where there is smoke - there will be fires

Fire destroys Muskoka Lakes boathouse
The Bracebridge Banner reports two fires. On Aug. 7, the one fire, damaging boats in a boathouse, was due to 'unknown causes'.  Firefighters from Windermere and Raymond were called to a brush fire off Skeleton Lake Road 3 in Beaumont Bay after 3 p.m.

Firefighters fought the blaze for an hour.

The cause of the fire was illegal brush burning, said Schneider, acting fire chief... (read the rest of the story here!)

Unfortunately, the maximum fine for illegal brush burning is $300. A pittance.

We see bonfires all around the area. Brushfires, bonfires, burning of wet leaves.


There was another brush fire on Campbell Lake Road  on Aug. 6 in at 3:15 p.m.

People forget that others are enjoying the outdoors, as they are filling the skies with smoke, others depend upon having their windows open to cool themselves down!

In summer, different levels of fire bans exist.

Around here, there is no daytime burning without permits, when we've had a wet day or two, but even residents, renters and  guests seem to love the myths and memories around fires.

Many do not know, care or understand about the dangers of hydrofluorocarbons.

Photo of a daytime bonfire (removed at property owner's request)

 Oury precious Muskoka is a mess. It smells of smog from the US, on those smog days. Too many coal-fired furnaces.

And still they fight the local hydro project!

Acting Chief Schneider, Deputy Quinton.

Acting Chief Schneider is seen here, checking out the scene of another fire, after numerous media calls for more info. What was up, he wondered?

Police Called to Bala Location After Resident Refuses Hydro and Fire Personnel Entry to Property

Steamship smoke

The wires were buried in conifers at the new Habitat for Humanity Bala build site. All the volunteers were quite concerned!






And some fires are more poisonous.

Russian fires hit Chernobyl-affected areas, threatening recontamination
Russia's state forest watchdog says fires covering hundreds of hectares have been recorded on lands contaminated by the Chernobyl disaster. Experts warn that the blazes could lift nuclear particles into the atmosphere.

High wire act - hydro plants poles

There are those who consider hydro fair game.
I do not.

For someone who spent 10 days without power in Ice Storm '98, and 30 hours without power in that big North American power shutdown, plus three days without power in August, 2006, due to the hurricane...well, we love our hydro workers, as well as First Responders here in  Ontario.

After the responses to Josephine Loves the Garbage Truck, I knew many would like to see this event.

On the upper left, the crew boss prepares the men before they begin to lift the new pole up to pop it into the hole. We all need a plan of attack!

Here in my small town of Bala, we are raising the roof on a new Habitat for Humanity Muskoka project. Of course, they need a new hydro pole.

I created a separate blog for this building event, as it is a short-term project, and one that I can check on every day.

I find it interesting to look at the photos from day-to-day. You might like them, too, as you can see how a vacant lot becomes a house, thanks to many hands.

Today's post, however, honours those who ensure that we have power.

On this day, Aug. 10th, 2010,  they raised a pole after much hard work.

The prep is extensive. My father-in-law died in 1952, doing such work. I trust that we have learned much from industrial accidents.

These rubber thingies protect the wires. 

For those who like trucks, and my male readers do comment on these! - you can click below and see the videos I made of the big event in Bala.

There had been a fire in the spruce tree the day before, and they had to install taller poles, since the adjacent homeowner would not allow the trees to be cut.

Acting chief, Schneider, deputy Quinton patrol the scene

Our faithful acting Fire Chief, Jim Schneider, could be spotted on the scene today, checking things out.


Habitat Bala #1 hydro truck

 Habitat Bala #2 hydro pole arrives

 Habitat Bala #3 Hydro installing pole




I created a video last year of Hydro crews:
Drilling the Muskoka rock - 2
in order to replace the old poles in our rocky Precambrian Shield. This isn't work for chumps!

Tricky work

They corkscrew it in

High wire act

Dumping in sand at the base

Wires and cherry pickers

The homes have walls now

Mother of all drills

Lots of trees

Attach part A to B

Three poles to go in today

Jenn's new buddy Frank and his pal

Why do I blog?

Read, every day, something no one else is reading.

Think, every day, something no one else is thinking.

Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do.

It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.

-Christopher Morley, writer (1890-1957)

Making cranberry wine...

Cranberry fields forever.

Next you need a harvester.

Of course, you need Matt.

Then you need a vat.







Then you check if Matt's dressed for a tour. He always has a fine cap.

Matt promised he was shining his shoes for a Muskoka Magazine interview.

I think he was too busy.

 

The cranberries ferment in the vat until they're done. If you are creating various types of wine you either use the whole cranberry, or just the liquid.

But these cranberries are nearly finished their 2-week fermentation. 

Some wine is aged in oak. Others not.

Of course, there is always lots to do.

Matt let us peek in the vat.
The wine  tasting was a delight. We've been to some in Niagara-On-The-Lake, when Jesse was acting at Shaw.

Many different wine styles from which to choose. Cranberry wine, some is oaked, then there are combinations: white cranberry, cranberry/blueberry, blueberry, and so on. Many have won medals at various shows. Matt always twitters about his events.

Lots of products from which to choose. Even if you don't drink, you cannot lose.

Traffic delays - Aug. 9th in Bala

An Orillia man is dead and a Collingwood man injured after a flatbed truck crashed this morning on Highway 400 in Georgian Bay Township.

The truck struck the centre median rock divider, went into, then left the ditch, and hit the a rock cut.

Firefighters used the Jaws of Life to remove the body of Brian Moore (27).
His passenger, Timothy Vincent (46), was sent to hospital and then released after treatment.

Traffic was rerouted along highway #38.

OPP directed the heavy flow of traffic until about 1:30 p.m.