Out for some pics this afternoon

Just couldn't stay in today, although I did get up and clean the chimney and flue pipes. With all the warm weather the slow fires sure build up a lot of stuff in the pipes. Nice and clean now with a new fire started this evening.

Lots of melting going on all over the driveway is now clear of snow and ice from top to bottom. Creeks are starting to open up with the flow of meltwater and the snow on the sides of the road has changed from white to brown with the dirt.

First coat of drywall compound finished

The weather is just too nice to be putting mud on drywall. Two great big windows to look out at great skies, warm temps and the snow just melting away. I'll have to get some blinds on the windows so I can't look out.

Finally finished the first coat, which usually takes the longest so now only 2 more to go. Maybe I should go fishing instead.

Great fishing

Out on the ice by 9:30 AM. No fish until 11:30 and on the way home by 2:30PM with three nice pike the largest 24 1/2 inches. Two other small ones released. Beautiful day lots of sun and little wind. After fileting there is enough for two good meals,

Cleaning Up and enjoying the sun

Started cleaning up all the tools that I put the drywall on with and getting ready to start the mudding. Still a couple of small jobs but they can be done while waiting between coats of compound. Besides that it was just to nice to do anything inside. Puttered around doing all sorts of small jobs and went over and got some minnows from Ron, tomorrow is a fishing day.

Later on I snowshoed from the bridge south toward the dam and took some pics.

Good look at the International Space Station tonight about 7:18pm, 4 minutes to cross the sky from SW to E. Sky was perfect. You can look this up for your area at this link.

Beautiful weather

Not quite as nice working on the drywall, still. I'm just one job from starting the mudding, thats boxing in the pipes that come from upstairs. The plan is to box it in with 2.5 inch steel studs (to save space) and then cover with drywall. This will be tomorrow's job as the walls and ceiling are done even the one door way is drywalled in too.

By the way if you notice that yellow brace on the tresle, thats Slim my helper together we have pretty well finished drywalling all of this house. He's very quiet and I guess thats why we get along so well.

Back on the trail again yesterday

Luke was ready to try the long trail south of the highway after having done the short one. Started around 1:00 pm, lots of snow on the trail as we have only gone around this once this year. I reflagged and cut some new spots but that was back in early February. We have had quite a bit of snow since then. In the bush it was pretty good going most of the way and staying away from the shore where the wind had blown the snow helped too. Later in the day the snow started to stick under the bindings with the higher temperatures. Took over three hours to go around. Good trip turned into a good workout.

Lots of new snow overnight

Well we finally are getting snow, the drift around the garage was up to my knees this morning. The snowblower wasn't very happy when I woke it out of its slumber to go for a walk. All cleaned up and it still kept coming down till about noon and then tapered off.

What a better time for a snowshoe, fortunately Dave Kronk and Luke from Ohio just arrived the day before from Ohio. They were checking out the cottage on the lake and it was Dave's first trip to Gowganda in the winter ever. They both came armed with snowshoes and were ready to tackle the trail.

We started at Hedlund marsh and went into the prospector's cabin and then took off up the trail. Snow conditions were perfect, the bush was great and the trek perfect.

Both Dave and Luke commented that these are sights that you just don't ever see from driving down the road.

This AM's ice fog

Pics of the ice fog this morning. With the blue sky and early sun who could ask for better than that.

Some more fresh snow

Paul and I out on the trail today and half way thru the sun finally broke thru. At last the sun caught up to the old forecast. What a difference it makes after several days of cloud.

One more panel of drywall tomorrow and the walls will be covered and on to the ceiling.

Snowshoeing on fresh snow

Dull skys today but a bit of fresh snow on the trail. Temperature just below freezing so the snow didn't even stick to the shoes. Spotted a mink running just inside the bush line when I got to MacIntosh Lake, followed him almost to the south end of the lake, I don't know why he didn't run back into the bush further. Maybe he thought I would make a meal.

With the dull skys there really isn't much to photograph even the snow doesn't show a shadow, but I did find some shelf fungus on a dead birch.

South side drywall done

After taking off all the old z-brick as it was called from the chimney it turned out to have quite a sway in it. This chimney is not used anymore as the new furnaces oil and wood are downstairs under the back porch. It is right in the centre of the house and starts right at the basement with block and mortar and then in the dining room upstairs it turns to brick and the brick continues thru the upstairs and outside. I should have taken it down years ago but now it would be a job and a half especially working up on the roof.

It took a long time to shim it all out sometimes using 2x4's for shims at one end and tight to the block at the other. I was trying to get it as small as possible. Anyway done now and move on to the north side and take some cupboards down to get behind at the walls.

Here is a pic taken a couple of days ago at the feeder with my new lense.

Over the last two days we have had about 13 cm. / 5" of snow and even had to get the snowblower out for a walk today.

Out for some fresh air this afternoon

Finally finished drywalling the walls in the dining room as far as I can go, now I have taken down the covering of the chimney and will go around it with drywall too. The section over the door will be done to. Going any further is next years job the kitchen with cupboards and all.

After dusting myself off I hauled all the old material to the dump, this is the third trip. After lunch headed out west of town to see what has been going on took a few pics along the way including this one of the Wapus Creek as it gets close to the highway.

By the way if you use Google Maps check out Gowganda, Ontario the Google Eye drove right through the town and has impressive coverage of either side of the road. These were taken early last summer. To get there go to Google maps and just keep zooming down to the road or click on the little person near the zoom in tool.

Flagging the trail

Out this afternoon flagging and cleaning up the last part of the the new trail. Found some more of the old trail and then added all the flagging that we missed last year. Lots of rabbit tracks, fox and a couple of wolf tracks. Took a couple of pics on the way out.

Finished up vapour barrier

Now it's on to the drywall. I think I will wait until Monday to start. With all the nice days it's hard to be working inside. I also find it hard to be working in such a small room, hardly enough to swing a 9 foot piece of drywall in.

First full trip around new snowshoe trail

Yesterday Paul and I went around our trail we worked on last winter. Started off going south from the Hedlund marsh and down to our marked trail we cut last winter. With the lack of snow this year there was more than enough obstacles sticking up through the snow. It was difficult manuvering through the bush, at one point there is a narrow gap between rocks where the creek runs this year there was barely enough snow and ice to get over it.

Finally got down to Gowganda Lake and across to where we cut the long trail across to the North arm. This was even tougher in spots than the last area and when got about two thirds of the way through we lost the flagging we were following. This section didn't get flagged as we run out last year and never got back to flag it. Some areas we could follow by looking where we cut on the sides of trees and branches.

At last we were in the North Arm and it had started snowing real heavy (this is where I took the pics). From there north to the snowmobile trail into Single Lake and west on the highway back to Hedlund Marsh. Paul had been tracking on his GPS and sent me the file, the new trail measures in at 7.2 Km.

Prospector's cabin

During 1920, L. O. Hedlund was prospecting a claim 1.5 miles north of Gowganda Lake. The claims were around McLoughlin Lake which has since been drained by blasting in aid of the waterpower supply of Gowganda Lake and is now represented by a marsh. Highway 560 runs right through it west of town. It's in fairly good shape but it has a tin roof that doesn't look as old as the cabin. He may even left his most important item behind the coffee pot.

On the trail

Out for a snowshow today, less that 3 inches of new snow since the thaw we had back in January. This video shows a small part of the trail if you notice I have turned off the huffing and puffing this time.

You could walk just about anywhere today and not break thru the crust which encourages going in places you wouldn't usually go. I ended up at a cabin owned by Mr. Hedlund who was the local prospector in the 1920's . I took some video and pictures which I will post tomorrow.

Back in town

Got home yesterday afternoon from having a great Christmas with Jeremy and family in Sudbury. Great eats and I got to bring a freezer full home too. Spent the evening beside the pool watching the kids swim, what a hard life.

Out today at the forestry point, didn't realize that Ron Quick had such a large skating rink going on out there. Must be part of the olympic venues.

Very cold tonight

After a long spell of unusually nice weather we are finally back to winter. Tonight's low is around -29C. The winds today would take your breath away.Good time to have some work inside the house, the wiring is all completed and the insulation all in, just a couple of more things and the vapour barrier will be on sometime early next week.
As I haven't been out too much I was playing with the amarillis plant again.

Stepping back before starting the reno

I should have posted some before pictures of the dining room before I started ripping it apart. I did take them just before I did. An overall view of the dining room and the old pictures painted in oil by Alex Pope. The story I heard was that he had hurt his leg in the winter and couldn't get out to get more canvas for his art so he painted them on the walls. These were done in the early fiftys one in 1951 and the other 1954 so he must have hurt his leg several times. The pictures are all that remain as they were painted right on the drywall which was nailed to the studs with nails just about every inch and half. I tried by they just crumbled apart.

Frosty morning yesterday

Out early yesterday as I missed the same conditions as the day before. Lots of frost in the treetops especially around the Montreal River.

Here is another picture for Gert.

Great temperature and lots of sun

Lots of small jobs done outside and on the reno, all the insulation in and onto the electrical and the vapour barrier soon. Yes, the pictures painted by Alex Pope in the early fiftys on the walls are gone, I tried to save them but the drywall just kept crumbling apart.

Praticing with the muslin background and the flashes, here is one of the amarillis tree I am growing.

Off to town today, ptui!!!

You all know how much I don't like going to town, well today was necessary as I was running out of staples. The only way that makes it feel better is to take some pictures along the way. This is one of an old house along the way, I posted this house not far after starting the blog. The last time I was past it looked as if it was going fall down so I thought I'd better get another shot of it before it does.

Working inside today

This AM I dyed a 8'x12' piece of muslin into a studio backdrop using a pewter gray colour. The muslin was all bunched up and tied in a ball when I put it in the dye this gives it a mottled colour that should look good for portraits. I am starting to get into flash and learning some studio methods that may come in handy or not. One has to keep their minds working you know. Pictures to follow.

In the PM working on taking some of the garbage from the renovation to the dump and on the way spotted this ice wall way up the outcrop at Wigwam Hill east of Lost Lake. The last few posts have pictures and video taken by my new Canon G11 it is a point and shoot camera with some of the features of an DSLR, so far I am very pleased with it.

More trail cleaning today

Paul and I clipped and trimmed our way around the trail again. The main reason as I mentioned before is the lack of snow. All the short branches are sticking up through the snow and snag the webbing on your shoes mostly without warning and sometimes ending up in a face plant or turtle position. No pics today but one from the last time out.

Trail Open

Paul and I went out about 1:00PM today and finished opening up the north trail. Lots of brush cutting through the brushy areas. With all the rain we had last summer the undergrowth thickened right up. There are still some areas that need trimming but that's a good start. What is really needed is another foot of snow to cover all the branches up. Bright and sunny all the time out, we finally got back around 4:00PM.

Breaking trail

Started on my winter renovations today by emptying out the dining room, I am now eating in the back porch. Took some wood trim off and prepared to set up a barrier to keep the dust from travelling through the house. Enough of that, nice and sunny today so I thought I would break a little of the snowshoe trail.
Where I had cleaned up before the snow came it was pretty good going after that it was hard going as there isn't quite enough snow to cover up all the sticks and branches. Only got as far as the beaver pond about a third of the way. Tomorrow sounds like it will be warmer but that may not be good either.

Back to the horse loggers

Nice and sunny today so out to the dump with a pile of trash and down the Beauty Lake Road to see the horse logging. This is my second trip in, the first was about the end of November and I promised to bring them a disc with all the pictures I took that day.

Paul came with me today and found that they had moved quite a way down the cut. We walked in and found the couple that I had photographed last time and gave them the discs I had.

Maxenne (spelling?) was the horse that was pulling today she is 5 years old and weighs a ton. The loggers had raised her from birth. As we watched them pulling the puller would hardly speak to the horse and you could see her move in what ever direction she wanted her to go. The horse knew exactly what was required of her with few commands.

A bit warmer today

Finally warmed up a bit today but still more snow and windy. Cold temps during the nights should be good for thickening the ice. Cleaned the snow off the woodshed roof and the back porch, they don't have much pitch on them so I like to clean them off once in awhile.

Todays pic is of the East Montreal River south of the bridge taken last week.

Another cold wind chill day

Didn't stray to far today, wind chill very cold. Watched the frost growing over the front porch windows.

New Year

The New Year bought in some snow and -20C weather. This will put some meat on the ice. This is how the first day of the year ends, snowing, cold and bleak.