A Port Stanley Project

This is an old postcard from 100 years ago. Back then Port Stanley was 'the place to be' in the summertime. As they used to say... 'The bee's knees' or 'The cat's meow'.  I remember some of the old casinos around the countryside. My buddies and I used to drive fair distances to go to dances at these amazing spots. Most of them burned down or were demolished. I thought it might be nice to embellish this card into a Photoshop 'watercolor' and present it with my Port Stanley portfolio to see if I can make a buck from it. Click on it to enlarge it. What do you think?

I added some real estate, air and water around the edges for a less crowded look. For foreground interest I also added another post in the water with my favorite gull on top. I placed the original title up in the left corner to maintain the post card feel. I'll blow it up to 18 x 12 and frame it with a mat.
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That's No Cat My Sweetie-Pie

Vintage photo of a woman with her mink. Furs were more socially acceptable back then.

A lovely, healthy-looking mink made its way through our back yard and up on our deck, not more than 15 feet away from me.

Pardon the blurry shot.

 I scared it away with my picture taking but not before it stopped to have a sip of pool water. Later he returned with a big goldfish in his mouth from our neighbour's decorative lily pond. Wendy called Gwyn and she said she hadn't seen the culprit before but she had heard he was an escapee from an illegal subdivision mink operation. Then she said "Oh God what next!"

A mink stole may be stylish, but a live American mink can be an ecological nightmare. The carnivores have invaded habitats around the world, wiping out everything from native seabirds to fish. Since our Point Edward condo is located in a marina, we have noticed a number of these slinky animals while boating around the area. Here is a good read about how they have dealt with the problem in Scotland:
http://www.conservationmagazine.org/2010/11/mink-vs-vole/

If you are curious, here is the auction price of Mink pelts recently:
http://trappingtoday.com/index.php/category/fur-prices/
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'Dash' Is Growing Up

Here's Dash's passport picture. (No teeth showing as per gov't requirements)

The kitten; who we finally named Dash, is looking more like a cat than a kitten now. I figure he's almost four and a half months old. Is that nearly a teenager in cat/human years? He was at the vet's yesterday for his rabies shot. He has a heart murmur that they want to monitor before they schedule a time to 'get him fixed'. My allergies are somewhat under control as I think I am building a resistance. (or is it that I'm feeling better being home after spending three days with two big dogs in a cottage?) Still, I try not to handle him and if I do I immediately wash my hands.
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A Fall Drive To A Great Cottage In Haliburton

Our Haliburton trip started around 8 AM on Friday and we came back today (Monday). As usual for us we chose to travel the back roads instead of the big 4-lane highways. The extra half hour or so on a 5 1/2 hour trip was well worth it. When we passed an imaginary line about 40 miles north of Newmarket the splendor of the changing leaves in combination with a bright, sunny day provided us with a spectacular and ever-changing panorama of fall scenes. Even ordinary little towns and roads became alive with the contrasting kaleidoscope of vibrant colour.

The last few miles to the cottage was on a gravel road. We were definitely off the beaten path. As we drove on past million dollar cottages our curiosity and anticipation grew with every turn in the road.

When we got to the end of the road there was a somewhat confusing array of signs. Since we were the first to arrive and since we had never been here before, we were not sure of which cottage was ours. I knew the number was 1706 and that the owners name was Curt but I did not know his last name. The cottage I assumed to be right (later confirmed) had the name Smith on the front door. This aligned with the somewhat cryptic hand-painted sign on the tree on the roadside. We remembered Cheryl telling us that the owner had a challenged son so this made sense. I concluded that Curt had lovingly allowed the boy to paint the sign.

A wheel chair ramp confirmed that we were likely at the right place.

The cottage was a work-in-progress and obviously had been well used in the summer as there was a scattering of all sorts of toys for young and old. The property contained every type of game and summer sport spread randomly about. As you might imagine, this first impression left us wondering about what the inside of the cabin would be like. Rustic might be a polite description.

When our friends arrived and we made our way inside, we were greeted by a pleasant and dramatic cottage that was obviously designed with 'having fun' in mind.

Temporary railings and missing trim indicated that there were some 'loose ends' but nothing really interfered with our enjoyment of this hidden treasure in the wilderness.

The cottage is on beautiful Moose Lake. Pete hams it up as usual.

Chris, (Deb in background) Jessie, and Cheryl watch the big screen behind me

Cable TV, Internet and every other game imaginable kept everybody busy when it rained.

A dispute?

Good thing there is no movie of the game. I look better in a still picture.

It was John's birthday earlier this week so... any excuse for cake and a party. Mmmm thanks Cheryl.

John likes his CC present. Looks like Pete does too.

Wendy and John play a game on an excellent Shuffleboard table,

In the village of Haliburton there was a street festival. The place was abuzz. Wendy holds a live Fox Snake at a wildlife exhibit in the park.

Wow! Feeding a wild Timber Wolf. Pretty brave Pete... that is until I tell you the wolf is stuffed.

Pete and Donna buy some jam from a vendor.

This is John's former boss and good friend Curtis. He owns the place. I think he drove all the way up from Pickering, near Toronto, to make sure we were doing OK. John has known him for years and even helped with the construction of this cottage several years ago. Thanks Curt!

Cheryl and John's daughter Jessica and her boyfriend Ty walk by the lake with Magic, Cheryl's dog.

Walking the dogs

John and Pete ahead of us with Dallas and Magic. Dallas belongs to Chris and Deb and of course Magic belongs to John and Cheryl.  You can only imagine my allergies.
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This Might Flush Only Your Wallet

My old 2002 Rendezvous was due for an oil change so I took it to a Pro Oil lube shop down the street. I usually go to my mechanic but I had a coupon which made it very economical and quick to get this chore done before getting packed and ready for my long 6 hour (each way) trip to Haliburton for the weekend.

The results of the "free 21 point check" suggested I needed to get a transmission oil flush. I was a little skeptical when he said it would only take 15 minutes. He showed me a blob of my oil next to some new oil and I admit it did look a little pale but not as pale as me when he told me the $169 price. That's $675 an hour! (seems like a rate in the realm of dentists, accountants, mechanics and hookers)  I won't say the young man was obnoxious high-pressure, he was personable and polite, but I will say he was pressuring me for the sale.

After declining the service two or three times, I came home and did some reading about it. Funny, my old Oldsmobile was over 60 years old and I don't think it ever had a transmission flush or change. After reading the following two articles I think I'll just keep my money and take my chances. The article below clinched it:

Transmission Fluid Changes a Scam
hotfudgedetroit.com 5/1/2007 | Mark Phelan

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2011 1:49:54 PM by Signalman

Oil-change shops push fluid changes that aren't needed May 1, 2007

BY MARK PHELAN FREE PRESS COLUMNIST The $14.99 oil change Linda Good wanted for her 2001 Dodge Voyager ended up costing her more than $100 and buying her a new set of worries. A Madison Heights oil-change shop sold her a transmission fluid change that is almost never necessary, experts say.

"For customers, it's basically throwing your money away," said Daniel Black, Chrysler senior manager of automatic transmission engineering. Despite that, many service stations -- including leading national chains -- offer the procedure. There's no telling how many people pay for it every day.

After the oil change, the service attendant said the Voyager's automatic transmission fluid looked dirty and should be changed. Good, who relies on the minivan for her housecleaning, Avon sales and home caregiver businesses, took his advice. The rough, clunky shifts began before she got to the first traffic light. Good cleans my house and knows I drive cars for a living, so she called and asked me how much trouble she was in. Potentially plenty, and it could happen to you. "We don't recommend a" transmission fluid "change in the life of the vehicle," Black said. "The risks are leaks, putting the wrong fluid in, over-filling or under-filling." A bungled fluid change can destroy an automatic transmission or void the manufacturer's warranty on the delicate and expensive component. "As a general rule of thumb, newer transmission designs are sealed for life," said Tim Miskotten, who leads North American business for ZF AG, the German company that is the world's largest independent transmission maker. ZF supplies gearboxes to Ford, Audi, BMW Jaguar and other leading automakers. "You don't need to change the fluid in the normal life of a vehicle," Miskotten said.

Chrysler makes its own transmissions, and its minivans routinely cover 150,000 miles in service as Las Vegas taxis without a transmission fluid change, Black said. "They're our toughest customers," because of constant stop-and-go driving and 24-hour-a-day operation in the blazing desert heat, he said. Black wouldn't diagnose Good's vehicle over the phone, but he said rough shifting after a fluid change could be caused by a refill with the wrong fluid. While few vehicles ever need their transmission fluid changed, even national auto service chains like Jiffy Lube offer the service as routine maintenance. On the rare occasions the fluid actually should be changed, it should be done only by a technician who's certified to work on automatic transmissions and has access to specialized tools and the exact fluid the manufacturer specifies, ZF's Miskotten said.

"You can't just go to the service station and pick up a quart," he said. Each transmission requires fluid produced precisely to formula, he said. "You absolutely have to have the fluid that's specified. It's no longer the case where" an oil shop "says 'We have ATF.' " Using the wrong fluid can lead to rough shifts and noisy operation, he said.

"The correct fluid is most important for shift quality," Black said. It's also vital to fill the transmission to precisely the right level, both experts said. Transmission fluid levels are much more exacting than engine oil, where you can miss the sweet spot by a pint or more with no consequences. "If a vehicle is under-filled and operated in cold weather, you could have a transmission failure," Black said.

Even transmission specialists don't do fluid changes very frequently, said Barry Bryan, owner of American Transmission in Troy. "I check the owner's manual," Bryan said. "If the manufacturer says the fluid never needs to be changed, I agree." Changing the transmission fluid doesn't help if there's already damage, said Bryan, who has owned his station since 1985 and has 40 years' experience working on transmissions. "A problem in the fluid is a sign of other trouble."

After Good had problems with the minivan, she went back to the shop, where she was told she needed more fluid and told if she had more questions to go to a nearby shop under the same ownership. At the second shop she was told to go to a transmission specialist. Mo Dia, who owns Major Oil, where Good had her van serviced, said he recommends a change when fluid is the wrong color or has a burnt smell, adding that the shop does not change fluid if the owner's manual says it is not necessary.

"Does that mean it was a mistake if somebody changed the fluid in a Voyager where Chrysler says it's not necessary?" I asked. "If the vehicle is over 100,000 miles, you don't go by the owner's manual," Dia said. Chrysler said the owner's manual advice still applies after 100,000 miles. Dia initially said he kept every type of transmission fluid in stock. Asked about ATF +4, the fluid Chrysler specifies for the 2001 Voyager, he said, "We have an additive, Smart Blend, to convert regular automatic transmission fluid to ATF +4." "We haven't tested that additive," Chrysler spokeswoman Heather May said. "It's not something we'd recommend." Ten days after the fluid change, Good's Voyager still has rough shifts, but she's comforted knowing that it could be much worse.

"I thought my transmission was going," she said. "That would be a big expense."

Also read: Fluid Flush Fallacy

NOTE: All the above being said, I still feel it is important to follow your owners' manual for your particular vehicle. I may have my transmission oil and filter changed by the conventional 'drop-the-pan' method (not a flush) because the oil looks so pale and brownish. I will, of course, make sure they refill the transmission with the exact oil specified in my manual and double check the fluid level.
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Bzzzzzzzzzz!

For most of the summer we have been enduring the presence of a population of yellow-jackets. They have set up camp in a flower garden right next to our patio. We tolerated the pests and were prepared to wait them out, but the turning point came yesterday when our new little kitten got too close. A swarm of the little beggars chased our very surprised cat, stinging it relentlessly.  For several hours his little eye was swollen shut and we worried whether he would be alright.

I searched the net for the best way to exterminate a hornets' nest. Instead of using poison, my son Tim placed an old glass fish bowl upside down over top of the yellow jacket nest in the garden. (Do it after dark when they are all inside)  You can't just block the hole with a stone or brick because they will dig a new one. I read on the internet that they wouldn't try to dig a new exit if they saw light coming in. Well it's been one day now and some appear to be dead or exhausted. We will see in a few days what happens.



I guess it doesn't really matter if they die or not, as long as they aren't bothering (stinging) me. Looks like a good way to solve a problem without chemicals. One thing is sure... I've got a bunch of angry hornets. CAUTION: Be careful though, if you have pets or children playing nearby. I wouldn't want anyone to lift that bowl!
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Hmmm! Good Plan.

A balding, white haired man, walked into a jewellry store in
a local mall this past Friday evening with a beautiful much younger gal at his side.

He told the jeweller he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend.
The jeweller looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring.

The man said, 'No, I'd like to see something more special.'

At that statement, the jeweller went to his special stock and brought another ring over.
'Here's a stunning ring at only $40,000' the jeweller said.

The lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement.

The old man seeing this said, 'We'll take it.'

The jeweller asked how payment would be made and the man stated,
'By cheque.  I know you need to make sure my cheque is good, so I'll write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds and I'll pick up the ring Monday afternoon.'

On Monday morning, the jeweller angrily phoned the old man and said, 'There was only $25 in your account.'

'I know', said the old man,
'But let me tell you about MY GREAT WEEKEND!'
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Condo Get-away Bike?

Click to enlarge.

There was something special about this bicycle leaning against the sunlit clapboards that caught my eye as we left the condo one morning. I made a poster of the "artified" version. It'll look good on the wall with the bright colours. The texture of the pavers, the starkness of the vegetationless entrance way and the retro looking red bike in a no-parking area seemed to make a simplistic statement. (although I'm not just sure what that statement might be.)
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Driving Back From Sarnia To London

From way out on the highway I snapped an old farmhouse I've always admired. I "artified" it in Photoshop

I like the rugged beauty of the neglected house contrasted with the neatly cut lawn. I don't know if anyone lives in this house but the modern farm buildings to the left of the shot indicate that the farm is active.

Can you see the black cat I added? Click to enlarge.

I have been enjoying a new camera which has a Leica 20X zoom lens. My new Panasonic DMC-ZS20 is a small point-and-shoot which I wanted because I don't like lugging a big camera especially on vacation trips. I found I didn't get much use out of a my larger, full-sized old DMC-FZ20 camera in the past. This little gem fits in my pocket and is ready for action at a moment's notice. It opens up a whole new world of possibilities and allows me to get the shots I couldn't get with my DMC-FX9 or DMC-LX3. 

Here's the place on Google along the Confederation/Napperton Line between Sarnia and Strathroy.

You can see the more modern farm buildings to the left of the house.  A hefty zoom came in handy here. I got shots from several angles that I wouldn't have been able to get before without trespassing all over the property.

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We Lost A True Friend

Around 4 pm today our dear friend John slipped away.  His loving wife Linda, and children Adam and Jill were there; and Wendy and I went over for a brief 'exit salute' at the hospice in Sarnia. The family has been staying beside John during his courageous battle with cancer and since we are living at our condo in Point Edward nearby, we have been visiting almost daily. The hospice facilities are excellent beyond description with dedicated staff and volunteers. John spent his last 10 days in a first rate facility where he and his family were 'number one'. We will all miss him.
http://www.stjosephshospice.ca/

"Cheers My Friend!"

Click to enlarge.

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Let's Get Cracking!

Sailing packet ship cir. 1850 - Internet

Why Do We Say It?

By Cy Hudson

"Get Cracking"

Why do we say get cracking when we are in a hurry or rush to get some task started right away?

It is a nautical expression to set all sails and proceed at top speed, usually to the limits of safety for those particular conditions, a bold move especially in heavy weather. This was when the mail-ships or "Packets", as they were usually called, had a penalty clause written into their contacts for late delivery of the mails. These ships would crack on all possible sail to meet their contractual requirements; the expression comes from the fact that a mail ship in a hurry would set all sail such that the canvas & rigging were taut and (nearly) cracking under the strain. “We'll have to get cracking if we want to get there on time".

I came across this "get cracking" article the other day and I thought you might find it interesting. I did a Google search on the internet but no one seems to have picked up on it yet. It was in an obscure newsletter back in 1999. http://www.lakehuronlore.com/PDF/NewsLetters/Volume%2020,%20%20No%204,%20%20July-August%201999.pdf 
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Erin's Friend Ashley Is Lucky To Be Alive

Internet picture by IAmSarah

 Our daughter Erin sent an email from her old school friend Ashley. Ashley's husband wrote the story.  I thought you might like to read it. You see this kind of stuff in movies but never think it'll happen to you.

Erin writes:

"She (Ashley) is coming to visit us next week - she didn't mention when she said she was coming that she had just been in a plane crash:

So good to be home! Ashley and I survived a truly horrific experience yesterday when our airplane crashed deep in the wilderness in a remote part of northern Ontario, Canada. It started at around 3pm when we agreed to go on a scenic flight in a Cessna 182 float plane. What followed was an ordeal beyond words, that we are still struggling to comprehend.The miracle is that we are okay, very shaken but physically okay. 

The single engine plane lost its fuel supply at 2500 feet and at that point we were on course for a crash landing. We could not believe this was happening, stunned and for 2-3 minutes we descended not knowing if we were going to make it to the relative safety of a lake or land in the forest beneath us. Turns out we didn't make the lake and we crashed into thick woods, uprooting a few trees in our path. We all stayed conscious during the crash and when we stopped, we got out the plane as quickly as we could. 

There was a smell of gasoline and we were high up in the trees, so the evacuation was not easy. We radioed for help but our equipment was damaged in the crash so no one heard us. Eventually we used a local radio to alert some planes in the area that we'd gone down and after about 2 hours of trekking through the wilderness and walking through a shallow lake, we were rescued by a charter plane in the area. That second flight back to our lodge was difficult but we got back, shocked that we had survived. 

Anyways just a message to all to be cautious and that these things happen very quickly, without warning. This will change us for sure... Love to all.
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There's Not A Lot Going On Here Right Now

Wendy and I have been lying low at the condo and enjoying the warm weather but there isn't a lot to show on the blog. Keep coming back to check. I'm taking pictures every day and plan to post soon. Hope everybody had a great summer!
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Two Rides In A Rinker. (Nice to get back on the water)

A proud Captain George at the helm.

 Today was the second time in one week that we were fortunate enough to be asked to join our good condo neighbours George and Judy for a ride in their new boat. Last Tuesday we met them at Stokes patio for chicken wings and after enjoyed a sunset cruise on the river.

George explains some of the features of his new 265 Rinker

 They called again today and invited us to go with them up on the lake to anchor and watch day-2 of the Watercross races off the shore of Canatara Park.

At anchor we enjoyed hors d'oeuvres and sandwiches on a perfect boating day. The weather was very hot but a fresh offshore breeze kept us cool. Thanks George and Judy. We had a great time.
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