Jer

We had one visit our campsite at Crotch Lake a couple years ago...

Ernie (ecmilley) put a set of tires on my truck a while back. We had never met (still haven't, actually) and my girlfriend thought I was nuts leaving my truck in some unknown "internet guy's" driveway with the keys and then calling him with my Visa number the next day. Somehow I wasn't worried, I don't know how to explain. "He's a regular on OFC", is all I really considered. Couldn't be happier with the tires, the price or the service. Thanks Ernie.

You should have asked him why the price went up two bucks when 8% of $12 is only 96 cents. Who is the other $1.04 for?

I had reservations the first time we took Bear remote camping a couple years ago at Crotch Lake. Turns out they were somewhat well-founded. See the latter portion of this post to see his adventure: My link Last year we left him at his favourite kennel for the trip. I'm not saying don't take your dogs. Just be careful, they can disappear in an instant.

That's what I would be concerned about, losing too much tongue weight due to the angle.

Thank you everybody for the very kind replies.

I was at the office in Peterborough when I thought a truck had hit the building, except there was no bang, and then there was another shake. The "Health & Safety Committee" decided we should leave the building which I think was a little extreme. From the parking lot I was looking to the southwest and northwest to see if the G-20 or G-8 had got nuked. For half an hour or more afterwards, I guess the cell phone circuits were jammed with traffic. I couldn't make a call for the life of me. Makes you wonder how effective our little electronic crutches would be if crap really hit the fan.

I use nothing but Shell premium gas in all my small engines including my outboard. Things have never run better. It's the only one I know that is 100% ethanol free, though I'm sure there are others. When will they get off of this ethanol kick? Let's starve the world to feed our cars.

Yesterday was sad, sad day. The day finally came that Mister Bear had to go to sleep. He had been quite ill for awhile, the last week he was unable to keep any food down, the last couple days he refused to eat anything at all and his back end was failing badly. The house feels so empty today. For twelve years, since I was blessed with his company at nine months of age, he has been at the door when I got home. I think it will be awhile before we get another dog, it just hurts too much when it's their time to go. I put a little photo montage together of the big guy. Sort of the "Life & Times of Mister Bear": One of his favourite past times, on the sunfish hunt: He was a handsome fellow: Loved to go for walks with his family: Introduction to his new house mates: It wasn't long til they were the best of friends: Hangin' out with his buddy Freddy at Emily Park: Camping at Crotch Lake: Gimme a belly rub: Checkin' out the catch of the day: To swim or not to swim: Hangin' out in the camper, what a good looking dog: He loved boat rides, this was my last time out with him, crappy fishing early this spring: This is one of my favourite pics, Woof Woof, Mr Bear, Woof Woof! He was GOOD dog, the BEST. Take care Mister Bear, I'll always miss you!

You can't go wrong with a Compre. I have two (medium action casting and spinning) and they are very good rods for the money. I have a Shimano Carbo-Max for an ultra-lite and while it's a decent rod, I would much prefer the Compre version.

Depending on the type of boats you have, you'll have access to a ton of varied water and structure if you don't mind travelling. Chemong, Pigeon and even the Balds can all be accessed with no locking through. You can take the lock through to Lower Buckhorn or it's only a short drive to trailer the boat over there. On Upper Buckhorn itself, the north end where you'll be is deeper and narrower, as you travel south, the lake widens and gets shallower with lots of islands and weedy back bays and channels between them. Get a good map and enjoy.

I have the same motor, bought new in 2000. It's been a good motor, no issues with it at all. Like any used motor, it's condition really comes down to how it was maintained over the years. Fuel consumption is in line with most two strokes of that size.

Finally managed a decent walleye last night on Buckhorn: 24" and thick, I estimate about 3 1/2 to 4 lbs. Please excuse the poor photography, I was alone and only had my Blackberry with me. It sure beats the three I've caught under the slot so far. Now if I could just get one in the slot for dinner...

I like to cast with one finger on the trigger, retrieve and fight a fish with two fingers over the trigger and the reel in my palm. Whatever is most comfortable is key.

Whenever it's practical, I like to use a palomar knot. It's virtually impossible to slip and it's easy to tie. It's a bulky knot, especially with large dia line. If that's an issue, the uni or improved cinch (but not with braid) are good options.

So the current students in the program get to suffer for the sake of a history lesson?

Wouldn't that be nice...free energy! Unfortunately, the extra drag on the vehicle caused by trying to use speed to turn wind turbines and generators would far outweigh the energy produced. Like the old saying goes "you can't suck and blow at the same time".

I have a friend who lives in Bracebridge. When he first moved there, he told me he bought 10 cords of wood for the upcoming winter. I thought he was nuts, how could he need so much wood? Apparently, in Muskoka, a "face cord" is referred to as a "cord". A bush cord (as I've always known a cord of wood) is of course 3 face cords deep. He actually only had 3 1/3 cords of wood, which made much more sense. If a "bush cord" is only $90 in Quebec, along with the beer prices, maybe I should move my to La Belle Province.

It's certainly cheaper if you want to do the work yourself. Still a big investment though, I believe the average "truck load" of logs will yeild 14 bush cords or so (It may be only seven, I don't really remember).

You must have a big truck...

I paid a little less than that for my wood this year, Lew, $260 a cord. If it's good wood and split to a size you like, $300 is not really a bad price. I found that once you find a good wood guy and buy for a couple years, your price will start to decline relative to the going rate. I buy 3 or 4 cords a year and heat exclusively with wood.

...your 4" swimbait should be safe...

Very sad indeed, a terrible way to lose a friend. How quickly a day can turn from delight to dispair. With all due respect, it seems they were already flagrantly disregarding existing safety laws without the required safety gear (including PFDs) on board. What makes you believe an additional "lifejacket law" on the books would have made any difference to their behaviour or the final outcome?

...for $100, you could get a room instead...just sayin'

I know exactly how you feel, Jimmer. I did very much the same 14 years ago when I was 27. Although the house isn't quite paid for, it's close enough that there's light at the end of the tunnel. Having grown up in Mississauga, this is paradise.