Old Ironmaker

Thank goodness we have NG, but not far down the lakeshore they do not have NG. That's crazy considering Selkirk was the "Gas Town" of Ontario for years. Still have Gasfest. Anyway Featherstone Ted signed a contract in October for 59 cents/lt. They were paying over 90 last year with no contract. All it took was a phone call to tell the provider to come and get the tank and they renegotiated the price to meet the competitors. If you don't ask you wont receive. No one wants to lose a customer.

Big Cliff, I said I try to avoid them after I have already given or in your words reached my budget limit. I know they all do great work and have volunteered my time for a few of the charities. It's that I feel guilty that I can't give more. I think you misunderstood my comment. My peeve is you can't go into any store or a checkout these days without some (good cause) raising money and makes me feel guilty saying " sorry I've already given".

Insane stuff. I can't imagine a good size Musky on a fly rod. I finally had the pleasure of feeling the power of a few smaller Musky on heavy equipment last fall with Dan Columby, all I can describe it as is pure power, unadulterated power. The closest had to be a 33lb King in Lake Ontario.

Very true Bruce. Tough for them to compete. A few bucks I can take the hit, for a 25% discount I have to be realistic as well and go where the deal is. If they can't match the price they understand business is business, nothing personal.

There was a lengthy discussion on the exact same thing last year, Fall maybe. I learned much during that thread discussion. I do not have enough band width for anything that is out there. What I do remember most is the complaints from the folks that do have the systems that live sporting events are hit and miss streaming. If you don't like your current provider for anything from Sat internet and TV to propane call and tell them you are considering switching. I told Bell to come and get their rental HD box and they met Shaws Sat. TV rates plus a few other upgrades I didn't have. I am saving $40.00 per month now and they have given me channels we didn't have before. "Ask and thou shalt receive" I remember reading that somewhere.

Yes Mr. G, Okuma came through for me. But it wasn't nessecary and Okuma was very apologetic, they had me go to Sail in Burlington that exchanged it with the OK from the Okuma rep. Actually the rod was of a better quality to boot. That was good of Sail as well, they had zero obligation to do so, a favour to the local Okuma rep they said. I go to Sail now when out that way, just a huge selection where I don't have to wait for Bills to order an item for me. A place like Bill's just can't be expected to have everything stocked like the big box guy. FUBAR is a saying coined by US and Canadian servicemen during WW2 to easily describe a very bad situation. screwed up beyond all recognition. edit: Auto correct uses screwed instead of another 4 letter word that I did not type, just the letter F followed by 'd. There computer try and auto correct that, I dare you.

Luckiest driver to be alive, the bus driver that dodged the pipe better than Ali could dodge a punch. Luckiest biker, tie between the guy that had a tre fall on him doing 60 and did not lose control, and the biker that just missed being killed by a flying mattress. Luckiest animal, the squirrel that missed being squished by the race car. Not so lucky, the bear, the deer, the cow, the other deer, and a few others. Quick call Peetah. Thanks, I needed that. Bad day here on the north shore of Lake Erie, really bad day. I have to thank everyone here on OFC because there is always something here to pass the time and take things off ones mind. 3rd death of a dear friend in 4 weeks yesterday. I hope things do come in threes, this is insane. This will be the third time asked to be a pall bearer in a month, just too much. I don't know if I can do it. Man......I better stop. If I've been my usual yappy self today that's why. Thanks all my OFC pals for listening. What a party pooper eh?

Mr. G, You can't go wrong with service like that. I don't think there is a Cabela's within 2 hours of us. I'm not sure what big box was opened recently in Niagara? That would be under 2 hours. I sure would deal with a store like that if I had to but will still go out of my way to go to a local Mom an Pop. That is if they don't treat me like crap, as did the lady at a tackle shop on the Grand River just south of Hamilton off Argyll St., I won't mention the town, starts with a C and ends with an A. I will quit fishing before I ever give them my money again. I bought a down rigger rod and reel combo and while spooling it the very next day realized the reel was FUBAR. She told be less than 24 hours after I bought it from her that I had to deal with Okuma. Okuma was amazed she didn't take it back right there and then. And that was shortly after dropping $300.00 on a inflatable PFD and a load of tackle. I know of at least 12 pals that will not go there because of this incident. It has cost them many $$$ just from my crew in sales because she didn't hand me the other combo sitting in the rack that was identical. I ran into her husband shortly after that in town and told him, I think if he wasn't married to her he would have canned her. He said I should have seen him first, too bad this ain't baseball, 1 strike your out. Maybe if he offered me something for my troubles but didn't. News travels fast in small towns, all I had to do was tell the town Barber or Mailman. Come on man, or lady. Never again ever.

Mr G, As does Bill's Bait, no questions asked. I lost a Reef Runner when the knot on the flouro/leadcore came apart that they tied for me when I bought the line there. I couldn't prove they tied it and I didn't even get the lure there and they retied the line and asked me to pick out any Reef Runner or any other comparable lure, no questions asked. Would Cabela's do that for you? I'm not sure. The one and only time I went to Bass Pro on my way to Newmarket I went online and found a good deal on a reel, when I asked for it they tell me that price is in USD, what a waste of time.

They will sell you anything you want when buying a new boat. They will give you below wholesale as a credit for the motor you don't want and charge well above retail for the engine you do want. Any dealer will gladly take your money. My dear Nono used to say if you had enough money you could make Niagara falls run backwards.

I counted 7 times I was asked to contribute to a charity at the checkout and 9 places I went to with the Sally Anne bucket brigade out front. All in one Hellish day Christmas shopping. I do the wait until the kid selling apples is not looking and sneak in or out. Or tell them I'll get them when I leave and then hide behind a family leaving. That is only after I have already given.

This was discussed a while back. Regardless we should always support our local guys, it's tough to make a living for any small Mom and Pop business. It is a more personal shopping experience. I always go to Bills Bait on Upper James in Hamilton, then Fishing World on Barton St. East second for sales, both an hours drive. I probably pass 3 CT and Wally Worlds to get there. The good folks at Bills will meet most sale prices if they have it in stock. If they don't have something they will order it for you. Try asking CT or Wally to do that? No one to ask anyway. I doubt the lady stocking shelves at those places has an opinion on fishing anyway. Most don't know the difference between a line counter and a line up at the counter. Support the little guy, please.

How is Sears going to hire 5000 employees when they are cutting back hours at Eastgate Square in Hamilton? I know, let go of full timers and hire part time employees to replace them for less $$ and zero benefits.

Bigugli, they have already for gone CCAA protection, lucky if creditors get 10 cents on the dollar. Not penny one clearing their shelves go to creditors. Lucky if the current employees see their last payroll. I'm sorry they were not successful, in the long run it only hurts us taxpayers and bottom percentage of wage earners in retail jobs. Retail workers are one rung above fast food workers, both tough jobs with pay just above unemployment, maybe.

I think I miss interpreted the request. If anywhere in Arizona Sedona is the place to visit. It all depends on budget, it is not in my budget.

Definitely Sedona is the place to visit in Arizona. Just gorgeous, for our place in Sedona would have been 100K more. It was Scottsdale he was asking about.

Our prayers are with you Sir.

We are saying our prayers. Like I always say even though I'm not religious I am somewhat spiritual and prayers are good. My very dear friend and boating buddy that I spoke of earlier, Kevin Henderson, lost his battle with this God awful disease yesterday. He fought to the end, I know that because he was still strong enough to argue with me just last Sunday about who knows what and hung up on me. It would have been the last time I would talk to him. I really don't feel bad about that because that was are relationship, I say black he says no way white. I'll miss those tiffs we always had.

I don't have enough of a scientific background to discuss this global warming thing so won't. I can tell you that when there are storms they are more intense and more frequent than when I was a kid. Talking to a Dock Foreman at Arselor Dofasco in Hamilton the incidents of "High Winds" that shut down their Ore bridges are 5 times more frequent of what they were 40 years ago. I keep a log of fishing outings here on Erie. We were not able to get out because of high winds more times last summer than the previous 5 years all together.

Ouch!

Now that I've hit 60 my bucket or things I should have already done lists are being checked off. I can't help you for the specific areas, the furthest I have been is Long Lac area and only caught 1 Whitefish that turned out to be a giant sucker anyway. When making a bucket list for all the up and coming milestones make sure they are very long lists.

When my wife says their merchandise was crappola one listens. I have never set foot in one and Target is one of my favorite stores in Florida. I could get my good quality golf balls there for at least 25% less and always load up. When I asked her to check for them in Hamilton she told me they didn't even have any cheap quality golf stuff. Mike, as far as kicking them when they are down I would never give any large corp. sympathy, they sure don't care much for their own employees so why should I care about some faceless corporation? They write a cheque for 50 mil to one guy for failing, If that isn't obscene I don't know what is. Could they have split that 50 mil amongst those that were left without a job? Yes, but never would. That isn't the only executive that received a huge severance, I guarantee that.

How cool is that Lew? My best experience watching mother nature was just a few falls ago while sitting on the deck. We heard a splash and saw a Bald Eagle with a good size smallmouth in it's talons and the fish is going berserk. That was unbelievable to be blessed enough to actually see it first hand. After a few seconds, maybe 20, it dropped the fish and circled back and picked it up again. Saw a Harrier Hawk with a rabbit in it's talons and you could see that it was heavy for the bird because it was struggling to gain altitude.

I don't sled but it looks like a great idea and would have one on a sled or ATV, can they be used on a ATV? . My only question would be that would the air bag be able to push through big slabs of ice to come to the surface. I see where machines have gone down and a huge hole isn't created sometimes and the slabs of ice basically cover where it want down.

I can tell you from my experience that Scottsdale is a very expensive bedroom community with not much going on but golf. 50 courses in a low population community. I really didn't know it was a tourist destination except for golf. not much to do but visit the desert and a few bars and restaurants that can be very pricey. Only been once golfing, people that live there think and act like they live in L.A. one local I golfed with told us. Real Hoity toity.