for a clear evening because of the full moon but no such luck. A lot of people came on their sleds (snowmachines) Ron and Mary, Linda and Daniel and Linda's daughter and her boyfriend all came from Jobam on theirs - Linda got a new one for Christmas and it is quite the machine - very futuristic looking - she likes it.

Bob has a great party garage and some people were hanging around inside playing cards and pool and watching the jr hockey tournament - Canada and US - and Canada won in the shootout - great game. Daniel and Linda brought some champagne and we started drinking that at around 10pm - I think he brought a whole case of it!!! The bottles just kept on coming. It tasted good in my vodka and orange juice!!! Finally it was midnight and everyone started smooching (that's Rejean and Linda going at it) and hugging each other - there was about 18 of us so it took a while to make the rounds. Then the fireworks came out - Rejean had got some at the Trading Post earlier in the day - got a good deal from Keith on them - some weren't as good as we expected and some were great!!! I'd say at about 12:30 everyone was headed home. We took the snowmobile back to Joanne and Mitch's for our evening's accommodations - nice king size bed!! Then the next morning the first annual new year's day brunch at Linda and John's - I talked them into having it at their place because the water isn't turned on at Joanne's and I supplied the food - John cooked and Linda did the dishes as Rejean and I and John had out first annual new year's day sauna - niiiiice - got all the toxins out of our bodies. We packed everything up and headed back home - I got to drive the snowmobile back home - tried out my new helmet - it was fun. Time now to relax and get back to normal.

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy New Year's Eve. Tomorrow, January 2nd, 2010 the Olympic torch is coming to Thessalon!!!!! Yes, it even come to little towns like Thessalon. We will head into town tomorrow to the Legion Meat Draw from 3-4pm then the torch comes at around 4:30 - I expect the whole town to be out for that - I'll have my camera ready to document the event - I even have my Red Mittens (made in China!!)

See ya By