Dog and catapult

A high school science project is in the works. The requirements are to build a catapult that can launch a softball a minimum of 10 meters, but of course, farther than that will earn the student many many more marks! So S has been hard at work re-creating a better, faster, stronger catapult.

This project is due this week ... in just a few days.  The pressure is on.

I wonder how far it would launch a dog?

Depending a pond

Ah, this gorgeous warm weather bring with it the responsibilities of land owners, which means keeping said land in tip-top shape. And so, we don our new Christmas gifts, the chest waders.  What an inspiring invention!

All you have to do is walk carefully with arms held just-so above the water so as to keep them dry. Easily said. Then, kick up bits of trees and wood and other manky stuff to the water's edge.  It was surprisingly deep! We thought it would be just about 2 or 3 feet deep, but it was well over 4.  And really mucky on the bottom!

 

After all the work, a bit of flipping around was in order.

 After all that flipping around, some family time looking at photos was just the thing!

 And after all that photo-gazing, a thirst-quenching toddy was on the menu.  We had, after all, worked up quite a thirst!

Ice Ice Baby

On Friday morning, our area was hit with a terrible ice storm and our power knocked out. Now, 48 hours later, we are still without power. So, I grabbed the camera and took a few pictures. It's like nothing I've ever seen before.  Beautiful and awful at the same time.

The weight of the ice on the tree branches cause lots of the to break and fall, and we will have a lot of clean up to do in the next few weeks.  A huge maple on our road was split in two and fell on top of the power lines, dragging them down to the ground and blocking the roadway completely.

We're using candles and oil lamps (courtesy of Auntie Mary ... thank you! Thank you!) to get through the dark evenings.  We've been playing lots of card games and listening to the wind up radio.  Kinda fun ... but we're ready for things to go back to normal.  We'd like to have a warm house, frozen ice cream and clean clothes.  

 With the cold drizzle, the flow of water in our creek became pretty high and fast. You can still see the twists and turns of the creek, but the water is much higher than it's banks. The next day it subsided again but it's still higher than usual.  What an adventure!

Rec Room Reno ... Part 10 (Phase 2a)

Two almost-full days of work have yielded some amazing results! Hold on to your hats, because ... (drum roll please) ... the drywall is up!  All of it!

 Once again, the day labourer is earning his keep.

I can never resist taking a picture of this cutie

 Adjusting the tool belt

 That's the end wall where the fireplace used to be.  

Triumphant!  

Next: tape and mud.

Rec Room Reno ... Day Nine (End Phase One)

What a busy, busy, busy, work-filled week!

Today was mostly a one-man job, the man being P, the boss.  The man who took a week's holidays to work on renovating the rec room at his wife's request.  The man who gave up the annual trip to the beach in Florida.  Yep, he's an awesome man.

This is morning: 


This picture is for record-keeping purposes since it will be covered with drywall soon.

 This is late morning:

This is afternoon:   

 This is Scooby inspecting the day's work.

 This is Scooby, more interested in the raccoon outside.

Here's the finale!  The ceiling is drywalled. Pot lights and electrical outlet boxes are in. The walls are mostly vapour-barrier-ed (we ran out of supplies). The fireplace is framed in and capped at the top. The roof line has been reinforced and looks almost perfect from the outside. The temporary wall has come down, and there are sufficient supplies to continue drywalling next weekend.  Oh, must run out to get more vapour barrier!

Phase One is Complete!  
Must go fix that man a St. Patrick's Day thirst-quencher. He certainly deserves it.

Rec Room Reno ... Part Eight

And on the eighth day, someone rested.  Is that right? Because there ain't been no restin' goin' on around here.

Maybe it was the seventh day that God rested.  I have been toiling without end and I am too tired to recall the specifics.  

The bottom line is that a rest would be really, really nice.

The day began with the kids cleaning out the back porch, putting the old mousey insulation and sagging drywall in the truck to take to the dump. Then J swept and vacuumed (clothes on) then moved the shop-vac back to the rec room (shirt off). Nice and tidy!

 Next, a trip to the dump.  Look who's driving!

 Next, putting up the insulation.  Who is that masked man?

 Insulation nearing completion.

 Insulation nearing completion.

 Need more insulation.

 Insulation completed!
Next, big awkward plastic sheets called "vapour barrier", which sounds civilized but is absolutely not when it comes to stapling it up on the ceiling.

 Out of ammo.  Need to re-load.

 Insulation complete! Vapour barrier nearing completion.  The temporary wall has fallen! Pieces of it are for sale on ebay. They come with a certificate of authentication. Get yours now!

 Scooby, with his new look courtesy of Jenn the groomer, looks on approvingly.

 Ah, a well-deserved break.  With a cake!  And fresh fruit!  A veritable feast for the labourers.

 Now, bringing in the drywall.  The boss demonstrates the most efficient way to handle it.  Hold your left hand like this and the right hand like this.  J pays close attention.

Completion!  What a day.  
Tomorrow is Day Nine.  The final day for this phase of the reno.  Whatever isn't accomplished tomorrow is going to have to wait for a few weeks until we can carve out a few more hours to tackle it.  Stay tuned!