GEAR BOX

Next time you are going down the road and your steering feels a little loose, check it out. It could be more serious than you think.

This week I had to have this replaced. It's the steering gear box, old one in the vice, new one on the table.

Once in the shop the first job was to dig out the snow (from the trip to the ditch) and check for damage.

The old and new parts were compared to make sure everything was exact and would go together properly.

When it's -22*C outside you really appreciate a warm garage with a lift; makes the work go that much faster. Thanks to Abe everything went back in as planned and now we no longer have a loose steering system. Should be good for another 350, 000 kilometers.

Safe travels everyone and enjoy the sunshine.

IN THE DITCH

Yesterday Abe (my mechanic) called and said the steering box had arrived and he could replace it. I needed to get organized so told him I would be there by 11.

On my way to the garage this happened. I pulled over to avoid a driver who felt they were entitled to the WHOLE road and ended up dropping a wheel then the whole truck into the ditch ......... not a good way to start the day.

Even though I have four wheel drive I was stuck ............. unable to move forward or back and no cell phone. Time to walk and find help.

Fortunately Gerry (my pastor) lives about a kilometer down the road so off I went praying he was home and not back in the bush cutting trees.

Within an hour I was out of the ditch and on the road again; thanks to Gerry, bless his heart.

I called Abe, let him know I was finally mobile again and would be there shortly.

Some days you really appreciate friends. Thanks Gerry what will I do when you move?

Safe travels everyone and be sure to stay out of the ditch.

OWL'S EYES

Mary always has several quilt projects on the go but this Owl quilt is the most challenging.

First a pattern had to be made and then each feather had to be cut out; much like a jigsaw puzzle. Of course before any of this started all the right shades of fabric had to be found and washed. Each piece is then ironed onto a paper backing before being attached to the pattern board.

The eyes are critical as that is what first catches your attention. They aren't finished yet as there is still many hours of work needed before this quilt is ready to be hung.

A less demanding quilt is this checkered wool quilt made from old coats. It's beautiful and will become my camping blanket to keep me warm as we enjoy campfires with Owen this summer.

On bitter cold sunny days this is Mary's preferred  location; at her sewing machine with a view across our frozen pond.

Now it's time to throw another log on the fire and make plans for the day ahead.

Safe travels everyone.

YOGA VIEW

This is our "yoga" view. Yes, our bodies have reached that stage where they need HELP! They're stiff, slow and unresponsive at times. When we move we ache, when we walk we wobble, when we sit we sit too long. Time for a change and a challenge and believe me doing yoga stretches before the sun comes up is a challenge. But once the sun peaks over the horizon the view is inspiring.

This is my favourite view ..................... flat on my back ................... a two minute rest. It's also my best pose.

While I struggle with the balance, and holding still for 10 seconds the view keeps changing, distracting me and causing me to lose my concentration.

So far no injuries and I haven't fallen against the wood stove.

Still waiting to see a twenty year old body looking back from the mirror but I guess that will take more than three weeks of stretching.

Time for breakfast then a snowshoe across the lake.

Stay warm and safe everyone.

STORMS ALL AROUND

Looks like this will be our winter pattern for the next few days. Forecast calls for lots of snow, with storm fronts rolling through on a regular bases. For those who have gone south, .............. see what you are missing.

I've already plowed once and will need to do it again after lunch. So glad to have the skid-steer which makes the work easy and keeps me warm while doing it.

An hour later the sun came out.

Fire is on, we are warm, fresh donuts (keto) just came out of the oven. I think we will survive.

Stay safe and travel lightly.

COMPANY

It's winter; it's cold and dark and having visitors is wonderful. Today Annie and Marvin dropped by and it was great to have some time together.

After they left we decided it was time for a walk on the lake. We strapped on our snowshoes and went out to watch the sun go down.

As you can see there has been a lot of snowmobiles on the lake this week and with more snow Monday it will be busy again.

It is easy for them to get down to the lake on this path, which by now is well packed down.

Back home our trailer is suffering through the winter, preferring to be south where the sun shines and no one wears a winter coat.  I do try and keep the snow cleared off as too much snow and the roof could cave in. Otherwise it's ready to travel whenever we are. It never complains.

It was a good day for our batteries as they got back to 100% thanks to all the sunshine.

Not much else to report. We are enjoying the fire, the hikes across the lake or back in the bush and any company that drops by.

Thanks for keeping an eye on us and be safe whatever you do.

SOUS VIDE

Until last week I had never heard of the term "Sous-Vide" which means under pressure; let alone knew that is was a method of cooking. (unless brother Jim told us and we had forgotten) After reading reports and the glowing endorsements from folks who cook this way I thought it was time to give it a try. Rather than spend money on equipment I used what we had in the house; an old picnic cooler and resealable bags. You do need an instant read thermometer.

Sous-Vide is a method where meat is sealed and cooked in a water bath at low temperatures. For our steak we went with 132*F do give us a medium/rare steak.

This morning I bought the cheapest steak in the butcher shop, a sirloin tip. I had it cut an inch and a half thick which gave us a pound and a half steak.

That was salted, sealed in the bag and placed in the water bath with the temperature checked every half hour.

To help retain the heat I wrapped the cooler in a blanket.

After two hours we removed the steak and seared it in a pan of butter and oil.

Best steak ever; done to perfection and so tasty. It was melt in your mouth delicious; .............. so delicious we ate the whole thing. Time to go back to the butcher.

Sous-Vide is a fool proof way to get the best from your cut of meat. Using the picnic cooler does require you to keep and eye on the process and be available to adjust the temperature of the water. You can buy a sous-vide cooker which clips to the side of a pot and maintains the perfect temperature without you being present. That might be the route to take if you wanted to do a larger piece of meat such as a roast; less hassle, less work.

Will we do it again? Most definitely, we are already talking chicken in the bag.  I think we will also use this method when we camp as the meat could be cooking while out hiking or driving to the park. We will see how to perfect the system so it can be done while on the road. (don't want water spilling all over the place)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your supper ..................... we did.

MICE

For seven years we never saw evidence of rodents until this past week. I noticed empty sunflower seeds in my birdseed storage bin and first thought it might have been just damaged seeds from the processing; not so. Next day even more empty seed shells so I knew it was time to take some serious steps and remove these uninvited intruders.

It soon became apparent that my dollar store traps were not up to the task. The traps were tripped but the mouse was too fast. Time for new traps.

I found these and have been very happy. Easy to use, no contact with the mice and so far every catch has been successful. That little orange dot you see in the trap above is cheese. It is held in a plug that you remove from underneath, fill then screw back into place. The mouse steps up on the platform to get the cheese and the trap springs into action. .......... one less mouse.

Here you see the plug full of cheese before loading it into the trap.

Imagine the white pen is the mouse. To dispose of the mouse simply press down on the flipped up handle at the back. Disposal is simple, easy and there is no contact with the little critter.

This week we've caught four, but last night was a no mouse night and maybe we have solved the problem. Now we just need to discover how they managed to get in.

KETO BREAKFAST

This morning Mary made Keto pizza for breakfast. The crust was made from Almond flour and cheese.

The usual toppings were added.

Fifteen minutes in the toaster oven and it was ready to eat.

High in fat, low in carb, it was quite delicious for our first attempt. Next time we will add less cheese as well as a teaspoon of flax and chia seeds to the crust.

We will try this LCHF way of eating for 3 months and see if we get the results we want.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for stopping by.

1st HIKE OF 2019

To celebrate the new year we joined our neighbours for an afternoon snowshoe hike.

It was a perfect day to be out on the trails.

Owen was a little apprehensive of the dogs so we hung back and gave the group lots of space.

Owen soon relaxed once he realized the dogs were friendly and not a threat.

Two happy hikers.

Three happy hikers, one with a snow cone.

Back home, Owen got busy building the fire: Note the safety goggles and gloves.


It was a great way to start the new year.

We've had such a great time with Owen here but today we have to take him home.

Thanks for stopping by and all the best to you throughout 2019.

BRING IN MORE WOOD

Today's kids are tech savvy. Even Owen's sister who is only two understands what a cell phone is used for and will walk around pretending to talk to Oma. We do let Owen enjoy his i-pad but we also get him outside every day.

He really enjoys snowshoeing and this afternoon we will join our neighbours in a snowshoe hike through the bush.

Not content to simply walk on the flats Owen had to try and navigate a steep hill on his snowshoes.

No trouble going down and little more challenging getting back to the top; but he did it.

He decided we should travel separately and meet at the wood pile. He was litterly running on snowshoes in some spots.

Full of confidence and enjoying every minute on the trails.

When I reached the wood pile Owen wasn't to be seen. Looking around I found him hiding inside one of our cubes. He does like to have fun and play tricks on grandpa.

The sled was quickly filled with wood.

A sled full of wood is heavy and a challenge for even me to pull.

We did manage to get the sled and Owen up to the house.

Owen then enjoyed some time watching the squirrels feed. He was very still and quiet, hoping they would take seeds from his hand. They did come very close and Owen tried to imitate their sounds to make them less nervous but the seeds remained untouched in his hand; maybe next time.

Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY NEW YEAR! everyone.