Rug has arrived and laying about

Installers showed up about 9:15AM and were on their way by 11:30AM. Just seemed to go down so quickly to make such a difference relative to the rest of the work. Anyway it looks and feels great. It's hard to take a picture to show it but I took some with just rug and some with furniture I started to move it.

A few more pics from yesterday near Duncan Lake

Snow this AM for a short while, nothing on the ground. Turned sunny by mid morn and nice the rest of the day.

Just a bunch of small jobs today, as I wait for the rug, tomorrow.

The pics, the one of the twinflower was from the Wapus, it's so nice to see some greens and colours beside snow, dark trees, more snow, more dark trees.

One of the old log cabins at the Duncan Lake landing. I talked to Ed Barnstaple today and he said an aboriginal guide used to live in it.

Just like summer

Temps on the rise overnight made it quite plesant this AM. The temp just kept rising through the day until rain and cool returned by evening. The fire is on again tonight.

Morning temps were over 20C early this morning which was just right for some pic taking.

Out highway 560 W to see if there is any access to the sideroads, they are getting better but still have snow and look pretty muddy. It will be another week before they will be worth using getting wood. Raking leaves and needles and removed the ends off the wood shed to start filling it up again.

The floor in the front room is stapled down and the rug installers will be here on Wednesday. Hooray.

Got some pics of a pair of Hooded Mergansers, and some melting thats going on around the area. Took quite a few down near Duncan Lake.

Great day today

Cleaning up the lot across the road. After several years the growth of poplars and cherry had overtaken the lot. I had a lot cut from last fall and today I burned up all the tops and branches. It took the whole day but it sure saved me lots of loads to the dump. Now all I have to take are the bigger stems. Had to wait for a north wind to burn so the town wouldn't get smoked out but early in the AM the wind had a mind of it own until later it moved around to NNWest. Perfect for burning. Spent the whole day burning and the weather was great.
Paul and I went for a drive west of town to the Bay Lumber Road at Duncan Lake I took some pics of a Goldeneye duck, a male. You can see why he is called a Goldeneye.

Next day a Robin in the back yard, spring is bringing in lots of new migrants.

Todays pics of the room

I seem to find myself sitting in the front room wondering why it took so long, it's not that big of room. I started the first week in January and seem to have wasted a lot of time doing only a small bit at a time. There was always something else that had to be done, usually this meant dusting and cleaning or sometimes looking out the window. Snowshoeing was my outlet to really have a goal of doing something that had to be done just because I like it. That looked after Jan. Feb. and March when it became apparent I better get my head together and get on with the job. April it started to feel like spring was moving too fast as pretty soom it would be time to cut wood and catch up on last years clean up across the road. Today I feel a lot better knowing I'm caught up inside and now to start the outside work.
The weather is stalling for another week with rain and moderate temps. Have put the fire on to take away the dampness.

Finally the painting is finished

It's been a long haul, from January but the work is all but done. The last thing I have to do is staple down the floor before the rug comes. The brushes and the paint pots are gone. Tools cleaned up and put away. All is well.

Went out to the forestry point and sat on the park bench for awhile, took a few pics while out.

Spring has sprung

Three warm days in a row and a couple of more on the way. The snow is taking a beating although not to fast.

To nice to spend painting but today was get'er done day, all the trim done the ceiling fixed up, the shelves done, electrical plates on the switches and receptacles and the foam around the door. All thats left is cutting in with the two greys and stapling the subfloor down and it's ready for rug.

Did get out around the yard to take a few pics in the sun and warmth.

Easter Weekend

Jeremy and the boys came up from Sudbury on Friday and were surprised to see the amount of snow here compared to home. Most of the fields and high areas in Sudbury are clear of snow.

Took a trip up to the tower where the boys were itching to climb it but were persuaded by Dad and myself that they go no further than the gate. The rolls of cable from the dishes are now installed right into the building. Another sign that work is still coming along.

Also a pic below the dam of the Montreal River starting to rise with the melt starting.

Both coats of paint on the walls now, another cutting in job and cleaning up of spots on the white ceiling and trim to do. Rug has been ordered and will arrive near the end of the month.

Painting along

Another batch of snow to clear this AM, and tomorrow will be the same. The snow we lost earlier is back along with a bit more.
Making for great painting days. Two coats of light grey on the north and south walls and cut in around the edges and yesterday one coat of the darker grey on the east and west walls and cut in today around edges. Tomorrow second coat of the darker colour and then cut in where needed and fix the white on the ceiling where I slipped up(oops).

The panorama is a little off but it shows a little bit more of the room at once. The west window is a way out of scale, haven't figured out how to stop it from doing that.

What's with this April showers

April showers turned into an overnight snowstorm that dropped about 30cm of snow on Gowganda. I had a difficult time getting out of the house and decided to get the snowblower out before anymore came down. Heavy wet snow, it was hard to blow. The wind was blowing all over the place, came into the house looking like a snowman.

Got the first coat of paint on the side walls, looking pretty good.

Finally

Yes finally, tomorrow the final painting starts with the ceiling paint going on. Once that's done it's on to the walls. It's been a long haul but things are finally taking shape.

More snow

Up this AM and there is another load of snow on the ground, about 8 to 10cm. Cleaned it up with the big scoop.

Looked out at the feeder and the little birds I have been feeding sure have got a lot bigger. They must like what I'm feeding them. I'm may buy more seed as I am going to town tomorrow, (ack ptui) if they stay around.

Yesterday's pics

Didn't even step a foot out of the house today, freezing rain, wet snow. Had a bunch of little jobs to do inside, even got the second layer of drywall mud around the door. Will hopefully finish the drywall tomorrow.

A pic from the top of the gravel pit on the west side of town. A look up the center of the new tower all 90 meters of it and a close up of the hi-speed internet radio.

Internet work on the tower

Noticed a worker up the tower at lunch today and went up to see what was going on. Paul and I headed up, the road is in great shape now but I always park at the bottom and walk up, just in case someone is coming down.

Talked to one of the men and he said he was setting up the internet radios (transmitters) and how they are hooked into the big dishes. They have even set up a GPS unit at the site to sight in the dishes and helps to align the signals.

The next step when the other towers are up and running will be to align the big dishes with their closest neighbour at this time Elk Lake and eventually to Shining Tree.

New door finally installed

New insulated door installed and now 1 sheet of drywall will finish the job. All the trim on the windows and around the bookshelves done. Going to lay the subfloor before I start painting.

More pics from yesterday

Here are some pics from an abandoned cabin that is in the bush near the river. I have never seen anyone around it since I have been here. Years ago there was quite an opening in the bush but it is quickly growing in. There is an old artesian well just to the side of the house that is still spouting water. The wood shed has wood in it. It would be a cold trip out to the outhouse. The roof must still be pretty strong to hold up all the snow.

Finally some time for pictures

Weather still a bit cool but allowed a trip along the edge of the Montreal River from Highway 560 to the dam. You could walk on the frosty crust most of the time but every once in awhile you broke through.

Not a lot of runoff has started as the cold is holding it back.

Back from Sudbury Part 2

Went back down to Sudbury yesterday AM in a bit of a snowstorm, Highway 560 in good shape as nothing had been on it going west (I left early). Got to 144 and they had salted the heck out of it and it was all slush, not even scraped up. Anyway took a little longer but arrived about noon. First off to Future shop as my new LCD screen of 5 months packed it in with something burning inside and leaving quite a foul odour. A great time to give up the ghost as I was going to Sudbury anyway. Service Dept. looked after it in no time gave me a brand new one with few questions. Soon as I said there was a burning smell he just started the paper work.

The real reason to go to Sudbury was to go and see the new 3-D IMAX movie screen at Science North, it had just opened at the beginning of the month. I had been there before and seen regular IMAX shows but never in 3-D. Jeremy, Stacey and the boys and I went to see Sea Monsters (dinosaurs). They tied together the skeletons found of several types of sea monsters with life size animated ones. Their life histories of how they lived and died and where the skeletons were found. A great story, but the great part was the 3-D you could almost reach out and touch them, fish were zipping past and huge dinosaurs zoomed above your head. You walked throught the forest and felt that you should move the branches so they didn't hit you. An explosion at a quarry looking for skeletons sent most people off their seats. Anyway you get the idea, if you ever get the chance make time and go and see one of these type of movies you won't be disappointed.

On the way home I stopped and took some pics of Shingtree's new tower. It's about 140 ft and will have 2 dishes on it by the looks of it.