Dial Mountain second attempt,successful hike

This time we knew our way from Noonmark to BearDen. On our first attempt to reach Dial without entering the Adirondack Mountain Reserve (dogs are not allowed threw) we had lost to much energy and time struggling the bushwhack. With a lot elevation change and trail breaking this 15 km pushed us to a healthy limit.
The weather was good with a mix of flurries and clearing, nothing to complain about, except that blue skies really make nicer pictures.

By sliding the mouse over the slide show a menu appears if you click on the second icon, capitations will show. You can also find the photos here


Cette fois-ci on connaissait notre chemin entre le mont Noonmark et BearDen. Pour notre premier essai pour atteindre le mont Dial sans traverser la Adirondack mountain reserve (les chien y sont interdits) on avait perdu trop de temps et energie and chercher notre chemin dans les bois. Avec beacoup de changement de denivellation et des sentiers vierges les 15 km de marche nous ont pousses a une saine limite.
Avec un melange de neige legere et d'eclaircies on a pas eu a nous plaindre de la meteo, sauf qu'un peu de ciel bleu fait quand meme de plus belles photos.

En glissant le curseur sur le diaporama un menu apparait, en cliquant sur le deuxieme icon, les descriptifs apparaissent. Les photos se trouvent aussi ici.

If it's dirty...I wash it - Si c'est sale... je le lave

That's a wash tub. Wash tubs are meant to be used to wash dirty things.

Ca, c'est un lavoir. Dans un lavoir on lave les choses qui sont sales.

If I have two very dirty ducks I shall wash them .
Si j'ai deux Canard sales, je les laverais.

In the winter, the flock is limited to the coop in which the chickens tend to roost up on the perches and the ducks hang out bellow, resulting on the ducks getting pooped on by the chiken. Boo and coco where quite upset about being so messy...

L'hiver, les oiseaux sont limites au poulailler ou les poules se perche sur les perchoirs et les canard restent dessous. Le resultat est que les canards se font chier dessus par les poules. Boo et Coco sont quelque peu boulverses par leur etat.

Yes even Marley is a little grossed out...
Oui, meme Marley est un peu degoutee...

Here's a duck in the wash tub.
Voila un canard dans le lavoir.

Coco wasn't so happy about being moved around, but as soon as I dropped her in a bath of warm water she had nothing to complain about anymore... I'd almost swear I saw the duck smile.

Coco n'etait pas trop contente d'etre transportee, mais aussitot deposee dans le bain d'eau tiede, elle n'avait plus aucune raison pour se plaindre... Je parierai presque que j'ai vu le canard sourire.

Coco was pretty cool about getting all that crap scrubbed off and very cooperative. I found out bathing a duck is nothing like bathing any other animal...brush here, brush there...yes! more water...ouuu... a bit of power wash, that's good, we liiike that. No worry about getting water in its face, it loooves it. More I scrubbed her feathers more coco helped out, it was clear she was to take full advantage of a warm water.

Coco a ete plutot cool quand au nettoyage, elle s'est meme montree tres cooperative. Ja'i decouvert que donner un bain a un canard n'avait rien a voir avec baigner tout autre animal....frotte ici, gratte par la....oui! Plus d'eau...ouuuu...un peu de carcher, c'est bon, on aime ca. Pas de probleme avec de l'eau dans la figure, le canard adore ca. Plus on frotte, plus le canard aide, c'eatit clair que Coco allait prendre avantage de l'eau tiede.

At the end I have a very clean and happy duck.

Et finallement, un canard propre et heureux.

Here's a very yucky Boo ready for a bleach...
I know, no bleach or detergent for duvet...what about the tumble drying?

Voila un Boo degoutant pres pour un bon lessivage....
Je sais, pas d'eau de javel ni de lessive pour le duvet....mais le duvet ne doit-il pas etre seche a la machine?

I was expecting a little more struggling this guy. He has been raised very close to the house and people but he is a strong male with the temperament that involves.
Boo proved me wrong, just like Coco the warm water bath soothed him. He was all into getting clean. Scrub under a wing... Boo will happily hold it up. Little rub here, little rub there, lets scrub it all. When it was all done the big fellow laid down in the warm water and made himself at ease, making me feel guilty about taking out of the tub.

Je m'attendais a un peu plus de bataille avec ce bonhomme. Il a ete eleve pres de la maison et des gens, mais Boo est un gros male avec le caracter que ca implique.
Il m'a prouve que j'avais tord de m'inquieter, comme Coco, l'eau chaude l'a garde calme. Il etait partant pour un bon nettoyage. Frotte sous l'aile...Boo sera heureux de la tenir en l'air. Frotti par si, frotti par la, grattons toute la crasse. Quand il a ete tout propre, le gros canard s'est installe a l'aise dans son bain chaud me culpabilisant de devoir l'en sortir.

A few final touch ups and the result is two very happy clean ducks. Bonus for the two birds, I didn't want to put them back out wet so they got to spend the rest of the day in the house. Don't worry, they barely poop in the winter and those two are very calm peaceful ducks. Boo and Coco found a cozy spot in the sun shine and laid in the warmth all day until I brought them back to the coop. I hope they didn't expect to move into the house....they seemed ready to do so.

Quelques dernieres touches et le resultat est deux beaux canards propres et heureux. Bonus pour les deux oiseaux, je ne voulais pas les renvoyer dehors mouiller, ils ont donc passe le reste de la journee dans la maison. Pas d'inquietude, les canard ne chient pas autant en hiver et ces deux la sont des canards tranquilles et paisibles. Ils se sont trouve un bon petit coin au soleil et s'y sont installes pour la journee jusqu'a ce que je vienne les chercher pour les ramener au poullailler. J'espere qu'ils n'avaient pas prevu demenager dans la maison....ils ne semblaient pas contre.

I thought I may have had to fight a bit with the birds, but no, I never had them so easy to handle. The truth is that the duck wash did less of a mess than washing the dog.

J'avais cru que ca aurait ete plus de bataille de laver les canards, mais non. Ils n'ont jamais ete aussi dociles. Finallement ca ete moins de bordelle de laver les canard que de laver le chien.

Who needs parrots when ducks do just as good?
Qui a besoin de perroquet quand il y a les canards?

Disclaimer: There was no favoritism. I would of happily washed Stumpy and Daphnee if there was any chance they would of behaved like the young folks. Unfortunately, I can guaranty a disaster if I tried.

Notice: Il n'y a pas eu de favoritisme. J'aurais ete heureuse de laver Stumpy et Daphnee s'ils y avait une chance qu'ils se comporte aussi bien que les deux plus jeunes. Malheureusement, je peux guarantir un desastre si j'essayais.

Winter Frontenac Park hike - Randonnee d'hiver au park Frontenac

Sunday was a sunny and cold day. We decided not to go too far from home for a hike. We haven't yet been in Frontenac park in the winter, so it sounded like a good idea. We did about 13 km which felt like 20... the snow coverage was just enough to hide the ground but not enough to smooth it out, making the walk tiring. It was still a nice day and we have the satisfaction of being outside.

Surprise of the week, our new hens started laying...after a couple month of store bought eggs we have eaten our last factory eggs for the next few years. For our pre-hike breakfast we both had a home grown egg and a store egg, can you tell which is which?

Photo album

What about the boat? Et le bateau?

The boat hasn't floated away yet...Boat building in the winter is slower but keeps moving forward. There is no point fighting the elements so I concentrate on building bits and pieces that can be made in the shop and there are more than enough of those. Building the hull was a big step but detailing, even though not as heavy, I believe is more work. I concentrate on one thing at the time, otherwise my head starts spinning. My current project is the bow hatch/companionway and it's coming along well. It's nice to see some big piece come together, it gives me the visual progress motivation. I shouldn't sell the bears skin before I killed it, my hatch is not finished, I still hope that it will all come together as planned, the curves bring the trickiness a notch up.

Le bateau est toujours la...La consruction ralentit en hiver mais continu a aller de l'avant. Il n'y a pas d'avantage a combattre les elements alors je concentre mes efforts a construire ce qui peut etre fait dans l'atelier et je ne manque pas de travail. Construire la coque etait une grosse etape mais fignoler les details, meme si n'est pas aussi lourd, represente encore plus de boulot. Je me concentre sur un projet a la fois sinon j'ai la tete qui se met a tourner. Pour l'instant je travail a la construction de l'ecoutille avant et ca s'en vient bien. Ca fait du bien de voir un gros morceau prendre forme, sa me donne la motivation que procure un peu de progres visible. Je devrais faire atention de ne pas vendre la peua de l'ours avant de l'avoir tuer, l'ecoutille n'est pas finie, j'espere toujours que tout s'assemble comme prevue. Les courbe ajoute un niveau de difficulte.

It is all made of steel, but, like the rest of the boat, is meant to look like wood.

Tout en acier, mais comme le reste du bateau veut donner l'impression d'etre fait de bois.

A previous "project". The chainplate. I still have to build the ones for the mizzen and add a few fake bolt heads (all for show).

Un "projet" precedant. Les cadenes. J'ai toujours a construire celles du tapecul et a ajouter quelque fausses tete de boulon.

An orange squeezer handy! I installed three deck prisms and will order a few more. They add a lot of light and look really neat, even more so on deck. The ceiling liner will come down to the edge of the frame, the thickness of insulation made it for a tricky installation.

Un pressoir a jus! J'ai installe trois prismes dans le pont et vais en commander d'autre. Les prismes ajoute beaucoup de lumiere et on bonne allure, meme sur le pont.

Link to boat pictures

Urban Hike, Randonnee citadine

The planed hike was Giant Mountain, perfect hike for an exposed route, it would of been great pictures. Would of, because plans are always subject to change. Sunday morning we woke up to the alarm as usually on hike days, at 0430am. Barely woke up. My motivation felt pretty low at the time...or was it high? but concentrated on some more passive activity, like sleeping. Never less, an angel voice came from my side and moaned: what would you think of an urban hike instead? Do you mean sleeping in followed by easy walk on pavement with no pack sac and the possible crossing of a coffee shop? Voice, you have my vote. Two minutes later the alarm was only a bad souvenir, and we were back in our dreams.

Marley may not like it as much but she can greatly benefit from a urban walk on a leash. So we went for a nice walk threw Ottawa. We parked on Bank street, walked up to the Parliament Hill and over to the market, where we stopped for shawarma. Our route back followed the canal down to Pretoria bridge, close to Emily's parents condo. We went in for a short visit. I had forgotten how quiet the city was on Sundays, the snippy cold probably made it even more still and a non-eventful day.

How can a dumb mistake can make a day get bloody.

What did I do? Well this takes a little bit of an explanation on the situation. Marley is a spoiled Puppy (we know that), she is fed on a diet based on fresh meat, so I have pounds and pounds of meat specially bought for the dog. It usually comes in big 20 lbs frozen packs, but last time it came all fresh and I had to freeze it myself. I didn't think much of it a t the time, what hassle could that cause? Of the 180 lbs, I cut and packaged 80 lbs of the meat in daily rations containers. The rest of the bagged meat got efficiently packed in the bottom of the freezer. I felt I did a good job, it used less space than I expected, it stored nice and snug.

Yesterday morning, I was going to take a twenty pound bag or two out to cut and package it in daily portions, as I usually do.
Oh no...how did I not think of this, it is one of those stupid mistake that one only does once in a life time. At least, I know I will never have this happen to me again.

The whole bottom third of my freezer was one big solid block of frozen meat...nice and snug. None of it was going to come out easy. The freezer is outside, the temperature is bellow zero, none of this may thaw on its own any time soon (at least that was a good news for all the rest of the freezer content). After enough pulling and prying (which lead me nowhere) I had a marvelous idea. I was going to boil some water to pour it on the meat, the water was going to make it's way between the packages thawing the bonds and everything was going to come out easy, maybe with a little bit of prying help. Funny that laps between the magic solution picture and reality...want to know what really happened? Maybe I should keep this as story to tell around a bottle of wine or I'll make it short here.

I ended bent over the freezer for about 8 hours, chipping frozen meat out of it. My only wish (other for this bloody mess to instantly thaw) was for no one to shows up.
Here's the picture. Me, my head in the freezer, working away, in one hand a butchers knife in the other an ice ax. I'm chipping meat out of a bath of blood I created by pouring hot water in the freezer, I'm covered with it.
The scene: the "normal" freezer content is spread all over the summer kitchen. In the freezer, a 100lbs of meat, one bloody mess, to the right of it is a mount of meat chippings. By my side a bucket of dark red water that I'm using to empty the now freezing liquid by a new load of hot water. In the front yard the dog is happily chewing on a frozen block of meat it had the initiative to take care of. I'm going threw phases of laughter soon followed be tears. I could hear myself telling a visitor: don't worry Mark is OK, he's at work.

I have contemplated taking a picture of this but voted unanimously against it. I honestly didn't find it too funny yesterday. At least a silver linings to the story, it has given me the opportunity to defrost and clean the freezer.

Qu'est-ce que j'ai fait? Bien, ca va pendre une explication du contexte. Marley est un chien gate (ca on le sait), sa diete est composee entre autre de viande fraiche, j'ai donc des kilos et des kilos de viande achetee specialement pour le chien. Les paquets viennent generalement congeles en sac de 20 kilos, mais le dernier lots etait frais et a congeler moi-meme. Je n'ai pas pense que ce pouvait etre un probleme. Des 90 kilos, j'ai tout de suite coupe et emballe en portion journalieres 40 kilos. Pour ce qui est du reste de la viande, j'ai entasser les paquets dans le fond du congelateur. J'etait plutot contente de mon empactage, j'ai minimaliser l'espace utilise, bien tasse carre.

Hier matin, j'allais sortir un ou deux sacs de 10 kilos de viande a decouper et emballer en portions comme je fais regulierement.
Oh non...comment n'ai-je pas pense a ca, c'est le genre de betise que l'on ne fait qu'une fois dans une vie. Au moins je sais que je ne le referrais pas.

Le fond de mon congelateur n'etait qu'un bloc solide de viande congeler...bien tasse carre. Ca n'allait pas etre facile a sortir. Le congelateur est dehors et la temperature sous zero, impossible que ca fonde tout seul bientot (la bonne nouvelle c'est que le reste du contenu du congelateur ne risquait pas de fondre non-plus). Apres avoir assez tire et joue du levier (sans resulats) j'ai eu une idee brillante. J'allais bouillir de l'eau pour la verser sur le bloc de viande, l'eau ferait son chemin entre les paquets et faire fondre les liens de glace. Tout allait sortir facilement, peut-etre avec un petit peu de levier sans plus. Amusant cette difference entre l'image de la solution miracle et la realite.....vous voulez savoir comment ca c'est vraiment passe? Peut-etre que je devrais garder cette histoire pour la raconter avec un verre de vin ou je peux la resumer.

Je me suis retrouvee penchee sur mon congelateur pendant 8 heures a ciseler de la viande congele. Mon seul souhait (autre que de voir le bloc fondre miraculeusement) etait que personne ne se pointe chez moi.
Voila l'image. Moi, ma tete dans le congelateur, je me debat avec mon bloc de glace, dans une main un couteau de boucher, dans l'autre un piolet a glace. Je cisele la viande dans le bain de sang que j'ai cree un versant de l'eau chaude dans le congelateur, j'en suis couverte.
La scene: le contenu “normal” du congelateur est etalle derriere moi. Dans le congelateur, 50 kilos de viande et de sang. A ma droite un mont de ciselures de viande. A cote, un sceau dont je me sert pour changer l'eau froide, rempli d'un liquide rouge fonce. Dans la court avant la chienne se delecte d'un bloc de viande gele dont elle a eu l'initiative de me debarrasser. Je passe par des phases de rire suivi par quelques larmes de desespoir. Je pouvais m'entendre dire a un visiteur inoportun: Ne vous inquietez pas, Mark va bien il est au travail.

J'ai pense prendre une photo de la scene mais ai vote, a l'unanimite, contre. Je ne trouvais pas ma situation tres drole hier. Au moins il y a un bon cote a l'histoire: ca m'aura donne une chance de degivrer et nettoyer mon congelateur.

Training time

Yaya, Marley is a good girl but she's stubborn. She has that passive way to decide on her own at each command if she should cooperate with me or not. The jump is what Marley double guesses me the most at. That dog thinks to much.
"Why jump over if I can go around".
"Because it pleases me, Marley".
" What about I walk around, sit on front of you, and give you a paw with a big smile on my face...doesn't that please you too?"
" Marley get back there and jump"
"Ok, ok...happy now?"

Oui, Marley est une bonne fille mais elle est tetue. Elle a cette facon bien a elle de decide a chaque commande si elle devrait cooperer avec moi ou pas. Le saut est ce sur quoi elle me questionne le plus. Ce chien pense trop.
"Pourquoi devrais-je sauter si je peux passer autour?"
"Parce que ca me fait plaisir, Marley"
"D'accord mais si je passe autour, viens m'asseoir pres de toi et te donne la patte avec un grand sourrire aux levres....ca ne te fait pas aussi plaisir ca?"
"Marley, retourne la et saute"
" D'accord, d'accord...contente maintenant?"

First of the year 2008: Hike to Mtn Wright

We are done with Christmas and New Years and can now get back in our normal routine, including a weekly hike. I can feel the weight of hollydays in my legs and belly and wasn't up to too serious of a trip. Twelve kilometers to Wright and back seemed just perfect. Short trip, snow packed trail, scenic summit and a bit of excitement at the top ....exactly what we needed to get back in the groove.

Fini Noel et le Nouvel An, on peut retourner a notre routine, dont nos randonnees hebdomadaires. Je peux sentir le poids du temps des fetes dans mes jambes et mon ventre, je n'etait donc pas en forme pour une expedition trop serieuse. Douze kilometres aller et retour pour le mont Wright m'a semble parfait. Randonnee courte, sentier de neige compacte, sommet ouvert et un peu d'aventure....exactement ce dont j'avais besoin pour me remettre dans le bain.

We all gear up. Marley's snow problems have been previously exposed, so here's how we have equipped her rough four wheel drive for much smother travel in winter conditions. She wears booties on her rear paws and gets Vaseline spread between her toes on the front ones, this reduces snow ball issues and keeps natural traction at the front (which she needs on rock and ice).

On se prepare tout les trois. J'ai deja mentionne les problemes de Marley avec les boules de neiges, alors voila comment on a equipe son quatre roues motrices pour les conditions hivernales. Elle porte des bottines sur les pattes arrieres et on lui beurre les pattes avant de vaseline entre les doigts. On arrive comme ca a reduire la formation de boules de neiges dans ses pattes tout en lui permettant de conserver un traction normale a l'avant (essentiel sur la glace et le rochers).

Just before the tree line. Two innocent hikers barely aware of what is awaiting them. It's a warm day, the walk over has been sweaty and the warning from the nice ladies coming down hasn't hit home. They appeared at a bend of the trail, all skin covered: "Are you going up? It's windy up there, really windy..."

Juste avant d'atteindre la zone alpine. Deux innocents randonneurs a peine conscients de ce qui les attends. C'etait une journee chaude (tout est relatif), jusque la on avait plus sue que grelotte et on a pas trop fait cas de l'avertissement des gentilles dames qui descendaient. Elles sont apparues a un virage du sentier, pas un millimetre carre de peau a decouvert: "Vous montez? Il y a du vent, beaucoup de vent..."

We got out of the trees soon enough after crossing the three nice women. Wright has a very alpine looking top with beautiful views, exactly what I needed for my new camera's first hike.

On est sortit des arbres assez rapidement apres avoir croise les trois dames. Wright un sommet tres alpin et des vues manifiques, exactement ce dont j'avais besoin pour la premier ballade de mon nouvel appareil photo.

...but as we were told, it was windy...really windy. Windy enough that I got thrown off my feet a few times. Wind chill made it for a serious temperature change. I couldn't be sure how hard it was blowing up there, Mark estimates some of the gusts were reaching 50 knots. What I am sure about is that with those winds the blowing snow on my face were a good reminder of sandblasting.

...mais comme on nous avait prevenu, il y avait du vent....beaucoup de vent. Suffisement de vent pour me balancer au sol a quelques reprises. Le refroidissement eolien etait considerable. Je ne pourrait pas etre certaine a quelle vitesse ca soufflait la haut, Mark estime que les coups de vents pouvaient atteindre 50 noeuds. Ce dont je suis certaine c'est qu'avec ces vents la neige qui frappait mon visage me rappelle franchement le sablage du bateau.

I unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, don't find the pictures show our true visibility up there without proper eye protection, the camera didn't seem bothered by the cold, strong winds, and blowing snow, but heres a slightly altered photo that show how I could really see. Next time I'm bringing goggles.

Malheureusement, ou plutot heureusement, les photos ne temoigne pas de notre visibilite la haut sans protection adequate pour nos yeux, la camera ne semble pas etre derrangee par le froid, les vents forts et la neige poudreuse, mais voila une photo legerement modifier qui montre a peu pres ce qu'on y voit. La prochaine fois on emmene de lunettes.

Mark and Marley doing there last few steps to the summit. Actually, Marley has run up and back down to us a few times.

Mark et Marley font les derniers pas pour atteindre le sommet. En fait, Marley a deja courru de haut en bas entre nous et le sommet a quelques reprises.

Mark and Marley successfully summited, I , unfortunately, was to busy taking pictures and forgot to climb the last boulder...Mark will keep reminding me that, twisting the reality as if I had been to wimpy to walk the last few feet to the top.

Mark et Marley on atteints le sommet avec succes, j'ai, par contre, oublie de grimper le dernier rocher, occupee que j'etais a prendre des photos....Mark continuera de me le rappeller, tordant la verite pour dire que j'ai ete trop faible pour faire les derniers pas vers le sommet.

Just a few more pics, with no real story, just because I'm happy and there is so much beauty out there...and I have a new camera...did I mention that?

Juste quelques autres photos, sans histoire attachee, juste parce que je suis heureuse and qu'il y a tellement de beaute la bas, dehors....et j'ai un nouvel appareil photo....l'ai-je deja mentionne?

Ice forming everywhere

Mont Algonquin

Looking to the west

Weather is moving in

Wright hike's album and a few more pictures here
Mon album du mont Wright avec quelques autres photos ici

Little fluff becoming big fluff

Some pictures talk for themselves. Marley is becoming a nice big girl. Here's a year of growing.

Il y a des photos qui parle pour elles memes. Marley devient une belle grosse fille. Voila une annee de croissance.

January 2, 2007

April 2, 2007

January 3, 2008

More growing pictures here

I have a new camera.....and happy new year...hollydays are over

We went down to Scott and Karen's home in Whitby on Friday to spend a couple days with them. On the drive down Mark mentioned I should go with Scott to Henry's (camera store) over the weekend and take a look. I confess...I a have been looking at reviews and specifications, comparing the best of compact digital cameras for the past few weeks...couldn't help it. Mark didn't really mean only looking he must of meant that by the end of Saturday I would have a new toy. I'm so exited, I just love it....I mean him. Anyway, I love both, the camera and Mark.

Oh seems Like I started playing with pictures...

Ok the rest of the weekend with Scott and Karen was just as great, we had a good time. Fun drinks, fun food and fun fun.

Few more photos with S&K here

After Christmas comes new year. Emily came to our house for new years eve and we had some more fun with the camera...well, I did. So... photos, food, drinks, it was a quiet evening. We went to bed as soon it can be decent for a December 31 with guests, quickly after midnight.
January first turned out to be a nice day, Emily stuck around for the day, actually she didn't leave before the afternoon of Wednesday. We woke up to snowy weather, one of those days that screams "Winter". It was perfect for a snow shoe threw Terry Spratts woods, down the road. The rest of the day we hung around, had hot chocolate, soup, chatted and took more fancy pictures with the new camera.

Few more photos here