Waining Moments

It has been a few days since I posted and I am sensing some writing withdrawals seeping into my days.

We have been busy with one of the bathrooms after not doing anything to it for a week.

This weekend we put up all the wainscoting in the main part of the bathroom and the alcove that houses the shower and single seater.

The floor trim is all set to go up, the trim around the top of the tile and wainscoting is primed and ready to paint.

Next is to prime and paint the wainscoting then start the trim process.





Those of you who "do projects" know what I am talking about here. The prep work is what takes so much time!

I think we are still on track to get the winter projects accomplished. Before Spring, we have the goal of completing the bathroom I have bored you to tears over. We will also do the second floor bathroom and trim out the front door we replaced several years ago. Hey, what's the rush? The door works just fine!

Tune in again real soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

This Is Not Pretty!

Not very many things frighten me, but this is one of them.

Here is a picture of a cougar shot in Southeast Minnesota.


The fellow holding the big cat is six feet tall and weighs 220 pounds if that helps to put the cat's size into perspective.


Now, one might say, if it is from SE Minnesota why would you be concerned since you live in South central Minnesota?

About a week ago, our nearest neighbor called and said that he had just looked outside his back window facing the woods and there was a cougar in his backyard. Three years ago when our son Andy was living at home he spotted the eyes of a cougar on the edge of our woods. two nights later he walked out of the garage and there was a cougar sitting on our driveway.

To me, That is frightening!





Cougar sightings are getting more common in our area. Someone about a mile from us has one of those motion sensing cameras that snapped a picture of a cougar on their property about a month ago.
A few years ago there were confirmed sightings of a cougar in a wooded area within the city limits of North Mankato, MN, just a few miles from us.

Here is something I found online relating that incident in town:

I am from Albert Lea, Minnesota. I read your article telling of many sightings of Cougar in Illinois. I just thought you would like to know that there are several sightings of cougars in Minnesota, too. My daughter lives in North Mankato, Minnesota and she had an encounter with a large cougar on October 16, 2004. It was reported to the DNR and local police and subsequently aired on the local television station, on the radio and the subject of front page articles for two editions of the Mankato Free Press.

Since the public has been made aware of the latest sighting...there have been many reports in the same area within the past year or so. In the news articles were stories from a vet that treated a horse for "large cat" injuries and a farmer is losing several sheep...and the size and depth of the footprints indicated a cat that was in the 200 or more lb. size. When my daughter explained the sound that the cat made while being growled at and stared down by her German Shepherd....he believed her. It was a sound that she said didn't sound like a typical sound that she would link up with a cat. The DNR said that it was the sound that the cougar would make if it thinks that it's in danger...and with the dog there....he maybe thought he was. There are indications that a female with three juvenile cats and a very large male have been seen in the general vicinity. I realize that without pictures or videos ...it is hard to prove just what they have seen.

Here is another story from CBS News....

) A cougar captured near a Minnesota elementary school in an incident that was caught on tape will be taken to a wildlife sanctuary and won't be euthanized, the state Department of Natural Resources says.

Tammy Quist, the executive director of the Wildcat Sanctuary in Cedar, Minn., has agreed to take custody of the cougar until a permanent home in a sanctuary is found for the cat, the agency said.

Willmar, Minn., veterinarian Gregg Laurence said the cougar was mostly calm and doing well Wednesday, a day after it was captured near Kennedy
Elementary School after running through a residential neighborhood.

The cat wasn't wearing a collar or tags and was somewhat thin, Laurence said.

Officers received a call around 7:45 a.m. Tuesday and found the cougar in a tree. It came down and ran around the neighborhood for about two hours.

School officials made sure all the children were inside and locked the doors. The animal wound up under a large camper trailer, and was shot with four tranquilizer darts. The cougar began to walk around again, but was wrestled to the ground by exotic animal specialist Bob Bilger, who lives in the area.

"One of the things you learn when working with wild cats," Bilger told The Early Show co-anchor Julie Chen Wednesday, "is that you don't get the luxury of being scared. So you have to train yourself that as the cat comes at you or looks like it's going to come at you, you have to respond by going at it. Believe it or not, if you are eye to eye with a cat and approach it, it will turn and go the other way, which is I'm sure what everybody saw me doing around that last house where we had the cat cornered."

It looks like I had better make sure I have my 9mm and an extra clip when we venture out into our woods.

That is all today from "Pistol Packin Bob"...Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Snow & Cold...The Beauty of It All

For most people who live in the great North Country, Fall is a beautiful time of year followed by beautiful snow and thoughts of hot chocolate.

Below is a chronology of sorts following the "lovely" Winter season.

December 8


It started to snow. The first snow of the season and the wife and I took our cocktails and sat for hours by the window watching the huge soft flakes drift down from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic we felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

December 9


We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow
covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic
sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I've ever had! Shoveled for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

December 12


The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment! My neighbor tells me not to worry - we'll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I'll never 20 want to see snow again. I don't think that's possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor.

December 14


Snow, lovely snow! 8 inches last night. The temperature dropped to -20. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn't
realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so.

December 15


20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a 4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and 2 extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that's silly. We aren't in Alaska, after all.

December 16


Ice storm this morning. Fell on my ass on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like hell. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17


Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should've bought a wood stove, but won't admit it to her. I hate it when she's right. I can't believe
I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20


Electricity is back on, but had another 14 inches of the damn stuff last night. More shoveling! Took all day. The damn snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they're lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they're out. Might have
another shipment in March. I think they're lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he's lying.

December 22


Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more
inches of the white shit fell today, and it's so cold, it probably won't melt till August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time I got undressed, pissed and dressed again. I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of
the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think the asshole is lying.

December 23


Only 2 inches of snow today. And it warmed up to 0. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts?!! Why didn't she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did but I think she's lying.

December 24


6 inches - Snow packed so hard by snowplow, I broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the son of a bitch who drives that snow plow, I'll drag him through the snow by his balls and beat him to death with my broken shovel. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at a 100
miles an hour and throws snow all over where I've just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was too busy watching for the damn snowplow.

December 25


Merry f#%&ing Christmas! 20 more inches of the damn
slop tonight - Snowed in the idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she's a fricking idiot. If I have to watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one
more time, I'm going to stuff her into the microwave.

December 26


Still snowed in. Why the hell did I ever move here? It was all HER idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

December 27


Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze; plumber came after 14 hours of waiting for him, he only charged me $1,400 to replace all my pipes.

December 28


Warmed up to above -20. Still snowed in!

December 29


10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That's the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

December 30


Roof caved in. I beat up the snow plow driver, and now he is suing me for a million dollars, not only for the beating I gave him, but also for trying to shove the broken snow shovel up his ass. The wife went home to her mother. Nine more inches predicted.

December 31


I set fire to what's left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 8


Feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

No more hot chocolate for me....Pass the Jim Beam please!

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Santa Is Still Here

While taking some pictures off the back deck the other day I spotted something unusual.

For some reason, Santa is still lurking around Coyote Ridge.


If he is waving and acting friendly hoping to get some Christmas cookies, he is out of luck as I polished off those suckers a LONG time ago.

I hope that he leaves soon as it is pretty freaky to look outside at any time of the day or night seeing him watching and waving.

So I guess the only options are to shoot him or not look outside.I opted for the non violent option and will fixate on something more soothing like the fireplace.


Now where are the marshmallows?

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Bath Update-Again

Will we ever finish the bath on the main floor? I am in no hurry as the water works, toilet and shower are operational and it gives me something to write about.

Anyway, someone asked me how the project was coming along so I snapped a few pictures for you.

We still have to put the bead board or wainscoting on the bottom part of the walls, floor trim and trim around the back splash.

Here is our vision of what it should look like to this point.

Click for larger images.


And some "real" pictures...






Two more days work and the project should be completed...I wonder when those two days will happen?

Tune in again soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

A Little Ice

Just like the weather prognosticators predicted, we received some freezing rain last night. I tried to capture it this morning as the sun was hitting the ice covered trees out here at Coyote Ridge.

If you look real close you can see the shine, or maybe not.




The ice should last a while as it is still below zero as I peck away on the keyboard.

We have opted for a lazy day today in hopes of recharging our batteries after a very busy few weeks. We will see if that really happens.

Tune in again real soon for another edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"

Lost In Projects

It has been a few days since I posted to this blog, in fact, too long.

Nothing to worry about though, just lots of projects that needed doing.

Last Sunday, Sue and I spent the day at Harv and Molly's house tearing out the carpet and carpet pad in their living room. We spackled the walls and taped off all the woodwork for painting.

Monday and Tuesday Sue's brothers, Bob and Chris, painted the walls and ceiling and pulled up the carpet tack strips.

Wednesday evening Sue's brother Mark and his wife Janet stayed out here at the Ridge and we consumed a few beverages in preparation of a full day of work on New Year's Day.

That was the day we gathered at the USS Harv to install wood floors in the living room and then trim out the dining room and hallway that had been re-floored earlier.

So on New year's Day at the crack of 11:00 we got started.




We had lots of great help from Jeff. He is my niece's husband and a very good worker.

We also had a good supervisory crew in the form of John, Bob's son and Tryg, Jeff and Josie's son.




Sue's brother Bob was also there lending a hand. He recently had foot surgery so he declined floor duty in exchange for painting.


Thursday evening ended with great progress.

Friday, Sue, Mark, Jeff and I dug into the last few feet of flooring then all the trim work and cutting down of the door trim so everything would fit properly.

After getting everything all cleaned up at about 6PM we ready to call it a day.

The new furniture will be delivered in about one week. That room has been totally transformed and I am sure pictures will follow soon after it has been properly decorated.

Tune in again soon for another exciting edition of "Now What Are They Doing?"