Big Cliff

That would have just been crazy Art. Christ, Beans with starter fluid and a lighter under a boat right beside some beautiful trees and the house only 20' away????? I'd have had a lot more than a tire to fix LOL. BTW I have used that technique and it does work but I'll bet someone has been hurt with it!

Love your signature!

Thanks so much Joey, I don't think there are any "right" words but some how sharing and just knowing that other people do care does seem to make it easier!

Well welcome to the board although why anyone would want to leave PEI to come North totally eludes me. Oysters, clams, all kinds of fishing, lobster in season and some of the nicest people I have ever had an opportunity to meet. We went for a quick visit and if our boat house hadn't been destroyed by a storm we'd probably have spent our entire summer there. At any rate, we are over in the Kawarthas, you are welcome to come fish off our dock anytime (walleye, bass, muskie, carp and a million pan fish). I won't make any promises but once things slow down a bit for me I'll even try to get you out in the boat. Add my email to your list and let me know if and when you would like to come. [email protected]

Beans old buddy, It was my pleasure, it's easy when you have the right tools and I always enjoy any excuse to get to see you!

Just surprise him my friend, I am not available on Friday. I'll try for early tomorrow morning if it isn't raining too hard.

X2, and I also ended up buying a spare prop from them while I was there. There prices were better than anywhere else I could find.

Sorry, only experience I've had in that area was white water rafting a number of years ago. If the fishing is slow that might be a fun way to spend a day. I got into a bit of trouble though because everytime a cute young lady fell out of the raft I dove in to save her (apparently you are not suppose to give them mouth to mouth unless they have stopped breathing

Nothing SUPER here my friend, and I don't move quite so fast anymore LOL. When you have had so many people on this board do things to help you, you jump at the chance to repay some of that kindness! Besides that Beans is a very special buddy, I think he was probably the very first member of this board that I actually hooked up with to do some fishing. Got to try to take care of him, he is a legend! BTW Beans, let me know which day works for you?

Thanks everyone, just sitting down and typing it all out helped but your thoughts and stories help too! I guess I will always wish I could have done more but that just wasn't meant to be. I know it probably sounds silly for me to get so attached to someone I hadn't known for very long but that's just me LOL. Thanks again everyone for understanding!

Beans I have to work tomorrow but I can try to get over on Wed. or Thursday if that works for you. I can bring my compressor and jack.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and congratulations on your success! I am sure your parents are very proud of you!

A very sad day and the tragic role that drugs play in the lives of so many of our youth. None of you knew him, he was just 24; a really nice young man, he wasn’t afraid to work hard and enjoyed a cold beer on a hot day. I only got to meet Jon this spring but took an instant liking to him, he’d occasionally come and help me work on things in the shop on the weekends or just hang out, he was always anxious to learn! He had a lot of qualities and was the kind of kid any man would have been happy to have as a grandson. He didn’t have a job at the time so I always managed to find little projects for him so he’d have beer and cigarette money although he always reminded me that it wasn't necessary to pay him, he did it because he enjoyed it. Jon had worked as a roofer and got involved in drugs but when I met him he had been clean for a little over 6 months. He was living in Oshawa and didn’t have a car so the only time we got together is when his mom would pick him up and bring him up here to visit with her for the weekend. His mom had been trying to find him a place here in Lindsay where he could get help and counseling but for some reason he didn’t qualify for any of the support facilities here. I am really not sure why, his mom was living up here and the environment in Oshawa wasn’t the best place for him to be with the struggle he faced. About a month ago Jon got a job with a roofing company in the Oshawa area. To be honest we were all kind of worried about him going back into the environment where he had got into trouble before. The allure of good money was very tempting though, he wanted to save up a bit of money so he could start a business on his own next spring. We checked on him frequently and he seemed to be doing ok. Saturday night I found out that Jon had died of an overdose. I am told that it is fairly common for someone that has been off the drugs for a while, apparently their body looses it’s tolerance to the drugs and a dose that they could tolerate before is too much for them to handle now. I am really going to miss Jon, he was starting to get interested in fishing and I had fixed him up with a rod and some tackle so he could have his own stuff. We were talking about different businesses he could start and had discussed putting a business plan together. RIP Jon you will be very much missed!

LOL, you are so right, but this was one of those jobs where more than 2 or 3 people would just be getting in each others way. Besides, most of my friends already have enough work of their own to do! Ernie, you have already helped me out so many times now and I know you work full time, you deserve a day off when you can get one. Didn't think about posting on Kijiji though, good idea. You are so right! by the time I sat down and wrote that yesterday I was so sore and tired that I didn't engage my brain . And you are so right; I am very blessed to have so many wonderful friends!

My rain gear is a ziploc plastic bag for anything I don't want to get wet. Anything else will dry out just fine!

Dream on.....

It's called LIFE bud. It gets in the way of everything!

As I posted recently I have more work to do around here than I have time (or energy) to handle by myself. Unfortunatly while many people claim they can't find work I am having trouble finding anyone that wants to work so if I want it done I have to do it myself. Yesterday I had 20 yards of gravel delivered with the idea that I would go rent a Bobcat or something to move it to where I needed it. Along came a friend, wiskeywizard, has a small tractor and offered to help. Sure enough by 10:00 am he was here with his tractor, shovels, rakes, (and spare fuel for the tractor). We went to work (well, Mike did most of it with the tractor) and my buddy Chris showed up and grabbed a rake and between the three of us we managed to not only move but level and rake almost all of that gravel. Ya, Ya, I know, big deal! Well the youngest of the three is 55+ and the oldest is pushing 69. So to all you youngsters that "can't find a job" look up Sympathy in the dictionary: it's right between crap and Syphilis. Sorry!!!! I'm sore, I'm tired, but you want to know one thing? I'm proud, I am proud that while my generation gets blamed for a lot of the woes our youth has to suffer it is my generation that seems to be there trying while so many sit there and try to find blame. BTW, Many of you don't know wiskeywizard. For some reason he can not seem to get on this board. Art has tried, Roy has tried, no one can seem to figure out what is wrong but in the meantime, a really nice person and a good friend can't post. IT would be a BIG favour to me if someone could help Mike out here. Super guy and a really good friend!

Oh the pain and the joy LOL! I have so many wonderful memories of projects like that! Lots of hard work, sore muscles, and always a few bruses but the rewards are worth every bit of it. Thanks for posting those pictures, it is fun to watch your progress!

Well I am really happy to hear that it went well and you made a super recovery! Good things happen to good people even if there are a few bumps thrown into the road!

Good on you for posting this, it is nice to see OFCr's helping each other out! (as you so often do)!

I think you and I must have gone to the same school! If I was to try to list all the jobs I have done (I didn't say mastered) most people probably wouldn't believe me but I started working full time when I was 15 and in 53 years I have never been out of work! I have done everything from being a milk boy to Locomotive engineer to the President of a very successful corp.. The most fun I had though was going back to school at 60, serving my apprenticeship, and getting my license as a small engine mechanic. In fact, today it is the only piece of paper I have that says I am qualified to do anything LOL. No calls yet and I am going to post it through VCCS tomorrow but wanted to give an OFCr or one of their family first crack at it.

Well Beans my friend if it comes to work ethic and I use you as the standard I'm going to have one heck of a time finding anyone that can come close!

No problem! Everything is above board, I do have a Corp. that I do all my business dealings through and we carry $2,000,000.00 liability insurance and will pay WSIB. Worker takes home $11.00/hour not $11.00/hr less taxes and all the other stuff. I do not however offer holiday pay.

Some of the projects we have going on around here are a little more than I can handle so I have decided to hire a helper for most Saturdays (occasionally additionally other days too) The job description is "if it needs to get done it's in the job description". There will be some hard work involved, but there will also be an opportunity to learn. We are going to be doing some interlock. You will learn how to create and lay a pattern among other things. Yard work, gardening, trimming trees..... (you'd be amazed at how big my "honey do" list is) On those days when it is raining, we will be working in the shop doing small engine repairs (I am a licensed small engine mechanic so your hours could count toward an apprenticeship if you were so inclined and I could have you set up in an apprenticeship program if you wanted). The pay is $11.00/hr to start cash paid at the end of each day. You will need: Transportation (rural setting) Work boots and gloves Good physical shape (there will be some heavy lifting involved) A desire to learn We'll make up the rest as we go along. Benifits: Swim or fish at the end of your shift (or lunch time, or if it gets too hot) get some help fixing some of your own stuff (after our work is done) You will also learn why staying in school and getting an education and/or a trade is the only way you will ever get ahead! If you are interested PM, email [email protected] or call 705-328-0577