tjsa

Hey Sean, I fished that EXACT spot last year, first weekend in January. We did good also, 5 guys, probably 35 fish landed(only 3 by me, keeping 2, I kept getting the line wrapped around the transducer for the extra Vexilar a bud let me use. But the float was set wrong, and I had no clue, first time user, ) I even remember that blue shack in the background on your pictures. A bud of mine was supposed to go to that same spot on Tuesday, and probably again with another bud of mine, but I haven't received a report yet. Are you sure about the ice thickness, recent reports are its in the 14"+ range for almost two weeks??

We didn't get any downpour up here, but it did lightly rain from about 2 pm until 8 pm yesterday. It is a bit foggy today, but about 1 km visibility on the roads in town. Its supposed to go down to -11C tonight from a high of +1C overnight. Should be nice and slippery tomorrow. I have had cleats for over12 yrs, have needed them 3 or 4 times over the years.

Too bad no fish, and I can relate on the washing machine. Mine decided not to spin(it tried) or drain last Tuesday night. Off to Canadian Tire for a wetvac after work Wednesday to drain it(fortunately I only had a 1/3 load it in ). I have been working on it since Thursday, found the pump quite clogged up with debris over the years, its really old. Its amazing now many small stones came out of it, . The belt was squealing quite a bit 3 yrs. ago, so I bought a new one(the guy at the appliance store warned me how hard they are to replace, but I am good a mechanical things), but then it stopped squealing. Now, I want to replace it also before putting the pump back on,but, I also want to find the engineer who designed this contraption, and kick him where the sun don't shine!!!!!!!!!! :devil: Good thing I am off until Jan. 2nd.

Do not know for sure, but look here, they seem to have everything: http://www.luremaking.com/

Great video TJQ, I remember being on a school trip in public school going to our local Maple Syrup facility. I was probably only 8 at the time, but the samples were fantastic. Maybe get his tractor sandblasted and repainted, or maybe not. He probably knows every nick, dent, and rust spot without even looking at it. It may throw off his familiarity with the machine.

Yup, all the best. And, I saw this in our local paper's website today in the "oddities" section. Toronto man eats three kilos of latkes to win unusual New York contest By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sunday, December 21, 2008 LAKE GROVE, New York - That’s a lot of latkes. A 23-year-old mechanical engineering student downed 46 of the potato pancakes in eight minutes to win a contest at a Long Island deli. Pete Czerwinski says he’d never eaten a latke before consuming about three kilos of them Sunday at Zan’s in Lake Grove. The Toronto bodybuilder says he’s just "a power eater" whose brain never signals that he’s full. Association of Independent Competitive Eaters Chairman Arnie Chapman says Czerwinski demolished the contest’s previous record of 31 latkes, set in 2006. The pancakes are a traditional treat for Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish Festival of Lights. It started Sunday evening.

This is too easy, they are wearing the wrong boots. They should have been wearing Kaufmann felt pack Sorel's. Looks like a Strikemaster auger anyways, sheesh, poor girls had to pose in front of that :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: I AM KIDDING!!!!!! :lol:

DouG, glad everything is OK, I am sure that was quite the scare. I had my alarm going off a few months ago at 3 am in the morning. Nothing was out of sorts, but I soon realized the alarm was indeed old, and another was almost past due date. So, this is what I did. Bought 2 new ones(one was recently purchased in March, should be OK for a bit). I took a Sharpie, and wrote the date of purchase on it on the outside(they do have dates on stickers on them on the inside for original date of purchase, but how many times do you look at that stupid sticker). I also write the date on the battery when changed(most, if not all are 9v, so its easy to label them). I also take them down, and vacuum them out. We shed dead skin, that is what a lot of the dust in our homes is. I own an "automatic toaster". But it has been flawless, as well as the models before it. Toasters are actually really nasty devices. They provide a dead short across A/C through a long filament, with a small bit of electronics parts, to adjust the voltage to make them work supposedly properly. Same goes for hair dryers. Coffee makers are not too far behind them. Everyone, do not leave a toaster unattended!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My coffee maker has a timer, I don't use it, I make coffee when I am awake. I also label every CFL bulb when I change them with a Sharpie, I like to know how long things last. Best so far was 4 yrs., on a bulb that had been made in China, and had a recall on its lot number, lol. OH, btw,.......... I do have a carbon monoxide detector also.

Simon, no worries, your sled will pull it just fine. And most times, you will not even feel it behind you unless you are going over a bumpy portage trail. I own an 8 ft. long Equinox Trail Boggan, thing probably weighs almost 100 lbs. loaded with all our crap, and it tows no problem behind my aged 1990 Yamaha Enticer ET400T. That shock hitch is great, my sleigh has one also.

Yup, its cold, going down to -30C overnight tonight. No beer truck got stuck in front of my house though, they just back in and offload my monthly prescription I took tomorrow off to clear my driveway. Had to go into work early today and have not cleared it yet. Thankfully I have a 4x4, cause I did not get 30 ft. in 2 wheel drive backing up, and that was just in my driveway. I had to set up equipment for a press conference today. They did not cancel it, even though Donna Cansfield and another Minister were supposed to be here, but their flights got canceled. Local MPP's and our Mayor spoke for them. I also had to shovel out our work truck in the early morning because they plowed overnight behind it, sheesh!!!!!!! And the loading dock was also still snowed in, but I managed to get the truck backed up to it. It was still not cleared when I left at 4 pm. Ahhh well, life in the Great White North. You have gotten your share of snow this year also right?????????

Good on ya Cliff, the snow and cold will come soon enough. I just went outside. About 2 inches so far, but with the wind and more snow falling until around midnight, I expect big drifts around my vehicles and doorstep in the morning. Limeyangler, and the rest of the OFC guys west of me are getting the cold temps though, we are rather balmy at -17 overnight. http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/city/pages/...e.html#detailsf

Cliff................now how are you going to have that back yard skating rink in that temperature? When we are finished with this in the next 3 days, we will send it on down to you, free of charge,

Yeah, those missed us. I am up in Thunder Bay. Our members in Dryden, Kenora, Red Lake, and Ft. Frances are going to get it worse than me.

No way, we like to spread the wealth around, :lol:

Winter storm warning in effect. Today Day: Snow at times heavy. Amount 15 cm. Blowing snow this afternoon. Wind becoming north 30 km/h gusting to 50 early this morning. Temperature steady near minus 12. Night: Snow at times heavy and blowing snow. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Wind north 30 km/h gusting to 50. Low minus 18. Wind chill minus 26. Monday Periods of snow ending in the afternoon then clearing. Blowing snow in the morning. Wind northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light in the evening. High minus 17. Wind chill minus 30. YEEHAWWWW!!!

Well now, I am experiencing the polar opposite of everyone else. I can read posts here easily and fast in the mornings, 4:30ish to 7 am. I have trouble with slow response on this site and others in the late afternoon to early evening. Must be a geographical thing.

Uhh Ohhh, Canadave is back, :D Welcome back, where have you been bud???????????? What's happening???????????????

Thanks for the update Rick, no pm required, just take care of yourself.

T'WAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE, MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY, WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO, IN THIS HOME, DID LIVE. I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY THE MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES, OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT, CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR, IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED, A CANADIAN SOLDIER. WAS THIS THE HERO, OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? I REALIZED THE FAMILIES, THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS, WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE, A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM, EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. I COULDN'T HELP WONDER, HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE, IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT, A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES, AND STARTED TO CRY. THE SOLDIER AWAKENED, AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, "SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS." THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL, AND WE BOTH SHIVERED, FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. I DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE, ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR, SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE." ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. "MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT." This poem was written by a Canadian Peacekeeping soldier stationed overseas. The following is his request. PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favour of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to all of the service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. *******note: I have not seen this one before, and I cannot vouch for the validity of the claim above************* but.............does that really matter????????????

No goals were set, but an invite to LOTW's had to include a chance at muskie and sauger. Got the musky on the last day, the only day we targeted them. Not a big one, but who cares. First day got the Sauger, again a wee one, but firsts are firsts. Actually caught 3 over 2.5 days out there. Didn't manage to get a black crappie, but my bud did.

Sorry to hear about Chris. He fought a long hard battle. Chris's situation is why many of us had, and still have, the word "Believe" in their signatures. My condolences also to Rob's family.

Any, and maybe all off the above, somehow connect with each of us in a different way. Its all to our individual situations/experiences.

I have had to put my back pack into the washing machine a few times, :lol: Damn double bagging does not work in summer, winter, no issue, just toss em' into the sleigh or pack after they have stiffened up a bit.

Way too many, but I like this one, along with Loreena McKennit's Wiccan Dance(which I could not find a proper version of) http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Db65ZsVsLWo&...feature=related

Todd, while on the drive back(if you are indeed driving), when you are going through the Ignace area of Northwestern Ontario, do the speed limit!!!!!!!!!!!! It's locally known as "Wayne's World" :lol: :lol: Wayne(I forget his last name) is the local OPP officer in that area, and is very, very, intimidating. Anything slightly "hinky" gets his attention.