Author Archives: admin

time to settle in

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We got everything moved into our house but everything is not unpacked. Who knew that we could go from a 1 bedroom apt to a 3 bedroom house (with garage and basement) and fill it up?

I think things just need to get unpacked and then there should be space. The canoes don't have a permeant home yet, the solos are in the garage, an the other two are on the car.

We got most of the painting done, we still need to pick a color for the kitchen, but there wont be much furniture to move and the wallpaper/glue is all down. Unpacking is under control The babies room is pretty much ready to go, the living room is close, and we haven't started the kitchen. So much to do.

My little brother Jon still needs to move in to the upstairs though.

Whats new?

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Well for one thing I have a whole lot less money, because we bought a house!!!!!

We closed on Friday, but don't get posession until this coming Friday, and then the moving begins

Pictures are available HERE

Happy 4th of July

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Well actually today is the 5th, but I was so freaking full/tired/driving/busy/relaxed yesterday that I didn't stand a chance of posting on the actual 4th.

Bridgit and I spent the day at Grandma Jo's who is My Wife's (Bridgit), Brother's, Wife's, Grandmother. There is always a baseball game followed by a huge meal and then finished up with capture the flag.

Dan and Betsy brought the stuff to do a Low-Country Boil. It involved:
two bags of redskin potatoes
lots of corn on the cob
seasoning
lemons
onions
9lbs. shrimp
8lbs sausage
4 heads of garlic

You boil all this together and then drain it and pour it on a table covered with newspaper. We all gathered around and ate until we could eat no more.

Grey Owl

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So we have a few Grey Owl canoe paddles. I knew that the name came from an adventurer, but knew nothing about him. I read an article in an old canoe magazine that mentioned this movie. The author had taught Pierce Brosnan some paddling technique for this movie and commented that it was pretty bad.

The move is decent. Not the greatest, but it was entertaining. There is an environmental theme that the movie tries to capture, but not very well. Grey Owl lectured across the UK against the cutting of forests, and for the preservation of the beaver. The irony was that he was actally an Englishman who had gone to Canada at 17 seeking wilderness. He lived with the Ojibwa and learned their ways and passed himself off as half Indian.

The Professor and the Madman

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This past week/weekend we went to Minneapolis-St.Paul for a wedding reception. For trips we have been getting books on CD from the library. They are great for those long hours in the car. We got a couple and decided on The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. It is a non-fiction book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. The OED was compiled in a manner that would almost be considered Open Source by todays standards. The book ties in the history of English dictionaries, but focuses on a man who submitted over 10,000 entries and most were included. The kicker is that the submitter lives in an asylum.

It was a very educational and entertaining book. Randomly full definitions are thrown in which makes for a fun listen, but I imagine is something that a reader would just skim over.

From a Wooden Canoe

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Dan and Betsy got me From a Wooden Canoe for my birthday. Its a fantastic book that is a collection of ramblings about canoeing and the outdoors. Each chapter contains information about the author, his love of the outdoors, as well as the subject matter. There is much to be learned in this book there is a chapter on tumplines one on knives, and many others.

A great book to pull down on a rainy day and read a bit of.

Canoeing with little ones

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Bridgit, my brother Nick, and I went out to Pickerel Lake on Saturday and had a great time. I also had my first experience canoeing with a baby. I got a rude awakening.
Sunday afternoon we took a trip down the Huron from Dexter to Delhi. Alex (age 8) and I paddled the Malecite. I read in a book the suggestion to paddle the canoe facing backwards with the youth in the front (stern seat) and the adult in the back (bow seat) It helps distribute the weight and makes it easier for youth to reach the water. It worked fantastic.

Michael with Theresa (age 3) and Kathleen were in kayaks. Bridgit, Amy, and Stu (9 months) were in the Kipawa. I expected that Amy wouldn't paddle much because she would be dealing with the little one. I wasn't ready for him crying because he didn't like the lifejacket.

Infant life jackets make babies look like orange and yellow marshmallows. Stu cried and nursed until he fell asleep, then he was fine.

I have read a cool web site about canoeing with kids, maybe I should read it again. I am also looking at getting Cradle to the Canoe