Kawartha Kev

Perhaps he looks like this guy a young juvenile red tail who visits my yard occasionally. The one in your photo looks like a larger individual. Kawartha Kev

Thanks BASSMAN interesting reading. I did some checking around on the net and there is still a show at the International Center called the Fishing and Boat Show scheduled for Feb.16 -17 I believe not many details are listed though. Kawartha Kev

I just recieved my winter edition of Ontario Out of Doors and noticed an ad saying the Spring Fishing Show has closed. I know the magazine was a major sponsor of the show but I hadn't heard anything about the show closing can anyone confirm this? Maybe Ontario Out of Doors is just not participating in it as the ad says they will be at the Toronto Sportsmen Show. I know the Spring Fishing Show was going downhill but it was still a nice break in the middle of winter to get out and see some fishing stuff and it did tend to have some better retailers than the Sportsmen's Show I thought hopefully some of them will go down to the Sportsmens Show if the Spring Fishing Show is in fact closed. Kawartha Kev

Not sure what you would get. All I can say is Amen to that!! Enjoy!! Kawartha Kev

I just read and tried the tutorial posted by Rick about the quick edit with amazing results and here is what I came up with. Unfortunately I could not get all the functions to work properly but here is the result what do you think? Original Edited Version

Here is a story from the Toronto Star about the big blaze in Barrie. Barrie Blaze

With all the snow shovelling we have been going through lately I thought I would present this little joke for your amusement. Enjoy !!! Kawartha Kev Diary of a Snow Shoveler: December 8: 6:00 PM. It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses Print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow! December 9: We woke 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've 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'll 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's possible. Bob is such a nice man I'm glad he's our neighbor. December 14: Snow lovely snow! 8" last night. The temperature dropped to -20. 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 this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish l wouldn't huff and puff so. December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all. December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell !!! The wife laughed for an hour, which I think, was 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. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. God I hate it when she's right. I 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 freakin white stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. That dumb snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighborhood kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. December 21: 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 have to shovel the sidewalk or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying. December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white poop fell today and it's so cold it probably won't melt until August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to take a piss. By the time I got undressed, went to the can, and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. 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'm sure 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 freakin nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying. December 24: 6"of snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a carp who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100 miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for that snowplow. December 25: Merry Christmas!!! 20 more inches of the miserable white poop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil! God I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think he's an idiot. If I have to watch "It's a Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to scream! December 26: Still snowed in. Why the hell 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 -20. Still snowed in. THE carp is driving me crazy!!!!! December 29: 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am? December 30: Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches of snow predicted. December 31: Set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling. January 8: I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me but why am I tied to the bed ??

Love the Vancouver skyline Brandon especially at night. The water looks so calm was there actually a thin layer of ice? Kawartha Kev

Hey Lew That picture of the loon does look strange being yellow but reminds me of an even stranger thing that happened to me. I was snorkeling in about 10ft. of water over some rocks when I saw this turtle swimming around on the bottom so I swam down after it all of a sudden this loon comes flying by me underwater a few feet away and grabs a fish scared the daylights out of I didn't realise it immediately until I surfaced and the the loon also surfaced a short distance away now that would have been a picture!!! Kawartha Kev

Oh God!!! The humanity!!! LOL!!! Kawartha Kev

I agree Lew the north side of the lake is shallower and rockier which is where my cottage is located and the south side deeper and safer. Anywhere outside the main channel to the north and you could be in trouble. The level was down about 6"to8" I would estimate at my dock. Kev

I have a cottage on Lower Buckhorn and I closed it up a week ago. Just to let you know they have dropped the water level so be very careful. The lake is good for musky fishing but dangerous for rocks and with the water level down it is even more so. Kawartha Kev

Thanks for the link Tbayboy its a great photo. I have seen lots of photos here is what I think is the best so far. I only wish I had the equiptment to try and take photos like these. Kev

I have been out again trying my hand at capturing Comet Holmes and getting better results. Now what I need is for the weather to cooperate with clear skies so I can get a really clear shot although the clouds do add a little something to the image. Enjoy!! Kev

Look to the North East region of the sky Deano. Here is a link to a map not the graeatest but should help. Just remember this is not your typical comet with a big tail or anything it looks more like a smudge in the sky to the naked eye with a slight yellowish tinge to it good luck!! Comet Holmes Map

Glad you got to see the comet Pam even if it isn't much to look at. I am very familar with the spaceweather site and have sent some pics to them but they haven't posted any of mine yet they have lots of submissions and they are far better than mine. The intersting thing about this comet for me is its incredible brightening over such a short time period and the location in the sky. If you think about it; most comets only become visible to the naked eye when they get close to the sun and develop a tail; consequently they are usually low in the sky near where the sun is setting or rising yet here is this one Comet Holmes high over head and visible to the naked eye. Apparently the lack of tail is due to the angle we are in relation to the comet we are looking at it straight on so the tail is facing directly away from us so is very difficult to see but does exist from what I have read. Anyway keep looking up!!!! Kawartha Kev

I really couldn't tell from your description Brandon weather or not you could tell where the comet was so I added the photos with the location. Kind of like those Where"s Waldo books you know I never could find him LOL!!! Anyway here is a final shot with a little wider field of view Enjoy Kev!!!

Here are my final edits of my space photos cleaned up and with the location of the comet. I think you guys found it correctly!! Although a bit blurry I am happy with it for the equiptment I am working with. If you actually go outside and look at it with your eyes or binoculars it just looks like a round smudge in the sky although I can detect a faint goldish colour. I'll keep watching to see what happens next. For now here is the best I could do. Enjoy!! Kevin

Can you find the comet ? Kevin

Actually these are taken from Scarborough a subburb of Toronto and there is a lot of light pollution I could only see the brighter stars pictured the long exposure brings out the faint ones your eyes can't see. Kevin

Decided to try my hand at a little Astrophotography with my little point and shoot camera and here are the results. The first photo is basically as is and the second one is edited to enhance the colour sort of makes it looks like the northern lights. Actually the reason I took these photos is because there is a comet in these photos can you find it ? Its called Comet Holmes and has been undergoing some major brightening. Good luck trying to find it. Actually its not hard as it is visible to the naked eye although no tail is visible. I was surprised at the quality of the shots actually in terms of stability as I had to manually hold the shutter open for around 45 sec. to get these shots. You might want to look at the full size photos the reduced size looks kind of grainy. Enjoy Kawartha Kev!!

I just noticed that the time is off for the board I guess it has to do with the old daylight savings time correction. We used to set our clocks back the last Sat. of October but that has changed to the first Sat. in November this year which will be next weekend. My computer asked me to update my time as well its nat a big deal just thought I would let you know. Kawartha Kev

Well thats it for the cottage for me this year. I went to close-up the cottage yesterday and do the fall clean-up etc. After raking about a half an acre of leaves and winterizing the cottage I'm beat and bummed out. The weather was bad and the lake level was too low to make it worth while trying to launch the boat for a final try at some fall musky fishing. Oh well only 7 months to walleye opening!!! Kawartha Kev

Great shots as usual Brandon. The second last one is very nice but what the heck is that green flash some kind of U.F.O!!!! LOL!!! Kev

Great photos as usual Brandon. The "bony little fingers" you mention are most likely a type of mushroom. There is a mushrom called Dead Mans Fingers as a common named that is a type of Xylaria but from what I can tell I don't think that is what it is they are too small but more likely a type of "coral fungus" maybe something in the Clavaria family tough to tell there are so many. Kevin