quebec bob

We certainly left a great spring in the rear view mirror, can't wait to experience that Ski-Doo feeling again!!

That bird is a large common golden eye, a medium sized sea duck.

Definitely not a loon in that pic, but a big bird and probably from the same family. We usually try to get to camp the very first day we can navigate around the ice, a 2 hour trip by water, never see another person for the whole week, very remote, an old logger drivers camp, more rustic than Groomers camp, and some incredible fishing. Just a little worried about leaving out of state plates on the side of the road for a week, you never know how people will react during this virus when no one is looking. Been doing this for 30 years, never had a problem, but never say never.My boat registration came in the mail today so it looks like we are ready, we will not need any contact with anyone once week hit the road, only to stop for gas, so it looks like social distance will be no problem. Very interesting here at the shop, people are calling for appointments and we are reasonably busy with a couple week back log. This is a very uneven playing field, many have no work, we are surprised and counting are blessings, 5 weeks in things are still looking good for us at work, but we know this can change.

We are heading to North West Maine for ice out salmon and brookies in 2 weeks and will see a lot of loons making their annual nests, really great to hear them calling at dark.

Just saw it on the news this morning that Trudeau and Trump are considering re-opening the border in 30 days, pending things progressively getting better, really a surprise to me that it would be that soon!!

It really is amazing how far things have come in just the last 25 years, looking at the pictures, if it was not for the vehicles you would think those pics were from 60 years ago.

We got 6 inches on the mountain at 2000 ft Friday night, Sunday at noon, all gone, it was nice well it lasted!!

I see that it was written by someone else...do not know him or of him, yes this is a disaster, just know that all though the government here is trying to quickly send out help, it appears that it is going to many, who are still working...I do not get that part, my employees who are not only still working but getting overtime pay, they do not get it either...they are keeping the money...but they do not feel it is right. You are right about testing, everyone needs to be able to get a test...should become mandatory..so we can move forward knowing what the real numbers are. I do not see how we can go back full time without knowing that, my response was we should only be sending tax payer money to those who actually are out of work, currently it is going to anyone who filed taxes in 2018, regardless of their current situation and even to some who have not worked in years. I am not getting any money or loans, just doing what I always do, going to work every day, hoping this will pass sooner than later. Our numbers are down considerably, but after 5 decades we will weather this storm, even if it lasts all year, but most cannot do this, I hope we can find a test so we can get the healthy people back to work, before it is too late for them to economically recover from this, but we need a lot more answers before this can happen.

We are also looking at huge spending deficits here in the US. The loan money for small business' was basically gone in a flash, word is they ran out of allocated money, basically overnight, who got it?? Then they have this 1200 dollar per person stimulus check plus 500$ additional for each child. One of my employees got a 2900$ check this week, he cannot understand what is going on, he is still here working full time, even logged some overtime hours last week, and his wife works in the probate court and is getting full pay for 1/2 the hours. He thinks only people out of work should get help, so do I, but somehow this instant money is flowing, who the hell figured this thing out, and who is going to pay for it??In the mean time I drive by the food bank and see lots of locals in the food line who really need help, yes, some one needs to answer some questions here. I have spent my entire life working for myself, on my own dime and I have always said OPM is easy to spend, and nobody is better at it than the government...OTHER PEOPLES MONEY, until you have sweated and earned it on your own, seems there is no respect for OPM!! This is a really great article you have written here Snowfarmer.

You can certainly tune into the station that says what you want to hear, this is not the right time for that...I just want to hear the facts, reality, what is really happening on the ground, so I can make the right decisions moving forward.

Hank, I own a tire store and an import repair shop. We repair European and Asian vehicles and maintain a fleet of Mercedes vans for a school bus / tour company. This is the start of 48 years.

Opening the Canadian border to non essential travel will be a decision made in Canada, not the US, and I do not think money is the issue here, people dying is the issue, thousands are walking off the job at US meat plants for fear of contracting this virus, nobody makes money with out a work force, this thing is a big disaster and nothing is going anywhere until people are healthy and safe, that is what I want for my employees and I will not ask them to do anything outside of that, I am on the floor with them all day.

With all the new talk of cancellations, recurring infections, and this thing lasting for who knows how long...I am beginning to have my doubts about being able to ride next season. My main concern is now beginning to focus on the outfitters and their survival...with out them, we all know there is no riding .I am hoping for a fast test and an anti-body vaccination, there are more people working on this around the globe, 24/7, than ever before...good chance something will come out of this, we can at least hope!!

A very happy birthday to you Jean Guy, be well!! PS This is the second time in the last month I got to say it to Jean Guy...from Haltaparche...Snowmaster, his friend Jeff and I were at Haltaparche for his 78th 4 weeks ago, we got him steak, ice cream and apple pie, a careful ride from Wemo had the pie intact, for dinner, and snowmaster was the conductor for the happy birthday rendition...it was the very same day he over-celebrated a little bit!! Great time was had by all!! Again, best wishes to you for the coming year.

all the way, I think his wife is Canadian.

Here in Mass we have this essential worker exemption...really crazy...zero enforcement...people are going to convenience stores to scratch lottery tickets!!! MANY people are operating business' like nothing is wrong, you just cannot make this stuff up!!Where is the board of health...supposedly their job is to protect the public...they have disappeared, first time they were desperately needed, a total disgrace and disservice to our community.80 people in line at the local pot shop, 10 hrs a day for 2.5 weeks, with a food cart in the parking lot...literally dying to get weed, it took the governor to shut it down.God Bless us, we are surrounded by a lot of below average thinkers...and I am not this kind of person who talks of other people like this, crazy time for sure.

When I got over the border just hours before it was shut down, hundreds and hundreds of Quebec traffic going home from the southern US, were lined up bringing it home with them. This whole thing is a mess.

Canada may well get this under control with the strict measures they are putting in place, good for them, taking all precautions...but the border opening will only be after the US has it under control, we need a vaccine...period!!

Believe me, last thing I want too, just looking at how much this thing is getting worse as the days go by and beginning to realize tighter measures seem to be a daily event.No motorcycles?, wow, seems like a safe isolated event. I was just thinking maybe I would take a drive in the Berkshire hills on my KLR 650, all by myself and try to leave this behind for a couple of hours, will have no contact with anyone, still legal here, I feel for you guys. I get the in town, close contact stuff, no way anyone should do that.No ATV trails...nothing pointing to any kind of turn around soon, the summer season is almost certainly lost, sure hope a vaccine is found soon so we can all get back to what we do.

Frank, the waiter in the dining room was the intended buyer, fortunately for him, in hind site, he was a little short and was having a little bit of trouble, coming up with all the down-payment. He was in talk with his brother, then all this hit. Looks like Dennis will most probably be there for another season, which right now does not look very promising. This spring and summer is going to be very tough on lodges, especially those with mortgages. Dennis will weather this better than any new owner could...and nobody even knows if we will ride next season, things are changing daily. Too bad , Frank is a great guy and knows the place well.Hope this passes sooner than later and all our friends on the trail weather this storm, Bob.

Well said Mike!!

I am not going to get into this politics thing but I will tell you that here in Mass. hospital workers are running out of masks and I only have 4 non 95 masks. Do not know where to get any n95 masks, hospitals are asking anyone who has them to please donate them to the doctors and nurses who are currently doing Gods work.We all have had the opportunity to manufacture at home but everyone went to off shore low bidders. Self reliance will be a big part of this when it is over, we are all going to learn a lot from this, everything was carefree and fun 6 weeks ago, those days are over.We really need to pool together and help each other through this as much as humanely possible.If you are able to help...do it...Sunday I drove into town to check my buildings...I saw people..a lot of them...that I have known them and their families for years growing up in a small town...in line at the food bank....just 4 weeks into lock down...absolutely heart breaking...my good friend and employee lost his uncle last Friday....now is the time to come together..and help if you can, Bob.

My long time friend and employee lost his 60 year old uncle to this virus last week as well...still have a lot of folks not getting it???My deepest condolences to our lost friends, Bob.

There was a regular at Cabanon back then, his name is Tim Park, he use to draw these maps and put them on the counter for customers, I think I still have a few of his maps.

Sometimes lucky is better than being good!!