WE'RE ON TV

If you would like a tour of our "Off Grid Home" then check out the video done by "Exploring Alternatives" on their You Tube channel,  click HERE

Hope you enjoy it.

TOO COLD TO START

It's -14*C this morning, cold enough to make the oil in the logsplitter as thick as molasses. I tried to warm everything up using the blowtorch; but since I really didn't know what I was doing decided to wait until the sun does its job.

One tire was flat so removed it and will get it repaired before the day is over.

Once everything is warmed up then it's back to splitting logs and stacking firewood. No need for a gym membership up here.

Time for a little breakfast and then back to work.

Thanks for stopping by and keeping an eye on us.

UPDATE

After breakfast I took out a bucket of hot coals and placed it under the motor. A half hour later it was easy to start and the wood is now stacked and drying.

CHAINSAW MAINTENANCE

My chainsaws received a lot of heavy use when we first started clearing the property so we could build our retirement home. Since then they often sit unused for months, but when I need them I want them to work. Maintenance is essential if that is to happen.

As you can see I've been neglecting my chainsaws and allowing crud to buildup inside the housing. Eventually this will hamper the way the chainsaw functions. Last week I noticed the chain oil which is essential was not being released onto the chain. This causes the chain to overheat and stress the machine. Time to open things up and do some much needed cleaning.

Once all the nooks and crevices have been cleaned and are free of sawdust then you need to take the saw outside and get it running before attaching the blade. This will give you an opportunity to see if the chain oil is free to flow onto the chain. If all the openings have been cleaned then you will see the oil trickle out as the engine runs.

The bar also needs some attention and cleaning. Simply take a thin blade (I used a hooked blade used for cutting roof shingles) and draw it through the groove on the top and bottom of the bar. It's surprising how much caked sawdust and oil one removes from that thin channel.

Cleaned, reassembled and ready to work; now it's time to think about firewood for next winter. The sooner I get the trees down and firewood stacked the longer they dry and the better they burn. Winter is a busy season up here and getting our own firewood keeps us active.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for keeping an eye on us.

ENOUGH SNOW

This month has seen major dumps of snow every weekend and yesterday we got another 20 cm of the wet heavy variety. I'm so thankful to have the skid-steer to handle the plowing regardless of the depth or weight of snow.

Plowing our driveway is easy as my first pass is downhill which allows gravity to help move the first heavy pass.

Out on the road many trees are bent low under the weight of the wet snow. It will be a while before our road gets plowed but that is OK as we aren't going anywhere.

Fire is on and we are comfortable. Time now for a hot-chocolate and some breakfast.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for stopping by.

THROUGH THE TREES

Sitting by our wood stove this morning we enjoyed watching the new day arrive.

Across the frozen pond and through the trees the light of the new day slowly filled the sky. Spectacular!

Time to think, reflect and enjoy the peace and quiet.

UPDATE 10:30 a.m.

The time to relax was short. We've been busy this morning collecting firewood for next winter

Safe travels everyone and enjoy the sunrise wherever you are.

BARRY'S BAY

This morning we headed north to Barry's Bay a community of 1,300 people on Lake Kamaniskeg in the Madawaska Valley.  Although smaller than Bancroft it has a larger hospital which is able to perform a broader range of medical tests. It was just another routine test, in the ever growing list as we age.

We decided to take the back roads which was slower but took us past many abandoned farms where old timber framed barns still stand, empty and unused today.

We also spotted this flock of wild turkeys heading for shelter in the trees. Turkeys are plentiful up here and frequently seen when we travel.

We arrived at the St. Francis Memorial Hospital in plenty of time to get registered and looked after. As I waited in the lobby I read the hospital's misssion statement and code of conduct freguently posted on the large TV screen. One clear message that was repeated often was that abusive conduct from patient or visitors would not be tolerated and the police would be called to deal with such individuals. Sad that we have to remind adults how to behave inside a hospital. Seems to be a new trend in how society is going.

Once done we headed to the Ashe Grove restaurant for lunch. It's a popular place as you can see by all the snowmobiles parked out front. Their food is delicious, home cooked and made from scratch; not something heated in a microwave.

Now we are home enjoying the warmth of our wood stove and a glass of wine.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for stopping by.

LOOKS LIKE WINTER

Our snowbanks are now as high as my skid-steer. Last night we got another 20-25cm and we spent today plowing.

Looks like tomorrow's job will be taking the snow off the roof of my trailer.

Our road had so much snow the guy plowed it twice during the storm. He does a great job and we can easily get out when needed.

Even like this our solar panels were producing power all day filling our batteries as I worked to clear the driveway. It's a great system and we've had no issues since installing it in 2012.

Stay safe and warm everyone and thanks for stopping by.

COLD MORNING IN BANCROFT

Woke up this morning to -25*C outside.

It's so cold the birds are sitting around our chimney cap to keep warm.

We heat with wood and it is stacked on our back porch close and easy to reach when needed. This is our reserve which we hope not to touch until next year when it will be good and dry.

Today our batteries will get fully charged thanks to at least 8 hours of full sun. Tomorrow will be a different story as we are expecting 20-25 cm of snow. It will make for great snowshoeing conditions through our forest.

Stay safe and warm everyone and thanks for stopping by.

CANADIAN MEDICAL SERVICE

I just returned from two days in Toronto where I had a CT scan done and a followup with the doctor the same day.  When possible we try and get any appointments all done the same day to avoid repeated trips.

Fortunately all our children live in the GTA so plenty of choices of where to stay overnight.

I walked over to Toronto Western  Hospital where I was booked for the CT scan at 10:30 a.m. Since I had to be there early to take a dye medication I left the house just before 8.

Once inside the hospital I needed to find the correct room which can be a challenge. Toronto hospitals tend to be huge covering several city blocks with multiple wings and countless floors to navigate through. I found a map showing the site plan of the hospital and as I was figuring out my route a young Asian lady stopped to help. Here was an employee dashing off to work willing to stop and help a confused old man. It was a most appreciated help and a fine start to the day.

I arrived at the correct reception area in plenty of time, got registered and tagged (they tag everyone these days) and told where to wait. Soon a young technician came in with a cup of juice I needed to drink before we could proceed. He very patiently explained the procedure, what to expect and spoke clearly so I could understand him.

I had an hour to wait so spent my time observing the flow of  human traffic through reception. There was a constant line of patients from all walks of life each treated with the same dignity, patience and respect I had received when I arrived. Our health care workers are the best.  Extra care and assurance was given to those who were confused.  Never did I see a health provider lose their cool or show any distress when dealing with these people.

Finally it was my time to get ready for the CT scan.  I was escorted to the waiting room, told to change and then met with the technician who would be doing the procedure. Once again nothig but professional care and concern was shown. He made sure I was comfortable and asked if there was any discomfort to let him know.

The procedure took a little longer than expected as the doctor wanted a second scan to get a clearer picture.

Once done I dressed and took the shuttle bus to Toronto General Hospital for my consultation with my urologist.

They were extremely busy in the cystoscopy clinic as is the case whenever I visit. Everyone is working nonstop but once again very helpful when you have a question. I saw the doctor on time and was told that my right kidney is enlarged. Why this has happened he didn't know as the pathologist report hadn't come in yet.  I may have to return next month for more testing or simply continue with my yearly monitoring, they will let me know.

I write this so my readers outside of Canada can sense how the Canadian health system works. The care I received yesterday was professinally delivered, world class care, provided by highly trained compitent individuals who all care about their patients.

Mary had spinal surgery several years ago; same experience. The finest care, from truly dedicated people who went overboard making sure she was well looked after.

In both cases as is our health care coverage we never received a bill.


Safe travels everyone and stay healthy.

NASTY MORNING

It's nasty out there this morning; church has been cancelled, roads are ice covered.

It's a good morning for staying inside and baking bread.

Mary has two loaves of sourdough bread in the oven and her Nan Bread has been baked and is ready to eat.

Now she is busy cutting out donuts and they will be ready by lunchtime.

I'll post pictures of the sourdough bread once it comes out of the oven.

UP-DATE 8:15 AM

Sourdough bread just out of the oven.

I wanted to eat the whole rack of donuts, but I restrained myself and had just one ..................... the biggest one.

Enjoy the day and stay warm.

CARDIO WORKOUT

Last week I borrowed Maggie's Fat Tire bike and enjoyed the ride across the lake; easy, comfortable and an excellent cardio workout. My heart rate climbed significantly in just a few minutes on the road. I knew this could be the winter workout I needed.

Yesterday I borrowed Jamie and Leanne's Fat Tire bike and will use it to prepare for my stress test in February. I know if I can get out twice a day and ride our road the stress test will be easy and the doctor will be pleased. Consistency is the key and I need to ride regardless of the weather.

This bike has more gears then my truck. This gear hub gives me twenty gears and you would think riding up any hill would be a breeze; not the case. By the time I reach the top I need to stop and rest; so exhausted, so out of shape. Hopefully six weeks of consistent riding will make some improvement in my strength and endurance. Time to ride.

Enjoy the day and be safe out there.

FIRE-STARTERS

We enjoy our wood stove throughout the winter and last week discovered we were almost out of fire-starters. These are easy to make thanks to everyone who donates egg cartons and old used candles.

The candle pieces are placed in a bucket to melt on the stove. While that is happening we fill the egg cartons with wood chips from a local mill then pour the hot wax over the filled egg catons to complete the job. Each egg-carton is cut into four chunks and one chunk is sufficient to easily ignite the logs in the morning.

I'm enjoying the fire as I type this blog; it's such a cozy warmth.

Yesterday we drove to Sunnybrook Hospital so Mary could get her MRI done. We were on the road early as the MRI was scheduled for 9 a.m. and the consultation at 11:30 The doctor said there was no chnage in the spinal fracture which is good news. Mary does need to be careful and not fall or lift anything heavy enough to put pressure on the vertebra. The doctor wants to have another MRI done in six months and if nothing has changed then we can move to an MRI every nine months.  We are blessed to live in a country where top medical care is provided free of charge and delivered by a team of health providers who really care about their patients. Thanks for your prayers and well wishes, I'll let you know if anything changes when we next see the doctors in July.

Safe travels everyone and thanks for keeping an eye on us.

GROUND CHAGA

Chaga needs to dry completely otherwise it will go mouldy. Large chunks once dry are almost impossible to break down and use, so today we did some grinding.

Mary placed the larger chunks into our Vita-Mix blender and within a few minutes they were reduced to powder; perfect for our chaga hot-chocolate.

We will leave the pans on the stove for a few more days until all the moisture has been removed.  Once that stage has been reached the chaga will be moved to cardboard boxes and stored in a warm dry room until needed.

Hopefull next summer we will find our own source of chaga close to home. It will become another local food source for us to harvest.

HOMEWARD BOUND

Oma has had a wonderful few days giving Frankie the cuddles. The time passed too quickly.

If Frankie wasn't eating then she was usually sleeping. She is such a wonderful baby just two months old.

She does like to keep an eye on grandpa often watching him move about the room.

Even Missie likes to give her the cuddles.

Frankie gets lots of attention from everyone but sometimes only Mommy can make her happy.

Hope to see you soon.

Safe travels everyone.