Sunday, February 28, 2010

Starting at 12 noon, Pacific Time, all the hockey marbles are up for grabs as the gold medal game between Team USA and Team Canada will get under way. In Canada, you will be hard pressed to find many Canadians anywhere but in front of a TV to watch the match. Following the game there will be great celebrations and wailing and gnashing of teeth regardless of the outcome for one side or the other.

GO FOR GOLD CANADA

Friday, February 26, 2010

Hot on the heels of the Canadian women winning gold in hockey, and gold, in my opinion, for celebrating at center ice after the game - take that idiot IOC directors - it's time for the Canadian men's hockey team to start their march to gold with a semi-final game tonight at 6:30pm Vancouver time against the Slovaks. Game on!!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Not only did Canada record 1 gold medal, 2 silver medals and a bronze medal at the Olympics yesterday, but it thrashed the Russian hockey team in the quarterfinals 7-3 en route to a semi-final match on Friday against Slovakia. Slovakia? Crickey!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

The Killer Strawberries Hockey and Gentlemen's Club started the playoffs last night on a winning note by besting the Free Agents 6-1. If we win the next three games, we will repeat as league champions; however, we have our work cut out for us.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

I'm sure the "kneeling" prayer area in front of this shrine at the old Mattawa Hospital is pretty well worn out - the old hospital was "kaput" and the new one has been built.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

This old log building in Mattawa has certainly seen better days (more photos on Mike de Moree's site - see links on the right). It doesn't look like it's slated to be torn down, yet there also seems to be little effort to maintain it, other than plywood over windows and some blue tarping on the roof. It's got a great view of the Ottawa River and the Quebec highlands.

Friday, February 19, 2010

About halfway down Mattawa's Main Street is a wide lane way that features a very large mural on the walls of the buildings on one side. Here is a portion of that mural. I guess it's always summer time in Mattawa.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Small northern towns aren't noted for their old historic buildings in the center of their towns. They are few and far between. The harshness of the area doesn't lend itself to austere and wealthy displays of architecture. Here is a chip shop and former motel, now apartment units, on the main street of Mattawa. Considering the town's penchant for large wooden sculptures of people, I'm surprised there isn't one in front of this place.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The wait time in Mattawa at Vets Taxi may be awhile (I think they may have a cab), but the view to Quebec over the Ottawa River should make up for the wait; although, it does get a bit cold in the winter. I'm also pretty sure hailing a cab in Mattawa is totally out of the question.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010


The Moon Cafe in Mattawa
If you ever get to Mattawa, stop in and say hi to Bev and Lorne at the Moon Cafe. Have some refreshments or sample their excellent, somewhat non-traditional, menu items. They host an array of excellent musicians throughout the year including Brock Zeman and Valdy.

Monday, February 15, 2010

The following photos were taken on a "walk-about" around the old Mattawa hospital. I think it's pretty apparent the building has been neglected for some time. I'm guessing the neglect began long before the construction of the new hospital. It's hard to imagine that the old hospital was still being used as recently as 6 or so months ago.

This is a side entrance doorway "patio" to the hospital.

Looking up at the east side of the hospital, complete with old style balcony.

This is a rear view of the hospital complete with shipping and receiving area.

The shipping and receiving area of the old hospital.

The east end of the Mattawa Hospital.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Mike, Bob and I were in Mattawa on Friday afternoon to take some photos of the Mattawa Hospital, photo shown (check out the link to Mike deMoree photos for additional Mattawa Hospital photos). This is now an abandoned building as the town recently built a new hospital. The old one was used as recently as 6 months ago and is in great dis-repair. Some folks would like to see the old building preserved as a heritage site; however, upon closer inspection, photos to follow later, it is pretty obvious there is not much to preserve. It is pretty apparent it will be knocked down, and I bet a condo will re-surface in its "wake," that will have a fabulous view overlooking the junction of the Mattawa and Ottawa Rivers and the Quebec highlands.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

As I was heading out to work yesterday morning I noticed this group of deer walking along the ice in front of our place beyond the pressure crack. They were the same group I almost mowed down last night around midnight as I was returning home from hockey. Lucky for them, and me, I wasn't going fast, and I have anti-lock brakes.

Friday, February 12, 2010

OK, let's go back in time, way back. Who can remember Texaco gas and Fire Chief? Who can remember non-digital readouts of the gas price and volume? Who can remember the little doo-hickey at the top of the pumps that spun around as the gas flowed from the pump into the car's gas tank? If you answered yes to any or all 3 of these "burning" questions, you are a certifiable old-timer.
Oh, by the way, Anonymous, this morning it's -25C, and to me that is crappy as I much prefer the scale on the other side of zero.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

It's -17C this morning, and I'm thinking of warm Pacific waters off the coast of Costa Rica.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Shoreline photo of the south side of Trout Lake.

Monday, February 08, 2010

Sunny, hot on the trail of the local deer population.

Sunday, February 07, 2010

The Hockey Bench
We'll be using the nets today, and the dock will be the bench for our pond hockey game.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Here is our neighbour's rink. You could put 5 or 6 of these inside ours.

Friday, February 05, 2010

Pressure crack zig zags along the shoreline.


Ice lifting up due to the pressure crack.

In the 12 winters we've lived on the lake we have never had a pressure crack so large dominate the ice surface in front of our place. This one started off as fairly large, so we thought, last weekend, but since the early week cold snap it really expanded. It cracked about 400 feet off shore, and it zigzags along for about 2 km. In places it's 10 feet across and the ice is piled up 3 to 4 feet high in spots. Both Sunny and I refused to cross over it - as we approached it we could hear the ice cracking again. This is a relatively small crack in comparison to ones on Lake Nipissing at this time of the year, but for Trout Lake in our area, it's huge.



Thursday, February 04, 2010

Whoa, now here's a "golden oldie!!" Here is the junior team I played with in 1970-1971 in Lahr, Germany. We were called the Lahr Junior Canadians, but probably other names we forget or didn't know about. Can you spot me, or anyone else for that matter?

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

We rarely get pressure cracks this big in front of our place on the lake. This one is over one kilometer long. Since it formed, it has cracked again and is now about two feet wider and buckled (picture to follow??).

Monday, February 01, 2010

Sunny, doing what she loves to do most, running flat out.