A MINI PROJECT

Just a little project complete this week.  We bought a small Treager Smoker last year and just got around to "fixing" it.  It was a smaller version of Mitch and Joanne's and it sat really low - so low it would be uncomfortable standing over it to tend to the smoking.  Well, Mr MacGyver got right to it and came up with a solution to the height and also to make some storage space for utensils and other stuff.  I think it came out perfect.  It is the right height and it looks great!!!  The front of the drawers are oak stained ebony and the sides are oak veneer also stained ebony.  It's base is on wheels for easy maneuverability.  And the top of the drawers is made up of 2 slate tiles for durability.  The whole unit made up of wood scrapes and stuff that has been hanging around for years.  He never throws anything out because it ALWAYS comes in handy.

The other snow pictures are just to show how much snow we really have.  We got 15 inches in the last 3 days in the last snow episode.  A typical winter up here I hear.  But cold!!!  It was -30 this morning here and -41 in Wharncliffe just down the highway.  My days have been spent keeping two wood stoves going in the house.  Like juggling!!

CHILLY

It was a wee bit chilly here this morning to say the least.  Coldest it has been this winter.  I have seen -40 in previous winters so I guess this is just balmy.

Stay warm people!

LADIES WHO LUNCH

Our monthly Ladies' Luncheon was held at the Wharncliffe Community Hall just down the highway.  Two choices of soup and three kinds of sandwiches plus desert.  I even had a piece of cherry pie which I never do.
Cathy showed up for this luncheon as it was held on her day off from the Tunnel Lake Trading Post.
It is always nice to be able to support local communities.
Next month we are back to 17 Restaurant in Blind River because Linda wants to go to the bakery down the street for their delicious butter tarts.  Didn't take much coaxing for everyone to agree.
On Valentines Day to boot!!

DREAMING OF SOME WARMER WEATHER

It was so cold today that I started remembering some warmer days spent with my sisters in St Pete Beach.
This picture was taken after we all purchased the Bon Aire's sippy cups that held a lot of beverage so we had to have a picture of us all holding them.
We do funny things like that.

Cheers!!!

NO FISH WERE HARMED...

...but I did have one on for about 3 seconds so that was exciting.  From about 10am til 2pm we sat out there just off of Ron and Mary's place.  Not too cold but cold enough to get out my rabbit hat from Keith's Trading Post.  Man that hat is warm but I couldn't hear what everyone was talking about because I had the ear flaps down.  I had so many layers of clothes on I couldn't move very fast.  We were going to fish another lake but it would entail snowmobiling across a wide lake and I am not too keen on that this early in the season.  There was plenty of ice out there but I am a chicken sometimes!
We called it at about 2pm and then had a couple of games of euchre in the house - the nice warm house.

ICE FISHING

It was a beautiful day last Saturday and the Lake Trout fisher people were out in force on Cummings Lake just past the dump.  There wasn't enough space in the little drive way so some people had to park on the highway.  Fishing must be good in that one spot as that is where they seem to congregate all the time.  There are a few permanent (as in out there all ice fishing season) huts but the majority of the people seem to be out in the open.  Not bad on that day but some days that wouldn't be a smart thing to do as the wind does really howl down that lake.
I am not too keen on Lake Trout except when we blacken it and dip it in maple syrup.  Now that is good!!!

SNOW WAVES

These waves are the result of the big storm we had last Monday.  Usually our lake hasn't any waves like this on it so this is a real treat.  The wind blew the snow sideways all day long during the storm and this is what we were left with.  Beautiful!

DIGGING OUT

We never went outside yesterday and the wind howled and the snow blew sideways all day long.  Nice to watch from inside where it was warm and cozy.  We watched it piling up and knew we would have a big job ahead of us today.  We got approximately 12 inches and I know some people got over 14 inches.  It was a big system!
It took Rejean over 3 hours to do the driveway - it is 0 degrees out so the snow is a bit heavy and wet so you have to take your time.
There are drifts on the lake from all that wind yesterday - very pretty to look at.

I walked out to the highway and found that it had been plowed and it was actually in good shape considering what we have seen on other days.  I got a picture of my "church organ pipes" along the highway.  Every year this forms from water flowing over the rocks in the same place near our driveway.  Very pretty.

SNOW DAY

Finally getting some serious snow today.  They are calling for 25cm and an all day event.  Our power has been off and on a number of times.  Just when you think it is going to be a sorting kind of day - boom - the power comes back on.  The wind is out of the east and it is blowing sideways so it is a bit breezy out there.  But not really that cold at -8.

Would much rather be on a beach with all my Sisters!!

CHEERS!

MADE IT

Well I made it to midnight last nite.  Our company stayed until about 12:30 which was perfect for me.  The meal was great.  I had lasagna that Sandy made for the hunters which they didn't get around to eating so I served that with some garlic cheese bread.  Ute made the salad which was delicious and Mary made the desert.  Ron made some amazing Hors d'oeuvres (had to look up the spelling of that one) of bacon wrapped partridge.  Dipped in real maple syrup of course.  Everything taste better when dipped in real maple syrup.
We had a late dinner and then played some Kinect - bowling and darts.  We finished the night up with a rip roaring game of Uno - you really know who your friends are during one of these games.
Ute and Roger also brought along a bottle of Champagne so we toasted the new year in.  Roger also made us stand on our left foot and then step down onto our right foot at the stroke of midnight.  That way we are starting the new year off on "the right foot".

The last picture is of Charlie and Monty enjoying a desert in Bansko Bulgaria where they are vacationing.  They have mastered the sledding and tomorrow will be taking skiing lessons.
Cute hats!!!