Way north bass guy

Exactly two years ago today we took possession of this fabulous 25 acre chunk of land. As soon as the paperwork was signed to purchase it, there was talk of chickens. I’ve done a ton of projects in two years, and finally this Mother’s Day I started to build the coop. Figured after putting it off for two years, I better get going with it or I’d be sleeping in the workshop! Well, today, we finally officially became a “farm”. About the smallest farm in the world by livestock standards, but I have a happy wife and kid so job well done I guess ?

Wife gave our extremely ancient cat a “sponge bath” tonight. We don’t know how old he is, adopted him two years ago and that thought he was at least 12 then. He was a fairly plump old cat then, with two frost bitten, mangled ears, but otherwise just the coolest old guy. He’s really gone downhill the last few months, pretty much just a skeleton with cat fur stretched over at this point, with one eye closed up most of the time and hardly any teeth so he drools near constantly, but he still gets around ok and doesn’t seem in any discomfort, so we just keep prodding along. This is his “happy sleeping face” after getting all cleaned up ?

I did pretty much the same thing last week. Picked up a bunch of 16’ lengths of wood siding for our chicken coop. Strapped them down like I always do with long lumber, two heavy ratchet straps. Got home after a 20 min drive from the lumber yard, and when I backed in the barn driveway, I thought “ boy those boards look stretched way out there in the backup camera”. I was lucky, I literally had 2” of space between the first board and the ground. Guess a strap let loose somehow, thankfully I didn’t lose anything, and I was in all backroads all the way home instead of the 4 lane Hwy.

Ah, you’re still just a pup! ( coming from a 43 year old?).

There’s quite a few lakes like that around here too, mainly the smaller lakes that get more pressure. Lots of mid size to larger lakes don’t get near the pressure, and have more places for them to hide and get a chance to get larger. Also, most of the lakes around here have a pretty good variety and amount of forage for them as well.

Snuck out onto my backyard lake for a couple hours this morning before it got too hot, to see if I could find a pike or two. Well, that’s exactly what I found. One about 36” swiped and missed my bait right at the boat, and this guy, a solid 40” long fish that t-boned a jerkbait about 10’ from the boat. Was about the biggest pike I’ve caught out of this lake, and my first 40” fish of the year ( granted I’ve only been out twice, so that’s a pretty good average so far).

I just pretty much finished ours today. Custom built on site, and attached to our greenhouse. Couple little touch ups and a few small things to set up and we’ll be ready for birds next weekend.

I’ve had one on my Terrova for a few years now. Not sure how much it actually helps with vibrations/noise, but it certainly doesn’t seem any worse than before. Best feature for me is I can quickly take the prop off without any tools at the end of every trip to make sure there’s no fishing line etc. stuck on the prop shaft.

I think my most favourite has varied a bit over the years, but nowadays it’s most definitely a frog. So much fun when you get that explosion through a bunch of pads or slop, and you never know how big it’s gonna be until you get a look at it.

Got a start on my wife’s Mother’s Day gift this afternoon. Since we signed the papers for this property two years ago, her and the kid have been taking about getting chickens. I finally got around to starting the coop build today. I’m attaching it to the end wall of our greenhouse, that way we can use the greenhouse heat in the winter to keep “ the ladies” warm, and we can also just open one of the adjoining windows to toss any scraps of lettuce and veggies we pick to give them some treats. Won’t hurt to have some fresh eggs again, I haven’t had chickens since I was a kid living on my parents farm.

Actually that’s a ring of thyme growing around it. If I cut that down I’d be in the doghouse for a day or two?.

Ah, that first cut of the year! Nothing better than the smell of fresh cut grass after a long winter!

My wife went to Scotland with a couple friends two years in a row. Our son was still pretty small, and I was way too busy with work to get away for that long so it was four weeks of working and daycare, fishing and “men’s nights” type dinners for the kid and I. We had a great time.

I use the same, and like it. Not real greasy and works well paired with a Tilley hat, long sleeve uv shirts and long pants.

On several occasions I’ve watched a blue heron snap up a chipmunk or squirrel from a nicely manicured lawn close to the water. One less tree rat to make a mess in the boat!

They’ve really not shown up to this series much until last night. Got a huge hill to climb, against a team that’s been running on all cylinders, and I’m not holding out much hope but it’d be a heck of a series if they can come back at least for another game or two.

Don’t matter to me. Pretty sure it’ll be a LONG time before any google map street view is recorded anywhere near my dead end, dirt road way out in the boonies house ?.

The ionic 125 is specifically made for cranking. Special BMS designed just for that purpose.

I’ve caught hundreds of bass on spinnerbaits over my lifetime, and quite a few of my larger smallmouth over the years have come on a double willow burned as fast as I can reel in gin clear water. Don’t think I’ve ever thrown one that didn’t have a trailer hook on it. They may be big, and mean, but that doesn’t mean they always get the entire bait in their mouths properly. I’ve caught so many big smallmouth on just the trailer hook, that I’d be afraid to throw one around here without it.

It’s amusing to me because you guys never, ever truly get a real winter of any sort down there. All those “little winters” are just a nice spring day around here.

It sure is quite the series. Seems the presidents trophy is not the one to try for, that’s for sure. Oh yeah, whoever wins tonight, we’re ready!

Mine ring. Not too terribly, and it doesn’t ever bother me, but I can definitely hear it when things are silent. I also have some hearing loss, especially in my left ear. 30 years of running cutoff saws and grinders cutting stone at work, and shooting rifles and shotguns have taken their toll, especially when I was younger and didn’t wear proper protection all the time. Now I have earplugs or headphones on anytime I’m using something like that. Luckily it’s only high pitched sounds for now, but I’m sure over time it’ll only get worse, but the damage is done and I’ll just learn to live with it.

Given the distance I’d have to travel to work for you, it’s doable but man it’s gonna cost you. Also, I have a free week about the last week of May 2024, so book it quick!

I just want to get out more. Last year was a busy one, between being super busy at work, and doing a bunch of projects around the house, I didn’t get out near as much as I wanted to. This year, that’s gonna change. Even if it means just a couple hours on the lake across the road from me after dinner, or an hour walking the river bank behind the house with a frog rod and a beer, I’m going to stretch my string mor often this season!

Look at all that hair!?