Bob

Nah, it's not that life is short, it's the longest thing you're going to do but dang, you're a long time dead after. Enjoy while you can.

Grinding wheel on a stand with a pair of wheels on the bottom and a foot pedal to drive the grinding wheel. I remember teachers calling students to class with the same kind of bell. How about the sheeney or rag & bone man who used to tour the neighbourhoods with a horse and wagon picking up anything that could possibly be recycled? I remember the coal man coming to deliver sacks of coal which he opened and dumped down the chute to fill the coal bin. Carrying ashes out to spread on the ice in the driveway to give some traction for usually bald tires. Tires got replaced when you couldn't patch them anymore. Oh yeah, no such thing as a tubeless tire and you had to be so careful not to get a wrinkle in the tube when you put it back in after a repair.

Whatever you decide on, look for the new models to come out and buy last year's model. I have a Fuji S5200 and I love it, 5MP and 10x zoom but if I had waited a few months, I would have saved $150.00.

I remember. Not only milk delivery but ice for the icebox too. Deliveries made with horse-drawn wagons and this was Scarborough. Believe the dairy was Acme Farmers. The corner store had a pop cooler with racks that the bottles hung from and you had to slide the bottle to the end of the rack to get it out. Bottle of pop was 7 cents and you got 2 back for the bottle. Bought my first bike delivering the Globe & Mail, dollar down and a dollar a week. Cigarettes at 33 cents for a small pack and 41 for large and if Mom sent me to the store to buy some for her, no questions were asked. I remember the first tv set we had, 21" Admiral that had doors that closed over the screen. I think that was about '54 and one of the first in the neighbourhood. All the local kids wanted to come over on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons and the serials (Remember those? The hero was certainly dead at the end of the show but when they replayed the final scenes the next week, he miraculously escaped.) Ah, my brother and I were likely the most popular kids in the 'hood then, all because of a tv. 78 rpm records before the 45s, Dad's first car that I remember was a 1929 Hudson. I remember Packards too and Henry Js. Jeeps were made by Willys Motors. I could probably keep adding to this forever.

I haven't fished the eastern tribs in over 30 years but those pix look like so many places on the tribs, One would have to be amazing to figure it out. Nice fish, pretty colours.

I did a walk through of the shop there in the early 70s. Looked a lot like it does now. I bet a lot of the hunters here would love to see a shot of that atypical whitetail rack. Nipissing, I believe you mentioned it was still there? How about a pic? It impressed me way back when.

The body and scales make it look like an overgrown whitefish. It even has the adipose fin. The head is a whole 'nother story. Frightening!

They look like Mepps minnows.

I've seen a few in this neck o' the woods. Unfortunately I never had a camera handy when I did. Most times I've seen them were in low light conditions anyhow. Only once spotted one playing in mid-afternoon. My father and I were hunting grouse along the Boland River north of town and on the way back out we spotted this guy bouncing in and out of the ditch. Must have been hunting mice and didn't pay us any attention at all. We shut off the truck and sat and watched for about 20 minutes.

I got my hunting license 47 years ago and the test was 10 questions. I don't remember if that was one of them but I know the answer. It's a weight thing. Congrats Jen.

Ozone is funny stuff. In the upper atmosphere, it's wonderful stuff but at ground level, it's pollution. I don't know if CFCs made the holes at the poles in the ozone layer but it strikes me that the ozone layer thins and thickens pretty regularly. Maybe it's something that's been going on forever? I was born a redhead and sunburn has been something I lived with all my life. From about 1950, I've seen many cycles where for a few years I've had to be real careful and then for a few years it was no problem. Been back and forth like that since I was a little kid. In the late 40s and early 50s, every country with the capacity was testing atom bombs and hydrogen bombs. All looking for the biggest stick. Megatons of radioactive dust were pumped into the atmosphere and it spread worldwide. Suddenly certain diseases were spiking, the most noticable being lung cancer but diabetes was in there too. Into the early 60s, there was a mad scramble of scientists looking for something (other than radiation which we KNOW causes cancer) to blame it on and they chose tobacco. Now, since about 1990 the US is testing and using "depleted" uranium ammunition and atmospheric radiation is rising again. Once again, there's a big push to demonise tobacco in the last 10 or 15 years. Now this depleted uranium is great stuff, it penetrates stuff real well, specifically tank armour and underground bunkers. The only problem is, it puts radioactive dust into the atmosphere and has a half life of about 4 billion years. Bees are disappearing worldwide and there's fear that soon there won't be enough of them to pollinate crops. Some folks think this has something to do with genetically modified crops with the built in pesticide. Pollen from these gm crops blows around and it's spreading these genetics everywhere. Farmers in the western provinces are being sued by Monsanto because their GM crap has been found growing in ditches beside their fences and they aren't licensed to grow the stuff. Who'd want to? Forgive me for being a cynic but I saw the coming ice age headlines 30 years ago and I think there are far bigger problems today than what's coming out of my tailpipe.

I've been in Elliot Lake now for 27 years and the earliest I've seen the ice go was April 15th. That was probably 82 or 83 and it's not going to happen this year. I've also watched the ice go out in the 3rd week of May. This is just Elliot Lake, some go a little sooner and some later.

My first trip to Burleigh Falls was in Dad's 29 Hudson. That was in 49 and they were fish of a thousand casts then. It was a rare treat to catch one. Yes, we ate them, nothing wasted in those days. They do taste similar to pike, they are pike, just get a little bigger and smellier.

I see one car in there that looks like a 52 Chev or Pontiac. Aside from the chrome, there was little difference between them up until about 56. My second car was a 52 Chev, dang, I'm getting old I guess.

In my estimation, the vast majority of politicians, regardless of party, are specific in not committing to anything unless there's a hinge attached. Makes it easier to flip-flop the issue. (Apologies to anyone who is really committed to their party but that's how I see it.) Most politicians reside in the pockets of big corporations so I doubt you'll see legislation that will hurt these companies who have bought and paid for their pols.

An East Indian friend of mine did some up in fishcakes and they were just fine. Since they're mostly vegetarian, they don't accumulate toxins at the same rate as the predator fish. They were introduced to this continent as a food fish because they were easy to raise in ponds and they grow fairly quickly.

It's a penny farthing, reportedly the first true bicycle that could produce decent speed. They were popular in the last half of the 19th century. Don't hit a pothole or you're going over the handlebars.

Wouldn't it be more appropriate if it appeared in tomorrow's edition? Our local paper runs the odd prank but only on the first. Doesn't happen too often since our local paper is a weekly.

Early spring trolling for lakers, I've had some of my best days with a north east wind and overcast skies but in those conditions I fish the windward shorelines. My best pike fishing has come on bluebird days with bright sun and little wind. Downrigging for salmon, I only watch the wind because it can get dicey pretty quick on big water. Don't fish walleye much so I don't pay much attention to conditions when I accidently run into one. I go fishing mostly when the mood strikes or when milady drags me out the door with fishing rod in hand.

Lamprey numbers go up and down and the length of the cycle relates to MNR budget and cost of lampricide. I got this from a CO back in the 70s. They used to use electric traps at one time to stun the eels and a crew downstream from the trap would shovel the critters out of the river with pitchforks. Worked in it's day but it was a bit labour intensive. When lampricide was developed, they switched. It's effective but expensive and doesn't get them all.

As with any market, it's a supply / demand issue. Most people selling something used insist the item is worth more than it really is and those looking to purchase insist it's worth less. That being said, I personally wouldn't pay more than $500 for a 20+ year old outboard in the 10 hp or lower category. On the other hand, if someone was offering one for less than $100, I'd be highly suspicious of condition. Today, I know where to lay hands on an 88 Buick, certified, for $1000. Look around and you'll find deals.

In the majority of lakes and rivers around here, I don't worry about it. If I get thirsty, I scoop up a cupful and drink. Done that for years and years and never had it bother me. If I'm not carrying a cup, I stick my face in and suck up what I need.

I've always had better luck with uncured roe, fresh or frozen. When you freeze roe, ice crystals form inside the eggs and they can puncture the shells. When this happens, the eggs don't last as long but on the plus side, the stuff that bleeds out of them is a powerful attractant. Just take some extra bags for a day's fishing. This is going to happen whether you bag them before or after freezing them. I like to bag them first and package what I figure I'll need for a day, then it's a simple matter of grabbing them and letting them thaw on the way to your fishing hole. If you feel a need to cure them some, just leave them in cold running water for a while and it will harden them up a bit.

They sell them in the 7/11 stores here. Don't know if I'd want one on my vehicle during Bullwinkle's rutting season. I've never used them but I know a couple of folks that would never use one again. Guess why? Aunt Peg says Hello Ryan.

I must dispute"warmer than ever before". The medaeival warm period was warmer than today and 1000 years ago, the Vikings were raising crops and cattle on Greenland. I don't dispute that today, we're warming up some but I don't believe we should be arrogant enough to think we're causing it. Just found an interesting flick and I haven't even finished watching it but these real scientists make a lot more sense than a politician and former vice president of the US. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttV2C6B8pU