Oct 16 - some progress

Well, I'll start this one early and finish it tomorrow a.m. The tree is down and cut up for firewood. Some pieces need splitting -- that will come later. I really need a log splitter ...

The electric winch did most of the work. With the two pulleys that would be one incredible amount of force that it took to pull that tree over across the birch branch to a point where I was comfortable with it falling. Unfortunately it wasn't falling. So ... out with the chain saw. Since it was leaning, it was simply a matter of cutting 4-5 feet off the base at a time and it would drop down and I would cut another section. There was no way that the tree could fall towards me since I was uphill from it and there were trees on either side -- it had nowhere to go but towards itself. Then of course it was a matter of cutting it into smaller pieces and cleanup. Pulleys up in trees, ropes everywhere, firewood to haul -- cleanup is always a chore but a necessary part of finishing a job.

Next I went to work on the 40hp motor on the Boston Whaler. It has been running really rough

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I'm back. It's morning. Sandy had just gotten back from a day grocery shopping in Sudbury and I went to help her unload the car. She's generally exhausted from a shopping day since she goes all over Sudbury to hit various stores -- Costco, Tarinis, Independent Store, A&P ... and then Canadian Tire (not food !), Home Depot sometimes, whatever else.

I forgot to mention earlier in the week that Jack and Dolores did leave for Vancouver Island on Tuesday. They also left their kitchen light on, which they would not have noticed (as much) during the day. I know that there is a key somewhere but also Jim & Bonnie will be home tonight or tomorrow and they have a key.

Back to the Mercury -- I changed the plugs, adjusted the idle mixture and the spark advance and it is running better. It idles now, which it didn't do very well before. The other day when Alex was here I tried carburetor cleaner which helped and should probably do some more of that.

So ... fishing last night ... I went out and anchored at the secondary spot where I was getting the bass strikes but last night nothing. After 15 minutes with no action (I'm not very patient), I went back to the crappie site and in the next 1/2 hour pulled two in and lost a couple. If I go out this morning ... and that's the plan ... I should probably go back to the setup with the snelled hook. Crappie seem to be the primary thing that is biting at dawn and dusk so I might as well take advantage of that.

We had a meal last night of crappie and the one small bass fillet -- couldn't tell one from the others. I did them on the old barbecue griddle of my Mom's that she used on the propane stove to do bacon and eggs way, way back when. It works well on the barbie and for these small fillets, especially well. Several weeks ago I did the perch that Carol and Allister brought on that same griddle. A little olive oil, salt and pepper, dust the fillets with flour -- excellent.

Living off the land ! Stef asked why I had not done any fishing when she was a teenager -- 1st, I had fished a lot when I was younger and was bored with it. My dad would usually take the kids and go out after pickerel and most often would not get much or would get rock bass, which are not for eating. 2nd, I get bored when there is no action or if casting, get bored quickly with no action. At least with the crappie there is action. 3rd, I'm cheap ! It costs anywhere from $15 to $20 a pound for these freshwater fish like pickerel or perch and I can get them relatively for free. We've now had three meals of local fish in the last few days. I say relatively free -- I'm using gifted minnows and I do use some gas. I'll have to get a minnow trap for next summer.

I got an email from Jason to say that they are coming up this evening. I'll turn on the heat for them so that they don't have to go into a cottage that at this point is probably in the low single digits Celsius -- yes, it's cold out. The prediction was for -2C and I think it's there. My indoor/outdoor thermometer was reading 34F a little while ago and it is always moderated by the temperature of the cottage, the land below the deck and the lake -- until, of course, the ground and the lake freeze.

Nothing else happening of note. Oh -- Aaron and Kylie will not be coming up this weekend, we'll probably see them next weekend. Mya is completely recovered and up to puppy tricks -- digging holes in the hill.

I updated our blog schedule. We'll be leaving for Philly on the way to Florida shortly after the week that Alex is here for deer hunting. We expect to stay in Philly for 2-3 days so that Sandy can visit with friends and we can see Jeffrey, Sara and Emma. I guess that Abby will have to stay with Debbie Johnston -- she'll like that !