Old Ironmaker

Ah man, I'm so jealous. If we didn't book flights to head south together next month I would have been there yesterday. I have a younger 1st cousin that is a retired Marine from Western NY living on an Island in S.C. , Beaufort I think, near where he taught basic training. He was featured on 60 Minutes doing what he did years back. Talk about a tough as nails Teddy Bear. He has been wanting me to visit for years but he doesn't fish, and he is surrounded by The Atlantic, go figure. So it could have been a 2 for 1 trip. Is that a new pier Cliff? I think the pier we fished from got wiped out years ago. Love the fish pics. Do you ever go for Sea Trout? They are a good size, easy to catch on one of our Pickerel Rigs on a casting float with a shrimp on each of the 2 hooks. Look like our Specks but have 2 very sharp top teeth, don't lip one. There are perfect circles on them and each circle has a perfect cross in it, almost look fake. They taste fantastic. I can tell you better than those Whiting in my opinion. So easy to clean and pan fry too. I think I told you this already, not sure, maybe. Keep up the great WORK! Must be tough.

At this time in a wet, damp, cold, cloudy and just miserable winter with another trip south months away I could really use a Taro fix. If I had 10% of his energy I would be doing a 10K run, OK 2K. I am having trouble getting to the show. Laptop says "site unavailable" or some such thing when I Google it. Can someone please give me a link to Face Book or where ever I can see the new series. Loved the last one. Moosebunk, bang on post. A member of The Great Generation at the plant once told me, "Make them come up to your level, never go down to theirs." That was over 40 years ago and it should be plastered at the top of every social media site. By the way my God Daughter just had her second Strawberry haired baby, in a row!!. You guys may just be taking over the planet Earth soon. Bill Taylor was the man. WW2 veteran and leader of men. He lied about his age and went to Europe at 17 years young. Some 17 year olds then and now were and are afraid to leave their basements. He was famous for holding court on the Blast Furnace Cast House floors sketching diagrams in chalk on anything that was flat. R.I.P. Bill.

I once spent 2 weeks in Oulu Finland, 45 K's south of the Artic Circle. I didn't check the weather every morning because -36C feels like -360, I couldn't tell the difference between -36 and the real cold days of -56. Hell shouldn't be fire and brimstone it should be -36C. Heat I can take, those temps are just stupid. No wonder most of you guys, not you, most are hammered drunk. I know most in Oulu Finland are. The 1st move after a shift in the plant there is to shower, have a sauna, shower and then have a shot of Vodka. Almost frozen Vodka no less with a splash of Tar in the shot. Not Tar from a tree Tar from dead Dinosaurs. Brain freeze. Maybe that's how the Finns can mine 24/7/12. The Grand River is swollen to the roads here from Caledonia to Lake Erie. Thankfully we don't have ice down stream, those homes would be under water.

These are the hero's our kids should emulate. Not millionaires playing games, in my opinion. I was a kid too once so I do remember being a kid. But my hero was my grand pa, my Nono Miano of North Tonawanda NY. He slung hot rod by hand at Buffalo Iron and Bolt in Lackawanna NY. He had forearms like Popeyes. He once asked me if Mickey Mantle ever bought food for us? Something for an 8 year old to ponder. I really didn't understand it until I got my 1st paying job a few years latter. https://mnrwatch.com/canadian-fire-crews-cheered-in-australia-as-front-line-teams-prepare-for-the-worst/

Both you and npt1 had bad days. I have to say in my past days of youth if an alarm went off I never had to decide stay or go. What's wrong with you Brian, when in doubt book it. I always new the response time, all undependable radios and analogue then, but never hung around long enough to have a conversation with someone there. Man that could be the start of a screenplay npt1. I bet you had to go back in the next morning at the steel plant to boot. It couldn't happen on a nice summer evening. They didn't even ask you to join the party and to make it worse you didn't like the car, oh man. I have a few stories but you will need to pay to see the movie and up the 20 bucks for a bag of popcorn. But I'll give you something from the trailer. It's 1972 and I'm fresh out of High School on a partial scholarship to Youngstown State in Ohio. I get a part time weekend job lined up for me by a distant cousin of my Grand Mothers from Buffalo working for a guy that owns cigarette machines and Pin Ball machines they put in bars back then. My job was to go from bar to bar and empty the machines of dimes and quarters put it in a bag and take it back to the office and put it all in a change counter. Never allowed to count it. I'm to young, full of testosterone and fit to even think once about getting jacked up, no one ever even looked my way when I had that bag of money and everyone slumped against the tables and bar knew there was money to be had. Most were totally effed up Viet Nam vets high on something and low on esteem. Coming from Hamilton we never saw that stuff, I really felt for these guys and what really struck me most was these poor guys were only a few years older than me. I'm told to stay home during the day one Saturday but come in at mid night. We all put on coveralls with the names stitched on them, mine say Jimmy. I get in a van with 2 guys I never met and don't know their names, the van has a telephone company logo on the sides. I can small the fresh paint that might not even be dry yet. We drive out of town about an hour and the van stops in a dark shut down for the weekend industrial part of the town. The 2 guys I don't know their names get out and tell me to jump up front and stay in the truck and keep it running, never shut the truck off, never. They put up a ladder on the side of a telephone pole and the skinny guy not the fat guy climbs the ladder and the fat guy holds it. Not 10 minutes later a newer Chevy pulls up and 2 guys in long coats get out and knock on the window where I sit. They ask "What's going on here son?" Since I don't have a clue I don't lie and say "Ï don't really know sir I'm a trainee." They go to the pole, each pull out revolvers and tell my I don't know their name partners to get down from the pole and stand against their car." My partners say something to them I don't hear and they put their guns away and tell them to follow them. I get in the back and ask my new pals "What the F is going on? "Don't worry kid these guys are locals and from now on your name is Bob, they think we are feds, you are a trainee like I told you and you don't know Jack squat." I tell them my coveralls say "Jimmy" on them. The one guy turns and growls "Trainees don't get their own dam coveralls stupid." On we go following these guys. Jack squat is exactly what I know. (Fade to black)

All the best brudder. It's not a countdown it's a count up. A wise fishin' buddy once told me " It's not the years one is allotted time to fish, it is the number of words one is given." Hell if that's true I would have been gone a long time ago. I think the wise ass was telling me to shut up and fish. May all your casts be long, true and find the fishes mouth. Johnny D

I don't come to this thread often but when I do I gain a few pounds just by looking at the feasts and goodies you ALL can make. Spiel you should be a food photographer, not sure about the pay and I am told the food is cold or months old. A late Happy Holidays to all you food gurus. Keep up the traditions but more importantly pass them on if you can find someone interested. I find folks today just order in, easy peasy lemon sqeezy. My God Daughter does like to learn and I can't be happier about it. Growing up they had 7 different days of take out food. Since she got married she has lost 40 pounds after having 2 babies once she started eating regular viddles. If you see this M2B2 I don't text but feel free to call me on something called a telephone. Lot's of catching up to do. Johnny D/Selkirk On. Oh man. Here I am typing about food and almost burned the cabbage I am making for supper. Mom's recipe sort of. Might as well pass it on, nothing special but good food. 1/2 a Savoy cabbage sliced thin in a good sized pot. Sometimes I cut in square chunks. Up to you. Toast about 5 nice cloves garlic in EVO. Add cabbage and get garlic off the bottom of pot get heat up. Add about a cup of stock. (or good wine or a good beer, put 1/2 in drink balance) Salt, black pepper, chili flakes, smoked Hungarian paprika. A splash or more of Red Wine Vinegar. A splash is about a 1/4 cup. Cover, cook until done to preference. Just don't burn it, almost. I've got a pot to clean. Grrrrr.

I was a poster boy for maturity at 19. Every parent of the girls I dated wanted me to marry their daughter. Actually I was working shifts at the Steel Plant and going to grade 13 full time at the same time. Ask a 19 year old to do that today. Ask a 29 year old to do something like that today.

Why can't we make the other 51 weeks like this time of the year? As far as only Canucks watch the stands were packed yesterday. yes the US but they were full.

It was tradition for a few of us kids to visit the EMERG in Hamilton every New Years day. We would try and ski down the ungroomed hill that we Hamiltonians call a mountain. Not a smart thing to try. Then when we got older hanging around 1000 other Italians at dinner dances was in vogue, still is. We actually went 3 years ago. I wanted to leave around 10 but was the designated driver. I can't do the Hustle like I once did circa 77'. When I was a kid in the early 60's it was traditional that neighbours and Dad would bring out the shotguns and fire off a few at midnight. Tragically one night some duffus on the mountain fired off a slug and a little girl was killed. That tradition thankfully ended.

I'll tell you what I've told many people in my life that thought I should be living differently than I was. "I'll make you a deal, you live your life and I'll live mine." A bit of advice, stay off social media.

1979 Audi 5000S. Bought it as a demonstrator with 5000 miles on it. I went through valve stem seals like potato chips. Starters, alternators, cracked frame, McPherson struts, the list is long within the 1st year. Then 2 snapped timing chains before 80,000 miles and the resultant thrown rods. I paid at least twice for that car. ad a nice Blaupunk stereo though. 2003 Chrysler Intrepid. junk 3 transmission computer modules at a grand a pop. I went through a set of tires every 40 to 50 thousand K's. Could never get the thing aligned. I will never, ever, buy another Chrysler product. Best car believe it or not, 1986 Hyundai Excel with a little 4 banger and 4 speed. l. Bought brand new for my former wife. $7200.00 all in. She never had a problem in the 4 years she had it. I insisted on a manual tranny which she had to learn to drive. Oil and filter, that's it. Traded in on a new Hyundai.

Breaks, no time for breaks!!! I worked as a Heater Helper during the 90 strike. If you don't have breaks you will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West. Unless you have stood on the top of a Coke Ovens battery no one knows what hot really is. It's not just the heat, that green stuff in the air you can cut with a knife will drop you like a 303 to a lung if you don't have your respirator on. For all you guys here that think it sucks where you work should go to where Pics works for just 10 minutes. It's like being on some planet that doesn't have oxygen only black, brown, red and green toxic gasses with an ambient temperature of 120F and higher. They can go through the soles of work boots a few times a week just walking on the top of a Coke battery. You will love where you put in your time where you work. Speaking for all the pensioners dependent on you guys to keep the bucks coming in we appreciate what you and all the guys and gals down there do to keep our pensions coming in every month.

Man all those dinners sound wonderful to me. Even the overcooked prime rib can be salvaged, Home made Tourtiere, are you kidding me? To die for.

Turkey wasn't the main dish when I was a kid. As we grew older Turkey worked it's way onto the table. I remember a suckling pig being brought to my Nani's Christmas table for the 25 plus of us when I was very young. I remember like yesterday it had an apple in it's mouth. That is one of my earliest memories as a child. There was a Goose on the table too come to think of it. If I'm right a massive Lasagna was on the table as well but never a turkey back then. I would say it was the 70's before we had turkey. I do remember my Father running the salt Cod under water for a few days before Christmas Eve. That all stopped in the 80's when water meters came into play. No more Bacala in tomato sauce and potatoes of which I couldn't stomach until I was an adult and now cant get any. Grimsby that sounds like a magnificent Christmas dinner. What time should we be there for?

As well to you and yours Geoff and to all my friends here on OFC. Buona Natale et Bouna Anno. (sic). That's a beautiful card you made Albert. Thank you.

A few years ago was the 1st time I took Hwy 11 to North Bay for the last 20 some odd years. Man I couldn't believe how much it has changed, for me not for the better. I didn't recognize it. It's progress I guess. Keep them batteries pushin' Pics.

If you are a Ford family why are you both driving Chryslers? OK I re read it, got it. My BIL was a 35 year employee of GM in St. Kitts and has always refused to drive any GM product for the same reason, how poorly they treat their workers. They are a 100% Chrysler family. I never got why someone would not support the company that their livelihoods and their pensions and benefits are tied to. Their success is the employees and pensioners success, or failure. No one is too big to fail, of course except our Governments. We do all our service and auto repairs at a small shop in Caledonia. The bonus is they are right across the street from where my wife works. It's run by 2 young brothers and I have zero complaints. They know everyone of their customers by 1st name. It's Caledonia Tire on Argyle St. South, I highly recommend them to any of you that live close by. I can't say that about the GM dealer or the CTC in town.

That's a tough one Chris. You can never lose the memories of her. Hang in man.

Never say never. T.L. has her companies 3 day conference the 1st week of Feb. I just might point the Silverado your way. I'll bring my spinning reel and rod and a box full of hardware. That's all you really need down there. I see guys using 2X2's and chain falls to fish from piers. Not required. I will also bring all my Grand Mother and Mom's Italian recipes with me. If I do come you had better go on a diet now Cliff.

My 1st real job other than pumping gas and delivering prescriptions for the local drug store I got a weekend job in the steel plant as a highschool 16 years old as well as a labourer for another contractor in the plant. I worked more than a few 40 hour weekends after school. I started full time while in grade 13 and almost made it through the school year working full time on shifts as a receiving/shipping clerk at Stelco Hilton Works. I started full time for Stelco on Nov. 7 1973. We had 25 and out in the Ironmaking Division and at 45 years old/young I took my very early pension as a middle level manager for a number of reasons. I have never collected a single unemployment payment in my life. I have had to hand out pink slips to several hourly rated employees through the years. It was a tough thing to do but not as tough for the guys getting the layoff. Many were living pay to pay with good salaries so I worried they would have a tough go on E.I. Many did and many marriages failed under the stress. I was always told I was "lucky" to have a steady job. Luck had nothing to do with it. Going in for a night shift on a weekend or worse was a long weekend at 20 something years old when all the boys were going out to party for the weekend up north wasn't being lucky. I can't count how many stats including Christmas's and New Years I had to go in for, year real lucky. I remembering having to get a shift change to stand up for my brother on his wedding day, real lucky. When I went on days I had to ask my wife what goes on Christmas and New Years Eve? That helped open my eyes and realized there was a big world outside the steel mills and more to life than putting in 60 hour weeks so I cashed out. I was lucky. The harder you work the luckier you get. Johnny D. Dan D. you should be very proud. You reputation is only as good as your last happy customer.

We are basking in the sunshine of the DR this week. I'll save you some sunshine Cliff. Down to TL's sisters place. I didn't realize they have a guest house, some guest house, bigger than our little shack on Erie. A good chance to see how the top 3% ers live. They live well but I know they earned every penny so they deserve what they have worked for their entire lives, My personal best fish in the Atlantic is Sea Trout. Not sure if I have caught a Whiting. Other than those big sharp upper teeth they look and taste like Specks. Easy to catch, shrimp on a simple Pickerel Rig. Don't lip one. Watch what you wish for Big Cliff, I might just point the Silverado towards Pittsburg and turn left at Mount Airey after the New Year. What can I bring?

Nature is amazing. With all the development in digital photography we are able today to see things we were never able to before. I'm drawn to all the programs following the Big Cats like Lions and Tigers.

There is a spot for you in Heaven big guy.

I hardly ever surf through SD channels but came across a great local Ontario channel out of Essex On. All the old shows from the 60's from the Beverly Hillbilly's to The Munsters and Petticoat Junction. Old movies from the 50's and 60's. I watched Jason and the Argonauts last night with zero commercials. 70's era music videos that will make you just howl. Most I have never seen like the 1 hit wonder "Kung Fu Fighting" The guy is on a small platform doing the same karate move for the entire song surrounded by 6 kids that stare at him for the entire song stiff as manikins. Kung Fu and The 6 Million Dollar Man is on regularly. The Andy Griffin Show is on as I type. Occasionally there is the local Town Council's on for the area. CFTV on Channel 586 on The Bell Sat TV. I highly recommend it, especially for us old Boomers.