Harbor Freight Tools

Our friends Ken and Sam from Gibsons have given us some great tips. A recent one was to check out Harbor Freight Tools.

Several times each year, Wayne and I travel to Oregon for USC sporting events. There are two Harbor Freight Tools stores along the way, one in Salem (4675 Portland Road #170) and another in Eugene (2165 W. 7th Avenue). I'm sure there's a store near you. If not, they have a thriving online business.

Harbor Freight Tools is like a "candy store" for people who need and love tools and outdoor products. I think our good friend John might even consider coming to the States to visit one. And that's saying something. There's so much variety you have to walk the aisles to look and touch. And don't let the name trick you, it's not just boating items, even though they have those as well. And the prices are amazing. As their website says, since 1978 they have "set out to make it easier for the working man and woman to get the best value on top-quality tools."

Why would we choose to shop in Oregon? There's no sales tax. So turning a sports road trip into a shopping trip makes lots of sense. What we save in tax pays for part of our stay. FIGHT (and shop) ON! -- Margy

North London Bragging Rights On The Line - Betting Tips with Betfred

The crunch tie to settle bragging rights in the North of London has to be one of the fiercest derbies of the football season.

With Tottenham and Arsenal currently level on points in the English Premier League, the lunchtime kick-off on Saturday (12.45pm), will show which team has the greater potential to finish in one of the top four spots come the end of the season.

Arsenal have already lost out to title rivals Manchester United and Manchester City this season while Spurs have been putting on strong performances to challenge at the top of the table, but a disappointing result last time out against Stoke City means they sit level with their bitter rivals five points behind league leaders Chelsea.

Tottenham captain Robbie Keane has come out to stoke the fires between the two clubs by claiming that his side has a greater strength in depth than their counterparts.

He said: "Arsenal have had the better of Tottenham over the last several years but Harry Redknapp's revolution at White Hart Lane means they are now on a par at least with their North London rivals."

Firing a clear warning to Arsene Wenger's men and their fans, the Irish striker claimed: "It will be judged at the end of the season but if you look at the bench we have, it is probably a bit stronger than their bench."

Spurs are entering the game on the back of a 2-0 victory over Everton in the Carling Cup, while Arsenal will be buoyed after their youngsters put on a fine display to earn a 2-1 victory over Liverpool.

An Arsenal win is priced at Premier League odds of 4/7 with Betfred, while Spurs although likely to be without the influential Lennon and Defoe, could be well worth an outside punt at odds of 4/1 to put one over their North London Rivals. As is often the case current form tends to go out the window in derby matches.
The draw is priced at 13/5.


By Charlotte Cook
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Canned Spiced Apples

Quality Foods had a bag of Spartan Apples on sale so I thought I would try my hand at canning some. This is the first year I've tried canning, so I found a simple recipe appropriate for my newbie status. To make them more to my liking, I changed the flavouring from vanilla to spices and added some red food colouring for a crab apple look.

Canned Spiced Apples

10 medium apples
4 3/4 cups sugar
4 cups water
4 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 teaspoon red food colouring

Fill a large bowl with water then add one tablespoon salt and one tablespoon vinegar. This will be a "bath" to keep the apples from turning brown while you get them all peeled and cut.

Peel, core, slice then put apples in the water bath. Mix sugar, water, food colouring and spices wrapped in cheesecloth in a large pot and bring to a boil. Drain and rinse the apples. Carefully add them to the heavy syrup and cook for 5 minutes or until they become translucent. Stay just under the boiling point to prevent foaming. Spoon the apples into clean hot jars, cover with boiling syrup leaving 1/2 inch head space. Seal the jars and process in a boiling water bath for 30 minutes.

The syrup is very sweet, making the apples a good side dish or topping for ice cream. I had a lot of syrup left over and hated to waste it. It had a spicy apple flavour so I tried putting some in 7-Up and it made a tasty fall drink. Later, I got some club soda and that was even better. Do you have any favourite fall apple recipes? I'd love to hear them. - Margy

Juliano Belletti-Profile and Pictures

Profile :
Full Name : Juliano Haus Belletti
Date of Birth : June 20, 1976
Place of Birth : Cascavel, Brazil
Height : 1.79 m
Position : Right back / Midfielder
Career Clubs :
1993–1995 : Cruzeiro
1995–2002 : São Paulo
1999- : Atlético Mineiro (loan)
2002–2004 : Villarreal Fc
2004–2007 : Barcelona
2007– : Chelsea

see more pictures above :

Juliano Belletti photo gallery

Beam Me Up, Johnny

Our good friend John has been working steadily on his new cabin this month. So far, you've seen a little bit about the float assembly and raising the cabin walls. Much of the construction has been done by John himself, but when it came to the high work he got helping hands from his dad Ed, his brother Rick and my husband Wayne. The extent of my assistance has been moral support, ladder holding and photo journaling.

I missed the day that the front and back wall extensions went into place, but looking at the pictures Ed took I can imagine the exciting event. A tall pole was used to hold a block and tackle assembly. Then the framed peak was lifted and nailed in place. Once the back was done, the front came next.










Each peak was notched to accept the heavy ridge pole. John went up the ladder while Wayne and Ed helped raise the end of the pole up to him. John used the front wall and window cross beams to inch the pole up a bit at a time up and finally into the slot in the front peak. It was a manhandling feat! I was on ladder holding duty for this part, so there are no pictures. But here is a short video clip of the other end going into the center support.

The back half of the beam was glued and nailed in place, but that was a lot easier because the guys could stand on the loft. Ed sure seems happy to have this part of the project done doesn't he? He's a great dad and a good friend to us as well. -- Margy

Cooking Wood

The "winter" season has started and our Kozi wood stove is working most of the time. Throughout the summer we've gathered wood and stored it away in our floating wood shed. Smaller wood and kindling is stored in large plastic tubs under the front porch and up in the onshore storage shed.

Recently, we acquired some damp lumber trimmings from our good friend John. He's building a new cabin and gives us his leftover wood scraps. It's good for him. He doesn't have to find a way to discard them. And it's good for us, we get a constant supply of easy to burn chunks.

But you don't want to burn wet wood. It is less efficient (decreased heat output) and increases creosote buildup (and potential chimney fires). So on sunny days, you'll find us "cooking" our wet wood. We spread it out on the deck and flip it like pancakes several times throughout the day. When the sun goes down, in comes our wood. After several days of cooking and air drying under the porch it is ready for the wood stove.

Stay tuned! Our Kozi wood stove is soon to have a new purpose. We are picking up our new TEGPower.com thermoelectric generator this weekend. By next week it will be installed and helping us to charge our cabin battery bank. This winter we'll have more electricity than ever before. What an exciting prospect! Have you ever used a thermoelectric generator? I would love to hear about your experiences. - Margy

Come Dine With Me - ' The Athenaeum Restaurant' London

I am always on the lookout for a new restaurant, all in the course of research - the type that involves finding a plush venue to woo the ladies with......and in doing so trying to avoid such a place that will inevitably lead to the 'de rigueur' phone call on a Monday morning from my bank manager, regarding my incalculable overdraft created in the last 48 hours, usually due to a lavish shin-dig of a weekend.

So when I heard the five-star Athenaeum in Piccadilly had just had a revamp I sort vengeance last Friday, as a result of another rather dire week at the 'orifice' - a seemingly all to familiar feeling of late!
My mobile, little black book and my plastic were now at the ready and fully charged!

I met my date outside Green Park tube station, a few minutes walk from The Athenaeum.
On arrival we were greeted by the suited and booted door stewards and the attentive waiting staff who took our coats.



We both indulged in a pre-dinner cocktail in the stylish bar (left) - all tasteful low slung red velvet seating with plenty of cushions and touches of vintage-style decor all around.
Delightful attention to detail.
I opted for a dry vodka martini, while my date had a 'Garden Of Eden' comprising apple vodka, fig, cranberry, peach liqueur and elderflower.
Both were made with panache and tasted superb.



We made our way through to the opulent restaurant(below right), designed so most tables nestle in a booth. My date's starter of Brixham Crab Salad served with a Golden Beetroot, Heritage Tomatoes and Tarragon Dressing (£11.75) was delightfully presented and my Diver Scallops served with Jerusalem Artichoke, Sweetcorn and Grapes (£10.50) was almost a work of art. It seemed a shame to disfigure it!


For our main courses my date ordered Pan Fried South Coast Lemon Sole served on the bone with Ceps, Caper and Parsley Butter (£28.00), whilst I opted for Smokey Hay Baked Venison served with Cheltenham Beetroot and Roasted Figs with Vanilla Sauce (£24.00).

We also shared three sumptuous side orders of: Sweet Stewed Pumpkin, Roasted Field Mushrooms, grilled with rock salt and Hand Cut Chips.

We washed it down with a lovely 2007 Chablis vino (£37.50).

Following coffee we then returned to The Bar for an aperitif. The bar's extensive list including a choice of 270 different whiskies proved a real talking point - one of them was £150 for a double! (In my head I could hear the cutting voice of my bank manager). We instead opted for a couple of Vanilla Mojito's.

As Oscar Wilde once said, "Work is the curse of the drinking classes."


'The Athenaeum Restaurant' is located on: 224 Piccadilly, London, W1J 7BJ
Nearest tube: Green Park.
Breakfast Menu: 7.00-11.00 Mon to Sun.
Restaurant Menu: 12.30-14.30 & 17.30-22.30 Mon to Sun.
Tel no: 020 7499 3464
Web address: http://staging.ralphtrustees.com/Athenaeum/food__whisky.aspx

Red Ted's spot: Collie or Ibizan Hound?

While looking for something else in my files this morning, I came across a photo that shows Red Ted's spot on his head! So in the interest of full disclosure, here it is :)

I still think he looks a little like an Ibizan Hound.

© 2009 Terry Albert. All rights reserved.

Sexiest Girls Womans Body Art Paintings

Want to see the most sexiest body art in a girls and woman's body? Here the most world sexiest body art of girls. Perfect body as a canvas and body artists touch make it more appealing and hot- the hot body art.

Body Art Sexiest Girls. This is the most sexiest body art paintings. sexiest art body of girls and woman. Exposition of sexy body with the body paint. Artistic body art with the girls body as a canvas.
Read more »

Water and Sky

In Coastal BC, the easiest ways to travel to remote locations is by water and sky. In some cases, both at once. Around here, float planes are used for work and pleasure.

On Powell Lake, most float planes support the logging industry. They take workers to sites up and down the lake. We often see them skimming low through First Narrows in front of our cabin.

At times, boats and float planes share the same space.

But after a short run, the plane can take to the sky.

And off to work, or play, or to discover the adventure of a lifetime. -- Margy

The Woodle and the Dab

Oh I love these designer dog names! My two newest clients arrived today. Claire, their owner, a perfectly rational person who has long been involved in Dalmatian rescue, has two new dogs. I asked her what breeds, and she said "One is a "woodle." Huh?
I've heard of labradoodles, goldendoodles, schnoodles, puggles, malti-poos, and more, but never a woodle. Claire has decided Bogey is a combo between a poodle and a Wheaten Terrier. Well, maybe, but he looks suspiciously like a cockapoo to me! Regardless, he is a sweetie, and that's what really matters. 
I have met Claire's other dog, Wally. She tells me he is a Lab-Dachshund mix, and I agree on that one. So I'll just call him a Dab. What a sight he is, with his Lab head and stumpy little dwarf legs. I've seen a Lab-basset hound mix before, which was a much chunkier dog. The perfect Lab ears seem to survive the cross breeding. 
So enjoy the photos of my guests!


© 2009 Terry Albert. All rights reserved.

Come to Powell Lake for Fall Foliage

Many people go east on expensive fall foliage trips. That region is well known for its spectacular trees in hues of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown. Just like the Atlantic Provinces, the broadleaf trees surrounding Powell Lake start to turn color in late September through October. Right in front of our cabin, Goat Island has a superb display of maples, dogwoods and alders. The swath of glorious color paints up the hillsides through stream carved gullies and across expose rocky slopes.

Have you ever wondered how this colourful display occurs? Chlorophyll, which is the pigment that gives leaves their green color, gets energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars and starch). Leaves also have yellow to orange pigments called carotenes and xanthophylls, but these colors are overpowered by chlorophyll most of the year. But when fall arrives, things change.

Fall days are noticeably shorter and trees start getting ready for winter. The presence of chlorophyll, and its green color, begins to diminish. This allows the yellow and orange colors to become more dominant. The bright reds and purples are created when glucose (sugars) are trapped in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Bright sunny days and cool nights in autumn cause leaves to turn the glucose into a red to purple color. The brown color is made from wastes left behind in the leaves.

As fall moves towards winter, leaves begin to fall. Where the stem of the leaf is attached to the tree there is a special layer of cells. This layer gradually breaks down until it can no longer support the weight of the leaf. When storm winds blow, the leaves fall to the ground. Trees become dormant and live off the food they have stored over the summer. Their stems, twigs, and buds are equipped to survive extreme cold until the following spring.

Fallen leaves are not wasted, at least in nature or by the composting gardener. They decompose and replenish the soil with nutrients. They become part of the thick humus layer of the forest floor. There they absorb rainfall and hold moisture. They also become food for organisms that are important to the forest ecosystem.

Here are some more resources of you would like more details:

• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Science Made Simple
• U.S. Department of Agriculture

Want a different place to experience colourful fall foliage? Come to Powell River in Coastal BC. The people are friendly, the resorts are uncrowded and the restaurants are great. Last night we even saw some tourists come up the lake on a Desolation Sound Boat Tour. The opportunities are limitless. You won’t be sorry you chose to head north rather than east. -- Margy

Flprent Malouda Photo Gallery

Flprent Malouda Photo Gallery

Profile :
Full Name : Florent Johan Malouda
Date of Birth : June 13, 1980
Place of Birth : Cayenne, French Guiana, France
Height : 1.77 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing Position : Left winger

Career Clubs :
1996–2000 : Châteauroux
2000–2003 : Guingamp
2003–2007 : Lyon
2007– : Chelsea

Eye know you got a bad tattoo

This gem was sent to me by a reader. Thanks! I love the "painterly" style.




If anyone knows what's going on here, please let me know!





And this one... yeesh! It has everything! Spraypaint, tears, a rose, eyes... I wonder what the sad story behind it is.

Powell River Books Joins Blogland Lane

You're probably like me. Reading one blog leads to another, then another, and so on and so on (as the old haircare product ad goes). That's how I met up with Marion from 150 Mile House here in BC at her blog Herbal Connection.

I read about Blogland Lane at her site and then went on over to check it out.

"Blogland Lane is a new neighborhood where everyone is welcome to live, share, play, create, inspire, build, & visit."

Wayne is the published creative writer in our family, but I enjoy writing as well. I thought this would be a good place to try some more fictional tales. But they say, write what you know. So, I've towed my float cabin to a lake near Blogland Lane to site #997. While I'm up the lake (for reals) this week, I'll be thinking of stories to tell. Then you'll have to be the one to decide, is it fact or is it fiction. -- Margy

Congratulations to Jenson Button - F1 Champion 2009

Hats off to Jenson Button as he joins an elite group of British Formula One Champions, following Sunday's Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit in Brazil.

His fifth placed finish was good enough to secure the title from his nearest rival Rubens Barrichello, and at the same time secured the constructors title for his Brawn GP Team, in the penultimate race of the season.

Jenson won six Formula 1 races during the 2009 season in: Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Spain, Monaco, and Turkey.


The Ten British Formula 1 Champions:

Jenson Button 2009
Lewis Hamilton 2008
Damon Hill 1996
Nigel Mansell 1992
James Hunt 1976
John Surtees 1964
Jim Clark 1963, 1965
Graham Hill 1962, 1968
Jackie Stewart 1961, 1971, 1973
Mike Hawthorne 1958

Red Ted, The un-Collie

“In Loving Memory of Care Bear, SCR No. 786, a therapy dog to many seniors, a true gentleman and friend to all.”

On the Collie Wall of Fame

As I looked through the Southland Collie Rescue website, I found my former foster dog memorialized on the Collie Wall of Fame. To me he was Red Ted. But to the 99 residents of the Sunbridge Care Nursing Home, he was Care Bear.

Teddy’s Story

I told the Oceanside shelter staff I would pick up their collie on Sunday afternoon, in order to give him the weekend to get adopted. When I arrived at the shelter at 4 pm, the last possible minute, there was a big sign on the front of his cage “HOLD FOR COLLIE RESCUE.” So of course no one adopted him. Worse, he wasn’t a purebred collie. Anyone else might have left him there, but I couldn’t do that to him after he’d lost an entire weekend of possible new homes. The shelter would have to euthanize him on Monday morning. But they didn’t, because he came home with me.

He looked sort of like a collie, with his beautiful white mane, white legs and plume of a tail. The blaze on his face was weird though. He had had a big spot in the center of his head, right between the ears. He reminded me of an Ibizan Hound. Come to think of it, he was the same color as an Ibizan too. He was a vivid red, like an Irish Setter, not a golden sable like a collie. Could he be the product of a puppy mill breeding gone wrong? I would never know. I named him Teddy, which soon morphed into Red Ted with the Spot on His Head.

Teddy’s favorite place in the world was on the couch and his favorite pastime was chasing rabbits in our back yard. He would dash out the back door and head straight for the hole in the fence where the bunnies tried to escape before the dogs could catch them. After several weeks, Teddy finally caught one, and he was so proud. I came out the back door and was horrified to see Teddy standing almost upright on his hind legs, wiggling from his head down to his tail in ecstasy, with a dead rabbit hanging from his mouth. A game of keep-away ensued, which Teddy won with ease. He ate every bite of that darn rabbit–even the feet, fur, and head. Ugh.

Red Ted gets a home

Sometimes it is hard to see them leave, and this was the case with Red Ted. I always comfort myself that the dog I’ve fostered is going to a place where he will get more love and attention than I can offer in my house full of animals. Teddy became the resident collie at Sunbridge, and like all the collies before him, he was renamed Care Bear. Susan Osborn, a staff member, explains that Ted/Care Bear is the only reason some residents want to get up in the morning.

Susan told me about Teddy’s life at Sunbridge. “He makes the world beautiful for so many people,” she told me, “ including staff, residents and their families.”

Teddy is part of the staff, and can go wherever he wants to in the facility. He wears a special collar that is the same as the one that Alzheimers patients wear. It buzzes an alarm if he goes out an exit door. This ensures his safety even if someone isn’t keeping an eye on him every second. He has his own health chart, just like the residents, where his meals, potty breaks and care are logged in every day. One staff member is responsible for him on each shift.

Ted senses who needs him most and often sleeps in the room of the sickest residents, comforting the families keeping watch over their loved ones. He enjoys watching the birds in the aviary, especially Dufus the cockatiel. There are treats for him in every office and it seems that everyone, even the staff members, thinks Teddy likes them best. He has his own bulletin board and it is updated regularly with photos of him with residents and visitors. When the marketing director takes visitors on a tour, Teddy goes along as an escort. He knows the route by heart.

Volunteers walk Teddy regularly, and some of the patients also get to walk him as part of their physical therapy. A sponsor pays for his care, and he gets a trip to the groomer once a month.

A good-hearted dog, Teddy always wagged his tail for everyone, even the mailman.
____________________

Teddy is gone now, and a new Care Bear has surely taken his place. But I fondly remember my foster un-collie, and the how he made so many people happy. There is a photo of Ted/Care Bear posted on the Collie Wall of Fame, where no one will ever forget him. He is shown relaxing on a couch, just like he did so often at my house.


Photos above: Teddy with a stuffed toy on my couch, and posing in the yard.
© 2009 All Rights Reserved Terry Albert

American Alligator - Canon 7D 2108

American Alligator - Canon 7D 2108, originally uploaded by floridanaturephotography.

To witness these great beast in full combat is as close as we can come to witness what it could possibly have been like to watch dinosaurs battle!

Obtuse Sawyer

If you take the time to look, there are discoveries everywhere. Last year on Peter's deck I saw a beetle with very long antennae. From the Insects of the Pacific Northwest guide, I think it was an Obtuse Sawyer (Family Cerambycidae). It is a long-horned beetle well known for wood boring. Trees around here hardly have a chance, the Western Conifer Seed Bugs destroy the cones and the wood borers destroy the trees.

Eggs are laid on the bark and the larvae do the boring damage. Fortunately, most species prefer weakened, dying or freshly cut logs. The Obtuse Sawyer (Monochamus obtusus) is one of these.

If you want to see some excellent insect pictures, head on over to Wanderin Weeta's site. Susannah is from Delta BC and she takes pictures throughout the lower mainland. I especially love her closeups! -- Margy

Absinthe Garden - Goth Art Exhibit

Good Day, Boys and Girls. I know its been a long time since my last update. As usual I have not been having much time to upload my works and rant about issues.

First of I would like to say, I got my Photographic Artworks displayed in an art exhibition in DXO, Singapore. Special thanks to the Lique Vanique of Singapore Dark Alternative Movement ( http://www.sdam.sg/ ) who made it possible.

It was a Goth Art Exhibit, called Absinthe Garden and speaking of which, how can I not have Absinthe before heading down to the exhibition ?!

Lovely Isn't it?



Mumzie, a latest addition to the crew, prepares the Absinthe, Ritualistically.



Hmmmm...Enjoy the moments



Loaded up on Absinthe and here we Go !!



Mumzie, Lique Vanique and Myself



....Boo !!....



Photography By Sushikin - That is why she is not in the pictures. :P

These are the 3 Photographic Artworks that was on Display for Absinthe Garden on October 16th 2009 @ DXO

© Diamond Fangs

Model : Josefine

-Order In Chaos-



© Diamond Fangs

Model : Josefine

-The Window-



© Diamond Fangs

Model : Kim

-The Fallen-

Thats all for now folks !!