The Squamidian Report – Apr. 2 / 16
Issue #723
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
The problem with making promises is that you have to keep them. Back in
the winter we had promised Kyra that we would build her a playhouse. We
had already built a 'kids' deck in the lower back yard up against the
rock and thats where we had said the playhouse would go, the deck being
the perfect place for it. I had intended to simply build the playhouse
from scratch but 'the wife' suggested we check out the kits available
through various retail outlets. The problem with that approach is that
most of those kits are made in China out of very shoddy materials.
However, we became aware of a line of playhouses at CTC that are made
in Mt Forest in good old Ontario. Price was competitive with anything
else we looked at so thats what we bought, the Canadian made kit. The
one we went with is sort of the base line, nothing fancy, no extras but
more that sufficient for a kid to play in and around.
Our local CTC didn't actually carry the kits but the one down near
Ryan's place did so we simply combined a visit with a pickup. Like
everything else that comes in pieces and must be assembled, the hardest
part is understanding the instructions. One must read them over and
over in an attempt to make any sense at all out of them. We muddled
through and got the thing assembled. Its all cedar and looks kind of
cute out there on its deck. I'd sure hate try putting something like
that together using old fashion hand tools. Cordless drills /
screwdrivers are wonderful. And thanks to the fact that cordless drills
have adjustable clutches, they can be set to a low enough setting that
the screws go into the soft cedar just right. The second hardest part
about putting one of these kits together is all the bending and
kneeling. Its a 'kids' playhouse and therefore everything is small and
low. My knees don't like kneeling and my back doesn't like bending.
I'll construct a little bench for inside as well as a small counter
along one wall so its like a tiny kitchen.
We've also been plugging away at the ongoing fence project. The biggest
problem with working away at that is finding the time. For a while it
have been too wet. I worked out in the rain enough in my life, I don't
need to do it when its not necessary. These past few days have been
almost too hot but we did get a few posts set and panels up. Like I
said, its hard to find the time. I'm almost thinking that I'm going to
have to retire from being retired just to free up some time to do all
the things I want or need to do.
*
Now here's something that is totally out of character
for me.... I got drawn into racing another bike, something I simply
would never due under normal conditions. But I got gored into it. We
had done a nice evening ride down to Porteau Cove and as we were about
to leave for home, this kid on his bike indicated that he could take my
bike anytime and that we should have a go at it. You could tell just by
looking at this kid that he hadn't even bought his bike himself, his
daddy had probably purchased it for him. So, against my better judgment
we lined up and blasted our way down the length of the parking lot. His
little 4-year old legs were pumping as fast as he could paddle and yes,
he beat me hands down. A big smile on his little face as we waved
goodbye and headed on out to the highway and home.
doug
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THE ONTARION REPORT
Hello everyone!
Looks like we’re in for a rainy weekend for the first weekend in April.
Guess it’s supposed to be crappy like this for the entire week and then
some! Oh well, it could be snow and it still may turn out to be just
that the way the temperatures are heading in the coming week. Guess
we’ll just have to grin and bare it till the real spring get’s here! At
least with my motorcycle sold last fall, I no longer have to worry
about paying all that insurance money to watch it sit in the garage for
6 to 8 months of the year! In that respect, Doug is lucky to live where
he does! I hear the trees are blossoming all over the lower mainland
out there but the snow is still 20 feet deep up in ski country. Talk
about having the best of both worlds for a sportsperson! The only thing
he can’t do is ride his motorcycle up to Whistler to spend the day
skiing! Oh well, at least he can ride it to the bottom of the tramway
to go up for his daily walk on his snowshoes. Not all that bad after
all!
Carole and I actually spent Wednesday of this
week outside clearing out the gardens and cleaning up the winter
aftermath so the plants can start sprouting in a couple of months when
the warm weather finally gets here! LOL! The yard and gardens are
looking nice and clean now so all we have to do is wait. I took some
insecticide solution at the end of the summer season last year and
sprayed the “Stink Bugs” that inhabit our white birch tree and the
garden around the base of it and I guess I over did it as there is now
a ring of dead grass around the wall supporting the garden. Guess I’ll
have to give that area a good raking and spread some top soil over the
dead area and re-seed it so the new grass has a chance to sprout before
we get too far into the good weather. I’ll have to find a better way of
killing those stinky little buggers if they come back again this year!
One of the best investments I’ve made has been
spending $89.00 at Princess Auto a couple of years ago to purchase an
electric chain saw that is mounted on a 10-foot extendable pole. With
our huge white birch tree out front and it’s three massive 30+ foot
high trunks that are loaded with far reaching branches the little saw
has really come in handy. We seem to be experiencing damage to the tree
whenever we have an ice storm or even when we get the odd violent
thunder/lightning storm. The weight of the ice that forms on the
outreaching branches must be incredible. This past week when we had the
latest ice storm, the branches that are usually 15 to 20 feet and more
off the ground were actually almost touching the lawn under the tree.
The added wind conditions that came up during the evening of the storm
caused several of the branches to break off as I mentioned last week. I
spent the next two days dragging the branches off the lawn and onto the
driveway so I could cut them up to fit in Adam’s small utility trailer.
I did so on the driveway so I could easily clean up the wood chips from
the saw. I was going to haul the trailer load to the dump on Monday but
being Easter Monday the dump was closed. I backed the trailer with the
wood and branches into the garage and left it there for two days to
keep it safe and dry until the sun came out again. Tuesday I called a
friend who has a large property on the other side of town with a large
burn pit behind his house and he told me to bring the load of branches
etc over. He wanted to keep the larger branches aside so he could cut
them into short logs for burning in his wood stove and I put the rest
of the twigs and small stuff into the pit for a future evening
campfire. He likes to sit around a fire and enjoy a beer or two so it
was a great way to dispose of my scrap wood. Not only did it do him
some good, it saved me the cost of taking the load to the dump. As I
was starting to say, the little chain saw was a good investment. To
reach one of the large branches that was still attached to the tree at
about the 25 foot mark, I had to stand almost on the top step of a ten
foot step ladder and reach to my fullest height with the extendable
chain saw in one hand, also fully extended and only then could I barely
manage to cut off the dangling branch. It was a very precarious
position to be in while operating what could be a dangerous tool. The
tree isn’t the kind that takes well to being climbed as most of the
branches that would support my weight are at or above the point where
the storm seems to break them off or almost off. Anyway, I guess I’ll
just have to keep trimming them off as they break until I can no longer
reach them anymore. They say that white birch trees only have a 30 to
35 year lifespan so this big monster is likely reaching it’s senior
most years! I dread the day when I find it is no longer healthy enough
to be there. I’ll most certainly have to hire someone with the youth
and expertise to start at the top and take it down in sections. I’m not
looking forward to the day, as it will make a huge difference in the
curb appeal of our home once it’s no longer there! It’s a beautiful
tree so we’re hoping it’s got at least a few more years of life left in
it!
Until then, I’ll just have to keep on trimming as the storms hit!
That’s about all for this week folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I’ll look forward to talking to you all again next week in The Ontarion report!
Bye for now … Greg
PS: Something To Think About>
Lettin’ the cat out of the bag, is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in!
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Have a good one..
the doug
The Fine Print!
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