oldschool

Put the axle over the springs, as suggested above. But also install a taller shackle, either on only one end or both ends of the spring pack. This will provide more space between the trailer frame and the springs. The shackles will be however long you feel you need to keep the springs operating well.

Many ball kits come with a spacer/bushing already included. The bushing is also offered separately at most outlets selling this equipment.

Joey, I think that the vet is covering all possible bases with you in terms of taking care of Ralphie. While I am in this industry for many years, and I am not a veterinarian, I hear always that few vaccinations/treatments are 100%, and to know for certain whether a problem exists is to have the test. Your vet may know you quite well, and this may not be the situation for you, but many times they see pets that have had treatments skipped by accident, and they know that there is a chance for the disease to find a home in the pets. Heartworm is difficult to treat once established, and the sooner one knows, the better and less expensive the outcome. Heartworm has few symptoms until really late when it may not help to do the cure. Recommended treatments are for year around immunity, but that's usually not necessary, so many people skip treatments in the winter months. But it can happen that they become infected when we don't expect it. That's why the tests are done, to avoid heartworms doing damage because an ounce of prevention is much better than the pound of cure. I am sorry that I cannot be more definitive for you. You know the care that you give Ralphie, and that is really what tells the story. For what it's worth, I think that the vet is just doing everything possible to assure against any future issues.

Here is a nice presentation on bicycling in Ontario. While not specific in its declarations, it does say that bikes are to be considered vehicles, and therefore have to follow the same traffic laws as cars, etc. Also, if reading about the path and spacing that bikes need to follow, it is inherent in the law that bikes cannot pass on the side of an auto and do so lawfully. At least, that is how I would translate it if I was riding the bicycle. http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/pdfs/cycling-skills.pdf

My mother loved to have birds show up at the feeder. She would always talk about the different species that showed up we would tell us what they were doing. Her favorites were Cardinals; she absolutely loved to see them when they spent time outside of her kitchen window. We had Cardinals engraved on her gravestone so that they could be around her for eternity. Thanks for those pictures, Lew; the memories bring her back to me.

I have a Giant brand bike that has served me quite well for several years. I bought the Suede model as I was looking for something primarily for pleasure riding on streets and trails. It has 21 speeds, but mostly, I wanted something that I could ride sitting more upright and with a larger seat for comfort. This one was about $450 in the states, and I honestly would recommend the brand to anyone given my history with it. Lots of good answers here, and I know that many brands will serve the purpose. I did buy mine from a bike shop because I wanted the specialized service that came with it, such as, the one year package of tuneups and general service. I expected the gear changing to require more service than it did. I had it in the shop only one time, but only because I was nearing the end of the year, and I wanted to have it checked out before then.

Herbeck has sold the lodge and has made public announcements about that fact. I received the yearly newsletter from the lodge as I had been there years ago. Never again, however, even before I knew of this recent situation. He also says that he will be doing professional guiding for the lodge, along with his son, Danny. I highly doubt that he or his son will be doing anything in Ontario for quite some time, and that's a good thing. We now know the reason that he sold the lodge!

Beautiful, Joey. Goldfinches are perhaps my favorite. The one captured in midair with wings folded is amazing. Thank you for sharing.

I believe that most of these transducers can be used 'through the hull' if so desired. That would tend to indicate that it does not need to be submerged to work properly. I tend to doubt that it would indicate proper depth out of the water, however, as the signal travels at different rates through different media. It's probably not a big deal if only a few feet, so whatever testing you are planning would probably be fine.

Fluorescent lights are not all designed for use in all temperatures. Your symptoms indicate that you have general use fixtures, and that means that they are most suitable for room temperature situations. The more weakness in your system, such as, weak ballasts, bulbs, will cause the lights to fail. Often the lights will come on only with a low glow, or in colder temps not at all. The best and most assured fix is to purchase new fixtures for cold temperature use, and these will work in all temperatures. You may get by with you current set-up, if you have an optimal situation, for most temperatures when you are able to work in shirt sleeves, but it will never be correct when temperatures get cooler.

Not that this is entirely relevant, but this is a very nice lodge with good people running it. I hope that all who suffer from this event can find peace for themselves in their lives after such trauma.

Gerritt, the F150 (1999) is absolutely the easiest brake replacement that I have ever done in my 40 years of shade-tree work. You will not even need the book, but only about 10 minutes to do a bit of looking and finding the two bolts on each wheel that hold the calipers on. No fancy special use wrenched needed either; just standard wrenches that would be found in any standard equipped do-it-yourselfer's garage. When off, the rotors simply pull straight off. I would do new ones as well as others have said. They can be turned quite easily, but with the price as low as it is for new ones, it isn't worth the extra trip to town. I would suggest good quality replacement pads as they are only about $30 a set higher than the cheap ones down here in Iowa. My four wheels only took me about 1 1/2 hours, and that was removing wheels and all. Maybe 2 hours as it always seems cheaper and quicker a few months after the fact. Lastly, I would do all four wheels each time. I think it's easier to do it as a set, and it always seems to last only a while until the next set would be due anyway. I like to know that my brakes are well maintained, and that I have no concerns with them at all. Good luck, not that this job needs any luck at all. Roy

All very good answers. Plus...it keeps the lines away from the propeller. a good thing with the young, inexperienced, and heck, even the unlucky amongst us.

It is quite impossible to ignore the fact that the human race has a tremendous impact upon our natural resources. It is quite possible that much of that impact is harmful to our environment (one might ask the Passenger Pidgeon.) The first step in correcting any negative impact is to realize that it exists. Al Gore's works are a step towards leading people to the inevitable conclusion that humans have an impact, that much of that impact is negative, and that humans need to recognize that fact. I fail to understand how burying the human race's massive head in the sand will further our successes on this planet.

"Looks like something I seem in a bar the other day" It'll take a lot of beers before that thing looks good enough to take home!

First of all, I guarantee that you will never forget the trip, regardless of any luck fishing. The scenery is awesome. Everyone has their preferences but I believe that the best time to go there is the end of July and beginning of August. The weather is the most stable that time of year. Before and after that there is transition and temperature fluctuation, and winds and rain can change plans quickly. Even then there is no guarantee of good weather, but more than likely most days will be okay. I could never have fished there without either a guide or at least two weeks to go through the Regulations. Is is just too big a state with far too many species and seasons to fathom without major efforts. Do get a guide. Know what fish you plan to target and where. Some rivers, for instance, have a season for King Salmon on Monday morning, 8:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m., and only 200 yards from the confluence of that tributary with its larger river. It is just impossible to know that without study. And one has to learn to differentiate the nomenclautre relating to native seasons with residents and non-residents. It gets crazy. So target, be specific, and ask the guide. Not all fishing is that hard, as things like Halibut in the ocean, is much friendlier. But still one has to know the land areas as some are restricted and some are not. We fished in Homer, or Halibut. Not much more there without a lot of boating. Then is Seward, by favorite for the beauty, glaciers, wildlife (dolphins, sea lions, whales) and the fishing as Halibut, and more importantly Silver Salmon and even Ling Cod. Inland creeks and rivers are good for Salmon and we happened across a mass of Pinks at a creek mouth. With Mckinley in the background that day catching Pinks at will, I will surely remember that day forever. Good luck. Get a guide so you can enjoy the visit without regulatory dread, and catch some fish. Roy

A nicely done, entertaining escape from reality...or a head-on collision into it. Roy

I have one that is a very similar model. It is okay for the basic things, such as, depth as mentioned. I have found that it does work much better if the automatic mode is turned off and it is run specifically for the area being fished. That is, do not use the fish marker as it calls everything a fish, therefore, nothing is a fish. Focus on the area near the bottom if fishing for bottom species, such as, walleye. The pixels are limited so reducing the area is paramount to getting any detail at all. It does a decent job of determining the bottom structure when used with the detail. I can usually tell a solid bottom of gravel from mud, for instance. I can find mid lake humps, general shoreline structures, and I usually know when a large fish is in the area or a large school of bait fish are below. I bought mine because it is portable, fairly inexpensive in comparison, and mostly it is easy to use. I can take it on the plane when doing a fly-in and it can be used by about anyone in my party with only minimal instruction. Sorry that I have not been better help. It is a fairly basic model. It will not be the same as using many of the newer models with superior imaging capability. Roy

Scuro, Thanks for the response. Yes, I did read that report and thought that it was one of the finest that I have seen on any board. The pictures, the fishing results, but also the family connection throughout was just great. But I thought that this was the town of Nipigon, and fishing on Lake Superior, correct? I am wondering about the Lake Nipigon fishing as it appears to me to be a prime competitor for fishing time to Superior as well as some of the other area lakes. I guess that I am just fascintated by big water and the mysteries found beneath the surface. Thank again for responding, and please know that I may have misread your trip report. Roy

Big Cliff, Certainly we have never met, but I have read many posts of yours and I have come to respect you and your ethics and take on life. I am certainly happy for you and the decisions that have led to a better place for your life. I am writing to offer some encouragement for the next couple years in school in that I too have had a similar experience. At 52 I decided to chuck it all and go to college. After nearly 4 years I have graduated with a BSBA a couple of months ago. Now when I complete a job application or other correspondence and check the area that says "Indicate Level of Education", and I can enter Bachelor's degree, I mentally strut around like a school kid with a new pair of shoes. Good luck, I know that you will continue showing the rest of us the best way to approach life. Roy

Our main use of them in the States is raw. Give them a bit of exposure to the elements to produce a distinctive aroma and the results are even better. Roy

Folks, I am just wondering why I never hear of anything about this lake. It is very large and would seem from my perspective to be an excellent outlet for any number of fishing desires. Why is it not discussed? Perhaps it is mentioned but it has regional names or is mentioned in the context of local bays or regions and I am just not tuned in. I am driving up to Armstrong next week for a fly-out to a small lake, Gosling, in the general area and the road follows along the west side of Nipigon for many miles, thus the curiosity. I will post some results after I return home as I expect to have many pictures and even more memories of a fantastic experience up north. Thanks much, Roy

As long as it's a small lake you could wander around with a temperature probe. The inflow should be colder than the surrounding waters. If it is a small stream this could be problematic as the water would blend very quickly. You would probably want the sensor at the end of a line so that it could be submersed for best analysis. My father found a spring feeding a small lake near his home when the lake water in the area of the spring did not freeze in the winter. We actually found it as we walked along the area in very cold weather. There was only a small area but it was enough of an indication for us to come back and check it in nicer weather. Roy

Maureen, It is possible to print on the carton, even a clear one. The issue is one of cost. The printer would have to accept the carton dimensions, and whenever that changes then there are additional costs to reflect the new setup. This gets a bit costly as a new business grows because it must change with its market. She may have different carton dimensions or styles requested or required by different markets. It can be a real effort to keep up, not only in cost, but in securing change parts or whatever is required. She should probably find a printer that will do the label, but then she should hand apply those to the cartons. It will be less expensive in the long run, unless she has an automated carton filling operation where an automated sytstem would fit well. I recommend that she finds a printer with good flexibility in styles, colors and business requirements. She may have a requirement to print bar codes on some or all labels. Not all printers have the necessary programming or printing capabilities for that. An example of a company that can handle all of her needs is Zebra. http://www.zebra.com/id/zebra/na/en/index/...es/locator.html This is the page that she needs to find the nearest Zebra supplier. Zebra will print on many kinds and colors of label stock, even cleear. It is by far not the only printing company that will work, but I had several of their printers at my job and they worked very well and produced good quality. Good luck for her. She can always go for a much less expensive printer, such as, those found at local electronics retailers, but just remember that these are for home use primarily and not meant for extended use. Another option is to find a local office supplier. They always have some electronics available and can source something that is more suited to larger quantities. They could even perhaps copy a large number of high quality labels onto stock from a master that your aunt produced on here home PC. I did this with a couple of projects where the needs were immediate and the equipment had yet to arrive. Roy

I agree with everyone here in that satellites will lose their signal pretty much every time a storm passes through. But because of excessive dropped signals after I switched to the High Definition system a few months ago, I had a technician at the house to refocus the system for better signal strength. He was pretty forthright with me about my DishNetwork system. With HD and local channels there are three receivers on the dish. One is for the local channels, one is primarily for the HD, and the last covers the rest of the channels. When swithing channels on the TV one or more of these may be in service. It seems that when channels are changed each of the receivers has a set of gears that move to refocus on any given satellite. The choices above are general, but not hard and fast as the company is moving new channels onto different satellites constantly. Now, my point. He said that he has not worked with a new satellite dish or receiver in over two years. All of those that he installs are refurbished units, and he says that the quality is certainly substandard compared to new units. I asked him about a lifespan or symptoms of a malfunctioning system, and he said that the lifespan is undetermined, but when going bad the signal will be lost just as I had been having happen. I am not saying that this is your problem as I believe that it is the storms as mentioned. I'm only passing along what information I garnered yesterday. I asked him how they could all be remanufactured given that the rate of new installs is exponential, and he really had no answer, only that is what he experienced. This is in the States, also, so maybe things are different in Canada. Roy