crappieperchhunter

Yep....been making no knead bread for a numbers of years now. Our favourite is a loaf with sliced kalamati olives baked into it. Betcha can't have just one slice.

Like I said to Lew...Debbe is way more attached to the wood stove then I am. She absolutely loves the smell and earning her girl scouts badge starting a fire. I do ALL the labor....hauling the wood in.... chopping the kindling...but man she rocks the fire starting part I think she was a pyro in her last life. Plus she has always loved the heat. Your right about the 90F because I betcha it's at least that warm in my family room right now which is why I'm up here in the kitchen in shorts and a T shirt and she's downstairs with a glass of wine enjoying one of her shows on Fibe TV or whatever you call it. It all comes back to Happy wife Happy life.

I know exactly what your talking about Lew. We have 3 family birthday parties during the winter and the whole gang for Christmas as well. A big group of people... the stove and oven going all afternoon up in the kitchen...woodstove downstairs.....it gets a little too warm sometimes. Have it figured out pretty good now....but in the beginning it was quite the sweat shop more then a few times.

Looks good Lew. We still have wood. Debbe especially loves the wood stove. You just can't get the same heat from gas or propane IMHO. But you are 100% correct about the extra work and the mess. We will probably travel the same road some day but for now wood is still winning.

On 97.3 radio today they said he died at 87 and was survived by his husband. Never saw that coming and don't care for what it's worth. However if that's the case it only illustrates his talents and how much he got into our souls. Gay way back then and still did what he did. Must have been someone we would have all been happy to sit around a campfire and shared a beer and a story with.

Thx for sharing this info Chuck. Looks good. Do you have one? The pricing is cheaper so I'm concerned about the quality/durability.

I agree. If you can find a Fish trap Pro...grab it. It appears they no longer make them. If you can't find one second hand somewhere, search other hut makers for ones with similar size specs. It will be a sad day for me if/when my trap pro is no longer usable.

Sounds like a plan

X2. Was shown a new to me spot towards the end of the ice season on Simcoe last winter. Just killed perch and mostly all good sized ones...very few throwbacks. Can't wait to see what it's like during the first half of the season. Always have enjoyed and looked forward to the ice season. This coming season even more.

6 of us on a Fly In trip for walleye. I had 6 or so hand tied chartreuse bucktail jigs that where outfishing everything else any of us had. So of course I was rubbing it in ALL week long. As the week wore on to everyones delight I started to lose jigs being bitten off by pike. Soon I only had one left. One morning all three boats of us are fishing a small current area where we had done well all week. But it was slow this morning so I announced that it was time to use my last secret weapon to show the boys how real fishermen do it. I cut my line and dig out my last magic jig and tie it on...then throw it over the side of the boat to get going and realize I had just retied the jig I took off and threw my magical jig untied into the lake Never got any sympathy from my buddies either....actually quite the opposite.

Cliff I have tried to send you a message but your OFC mailbox is full. Please clear it so I can get through to you.

Yeah I've been in management. That's a different definition though. That's inadequately compensated slavery

That not a nice gig...that's adequately compensated slavery.

I special lady my friend and I 'm sorry for your loss. I know the next little while...or longer....will be difficult for you. But eventually you will be smiling again when this all sinks in and you realize just how blessed you where to have Sue by your side. Lots of people in this world have never had anyone like her in there lives so consider yourself blessed. Be well Cliff. Debbe and I are thinking of you both.

Garage saling in Bobcaygeon this summer.....started chatting with the 60ish couple selling there wares....turns out they where retiring to Nova Scotia. One of them was from there ....can't remember husband or wife.... but man where they excited about it. There excitement was infectious and I remember driving away and telling Debbe how happy I was for them. Grab it with both hands and enjoy it. We all only get to do this dance just once.

Good Karma story !!!!! Always love to hear these.

No....but straight across closer to the west shore....

Yeah it was opening week back sometime in the 90's....the whole week was like that..although that one weekday was the standout best. Then the switch flipped and things went back to normal

When you say it's the "norm for me " it suggests you alone catch 100+ a day yourself and it happens ALL THE TIME. I have had 2 super walleye days in my life. I caught 58 or 68 walleye through the ice on Scugog all on my own...ONCE... from first light until dark. I have it written down in an old journal and I can't remember if it was 58 or 68 and I can't be bothered to look. Another time 3 of us fall drop shooting as you suggest boated 80 eyes on Stony lake from dawn until mid afternoon in 55-58 FOW. Since I'm not a hard core walleye guy and I have had my 2 fantastic experiences....I can believe someone who puts the time in can have such a magical day. But to say its the norm? Sorry I have a real hard time swallowing that.

Simon my brother had to quit 3 times before it stuck...been over 25 years now so I think he has it beat. My old man had a 3 pack a day habit. Quit 5 years ago or so...when he was diagnosed with COPD....which means he quit too late. Hooked up to oxygen all the time now. Has a small tank he can travel with and calls it his girlfriend. Hard to see someone so capable reduced to what he can do now. Dirty senseless habit. Best of luck kicking it to the curb.

7 years away for Debbe and I Terry....but thx for the heads up However many birthdays and anniversaries have been missed by both of us along the way....not a really big deal around here.

You gotta be careful with what some call a face cord. Some wood is all cut 14 inches so your getting screwed out of a lot of wood if you assume 3 of those face cords would equal a bush cord. I get all my wood cut at 12 inches so 4 face cords would be a bush cord...which is why my wood costs more as well...because it's more cutting/work for my supplier. I pay it because our wood stove is smaller and if I get anything much over 17 it becomes a PITA to fit in and because 12 inch cuts are much easier for Debbe to handle/split when I'm not home.

stacked pile 4 feet high 4 feet wide and 8 feet long.

$410 for the bush cord I bought last fall here in Oshawa. I get almost 2 full seasons out of a bush cord. Weekends in the fall winter and early spring you will generally find Debbe down in the family room chilling in front of our woodstove. Best money I spend.

Summer of 1980 working at Kiosk Ranger camp in Algonquin Park. We had a spring a couple of miles down a dirt road from our camp so a bunch of us would jog down there regularly just to get a drink of that perfect water. One trip we come around a bend in the road just as a little cub is crossing maybe 60-70 feet in front of us. So we stopped jogging...and I'm glad we did because a few seconds later momma bear came out of the ditch and crossed the road as well. Half way across the gravel road she paused... just for a second...and gave us a good sideways glance that we all understood meant we where too close and there would be consequences if this happened again !!! Thx for sharing Lew. It reminded me of that momma bear stare we got many moons ago. Enjoy the rest of your vacation up there.