When we choose the new story, our storyline changes. It’s no longer just about who we are, and the moments that matter. It’s about seeking and finding Jesus in those moments—in the struggle–letting Him rewrite our past, present and future into a redemptive story of hope.
Perhaps we are focused on the wrong parts of the story’s ending. Resolution may look like unfinished business and unreconciled relationships. It may look like continued gray scale in so many aspects of life—in our sin, in our struggle, in our suffering. Resolution may look like more uncertainty in this temporary life and more certainty about God. Resolution may look like bumps and bruises that remind us to fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
Resolution may look like daily reminders of our own weakness, when we must choose to believe that God is greatest, and He knows best because we don’t have any other options. Resolution may look like the unwritten parts of the story where our only true hope is the goodness of God and the reality of eternity.
Perhaps that’s the only happy ending we truly need.
https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/12644-finding-joy-when-thestruggleisreal/day/7
Author: Garry
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Happy ever after?
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High Mileage Week
Funny how we still say “mileage” when things are typically measured in kilometres. Kilometerage certainly sounds funny and I don’t think it’s even a word.
Anyway, this week my mileage was about twice the typical week at 425km thanks to a FROG (77km), FOG (95km), solo ride (82km) and my Ride to Conquer cancer (160km) ride.
This is the biggest milage week in quite some time.
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Ride to Conquer Cancer
2022 is the 15th anniversary of Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer to raise funds for Princess Margaret Cancer Centre research and my 2nd ride. Not being in Toronto it’s a bit of a solo event as opposed to the fully supported ride from Toronto to Hamilton on Day 1 and then on to Niagara Falls on Day 2 with pit stops, lunch, dinner accommodations etc.
At the Legion, ready to go Last year I was at the lake riding but this year I find myself in the city. The “official” ride is on the weekend, June 11 & 12 but the Saturday forecast here in Winnipeg is a bit iffy so I opted to ride on Thursday which was a perfect day, sunny, mid-twenties and very light winds.
The FOG casual ride group had planned a ride on Thursday as well which meant that I could hook up with them and have company for the first 100km, perhaps more and then finish up the remaining distance on my own to get to the 160km goal. 160km or 100 miles is a bit of a cyclists achievement referred to as a Century ride.
I load up the jersey pockets with provisions for the anticipated 5+ hours of riding and I leave the house at 8 am to meet the group at the Legion near Henderson Highway and the Perimeter. I’ve ridden from home to the Legion before but always on a Saturday morning. The rush hour traffic is crazy, especially with the one lane closure on Archibald right at the Tim Horton which causes it’s own traffic jam thanks to the drive-thru.
I meet up with the group and there are eight of us with another rider joining en route. The ride is the usual lively pace holding between 30-35km/hr with some faster bits thanks to a slight tail wind from time to time.
All is going well and I’m on target to reach 100 km by the time we get back into the city. As we’re proceeding south on Hwy 59 coming back from Birds Hill Park, I hit something, likely a rock, and get a pinch flat. Everyone stops and helps me repair the flat and we’re back underway, for about 100 feet and then there is a gunshot loud “explosion” as the same front tire gets another flat!
Upon closer inspection, which I should have done the first time, there is a sizeable cut in the sidewall of the tire and sort of like a hernia the tube which is at 100psi squeezes out the cut and explodes. Again, everyone stops and assists with this “discovery”.
The fix this time, in addition to my last new tube, is duct tape to the rescue! Dave somehow comes up with a small piece and places it over the cut on the inside of the tire. The new tube is then inflated to about 50-60 psi so as not to put too much pressure on the duct tape fix. It’s rideable but a little squishy feeling in the front. Now the goal is to get back home for some more serious repairs. Dave sticks with me as we ride to Windsor Park and the tire holds up all the way home.
Part 1 So much for 160km all in one go. But wait, there is more!?
I knew I’d need new tires sometime this year so last fall I caught a sale and had ordered a pair of Continental 5000s which were ready and waiting. Into the basement shop for a full tire change and I’m good to go again. Since I’m at home anyway I take the time to have a bit of lunch and refresh the water bottles before heading out for the last 60km.
Heading south to Ile de Chene will take me to 30+ and a good place to turn around and head home. Tires were great and no further incidents happened. Listening to a few podcasts helps the time solo riding pass.
Part 2 Some additional Strava info for the cycling geeks. Part 2 was a fair bit slower as I was more tired at this point and it’s easy to slack off when you’re not pacing with other riders.
Fundraising turned out well! A big thanks to all who supported this worthy cause.
So, in the end it all turns out well and my goal of 100 miles was achieved, just not the way I anticipated, like so much of life.
The Official Socks of the 2022 R2CC UPDATE: The Ride raised $16.37 million for breakthrough research at The Princess Margaret, and it rained on them going from Hamilton to Niagara Falls ?
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High and going higher
Oh yeah, the water is high and getting higher in the coming week and it’s raining today.?
Lake of the Woods water levels are now higher that I’ve ever experienced in 40+ years of lake life. It’s well over our original dock.
Our floating dock section is now riding higher that the fixed section and we normally use a 3 step ladder to get down to the floating dock!. Also in this picture. below the far end has been floated up several inches but still seems to be attached to the underlying crib. I’m sure there will be some repairs needed when the lake goes down.
That right hand end shouldn’t be tilting up like that! The boat ramp that last year I had to put a skid extension on to get the boat over some rocks because the water was so low is now almost getting ready to float away. The back end is floating and I think the boat on the new roller system is helping to hold it down a bit.
Record precipitation this spring in the basin has lead to record inflows to the Lake of the Woods resulting in very high levels.
The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.89 m (1062.6 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 10 cm (4 in) over past week. The lake level has risen above the 2014 peak of 323.78 m (1062.29 ft) and is below the record peak since regulation began of 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950.
http://lwcb.ca/noticeboard/2022/06/01/lake-level-forecasts-2022-06-01/The level of Lake of the Woods is expected to rise by approximately 9-12 cm (4-5 in) over the next 7 days
http://lwcb.ca/noticeboard/2022/06/01/lake-level-forecasts-2022-06-01/This next jump in the level could put the whole dock at risk ☹️. Return to normal lake levels “could be many weeks out”.
On the bright side the boat slip could now float the Queen Mary ?
Lower kayak is touching the water A view from the boat.
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Cottage Opening 2022: The rest of the story
On Friday, May 20th, I spent much of the day just tidying up after the fall shutdown putting things back in place for the summer. In the evening all the family came out and we had some nice conversation over a few beverages. (Part 1 is here)
In the morning Scott and I watch the F1 practice sessions, after all it is his birthday weekend and also an F1 race weekend in Miami. After breakfast the boys and I tend to some of the heavier dock work. Well, actually the guys do all the heavy lifting, I’m just directing traffic.
The aluminum boat is flipped right side up and the Merc outboard is put on the boat. After a few pulls (14 but who’s counting. Need to get that electric start fixed) it fires up and we go retrieve the sailboat ramp which floated away to the bay next to us. It’s still all intact so it’s repositioned and winched up to a higher location and tied to a large tree.
The boat roller ramp is re-positioned and comes in handy in dealing with the extra high water levels this spring.
It’s not all work and late in the afternoon there is a walk down the road with everyone
and smores around the fire pit. Along with roasting worms and other “boy stuff” ?.
Worm Roast 
Smores – much tastier Dinner is the classic lake burgers with “cheese goo”, potato salad, beans marinated tomatoes and all the condiments. Plus a special dessert for the birthday boy.
On Sunday the family is packing up to get back to town for a number of different commitments. Scott and I watch the F1 race before he goes, well the start anyway. I finish it up after they have gone.
It’s early in the day and all the family have left so before tackling a few more startup tasks, there is time for the coffee on the deck lake tradition.
Then it’s back to “work”, which is always more like fun at the lake. I take the kayaks down to the dock mainly so I can use one to paddle over to some friends on an island near us to say hello.
Lots of docks are weighted down against the high water After that it’s cut up some downed trees on the path and haul the brush up to the road. The yard gets a raking and the property gets the leaf blower cleanup treatment. Things are looking pretty tidy. The boat is washed out and battery installed, ready to go for the season.
With the high water I get the garbage cans from 2014 down to the dock and fill them up with water to hopefully stabilize the top of the dock against the high water and waves.
On Monday I’m up at 6:15 but still miss the sunrise which is 5:26am these days, perhaps tomorrow. Generally a relaxed morning then a quick bike ride over the Rushing River.
Rushing River from the Highway Bridge 
Rushing River at the Cook Shelter In the afternoon it’s cleaning the eavestroughs front and back both of which were more that a little plugged up with leaves and gunk.
Tuesday I am up for the sunrise at 5am on a totally clear and cool (8°C) morning. After easing into the day with several cups of coffee and a light breakfast I start the investigation on replacing the rotted beam that supports the deck in the front left corner.
This years major repair job This could be a bit of a job as it’s 2 – 2×10 – 16′ and 10′ in the air at the high corner on uneven ground. New footings and a temporary support system will be required to do the replacement. Always something fun happening at the cottage.
We pack up in the early afternoon and head back to town. As we pass through Kenora we make the first of the season stop for a little treat for the road. The perfect end to a great opening weekend.
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Col de route secondaire trois
Photo by Drone Trotter on Pexels.com There is this hill.
It’s on branch road 3 off the main Storm Bay Road.
It’s steep but mercifully short.
It’s always at the end of a ride coming home, when there is a little less in the tank.
There are two pitches with a short less steep bit in the middle to try and recover for the final push to the summit.
Yesterday, I had the Wahoo Element disaying the grade. All of it over 10% and a 50 feet of 19%!
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Lake Levels: What does it mean to me
According to the Lake of the Woods Water Control Board, today, May 23, 2022
The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.76 m (1062.2 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 16 cm (6 in) over past week.
All very interesting but what does that mean to me and our cottage?According to the Lake of the Woods Water Control Board, today, May 13, 2022
Well, at this level the water is +19″ over the swim platform
And -2″ below the main dock at the far end, right hand side.
It also means we’re trying to prevent the dock top from ripping off and floating away with some garbage cans full of water to weight it down.
Water-filled garbage cans -
High Water on Lake of the Woods
After a very low lake level at freeze up it’s surprising how high it is on the May long weekend. Not as high as 2014, but getting there.
Floating at the end of ramp 
Getting close to the top 
Swim platform well under 
Normally dry under kayak rack 
Water line in the water The current level of Lake of the Woods is 323.66 m (1061.9 ft), over 95th percentile level for this time of year. The average lake level rose by 26 cm (10 in) over past week. The lake is above the top of the Legislated Operating Range, 323.47 m (1061.25 ft). The International Lake of the Woods Control Board has been activated and will work with the Canadian Lake of the Woods Control Board to approve any actions taken with respect to Lake of the Woods. The dams in Kenora remain fully opened with no changes scheduled.
Lake of the Woods Control Board May 18, 2022 NoticeThings are getting close to the 2014 levels, the highest I’ve seen in 40+ years. That year the water was right over the top of our docks!
Over at Rushing River things are humming along…
Similarly at the Longbow Lake Dam.
And the Blindfold Dam
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Washing Machine in Hot water
One summer the water connection to the washing machine started to leak.
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Cottage Opening 2022 – Part 1
We’re out at the cottage on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the May long weekend. One of the perks of being retired.
May long weekend is the traditional weekend for opening up the cottage, turning on the water and getting everything operational for the 2022 season. May it be long, sunny, warm/hot, with lots of family and friends.
A foggy start to the day In over 40 years of opening up this cottage it’s always interesting to experience. It can go totally smooth to a total disaster. Well, maybe not disaster but some openings are a little more challenging than others. This year things are going quite smoothly.
Pretty much the number one concern is the water system. For many years this involved putting the intake line back in the lake and priming the pump. A few year back this started to be a real problem. Several attempts were made at fixing the pump, replacing the pump, coaxing the pump, praying over the pump. Finally we switched to a submersible pump. Best decision ever. You turn it on and it pumps, no priming required and it stays in the lake all year round so no pulling it out in the fall and putting it back in the spring.
Over the years cottage water systems evolve. A leak here, a burst pipe there, additions and adjustments everywhere. To solve many of the issues with water freezing in the lines over the winter numerous pipe disconnect points evolved which meant disconnecting and re-connecting every year.
A couple of years back I made a fairly serious upgrade to the plumbing to facilitate an easier shutdown and startup. Pex pipe to the rescue. In conjunction with ball valve drains all the disconnect points were installed. 1/4 turn and it’s opened or closed. All the under cottage water lines were upgraded to pex and all outside taps were changed to 1/4 turn ball valves that don’t leak the way taps with washers eventually do.
All in all with the upgraded plumbing and the submersible pump starting the water system is much faster and easier. However, not totally bullet proof! Somehow last year some dirt got on the pressure switch contacts causing the pump to not run. And not immediately but the next day after it seemed to have started up just fine.
This years “mystery” was the hot water tank. After it was full of water I turned on the power at the breaker. Normally, 20 minutes later you have screaming hot water. This year, ice cold. Lake water temperature is currently 5°C. Not the best temperature for a shower. So I reset the breaker and thankfully we have hot water. This could be an early sign of the breaker getting worn out as we turn it off when we’re not here. So, 40 years of spring/summer/fall weekends with it getting flicked off and on may be wearing it out.
This morning (Thursday) I tackle a few more “opening” chores.
- Move all the chairs and outside stuff out of the shop
- Reconnect the washing machine (separate post on that)
- Fire up the septic system by installing the air pump and connecting a few hoses etc. (uneventful, which is great as this is the Number 2 ? concern at the lake)
- Cut up a downed tree blocking the path to the dock.
- Unload the chairs and loungers from the dock storage shed
- Notice that the sail boat ramp is “gone” due to the high water. I’ll look around the bay for it this after noon.
Ok, that’s enough, time for a coffee break, perhaps some lunch and then heading out on the Oarboard to look around for that missing boat ramp.
