Big Cliff

Well, if you want to know where to go, you came to the right place, my wife never has any trouble telling me where to go! Seriously though if you are thinking of the Kawarthas you could try Lunge Haven Cottages on Sturgeon Lake, Nice people, reasonable rates, but I'm not sure if they have anything available on such short notice. Good luck!

Have a good one Paul!

Met up with some friends this morning to go ATVing. I have to tell you, I have mud in places God didn't intend man (or woman) to have mud but it was so much fun. We went to an area called five points, there are some beautiful trails (and mud holes LOL). My day started about 7:00 am got the bike all loaded and packed my lunch and headed over to Bobcayegon to meet up with the rest of the crew. A quick stop at Timmie's to grab a coffee, then over to get gas and we headed off to the starting point. Once there and off loaded a quick check to make sure everyone knew the rules of the ride and away we went. It wasn't long before the first machine ended up with the driver wet up to the butt in a mud hole which just added to the fun of the ride. Damb she was a good sport A few hours of riding and more mud and water and we ended up at a beautiful little lake, Picard (sp). and stoped for a nice lunch. What a beautiful place it was, I found a hammock that someone had kindly left strung between two trees in the shade and enjoyed a very relaxing rest for a bit. Gentle breeze coming off the lake, no bugs = heaven! Then we were off again, dust, mud, water and a ton more laughes. All this way back in the middle of no where with nothing but us and nature to share it all. We ended our ride back at our starting point about 4:00 pm, I'm a little sore, a little tired but wouldn't trade the day for anything. In fact I enjoyed it so much I think I am going to try to get a group together for next summer to do an extended ride. Leave here and see if we can make our way up to Sudbury over a couple of days and then work or way back. Stop and fish little lakes, enjoy the scenery, and explore places we might never see otherwise. I think I am going to enjoy retirement a lot!

The apple never falls far from the tree! Kudos to both of you!

Prayers and thoughts to you and your family!

Well, I don't know if I can be much help; as far as the credit counciling services are concerned, I know of a couple of people that tried going that route and wish they haden't. Living in Delhi puts you at a big disadvantage as far as work is concerned, places like Cobourg, Port Hope, and peterborough are always looking for good people in the production and manufacturing sector. Moving your family might not be what you want to do but for the sake of stability and future, it might not be such a bad choice. Here is a link to the Job Bank, you can search by specific areas. Job Bank I wish you all the best of luck, just hang in there, everything that happens, happens for a reason.

Bruce I have had the pleasure of enjoying some of your fare and it was awesom! Good on you my friend I know how much work you put into it!

Just heard from my friend, they are ok, some minor hail damage but that is about it. He did try to go into town yesterday to see if he could help but the OPP are not letting anyone in. Quite a mess apparently.

I have a friend that lives out near the airport right on the bluffs over looking the lake, haven't been able to get through to him, anyone know if there was much damage out by the airport?

We'll see, I'm going to have to do something to keep me out of trouble. There are only so many fish in this lake LOL.

Ya but Sue says I'm too old to be that kind of a movie star now Roy LOL

Man where you come from people know how to eat good food! Jigs Dinner, Moose (done any way you want it), cod tongues, lobster, ..... awe the list goes on.

Well, I tried it in 2003 when I sold my business but just couldn't handle not having a job to go to. About 6 months into retiring Sue gave me a choice, go find a girl friend, a job, anything but get the heck out and do something. Well I gave serious thought about the girl friend but no one could live up to Sue so that ruled that one out! Besides after all those years of training her I really didn't want to start over again with someone else and I knew she would never agree to there being two ladies in my life (other than my daughter or grandaughters) (oh I hope she doesn't read this). I took on a job as a sales manager for a company unfortunatly while sales were good, some crap happened and while I was away on holidays a young fellow (new employee) convinced the boss that he could do it better and for less money and I found myself out of a job. (Best part of that is, he only lasted 6 months and then he quit because things were going down hill so fast). Bitter sweet because we were growing really well and now the division is closed. No one gained a thing! So after much thought and deliberation I decided to pursue a totally different carer from what I had done in the past. I got a job as a small engine mechanic, went to school, served my apprenticeship and eventually got my license as a small engine mechanic. That was a lot of fun, the work was hard, heavy, and dirty but I loved working with my hands and took a lot of pride in always trying to do my job well. Then two years ago while being laid off for the winter, I was asked if I would be interested in doing some work in marketing (I spent most of my working life in sales, customer service, and marketing) so I decided to take it on, it was only supposed to be for three months. Well after about three weeks the boss called me into his office and asked if I would consider joining the company, it ment a lot more money and benifits and not nearly as physically demanding. Sue and I talked about it and I decided to take the position. To say I liked my job there would be an understatment, I loved working with the customers, I loved learning new things, I took a lot of pride in helping customers make informed decsions and watching them grow their businesses. I was treated very well by the company and my boss (although we didn't always see eye to eye) and I was very proud of the sales that I was able to bring to the company. Prior to my starting there, they had just experienced the worst year in the history of the branch. (not too hard to improve on that) Within months they enjoyed the best month, quarter, and year in the history of the branch. Kind of makes a guy feel proud! Anyway last week my boss and I had a long talk. I would get up early, do research, paperwork, then be on the road by 7:30 and often didn't get home until 6 at night. To be honest with you, I was getting burned out and it was starting to show. My sales weren't quite what they use to be, still better than average and better than any of the other reps but not up to my standards. He very kindly gave me the option. Anyway, I'm not sure I really should retire, damb it for some stupid reason I enjoy having a job, it keeps my brain and body busy but maybe it is time! I'll give it another try but already I am thinking about taking a truck driving course (or something). Drove transport for years before you needed anything other than a drivers license but I don't have a DZ license. Why is it that I can't just sit down and retire? I always have to be doing or learning something. How does anyone ever "retire"?

Dinner is at 6:00, one of Sue's famous mouth watering pot roasts with some of Marianne's beautiful (VERY SPECIAL potatoes)(not quite as good as Marianne makes them but a good second best) a side of baked beans, There is plenty for anyone that wants to join us!!!!!! There is always room for one more in this house.

Boy it sure was different out there this morning, the cold front moving in really slowed them down, only managed two walleye and a couple of decent size perch in about three hours of fishing. Decided it was a perfect day to make a big pot of homemade pork and beans, they are in the oven baking and should be ready for supper. Oh well, the cold front will move out in the next day or two and that should improve the fishing again.

Looks like the perfect combination, good people, good food, and some fish as a bonus. Doesn't get much better than that. Looks like that underwater camera does a good job too!

Finally got a chance to get out for some walleye yesterday, I hit a couple of spots that I have fished sucessfully in the past but couldn't seem to get much in the way of action. Two hours of fishing and I had only managed to get one fish to the side of the boat only to watch it shake off. I started changing up, trying a variety of combinations and presentations until all of a sudden I hit the right one and it was non stop from that point on. In the next two hours I managed to land 10 walleye, lost a couple of more and as a bonus picked up a few nice SM to boot. Nothing huge, the biggest walleye just over the slot, the biggest SM about 2.5 lbs but it sure made for a nice morning of fishing. Went back out after supper last night, landed one walleye right off the bat and then the thunder and lightning started so I booted it back home. Just got the boat put away and walked in the house and down it came so I guess it was a good call. Anyway, going to head back out again this morning and see if I can do a repeat of yesterday as long as the thunder storms don't move back in. The cold front may slow things down a bit but I'm anxious to see if yesterdays combination will pay off again.

Just book it through a travel agent as a charter, you'll save a lot compaired to trying to book everything yourself. Any of the hotels are going to be good and to be honest with you about the only time you are going to spend in your room is to sleep so as long as it is clean, safe and quiet, the room shouldn't be a big concern. We have stayed at many of the places on the strip over the years and haven't been disapointed yet. You should be able to get a package with air and hotel for $600.00 or less/ person for a week. Air fare alone is going to cost you between $400.00 and $700.00 per person if you book it your self.

Distributor you say? well I do have a lot of food service accounts right now, maybe we could help each other! We'll talk next time you are down.

Oh come on Beans we are old and we both know it, our brains just haven't accepted it yet. Doesn't matter how old we get, let a pretty girl enter the room and we both think like teenagers again LOL. WTH Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional! I choose to stay young at heart to the bitter end! Hey, remember that time we.... oh wait, isn't that the time we were sitting in the cell and you said "I think we're in a lot of trouble but wasn't that fun?" Maybe we better try to forget about that one, it sure was fun though!!!

Smoked, they are fantastic! If you don't have a smoker, get one!

Joey, I only have one bottle left and Sue would kill me if I gave it away..... Oh what the heck, you are worth it, what is your address?

We were on Biscotasing a few years back, way down at a remote end of the lake. Two guys in a small 12' with fishing rods sticking out everywhere went past us a couple of hundred yards away, waved as they went by, we waved back then they turned and came over toward us. We figured it was just a couple of guys out fishing either wanting directions or just to ask how the fishing was. Turned out it was two COs, when I asked them why they had all the fishing gear and were in plain clothes they told us it was they only way they could get close enough to people to check them because the only equipment they had available to check that area was the little 12'er. They checked us out and all was good and they went on their way but for the rest of the weekend every time we saw anyone, we wondered if it might be the COs LOL. They do have a tough job and there just aren't enough of them to go around, I guess they have to do whatever they can with the limited resources they have available. I wish we had more of them checking the Kawarthas! I see so many infractions every year that go unpunished. People keeping over limits or out of season fish, we only hear about such a small percentage of them being caught. I called MNR tips line 6 times last year to report things, to the best of my knowledge only one or the incidents I reported ever did get followed up on and I'm not even sure it was my call that resulted in it. If you have nothing to hide there is no reason to hide anything!

This spring Ricoboxing had asked about renting a place to keep his boat for the fall, we offered to let him keep it here and launch from our place. It is a little 12' and doesn't take up much room. Sunday he showed up with his boat and two of the most adorable kids, he also brought us a couple of bottles of his special Hawaiian barbecue marinade. Now Sue isn't a big fan of BBQ sauces and marinades but last night I BBqd some pork chops that had been marinaded in Rico's sauce. They were without a doubt the very best pork chops I/we have ever had! Sue loved them so much that she asked if we could have chicken done in it tonight. If you ever get a chance to try some of his marinade I strongly suggest you do! It is pretty hard to amaze old farts like Beans and I but the diversity, generosity, and quality of the people that frequent this board seems to be unending. Thanks Rico, you are truly amazing and that marinade should be national branded!

Keep this up and you'll soon be "the goto guy for LO"! great report and nice pictures! WTG