A GREAT DAY ON THE WATER

What a day we had today - we now have enough fish for the fish fry when everyone comes to visit.  We started out at 7am and it was cold.  You could see your breath!!  Joanne and I huddled under a blanket while we headed to our spot.  Right off the bat at a "secret spot" we got 4 fish.  Mitch got a beautiful walleye and then a few nice bass.  We headed up river and got a few more - 12 by the time the fishing trip was called.  And nice ones to boot.  I got a nice walleye and a nice bass plus a few more spunky ones.  Boy they put up a good fight.  Rejean cleaned them all and I washed them off and will freeze them til everyone gets here.

The kids are in the air as I type this.  On their way from Abu Dhabi to Heathrow then on to Toronto then the Sault and then here!!!  Let the fun begin!!!!

ANOTHER BUSY DAY

Well these aren't really work pictures but I did work hard today.  We got the fire hose out and cleaned off the rocks and then sprayed down the surrounding trees - I was watering the cedars around the trailer and all the water was going down the poor chipmunk's hole and completely filled - the chipmunk kept trying to go down the hole but he couldn't.  I felt bad until I realized overtime it rained the same thing would happen - that's what he gets for dining his hole on the road.  Marilou and Sam were over on Jimmy's Point relaxing - at least Marilou was relaxing - Sam was busy clearing the lake of sticks!!

Marilou cooked dinner today - a delicious beef stew and served it over at "her new cabin".  Joanne and Mitch were invited and took advantage of the invitation to ride their quads over.  Joanne arrived in style as usual.  I headed down to the shore to get in the sun and got a good shot of everyone on the deck.  It was a beautiful nite.

Fishing tomorrow with Joanne and Mitch - still short a few fillets for the fish fry when the kids come. Marilou and Sam will guard the homestead.

PREPARATIONS

Rejean put up the screen tent today in preparation of the arrival of the kids on Thursday.  We have a foam floor to put down to keep the kids off the trap rock.  The bugs are not really that bad but it will keep them safe and we can lock put them in there to play with their toys.

So much more to do and so little time left...

WINDSOR WEEKEND

Spent the weekend in Windsor - Joanne had a retirement party to go to and I took the opportunity to spend some time with Claire.  Joanne and I toured the old neighbourhood and as we were slowly going by the old homestead on Windermere, there was a man washing his car in the driveway.  He noticed us and when we talked to him, it turns out he is the person we sold our home to back in the early '80s.  He is still living there!!  We stopped and peeked in the windows of our old public school - Hugh Beaton and I got a couple of pictures.  We hit an estate sale and we each got something that we were looking for.  And it turned out Marilou and Sam were able to follow us back up north to be here when the kids come on Thursday.  Marilou will get to enjoy a couple of days of peace and quiet before everyone else gets here.  Marilou and Rejean enjoyed a cocktail on the porch and Sam was busy cleaning up the lake of sticks!!

POTENTIAL ACCIDENTAL FALLS AVERTED

The kids will be here next weekend I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get stuff ready for them.  Last year all they could do was crawl but this year they are walking and running and lunging and jumping and doing stuff that will give their Mom a heart attack.      While I was trying to get to sleep last nite my mind was trying to figure out where some dangers would be for them.  And it was right in front of my eyes.  The back of our couch upstairs is right against the railing leading down to the main floor.  And since Jody has informed us that they like to climb onto their couch and jump off, I could see this happening here but with dire results.  Rejean to the rescue!!  This afternoon he produced two plexiglass panels and installed them behind the couch to prevent any accidental falls over the railing.  They are firmly secured to the railing and there is no way the kids can climb over it.  Now if I can just figure out how to prevent the kids from rolling down our hill and falling into the lake ... Jodie's current nightmare.  They will be safe here.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads of the world.  I am sharing a picture of my Father and me on my wedding day - my first wedding day.  As I have mentioned before my Father had his demons and fought them right up until the end.  There were good days but the bad days far outnumbered the good.    But he was there for me on that day.

And for all the good days we had, I am glad he was my Father.

FILLETS

Rejean cleaned yesterday's catch and this is what we ended up with - the top pieces are the walleye on the left and the bass on the right.  The two little pieces in the bottom right are cheeks from the big walleye I got.  Like scallops!!

Still need more for the big fish fry when the kids are here in two weeks.

FINALLY A WALLEYE

It was hot today but we had planned to go fishing with Mitch and Joanne on Tunnel Lake.  We met them at Hooverville launch at 7:30 and we were fishing by 7:45.  Fishing was a bit slow but we were getting snagged up a lot.  I finally switched to a jig and a worm.  I got a small walleye.  Didn't fight much - I actually thought it was a snag but that's just how they were hitting.  We finally moved and later stopped and had lunch on a beautiful sandy beach - tons of polliwogs and minnows hanging around.  Mitch took us to his secret bay and that is where I got my big walleye.  And again I thought I had a snag only this time a bigger snag.  thought I was pulling up a stump.  Then I felt the head shake and knew I had a good one on.  It was a beauty and Rejean netted it for me.  A little while later I got a nice bass that  didn't loose.  Everyone caught a fish except poor Joanne but I am sure she will make up for it this summer.  We finished fishing at about 2:30.  Came home and had a nice cold beer.

AN EVENING ON AXE

 

After a delicious dinner of ribs, cole slaw and devilled eggs, we launched the big boat for an evening of fishing on Axe.  We were going to try and find all those lake trout that are supposed to live there.  Sad to report we only caught lots of rock bass a couple of small small mouths and I caught a rather big xxxxx which we let go to live another day.  (don't want to mention the species).  It was a perfect nite to cruise the lake and we did mark a lot of fish but I guess they weren't that hungry - too many bait fish.

ps - some of you may recognize the floating/sunken dock - I took a picture and thought of you all!!

BABY FOX

There is a place right along side of the highway where, year after year, foxes have made their dens.  And if you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you will see the babies out playing.  We passed by the spot and there were two babies out playing but by the time I turned around and got back to the spot only one was around.  But I got a picture  of one sitting there looking at me.  I haven't seen a lot of foxes around so it was very nice to be able to see this one.  He looks nice and healthy too.  

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Birthday wishes from Charlie and Monty!!    Pretty soon they will be fishing for real!!

TIMBERRRRRR

Lots of activity on Axe today when Joanne and Mitch had some danger trees removed by professionals.  No way could we attempt to take these trees down without some damage being done to the buildings or vehicles and boats.  I think there is a total of 6 trees that are being taken down and cleaned up and the logs hauled away.  They even have a beautiful chipper that is amazing in what it can take care of.  Big thick branches with all the foliage still on them are taken into the chipper and chips are spewed out the other end.  I like chippers.  It should take another day or two to complete the job plus a few other small jobs they want them to do too.  They brought along their back hoe that will just be the machine required to dig up Joanne's fire pit and level along the back of their house.  

The work is never done around here!!

CRUISIN"

It was Cruising Day in Bruce Mines today and Mitch got his baby out of the garage for the first time this year.  

His baby being a 1986 Chevy 4 x 4 1/2 ton that he has made some adjustments to to say the least.  And it has a growl as John and Linda's new neighbours will attest to.  As he was pulling away, Mitch kind of let it rip on a quiet side street in  sleepy Thessalon.

I would love to know what John and Linda's new neighbours are thinking right now...

LILACS

Linda has a beautiful lilac bush at her new house and she kindly cut me a few to take home with me.  They smell as good as they look.  It has been a long time since I have had lilacs in my house.

Thank you Linda

AND WHO MIGHT YOU BE

We visited John and Linda's new home in Thessalon and during a tour of the garden I found this little guy on top of the compost bin.  Randy had found him in the gutter of the house when he was cleaning and put him/her in a safer place.  He just posed for me - actually didn't even blink.  Randy thought it was a tree frog but I thought he looked more like a toad.  I googled it and the closest I can find is a Gray Treefrog!!  But one of the characteristics of this species is the rough skin.  I stand corrected.  But he was beautiful and he was that shade of turquoise, white and black.

I spent a little bit of time on the nice back deck off the kitchen in Linda's new home.  How comfortable it was - Randy and Robin were over so we had a nice visit.

LUCKY DAVE

Now I know how tall Dave really is - he is 11 cases of Heineken Tall Boys tall.

He won his height in beer!!  Now THAT is a prize.  Good thing it wasn't my height!  Get those babies on ice!!  Perfect to beat the 35 degree heat in Abu Dhabi right now.

Congratulations Dave!!

MORE FISHING

Another day - another fishing adventure.  I would like to say that the fishing was great but it wasn't but we did manage to get enough for dinner.  We figure someone must have fished the stream before us because there really weren't fish where there should have been fish.
I had an incident with a beaver!!  I saw a nice hole so I got over to it and cast in - with my polarized glasses you can see quite well into the water.  I saw this large dark mass moving in the water and the first thing that crossed my mind was what a big fish that was - then almost as soon as that thought was in my mind, I realized it was the beaver slowly moving under the water.  Scared the shit out of me - Rick said he has never seen me move so fast.  That was my excitement for the day.  I did manage to get a nice one so I will eat him tonite plus the few we got the other day.  No one will leave the table hungry!!