Old Ironmaker

I haven't even used a broom here to sweep snow off the steps this winter. That's because both vehicles were outfitted with new snow tires this past fall. I have never owned " all wheel drive". Is it that much better than front wheel drive? The Silverado is a 4X4 and without it 3 winters ago we would be house bound many times until we could get our private laneway plowed out. When snow is deep road clearance is a determining factor, I have had to pull out my neighbour that has all wheel drive more than a few times to the county road when the snow was above his front under carriage on our laneway. I have plowed through snow in 4 low that was well above the bottom of the doors, no way that is happening in all wheel drive. I guess what I'm saying is if you don't want to get stuck get a real deal 4X4.

You must have brought back the warm weather with you. Now you have to clean em' all but then you get to eat em' too!!! We used to toss them all back before we knew better. That is one great Crappie spot, send GPS co-ordinance please. I promise I won't sell them.

Sailor's delight. Very pretty sunset. We had a beauty last night too.

Lake Bernard? I don't know about Brookies but we have caught Lakers in there. I don't know about outfitters there if you need one, I saw that the Caswell Hotel in Sundridge had a few huts out 5 years ago the last time I was up in the winter. I'm wondering how you would know if a lake the MNR lists a species of fish in doesn't actually hold those fish? That would be a pretty useless list.

Joey, I was going to ask about the guy who's face you blanked out. Canada's Most Wanted?

I as well have 1 of the BBQ's hooked up the NG on the lake side of the shack. NG will blow out if the wind is up, beware. Ng pressure must be lower than Propane. I can't remember exactly how much. That's why I have a second Q with propane on the laneway side if it's too windy to Q on the deck, which is 80% of the time. Many times I will see the Wind Turbines facing north and wind is also blowing from the south off the lake. Temp on the car in Cayuga today said 11C, at the lake 2C. The wind is blowing cold off the lake and the ice isn't melting off shore.

Gourmet Meats, that's the place I couldn't remember. When I worked at Willow Valley that's where they got all their meat. I have no idea why they would pay those prices for sandwiches.

I was actually on the leader board for a week in 84' on a charter out of Burlington. It was the very 1st King I caught and weighed in at 32 lbs. It happens to be the very last King I ever caught. 10 bucks for a ticket then.

The price of good meat is just ridiculous today. I get exited over ground beef on sale. My Mom hasn't had to shop for a few years and thought I am delirious when I tell her about the prices of groceries. I brought her a Fortino's flyer the other day, she was shocked. Where did your wife get that steak Lucas? I know you moved out our way. If I ever collect on my Super Bowl wagers I might buy a few, I'll pass on the warm beer though. Hanson's on Hwy. #3 west of Cayuga has the best meat this way. The place on Hwy #6 south of you has good meat but Hansen's is better value. We have many good beef farms out our way. I have never been one to buy bulk and freeze but have decided to go in on a Black Angus from a farmer I know this way. A 35 buck steak isn't in the budget these days. That's what we paid for the T bones we brought on our recent trip. They were massive 16 to 18 oz. and melted in your mouth.

Lucas, now that is a perfectly done steak for me. When I opened your link my PC locked up, something about security certificate not secure??

Those temps in F Rick? It's supposed to be plus 10 tomorrow. Crazy, I used the broom once to sweep of the steps of snow. Shag I have the no Fords rule here. I would love to get out with you this summer for ginormous Erie Walleye or get into a few 14" Perch. Not counting chickens before they hatch though. There is a wonderful Provincial Park not 20 minutes from us. Selkirk P.P. right on the lake. I can stay there and you can stay here as long as you do my chores. Getting out on the lake sounds like a plan Doug. I haven't had Grappa since the last time I was arrested for lewd behavior in a public place. My pal broke a rock with his head that day falling out of a quad in a creek. The rock spent the night in hospital. Sounds like a plan minus the Grappa. Maybe M2B2 will have recovered by then.

No hand cut tatters? I'm not coming. Rice sounds too healthy and that would ruin a good artery clog. I have tried Fish Crisp a few times. I prefer the old home seasoned bread crumbs over it. But if someone catches, cleans and cooks the fish for me I'm not sending it back! Enjoy my friend, enjoy. edit: With all this talk about fresh Perch I think I am going to get in the car and go to Port Dover which is a 20 minute drive and spend a few bucks and treat myself. My Lady is working the late shift tonight, poor kid. No doubt it will be frozen. Capt. Highliner better not show up on my plate.

Shag, when I started reading your reply I was thinking "where in Hell is this guy going with this?" That is until I read the cockle and mussels........... I was worried there for a minute Shagster. What time is dinner? If I leave now I can be there by 7, 35 minutes to the Heli Port. If I take the corporate jet, much sooner.

My heart breaks for the family and the senseless waste of a child's future. Why is always the question. The driver of the machine will never be the same either. Even if we legislate to try and prevent something like this so it doesn't ever happen again it most likely will happen regardless. I don't have an answer.

Head Hunter, I have had boiled Pike the way you describe it. The water is heavily salted and it was fantastic with drawn butter and cocktail sauce. They said you must use course sea salt never plain table salt. Poor mans Lobster is what the Yanks that did it called it.

Is no one cooking this winter? With all the talk of guys getting some fresh perch under the ice and Simons fantastic catches and meals back home I was wondering around the store yesterday wishing I could buy some fresh fish. Went to the fish counter and was dismayed at what I saw. Out of the corner of my eye I saw they had bags of live mussels on for $4.99. I bought a bag, they were great. I made mussels Marinara. This is my recipe for mussels marinara for one of those mesh bags, a pound maybe? Sauté a finely chopped onion and 3 large crushed garlic cloves in EVO. Add crushed chiles to taste add mussels, cover with lid once mussels start opening add a few cups of good white wine steam in the wine until open add 1 can of chopped tomatoes (this is 1 time I will buy the tomatoes chopped, perfect size to get into the shells and hold up to the heat without breaking down. I had a tube of tomato and peperika paste so I added a tablespoon. Hard to find, I get mine at Punjab Market in east Hamilton at Queenston and Centennial Pkwy. That place is like travelling the world. Canned fruit I can't pronounce from Sri Lanka to Chevapcici meat imported from Croatia. simmer on low heat until the succo tells you it's done, glub, glub, blop, glub. 3 glubs to 1 blop. You think I am nuts but the sauce makes different sounds when it's ready Your done. Serve in a heated bowl. Traditionally on a piece of toasted bread on the bottom. And toasted bread to dip. Drizzle with EVO. These particular mussels didn't shrink much, very meaty. I will use frozen New Zealand Green mussels when I can find them, very large and meaty. The sauce will be more soupy than a normal marinara. Save any left over sauce. The next day it is perfect for Cappelini (angel hair) or Spagettini as it will have thickened up a bit more. We had it with Cappelini for lunch, oh boy. It is against all the rules to put cheese on pasta with any fish or shell fish sauces according to some die hard Italiano's ( My Ma). Arrest me, I confess. Tip of the day, heat any dish or bowl including serving dishes etc. before plating. I put them in the microwave for a few minutes. Nothing can ruin a nice hot meal than to serve it in a stone cold plate or bowl.

I hear you Simon about buying what they call "fresh fish" at the grocery store. Unless I see a fish that still has the head on it and I can smell it that fish isn't coming into my home. Most of the chain stores get their fish delivered Mon or Tues. AM. They were probably caught the previous Thurs. or Fri. at the least. By Wed the heads are cut off, by Saturday they are taken out of the cooler on ice and packaged. Their fresh fish may be 2 weeks old by the time people get them home, yea fresh. I cringe when people tell me they had Capt. Highliner fish sticks for supper. After all it's fresh frozen. Oh my.

Stop it right now with all this talk of eating perch, stop please. To spice them up a bit I mix Montreal Steak Spice in with the breadcrumbs. To deep fry anything really crispy always dry/wet/dry. Dredge in flour first then wet mixture then crumbs. Kellogg Corn Flakes make a great breading too, Ritz Cheeze crackers are great. There are all kinds of breadings other than bread crumbs that work great. Just this morning I saw on TV where they were trying to duplicate the KFC secret recipe that KFC uses egg whites only as their wet dip before going into the secret dry mix. You can make Italian breadcrumbs simply by adding a bit of dried oregano, basil and garlic powder, basically what I do by adding Mont. Steak Spice, it and more is all in there, be careful with salt as MSS has plenty in it already, I don't salt anything when I use steak spice in the dish until I taste test.To really spice it up add Parmesan cheese to any crumbs too. Now no more talking about Perch scarfs unless it includes an invitation to us all.

I just watched the video. Wow LucG you guys hammered them big time!!! Very good. And that is a great price too.

I agree 100% Bill, let someone else take the hit. The one and only new off the lot vehicle I bought or should say my fantastic Lady bought for me is the now 5 year old Silverado. It hasn't depreciated as much as I thought. I wouldn't have bought new if it wasn't for me getting sick then.

Nice to get out there alone Dan sometimes and just kick back. 11 pounds of Perch, when the fish fry? Not good to hear about Hales, many here recently raved about them. Maybe a bad day to ask for help. Everyone thinks that if you own a business you are making great money. He may have just did the books and realized he is working for free this season.

You can tell a lot about someone by the vehicle they drive. I don't really have brand loyalty, I will buy the vehicle based on best value for the buck. I had a very bad experience with a 2003 Intrepid that came off a 1 year lease. I needed strait forward transportation as I was driving many K's a week, nothing fancy, no less than 3 transmission communication computers failed on it, every 80K on the button. I will never buy another Chrysler yet many rave about them. The replacement came in at $1000.00 a pop. For that reason alone I will never buy another Chrysler. The most undependable brand I did drive was Mercedes Benz. I had 3 over the years and for some reason kept buying them. Parts could be triple the price of a North American car. Vehicles are the worst financial investment by far. Unless you rode a horse, then when it wouldn't run anymore you could at least eat it.

I was always of the understanding the Toyota logo is supposed to be a Bull and it's horns, I can't open that link.

I hear you Huzz, They all look like eggs to me. 4 door sedans are going the way of the Dodo bird unless something changes.

I thought I answered this thread but I guess it didn't post. I have been to Runaway Bay at east 3 times. The shore is mostly sand with some coral reefs off shore. That's where the fish are and tough to get to. There were NO FISHING signs posted. Too many divers and swimmers. Most of the shoreline is private property. The public property is sketchy. You won't get a cast in without being bombarded by locals selling stuff or just asking you for money. Be careful, very, very careful booking adventures with locals in Jamaica. Book through an agent from the hotel if you want to go fishing or anything off the Rez. I'm sure LucD did. You ain't in Kansas anymore Dorothy. Jamaica can be as dangerous as it is beautiful. Especially at night. I have a friend that earned a living there as a body guard for tourists. If I need a body guard to leave the resort at night I don't think I'm going. Go fishing somewhere else than Jamaica alone like Simon does, I'm sure a charter is absolutely fine. Simon knows why I say this. I remember having to sign a waiver for liability from the resort to go golfing next door. Don't get me wrong, I've been to the island many times and love it, just don't act like a tourist and all is good.