Gone Fishing

It has been quite a while since I last blogged. Friends are writing asking how was fishing and it is sometimes easier to just tell the story once.

My Son-in-law Wayne asked me to go north with him, rent a cottage to do some fishing. We went to a favourite Camp Horizon located north of Sturgeon Falls in a tiny outback called Field. High north country approximately 6 hour drive; a get-away….for a couple of good friends.

We had a great time, great weather, scenery, tons of laughs, and of course a couple of beers along with some good cooking. Fishing was off. As the old saying goes; “should have been here yesterday” Seems we missed the big bite by a couple of days. Two women spent a week up there and was getting their limits of Walleye daily. Yeah! I know! shown up by a couple of city girls.

Anyway, here is a pictorial of our trip. Hope your not all on dial-up.

Our Cabin at Camp Horizon.


Interior.
2 bedroom one bath.

  

View out the window

View of cabin from the dock

Capt. Wayne... our first day out was a little overcast.

We did get some rain that night.

Looking back from the water towards camp.

Main dock and office straight ahead.

Lots of fall colors. 

We seen a big change in just a few days north.

Rugged shoreline

Beautiful day to be on the water

 

I think we fished every nook and cranny but the bite was slow.

But the weather made up for it. Water is crystal clear.

  

We did manage to catch a few each day.

At least enough for supper.
I know your thinking where did they catch those sausages?
Hey! it was pitch black when we were barbecuing.

We went for walleye and and I kept catching pike.
But they were pretty tasty.

My son-in-law Wayne managed to catch a couple nice Walleye

 

Just had to get a picture of the boat dock from our front patio.

 

Another day passes us by.
Notice rods are still out. Making the best of each and every day.
They all end so fast.

Hate to leave this gorgeous day.
Just one more cast.

 

Sunset and time to call it a day.

 

After a hard day of fishing this is what we did best.

Had us some good eats, a couple of pops and relaxed.

It just doesn't get any better but all good things come to an end.

 Fall colors on the start of our drive home.
We virtually have little color yet in Southern Ontario but travel 5 hours north and there is full bloom.

Thanks to Wayne for great company and a great time.

Gone Fishing

It has been quite a while since I last blogged. Friends are writing asking how was fishing and it is sometimes easier to just tell the story once.

My Son-in-law Wayne asked me to go north with him, rent a cottage to do some fishing. We went to a favorite Camp Horizon located north of Sturgeon Falls in a tiny outback called Field. High north country, approximately 6 hour drive; a get-away….for a couple of good friends.

 We had a great time, great weather, scenery, tons of laughs, and of course a couple of beers along with some good cooking. Fishing was off. As the old saying goes; “should have been here yesterday” Seems we missed the big bite by a couple of days. Two women spent a week up there and was getting their limits of Walleye daily. Yeah! I know! shown up by a couple of city girls.

Anyway, here is a pictorial of our trip. Hope your not all on dial-up. 

Time marches on

It has been 6 months since my wife passed away. They say it gets easier with time. I suppose.  People who have experienced the loss of a loved one, may move on but it is not…..easier, it is just accepted. Accepted, that they are not returning, at least in body. They are always there in your spirit and in your thoughts when you awake and when you go to bed. I have found it difficult living in the country without my best friend. It is a lonely life.

Thank goodness for my girls, I will never starve. My computer is my best friend these days; it has been the source contact with many distant relatives, friends and acquaintances’.  

The sun has just broken through the clouds but the weatherman says another day of rain. A red headed woodpecker is at the feeder, daffodils are blooming and I can almost hear the grass growing; and here I sit talking to myself.

It truly is a dusty road I travel.

Adventures in the Rockies

Rugged beauty prevails in the Canadian Rocky mountains. My best friends from the west sent me an airline ticket to visit them in Alberta. My wife had passed away a few months prior and they thought it would do me good to get out of the house. My Buddy Dave and I were going to rough-it in the wilderness of the rugged British Columbia Rocky mountains.

I arrived at the Calgary airport and my buddy Dave was waiting for me. We had about a one hour drive to his home in Canmore Alberta. The plan was to spend a couple of days at their home and then head for their cabin high in the Kootney mountains of British Columbia. Dave’s wife Mary would be out 4 days later along with daughter Julie, grandchildren Benjamin, Maggie and Scruffy the dog.

We had an 8 hour drive from their Canmore home to the cabin. Although we travelled the highways of some of the most scenic vistas in Canada, our early departure was in darkness. I wasn’t too worried, I knew I would see the panoramas on the return trip home. Daylight had arrived three quarters of the way into our trip and I was treated with some awesome scenery. We had to cross Arrow Lake by ferry and we made it with 5 minutes to spare.

I was pleased it was daylight for the 20 kilometre drive up into the mountains on a rustic logging road. We were patting ourselves on the back for making good time. With only a quarter mile to go, we were stopped dead and facing a landslide. We weren't the only ones affected. If we couldn't get in, neighbors couldn't get out. They would bring in some equipment to deal with the problem later in the day, meanwhile we hand-bombed our luggage over and they drove us down into the cabin.

We had to shovel our way into the cabin from snow that slides off the steel roof onto the deck. It wasn’t easy shoveling because it had compacted and froze. Anyway in we go and start a fire and it wasn’t long before we were warm and toasty. Dave had many chores to do to ready the cabin for comfort, haul water, haul wood, get batteries charged for lights etc. He also had to fire up the old jeep to haul his work boat to the lake. It started like a charm after sitting all winter, After the road was opened the local good old boys drove his Ford down to the cabin.

I was pleased to see Mary and the kids arrive 4 days later, I was tired of playing Mr. Mom and felt a need for a woman’s touch. Mary is special, she is a ball of energy, great cook, loves the outdoors and after I showed her once how to fillet a fish, never had to do that chore again. Dave is a lucky man.

Julie and kids left to return home a day before us. She was concerned with getting out, bad weather was in the forecast. That mudslide had created some serious road conditions and rain was imminent, it would only get worse. We fished our last day in the rain, of course, Mary was the hands down winner in the fish catching category. We had to practice catch and release because the daily limit was one. After a good nights sleep, a good breakfast and a visit to the neighbors to say good bye, we were barely able make it through a serious mud hole. Other cottage owners would becoming in for the weekend it would only get more challenging. I spent another 3 days back in Canmore before heading to Calgary for my return flight home. Dave and Mary are such gracious hosts and I would miss them all, the kids and Scruffy but I also was feeling a little home sick for my own family. I know, I will return to beautiful Canmore Alberta, fall is always beautiful there.

I have installed a player showing photos of my adventure. My trip to the Rocky Mountains of Canada.

Alberta and BC Trip - slideshow dvd

Click on a picture for full screen. Hopefully the slide show will advance automatically. The pictures tell the story of the trip.

Dusty Roads something to think about.

I received an email from a friend and it started me thinking.
How much have I missed in life? By the way, author of this piece is unknown.

PERCEPTION.  

THE SITUATION
In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes.  During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. 

After about 3 minutes:
a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing.  He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:
  The violinist received his first dollar.  A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

 At 6 minutes:
 A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:
A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly.  The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time.  This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:
 The musician played continuously.  Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while.  About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace.  The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over.  No one noticed and no one applauded.

There was no recognition at all.

  No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world.  He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.  Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.
 This is a true story.  Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.
This experiment raised several questions:

      *In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

      *If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

      *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

 One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .
How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

    Stop, hug a friend, smell the roses and love someone dearly!