Dog, boat and people stories

What's the point of taking pictures if I can't show them and what's the point of having stories if I can't tell them? With distance and time constraints it has become harder to share with the people we care for. I guess the web has become what the kitchen or the pub used to be... the gossip parlor. So here's for my dog, boat and people's stories...

Pourquoi prendre des photos si on ne peut pas les montrer, que valent nos histoires si on ne peut pas les raconter? Les distances qui nous separent et les horaires de chacun ont rendu de plus en plus difficile l'echange avec la famille et les amis. Il semble que le web soit devenu ce qu'etait la table de la cuisine ou le pub...le hall des rumeurs. Voila donc mes histoire de bateau, de chien et de gens....


The boat building website- Construction du bateau

For each post I also attach a link ("photos") to the corresponding web picture album. You can also access directly to all the albums by this link.

Avec chaque post j'inclue un lien a l'album photo correspondant. vous pouvez aussi acceder directement aux albums par ce lien.

The end of a story, the beggining of an other

New starts often follow the end of a previous story. That story would be the one of Marvin. I wish I had written more about our journey together. It only lasted a bit over a year an a half, but this story has been a full endeavor. Why did I not lay more words about it? Probably because of the frustration, despair, sadness, I experienced through it. There are things that one doesn't want to report. Don't get me wrong, Marvin also brought me a lot of good, definitively more good than bad. Unfortunately I couldn't write about the good without talking of the bad. Marvin was an intense dog, to say the least. His emotions (yes dogs feel emotions) were excessively more intense than the ones of any sane dog. Marvin loved with all his heart, he was the sweetest animal I have ever come across, he lived to please and gave all he could to be good. Sadly Marvin also worried with that same intensity, he was overly anxious. Anxiety possessed him, I could see his frustration when it took over his will; Marvin tried hard but could not take over. I am not talking here of separation anxiety, fear of thunderstorms, excessive response to normal stress triggers; Marvin's anxiety was constant and triggered by everything and anything. I worked hard with him and experience many little success, all of them appearing huge to me. I've had my hopes to "fix" him but eventually had to come to accept that Marvy was suffering from a much more serious mental disorder than any behavioral modification technique and/or medication could solve. Life is a succession of changes, we constantly meet new situations, new people, come across new places; in known environments, objects get changed or moved. Marvin could not deal with change, every single change needed hard work to adapt too. Bigger fear triggers would break him into panic attacks some leading to uncontrollable aggressivity. Marvin would get very frustrated by those loss of control and increasingly anxious.
Could I have just kenneled this dog and left him to content in a controlled environment? I believe not. Marvin was crazy but not stupid. What I mean is that he was an intelligent dog and life in a cage would have, paradoxically, lacked stimulation, leading Marvin to be evenly frustrated.
A few weeks ago, we decided that it was time to stop. We could not keep putting Marvin, as well as ourselves threw this stress and frustration. I miss him dearly. We had built a very special complicity, and he had become a intense presence by my side. I miss his clowning, his hugs, I miss playing with him, over all, I miss our little successes. I have no regrets about the time we spent together, I don't think any dog will ever teach me as much as he has about not only dogs, but also about people and myself. My only regret is that there was no more options than ending the story.

Marvin will not be forgotten, he will be with me while I raise my new pups. He will be there to remind me that dogs are sensitive individuals and that with special attention to there very own personality, with patience, even the biggest challenges can bring some successes.

Now is time for the next chapter. The one about our new up coming stars: M'Opus and M.E.Fhast. Marley is still a little dubitative about it, but I believe she will warm up to the idea and content in her prime role in the new puppy story.

Marley and Marvin at the 2nd Larose dryland

Woohoh, what a chase!

Skijoring at the World Championship

This years Sled dog world championship happened in Daaquam, Quebec. Some way I made, sneaked, my way to the competition. I say sneaked as sijoring is fairly new to me, I wouldn't of expected to race at the world championships when I started, two years ago. The events happened over a week, Marley and I were there four days. Our first race was a 16 km skijor....ooch. The second was a relay in which we entered a 8 km pulka leg. We stayed in a nice house with 5 to 8 friends, it changed over the week. More of the Canadian skijoring team members were spread in other houses or hotels but a few times we all got together at our house for some enjoyable evenings. It was a particularly cold week, which made our days outside exhausting...a few degrees extra is all I could of wished better.

I don't quite know how I justified to myself participating to this event. I said it was to run my Bouvier threw a world class event, a bit of a joke. It was clear we had no chance to get anywhere near a podium, we are not world class caliber, but I was still on for the challenge of running the course and arriving with my head up. To do so I had to set myself a clear goal and I'm happy to say that we reached our objectives. What were they? It doesn't matter, because what I found out my gains threw this event were much else.

First there were the people; maybe should I even say: mostly there were the people.
So what was it about them? Something strange...we were all those competitive monsters, all of much divers strength, but set in this race environment where, at this point, non of us could expect to win. We were all there to do our best and all wished the best for each other. I felt a real team spirit with those people who I had just met or, up to then , known as acquaintances. Strange thing competing in a sport that is rather solitary. I felt a strong team spirit from the morning wake up until bed time, as much on the race site as at the house. Such a group of different people but all so fun and generous.

Next there was the challenge.
I discovered a different way to face competition. Up to now, for me, competition meant winning. I'm not saying I always win but not being the best has always caused me disappointment. I think we are all a bit like that, but doesn't this attitude cause us to level our challenges from the bottom? Lower the challenge, most likely we are to win. This time I felt like I threw myself in a competition so clearly above my level. I wasn't going to train to win but needed to train so I could make it. Failure wouldn't of been to not win but to say "I can't do it". Marley and I worked hard and we made it!

Everything that could have gone wrong has, amazingly we still had fun

It was a last minute decision to go to the Warren race. Marley had about 80km of running in her paws from the previous week so I couldn't expect too much. Luckily I didn't...the whole weekend has seemed to be a disaster trap.

Friday was a rush to pack up and get last minute chores done. I loaded the car in the morning with the intent to not forget anything. Believe it or not on the previous weekend during the skijor camp I managed to leave one morning forgetting my dog behind. Marley was not going to let that happen again. She had made her mind, where the skis were was where the dog was going to be. At 11 am the skis went in the car, the dog followed. Impossible to get her out before depart. We left in a rush at 2:15. The house was a mess, worst than a mess. To bad... Mark was away and not supposed to get back before Monday, I had plenty time to clean up at my return.

We traveled with Susie and Oden, an other friendly skijor team. We shared a hotel room and drove up together. I made it at Susie's home at about 3:30 and we left downtown at about 4pm, just in time for traffic. 20 minutes down the highway, Susie realized she had forgotten her dog food. Turn around and go for a bit of extra city driving, the best...
Lot of laughs and giggles along the way, all and all we had a nice drive until a police officer decided I was driving a little to fast....arrgg. Apparently I was going 104km/h in a 70 zone. Honestly we were quite busy chatting and I couldn't say I wasn't driving that fast but the speed sign must of been very well hidden because even on the return (in day light) I never found it. Oh well, pay the fine and let it go...

We got up fairly tired on Saturday morning. The dogs had barked a lot during the night, lot of movement and unusual sound outside. First step of the day, pick up our bibs. We got to Warren to late for the bib draw on Friday evening, but were expecting it and both had specified we were not going to be there for the draw but had received a confirmation that we were going to be included. Well, we hadn't....so we were placed at the end of the starts...I was a bit ticked but I not difficult so go for it....

The morning was very very cold, too cold.... Staying warm was the big challenge on Saturday morning, the whole pre-race time is a little confused in my mind. I think things were confused in general. I 'm not sure what happend, where or when was the misunderstanding but Susie and I showed up late at the starting line....confusion and more confusion, our start was given 7 minutes late, Susie first and me after. I cougth up on Susie pretty fast, Oden was dilly dallying and waiting for Marley in hope of some playing. Not seeing other dogs ahead is not as motivating for him. We ran half the race together with me ahead and Oden following. Sparing details, about 100m from the arrival, Oden ran into my legs and we all four went to the ground in a humiliating rumble...yes it was close enough to the crowed to be annouced by the announcer...great, at least we've put on a good show. There are things that are better being laughed at.

Crossing the finnish line was a bit of a releif. The run had been difficult, the cold made it hard. At -26C and the wind chill of speeds over 20 km/h, it's cold. Ritgh from the start, I felt my eyes ice up, my lungs close up and my ears freezing. The condensation threw my nose was quickly clogging my nostrels as it was forming ice. About two km in the race, I started getting better with the cold. I routiningly whipped my eyes and blew the plugs out of my nose, I was starting to catch my breath and my ears stopped bothering me.

After the race I hung out around the finnish line for a few minuts, awsering some peolpes questions and posing with Marley for pictures. The saturday race haden't been very successuful, started late, not very fast and ended by a crash. I did think anything could make it worst and wouldn't let it upset me. What else could go wrong now? A curious look from Susie, she staired at me and : Murielle! Your ear is iced up! My hands reachs to my ear. It's rock hard...so is the other one...I had just been telling Susie, before the run how I froze my ears when I was fifteen and would never let that happen again...arrrrggggg. I handed Marley to Susie and ran to the arena, run for warmth. Frozen ears are scary and painful. It's not any easier the second time around.

Back to the hotel there was a message from Mark, saying he was back home....oh no....the mess!!! I felt so little, the house was a disaster, as I left it, and he was there. Guilty, I plead guilty your honor...

This is starting to make it a long not so captivating story, I should try to make the rest of it a little shorter. To end Saturday, nothing else bad happened. We had a very enjoyable evening with all the skijorers getting together in our room for pizza and to complain about the cold. We had been a few to get frostbite.

I didn't get much rest Saturday nitgh, I tried to make a pellow out of my down jacket but even that wasen't soft enough to avoid my ears hurting. I hesitated about racing Sunday.

We showed up on time and were ready in advance for Sunday's race, no way I was going to be late again......the race got delayed....and delayed again. The run was rather uneventful. Marley ran very well for the first half and slowed down. I can't blame her, she had over 80 km over running in her paws for the past week and was ligit for her to run out of endurance. Susie coutgh up her minute on me but did manage to convince Oden to leave Marley behind. We ran again the rest of the race together.

We left Warren at about 2 o'clock and had a smooth non-eventful drive home. More giggles and more laughs, a long drive is much nicer in good company. Neverless, I was looking forward to get back to Mark and Mack. When I arrived home, the house was spotless and a nice meal was waiting for me. I got called Dumbo all evening but coming from Mark it can only make me smile.

To conclude with a couple mishaps, Susie found out on Monday that she had forgotten her phone charger at the motel. Not such a big deal, as the friendly motel owner offered to mail it back to her. The most upsetting part of the race, and I know I shouldn't let it bother me, but it does, are the posted results. The 7 minutes of our late start has been corrected on Suise's and an other runners time but not on mine. It does bother me as the posted times makes Marley appear as really slow on that first race, 7 minutes added to 22 minutes is a lot. I don't need to win, but I take pride in our results. These don't look so good, mostly a week before going to the world championship. I have been trying to get it changed but without succes.

The least I can say is that I will remember this weekend and that Susie and I will have stories for the upcoming week in Daaquam.

Full screen slideshow

Scott's Adir...I mean Frontenac hike

Plan for November 29th : Adirondack hike with Scott. We are ready for a fun scenic day. Scott is in Ottawa for work and has planned to join us on our Saturday outing to the mountains.

Email1, November 28 th:
Scott wrote:

I am an idiot- I forgot my passport at home! Can I still cross the border?

Sorry!

Scott

Reply:
Murielle wrote:

Turkey! (Mark asked me to call you like that)

You wouldn't happen to have your birth certificate or certificate of
indian status with you?
If not, you'll at least come down for diner. I have a roasted chicken on
the menu...a big boy  :) 

See you later
Murielle

Reply:
Scott wrote:

I don't have my birth certificate or certificate of indian status with me. I think I could provide a certificate of 'idiot status' thought.

Could we go for a hike in Ontario? Perhaps Frontenac? I could head home after the hike on Saturday. I think it would be a great day and, better yet, a slightly later start.

I hope you guys are still up for a walk.

Scott

And this is how our Adirondack hike was traded in for a gorgeous day in Frontenac Park.

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A mudo-swimo-bikejoring ride

On this very wet and sad looking day, taking Marley out didn't seem like a very appealing activity but it has been a few days since I have exercised properly my canine friend and she needed to burn some energy.
The end of our road ends as a public trail which leads to a 100 acres forest and trails owned by a horse farmer. We have access to those trails but use them very little in the summer as it is buggy and can be pretty muddy. Under poring rain I could expect to get back home wet and mucky either I ride on a gravel road or a muddy trail, so I picked the muddy trail....

500 meters of riding in the rain was enough to make me 8 years old again, 500 more meters turned me into an absurdly muddy 8 year old. Yep, that first mud glide sure turned around the casual trail ride into a "well-we-can't-get-much-dirtier-must-as-well-keep-going" ride. It happens fast. First you're screaming along on the bike with a happy dog enjoying every second of the soft ground; next you're laid out flat experiencing the effects of inertia on a body thrown in a mud bath. Quick shake, quick thinking...am I hurt? am I cold? no, lets keep going.
The beauty of being 30 is that you can still do things you loved when you were 8 without worrying about getting in trouble when you get home. Saying that I don't think I to often got in trouble for coming back home muddy when I was a kid. I think it became so normal that my mother wouldn't even bother.
I like throwing myself once in while into a small adventure, just enough to break the day to day routine. It can be the matter of an hour of unplanned fun to brighten up a grey weekend.
As for the less planned part of the adventure....the trail became rather wet. From ridding threw the odd puddle I soon found myself pedaling threw what would be best described as an ankle deep swamp. My options? Step down and turn around, or keep going and hope for the trail to get dryer. I kept going, but before the trail got dryer it sure did get wetter. While I kept pedaling in water close to my handle bars, Marley ended up swimming. How do we call this? Swimo-bikjoring? A complete sleddog training program? Doesn't really matter, we enjoyed the moment...when nothing really matters...just having fun, taking on the challenge....no matter how wrong the situation may seem.

A very wet and sad looking day turned into wet but happy adventure. If the weather is bad must as well enjoy the all good from it.

Run Marley Run

Marley doesn't run for me, we run together. I have done many sports, most for the adrenaline, some for the challenge, others simply because I like to move. Bikejoring and skijoring are different, my drive is hard to explain, I could simply say it's all about the team. For the time of a run Marley and I work as a team, a tight and synchronized team. An observer may only see a dog pulling someone on a bike or skis but there is more to it.

I started hitching Marley to my bike because she painfully liked to pull, she had an excess of energy that made her difficult to handle. I soon found out that she also liked to go fast and more so, loved racing. A car, an other dog, the school bus, anything passing by would prompted Marley to speed up. I found funny to find out a dog can competitive.
It became a game for us, go fast, go faster, go faster longer. Over outings a few rules naturally took place. Rule no 1: we both work hard, we achieve our goal from a combined effort. I work hard, she works harder. Some slacking from my part will get me the Marley dagger look. She wants to go fast and knows she will go faster if I help. Rule no 2: I trust Marley. She has figured out what represents obstacles for me. Marley does not like me falling and rather avoid jerkings on her line. She has surprised me by her ability to discriminate obstacles. I have seen her come to a complete halt for a low branch when skiing or detour for a big rock when biking. Rule no 3: Marley trusts me and follows my commands. She's great, as much as she'll take initiative to avoid accidents she also concentrates on my calls. If I say something the pup doesn't understand she'll slow down and give me the "what are you saying one ear up look". Rule no 4 and none the less: No chasing cats or other critters, they do not exist in running world.

Yes, it may just look like a dog running on front of a bike to pull some lazy bugger but there is so much more. There is the great feeling we can work together and can trust each other to achieve a common goal. I provided Marley with a job she really likes and for fifteen minutes of full collaboration on a run she thanks me with the same collaboration all day, day after day. For fifteen minutes of following our rules doing what Marley likes, she will happily follow the same rules doing what I do (maybe not rule no4 though).

Why the races? Because I like it, it adds a social aspect to a generally solitary activity.
Here's pictures of our latest, the Run Dawg Run. It takes place in Lake Placid in a gorgeous setting. Saturday was unfortunately miserably rainy and cold but luckily the site has a building were to keep warm and dry. Sunday turned out into a stunning sunny fall day. The trail is not necessarily one to kill yourself on, but offered nice challenge as sharp turns, hills, sandy and rocky portions...
The best of the race? Marley was awesome, she ran with all her heart and did great times.

Full screen slide show







Most of the pictures of Marley and I are from Sandy Payne Photography

Home Sweet Home

Before we moved to Canada, my first homes have been series of apartments in Brest. In Moncton, New-brunswick, we lived in a little bungalow for three years. When I was 9 years old, my parents came to Gatineau where we lived in a big house in the richy suburb. My parents separated and I went on to live with my mother a street further. Teenage cought up on me and I then would of called my car home. I finally met Mark and I slowly went from squatting his apartments onto living with him. After rebuilding the Marie Ty we moved on our boat aboard which we lived for two years. We are now living in our cute farm house circa 1885 out in the deep country where we are building the next home, our next boat.

Threw all those years and changes there has been one house where I have evenly felt, from the day I was born, I was at home . My grand-parents house was built for them over 50 years ago. It is a modest semi-detached britanny house, but sweating of all the character half a century of living and loving can provide. The Concarneau house is for me more than a roof and walls surrounded by a colorful garden, it's my warmest memories. You could bring me to it blind and deaf that its smells alone would remind me my best laughs, my best meals, my best hugs.
It smells like a mix of the seas iodine and of my grand-mothers on going laundry. On Sundays the roasting chicken would overcome all the usual smells and on damp winter days you could guess a hint soup in the air.
I spent there much of my toddler life and all my childhood and teenage summers. The house faces the sea and opens its windows to a view on the Atlantic. Down the road there is the beach and the nicest coastal trails but there is no need to get out to feel Concarneau's beauty. The small yard is a colorful garden weaved threw by small stone alleys. As for the neighborhood, people have moved, but I remember getting ice cream from neighbors just for the cost of dropping by to say hello....I grew up and the ice cream became beverages. My grand mothers house is still the stop of many when they feel like having a chat... maybe also get a drink or a bite to eat. I have never known the Concarneau house without regular visitors mostly the neighborhood ladies with there nosy stories from around town but also family and friends who will never miss an opportunity to enjoy there a happy moment.

Is it the flowers, the stones, the view or simply my grand mothers welcoming smile? I know anybody who crosses the gate can immediately understands why I love this house I always have been able to call home.

Pretty Brittany - La belle Bretagne

Pictures say it all. I could try to praise some more Brittanies beauties but that would be endless. Plus, I already do it enough, I am probably getting annoying to those who know me.
Can I show you though? Enjoy the pictures...



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And the fun Brittany

We certainly didn't have time to get bored. Meals only would of been enough to keep us entertained. We spent most of our spare time (read: not eating) walking along the sea, foot fishing clams, shrimps, oysters...collecting blackberries (and eating them too). We did enjoy some motionless moments laying in the sunshine on the beach, on the rocks, along coastal trails.
Two weeks is not long but we did get to see a few friends and family, if only we had had just a bit more time.



Full screen slide show

De retour de Bretagne - Back from Brittanny

Marley is now a well traveled dog with her second trip to France in less than two years. My mother, Mark, Marley and I, just spent a much to short 16 days in Concarneau. Such short vacation doesn't leave time for much, it is barely a tease. A tasty tease as our main occupation has clearly been eating and this from the minute we arrived. Indeed, when we stepped in the house, in Concarneau, the traditional langoustine platter was served. There is no way around it, my grand mother can not help starting to feed us the minute we walk in her home. Also, with the sea food, cold meats, melon, fruits, cheese, bread.....she had, on our request, not prepared too much ... or it would of been a week worth of food served in the first hour following our arrival.

Avec son deuxieme voyage en moins de deux ans, Marley est maintenant une grande voyageuse. Maman, Mark, Marley et moi venons de passer seize jours de vacances beaucoup trop courtes a Concarneau. Un sejour aussi limite laisse a peine le temps de voir les jours passer. Mais on en a profite... surtout a table, ou on s'y est donne a coeur joie. En effet, a peine a-t-on mis le pied a dans la maison que le traditionnel plateau de langoustines etait servi. Il n'y a pas moyen d'y echapper, ma grand-mere ne peut pas ne pas nous nourrir a la minute qu'on se presente chez elle. Je vous met a l'epreuve de trouver un temoignage contraire. Aussi, viandes froides, melon, fromage, pain, fruits....elle n'avait, a notre demande, pas prepare trop de bouffe...ou il aurait fallu s'attendre a une semaine de bonne chere servie dans l'heure suivant notre arrivee.

From Breizh2008

Put weight on? Wrong! It's the French paradox....you eat good, fat and tasty but throw the pounds away. If anybody finds Marleys 10 lost pounds she would need them back, as for my small kilo, feel free to keep it. Other than at the table, we did keep quite busy walking around, enjoying scenery and fresh air. Of course I will post back to show some good times and beauties in my prettiest country.
Leaving the Brittany I love feels tougher each time I go. As I will have either gone to visit again or knowingly to settle, I know one day I will stay. Roots are made of very strong rubber that may stretch very far but will not let go.

Prendre du poids? Non! C'est le paradoxe francais...on mange bien, gras et bon mais on rejete les kilos. Si quelqu'un trouve les 10 livres perdues de Marley, elle aurrait bien besoin de les recuperer; pour ce qu'y en ai de mon petit kilo, sentez-vous libre de le garder. Autrement qu'a la table,nous nous sommes tenus occupe a marcher, explorer les paysages et profiter du grand air. Bien sur je vais rajouter des photos de nos bons moments et des beautees de mon plus beau pays.
Quitter la Bretagne que j'aime est de plus en plus difficile a chaque fois que j'y vais. Que j'y retourne en visite ou en sachant que c'est pour m'y installer, je sais qu'il y aura un jour ou j'y resterais. Mes racines sont faites d'un caoutchouc suffisement elastique pour partir loin mais toujours revenir.

Little note on the weather. It was fantastic, all sunshine and it seems to be holding after our depart. After a very wet summer we have been called lucky and I will concur as it has become clear over the years that I attract good weather in Brittany. Therefore, if you are planning a vacation or simply want to enjoy some good weather in Finistere, feel free to fly me over and I will make sure to pack up my sunshine charm.
Petite note sur la meteo. Le temps a ete fantastique, que du soleil et ca semble tenir apres mon depart. Suite a un ete miserablement mouille on nous dis que l'on a etait bien chanceux et je confirme, car c'est devenu tres clair au court mes visites des dernieres annees que j'attire le beau temps en Bretagne. Ainsi, si vous plannifiez des vacance ou pour simplement profiter du soleil dans le finistere n'hesitez pas a me mettre sur un avions pour la france et je m'assurerais d'emmener mon grigri beau temps.

From Breizh2008

The strongest link one can have with a country is people

To fall in love with a country you have to fall in love with its people, to keep loving your origins you have to keep loving people from where you came. It is painful to feel so torn, home has become here but home has remained over there. The blessing must be that , here and there, I always feel as welcome as if I was home.

I am antsy to taste the salt of the sea, to smell the iodine in the air and to here the accent of Brittany in Concarneau's gossips.

Lead soup?

We are deep into August, summer seems to have flown by and we are not quite where we had hopped to be by bow on the boat. Neverless, we are doing great progress and I would say we are in a good boat building phase. The past few weeks have gone on the theme of lead melting but I am happy to say that it is now done....well except for the trim ballast, but there is no need to think of it now.

First round, two loads to melt about three tons of precious lead. A big fire as heat source and a bath tub for a container, we needed something big to melt down two keels.



And this is where that lead went, contained against the hull. It's welded shut we can now forget about it.



Second round of the month, an other ton and a half contained under the water tanks to be.
We found the easiest way to do this would be to melt it right in the boat and ladle it hot in the keel.



Don't worry, I'm well protected. A mask with positive pressure a proper breezing air feed...I at least had that to cool me off. I also blow fresh air threw the boat to eliminate c02 and cool it off.

Well, that's for the lead. I also been working a few other details: water tanks, crap tank, mast collar....I'll try to post more but should really get to the boat now.

The storm that shreaded my garden - La tempete qui a detruit mon potager

Wednesday was a tough day for my garden, the challenge was such that only part of it will make it through. I sighted the storm about half an hour before it hit. The lightening strikes were stunning , as much by there intensity than frequency. I saw the storm approach as if it was stepping up to South Mountain on long skinny bright legs. I sat on the pool ladder as long as I could, watching the monster run towards us, when the strikes reached the back of the field I made it into the house rather fast. Taking pictures of the lightening was much harder than I expected and I was lucky enough to get a few good shots. From the number of pictures I took, I figure that I watched between 50 and 70 strikes. Marley calmly sat by my side watching the show. Thunder and fireworks is probably the only thing that doesn't scare the silly dog.
Next came the hail! I had never seen hail like that, ice cubes were dropping from the sky. I'd believe the gods were having a party and a rather tipsy one dropped its icy drink on us.

My garden did not appreciate but to be fair I should say the neighboring farmers field suffered a lot too.

The great cottage break

One week by the water, we couldn't of asked for better as a break. Windsurf, swim, read, eat and drink...I think that my resume the week for us.

On for a bit of a story? Of course a vacation wouldn't be one without a bit of an adventure...would it? We knew Marley was a very loyal and focused dog but didn't quite know how stupidly she could be loyal and focused. The wind was nice so Mark and I wanted to go for a windsurf together leaving Marley behind. Scott and Karen stayed at the cottage with Marley and Dave. Away we went. Scott hung out with the dogs for a bit but eventually went in the cottage for a few minutes. When he came out Marley had disappeared!
At our return, both Mark and I were stunned, Marley wouldn't of take off...it's just not her. Never less, we started to search and call. Mark took the car and went down the road in case she had felt in an urge to run. I took the kayak and went call along the shore.
I suddenly had this horrible vision of Marley swimming away after the saiboards....what if she had left off shore? It seams like a nonsense to us but Marley running away from the cottage (and us) is even more of a non sens. I quickly turned around and started scanning the horizon. OH MY GOD! Out in the chop I could see two little black spots, either the wings of a dead bird or Marley's crazy ears. I never paddled like that...was she ever far out. Marley had followed Mark and I out on the lake, I was just as flattered as I was mad.
We swam back together, the story ends fine. Marley still loves water and next time we'll know better.

La visite de Martine et Caesar

Un apres midi chaud mais une brise rafraichissante. On a bien mange a l'ombre de l'arbre et bien jouer autour de la piscine. Mais au fait...c'etait quoi le jeu? Faire plonger les chiens? Prendre des photos des chiens qui plonge? Ou faire plonger les chiens pour eclabousser Caesar qui prend des photos?

Il faut savourer les bons moments quand ils passent...n'empeche j'aurais bien aime une journee de plus a ne rien faire d'autre que d'apprecier un jour d'ete en bonne compagnie.

Avis aux interresses: Les phares ont trouve leur place sur le mur.

Summer is here - Voila l'ete

The blog has been left a little aside this spring. We just didn't do anything nearly as exiting as our fun hikes or skijor races. This spring has been more about boat work, the garden and kitchen renovation. I'd love to post a picture of the kitchen but don't want to until most have seen it in real...so that will be for later. I'm so happy with the result. We just had enough of the shaky counters, falling cupboards and mouse shit in the dishes. The kitchen has become quite classy...anything without mouse shit is classy to me at this point. Thank you Ikea.

What about the boat? Even though the kitchen took much of my time I have accomplished something on the boat. Ballast has been a bit of a puzzle problem. Not about were to position it but how to get it neatly contained in the right place. We can only have so much permanent ballast as the boat needs to be lite enough to be trucked, so as we position that weight we also have to consider how the trimming ballast will be contained a fastened down. I ended up making some sort of integral tanks to be filled with lead a and than sealed. We also didn't want to melt lead inside the boat so I made interlocking containers to be filled and then fitted in the tanks. Enough blabla, here's simply a picture.

The side tanks have there lids on each contain 3 containers like the lower tanks. A total of 24 odd shape boxes...don't mention boxes to me anymore...please. Next step melt the lead...

Visit from England

Good weather and good company made it for a good weekend. Marianne and Colins two day visit to South Mountain has for sure been a highlight of our summer. I'm still amazed how an English man made my Canadian home feel so much like a little bit of France for a couple days. Wine, petancle and expressive story telling, he does it perfectly. Now just look at pictures of this man, I am certain he spends hours on front of a mirror practicing every single movement and expressions enriching his daily activities.

Sugar shack....at home! - La cabane a sucre...a la maison!

Some good ideas could be better if kept as ideas...but what the hell, we only live once, so why not. We have a small bush of about an acre or so, mostly sugar maples. Every year, we think we should try out tapping the trees and making maple syrup and for some unexplained reason this year is when it happened.

The maples sap rises threw the sap wood only with very particular conditions. Temperatures must be under freezing at night and above freezing during day time. This only happens in our region of the world (East Canada and North East of the US).
On Sunday we decided to go ahead with making maple syrup and went buy enough spouts and buckets to "milk" eight trees. Monday, I tapped the nicest trees under a cold rain, never less it was neat to see the first drips come out the spout I just placed. The trees were dripping so well that by the time I was done tapping the trees I could already collect from the first ones. Now, don't ask me what went threw my head, probably the excitement of the moment, but I decided to go get more equipment and tap more. By the end of the day I had 19 trees dripping and and a cup of maple syrup ready for enjoyment.
It is clear that evaporating the sap in the house is not a good idea as to reduce the liquid by a ratio of 40 to 1 it makes a lot of water to vaporise. For some reason I didn't like the idea of doing it outside neither, we are still heating the house and it seams inefficient to waste all that heat outdoors. I came up with an idea, I figured if I piped my pot on a chimney exhausting threw the window with an inline fan I could keep the house dry and in bonus would collect some of the heat to keep warm. Bingo! Tuesday, I tuned up my system and had a home maple syrup evaporator.
Now my biggest problem is that I'm getting more sap than I can evaporate. This consumes way more time than I expected. Collect , boil, can....run, run, run...clean, clean, clean. My kitchen is sticky, my soles are sticky, my stove is sticky, my fingers are sttttiiincky, ooops my key board is getting sticky. Well it is messy, but it is sooooo good.

Portholes - Hublots

We received our super New Found Metals bronze portholes! Happy-happy!!!
It is exiting to get boaty components. Makes us feel that much closer to having a boat for not to much effort.

On a recu nos superbes hublots en bronze de New Found Metal! Wouhou!!!
C'est tellement exitant de recevoir des composantes bateau. On se sent d'autant plus pres du but sans trop d'efforts.