Big Cliff

I got a "Little Chief" smoker from CTC many years ago, I finally had to replace the element in it last year but it get so much use in the warmer weather that it sits out on my deck from as early as I can use it until it's just too darn cold to use it any more. I love it! I pre smoke ribs and chicken in it, make jerky, smoke all kinds of fish and cheese, saussages and hamburgers. I even did a chunk of venison salami in it this fall, the salami was good to start with but man I am going to smoke all my salami from now on! I buy most of my wood chips at CTC as they have a good selection and I like the price (I watch for the specials) and quality. I found the pan a little flimsy so I use a small cast iron pan that I found and it really does an excellent job. For the $89.00 +/- that I spent on it, I think it has been a fantastic investment and we've enjoyed many wonderful meals from it. If I had a choice though I would love to have one like Wayne's daughter made!

Thank you! I and misfish DID ASK so if anyone has a problem with you answering a question, that is their problem! It is a little more than I can afford right now but had I known about it before buying my ATV I think this is a lot more versitile. Thanks again! Big Cliff

Thank you for the PM answering my question, makes sense and looks good. Just had a friend over and he would like to know "how much?" and what is the delivery like on them.

From what I saw in the video, the operator had to use a pole to push it, that is OK if: you have a long pole with you and it is shallow enough to use one.

So nice to see you posting again and that is one nice machine you have there. Just out of curosity if you do go through the ice, how do you get back up on top again?

Haven't been out but judging from the conditions here on Sturgeon lake I wouldn't be going out either. Snowing so hard here right now I can't see the other side of the lake and there is several inches of slush covering everything I can see, not a good combination. They are now calling for +10°C for Saturday with 25-35mm of rain It will be a few more weeks before I'll venture out on the ice.

A very nice quiet Christmas eve here. A special dinner, Sue's favorite food, fresh stone crab driven up directly from FL. by a good friend. Lots of phone calls with family and friends and some nice background Christmas music. We would have rather been with our kids but.... well, we all know what the weather was like yesterday, if it isn't burried in snow, it is covered in ice. Wishing each and everyone of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

A beautifully built smoker/dehydrator, a gorgeous young lady, and a smile that lights up everything around her. What a priceless combination!

Well, I think that all of the members from year 1 should get a hat and shirt!

Lindsay 7:00 am, the snow has stopped, temp 0° C Rain should be starting in the next little while, I am a little worried that with all the snow on the roofs if we get all the rain they are predicting there could be some serious problems. There has to be close to 2' of snow on our neighbours cottage, if that gets saturated it is going to be a lot of weight. We were going to drive up to Sudbury to spend Christmas with our kids but I just checked the weather and road reports, not going anywhere today! Tomorrow looks a little better but more nasty stuff coming again on Friday. Going to talk it over with Sue when she gets up. Might just stay home for Christmas this year.

Go to CTC, you want ATV ramps, they are aluminum, light weight, strong, and easy to use. Most ATV dealers will have them too!

Get a set of ramps, drive it right up and in. One of the things I have noticed in almost all equipment is that with proper maintainance almost all of it will last a long time! One other observation: people that pay more for their equipment tend to take better care of it! Maybe that is why more expensive equipment lasts longer????

Spiel; Not normally but in your case I would make an exception! Snow blower 101: A few little but important things to remember: Change your oil at the end of the season BEFORE you store it for the summer. Put fuel satbilizer in your gas ALL the time (gas with ethanol only has a shelf life of about 4 weeks) and at the end of the season, drain your fuel system then start and run until it quits. Check your wheel and auger bushings/bearings and replace them before they get really bad, don't wait for them to fail (they should last many years if you just lubricate annually.) Inspect your friction disc and belts when you put your blower away for the season, replace if cracked, frayed, or badly worn, that way you won't be caught short in a snow storm. Many of the gear boxes are sealed units but if yours does have a fill plug, check for leaks and top off if necessary (do not over fill, hot oil expands). Lastly: Ariens knew how to make snow blowers but if you abused it, it can still be a piece of junk!

How big an area does he have to clear? Paved or gravel? First, I would try to stay away from a Tecumseh engine, they just went out of business as of Dec. 15/08, there will still be parts available for them for a while but..... they may become hard to get and more expensive. Yardworks: most of that stuff comes from China now, not that it is a bad product but we have had a lot of problems with ignition systems on their products and getting replacement parts to even do warranty repairs has been a hassle = you wait until we can get the parts = delays. You might be better getting one from a dealer rather than a "Big Box Store". If you get it from a dealer it will likely already have been setup started, tested, and any necessary adjustements made (most of these engines are set up to run at sea level, altitude can make a real difference in how an engine preforms.) A big box store might supply it to you "pre assembled" but that work is usually just done by part timers who put it all together but have no idea how it should really work. We often see stuff brought into us for warranty that wasn't set up properly and caused premature failure. It might get fixed under warranty but you still have to haul it back then wait until it gets fixed and guess what, if you didn't buy it from us, you get taken care of as soon as our regular customers have been taken care of. Stay away from a "used" unit unless you really know what you are looking for/at. Snow blower repairs can be very expensive, a set of belts can easily cost $70.00 + instalation and if you don't know what you are doing that is one job that can easily be a nightmare. Wheel and auger bushings need to be checked on a regular basis and kept in good shape, an electric starter can easily cost between $100.00 and $200.00.... The list goes on. It is not uncommon to see a tuneup on a snow blower run $120.00 labour + parts: With belts, bushings, fuel system flush, clean the carb, friction disk, oil change, spark plug, fuel filter; Parts could easily run you $150.00. Now mind you, for that +/- $300.00 you should have a good working snow blower that should (with regular, minor maintance) last you 3+ years. There are many, many units to choose from, if your friend has any questions on specific units, I would be happy to try to help!

True story: Many years ago when I was much younger and not quite so wise; I and a few friends were sitting in my den having a beer just after Christmas and someone asked me what I had gotten for Christmas. My words were very similar but what I didn't realize was that Sue had just come in behind me. She just smiled and said "well I got about the same thing but mine were all about two sizes too small"! Needless to say the guys all thought it was REALLY funny and I haven't used that line since! LOL.

Spring won't get here quick enough for me! I'm tired of winter already and it just got here!

December 8: 6:00 P.M. It started to snow The first snowfall of the season. The wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge snowflakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic. We felt like newlyweds again. I love snow! December 9: We awoke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I have ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life! December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry. We will definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that is possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor. December 14: Snow, lovely snow! Eight degrees last night. The temperature dropped to minus twenty. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back in the afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize that I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so much. December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and two extra snow shovels. Stocked the freezer too. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think she is silly. After all, we aren't in Alaska. December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my rear on the ice in the driveway while I was trying to put down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour. I think she's very cruel. December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. I guess I should have bought a wood stove, but I won't admit that to her. God, I hate it when she is right. Can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room. December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they are lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I will have to shovel or the city will bill me. I think he's lying. December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white stuff fell today, and it's so cold it probably won't melt until August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. I tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think he's lying. December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And, it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she.....nuts??? Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago. She said she did, but I think she's lying. December 24: 6". Snow packed so hard by the snowplow, I broke the shovel. I though I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the dude who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his family jewels. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and than he comes down the street at a 100 miles and hour and throws snow all over where I have just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas Carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for the darn snowplow. December 25: Merry Christmas! 20 more inches of the darned slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. God, I hate the snow. Then, the snowplow driver came by and asked for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her. December 26: Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here? It was all her idea. She's really getting on my nerves. December 27: Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze. December 28: Warmed up to above-50. Still snowed in. The wife is driving me crazy!!!!! December 29: 10 more inches of snow. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it will collapse. That's the silliest thing I have ever heard. How dumb does he think I am????? December 30: Roof caved in. The snowplow driver is suing me for a million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to her mother. 9" predicted. December 31: Set fire to what was left of the house. No more shoveling.

Well, first, don't plan it for down South, Florida ice conditions are very unpredictable! Depending on the people you want to take, consider the catching! Simco can offer some good perch action and there are a lot of hut opperators to choose from. Scugog, can offer some good walleye action but it can be time sensitive, not so good for younger fisherpersons. I'd be happy to try to help more if I can, give me more information.

ch312, I am a hunter, have been since I was 7 and I am now 62. I have never shot anything living that I didn't want to eat or that wasn't a danger to myself, family, or livestock (or needed to be dispatched for humaritan reasons). It's just the way I am! Last year I had a coyote walk out in front of me, a mere 20 yards away, it had no idea I was even in the area and believe me, if I had wanted to shoot it, I could have, no problem! I chose not to for a number of reasons; it was beautiful to watch, it hadn't done me any harm, it wasn't a threat to me or my family, and I was deer hunting. Do I regret it? not for a second! Do I judge you because you choose to hunt them or shoot them, not for a second but I don't think your statement " i have yet to meet a hunter that doesnt shoot a coyote any chance they get". Is a bit extreem! We haven't met but you now know one!

Yesterday is history and until they invent time machines you can't go back and change it so accept it for what it is. What is done is done! Today is a blessing, make the most of it for tomorrow, today will be history too. Tomorrow has yet to come and for many it never will so I guess that today is the only day that counts. How would you like to be remembered by your children, friends, family?????? Get on with it, make the most of it, Live and give a part of you, it will be the seed of tomorrow! Believe in what ever you want to believe in, to deny that there is a superior "life force" is un reasonable, it is like trying to deny infinity. You can't hold it or see it but that doesn't mean that it doesn't exhist. As I wish you a Merry Christmas, I only ask that you respect my right to believe in what I do believe in and that because I feel it is something special and you are special, I would like to share it with you. If you are of another faith and wish to extend your greatings or well wishes to me, I will not be offended but rather honored that you would care to wish me well. So for those of you that care; Merry Christmas! For those of you that are of a different faith; may the blessings of your maker be upon you! And for those of you that choose only to believe in yourself; you have a tough role to fill, I pray that you will have the strength to carry your load when the time comes! If you don't, all you have to do is ask and I would willingly share it with you! Peace to all!

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss Brian. What a beautiful tribute!

Well, I had many "Catches of the year". Crappie fishing last winter with Beans on lake X. A wonderful time with a very special friend. Our trip to Simco with Sly, Big Chev4X4, Tybo, and the beautiful Lady Walley and Joey, the catching wasn't the best but the company.... Well who could ask for more? Spring fishing with photoz and CPH, man you guys sure made my day and Sue just hauled the last package of rainbow out of the freezer so I hope you are ready for next spring. Crappie fishing with Meeley, Tony, Nanook, and Beans, your genorisity overwhelms me Tony, thank you again for the wonderful feed of slabs! The wonderful OFNr's that came to help me with my dock this spring, What can I ever do to show you all how much I appreciate all your help? What was even more wonderful was that many of you were able to come back and brightened a weekend for Sue, Andy, and I this past summer. Each and every one of you is welcome here anytime you care to venture this way! So Many wonderful catches of the year but I defy anone to up stage this one! This was my catch of the year and she captured my heart! What better catch could an old man ever hope to get than a hug from a princess! How could anything so tiny make such a huge impression? If I could have but one wish for next year it would be that each and everyone of you get such a hug from someone that means so much to you. Give and you will get!

How it has been handled, quality of the kill (fast/stressed) what they have been eating, age of the animal, many factors affect the quality of the meat. I enjoy both equally.

Well done and it looks like a perfectly placed shot

Really glad to hear it was nothing more serious and that you have taken steps to make sure you are all safe this holiday season. These are the stories I don't mind reading! OH, and as Bernie said "GET A CARBON MONXIDE DETECTOR TOO"!