The Outside's DONE!

It's amazing what can be done when you wake up at 4 a.m. and can't sleep. Don't ask me why, but lately when i wake during the night weather it's 2 a.m. or 4 a.m., i have a hard time getting back to sleep, so.....yesterday morning was no exception. So i got up, while everyone else slept, whent outside to find it surprisingly warm, and thought "What they hell, why not paint." So, that's what i did. Yes, it's dark at 4 a.m., but the outside light was just enough to keep me painting until dawn broke at around 6. It was actually pretty peacfull that early, and the "Old Dingo" was more than willing to keep me company.

By, 10 a.m. i had the trim all painted and was done with the paint! I'll say that even i think it turned out pretty good.






From the yard looking at both sides.....Truely DONE!

As for the inside it's getting closer. One more layer of mud on the taped seams, and it will be time to apply some texture to those newly sheetrocked walls.

Todays tasks include, the above mentioned layer of mud, Stain the deck, make another batch of Kraut, make some Zuchini Relish, and start the boat cleaning process. If I get that all done, there is always more to do around "This Old House"..........and my list is LONG on "to-do's".

Well, signing off from The North.......Where we rise early, work all day.....and finish things too!

Mark.....The Iron Skillet

SAUERKRAUT.....the first batch of the season

Well, after 3 weeks, my first batch of SauerKraut was ready to can. So i emptied the crock and ended up with 10 beautiful pints of wonderfull tasting SauerKraut!

I actually had 11 jars, but number 11 decided not to seal, so to the fridge it went and will be consumed in the next few days! Now it's time to start batch number two! There are about 6 more good sized heads of cabbage still in the garden.......so, they will be processed this weekend!

Well, that's all for now.

From the North, where "Kraut" is consumed, and MEN can things too!

Mark...."The Iron Skillet"

Rocks up!

This last Saturday found me at home fullfilling my promise to Nicole that i'd get the sheet rock up in the kitchen. So that's what i did. Of course, as everything goes with an old house it took longer than expected. So after a trip to the store for some more elec. wire to move the light switch for the outside light......and then actually completeing the lightswith move, and finishing hanging the rock, i was finally done around 4 p.m..

Now it's time to tape and mud. Something i've had little experience with but, i'm sure with a little patience it'll come out fine.

So, that's it for this post. I'll be sure to post an update once the tape and mud is up, and ready for texture.......One things for sure, this project is getting closer to being done, and we're all looking forward to eating in the kitchen.

So, From the North, where promises are made and kept, and we hang rock too.

Mark...... "The Iron Skillet"

A Few Fish

The last two weekends i've been fortunate enough to be able to go out fishing. The weather has been nice enough to make the journey out to the West Side of San Juan Island. This is an 80 mile round trip, and has to be perfect weather to get out there and back. But, as luck would have it both of these weekends the weather gods smiled on us and allowed us to fish on "The Outside".


Lots of fish running on the outside, with the chance at a little bit of everything.....Pinks, Silvers, Kings and even a few Sockeye!


Saturday the 15th found me fishing by myself, since the guy that was supposed to come along was a "No Show". To bad, he missed out on some FUN fishing. I lost countless fish that morning, Including a nice king. I finally setteled on 3 pinks and a nice Sockeye. Needless to say i had my hands full running the boat, running the downrigger, and netting my own fish.....nothin' better than a little excitment!


Isa insisted on a picture with me, so here is Isa.....and the fish.


I'd already started on the cleaning proccess when Isa reminded me of a picture of the catch, she kept pointing at "The big one dada....what's this?" So, the big one is the Sockeye, and Isa can't help but touch it.....just a little.

Yesterday, found me and a couple friends back out at the same place, in search for some more fish. The action wasn't as hot as the weekend before, but we still managed a cooler full.

Always, have to have that "Full Cooler" picture

My helper was right out, once again asking "What's the big one dada?" Lucky for us we were able to boat a small king, about 7 or 8 pounds. Isa, insisted on a picture.....and once again, had to touch it....."just a little" (Mama is getting tired of cleaning bloodspots and fish slime out of this childs clothes !)

We released another small king, and lost a handfull of other fish. At the end of the day we setteled on 5 pinks and one king. A fun trip filled with constant action, and some good B.S.'n was had by all.

This will probably be the last trip of the season for me in my boat, starting this next week it will be cleaned out and spiffed up as i get ready to sell her, and prepare the house for it's up an comming replacement! So stay tuned, pictures will come some time in September of the new boat.

Well, sigining off from the North......Where we catch a little of everything, don't turn our nose's up to pinks, and kids like fish too.

Mark....."The Iron Skillet"

For My Grandmother

My Grandmother gave me the coolest flower bulbs this last year, and recently they've been giving us quite the show. Enough for me to admire them daily, and exclaim how pretty they are.

So that being said, these flowers are truely worthy of sharing with everyone else.

So, here they are....for all to enjoy.......

For the life of me i can't remember their names......it was "Mexican.....sumthin sumthin" i'm sure Grandma will let me know.

In the mean time, i'll continue to admire them, and then think of my Grandma's special gift as i watch them continue to bloom.....and bloom......and bloom.

Thanks Grandma, for such a special treat.


From the North......Where Men like flowers, and have a soft heart too..........

Mark......."The Iron Skillet"

THE QUILT OF ALL QUILTS!

Well, the title says it all.
My Mother has quilted for years, and has produced MANY wonderfull quilts!
But, that being said, this last visit she showed me a quilt that i truely fell in LOVE with.
This is one of the COOLEST quilts she's made.......and she's made a TON! No insult to what mom's made in the past, this is the ONE that just struck my fancy the most.
So.......I just have to share with everyone else in the world.

So, here it is........the ULTIMATE SALMON fish quilt.
NICE JOB MOM!


Of course we have to have a picture of MOM with her product.
Again, what an AWSOME quilt!

I'm sure in the short, near, future i'll have a picture to share of the finished product.

BUT.....for now, everyone can DROOL at a glimpse of the BEST fish quilt around!

From the north......where we fish....and admire QUILTS too......

Mark...."THE IRON SKILLET"

PROJECT UPDATE

I'm sure many have wondered if i've made any progress on the house project.....and well, yes I have.

Over the course of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, i managed to go throught 8 tubes of caulking, 3 skill saw blades, and just a few pieces of hardi plank siding left over from the additon of 2004.


As sunday ended i found myself done with sideing and caulking....a big relief since the rain started on monday!


so a couple pic. to prove i've made progress.




The done side, ready for paint!


And, another side ready to paint.

Getting closer,

now time for some "rock" on the inside, and some paint on the outside........

From the North where projects continue.....and we complete some too.........

Mark............."The Iron Skillet"

When you think you're all alone?

hello to all,
Haven't posted in awhile, but been a little busy. So i've found a little time this morning.

With last Sunday, marking August 2nd, and the 2nd day of Bear season here in Washington, the urge was too much to resist and Chuck and i found ourselves near mt. baker. Grinding out some trail and batteling the bugs!
After 4 miles of being in the timber, we finally broke out into the open....and a few less bugs, to allow us a couple of quick pictures.
Mighty pretty country!



Have to have a picture of the "c-man" with is modified head net. Those hunter orange saftey vests worked suprisingly well, for keeping the bugs out of our faces....yes they were that bad!

Just when we thought we were all alone, we hear the sound of a chopper. Odd time to hear a chopper, especially up here. Pretty soon, the chopper bears down on us, and sets up at a hover at eye level! Pretty wierd, it was a border patrol chopper....and we were a hell of a long ways from the border!





After a couple of waves, he hovered on down the ridge towards where we'd parked the truck.
Turns out he was looking for lost hikers, and he actually found them a short while later.
(two young men, that got lost and spent the night) So i guess he had a reason for buzzing us.



an hour later we reached the end of the trail, and were at where vegatation ends and rocks begin.






Here is a shot from the end of trail, we proceded to dive down in the hole from here.

It wasn't long and we were down in the bottom looking back at the top where we'd been just a short while ago. At this point one thinks about the fact that we have to go back UP THERE and then still back to the truck!

It was worth going down though. We spotted one of the biggest bodied bucks either of us had ever seen! To far away for the little digital camera, but we ended up eating our lunch, watching the deer and searching for fossil rocks for over an hour.

Another shot of some of the bottomlands. Hours can be lost exploring such beautiful country!

Well, after lunch and some exploring it was time to head back up and out!

We'd reached the trail and were about to head back into the timber, and i had to stop and get one more picture. Again, sure is pretty up there

So, singing off from the north.....

Where bugs bite and choppers buzzzzz too......

Mark......."The Iron Skillet"