Rod Caster

I could try that... maybe The wife was testing her karate punch during the take-down.

I met some rural farmers who used their barn roof to sell power to the grid. Basically they financed the system, then sold the power to the grid for a much higher rate than consumer rate. They still have normal electricity bills, but they get even bigger checks for the power they sell and they got some Government grants. That covers their electricity and the financing and some income..... apparently, when the program started, they would build you a barn for FREE to install the panels. That program was eliminated years ago...I would have participated in that program in a heartbeat! If you do a completely private system, you could have your own back up system. I'm sure you wouldn't need giant panels like you normally see, but I bet it's still a lot more expensive than a gas/generator system. I wonder if a guy could sell solar power to people in the neighborhood and not connect to the main grid? Kind of a local/municipal power source? I guess that would be a BIG investment and probably impossible due to regulations and liabilities.

Hey, I still haven't found a Canadian supplier for a replacement hub (where the poles meet) and I'm too cheap to order from the US and pay double just to cover shipping costs. Maybe, just maybe, someone here has an old unit that would sell me the hub and maybe spare poles for cheap?? It's an Eskimo 2, bought 2 years ago. Same one still available at Can Tire. Thanksssssss

Unless there was some kind of gross negligence, there's no one to hold accountable... Regardless, it couldn't have been easy that many days without services. Glad it's back to normal for you. It'll make us appreciate what we have when things run smoothly. You didn't light up a charcoal stove in your condo for heat did you???

Is that the only moose you guys saw? What a great trip!

No advice from me, but I bet you slept hard that night! Just the bacon and eggs on the ice makes that a good day.

I've caught quite a few ling on Nip in past years. 6lbs test is fine. Find deep water (25-35fow) in shoal-y areas. A large minnow (4-6") on a hook or mid-sized spoons will work. It's difficult to 'target' them, but I've noticed that they will crowd an area if you provide a lot of bait. They'll stick around for a couple or more days.... I know this because I've found hooks and/or lures in their bellies from the preceeding day. I haven't targetted them specifically, but if I were to, I would look for areas with a lot of perch, keep a few perch, fillet them and throw some carcass down the hole. Also, I would pop and drop all my remaining minnows down the hole. We've caught many ling during the day, but generally it's better at late dusk. I don't fish at night typically, so I have no idea if it's any better at night. Good luck!

Some people are awesome. Glad you didn't have to walk a distance back to your truck...

15" of solid black ice in Callander Bay where we fished. Some areas had slush but they were few and far in between. Pretty nasty looking slush in your neck of the woods!

I would have sarcrificed the same! Nice start to the ice season. Wormdunker is everywhere haha.

I suppose that a loud bang outside could echo against the walls/ceiling of a house and cause auditory-misdirection (that might be the biggest word I've ever used ) and make you think the noise is coming from the house...although houses do tend to make a lot of noise in the extreme cold.

By the last day of Nipissing ice season, to have 50+ perch in my chest freezer (wife and I have licenses, limit is 50 per). Another step towards eating from more local food sources. That should last us until mid-summer.

I'm no expert on this subject, but I imagine that the groundwater level would have to be locally shallow and that the soil would have to be of the high-moisture-retention type. I have well-drained sandy soil at my place, I doubt I'd have any major frost-heaving here. Again, I'm no expert, but it's an interesting topic to consider and mull over.

Love the signatures.

Great read.... some interesting history in this Town.

hahaha Funny thing is: a jeep cherokee is what towed me out of that hole. She'll see lots of backlakes, and yup, can't wait to taker her on Nipissing. Shouldn't be long.

An eventfull year ....I enjoy reading your reports/posts. Wishing the best...

Yes you can lock in 4lo with rear locking diff as well. Full traction off as well. It's a capable system...better than most trucks unless they come with lockers. Not sure if it default's to FWD..?? I know that some models are FWD only, but I would think that the Trailhawk is RWD bias...good question, let me do some burnouts and I'll let ya know.

It's a 3.2L. For the very minimal gas savings and the almost 100hp drop in power (trailhawks are heavier), the I4 didn't seem like a great option. It was my first choice, but I instead decided to pay cash for the $1,200 upgraded V6. I've never been a chrysler fan, but this Jeep stands out and so do the discounts! Yup, that sealed my decision NOT to buy a 1500 this year.

They are puting the Blue Tec diesel in the Ram 1500 next year...can't see why they wouldn't eventually offer it in the Jeep with a 5 or 6 speed manual. In person, the Trailhawk looks way better than any photo.. not a fan of the lesser models with lower bumpers. I wish they would have used a more traditional headlight design, but I didn't buy it strictly for the looks. The interior and fit/finish is really something else for it's class. It's no Wrangler, that's for sure... but the locking rear and other off-road controls will beat nearly every other non-jeep SUV or even truck out there. hahaha. The open bed is the only thing I miss of the Mazda. I asked the salesman if it came with a snowmobile-compatible roof rack.

wellllllll....... She'll have custom pinstriping by the spring!

Not bad. Still like the Cherokee better and it's not a concept

Got tired of feeling like a marshmellow and working out of tincan so I traded in my trusty Mazda B4000 and got this: (not my photos, have a loaner phone with a crappy camera) I'll miss the old 'Ranger' that loved getting beat up, but this Cherokee is even better offroad; the rear locks and the traction control can actually be turned off. True-blood Jeepers are not big fans of the new looks and comfy interior...but for the price, there is nothing like it in its class.