Friday, 22 June 2012

Flashlight Friday

Its been a long day working in the forest...
The body and the mind are tired...

Yes its late in the day but ...
 its Friday....
Flashlight Friday!

Here are some new yard sale finds


In the background on the left is a Rayovac 3 cell Sportsman with hanger circa 1965 
and on the right is an Ash Flash 2 cell wtih hanger also circa 1965
The foreground features an Eveready sealed beam "Big Jim" no. 100 circa 1959

A symphony of vintage retro Blue Collar aesthetic!

-Martin

Tuesday, 12 June 2012

Friends...

Today Andrew and his family and my good friend Dave came over for lunch...

Simple bean soup... crusty bread... served up on "Kathy Winkle" yard sale bowls followed by freshly baked date squares 
and tea...
A tonic for the soul!   



 Andrew showed Astrid some new chords while young children played in the background...
The dogs howled and jumped in excitement...
And the rest of us chatted...
and all enjoyed a well deserved day off...


Sometimes the things we look so hard for while out hunting are found nearer then ever imagined...
 In the rich rewards of knowing good friends!

-Martin

Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Searching for Coleman

Just when I thought that I would never see another vintage coleman lantern at a yard sale these two lamps showed up last weekend!


The green lantern is a 220F with a Sunrise stamp that reads 6  68
(produced in June of 1968)
And the red lantern is a 200A stamped 2   53
(produced in Feb of 1953)


This lanterns seems to have a bit of a posture problem. I guess it must have fallen at some point and is a bit bent out of shape.
Time to check with some other collectors for some hints on restoring it...

My new 200A is a diminutive lantern (only 12 inches tall) in almost perfect shape.





I think it is the most beautiful lantern I have collected to date...

-Martin


Monday, 4 June 2012

Stay the course

Someone once said ...
"Where ever you go there you are"
These words ring true... but exactly where is "there"?
Having an understanding of where you presently are is a key requirement to being able to navigate successfully to somewhere else. 
Knowing how to use a map and compass is a fundamental skill for anyone to help find their way in the forest...
Knowing how to use a GPS is of further benefit to anyone heading into the woods...
I like to use both a compass and GPS when finding my way in the woods...

Until recently the navigation equipment I carried in my pack has been fairly basic...
My simple Garmin GPS, under ideal conditions, if you marked a  starting waypoint at a known location, could lead you back to where you began after you traveled somewhere if you were lucky...
The units sensitivity was poor though in extreme settings and because its display had no topographic maps, if you weren't watching what you were doing the unit might point you back to where you were right through the middle of a lake or swamp!!!...


For my purposes an upgrade to a more sophisticated, sensitive and reliable unit with a map display seemed in order!

As fate would have it last week while on a scouting trip to this years moose hunting grounds my good friend "Cap" gifted me his old Lowrance GPS after he had upgraded to another unit himself...



My head has been buried in the manual that came along with the GPS for days now!
And I have been practicing what I'm learning when I'm out walking with the dogs...


In this same spirit that my new GPS came to me...
I am now looking to pass on my old GPS to help someone else
"stay the course"...


Thanks Cap!

-Martin












Sunday, 3 June 2012

Forest Find!

It's true that one man's garbage can sometimes be another man's treasure!
Look at this amazing discarded thermos I found lying in the bush...






A blue collar artifact from a past era!
-Martin


Saturday, 2 June 2012

Roadside Robin Hood

I was out driving and found this sign I thought you might enjoy...




Where does it lead?
To Sherwood Forest of course!



-Martin





Friday, 1 June 2012

With a little help from friends....


Every now and then we can all use some help...
Traditionally people have pooled their efforts to accomplish tasks like building barns,  sewing quilts, logging or bringing in a harvest. 
Terms like barn raisings or quilting and logging bees may be familiar to you. 
Friends helping friends is not a new concept...it helps big jobs get done!

I call it the "buddy pool"...
A labour pool of friends in times of need.
Not only does the buddy pool help get needed tasks done but it is a fun social time too!

Over the winter I have cut and piled wood with friends...

Recently I helped one friend dig fence posts in his foresest to help contain hs ever increasing flock of chickens and ducks.

And last weekend it was a drive up north to help another friend get his outpost fishing and hunting camp ready for the season.


An atv being driven on shore very carefully from the boat it was brought in on. 
Boats and motors in the background need to be put in the water...
Some buildings need to have their footings reworked...
Wood needs cutting...


and after the work is done...
fish in the lake need to be caught!

-Martin