Jonny

Fillets should be clean, clear meat. Regardless of whether anybody says you can eat suspect fillets, I personally wouldn't.

I wouldn't let Leechman (Jacques) near that!

Kinda looks like you parked the car and went fishing and when you got back the tide was in.

I've got a Stingray hydrofoil. I've run my boat both with and without (16' Crestliner w. 65 HP) and it makes a negligible difference - about 2 kph, measured with a GPS. My outboard mechanic told me it wouldn't make much difference and it didn't. I wouldn't buy one if I had it to do over.

Just figured out how multi-quote works. Pretty cool. Excellent - hadn't thought of that at all. Yep, got our passports. If they're profiling vanilla senior citizens in a Toyota Matrix we'll still have trouble. Seriously, though, we've never had any trouble at US Customs, it's Canadian Customs that are always pissy about thinking we're bringing back a real haul of stuff. Hmmm... we'll keep an eye out, thanks. --- We hope to see some re-enactors at Gettysburg but we're thinking that there won't be any around because the summer season is over.

Carling, PC Genuine Lager, Canadian, Red Baron, Upper Canada Lager, Brava, Blue, Bohemian, all completely interchangeable - eenee, meenee, mynee, mo. Rye (anything but CC) and Pepsi. All preferably good and cold. I'm not too fussy, especially if it's somebody else's treat.

OC, I think this is what you meant?... http://www.travelbrains.com/Destinations/G...Gettysburg.html I called them this morning and ordered the Expedition Guide - $39 incl. shipping. Thanks for the tip! We had been thinking about reserving a 2 hr. guide ($55 + tip) who would have chaffeured us around in our own car. That would have been fine except that we thought the Expedition Guide would allow us to really take our time and stop for longer periods of time at places we found really interesting. We're in no hurry. I wondered whether the Guide would reach us through the mails in time (we'd like to "study up" before we go). The girl said if it didn't we could buy the Guide at the Visitors' Center and she would refund us the money for the mail-order copy. Wow! Somehow I can't see that happening in Canada! I'm still wondering if there are any other things of note to see or do in the Gettysburg/Harrisburg area, or up the highway toward Syracuse/Kingston for our trip homeward.

About guns, yes, the Winchester 870 "Wingmaster" pump-action 12 ga. is a classic that has been around for a long time and has fully earned its reputation. If you could own only one firearm, this would be it. Whether you're wing-shooting for ducks and geese and pheasants, or hunting rabbits or turkeys, or even using buckshot or slugs for deer and bear, the Wingmaster will do it all. Moose too, if you can call them in close. If you can get it with screw-in chokes, it would be even better. If I were buying it new I would look for a 3" chamber. Used, I would not turn my nose up at a 2 3/4. I started hunting with a Sure-Shot (Cooey) 12 ga. single-shot when I was 15 and when I could afford it, my first "repeater" was a brand-new Wingmaster (2 3/4"). I used it for a number of years before I got a Browning auto-loader. I had planned to keep the 870 but my brother wanted it. He still uses it to this day.

In order to hunt in Ontario you have to pass TWO exams - the Ontario Hunter Education Course exam and the Canadian Firearms Safety Course exam. The first will permit you to get an Outdoors Card valid for hunting, but you need the second (which gives you a PAL) to actually borrow or buy a gun. That is my understanding anyway. --- EDIT - I believe you can bow-hunt without a PAL since a bow is not classed as a firearm.

Thanks for the suggestion and the details, Dutch. We were thinking about that but we're not sure time will allow. I don't think we have enough time to do Washington justice, but we'll look at it again for sure. Thanks, OC, that sounds very interesting. I'll look into it in the morning.

Just a word of advice - don't pass up a V-stern like Splash got. With the kind of wood mount he's talking about, an electric will mount just fine on a Vee. Actually it can be a little easier because you don't have to reach directly behind you.

I had a 14 ft square-stern Sportspal for many years. I bought it new but it eventually developed a small leak in it that I never did find. It would ship maybe a couple of quarts in a morning's duck hunting. Never did bother us much. For certain boating/access conditions there's nothing better than a Sportspal --- light and very stable.

My wife and I will be spending a few days in Pittsburgh and then Gettysburg in a few weeks. Can any of our American friends on this board suggest some 'must-see' or 'must-do' things. We will have our own car. Any Canucks that have been there, please chime in too if you have a tip or two. No I will not accept a border guard's sidearm if he offers it to me. "Any citrus fruits or live plants?" "No." "Any firearms?" "No." "Here, take mine." (Old joke/no offense)

Fifty bucks and only a small leak? You done good, man!

That sounds a lot like a mine or a smelter or road construction --- all jobs that I have worked. There's a certain code that goes with working for a common cause and getting to know other guys well. It just wouldn't be the same without some good-natured ribbing. Actually you can find the same code at work in a fishing boat or a hunting camp and even, believe it or not, when a group of guys that are teachers get together for some R&R (i.e. in the aforementioned boats or camps --- in Northern Ontario anyway). Yeah, Alabama can get cold. I spent a Christmas Eve in Atlanta once with snow on the ground --- never expected that!

Oh yes, I remember. I can still close my eyes and re-play in my mind the TV footage of innocent people jumping from the upper floors with smoke and flame at their backs. Conspiracy theorists anger me. I see their delusions as disrespectful.

Yes, that's been my understanding for a long time. But the hippo in the article wouldn't have "devoured" the unfortunate private. Hippos are vegetarian. They attack boats that stray too close.

"They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?" by Patrick McManus. Not heavy on fishing techniques but it will introduce you to characters like Mary-Jane Railbender and Rancid Crabtree, and give you some all-important pointers like: When going fishing or hunting, always make sure you take your buddy's car and not your own.

Thanks, Backbay. Another place to keep in mind for when I get down there some time.

Canadianboy, johnnyb, skinny, Randy, Burtess, Art, CLofchik, thanks for the replies. I know a lot more about what to get, and how to be careful, than I did before. There's nothing like getting the perspective of aficionado's.

What a great zinger! I guess the thing that bugs me the most is Tim Horton's coffee cups.

I love to watch the ospreys fish in front of my place. This is one of them in "search" mode. Wish I could fish like them!

I'd like to pick up some Cuban cigars for an American buddy, but I want to stash them in his tackle box without him knowing. I know nothing about Cubans, but I think some of the members here do, so can I ask what brands are good ones? (The only brand I think I recognize is "Monte Cristo".)

If you see "a lot" of this, you can always get a registration no. off the boat and call the MNR.

For years, at the school where I taught, I ran a coffee fund. Everybody that wanted to paid me $10 at the start of the year. When I got to school in the morning, earlier than most, I`d start the coffee so that everyone could grab a cup before the day started and there would always be fresh coffee on until after lunch. Always fresh milk in the fridge, sugar on the counter, quality coffee (Maxwell House or Folger`s). Anyone in the fund who took the last cup would brew a fresh pot. Anyone not in the fund could buy individual coffees for 25 cents. I usually did not have to ask for another $10 until January. Pretty good deal. What killed it was that more and more of my co-workers started coming in with Tim Horton`s coffee in the morning, for which privilege they waited in a long drive-thru lineup (I used to drive by it every morning) and paid at least $1.50 a cup. I concluded that there`s some sort of status associated with throwing your money away and inconveniencing yourself. The coffee fund died a neglected death. Personally I started bringing a thermos in my briefcase.