lew

My wife and her 2 girlfriends just got back from DR a couple days ago and they stayed at the Best Western Plus on Dixie Rd near the airport. She said it was a pretty nice place with 2 beds and was only $120 for the night. They also provide a shuttle to & from the airport, included in the room price.

I've got Defenders on my F150 and they're the best 3 season tires I've ever used. I use dedicated winter tires when the snow blows though.

Hard to believe prices have risen so much in the last few years. Just 10 years ago I bought a new glass Skeeter with a 150 Yamaha, on a trailer, and I even had them throw in a custom made fully enclosed stand-up up top & stainless prop all for $32,000.

Bears are somewhat common around my place and it's not unusual to see them, infact I've seen 4 or 5 right in my yard and have cleaned up scat 8 or 10 other times and a couple months ago I cleaned up a pile only 20' behind the house. They've also pulled down my bird feeders a couple times when I didn't remove them soon enough in the spring. I came out the back door early one morning and found this guy sound asleep in the yard but he hung around long enough to get this picture before he wandered off. I've had 2 very close encounters with them but both ended peacefully. I live on a dirt road that runs along Clear Lake and is 1 1/2 miles out to the hiway and I walk out and back every day and last June I was walking along when a bear came out of the woods only about 40' in front of me. I stopped and when he saw me he just kinda looked for a few seconds then made a loud sorta grunt then took off. In August 2017 we were up on Nippissing and again I was walking along a dirt road thru the bush when I came to a clearing. I heard a branch snap to my right and 2 cubs came out from behind a stump 100' away followed by Momma. I didn't think this would end too well when she lowered her head and put her ears back while she stared at me. I slowly backed up and avoided staring at her and she took the 2 kids back into the bush. Always good to see but makes you pay attention when wandering around their homes.

We've been getting the odd frost quake around here the last few nights but this was far bigger that any I've ever felt before.

Thanks for the link Paul, some interesting reading there. Not many earthquakes around here and certainly no big ones, but every once in awhile there'll be a little bump and I'm guessing that's what we felt yesterday. I was just talking to another neighbour and she felt it too so at least it wasn't my old brain playing tricks on me.

Already played a couple games today Art and the tables still good....just wish I was LOL

I'm in the Kawarthas near Burleigh Falls & was sitting here yesterday afternoon and felt a big bump and the whole house shook and you could hear things rattling. My wife was in the other room and came out and asked "what the heck was that" My 1st thought was someone driving up the driveway and hit the house. Took a look around and nobody there so I went thru the house and everything was fine. A couple neighbors felt it too I but have no idea what it was other than maybe a mini-quake. Crazy stuff for sure.

But one 50+" musky is worth a boatload of 40" pike, but that's just me LOL

I heard that !!! ?

Nothing happening in the Kawarthas yet but it's sposed to get grungy later on today.

For old times sake Brian LOL Good to see you back Dax

Thanks Bud, that spot on Nip has some incredible sunsets. That 2nd one of yours is amazing.

West Arm of Nippissing last summer

I joined the Fire Dept in '68 with a salary of $100 a week and that was considered good money and your right Brian, inflation is a killer LOL ?

Hard to believe it's been 8 years already Norm, Jack was a good guy.

My son was killed 12 days before Christmas back in '04 and Christmas has never really been the same since then. The pain diminishes but never really goes away.

Best story I've read in a long time bud !!

I miss the old days Kelvin, the GTG's used to be alot of fun.

I've had many dogs over my lifetime and every one has lived on people food and they all lived long and healthy lives. My last pooch lived till he was 18 years old and we used to take him for a check-up every year and when he was 16 the vet said she couldn't believe how healthy he still was at his age and asked what we fed him. I said he ate basically whatever we had for supper and she was horrified and said people food is the most unhealthy thing you can feed a dog. I said "you just told us you couldn't believe how healthy he was" and she sorta blushed and said "yeah I guess I did, didn't I " Ole Marv live for another 2 years on his unhealthy diet LOL

Many years ago my FIL was driving through Pickering and dropped something on the floor and when he bent over to pick it up he crossed the center line and nailed an oncoming car head on. Luckily there were no serious injuries but he totalled 2 vehicles and payed a huge fine for 2 seconds of not paying attention and it just shows how fast terrible things can happen

I don't think anyone suggested they idle their car for 20 minutes, usually just fire it up while putting on a coat and they're gone, at least anyone I know does it that way.

I've always appreciated your invites over the years Brian but ice fishing never became an interest of mine. In the nearly 17 years I've been on this board I've been out 4 or 5 times but it was always just for the laughs rather than the fishing and now that I've retired from fishing all together it's even further down my list than bowling LOL Here's a pic from I think the 1st OFC G2G from maybe 2002 or 2003 and it could have even been you that took it but it was for sure a fun day.

You know my feelings on ice fishing Brian LOL