SPRING CHORES AND A PARTY INVITE

Got all the split wood from last year into my wood shed and got the dock in as well.  Turned out to be a perfect day for working yesterday - and no bugs!!  I have enough wood in my shed for next winter and Rejean does as well.  The blocked wood we still have to split should do us about 2 years so we are ahead of the game.
AND we have been invited to the first party of the year on the American Island on Axe.  Can't wait to go and meet everyone and I will be bringing my camera and documenting the festivities.  See you in May!!

WHAAAAT????

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All right - that's enough!!  April 25th and it is still snowing out and quite heavily at times today.  The ice is all out on the lake but right now there is a good couple of inches on the ground and it is still falling.  I don't think it will be staying as it is supposed to be 10 and sunny tomorrow.
We'll see...

PRINCE

Hard to believe he is gone too.  I always liked his music and enjoyed watching his performances.  He has left with me lots of good memories associated with his music.

Ain't nobody better

TRAPPER'S REUNION

The annual Trapper's Reunion was held today in Blind River so we decided to make a day of it.  It is like a home show but for local outdoors people up here.  There was a lot of fur spread around the display area - I fell in love with a beautiful beaver jacket for $2500 but decided I really didn't need another jacket but it was amazing.  There was a lot of knives and leg traps, jewellery made from stones and copper wires and copper pennies -
 
There was a chainsaw wood carver and a display where you could pose all dressed in fur on a sled - it was funny that the owner kept piling all these fur pieces on these two little kids in the picture but the result was very authentic she said.  The kids loved it!!
We saw one of the volunteers from the Northshore Fisheries at a display of Chaga Tea - I highly recommend you Google this stuff and how good and healthy it is.  It is harvested from birch trees up here and is actually a fungus/mushroom growth that is produced on the trees.  Once harvested, it is ground down to produce tea.  We bought a bag of Chaga tea bags and then I had the winning bid on a gift basket from North Shore Chaga on the silent auction.  I enjoyed the ice tea I sampled at the show but will really have to get used to the hot tea.  I am not a tea drinker but with all this Chaga tea around I better become one.
I also missed out on 4 rounds of golf - 2 at the course in Blind River and 2 at the Elliot Lake course - I had the only bid of $10 until about 5 minutes before the deadline. I guess trappers don't like to play golf.  I got caught up in a discussion with a rep from the nuclear display so Rejean went over to guard my bid.  Another man was there and put down a bid and Rejean quickly bettered it.  But just at the last second the other guy got in there and got the prize for $25!!!!!!  What a steal!!!!!
There was also displays from the OPP Canine unit which I missed and a food truck making Deer Tails - something similar to Beaver Tails - there were pretty good.  We also got a side table to go with the chairs I won from the Algoma Manor - the Adirondacks.  Just have to take it apart and varathane them to match.  It was a good day!!!!

DELICIOUS SMELT DINNER

Got those little suckers eaten tonite - some of them anyway.  I have 2 more meals in the freezer for future dinners.  Just coated them in flour, dipped them in an egg wash then re-dipped in flour and cooked in peanut oil outside.  Served with the infamous Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice - what else do you serve with fish other than french fries?
We had one or two left over so the ravens enjoyed them as well.

1ST 4 WHEELER RIDE OF THE YEAR

We finished blocking all our wood so we took a spin on our four wheelers for the first time.  Checked out the mine side and came across some interesting tracks - pretty fresh too.  I believe one is bear and the other pretty obviously moose.  There was still some snow to try and get over and lots of fresh air.  I hope this kind of weather stays with us for a while - it was nice.

SMELTING

We got the call that the smelt were finally running in town so as usual, Ute hosted the Smelt Party.  We arrived at her house at about 8pm to find a beautiful spread of delicious nibbles - I stuck to the fruit with the occasional pretzel but stayed away from the chocolate covered ones.  Oh by the way we saw our first bear of the season on the way.  It was a good size one and he ran across the road then stopped at watched us.  I think he was still a bit sluggish from his hibernation.  Always nice to see them from the car.
The smelt usually run late in the evening so we headed down to a bon fire that Roger had got going from all the drift wood and wood debris he picked up from the beach.  For those of us not actually dipping our nets in the water, it was nice to stand around the warm fire and watch what was going on.
One fellow found a large zip lock bag full of smelt probably from the nite before as they hadn't started running then.
They guys started getting them around 11:30 or so and it wasn't hot and heavy - usually about 4 or 5 in the net but consistent.  By the time we called it there was enough caught that the 3 guys got a large zip lock bag to take home.  Ours are all cleaned and sitting in the fridge for dinner tomorrow nite.
It was about 1:30 by the time we got home - very late for me but we had a good time.  But I am glad it only comes around once a year...

READY EDDY?

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The weather has been co-operating so we are almost finished blocking the wood - all that is left is 6 logs that were frozen so they are thawing.  It is one massive pile of wood - 2 bunks worth.  We figure all total it was about 14 days of work to get it all blocked.  And I managed to get thru it all without injury but for the last piece of blocked wood for the day.  Instead of tossing it into the pile, I placed it on top of another piece of wood but another piece of wood was close by and BAM!  Squash!!

CHORES?

Looks like Jodie has taught the kids how to do the dishes - but on a closer look, they are just playing in the water.
I will have to build a couple for their visit this July - by that time maybe they will have learned to wash the dishes.

(Charlie has the birthmark on his back)

WILDLIFE

The creatures must be moving because we certainly spotted a lot of wildlife in the past two days.  We were headed to Blind River for the Blood Donor clinic yesterday and spotted either a wolf or a coyote on a frozen swamp on highway 554.  A little further along were 3 deer - a doe and her 2 fawns from last year - crossing the road.  We stopped and watched them watch us before they jumped the guardrail and tried to hide in the bush.  Then on the way home the elk were out so we stopped and got a couple of shots.  We also saw another wolf or coyote but couldn't get the camera focused in time.  Then we spotted a raccoon up a tree but didn't stop to get the shot.  And I was driving and I was the one who spotted all the creatures.
Then today while we were working on the wood, Rejean spotted a chipmunk amongst the split wood just wondering what we were doing.  I hope he doesn't live in there because he will be homeless soon once we get that wood brought over to the sheds - sometime in the very near future.
The Blood Donor clinic was a success - we got there about 4pm and there was a line up in front of us.  The place was packed - very good to see.  My iron was good and I was finished in 8 minutes which is pretty good for me.  Must have been all that water I was drinking before I got there - had to go to the bathroom a lot but it makes the actual donation go so much smoother.  One time they had to take me off the needle after 15 minutes - it was taking too long for the donation to be viable.  Drinking water does speed up the process.  Then to the free cookies!!!  There were quite a few Mennonites there to give blood - some it was their first time donating.  Good to see them out for such a good cause.  I am catching up to Rejean - I have 42 donations - Rejean has over 50 - but I couldn't give for 12 months because of my implant.  I can do it!!!

BLOWING SNOW - GLOBAL WARMING????

                Lets see - April 11th and Rejean blew snow today after we received about 4 inches of new snow yesterday and last nite.  Where is the global warming everyone is talking about?  Certainly not happening around here!!!

I say shoot the groundhog!!

THERE BE DRAGONS...

Last nite was the annual Owl Count so Ute and Ginny met at my house at five and off we went.  We were missing our fourth Hooter, Mary, who moved away but she was with us in spirit.  We headed up 129 to the Aubrey Falls Trading Post for dinner before the actual count started.  We met the newest addition to the Post - Jackson, the Bearded Dragon.  He is beautiful - a vibrant shade of orange and he feels like sandpaper.  He likes being handled and didn't mind all the attention he got from us.  He posed for pictures and then tried to make a dash for freedom when put down to walk across the floor.  Funny to see him run.  He lives in a terrarium in their main dining room so if you get a chance drop by and say hi and have lunch or dinner or breakfast.  Support the Locals!!
It was cold to say the least last nite -8 when we started and ended at -10.  Ute and Ginny heard a Great Grey Owl on one of our first stops but I must have been facing the wrong way to hear him.  That was about it for owl encounters.  We did see big wolf tracks and where he peed on a bush - that was neat.  But the highlight of the evening was how clear it was and all the stars out - we saw the space station whip by and Ute and Ginny saw a shooting star.  I missed it.  It was fun just being out and about with the girls.  Maybe next year we will hear more owls...

BLIND CHAIRS

We have been looking for some chairs for the new blind - Rejean had captain's chairs in mind - something with arms and a nice back for all the hours spent watching for deer.  We couldn't find any so he MacGyver'd these chairs out of some old plastic ones we had in the other shed.  He cut the legs off and replaced them with oak ones, made sure they were sturdy enough for all the hunters,  and placed the seat on a laze susan type base.  Now they will have full 360 degree movement and be comfortable at the same time.
Good Job!!

ALL MY FAULT

                                                                                       I never took my "Just Say Snow" stone in on the first day of spring and look what happened!!!  Rejean blew snow today - about 8 inches of the stuff and it is still lightly snowing.  Even my two ravens are bummed!!

KINDNESS

We are having a spring snow storm right now - right at the start of calving time on the Ansley farm.  Kim posted this picture on her Facebook this morning.  The first calf was born in the snow and this is a picture of Terry pulling the new little calf to the warm barn on a sled with all the other cows watching.  The one with her nose to the sled is the calf's mom just making sure that her little one is all right.
I think this picture is beautiful - it shows the compassion Terry and Kim have for their animals and the complete trust the cows have in knowing they are safe.

NICE ICE BABY

It is still cold up here and we still have ice flowing down the rocks at the sides of the road.  On the way home a few days ago I got some pictures of a beautiful ice display on 554.  The pictures really don't do it justice - on one formation you could see the water dripping behind the ice on the rock - I did get a video.  I didn't get too close because I was afraid it would be just when it warmed up enough for it to come crashing down.
It really is a beautiful sight.