My 26th year fishing trip to Ron and Barbs

I love this drive between Kelowna and Winnipeg. Middle of summer and Rogers pass is still full of snow. 

I spent the first night In Calgary with my friends Brent and Gail. I love these guys. I sold them a piano about 22 years ago. We spent the evening eating and laughing. Brent somehow got his dads barber chair that he used in his Saskatchewan barber shop from the 1950’s. Brent restored it and he’s it in his trophy room. It was a little touching to see how proud he was if it. 

This chair looks like it is brand new. Brent does such beautiful leather work. 

This was a sign he found from the 1960’s. His dad was a jack of all trades. 

I was going to sleep in the coach but Brent and Gail had a room for me instead. I like the coach but took them up on their offer. 

Barb had asked me to make a ring toss game for her. I had some cedar laying around the shop so I put this contraption together the day before I headed out. I told her to buy her own ring and hooks. I couldn’t find what I needed so it’s her bc problem now. 

This little guy was giving the flowers outside our door a sniff the evening before I left for Ontario. 

This is an old picture that was taken about 12 years ago at the lake. Charlie the lab was one of our pups. Ron and Barb drove out to kelowna to get him when sweet pea had a litter. Charlie was a great dog. 

Sunsets from the cottage are amazing. 

Every year we have a job to do at the lake. I like puttering so I enjoy my time at Malachi. This was our project this year. A small deck on the bunkie we have built over the last two years. I got John to cut me some cedar planking

Next I made the frame for the deck out of fir in my shop  and did a dry run fitting the boards onto it. 


It looked pretty good. I love working with cedar. Carrie made me the hinges and legs for the deck out of aluminum that she had hanging around the shop. 


Now I just need to figure punt how to get it to Ontario. 

The boards just fit into the carrier. They hung over about two inches on each side. 


I piled all the parts onto the tractor and brought them up from my shop to figure out how to do this. I was worried about it being too heavy to carry out back of the coach. 


I screw the boards together using plywood and this made it one big cube. It’s not a real project until a someone bleeds. 


All the short pieces fit in the bottom of the coach.

On the road. I love this ride. I find the prairies beautiful jus before harvest time. 

I made it.  We needed two boatload trips to get all of the deck out to the cottage. Glad it wasn’t rough.

Carrie’s hinges worked perfectly.

It took a bit of fooling around but we finally got the hinges on and the legs all attached. Now Ron can raise the deck up out of the water for the winter. 

It ended up being perfectly level. 

Now the test. Carrie said she hoped the hinges she made were strong emotional hold two fat guys. 

Ron and I were wondering who she talking about. We’ve never seen any fat guys at the lake. 

Now the fun begins. 

It was good luck to get a see a double rainbow.


The three of us laugh a lot while fishing. 


This was quite a storm. I was glad that Ruth told me to pack my rain suit. 

Lots of food here for the eagles. 

This is a before picture. 

Once the fish are cleaned we take the guts to the island that is in front of the cottage and Barb throws them up on a flat rock that we call eagle rock. 


They usually show up within a couple of minutes to clean up what is an easy meal. 


This was the first year that I stayed in the bunkie 


It’s a comfortable little get away for me. Now I don’t have to listen to Ron and Barb snore. 


And the deck I brought is a nice addition. 


Back home enjoying our sunsets. It was a great fishing trip. I look forward to seeing all my friends on this annual holiday. I can’t wait for the next one.