Beavertail

Cool pic! Nice looking bunnies...how do you prepare your snowshoes? They look clean, did you snare them?

Well, it's not cooking but one food I really like that taste better than it should is cheese. All kinds of cheese and I'm not talking Mozzarella or Kraft Singles.....the stinkier the better IMO. I love Blue Stilton, and it definitely tastes better than it smells. In a way it kind of looks like an experiment gone wrong!

NICE fish! Funny little read too, thanks for the chuckle.

Beautiful pictures!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, thanks. Really liked the Algonquin pics and those are some fine looking hounds. We run our beagles on cottontails and snowshoes...must be a blast chasing deer with them! Congrats on the property purchase.

A few years ago on a canoeing/camping trip to a small, secluded lake up near Haliburton my girlfriend and I were having a very relaxing time enjoying the lake all to ourselves. Only 2 campsites on the lake, and according to the online registry we were the only ones to have booked a site that week. I love this little lake and have been there many times...not unusual to spend the whole trip without seeing another soul. Well, it was a beautiful, sunny day and we thought to ourselves what could be better than a little "afternoon delight" on the rocks down by the waters edge. Not long into the session and we hear an unmistakeable paddle bang off a gunwale...look up and lo and behold two canoes rounding the point. We both scramble and do a naked mad dash for the tent...I think we covered that 50 yards in under 3 seconds. Once in the safety of the tent we couldn't stop laughing and that was the end of that!

Growing up I have fond memories of Boney M blaring on the radio....these days I always crank up the volume when I hear Bob Seger's 'Drummer Boy' and Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song. The classics by Bing kinda go without saying.

Picked up my first boat this past spring, a used Lund. More recently a Daiwa SS Tournament 1600 for chucking salmon spoons next season, paired with a 9' heavy action Cabelas Fish Eagle 50 spinning rod.

Good for you Mike, what a night. You're making me drool.

Too funny, gotta wonder what goes through some people's minds!

A great big, sea run male Arctic Char in full spawning colours. Don't think there is a more handsome freshwater fish to be found.

Well if the service manager at Massels keeps his word than I do have some respect for them. After I called back again today to complain and mention that I was having my lower unit repainted, then asked them to pay the bill he actually agreed. Still a huge inconvenience for me but I'll give them credit for at least trying to make things right(only after I did all the bitchn') I guess the squeaky wheel really does get the grease.

Holy crap Joey, thanks. Those are great photos. That last one of the Coopers is amazing - love the red eyes and plumage on the adults...even has his under-tail coverts all fluffed up! He looks fired up, must have been the breeding season! Those pictures belong in a bird identification book, serious.

Those are great shots of the Snowy's....especially against that blue sky background. Joey, do you have any other pictures of birds of prey? I've been fascinated with them since I was a kid, I'd love to see more! If I see any raptors while driving I'm always compelled to look, surprised I haven't gone off the road yet.

I paid first, then they grabbed it from the shop, another lesson learned...always examine the work done BEFORE paying. I just expected a job well done, that's why I took it there in the first place and paid a high shop rate - they're supposed to be the professionals. If I paid my neighbours kid $7/hr to do the job I wouldn't be complaining right now. Sometimes you just don't get what you pay for. And I really do take care of all my stuff as well, that's why it pisses me off so much.

I think it was whoever last changed the water pump...I will know carry a 12mm wrench in my tool kit on the boat and check those bolts on a regular basis.

It was the drive shaft, and it happened when the 4 bolts that fasten the lower unit came loose and actually fell out while I was on the water at WOT. The lower unit was basically being held on by the shift linkage and drive shaft. Because everything was out of alignment the shaft sheared off.

I did let them know I wasn't satisfied, twice....they were pretty much silent, not much to say. I'm a first time customer, they probably couldn't care less since the bill was paid.

The only good news is a friend of mine is in the auto body business and has access to a spray booth. He's doing me a favour and will fix it up like new...perhaps I should go back to Massels and stick them with a bill.

Yeah, so I originally just took the lower unit in to have the impeller and a broken gear shaft replaced. This is my first season with a boat and motor (it's a minty 2004 used Yamaha 25hp 4 stroke) and I thought I would let the 'professionals' do the work. Well, it looks like a high school co-op student was let loose on it - I could have done a better job at home in my basement and I'm by no means a mechanic. So I've ordered a repair manual from Seloc and from now on I'll just do the work myself, lesson learned.

Normally I wouldn't say anything but this experience has left a rather sour taste in my mouth. I just got my outboard lower unit back from the shop tonight and to say I was disappointed would be an understatement. Never mind that it took over 2 months to replace a broken drive shaft - I can live with that, but when I saw all the scratches on the skeg from their vice I couldn't believe my eyes. The motor didn't have a mark on it before, now it looks like they dragged it down a gravel road. Also noticed when I got home they didn't even re-install a cotter pin in the nut holding on the prop. First and last time I will ever be using their services - Massels Marine if anyone is interested. Just my 2 cents.

Really cool pictures...I especially like the action shots of the Heron nailing the panfish and the Coyote pouncing on a rodent. You must spend quite a bit of time outdoors with your camera waiting for just the right moment to present itself.

It's crazy, I don't know why more ice rods don't have larger guides...seems like a no brainer.

I picked up a 32" Berkley Lightning Rod last season for Simcoe Lakers in Medium Heavy. Nice, fast action with some serious back bone. Also has fairly large guides and a decent reel seat. I was very pleased with it...works great with big swim baits, lipless cranks or spoons.

It's not homemade but I'm going to add the 'all you can eat buffet' at Sushi Stars. Salmon sashimi, shrimp tempura, green dragon rolls, beef teryaki the list goes on and on. Feels like I need to be carried outta that place on a stretcher every time I go! I definitely get my money's worth.