CrowMan

Yeah...every time I hit the shutter button on my camera, I'd imagine it was a trigger. Though with the amount of game in Botswana, I would think the hunting would almost be too easy to be fun and challenging. The guides do harvest a Kudu (see photo) a couple of times a month...to put on the menu for dinner at camp...and also to make Billtong (like beef jerky) as a snack for the daily "sundowner" cocktail time. Kudu is absolutely by far the best game meat of any kind that I have ever tasted...would love to have a freezer full. Interestingly, the guides in camp and on the game drives do carry a .375 H&H just in case one of the pussies get too frisky. I talked one of them into letting me fire off a round at a tin can (just to make sure it was sighted in...hehe). Jeez...it felt like a stick of dynamite went off on my shoulder. Believe it or not, the most dangerous animal in Africa is the Hippo. They kill more humans every year than all other animals combined. If you get between a Hippo and its trail back to the water, it will just blindly charge you and trample you to death.

Haven't been there in at least 20 years. Let me know how you make out. One of the fond memories I have is the sweet smell of fresh Smelts in a bucket...reminds me of fresh cut cucumbers of all things. Best of luck !

Yep, back in the day we would ice fish at night for Smelt at Ramey's Bend in Port Colborne. The other spot we'd go to in Welland was Dain City. A lantern would attract them to the hole...and we'd use a hook with a little yarn that would get caught in their teeth...just shake them off. Haven't been there in many years. These days, one of the few places where you can still catch Smelt through the ice in good numbers is Muskrat Lake up by Ottawa.

Yeah, those were the glory days. As a kid in the 60's and 70's, I used to go down to the Bronte pier on a warm April night with my Dad and Uncles. It was a real party atmosphere. Some of the contraptions that folks made to net them...like mini cranes..were real feats of engineering. On the right night, with a half dozen dips of our net we could fill a bushel. We would fill the bathtub with them to clean them with scissors, and then a big fry up in the wee hours of the night. These days, the only place I consistently see them caught in big numbers are the tribs of Lake Superior. Most of creeks and rivers north of the Soo along Hwy 17 still get substantial runs...Harmony, Chippewa, Pancake, Speckled Trout, etc. Our group heads up there for Steelhead the week after the Trout opener down south...so last week of April / first week of May. We usually have no problem getting our fill of Smelt in the evening...a little smaller than the ones we used to get on Lake O years ago...but just as sweet. Some of the local restaurants along 17 even feature them as a special that time of year.

Same conditions on my lake...can't run my Pioneer more than a few feet without getting bogged down. The Walleye, Whitefish and Crappies are catching a break this winter..

I didn't want to turn this thread into a commentary on investing advice. My remarks about "Minit Lube" were strictly an attempt at humour based on the trend of increasing electrification of the economy. I will say, when I hear the words ..."most are saying " when it comes to investing, I stay away. I've always found the words of the Sage of Omaha to be good advice.. "Be fearful when others greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful." I also live by..."don't invest in a business you don't understand". That's why I would never touch bitcoin or crypto.

I love the growl of a V8 as much as the next guy. My ride in the 70's was a Duster 340 with a 6 pack...leaded gas and no catalytic. Also had a Kawi 750 triple 2 stroke. But, the writing is on the wall. I wouldn't be investing in a Jiffy or Minit Lube franchise any time soon...

It is my understanding that every single component of a lithium battery can be recycled.

Nuclear power (despite the fear mongering in some media) has proven to be very safe. In the over 65 years that we've had 100's of nuclear power plants around the globe...there have only been three incidents. 1. Three Mile Island...failed due to human error. Basically the equivalent of the Koebel Brothers from Walkerton were running the plant at the time. 2. Chernobyl....constructed and operated by the Russians... see their track record with commercial aircraft...I think enough said.. 3. Fukushima...impacted by a tsunami. The likelihood of that kind of event in Ontario is nil.

Maybe I'm just a full blown addict and need to mainline the feel of the tug (no matter how slight)...but what fish aren't FUN to catch. Even catching chubs for bait in my backyard creek puts a smile on my face...😁 I have no problem with re-naming the fish and ducks...it is pretty derogatory term. After all, I don't call Brazil Nuts by the name I called them as a kid.

Two reasons why I still prefer the FG to Shin's "Lazy Alberto" knot. 1. The FG is much slimmer...so it flies through the guides easier and quieter. With Shin's knot you still double over the leader which is always the thicker line...not so important with lighter lines, but more noticeable in heavier diameters. 2. With Shin's knot, the tag end of the leader (again the thicker and stiffer of the two lines you're connecting) faces the bait...so it "catches" the guides when you cast...again especially noticeable in heavier pound tests. Not so with the FG. With the FG tool...even with my old arthritic hands, it's easy peasy. For $30 it's well worth it.

Besides all the environmental hullabaloo around oil, I do think it's prudent that we in Ontario create and control our own energy sources. That's why building five new nuke plants in this Province and the electrification of our economy should be a priority. Yes, we are all Canadians...and we should all be caring and sharing. I don't have anything against the hard working people of Alberta...however, their politicians...well, let's just say I'm old enough to remember Klein telling us..."let those eastern bas**rds freeze in the dark".

I hate windmills...they're ugly and for the amount of juice they create I don't think they're worth the disruption to the environment. They ruined the Kingston waterfront. Ontario Power Workers Union took out a full page ad today in the major papers, calling for the construction of 5 more nuke plants the size of Darlington in the next 27 years. Until fusion is available on a commercial scale...I'm onboard with that.. Also in today's news, I see that Suncor and Cenovus (the major oilsands extractors) want a piece of the $15 billion Canada Growth Fund unveiled in the last federal budget. Imo, this is not wise way to invest the taxpayer's money. About 20 years ago, I spent 6 months in Fort Mac selling equipment. The environmental devastation of trying to extract oil from tar embedded in sand made me literally and figuratively sick. BTW...I myself (a single driver among millions) burn close to 2000 gallons of gasoline a year...so the oil for the windmill gearbox is really inconsequential....not that I like windmills...lol

https://www.fieldandstream.com/conservation/make-money-catching-invasive-fish/ That's $95k CDN for 4 months "work"...if I was younger, I might be looking for a way to get a Green Card

"I thought natural reproduction was significant with Kings and Cohos on the Canadian side. Poor on the American side. That’s why they are stocking more" True. A lot of the tributaries on our side of Lake O allow better access to cold and clean nursery waters. However, the fact that the annual budget for the OMNRF is $640 million CDN, and the budget for NYSDEC is $1.8 billion USD just might have something to do with it... For context...Ontario has a population of 14.5 million, NY State has 18.3 million...not a big gap, but they spend almost 4 times more than us on fish & wildlife...and, of course, our land mass is 8 times larger.. And NY State sales tax is only 4%...

These changes will come sooner than you think...and just like the Model T, mass production will lower prices dramatically. Just think about all the components (and machining) that go in to an internal combustion engine vs. an electric motor. I'm a big believer in technology and the capacity of the human mind to innovate solutions. We are the only animal that makes tools, and we have become very good at it. The total volume of human knowledge doubles every year. Since the late 1980's, I have invested almost exclusively in tech stocks. Yes, there have been winners and losers...up and downs...bubbles bursting. But overall that strategy has served me very well. Quick example...if you invested $5000 in Exxon Mobil (for a long time the largest capitalized corporation on the planet) back in 1986, your investment would now be worth $520,000. Not bad...eh ? If in the same year, if you had invested $5000 in Microsoft, today the value would be $10.5 million. Unfortunately, in this country (and frankly around the globe) there's a lot of political pressure to support sunset industries like the oil sands...in my opinion that's money not well spent. Yes, gasoline will never go away completely for some applications, and we still need oil to manufacture plastics...but there is more than enough " clean" oil around to satisfy those needs. BTW...average starting cost of an EV is $100k ??? You can buy a Hyundai Ioniq 5 for $48k and get $5K back in gov't rebates. My brother bought one last summer...fantastic vehicle, with great range, quick charge capability and super acceleration...and yes, you have to charge it every 400km, but you have to gas up with a ICE vehicle too. In fact, in some ways it's less time out of your day...you can charge at home rather stopping at the gas station.

We're at the same inflection point...fortunes need to be invested. Just like then...it will be money well spent. That spending on roads still serves us today. Build it and they will come...in 1908 Henry churned out the first Model T. Within in 20 years he spit out 15 million of them...a staggering number by today's standards. I'm an old fart myself, but I recognize it's time to either get on board or get out of the way.

Back at the turn of the previous century the common complaint was..."I can't go very far with these new Horseless Carriages, there's not many places I can get fuel, and they're not strong enough to plough my fields...I'll keep my money invested in that buggy whip company..."

Sounds like you had a great sales experience. In my 40+ year career in sales, in one capacity or another, my philosophy has always been..."customers love to buy, but hate being sold to". Hyundai has sure come a long way. They're now near the top of a lot of lists for build quality and reliability. Not always the case...back in the early '80's, my buddy bought a brand new Pony...it lasted about 6 months before it literally fell apart..

Totally agree Akrisoner... My wife just got the BMW iX in December. 520 km range and 0 to 100k in 4.8 seconds. When you need to pass someone on a single lane highway, the instant acceleration is incredible. It has the same interior space as the mid-size X5 SUV. With the low center of gravity (batteries are in the floor pan) it handles like a go kart. She gets to our cottage north of Kingston (we live in Oakville) on $9 of juice. We installed Level 2 chargers at home and at the cottage, and every service centre on the 401 has quick charge facilities. Takes 18 minutes from 20 to 80%...just enough time to pee and get a coffee. I'm still a dinosaur and sticking with my pick up for now. It's useful for hauling wood and going to the dump...and I also need to tow my boat as I usually make a September fishing trip to NW Ontario every year. As of now, not many charging stations north of Superior...but it's coming I'm sure. Who knows my next truck may be a Lightning or a Rivian.

My wife and I left Boxing Day and spent the last three weeks traveling the southern hemisphere. The first few days in Capetown and the wine country around Stellenbosch. Fantastic food and wine, and an awesome New Years celebration in Capetown. Then a flight to Botswana, where we spent 10 days at two fly-in tented bush camps. One in the Okavango Delta and one in the Central Kalahari. Flights were on a puddle jumper Cessna Caravan...amazing on how short and rough runways these workhorses land and take-off from. This was our third safari trip to Africa in the last 15 years...and I'm always blown away by the sheer numbers of wildlife. The depth and breadth of the biodiversity in that part of the world never gets old. After 10 days in the bush, we flew to Mauritius for a few days to chill on the beach and wash off the dust. I took over 800 photos...the following is a 3 minute condensed overview of the mammals..lots of other shots of birds, reptiles, flowers and insects that remind me it's the little things that are special too..

"can't see any source of power right now that will save it" Nuclear Fusion. Big break through last month in California. Clean, endless, safe energy (it shuts down immediately when power input is turned off) and no radioactive waste to deal with.. Yes, it may sound far off...but remember we split the first atom (nuclear fission) in 1942...the first large scale nuclear reactor was supplying electricity to cities by 1958.. As for batteries...Sodium Ion and NanoTube technology are on their way...almost instant recharging, small and lightweight and no lithium required...

If we can do it with aircraft... https://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a41453056/eviation-electric-aircraft/

I do believe that within a decade or two, we will see the end of fossil fuel powered transportation. We humans have an incredible capacity for innovation when we commit intellectual and monetary resources to a solution. Within a lifetime (66 years), we went from the Wright brothers first powered flight (they got 3 ft off the ground) to Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.