Ronzo

Wow, really impressive results! A trip like this is something that I'd love to take my father (65) on one day. Along with the awesome pics, I also appreciate the various tips about how you choose and scout your spots. I'm really glad to see that you guys didn't let the weather get you down, rather you took it as an opportunity to find the bigguns!

Keep the reports coming, please. I've never read one and thought anything other than "Lucky bugger! I need to start saving!".

Man, nature can be brutal. Sorry for your loss - hope you find another dog as awesome as Buddy.

I've fished from Muskoka Wharf in Gravenhurst a few times. It's a pretty nice area to boot. https://www.google.ca/maps/place/295+Steamship+Bay+Rd,+Gravenhurst,+ON+P1P+1Z9/@44.920253,-79.391566,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x4d2a9a8af9117fe9:0x815f1c588790b618 Some nice crappie there, along with LM bass. You can also head up the road to the mouth of the Hoc Roc river on Muskoka Beach Rd, where you might find a pike or three.

Thoughts and prayers for you and your family - if everyone in the world had your daughter's strength, courage and determination, we'd be living in a perfect world.

Awesome pics. Looks like a blast. Can never go wrong with time with the kids, and fishing is always a bonus!

Haven't been on there myself, but any time I'm heading Muskoka way I check out Muskoka Water Web. Looks like there isn't much information on Nine Mile, but may help you avoid targeting something that's not there http://www.muskokawaterweb.ca/lake-data/mnr-data/lake-fact-sheet/mnr-n

I would expect him to repair the boat as his expense. You took your boat to him in good faith to have a job done that should've been very simple. His mistake, his cost to fix it up. If you wanted to drill the holes off center, you could've just done that yourself with the help of a couple of beers! Also seems like he would've just kept his mouth shut and sent you on your way had you not noticed, which is really not cool at all. Agree with the stop payment on the cheque. Also document everything as well as you can (looks like you've done a good job of that).

I was out on Monday afternoon in Sandy Cove, when the thaw was starting, and there was still 20+" of ice. That said, shore was already getting slushed up and I would guess that by today the water will be pooling near shore. I was up in Barrie last night by the Lakeshore, and took a few steps out. If you made a point of avoiding the snowmobile/truck/fourwheeler tracks, it was still pretty solid on top. Huts still out on the ice. That said, I'd exercise extreme caution now, as I was out both Saturday and Monday and definitely noticed cracks widening the ice sagging a bit near shore, and the temps were still under 5C at that point.

Any chance your hot water line has gunk built up in it? You can lose a good chunk of your 1/2" diameter to build-up in the pipes.

Nice whities! Awesome that your son is already pulling them up by himself! I got bitten by the weatherman being wrong last Thursday. Seemed calm, got the hut halfway open, without anchors in, when the gusts started. Anyone see an idiot chasing an orange portable for a few hundred meters in Sandy Cove? That was me, folks! Missed it three times then finally grabbed a corner, dragged it back and used the pegs this time.

I would actually consider her view to be incredibly compassionate, and you should be proud she holds such a view. Two hundred years from now it would not surprise me one bit if over 50% of the population was vegan/vegetarian, for a variety of reasons. Laugh if you want, but things like dairy allergies are on the rise. My wife has been a vegan for several years. It doesn't cause a problem around our house. If I want to eat meat, I will eat the quality stuff, not the factory farmed garbage that you find in grocery stores. I always say to my Dad, the milk and meat that you're getting these days isn't the same stuff you were getting back in the 60's and 70's. Making money is the endgame now.

If people are streaming Netflix and such on your network, you might consider setting up Quality of Service by MAC address. Looks like the NetGear N600 supports this. http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/66/~/how-to-enable-quality-of-service-%28qos%29-on-older-netgear-routers%3F You could then bump the greedy devices down in priority, and that may help relieve the issues you're seeing. Sometimes a new router/modem isn't a bad option either. I find that a lot of routers are good for 5-7 years before they begin to degrade a bit.

I second this. I had trouble dealing with stress, found a counsellor who was awesome about three years ago, and am way ahead thanks to it. Not only learning coping skills, but learning about yourself in general. I've never made a better investment. I have one youngster, one more on the way, my own tech business, a stressful move last August, and wouldn't have made it through without having my counselling to fall back on. Hmmm, didn't have to live with the mother-in-law, though. Good luck! Congrats on everything you've accomplished so far. You should be really proud!

Of course it depends on what you're buying. Then again, I'm not the type to sweat spending two or three extra bucks a few times a year. If I was that worried, I could certainly find other areas to make that up.. So what do you want? Lousy selection where you might find something similar to what you want for a 'great price', or just go and spend the two or three dollars and get what you want? Canadian Tire certainly doesn't have an endless selection, but it's better than Cabela's. I could also drive to Bass Pro Shops, but then I'm down those few bucks you're saving in order to pay for gas.

Add me to the 'I think I'll just go to Canadian Tire in Barrie' club. Stopped by Cabela's once, definitely disappointed.

Sorry to hear. Sounds like you gave her the best life she could've possibly had.

I walked out this past Saturday out of Sandy Cove area, and only made it to the 20ft water mark before deciding that was enough pulling. It snowed since then, so I'd have to guess there must be 6-8" of snow in some spots. Problem with walking is the snow is now so deep, even snowmobile tracks aren't as solid as you'd hope. Hauling the flasher, portable hut, heater, tackle, etc in the sled makes for a tough go with this much snow. Much prefer a set of cleats and glare ice for walking and pulling! I walked halfway to Fox Island from Sandy Cove earlier this year with my cleats, that was awesome.

My wife drove over to the Barrie store for 10am or so and came back without anything from Target. Said the parking lot was jammed, and the 'liquidation' was only up to 30% off.

The snarkiness against a few people who clearly know what they're doing and are being careful while doing it is quite something. Do you ever speed when you drive? Because that's against the law and is dangerous too. Anyhow, the processes that've been outlined here are great. I don't burn enough propane in a winter to go this route, but it's great knowledge to have. Also agree with the common sense notion. If you're sloppy and careless, not something you should be doing. If you've got a decent head on your shoulders, it's not rocket science.