Big Cliff

Thank you one and all for your words of understanding, for posting the pictures, and for all the PMs. Those of you that have been here before know how much they all mean and how much they really help. It makes you feel that you are not alone. They say the price of love is grief, I guess we loved him a lot. They say that time will heal! I don't know if it will really heal but it will help us to walk in the door without the tears when we don't hear his foot steps comming down the hall to great us. It will take time, this we know. Reading and re-reading all your posts sometimes cause the tears to flow but each and everyone of them are helping us cope. Thank you all!

Andy was a German Short Haired Pointer: They are a versitle hunting dog. Have the instincts of a pointer, the nose of a blood hound, the web feet of a retriever, and the love of a mother. I am sorry, I just can't figure out how to post a picture right now! I am having trouble just thinking but thanks for asking.

Katiebo's Andy, 14 years 3 months. His health had been failing for a while now but this morning I got a call from Sue to let me know that Andy couldn't stand anymore so I turned around and headed back home. We took him over to the vets and they confirmed our worst fears, it was time. I got Andy from a breader in McHenery Illinois in the middle of Jan. in the worst snow storm of the winter. He was only 6 1/2 weeks old but it was love at first sight. I had looked for over a year for just the right pup and was lucky enough to get first pick of the litter. Funny thing is, I think Andy picked me rather than the other way around. From that day on we were seldome apart for more than a day or two at a time. We trained together, hunted together, fished together (fishing was just another form of hunting to Andy). Over the years Andy won so many awards from his very first field trial at 5 1/2 months it was obvious that Andy was special, he filled a wall with them but most of all he won the hearts of everyone that knew him, didn't matter if you liked dogs or not. We were quite a team always looking out for each other, he didn't have a mean bone in his body but would stand his ground when he had to or if he thought someone was a threat to Sue or I. A few years ago when he was having trouble getting up onto our bed, I built him a set of stairs so he could get up when he wanted and in our house it was called FUR-NITURE for a reason! Anyway, I know I am rambling but so many OFNr's have met Andy that I just had to let them know! OK, I got to go now.

No problem but after 3 years of school and several thousand hours of working as a licensed small engine mechanic I'll stick to my way of doing it. I agree to disagree!

2 or 4 stroke? Makes a big difference! 4 Stroke run dry still has oil in the crank case to lubricate things. 2 stroke run dry = no oil to lubricate things for the last few seconds.

Fix the boat, keep the wife, she'll never complain about you wanting to go away on fishing trips and won't mind you spending a few bucks on fixing the boat or buying new gear.

Or, you can save yourself a lot of trouble and just do it right the first time.

Do yourself a favour put some stabilizer in your fuel, put some fuel back in the tank, full is best, start and run for a couple of minutes then just do what Wayne said, store it up right with the tank vent closed and next winter you'll be good to go. Years gone by running them dry was the prefered method but that also lets the engine run lean for a few seconds just before it quits. Might not ruin the engine this year or even next but it will shorten it's life. Oh, and it is a 2 stroke so no real need to put oil in the cylinder there will be enough from the fuel/oil mix that you used.

You don't need a card for Sturgeon Lake, we just sit on the dock and catch fish

Check the lower unit very carefully, look for signs of a crack. A clean paper towell wiped over it will pick up any oil that might be on it. If you do find oil on the towell then you may have had water in the lower unit which froze and could have cracked the housing or if you are lucky just blew the seal. Either way the leak has to be located and repaired before you go anywhere with that motor. If it just blew the seal, consider yourself lucky and remember to drain and refil your lower unit every fall before you put the boat away for the winter.

Boy, I sure am glad to hear that you both lived to tell the tale! Be safe my friend!

What Bernie said X 2. If the impeller hasn't been changed in a long time, if it needs a carb kit, new plugs, lower end seals....... you could easily spend another $100.00+ on it even if you did the work yourself. At the very least have a qualified marine mechanic look it over first or don't buy it.

I do Joey although I kind of wonder if the front had gone down, would I have been in any shape to use it. Even if I was, how could I ask someone else to risk their life to come and get me knowing that it would be unsafe for them too. I don't knowingly take chances, if I had even thought that there might have been any dangerous areas I wouldn't have gone, lesson learned for the future!

I was out on the lake on Saturday with my ATV, 20"+ of solid ice right over the chanel where there is current so I figured things must be fairly solid in most areas. I decided to head back into Goose Bay to a shallow area thinking that the perch and crappie might be staging for spawning. Now this is an area where there is no current but it is fairly shallow. I am clipping along on my ATV and I suddenly realize that that dark spot I just passed within 5'of is open water; thought to myself, must be a spring there, whew! And on I went. Got back into the bay and checked things out, Lots of ice but no luck so I decided to head back for home. I made a mental note to stear well clear of that "spring" and away I went. As I was heading back out of the bay I realized that there seemed to be quite a few "springs" (turned out that where ever there were stumps even thought hey weren't up through the ice, there were holes) then it happened; my back wheels dropped through the ice. Fortunatly I was moving fast enough that the skid plate caught and slid me back up onto the ice and I managed to make it the rest of the way back without any problems but that was too close for comfort. I was a long way out there with no one to help if I did get into trouble. Anyway, I am one of the lucky ones, could have been the front end that broke through, at 25 mph I'm sure they would have been sending someone to rescue me at some point. Just goes to show, doesn't matter how well you know the area, doesn't matter how many people have gone through there before you, doesn't matter how careful you are, accidents can happen!

Butterflies heck I get bald eagles in my stomach when I have to get up in front of a group of people. I have a feeling you'll do just fine, just make sure that glass is full of water, not vodka. Congrats!

Second year now with an HDS5, LOVE it! I have used mine in the summer and winter and have had no problems with it!

LOL, no special story, just a light hearted jab at an old friend; I'm sure that if he ever gets to take a shot, he'll hit something!

Well, I only get to take one trip a year (guided) and I don't try for cut rate deals so when I do go on a trip I expect to get what I paid for, experience and service. No one, no matter how good they are can guarantee that you will catch fish but they should be able to guarantee that you will get the service you are paying for. They should also make sure that you know what you are getting for the money you are spending. With things the way they are on the internet today, be good or go hungry.

Well, Misfish might have to shoot survivors LOL, I was taught to make sure your first shot counted! GBW, nothing that fancy but Sue did hand paint it, oh well this one will be even better. I have narrowed down the mail box culprit to two young lads that live quite close to here, one of them was seen with a base ball bat just last Friday. I think I'll be having a little talk with Mom and Dad tonight and see where that goes. I wouldn't want to be Jr. if it turns out that it was one of them!

If it doesn't, will I know it?

LOL, the thought did cross my mind. The little punk that hit mine had to have been on foot, he hit it straight down and from the side. I suspect it was someone younger and I think I know who but I'll sort that out. The one that took the gas has since shown up (with his father) returned the gas can full, apologized right in front of his father and promissed it would never happen again. Kid didn't even try to make excuses, said he and his friends were just out having fun figured they could get some free gas and no one would be hurt. Then his father handed me the keys to the kids's truck and told the kid he could have the keys back when I said he could but that until then the truck would stay parked; that if he ever stole anything again he'd never see the truck again! They then both got in dad's truck and I stopped them. Told the kid that if he wanted to finish shoveling off the decks (both of them), clear the paths and finish the driveway, he could have his keys back. (I did some stupid things when I was a kid too) He did promise that it wasn't he or one of his buddies that smashed the mail box but offered to try and straighten it as best he could. The decks are cleared off, the paths and drive way finished, the young fellow after apologizing once more is now on his way home. Just got a whole lot of respect for both he and his father and I doubt he will ever pull anything like that around here again. The mail box, well I guess it's time we got a new one anyway LOL

Unfortunatly that would be the one that one of my friends probably picked up LOL. Worst part of this is that if the kid had come to me and asked for some gas I'd have gladly given it to him. Apparently he thought it was a big joke to steal it and the can; well, at least until he got caught. I know his dad and he and I will be having a little talk about it this week. I have a feeling that the young lad will be getting a little more than a slap on the wrist since daddy owns the truck he is driving

No, there is always a note pad and pencil right there but I did find out who took the gas and it wasn't a neighbour. I have since had a talk with the young fellow and explained that if the can and gas aren't returned promptly I will report it to the police. Turned out one of his friends has a little better grasp on what is right and wrong than he does and felt guilty. Didn't admit to the mail box though.

Just went out to clear the snow and I noticed the mail box looked strange, walked over to it and someone had taken something to the top of it and did a good job of caving it in. My wife hand painted that mail box, it was in need of some touch up but she was going to do that this spring. Then I went into my garage and noticed that one of my gas cans was gone. In the ten years we've lived here i've never had to lock my garage before, friends and neighbours always knew that if they needed anything and I had it, they were welcome to borrow it, the only rule was leave a note and put it back when you are done with it, the garage is locked now as are our cars! This can only be kids out for a joy ride, there were lots of things in the garage worth a lot more than a can of gas. As far as I can tell nothing else was taken. If I ever catch whoever did this they'll look like my mail box when I'm done with them.

Not only did she loose principal but the return on investment that she would have counted on having as income for those 10 years. Really tough on someone that doesn't have the opportumity to re build their nest egg.