SNOW FORT ON AXE

Easter weekend on Axe Lake and these 2 little kids were hard at work building their snow fort.  That's Emily and Nathan, neighbours of John and Linda's.  And with all the snow around plus what we got last nite, there is enough material to work with.  They look like they are having a great time.  And working up a hunger for Easter Eggs!!!!  Emily and Nathan brought over an Easter Basket for John and Linda this morning - how thoughtful.
Oh to be young again...

MY FAVOURITE KIND OF BUNNY

I start from the ears and work my way down - I prefer the solid ones.  I bought 2 a few weeks ago and, surprise surprise, mine didn't last more than a few days.  But I didn't get into the other one - I just bought myself another one and ate that one in a few minutes.  It is the only time of year that I eat chocolate so I do indulge myself.  I also bought some foil wrapped cheap chocolate eggs that I put in a pretty bowl for visitors.  Linda and Lynn ate some yesterday and I know that Mary will eat some today - I have had my share and right now I don't want to look at another chocolate anything - till next Easter.

Happy Easter everyone.  I hope the Easter Bunny was good to you...

MY BOOTS

I guess Boots was in the mood to pose for me today - of course I had to bribe him with breakfast.  It never ceases to amaze me how gentle he is.  But I have seen him in action and the results of a squirrel being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He is beautiful with his winter coat and I can see the lighter areas on his face - I guess he is starting to turn grey - like me.
I look forward to his visits but the squirrels and blue jays and ravens don't.  You can always tell when Boots is around - the warnings are going off everywhere.  Especially the Blue Jays but they yell at me when I am around - you would think they would know me by now...
See Ya Bye

FUN WORK

I got to drive the tractor today!!!  It is always a good day when that happens.  We got into the trap rock pile to spread it on the lane way.  This time of year our lane way is very slippery and spreading the trap rock seems to help so I drove while Rejean spread the rock with the shovel from the pile in the loader.  After we finished our road, we loaded up a bunch of pails and spread it on Ron's road - he is still recovering from shoulder surgery and he has a mean hill that  was screaming for trap rock.  And he is so appreciative!!  We had a few beverages in front of the new outhouse.  It was a beautiful spring day up North.  But there is still a ton of snow still on the ground.

A CASUALTY

These 2 pictures were taken yesterday, Tuesday March 26 - as you can see, we still have an enormous amount of snow still on the ground.  And, with such an abundance of the white stuff, combined with warmer temperatures, some structures have succumbed to the weight of the snow.  Unfortunately, one if these structures was Rick and Joan's shed.  We spent yesterday morning digging out the snow and transporting the contents to the garage.  We snowshoed in but were able to take off the snowshoes and walk on top of the snow, making it a lot easier for us. The only thing damaged was their bench slider chair and the base of the telescope and their totes.
 The second picture is of our wood pile - it is 4 feet tall so the snow is at least 3 feet deep considering how much is showing.  And look at the snow on top!!  It is going to take a while for this amount of snow to melt.  Our lane way is slushy and slippery in the afternoon.  If you are going to go anywhere, you go in the morning when the road is still frozen.
I guess it is just a waiting game.  It melts when it melts.  I bet the bugs are going to be out this spring!!!!
See Ya Bye

CLOSE CALL

I was upstairs and heard a bang on the back window - another bird had flown into the dining room window.  I quickly glanced over and saw it fall and I was horrified to see that it was my woodpecker!!  He lay stunned on the snow drift behind the house.  He was not moving.  I went downstairs and looked out the bedroom window and got a closer look at him.  He was not moving but he was breathing.  His beak started to slowly open and close.  He was alive but barely able to move.  I have seen this before and they usually come around and, being a woodpecker, I knew he would make it.  I continued to check on him - he slowly raised his head up and looked around then rested.  The next time, his head was up and he was looking around and then when I checked again - about 1/2 hour after the accident, he was gone and back at the suet on the tree, good as new.  But I bet he'll have a whopper of a head ache tomorrow.  They are tough little creatures.

GIRLS RULE

SPOILER ALERT FOR CANADA'S HANDYMAN


We have been following Canada's Handyman - a series in which talented handymen and 1 woman compete in about 17 challenges in order to become Canada's Best Handyman.  Competitors come from all over Canada, initially chosen from their projects from 1 piece of plywood.  It is amazing what you can do with 1 piece of plywood.  We have been watching it from the start and I have been routing for the one lady in the group, Maria Nestoras, and lo and behold, she won.  She beat out a number of talented men to become Canada's Best Handyman.
It appears that Canada's Best Handyman is a woman!!  Way to go Maria.  I am proud of you.  I think this win will open up so many wonderful opportunities for you.

Choose wisely, Grasshopper...

ENOUGH ALREADY

According to my weather authority Kim, 4 inches of the white stuff fell in her area but I think we got a bit more - it is still snowing as I type and more is expected tonite and tomorrow.  Winter just does not want to quit and it is the first day of Spring tomorrow.  this time last year we had no snow and the ice was almost off the lakes.  Not this year.  According to the locals, this is a "normal" northern winter.  I really don't have any complaints but I am ready for spring.
I got a good shot of my woodpecker today.  It is a Hairy Woodpecker - as opposed to a Downy Woodpecker which are very similar.  The difference is in the bill.  AND guess who is back.  Boots.  I never saw him all winter altho his tracks were everywhere.  But the other morning, there he was, sleeping on the snowbank.  I tapped on the window and he got up, stretched and trotted over for breakfast.  But he is a little slower and his eyes looked sleepy - this has to be the 4th year he has been around and the actual life expectancy of fox in the wild is about 5 so he can be considered a senior - just like me.  I am happy he is back.  I missed him.
See Ya Bye

IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN

It was getting close to the time when the ice huts have to be off the hard water and the weather was co-operating so we acted.  Ron had just had surgery on his shoulder so he drove the tractor and instructed us what to do.  We had to lift the shack off the ice and put blocks of wood under the floor to raise it high enough so that a sled could be inserted under the floor to haul it off the ice.  It went smoothly this year and we had it done in no time.  A total of 2 fish were caught this year - actually it was a tough year all over for fishing - Dave, who works at the dump, only caught 3 fish on Cummings.  Soooooo, it was decided that instead of putting the shack out again next year, we would recycle it to be our outhouse and storage building up at Hinkler as long as Ron could let it go and he said he could.  We have enough portable ice huts so he wouldn't miss it.  Thanks Ron!!  It will be the nicest outhouse in the bush!!
See Ya Bye

AN EXPLANATION

To those of you who post comments on my blog, you will notice that now I have to "approve" all the comments before they are published.  It is because I received an inappropriate comment the other day and I had to scramble to remove it  before people saw it.  At that time I noticed that there were more similar comments on other posts from earlier in the year and late last year.  I spent a few hours removing all these.  
I care what is published and try not to offend my followers.  If you have inadvertently seen anything like this before, please accept my apologies and know that it will never happen again.

NOT BAD FOR A 3 CAR GARAGE

What can I say except that I am glad it is done.  There is not one single thing I would change about this area.  What once started as our 3 car garage is now our main floor living space.  All the trim is done - actually Rejean is just putting the oak strip on the door at the bottom of the stairs as I type.  He has to finish the bar next year and the stairs still need to be finished but we have yet to decide how we are going to do that.  We got our plaque back from Joanne Nichols and we are very happy with the results - she does do good work.  And I promise that everyone who comes up this year will end up on the board either in fame or shame.  I promise to have up to date pictures every year.
Now a wee rest before we start the wood.  We have to wait for the snow to go down or we will be cutting the trees half way up the trunk.
I will just enjoy my new room...

KISS ME - I'M IRISH

Yes, today is the day when everyone is Irish so get out there and enjoy!!

Please party responsibly for tomorrow is Monday - a work day for some...but not meeeeeeee

FISHING DERBY PART 2

The real party was in the garage after the fishing was over.  We served hot dogs and beans for lunch (plus some chili for coney dogs) and the dinner was pot luck.  Please note that when you tell northerners that it is pot luck, be prepared for food galore.  And the derby was no different.  We had lasagna, chili, more beans, chicken soup, bean salad, lettuce salad, hamburgers, fruit and nuts and veggies, rice crispy squares (made by you know who) cookies etc.  I didn't even bring out my spiral sliced ham.  AND we had Cajun lake trout for appetizers dipped in maple syrup.
The prizes were handed out after dinner.  The main prize was won by Ron W.  He received a nice picture frame in which to put a picture of his beauty of a catch.  The next prize was for the most mature fisher person.  That was won by Len D who has the nick name around here of the chic magnet.  He is a true gentleman and he likes hanging around with our gang.  He won a fish knife.  The next prize went to the most immature fisher person which was won by John who is just a little kid at heart.  If you find beer caps in your boots or your hoodie hood, you know John has been around.  He got some Fish Crisp.  The final prize went to Jane who pulled in the Tuna.  She got a hand held flash lite and got to take home her can of tuna.
As usual, a good time was had by all.  It is wonderful to get together with friends to do something we all love.  And it was a bonus that a fish was caught.
See Ya Bye

John's pimped up snow machine.

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL FISHING DERBY

Part One - there are a lot of pictures I want to post of the fishing derby held yesterday so I will do some today and the rest tomorrow.  What a beautiful day!!  Ron really knows how to pick them.  The derby was held at Ron and Mary's place on Jobam and in the morning it was sunny and warm.  No breeze to speak of but it got a bit breezier in the afternoon.  Ron W caught a nice 4 pound laker - the only fish of the day not counting Plain Jane's tuna that she caught.  We let her keep it even tho it was out of season in our area.  AND we had a surprise  visit from Skip who landed his plane on the lake - first time I have ever seen that.  We had quite a turnout - locals who live around the area.  It was fun and I met a few people that I have never met before.  They are not strangers anymore.  We had the food and gathering in Ron's garage.  And, as luck would have it, all the snow on his roof came down that afternoon after lunch had been served.  Thank goodness  no one was still at the BBQs because I think it could have been ugly.  The snow missed the BBQs but it happened so fast I am sure they couldn't have gotten out of the way fast enough.  Ron got the tractor out and cleared it in time for dinner.
More tomorrow...

THE PROCESS

This was Thursday's project - an 8 foot section of the floor.  We are doing a section at a time because of the furniture - it is just easier for us.  First, we lay down the vapour barrier on the bare cement secured by Tuck Tape.  The 2 x 4s are placed with the 1 1/2" Styrofoam - the 2 x 4s are held in place by a nail blasted into the wood and cement by a tool which uses bullet type explosives - I don't touch it as you can imagine.  Next the plywood which I helped screw down.  The padding is next placed on top of the plywood and then finally the flooring.  Tuscan Stone we bought at Home Depot years ago when it finally went on sale.  This section took all day as it extended into the hallway and there were a lot of cuts.  We finished another 8 foot section today - no cuts involved.  Slowly but surely it is getting done.