Old Ironmaker

OK I get it, burlap acts like mulch to hold moisture, not just for Birds eating the seeds. Give it a shot, better yet pave it. Chamenta doesn't need to be watered or mown.

A Cop once pulled me over for speeding. I said "I was speeding yes but what about the guy that passed me?" He asked if I fished? Yep. "Do you catch them all?" Good one Copper.

I don't agree. The Sun has to get to the seed so why bury it. Burlap if you have a bird problem. You never see burlap on a Golf Course. Scarecrows, yes. And Big Ugly Bruce is bang on, early spring is best for seeding and fall is best for sodding. For the cost of a roll of sod I might consider living with it this summer and sod the thing this Fall. We in Canada and in the US are a few of the only nations that grow grass just to cut it. Most Europeans think we are nuts to spend all that time and money on lawn care. The water we waste to keep lawns plush and green is sinfull. I have never watered the lawn here in 22 years, ever. They cut grass by lighting it on fire in Italy. I'm surprised that peninsula hasn't sunk into the Sea with all that chamenta on the ground.

Yep Buckeye, one sure way to bring on a skunk is to enter a tourney or brag about how you were smashing them yesterday.

Nice videos, again Pump. Well done. It has always amazed me when we watched underwater action when Snorkelling how un natural and static terminal tackle, like a wire leader, makes your presentation look. May I suggest shortening up the videos a bit editing out the dead time, you will get more views. When I see a video is more than 5 mins. I usually pass.

Yep Rattletrap I feel your pain. I have to tell you, it doesn't get any better. I am having to pay Journeymen their rate because I just can do it anymore. From climbing a step ladder to trying to move some water lines. If I can physically get through it I can't see what I am trying to do. A young Plumber just left 5 minutes ago. He did in 2 hours what I have been thinking of doing for the last 10 years and would have taken me an entire day at least, maybe 2. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and "pay the guy." Our lot is 75'X225'. My wife has to cut the grass and weed whack for the past few years after putting in a days work or her day off, or I hire the guy to do it. Not good for a man's pride. I am complaining and feel somewhat ashamed to complain. All I have to do is think about all the little kids at the Children's Hospital that may not get the chance to grow old and I feel like a selfish arse.

I would say "yes" I can be a mean old basterrrd. Was a mean young Basssterd once. To say I wasn't in the best of moods yesterday would be an understatement. I am up to my neck in what was supposed to be an interior paint job and wash down this shack. I am surrounded in kitchen cabs sitting in boxes, about 1000 sq ft of flooring in boxes and new fixtures to plumb, connect, hang and who knows what else, oh yea ceramic tiles for a back splash, not nice big ones tiny little baby tiles. And am using the bathroom sink and a 2X8 for a counter top to prep meals. I hate paper plates. I'm sick of BBQ'd burgers and death dogs. I'm not the man I was 10 years ago. My wife says I'm not the man I was 2 years ago. You think I can find someone to pay good $$ who can read the business end of a tape or use a level out here in the boonies? No Siree Bob. My guys are all retired, have broken bodies or making real money in the GTA or Hammertown. I'm too old, too tired, too broke and too mean for a reno at 63. I have yet to wet the bottom of the boat, 1st Walleye opener north I have missed in about 35 years. At the crack of dawn on a beautiful morning as the glorious Sun peeked above the pines last week I got out a rod and was going to go down to the beach and wet a line. My stairs got wiped out last fall and the armour rock wall slid down. I forgot I am trying to deal with the MNR and the Long Point Conservation. Authority, about 14 pages of application and drawings to scale for each of them. How do you make a scale drawing of a freeking rock???? Nice folks there but are as slow as Molasses in January. AnyhooI got 1/2 way down the rocks and my good knee popped in and out. Here I am, can't go up, can't go down. I was ready to tap out. I know it must be tough to even have a beach, poor, poor me. What is tough is having one and not being able to use it. Like having a Super Model for a wife and have separate bedrooms, look no touch. All the neighbours stairs are somewhere In NY, PA or Ohio too. What was this thread about? Sorry big Brian, I really am. Please send someone that can use a brad nailer.

Beauty, beauty, beauty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not rocket science Chris. I worked at a new Golf Course after I took my pension. The greenskeeper there could grow grass on a Bowling Ball. Look for a Bentgrass/Fescue mix. Or one or the other. If you can get some from a local Golf course is ideal. Best for our Southern Ont climate and that type of grass spreads like wildfire. A few inches of good topsoil or triple mix. Spread the seeds on the topsoil by hand or a seed spreader depending on size of area and how small an opening you have on a spreader. Flip a tine rake over and use the smooth side to spread the seed. Water daily, when it looks to be muddy stop. Get your lawnmower ready. We did a pals 1/2 acre of seeded lawn around his new home. He was cutting grass in a month.

Deet isn't good for humans but we use it anyway. Why not pets as well? We care for our little buddies better than ourselves that's why. I am allergic to Deer Flies, those little buggers take chunks of flesh, then my face and lips blow up like a balloon, ask me if I remember the Benadryl? Never. Me a stupida idiota. That's Italian for I forgot the Benadryl and may die.

I feel your pain Bri. More than a few times I bragged that I was slaying, Bass, Perch and Walleye here on Erie. So a few guys invite themselves to go out with me. You invite yourself you pay, I invite you out I cover the costs. Someone offers up 20 bucks after 6 hours fishing is an insult if one knows how much the cost really is. So I politely decline basically the cost to launch the boat, feget about the bait for Perch. After tracking average costs for running the boat back then I figured $30.00 an hour to fish, and that was conservative. Running a 20 foot boat up to 10 miles offshore is more than just fueling her up, way more. From insurance, maintenance, slip fee, storage in winter, depreciation, etc. etc. etc. 30 bucks probably doesn't cover an hour on the water, depending on the target closer to 50 or more, toe the boat a few hrs. there and back I don't want to know how much $ it costs. Loose a Live Target, a Dipsy and a small planner board and I'm out close to $100.00. Of course more than a few times we go out and don't even catch a Goby. I've learned my lesson, no more bragging and no more amateur guiding. I don't need the stress. I towed the boat 2 hrs 1 way last summer and we fished for 3 days. A friend of a friend of a friend was my 1st mate, never met him, a good guy really. I stopped for gas for the 1/2 ton on the way back because I had already burned through a tank and he handed me 20 bucks for the 3 days explaining the financial quandaries' he was having and after paying for accommodations and his booze and food he was tapped. I handed it back to him and told him to get us a few coffees at Hortons across the street, he didn't give me the change. What da frig!! Charter guys don't really make any real profit, it gets them on the water to do what they love to do and not dip into RRSP's to do it. Vent complete. Sorry. edit: from what I have read Jesu Cristo didn't need a boat as he could walk on water.

When I was told I just could not believe my ears. I had to check reputable news outlets to make sure it wasn't some idiots idea of a prank. We have followed his shows pre CNN for years. We have read his first book, he started his career as a Busboy on Cape Cod as a teen. My wife always said he could be an international secret agent based on the remote destinations he visited, you never know, look at Chuck Barris of the Gong Show and the Dating Game. I did mention after his debut show this year on CNN a few weeks ago he looked terrible and he hasn't aged well in the last few years, he liked his libations to say the least. He got divorced from his wife just last year. She was an aspiring MMA fighter, I believe she was Brazilian, can't recall her name, she seemed like a sweet heart on film. That must have hit him hard. Based on his shooting schedule and book appearances etc. he couldn't have been at home much. That alone will take it's toll on anyone. I still can't believe it.

If Seafoam gunked them up why use it? I'm missing something.

Talk about being late to pay 3 to 5 days, fergid aboud id. Your Mother is sick, too bad pay me, your Dog died, too bad pay me, you lost your job, good, now I own the house you have 40 grand invested in, it. Get out now.

Man my thread has become interesting to say the least. No problem though I'll take interesting any day. Letto when you said you were house hunting I presumed you all had employment. I don't have any idea what OW or ODSP is but assume it is monetary assistance. Use the proper name once then go ahead and use the acronym, even what is supposed to be professional news media does the same thing, drives me bonkers. I don't know about the houses outside Hamilton as far as prices are, I know for certain the prices quoted for those places in Hammertown are about 1/2 of the market value, maybe less. The realtors advertise a ridiculously low price to get traffic from Toronto (T.O.herein to be referred to as Toronto), and fuel a bidding war. A close friend did the same last summer. A 3 bedroom on Magill St. where I had a tri plex rental 22 years back was advertised at $299,900.00. It sold for 540K and needed another 60K in reno's. No central A/C, oil furnace for radiated heat supplemented with electric heat, double brick with zero insulation. A freezer in the Winter and a Blast Furnace all summer. The house is over 100 years of and the basement always has 2" of water in it. The foundation walls are stone on stone. The place hasn't seen an improvement in over 40 years. Knob and tube and a 60 AMP service that no Insurance company will insure for fire. Heck I sold my tri-plex for $230,000.00 then and my rental income was $2200.00 a month. What is shown on MLS often has nothing to do with the market value. Many of the houses I saw would probably need 100 grand to make it livable. Sweat equity though can save big bucks but materials are going up every day for no other reason other than they can to match the housing boom. To be blunt as well until you find good paying employment you shouldn't even be thinking about home ownership. I agree if living conditions with family are untenable Mom and yourself should rent a place on your own. One of the worse decisions one can make is to invest in property with Family. Even families that get along, sounds like yours doesn't. You will put what little money you can to contribute and never be on the deed. There are several agencies in Hamilton that I know provide good safe housing geared to income, Liuna is one, it's the Ontario Labour Union. Good luck going forward. And get off my thread. (just kidding Letto) Again good luck and happy fishing.

A famous OFCer. And I thought I was the only one. Way to go Kicking Frog. Is it out yet farsider? Do you have a link?

20 bucks for a bottle of POP!!!!!! Bootleggers charge less for home made Vino. I remember when many of the boys went West in the 70's during the Oil boom. It was a buck an egg. You pay less for eggs than we do. $3.00 a dozen for farm eggs. Buy at your own risk. I found a few unhatched chicks in my frying pan, what a stench. It must be nice to shop then ask "How much." I always paid cash before Interact or before they accepted VISA. I won't use Interact around here unless I have at least the same amount of cash in my pocket. We are still on land lines around here and it doesn't always work. I always calculate how much $$ the items were as I put them on the belt. I bet my wife as to how much, can't go over, come to think about it she owes me a few Samolians. Letto, the original thread I started was about moving to SW Ontario. You should consider SW Ontario. You can get a nice 3 bedroom home there for well under $200,000.00. Employment is tough. If a family works hard, very hard and pools it's money you have a chance at home ownership. Rents are nowhere what they are in Southern Ont. I've seen nice homes, nothing fancy for under 150 in fact. I know people that have cars in their driveways that total 150K. I know a few mortgage brokers that lend unsecured mortgages, you won't get 1 for 4% though, closer to 10%. 150K at 10% is about $1500.00 a month PIT. PM me if you wish.

I can't fathom living in the TO, Hamilton Niagara area with employment on the lower end of the pay scale. Why? Maybe to be close to family, friends maybe. It is more economical to move your entire family where rent isn't close to 2 grand. Post WW2 many young, and older folk immigrated to Canada and the US because cost of living was so high. You had a roof over your head but couldn't feed your family and vice versa. My Dad was born in Hamilton but when my Grandfather was sent to prison my Grandmother had to get her and her 4 kids back to Italy. At 20 my Father came back to Canada, 3000 or so miles from his Mother. Mom is from North Tonawanda NY, only a 75 minute drive. When I told them we were moving outside the area they didn't make a peep. As they say ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Letto you need to get out of Dodge(southern ON). My advice and a toonie will get you a coffee at Tim Hortons. Our offer was rejected 15 minutes after it was made. You guys know before the Lady that I share kitchen with does. Letto, am more than happy to give you some advice, I have been in the real estate/rental business for 43 years. PM me if you wish. Read my saying at the bottom of my page.

I was just there a few hrs ago, grrrrrr. Many guys call it Snake Oil, maybe, maybe not. I sleep better knowing I put some in. If you can read the fine print Seafoam says it can be used 1 to 1, now that would be expensive.

If you are as adept at catching a Musky as well as I am Albert, no chance to be fined. If you get caught by a CO tossing bricks just tell them you are looking for our Lake Erie Jumbo Perch!!

Just last month I made a deal on a new AC unit. I got 3 quotes from local HVAC guys. I couldn't believe $ difference between the 3. 1 was $1000.00 more for the exact unit, 1 was $1800.00 more. The one I went with happens to be a neighbour and I have been a customer for 22 years. No rebate as it is less than 18 Seer. You are 100% correct Tom S. Look for PM please Tom.

I did a quick search of homes in KW. I was correct a 5 bedroom home in the area is over a million bucks. 400K for a smallish 3 bed townhouse. We are putting in an offer for a century home, actually older 1839, in Prescott ON. Nice area and fair real estate prices compared to anywhere in southern On. It actually has 5 bedrooms. 3 in main house and 2 bedroom rental apt. attached to main house. It was the housekeepers quarters before Canada became Canada. A solid stone Heritage home on new 10 yrs ago floor joists, main beams, solid footings and foundation. The first thing I did was put on coveralls and climb under the place. 100X190 lot with home setback from the main road. I wouldn't want to change a thing on the exterior anyway. Converted to NG HVAC in the 90's. 250K. A few blocks from the St. Lawrence. and Golf Club. Hey Big Dave, are eggs still a buck each like in the 70's when a dozen here was 59 cents?

In KW a 5 bedroom home is nowhere close to 340K. That home doesn't exist sorry, anywhere in southern Ontario. You are talking close to or over a million. Maybe a 2 bedroom townhouse for 340K, maybe. Go to Comfree.com and search. close to 100% of all homes are listed there as Real Estate brokers also put their listings on Comfree. Being late in rent kills your credit rating, 3 to 5 days late is late. 1 day late is late. I would venture a guess she isn't going to qualify for a mortgage with only 5% down with the poor credit rating she now has. In a bullish real estate market that we have now rent to own is few and far between. I have had several tenants over the years. I depended on the rent coming in on time as I had mortgages, utilities, repairs, maintenance fees and taxes to name just a few to pay on time and depended on that rent to pay them. I bet anyone would get pretty upset if their employer was 3 to 5 days late giving someone their pay. Same thing Leto. Sorry but I would evict her as well. I'll leave it at that.

OK, it's official! I was set up. After I made a nice Frittata with Asparagus, red onion, Zucchini topped witch Bocconcini then under the salamander and a salad for supper I passed on the suggestions to remove the burn. " Don't worry about it Johnny D you bought a new dining table and 6 nice chairs today." Thanks for the heads up cupcake. Since we are doing the reno to put the cottage up for sale, apparently there is something called "staging". The definition is buy new stuff that will help sell a joint and move into the new digs with new furniture!!!!!!!! Oh yea, sell with all appliances then go and buy new to save $$$ on moving costs, yea right doll face. I was born on a Thursday, not last Thursday. She happy, me happy. (Actually I'm pumped, I get a commercial gas stove, me no stupida.)

Sad for sure. It continues to happen every year, year in year out. We just won't learn from others mistakes. The family names sound familiar to me.