Fishing Rhino

Get him another dog or no? Hard to say. When we lost our first Boxer, we got another a couple of months later, and he was a blessing. A year later we got him a companion, the one we had to put down in August. We've always had dogs, and probably always will. But when Indy's time is up we'll probably take a year or two before getting another. Now that we are both retired, there are some things we want to do, travelling among them. If we were still working, I have no doubt we'd get another as soon as possible. We are used to having them around the house, and in our daily routine. The house would seem lifeless without a dog. If your dad will be tending his livestock for a while, I'd say it's a yes. While we can never replace a friend, another can help to fill that void. My father-in-law was a dairy farmer, and he always had a dog traipsing along with him on his chores, be it around the barn or in the fields. You know your dad. Go with what your heart tells you.

I looked. Don't know to whom it appeals, but it sure ain't me.

I right clicked on the photo, then on properties and this is the result. http://www.sadanduseless.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/mask.jpg The photo is from sadanduseless.com, whatever that site is. I'll take a peek at sadanduseless.

That's my first impression too.

My condolences. We had to put down one of our dogs on Aug 5th. We stayed with her 'til she was gone. It's the first time we've held one of our dogs when they had to be put to sleep. It wasn't as difficult as I expected. In fact, it actually made it easier. It has haunted me that I did not stay with our prior Boxer when he had to be euthanized. In the future, should we need to euthanize a pet, we will be with them to say goodbye. Please do not take this to be a criticism. I understand the very difficult emotions involved. The most important thing is how they were treated in life.

Yes there is. Retirementium!

A la the Gong Show?

At 69, I'm in.

At 69, I'm in.

At 69, I'm in.

I cannot comment on a kayak. Never fished from one. I have a bass boat, two canoes (one paddling the other with a trolling motor) and have used our daughters eight foot bass hunter pontoon boat. I like them all. They are all different, and each has its strong points and is the best under different conditions and types of fishing. I like our daughters pontoon boat so much that I may get a larger one to use on some of the ponds where I now use a canoe. The big plusses are, for its size it's incredibly stable. The seat(s) can be placed anywhere along its length and are very comfortable, plus they swivel. Trolling motor can be mounted at either end. I don't know about rowing, but they paddle like a barge. That's fine on the small pond behind our daughter's, but I wouldn't want to go more than a few hundred yards paddling. The other thing I don't like about the pontoon boat is that while rods can be stored on the tops of the pontoons, they can easily be knocked over the side. Her version has no bungees or tie downs to secure them in place. But, that's no big deal. Easy enough to pick up the hardware and install them. You can put them beneath the seats, but a clumsy oaf like me would likely step on them. You can put a huge tackle box beneath the seat, and have everything readily available. Which is best for you depends on where you fish, and the type of fishing you do. Regardless, any of them will greatly broaden your fishing horizons.

Saving/reducing the total cost of the loan by a hundred grand sounds like a pretty good investment to me. Paying it off quicker will yield more money in interest savings than investing it somewhere else, particularly in the beginning. Here's how, and don't laugh at our mortgage payments, the largest of our three mortgages was 102.25 per month. A rough breakdown of the amortization schedule showed that in the beginning, nearly ninety percent of the payment was interest, and only ten percent, give or take, was applied to the principal. (90 bucks for interest, 10 bucks to reduce the principle balance.) The next payment was a few cents less for interest, and a few cents more applied to the balance) So, if we paid an extra ten bucks against the principle, it saved us ninety bucks in interest. Paying ten to save ninety is a pretty good return on that ten spot. Granted, as time goes by, the savings per month shrinks, and at some point that money might be better invested elsewhere. Refinancing was a great investment. I can think of no circumstance where renting is preferable to owning. You'll never get a cent back that you paid in rent, nor will it provide any equity. The problem at the moment is that home values are in a state of flux, mostly downward. Here are the numbers on our home owning experience. 1965 bought our first home in Holliston, MA for 18,900. Moved to Cape Cod in '69. Bought a home in Eastham, MA for 23,500 and sold our Holliston home for that amount. We put 3000 on our first home. Put over 7,000 down on our new home which is what we ended up with from the sale of our first. In 1972 we moved to Westport from the Cape and sold our home for 33,000 and walked away with over 15,000 in hand. Bought a new pickup for 3,000, put the remaining 12,000 with a 12,000 mortgage and we built our current home. We only finished the first floor and moved in. Since then, as we could afford it, without having to borrow, we finished the upstairs in stages, remodeled the downstairs, added central heat, and air. For the first three or four years that we lived in the house we heated it with a wood stove. Today, even with prices down, we pay taxes on an appraisal of nearly 500,000. If something were to happen financially, we could sell it and buy a smaller home. Had we rented, we'd have a few boxes full of paid rent receipts worth zero, and an equal amount of equity. Getting off the soapbox.

My favorite? Lemonade, home made by me. One pint fresh squeezed lemon juice including pulp, seven pints Poland Spring (or other) spring water, 1 3/4 cups sugar. Put one quart water and the sugar in a pot, put on stove, medium heat, stirring occasionally until all sugar is dissolved making a syrup. Put the juice into a gallon jug, add a couple of pints of water, then add the syrup and shake well. Finish filling the jug, shaking as you go to mix up contents. Put in fridge to get cold. If you can't wait, fill a glass with ice, and pour the drink over the ice. The lemonade is potent enough to handle any ice melt that occurs while it is getting cold. The rest of my list. Orange juice Milk, a must have for brownies or chocolate cake. Water Coca Cola Sierra Mist or Sprite (SM has a little more zing) Cranberry juice I do drink coffee occasionally, apple cider in season, and other soft drinks, ginger ale, root beer and orange soda. None of these on a regular basis.

Here's how to save big dollars on the interest. Ask for the amortization sheet which gives you a monthly breakdown of the loan. How much goes toward interest, and how much goes toward principle each month. We did this. I assume home mortgages are still front end loaded so the bulk of the early payments is for interest with a small portion applied to the principle. With each monthly payment add the amount of the next months payment that will go to principal, and you have eliminated that much interest from your total. Do that each month, and you will pay off the loan in half the time. If you make payment number one plus the principle for payment number two, you will then need to make your next monthly payment for number three, plus the principle for number four. Keep in mind, if you do this, each month's payment will increase simply because the amount applied to the principle will be increased. At some point, it may not be practical to make such large payments. Nevertheless, if you do make an additional principle payment to your loan, you will have saved thousands of dollars, possibly tens of thousands. It depends on the size of your loan. One other thing to note. Paying the next month's principle ahead of time does not mean you can skip the next payment. Check with your bank beforehand. Years ago, banks frowned on the practice but it was legal. Since more than forty years have passed, regulations may have changed.

The Roberto Carlos kick looked like some of my golf drives. I can hit a wicked slice when I want to, and sometimes when I don't want to.

Once in a while it gets slow. This morning I tried to reply to this thread and it just about stopped. Had been fine 'til then. It's OK now.

Be sure to put a good dollop of marine silicone sealant on the damaged fiberglass and a good ring of it on the washer. When fiberglass is broken, water can wick into it. If it freezes, the damage will spread. Make sure the damaged area is thoroughly dry before applying the sealant.

At sixteen, you are still discovering who you are. You need to broaden your horizons and try new things. Many of the things that grab your attention will be passing fads. Others can last a lifetime. Enjoy as many of the things life has to offer as possible. Good luck on life's journey.

Fast enough to blister the finish. Maybe they need space shuttle tiles instead of paint.

This thread was prompted in part by the article, and in part because my wife got one of those one cup Keurig (sp?) coffee brewers. Coffee, I can take it or leave it. There are two times I may drink coffee. The first is if we go out to breakfast. Depending on my mood it's either a large glass of OJ, or the never ending cup of coffee (decaf). The other time I'll drink it is while travelling. Usually it's a medium, regular, with caffein, and a couple of bagels or donuts, from DD. When I leave the house to get to the lake/pond just before daylight, I get ice for the cooler at a 24hr gas station, then pull through the drive through for the medium, regular, hi-test DD coffee and a couple of donuts. Takes care of breakfast, and gives me a jump start to stay alert.

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/111366749.html

If you've seen the movie "The Bucket List" you've heard of it. Cat poop coffee. Seeds/beans marinated in the bowels of an animal. Be sure to check out the comments. This comment is priceless. "Pass" me a mug of crap-puchino" http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/12/04/16433111.html

Thunderstorms, though they are much more than an annoyance. The only time wind really annoys me is when there are whitecaps, and the wind is blowing onto the launching ramp. One of the ponds I regularly fish has a sandy ramp with very little slope. You literally have to get all four wheels into the water to launch and load, with the water not quite up to the rear axle level. When the wind whips up while fishing, the only way to reasonably load the boat is to set the anchor off the stern, then let the boat drift to the shore, and tie the line to a stern cleat when the boat is close to the shore, and off to the side of the "ramp". Back the trailer into the water, get in the boat, and pull it back toward the anchor. That's no small feat when waves are splashing over the stern. Once in deep enough water, lower the motor, start it, pull in the anchor, back the boat further out and get it lined up for the run to the trailer. Nudge it in and out of gear, with a bit of reverse now and then to slow it down, and keep your fingers crossed that you get it right the first time. With the stern bobbing up and down, there is not much chance of backing away without getting the prop into the bottom. Can't even powerload, for that reason. I wear my hip boots for the process so I can get off the bow, into the water, and winch the boat into place on the trailer.

Thunderstorms, though they are much more than an annoyance. The only time wind really annoys me is when there are whitecaps, and the wind is blowing onto the launching ramp. One of the ponds I regularly fish has a sandy ramp with very little slope. You literally have to get all four wheels into the water to launch and load, with the water not quite up to the rear axle level. When the wind whips up while fishing, the only way to reasonably load the boat is to set the anchor off the stern, then let the boat drift to the shore, and tie the line to a stern cleat when the boat is close to the shore, and off to the side of the "ramp". Back the trailer into the water, get in the boat, and pull it back toward the anchor. That's no small feat when waves are splashing over the stern. Once in deep enough water, lower the motor, start it, pull in the anchor, back the boat further out and get it lined up for the run to the trailer. Nudge it in and out of gear, with a bit of reverse now and then to slow it down, and keep your fingers crossed that you get it right the first time. With the stern bobbing up and down, there is not much chance of backing away without getting the prop into the bottom. Can't even powerload, for that reason. I wear my hip boots for the process so I can get off the bow, into the water, and winch the boat into place on the trailer.

Thunderstorms, though they are much more than an annoyance. The only time wind really annoys me is when there are whitecaps, and the wind is blowing onto the launching ramp. One of the ponds I regularly fish has a sandy ramp with very little slope. You literally have to get all four wheels into the water to launch and load, with the water not quite up to the rear axle level. When the wind whips up while fishing, the only way to reasonably load the boat is to set the anchor off the stern, then let the boat drift to the shore, and tie the line to a stern cleat when the boat is close to the shore, and off to the side of the "ramp". Back the trailer into the water, get in the boat, and pull it back toward the anchor. That's no small feat when waves are splashing over the stern. Once in deep enough water, lower the motor, start it, pull in the anchor, back the boat further out and get it lined up for the run to the trailer. Nudge it in and out of gear, with a bit of reverse now and then to slow it down, and keep your fingers crossed that you get it right the first time. With the stern bobbing up and down, there is not much chance of backing away without getting the prop into the bottom. Can't even powerload, for that reason. I wear my hip boots for the process so I can get off the bow, into the water, and winch the boat into place on the trailer.