Pooch

Well Ella and I finally won!

We picked out this little dog...and it is really cute.

Actually don't pick the dog up until Wednesday...which works out well because I am working the next four of five... And it is Easter weekend/Skating Carnival..ugh

God I hope this isn't a big mistake...

The Dogs are so cute that even Avery is coming around...Here we go...lol

This morning I talked Kim into taking a ride out to visit a breeder in Watford area. The woman/ family that raises these dogs is an absolutely outstanding person. She immediately just cut all 9 of the puppies loose and let them run around the property....

Well that was all it took...things moved very quickly from that point on...lol..

We only had Avery with us at the time but made arrangements to head back out with Owen and Ella after they got our of school. 

Ella and Owen had no idea what we were doing until Ella was face to face with 9 little poochies!

I will never forget the look on her face as the significance dawned on her. 

She has been begging for a dog for so long that I really don't think that she really believed it would ever happen.

The dogs are Lab/Flatcoat retriever mix and the one that Ella chose was a dark reddish coloured female.

She is one happy little girl...and she deserves this ...we all do.

Now I just hope it doesn't degenerate into a friggin nightmare ...woof 

BTW this is about all I had time for today in terms off exploring the new amp...but so far I really dig it...if I could just get the kids to leave me alone...Avery is telling me that she wants to name the dog Raspberry...lol...jesus

Sigh..

Our Idiot Majority Goverment at Work...

Here There Be TONE!

Well, today is a good day.

I was sitting at the computer today when Morin sends me an email out of the blue saying something to the effect of ..'remember this?' (pic attached).

It was a picture of a fish.



Well...one of the most beautiful fish I have ever caught. Not a giant ...but an absolute chromer from a most beautiful section of a most beautiful river on one of the greatest days of my life.

If my memory serves me...and I don't really care if it does...I am a fisherman after all...I believe I was on parental leave for Avery at the time..
So that would put it about four years ago.

There is another pic from that same day kicking around where I have a full beard and an absolute crazed look in my eye..
I had gone Native...

Great memory...and the pic gave me a real shot in the arm.

Kimi was teaching today and I was home with Avery. She has picked up another virus and has been down and out for the past two days.

So the email from Morin gives me a lift and then ...PING...I get another one...

This one is from SCC parcel Pickup in Port Huron MI telling me that I have a parcel in from Bergenfeld NJ.

MY AMP!!!!!!   MY AMP HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!

Well I had just enough time to whip over and grab it then unpack it before taking Ella to her Skating carnival practice.

So it sits almost directly above me in my living room..looking ultra sexy and badass...and I can't even plug into it because the kids are asleep...lol



Tomorrow...tomorrow I will blow the windows out of this house.

Funny...I am a hopeless neurotic...I am a little nervous...by waiting and just reading all the hype on the internet about this amp I am afraid to plug into it a bit.

I mean I can't help but be disappointed because I have built my expectations up to a merciless height...

Sure looks cool. I may curl up next to it on the floor and sleep beside the fucker. Maybe I'll wake up cool?

Like the Fonz. 

Solo guitar from Kreisberg...awesome

Monster...can wait to gt this album

Worth It

Sometimes..despite of all the frustration...there are moments that make it all worth while.

I am still proud of what I do in spite of all the horseshit.


GOOD JOB!!!

WAR Movies (Full version) CLASSICS (playlist)

"The Insane Humours Of Man"

So this time of year at work is kind of slow.

Which bodes well because I have almost zero interest or energy in the place.
This happens....and typically these funks only last for a little while at which time I snap out of it and hit the ground runnin..



Until that time you try and find different ways to keep yourself going...

There is a book shelf in our workplace where people place books that we can all share with each other.

The other day I grabbed a worn old pocket novel called  'Run Silent , Run Deep'

It is a classic world war two story about sub/sea battles.

I remember vaguely the movie as a kid....as in the only real thing I remember about it was how cool it was.

I have always been a bit claustrophobic so the idea of fighting in the war by means of a submarine makes my skin crawl...

The writing is really good and I am enjoying the book.

The title of this Blog entry is a quote from the Captain of the submarine.

When I read it today it made me laugh out loud. I deal a lot with the insane humours of man...without it I would probably be out of a job...some days I wish I was ...



It also brought me back to the Street hockey ball float that Brian and I saw suspended in the tree above the Manistee River.











These riverside ubiquitous 'Finesse Tactics' are always a source of amusement to us....but at the time...after dealing with the Curse and all...well it didn't really seem that funny...

Does now though.

It is tough to find an overhanging branch along that river that doesn't have either a bevy of Michigan Crickets nesting in it or a Norland-esque Birdsnest of floats/fishing line weaved though the limbs.






Grim...very grim...horrific










I try and pretend that it is spider webs or something natural...poor fucking fish...jesus.

Just finished four shifts in a row which included my training for a air brake drivers license endorsement.

I seriously may chuck it all and become a truckdriver.

Big Bush Tit-Mouse

Well I just got back from a trip fishing in lovely old Michigan.

As per usual it was a bit of a trial.

Brian had invited me over to the cabin...always a gracious invitation..but given my history with Michigan and its fish..it is one invitation that I am reluctant to take him up on.



I don't mind getting tuned on the river. It is a tough river to read for me and it is extremely hard for me to adopt the tactics necessary to tackle these fish so I don't really expect any different.












However...when the Norland curse starts to spread and affect others...well that is when I start to think about bowing out for the good of the many.






I think Morin gets more frustrated with this more than anyone....and now he is a believer!!

He really needs me to love Michigan, and I do...in spite of the curse.lol

The temps were supposed to be a balmy 7 degrees on Monday. We were geared up and ready to go.

Brian had a very good trip the last time he went out so he had talked me quite easily into taking a spring shot at the Big Manistee.

Well,...the temps dropped....somewhere around minus 7 ...frozen wading boots ...iced guides...fish with lockjaw..crazy wind...not to mention insane pressure considering the conditions.

Tuesday had us taking one last crack at the river before heading back home. Right around a ft of snow had accumulated and it was as cold as a Mfer...

There is no measuring my power.

I can actually control the weather.



At one point I thought that the highlight of my trip would be taking pictures of the birds that would show up at Brian's front porch feeder.

That would've been cool really. The cabin is a great getaway that I would enjoy even if I left the Float Gear at home.
Maybe I should start??

Got to ride the snowmobile for the first time....awesome.

Suffice to say we had everything thrown at us...and guess what...we still found success.

Those occasional gifts that the big old bitch of a river throws at me make it all worth while. The big buck I got at the dam in the blizzard was a great way to end the trip.

I came back to that moment a number of times today at work.

Very cool.....along with the Venison sausage, ultra good pizza, TRAKS Chicago style hotdog, broasted chicken, Creemore springs lager/pilsner, roaring fire hiding from the snowstorm, speed of sound snowmobiling....

Very cool indeed

Spring Fishing

The other morning I was gearing up for the spring steelhead fishing.

I am not sure how much fishing I will be able to do this spring...or even want to for that matter...

...At least on the rivers.

We have pretty much decided to get a dog and I am thinking Apr/May. I have quite a bit of time off then to train the thing.
My wife is not to cool with the idea ...or my youngest.
..But it has been a constant campaign with Ella and I just can't come up with enough reasons to deny her this.
I am sure it will all fall on me...but I accept that....I'd do anything for that kid.

She had a project at school recently where she was tasked with building a car.
Here is what she came up with. lol

If/When we get a dog I don't think I will let it drive the car.


 

Gerry is all ramped up about the salmon Derby and so is Owen. That should be fun.

Ella and Avery asked if they could help me tie up some spawn sacs. Saved me a ton of time and they get a real kick out of it.

Owen Not so much.

The weather has had a real spring feel to it lately and Brian and I have managed to plan a fishing trip...just in time for the temps to plummet.

Nice..

Oh well there is always the wood stove and Creemore...and the pizza ...and the Venison morel sausage..and the fresh air and the peace and quiet...etc...

:o)

Heavy..NAte Smith is a Bad Mfer

This Concert is awesome...and Nate Smith by far my favourite drummer. Very cool

Mike Stern & Didier Lockwood - Jazz A Vienne 2011.