Sep 3/4 - splitting and stacking

There was not much more to report from Wednesday, other than we were one day out on Jason's arrival. I thought that Lorraine had worked Tuesday/Wednesday but it was Wednesday/Thursday ... so they came up last night. For the first time in a long time, everyone was here including Kim, back from the U.K. for her third year at Queens. With the predicted arrival of the garage, all hands were required on deck.

I headed out early to pick up the minnow traps. I'm not catching many minnows at this point, not sure if it's the time of year, a fished-out spot or what. Back home, I headed over to Jason's and we moved his boat over to my driveway with the 4-wheeler.

Now almost 9am, I went over to Jimmy's. The first step was moving his trailer with the ATC because it was blocking the splitter. Next we hooked up the splitter but not before Jimmy started it up. It can be temperamental so he wanted to be sure that it would start. The splitter is a brute -- home made with a huge I-beam, gas engine and hydraulics that must have come from a tractor. With a trailer hitch and wheels ... who cares what it weighs !

Back at our house we split wood from just after 9am to noon -- just as Jim predicted. Mid-way through we took a short break and walked over to Jason's to see the last of the garage unloading. There is less material than I expected, but then steel parts are much less space consuming than wood.

Jim headed over to Art's to pick up his mail and I went back to his place -- backed the splitter into it's place, put it up on blocks using a jack, and moved the trailer back. Jim and I chatted a bit about upcoming travels and then I headed home.

It was a beautiful sunny, warm day. Dead calm, Sandy had offered boat-driving services to the Davies if anyone wanted to go water skiing. With their boat out of the water (and a problem with their starter), ours only takes a minute to launch and besides, she knows that I'll jump at any excuse to go for a boat ride. Mike was game; Gavin had gone back to bed; Kim and Abby came along for the ride; Jason was spotter; Mike put on a good show. With the cool & wet summer, they've only gone skiing a half-dozen times this summer. Their tubes were not even used -- other than our use of them with Kylie and Kat.

I lounged around their dock for a bit and then wandered back home. I would either have a shower and call it a day or pile wood. Hmmm ... it was still sitting there ... had not moved by itself ... so I decided to get piling. I finished up at six p.m., wiped, and hit the shower. I've got just under four cords of wood now piled in front of the woodshed. I'm accumulating piles of wood all over the place !

After showering, I grabbed a beer and went next door, kibitzing while they organized and had dinner, sitting in a chair and looking at the plans for the garage. Back home, Sandy was just about to come over, having finally decided which of the two duvet covers that she'd bought for our bed she was going to keep. My comment was that I only see them in the dark anyway and I didn't care which colour she kept :).

Local pike for dinner, with broccoli from our garden, tomatoes from our garden, a cucumber before dinner from our garden, beans from our garden ... and store-bought sweet potatoes. The piece of pike was from the big one caught when David and I took Meagan and Keri fishing. It was excellent. We still have another half-dozen meals of crappie, catfish, bass and pike in the freezer so we're in good shape on that score.

The day was done, for me anyway.

Today ... organize for tomorrow's bike ride, go for a boat ride if the weather cooperates (we didn't go yesterday because Sandy had a massage therapist appointment mid-afternoon), Mass, dinner and then drive to Toronto. It will be a long day, but go quickly.

I exchanged emails with the ride organizer and apparently there were only five signed up for tomorrow's ride. That number could increase, but there definitely won't be a crowd. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. For once I won't bring my rain jacket. I will be riding the Hummer though ... all brevets require lights, whether or not you intend to finish in daylight. The ride starts at 8am downtown Toronto -- Avenue Road and Castlefield, which is just north of Eglinton. When I saw "castle" in the name I assumed that it was close to Casa Loma in Toronto, but it's not -- Casa Loma is by St. Clair., between Avenue Road and Bathurst. I lived in Toronto a long time but have never been to Casa Loma.

That's about it, although as usual I'll probably think of a couple of other things once I click on "publish post".