Tempus Fugit

Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies

Author: garry.c.stewart

  • excess

    Ever wonder why we need it all? All that “stuff”? The mall is the perfect example of excess and catering to our desire for stuff. All in one place, more stuff than anyone can use, or afford. Perhaps that’s it, I’m frustrated and anoyed by being exposed to so much stuff that I’ll never have or use or enjoy or whatever.

    Bookstores are the worst. Who reads all these books? Too many of every kind which makes it hard to decide between all the stuff that you can’t possible use or consume or enjoy. Frustration sets in and its easier just to walk away. Easier on the wallet too.

  • Winter Greeter

    This cute little person showed up on our door step one weekend while we were away, and he even shoveled the driveway! Thanks!

    Greeter

  • Hoar Frost City

    Frost City #2
    Hoarfrost (glossary definition)

    Hoarfrost A deposit of interlocking ice crystals (hoar crystals) formed by direct sublimation on objects, usually those of small diameter freely exposed to the air, such as tree branches, plant stems and leaf edges, wires, poles, etc., which surface is sufficiently cooled, mostly by nocturnal radiation, to cause the direct sublimation of the water vapor contained in the ambient air.

    I just think it’s pretty.

  • Winter Lake Adventure

    Every year we try to make at least one trip out to the cottage to experience beautiful Lake of the Woods in the winter. This year has been the warmest ever with temperatures above 0°C. Arriving last night we hauled the gear in and fired up the furnace and the fireplace. Things were warming nicely when we noticed the furnace had stopped. Oh yeah, the circuit breaker was acting up last year and we didn’t get around to replacing it. In the past, it would run for quite some time and then trip off. After resetting a couple of times it generally started to stay on and work fine. Tonight it’s flipping off ever 5 minutes, and its not really getting any warmer. After some serious electrical panel investigation is seems more cooperative. We head off to sleep and the furnace runs most of the night and by morning it’s nice and toasty.

    On Saturday morning, it’s actually raining! The trees are getting coated with ice and I imagine the roads are getting pretty exciting for driving. First order of business is a coffee, followed by fetching some water from the lake.

    Watering Hole
    Watering Hole
    Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo

    Getting water from the lake has traditionally involved about a 1/2 hour of very aggressive pick axe chopping of a hole in the ice. As the ice can be around 2+ feet thick, you start choping a hold that’s about 3′ across which narrows in as you go deeper and you hope you break through before its to narrow to swing the pick in. If this happens, its more work, widening out the hole to about 4′ across. Many a year I’ve worked up a great sweat and taken off my jacket even at -20C while chopping he hole.

    This year, brains over brawn has kicked it. I purchased an ice auger. That bad boy put an 8″ hole through 11″ of ice in under 30 seconds with very little effort. It was so easy and fun that I drilled a second hole just for the heck of it.

    Water acquired and breakfast consumed, it was time to explore the neighborhood. Not to much to report, as very few people are around. It looks like all the local residents have gone south for the winter. Given the wet conditions of the snow we decided to do a little building.

    Standing Guard
    Standing Guard
    Originally uploaded by Big Dadoo


  • Railroad Clock

    Clock Repair

    Clock Cleanup

    Back in Action

    I’ve had this clock since I was about 14 and at that time is was already an official antique, being appraised a just over 100 years old. It was originally in the train station in Rennie, Manitoba near Brerton Lake in the Whiteshell. So, how did I get this little treasure? Well one weekend my Dad and one of his friends were doing some maintenance work at the CGIT Camp on the lake and that meant I was helping. My assignment that day was to paint and immense dinning hall floor a very nice shade of battleship gray. Wow, just how I wanted to spend my Saturday at the lake. The clock was hanging in the hall and as I painted, it caught my interest. The varnish finish was all cracked and pealing and it didn’t run. Well, with a little negotiating I managed to obtain ownership of the clock in lieu of payment for my days labours.

    Once I had it home, I began the re-finishing process and stripped off the varnish and replaced it with a nice soft oil finish. The clock mechanism was another story. Upon investigation, one of the brass gears had a tooth broken off, something that a 14 year old wasn’t going to be able to fix. Dad to the rescue! He took the clock to an old school clock repair guy, probably one of the last in the city ,and a new tooth was fashioned and soldered into place.

    Did I mention that it ticks rather loudly? The clock was installed in a place of honors on the wall at the foot of my bed. It took me a night or two to get used to the ticking, apparently it took my parents much longer to get used to sleeping with the rhythmic tick, tock, tick, tock, but everybody survived.

    Ever since then the clock has been in our home. A while back the rod attachment that holds the pendulum in place broke off, so there was no more ticking. And then, during a recent redecorating spree I was informed that it’s place of honour in the living room was no longer “appropriate”. Since that day the clock has been in storage. So, this weekend the restoration began again. A fresh coat of oil finish, some brass polish and re-attaching the rod for the pendulum has it in tip top shape once more, and restored to a place of honour in my office.

  • Snow Time

    Snow Time

    I like the way the new roll up garage door didn’t have to try and push the snow out of the way to open up like the old door did. Shoveling was a good workout. More snow please!

  • Blue Screen of Death

    Blue Screen of Death

    This took a full re-image of my hard drive to get rid of. Lots of fun locating all the software you acquire and configure. Since I’ve had to do this a couple of time now I’m developing a cheat-sheet document to help the process along. That and Norton Ghost doing very regular backups.

  • Rullupylsa in the Raw

    The making of an Icelandic Tradition

    Back on December 8th we re-vitalized an Icelandic tradition that has been in our family for as long as I can remember. My Ama made it, then my Mom, made it and somewhere along the line I started making it. For a few years we sort of dropped the ball for one reason or another, mainly because we lost our connection to a good source of Lamb flanks. But this year, we’ve re-instituted the tradition with a little help from Thor’s Meats and Groceries in Selkirk, Manitoba, a great source for boned lamb flank. FYI, boned flank saves a ton of work. Anyway with the main ingredient secured, we began the 6-8 day process, prepping the meat as shown in the photo.  They turned out fabulously and we’ve enjoyed it several time this season with friends and family. We’ve even managed to share it around the country by sending some to my sister and brother-in-law in Victoria, and cousins in Toronto. If you’re thinking of giving it a try, here is the recipe.

  • You know it’s going to be a bad day when …

    Other hilarious images over here.

  • And then there were five

    Today’s FOG ride started out and a very balmy -3°C and virtually no wind. The flags on the Legion were just hanging straight down. As I pulled into the parking lot at 9:50am I was greeted by one rider, Dave. As I got my gear together and we chatted, we wondered where everbody was? The temperatures have been in this zone before, and there has been a decent turnout. Before long were joined by Tom and then shortly after Roland pulls in. Great, there are four of us, and it will make for a good ride. It’s a little after 10 and Juergen rolls into to the lot. We decide to wait for him and by 10:15, we’re off.

    The ride to Lockport was a little brisk as all the blood was re-directed to the legs and away from fingers and feet, but after that it was a pleasant ride. We crossed over on 44 and out to 206 and up into Birds Hill Park. A very civilized cruise up 206 with Dave pulling all the way and nobody breaking out of the paceline for a little sprint to the top.

    We skipped the lap aroung the Park, and were cautious of a little snow and ice on the shoulders, and headed back on Hwy 59 to Prichard Farm Road for a brisk 36-37Kph run up to Henderson and then back to the Legion for 63km ride.

    The five of us a laying claim to the “Hard Men of the North” title for the remainder of the year (and perhaps longer) as this may well be the last ride of 2009 with snow forecast later in the week.

    If you’re wondering where Dave is in the photos, he rode home after leaving us at the legion, and of course the camera guy is rarely in the picture.