THAT HURT!!! BUT I DIDN'T CRY

It finally happened. I knew that it would happen eventually. Flesh and blood and bone is no match for heavy logs and steel. I did have gloves on and it took a while for me to take them off. What I did was catch my finger between a log and the blade of the wood splitter when I was putting it on the cradle to split.. Boy did it hurt. I danced around for a while and wouldn't let Rejean look at it. I slowly pulled the glove off after about 5 minutes and saw the blood right away. I took a few glances and my stomach just about lurched. It wasn't broken or cut off but I squashed & sliced the skin off from just beside and below my nail. Rejean had a small band aid in his pocket and put it on - well it was bleeding thru. I wrapped a Kleenex around it and took my car and headed back to the house to fix it up - by myself. I got home and all I could do was run water on it. When the pressure was relaxed on it, it stung. I left the original band aid on and just ran the peroxide over it. I was just packing up all the medical stuff to take back to the scene of the medical emergency when Rejean pulled up - he thought I had passed out I was taking so long. He fixed me up - you can see the result in the picture. I did manage to get a glove on my right hand and went back to work. What a trouper!! You can bet that I was very aware of where my fingers and hands were after that. After supper Rejean changed the band aid and I got a better look at it. It's going to take a bit of time for this to heal. You know how much it hurts when you have a rip in your cuticle? Well this is a lot worse. I may loose my nail. And I borrowed Stacey's rubber gloves to do my dishes. I'll replace them.

We did manage to get 6 chords done - face chords not bush chords. 8ft long and 4ft high for the face chord - apparently a bush chord is 8ft long, 4ft wide and 4 ft wide. We may get another 6 chords out of our wood. We need about 15 chords so we may be back out in the bush again. We'll see. We'll be back out there again tomorrow.

Those yummy looking bugs are found in the wood. Apparently they are good for fishing but I wouldn't touch those things with a ten foot pole - they are UGLY.

See Ya By

AS PROMISED...

These two pictures were taken yesterday, Thursday. We attempted to start splitting the wood but it started to rain. I packed the cooler with the beverages and I got to put snow in it to keep it cool. There is not much left now. It is one big pile o'wood. There are 30 trees there so it should be enough to get us thru the next winter and a half.

Today Rejean continued to work on the bulk head for the bathroom and I decided to sand the dock. It was a beautiful day - for a day that they said would be rainy, it turned out to be sunny and warm. I first went out for a garbage run and got a full bag. Then I came home and headed out to the dock. I used an orbital sander and just lightly sanded it down. it bought the nice cedar smell and color back. And smoothed down some rough spots - don't want the tourists getting any splinters.

Tomorrow I can varathan the stuff Rejean made today. Then we can get back to the splitting. And it's dump day. It never stops.

We sat out on the septic bed (out of the wind) and fed the squirrels the last of the peanuts. They are so entertaining. They spent more time chasing each other than eating.

That's it for today.

See Ya By

PS I also did the weather report today for the first time this year.

RAINY DAYS IN MAY BRING....B U G S

Yes folks, that is a mosquito. And yes, they are just starting to come out. We were driven off the balcony last night and they are huge. And thirsty. I didn't get bitten. I have been taking vitamin B. Susan asked if I had heard that taking vitamin B would keep the mosquito's away. I had read about it and decided to be a guinea pig. I started taking one a day about 3 weeks ago so I have not really had a chance to test the results.

The other beautiful creature is a very close close-up of a black fly. They are out too. But not in the numbers that the mosquito's are. And after the rain today and tomorrow and the next day and the next day (get the picture) and the warmer weather, they will be here in hordes. I think our skin has become a bit thick because we don't get bitten as much as - excuse the wording - you city folk. So feel free to come on up - better you than me. And if the bugs are bad, the fishing is good. And the pickerel spawn is late so that is also good news for us fisherpeople. And the opener is next weekend. I have my fishing stuff ready.

We tried to start splitting the wood this morning but it started raining so I headed inside to clean and Rejean retreated to the garage to continue work on the bulk head for the bathroom. There is still a few things to finish. But it is functional. Chris and Egon even showered together in the new shower (too much information?) and they said it was very comfortable. Linda said she felt like she was in the Detroit/Windsor tunnel - everyone is a critic.

My dryer just went off so that means that I have to stop this and get back to work. A woman's work is never, ever done. Now if I could just get my windows clean...

See Ya By

ps - I promised a picture of the wood pile today but the camera is downstairs and I just don't want to get up and get it so how about tomorrow?

SOME NEAT PICTURES OF SCAT (POOP)

Some moose poop. I am not sure what the white one is but it looked like a fur ball - all fur!!! Must have been something he ate...
Hope you enjoyed the poop show :p

STILL ALIVE

That's Chris' hand next to a moose track we came across in our adventure today. And it was fresh. We took off on her 4wheeler down Little Pickerel lake road - we were gone for about 3 hours - a short trip by my standards but a good first time for Chris. We were up and down the hydro lines and down some trails we found. I got off once so she could get down a steep hill - I value my life and when I come across something I am not comfortable with, I don't hesitate to jump off and walk down. We made it. We saw some partridge (hope they stick around til September) hawks and a lot of tracks and scat (poop). I got some good pictures of it (weird I know). Today was a day of rest for us. We got the final trees down yesterday and I will take a picture of the final pile tomorrow. Now the fun stuff - splitting. I do enjoy that. I like watching and hearing the wood split. It's fascinating. Then we have to stack it over at the other property til it dries out and then move it to the wood sheds in September. I will do a blog on how many times each piece of wood is touched - I bet you will be surprised. Chris and Egon leave tomorrow - it was a good visit. They will be back at the end of June with their new boat!!! Tunnel Lake here we come. I asked how many things they can trailer because they have to bring their 4wheeler back. It's good when everyone has their own bike or in this case a legal 2 upper. It is like riding an elephant to be a passenger (or at least what I think and elephant ride would be like) It is a smooth ride but you are tossed back and forth on the bumps and you are hanging on to two handles at the side and sitting on a very comfortable seat. Not bad. We found a stream (Susan and Joanne have been there before - where the Puddingstone rocks are -I found one and hid it until I go back with the sisters) and we will go back with a rod and reel to fish it in June. Good trout stream. Chris is so photogenic - she got her pants wet posing for that picture.

Well that is it for now - cocktail time. Oh I hate being retired....

See ya By

10 DOWN AND 20 TO GO

Chris and I in front of our "pile o'wood". Rejean and Egon cut them down, then cut them to length. Chris and I pick up the wood, load them into the little trailer, then when the little trailer is full, we take them to the bigger brown trailer behind the truck - then when that is full, we drive over to the other garage property and unload them. Who has the hardest job???? We did 10 trees today and will do another 10 tomorrow and then the last 10 on Tuesday - then play time. Chris and Egon surprised us with their new four wheeler. Now we can all play.

But only after the work is done.

We are now off to the colony - Egon has never been.

See Ya By

MURDER ON THE VERANDA

WARNING!!! THIS BLOG CONTAINS A DESCRIPTION OF VIOLENCE - READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it. Who knew?

I saw another fat bird sleeping under the bird feeder set up outside of the window in the new addition. I thought it strange that he was sleeping there but he was. I went outside to feed my squirrels. I was walking towards the tree when I saw a squirrel running down the veranda to the bird feeder area - they sit there and eat the seeds the birds drop. I watched as he approached the bird. The bird could not fly away and hopped away from the squirrel who had gone up to it cautiously. Then, he grabbed the bird and was biting it!! I ran up and tried to scare him away but he held on. Finally he dropped the bird and ran a short distance away. He stopped and looked back at me and the bird. The bird was dead!! The squirrel tried to get the bird again but I chased him away. I didn't know that squirrels killed birds. I think he would have eaten him. Protein? I guess that is nature but who knew? I picked the bird up and put him in the bushes. If the squirrel wants him for breakfast, he can go looking for it.

Life in the bush...

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