Spring Is Almost Here!

I would say that I could feel it...but the only way it feels like spring is if you are sitting inside in front of a window absorbing sunlight. It does LOOK like spring...but with temps dropping into the low to mid teens and topping out in the 30s...it still feels like winter! This weekend into next week looks to bring some potential for rain and snow...either way we could really use the moisture. Considering it only has snowed a couple times since the big lake froze I assume we are going to be in for a pretty dry spring...unless of course we get a nice period of wet weather.

I really have not been up to much. I have been out on the four wheeler a couple times for decent rides...though it was very cold and the last time quite icy. I prefer riding on dirt myself. ;) If I do not have skis and a track I would rather avoid snow. The Outlander has performed beyond my expectations. I really have no had an opportunity to see what it can do yet...but this spring and summer should be a real workout for the beast. It is a 400 Max XT if I had not mentioned that in the past. That means it includes a second seat, aggressive mud tires, a winch, and a few other perks that most four wheelers do not just come with. I will start to get into the details of the four wheeler as we move forward into spring...I will certainly need something to talk about on the rainy days!

One other project that I have been putting off is a hoist for the canoe. I was really having a hard time deciding what to do with it. It was between mounting it onthe wall, hanging from the ceiling, keeping it outside, renting a storage unit, or putting it in a remote location that would have been inconvenient. I, with the help of my dad, decided that a pulley system to pull it to the top of the garage would suit me nicely. We started with a couple pulleys and eye-bolts, rope, and some J-hooks. All the hardware went up pretty quickly and we needed to test it out. Both of us pulled like crazy to get the entire 80 pound canoe to the ceiling. It was quite difficult and the ropes kept slipping off to the sides of the pulleys. New pulleys were in order! So I also decided to add two more pulleys to the mix; replacing the eye-bolts. I also needed to get something to tie the rope off to so I figured nylon boat cleats would work well. We went to West Marine in TC and Petoskey and found four pulleys that hold a ton of weight and have no space to the sides for the rope to slip into and my cleats. (The difference between the new and old pulleys was about $16 a piece...so the new pulleys better continue to work and work well!) I installed the new pulleys and cleats and the pictures you are seeing are of the final product. It works really well! So that is my big spring project out of the way. Next up is cleaning the rest of the garage and getting ready to enjoy some quality relaxation time! I did all my yard work last fall...so I just need to fertilize and start up the sprinkler system in a few weeks. It will be easy street from there!

I spoke of pictures...they still have not updated the picture upload utility to anything worthwhile. So please visit http://picasaweb.google.com/dallerding/CanoeHoist/ to view the pictures!

That about sums it up for now...check back a bit more frequently now that spring is coming around the corner. I should at least have a few more pictures to upload and hopefully a story or two to share.

Goodnight from Northern Michigan!

Derek