PINE NEEDLES

Rejean and one of his many chores around here in the fall.  And he just blew them yesterday…Tons!!!

NOT EVEN CLOSE

It was a delicious dinner last nite at the first Wharncliffe Hall dinner under the new management and the first Butter Tart Bake Off.  The judges were chosen by the members of the committee and Rejean and my friend Linda as well as Huey were chosen randomly.  They took their judge's role very seriously and took some time in choosing the winners - Cathy and Connie.  Congratulations to the winners and, hard to believe, Kim didn't win!!!
The last picture is of one of the winning butter tarts next to one of mine.  Cathy's was runny and had lots of stuff in it.   Mine were so anemic compared to Cathy's.  But, maybe next year…
It was fun!!!

BUTTER TART BAKE OFF

There will be a spaghetti dinner at the Wharncliffe Hall this afternoon - the first function at the Hall under the new management.  And there will also be a Butter Tart Baked Off open to who ever wants to show off their baking skills.  I decided to take the challenge because - really - who can't bake a butter tart?  I bought the shells because I really know my limitations as far as dough making goes - I do not have a machine and didn't have time to find out I really couldn't make dough.  The store bought shells are fine.  And it is not as tho I am trying to pass them off as home made dough - everyone knows what a store bought shell looks like.  But the filling is home made.  I made two batches.  The first one is out of the Whancliffe Hall cookbook submitted by the Butter Tart Queen herself, Kim A.  She is known throughout the Valley as the best butter tart maker around.  She always posts pictures of her tarts on her Facebook and everyone comments on them.  So we will see what she thinks of my interpretation.  The next batch was a recipe off the Internet made with real maple syrup.  I used syrup from my friend Erla's sugar shack this past spring.  I did not put any nuts or raisins in my butter tarts as I don't like them.  I remember the ones my Mom made back when I was a child, being runny and having nothing in them so that is how I made mine.
I will let you know how I made out tomorrow.  I am really not counting on winning - but hey, you never know…

I am printing off some waivers to take with me.  Kidding!!!

WE HAVE A BEAR

He has been hanging around our place for the last few weeks.  We first noticed some bear poop - full of berries - on our driveway and when we came home after dark one night, our motion sensor light was on  and it takes a car to set that off.  Then our neighbour called and said he had seen a large bear crossing the highway down by our shed.  We have got a few pictures of him on our trail cam.  They are fattening up for hibernation so they will eat whatever they can find - which includes corn put out for the deer.  But he hasn't disturbed the deer as they are still coming back.
I now whistle and carry a big stick when I go get the mail everyday…just in case...

LATE SUMMER FISHING

Spent the other evening fishing with Rick and Rejean.  It was so calm.  I headed over to a spot away from the guys and hooked into a river bass.  What a difference with one taken in the river as opposed to one in our lake.  Strong and spunky.  I thought he was much larger than what he turned out to be.  What an amazing fight - he jumped once but he got a lot of height.  I netted him, got the hook out (I push down the barb so it is easy to remove the hook - I don't like to hurt them) and gave him a kiss and let him go to fight another day.  The only other fish taken that evening was a sucker that Rick got - a good size one at that.  We got home just before it got really dark.  It is always fun to ride the quads any time of the day or night.

GETTING READY

Rejean getting his double blind ready for hunting season.  I asked who got dibs on it for opening day and he said they would draw straws - good luck guys!!!  He got the eves trough on it too and he is putting carpeting on the bottom of the window ledges and ledges to keep the noise down.  He did the same to the single blind on the mine side.
A look at my little quad all set up for hunting.
And a pretty shot of some of the leaves changing up here - they are slow this year but they are coming.

NICE RACK...

… of cedar.  Finally got all our cedar done and stacked in the wood sheds.  We got 2 1/2 racks full which should get us thru the long winters up here.  We got some from a tree but the majority from the cedar poles we have had for a few years.  They change the guard rails every spring because the snow plows damage a lot of them.  We asked the highway workers to drop them off at our other property and this year we finally used them  A lot were not that easy to split due to the knots but we managed.  It all burns no matter if they are pretty or not.
Let the winter begin...

MOMMY'S LITTLE HELPERS

I don't think I have to post any narrative.

BIRDS

The opener was September 15th and the guys were out in full blaze orange.  We now have some birds in the freezer to enjoy.  The one Rick got in the picture on the bottom was big - almost like a chicken.  Once our company leaves we will head up there to do some hunting and relaxing ourselves.  Can't wait!

MY FIRST DRONE ENCOUNTER

I saw my first drone the other nite up at Hinkler.  One of the guests at Ituksum was showing his off and I got to watch it for a few minutes.  That thing sure can hover and it is very fast going straight up  and the whirring sound is pretty neat.  And it goes up high.  Tim said that he got some nice shots of the camp ground and surrounding area.  You can see the little Go-Pro camera sitting in the middle and taking the shots.
You are out in the middle of no-where and BAM - there's a Drone!!

NORTH SHORE FISHERIES LAKE STUDY CREW

Rejean and Ron and Dale headed out the other day to do a study on one of the many lakes around here.    It was successful but the trip into the lake was a bit tricky.  I think that means that the lake is safe from a lot of the casual fishermen up here.  Only the strong survive the trail to this lake.

But I know where it is…..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RICKY

Wishing one of my favourite fishing partners a very Happy Birthday.  Ricky will always be older than me by about 4 1/2 months.

Here's to many many more fishing adventures Ricky!!

A NEW LITTLE ANGEL

Little Casie is now running with wings on his paws and in no more pain over the Rainbow Bridge.

He was loved.

SUN FLOWERS

Just a couple of quick pictures of sunflowers from Mary's new garden - pretty!!!

A LEANER

We noticed this tree is leaning a bit more.  We can see at the base that it is close to falling over - roots and all.  They grow out of the smallest bits of dirt for so long and then they get so heavy that a good wind will blow them over.  We hope it waits until the winter to make the clean up a little easier…

It's too bad as it is a beautiful White Pine.