December, 2015

Thanksgiving

Most of the gang

We took 11 days off to drive up to see many of the kids and grand kids in Washington state this year, a 2,400 mile (3,900 km) round trip. We took my favorite mother in law (lighten up on the mother-in-law jokes guys, she really is) with us to a beautiful 4 bedroom Victorian house we rented nearby to use as a home base while we spent the days with the grand children. 

Joining us from across the state was daughter Cassie with her two kids and son Wesley who drove from Idaho.

Meanwhile, daughter Amy and husband Vance and their 5 of 6 children hosted a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner for the stars in their home for the lot of us.

"Can you do this, grandpa?" A week of this and I needed a drink as I was ready to climb the walls too.

Aside from the tea parties with the girls and smashing things with toy tools with the boys, we went go carting and to the movies to celebrate birthdays. My son-in-law even took me out skeet shooting. It was my first time but I still offered to give him a few tips once I figured out the basics. Offering to teach him things I have never done but he has is one of the many things he loves about me. 

An update of sorts

Last month I wrote about this little deck I was building. Since we have arrived in October, I have spent 6 weeks on it and this is how far I have come. I have 23 days till we leave so I guess I better get it in gear.

The most boring job in California?

Weather forecaster

God, I love this place. 

November, 2015

This wedding was performed using my plane as the backdrop in the airport hangar where it is stored in Canada. I am not sure about seeing the back of the bride's head part but I was not the photographer or the wedding planner. In fact, I was not even there. What I do know is that is MY plane and they better not have used it to become members of the mile high club on their honeymoon ;)

The month in review

One of the facts about owning property is that things often have to be done on a large scale. Something as simple as a driveway for instance. There comes a time in every driveways life where it needs more than TLC, but a full blown heart transplant. Ours had met it's maker.

I was  told we could expect 20 years out of it, but at age 30 it was due for resurfacing 10 years ago. It had not become a pothole ridden abomination but was circling the drain, if you know what I mean. Finally, we decided that enough was enough and that we had to bite the bullet. 

At 600 feet in length (200 M) and a 4000 sf (400 sq m) parking area, it was a 10,000 sq ft (1000 sq m) bullet to bite. The bad news was that we had to spend a good part of our children's inheritance to get it done. Having just a little left over, we blew the rest on the construction of a 500 sf (50 sm) deck, the first phase of 3. The other two are scheduled to be larger but built over the next two seasons we are home.

The good news is that we trust the kids will be proud of us for having spent their money so wisely. 

We were told to keep cars off the driveway for a few days for it to cure, so we thought...why be subtle?

He's the man!

I know I am often (OK, almost always) working on a project or two, but a little known fact is how much I rely on buddies I have who know what the heck they are doing. I usually do almost all the work but the secret is surrounding yourself with smarter people than you that make you look good. Here, that buddy is my friend Barry. 

Our friendship goes way back to the days he joined our cast of merry men, stage managing our evening stage show. His background is construction but his skill set goes way beyond into a myriad of areas. His help then was not only in building some of the illusion props for our show, but in a variety of technical areas of sound, lights and special effects. To cut to the chase, he was largely the brains behind the operation to make us look good.

Barry: top right

Since those days are over, he has helped me navigate through some tricky projects here at home. I have done a fair amount of building but have always relied on others expertise to make sure  that I not only build things to code, but that I end up with a quality result. 

"Why do I have to dig all these holes?"
"So you can fill them with cement"

  "Oh...."

This month, I have gotten knee deep (literally) into this new project that seriously needs to be finished in the next 7 weeks or I am in deep doo-doo. Barry told me that it was a typical Laprade project in that he could not have designed a more complicated one if he tried. It's not my fault really, it comes from the voices in my head... Sometimes I feel like I am working on the Winchester house. ***

We shortened our stay here this year by 3 weeks to extend our time in France as we have so much work to do to our new villa there (do they make medications for this condition?)

Meanwhile, I dug 35 footings, mixed and poured 75 bags of cement (just over two tons) with about another 20 bags or about a half ton to go. Then, I framed the sub structure. There will surely be more to be said next month.

"Is this your idea of a straight cut?"

I have been at it for a month and so far, Janice is not impressed. She says the boards are too far apart and people will fall through. "Besides", she says, at the rate I am going  I won't be finished before the second coming. I better pick up the pace or she will hire a competent contractor and force me to just hang out at the beach. (!)

***The Winchester Mystery House is a mansion up the road from us in San Jose which was once the residence of the owner of the world famous Winchester rifle company. His widow had a construction crew working 24 hours a day for years in the belief it would ward off evil spirits. 

Carpenters were hired and worked on the house day and night until her death. It became a seven story mansion built without an architect or plans and featured staircases that led nowhere and windows that faced interior walls.

 Cassie and Dr. Destructo

This month, we had the pleasure of a 48 hour visit by daughter #4 and her little fireman. Cassie was in town for some specialized dental work so we got the bonus of seeing the little man. His visit was much like a tornado. Short in duration, but still capable of doing a lot of damage.

Ryan, stocking up on all the important food groups.

October, 2015

Photo: Ian Coristine  www.1000islandsphotoart.com
Click on any image once to enlarge

This is the look of sadness. Honey Bee Island 24 hours before we leave for the season. Boats and jet skis all pulled and stored for the brutal winter. Only the aluminum runabout and the canoe remain for the getaway. Giant flower pots at the main dock at left now all gone, with blue tarps over their frames for the winter. 

Close up of the pic above

The white floating flower boat is upside down on the hammock deck in the foreground, with the BBQ wrapped in a blue tarp behind it. Worse: no plane on the aircraft carrier at far right. The cabin? It's there, barely visible behind the trees. Isn't great to have a friend with a great camera who has access to helicopters?

Then again, this is the look of happiness. Home in California for the best part of the year.

An apology is owed 

Last month I inadvertently sent out our little newsletter with the entire list of recipients in the 'TO' box instead of in the 'BCC' box of the outgoing mail. 

My bad. 

It was immediately brought to my attention and I am sorry for this lack of attention to detail. I know that some folks don't care but I know I am annoyed when I receive a broadcasted message with my email address exposed to others that I don't know. It's hard enough having safe...eh...'computing' without being exposed to others STD's. (Stupid Transmission Decisions)

 
The view from the cockpit

It happened again. Another 'come what may' daredevil wanted to throw caution to the wind and climb into the back seat for a ride on the magic carpet. Kim is an old friend who, once a year, publishes a great magazine about the Thousand Islands. She jumps at every opportunity to get great pics from the air whenever she can. If this keeps up, I may have to start an airline to keep up with demand.

Well, its over. All done flying for 8 months. It was a spectacular season and I will pick it all up when we return on June 1. Meanwhile, 244 days of peace and quiet for you with no blah, blah, blah about silly airplanes.

Stay warm baby, and see you in June.

Besides flying, I have been working on my docking skills and I think I finally have it down pat as seen on the video below....

There goes the neighborhood!

 

Cindy Crawford has purchased an island cottage in the Thousand Islands and is seen here cruising the neighborhood with her kids.

The transition

11 years ago when we started this schizophrenic lifestyle, we had a friend who told us we would tire of it in 6 months. It has now been over 30 transitions, every 4 months since, and we just can't get enough of it. Friends were recently asking us if we were anxious to get back home to California and the truth is that while we were well aware of how many days remained until we left the island, I didn't get my head into my 'California mode'  until the day of our departure.

Boarding the plane, island life was all behind me and I was in full 'OK, the first thing I need to do when we get back is... then I need to....' I have given up thinking we won't ever have a huge project awaiting us wherever we land but I am focused on making sure there is leisure time also. Flying takes care of that at the Island, California is nothing but sun, sand and surf while France offers wine, bread and travel opportunities galore.

The big projects are important to us for many reasons. One is that I am only going to be around for another 50 years to enjoy them so we want to make our homes as pleasant as we can for the duration but the other is that it satisfies a creative streak. 

Remember that for 30 years, a good day at the office for me was preventing two homosexuals from killing each other in some twisted love triangle or stopping drugs from getting into the prison...not exactly 'creative', so these projects do give one a sense of accomplishment.  

Still, our transitions are not all a cake walk. Leaving the island for instance, requires eating ourselves out of the freezer in the last days, then donating to friends or the local food pantry any remaining supplies. Anything already opened gets tossed. The next day, we fly 3 to 6,000 miles away and stop at the local supermarket and drop $500. to restock the fridge, freezer and pantry of everything we just got rid of the day before. Everything from mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressing, to tin foil has to be purchased. Think everything..

It's the price of doing business, 3 times a year.

Ready, set, GO! 

OK, we have been home 12 hours now, so no more goofing around. It's time to get things into high gear. After stocking up, it was time to get things in order around here. A friend who is also our property manager does a great job during our absence but clearly cannot spend the time we do in bringing everything up to snuff as we do when we return from an 8 month hiatus. 

First order of business: tame and clean up the landscaping. We refuse to start anything 'new' until what we have is working right and looking its best. 

Cleaning up the Redwood root, a 6 ton piece of landscape art.

We found this beast in Northern California years ago in a field with a goat tethered to it. It had been recovered from the bottom of a river bank and we brought it back over the Golden Gate bridge on a flatbed truck. Then, we had a crane awaiting us at our end to put it on the base we had prepared for it.

My Mexican landscaper. Oh wait! It's Janice.


Show and tell

Fifteen years ago, we had a 3/4" thick (2cm), custom 'hand chipped' edge glass table top made for our dining room table. As things went, the artist miscalculated and it was a little too small so he had to make a new one. Never one to miss an opportunity, I offered him a deal he could not refuse for the first one as it would be of no use to him and we had an idea as to how we could use it. It has been stored in my workshop ever since, waiting for the day it's turn would come up in my wife's endless list of projects for me to tackle.

Then, two years ago, I forged (both literally at the blacksmith forge in France and figuratively from a picture Janice found online) the metal base for a picnic table we needed at home in California. It consisted of two supports, one at each end of the table, with an exotic African Mahogany hardwood frame between them. The plan was to finally use the glass table top that has been stored all these years.

Returning back to North America at that time, I brought one 50 pound (23 Kilos) end of the two metal bases back with us from France to the island, then on to California 4 months later when we returned home as it was the exact weight limit allowed us when we fly.

A friend in France who was planning to come visit last Christmas was to bring the other half but his trip got cancelled. So, last May, we brought the second half of the two 50 pound bases, first to the island for the summer, then on to California last month.

It may have been a 15 year odyssey of sorts and ten's of thousands of miles traveled but all good things come to those who wait....patiently. It's good to always have something special in the project hopper and we have a bunch of them everywhere we live. It's what gets us going every day. 

 

September 2015

We are here

Enough already!

Our friend Lyne has an outdoor shower on her and Ian's island, and for the longest time I have been listening to a plaintiff Janice going on and on about it. 

Sample dialog:
"Lyne has an outdoor shower.... [choked up] but I don't."
I sure wish I had an outdoor shower like Lyne has, but of course... I don't. [ Lower lip quivers here]
Lyne is lucky. She has an outdoor shower...[whimper] but I .... don't.
Lyne gets everything... but I never get nothing." [Sigh]
I sure wish I had..." Agggggggh!

Finally, I relented. This month, I whipped up an outdoor shower in my free time. It consists of a slate floor with copper framing, bleached Manzanita twigs and a rain forest marble backing. 

The climbing vines will take a year to grow enough to allow one to shower 'au naturel' in our birthday suits, so this year it will only be available for rinsing off after swimming in the river.

Please don't forward this pic to Playgirl magazine. I really don't have time for a photo shoot.

I'd love to write more but Janice is calling  to tell me about something else she wished she had....

 More summer visitors

Having fun in our sun with a little afternoon swim with favorite aunts Monique and Kimberly and uncle Pierre who dropped by for a visit this month.

A quick primer on how to operate a jet ski lead to....

"And what happens if I do this?"

The view from the cockpit

Hours after I posted last months Epistle, my friend and neighbor Ken asked if he could fly with me. I reminded him that he would be my FIRST non pilot passenger EVER. I assumed he would wise up and reconsider, but throwing all caution, common sense and self preservation to the wind, he climbed into the back seat for Mr.Toad's wild ride.

Ken, looking none the worse for wear.

I wasn't sure if I should be flattered by the vote of confidence or if he was depressed and wanted to end it all with a great view. In any case, I have now crossed that milestone and we both lived to tell the tale.

Flying is not that big of a deal to some people. But you can see some of what Ken got to view below.

OK, it just so happens that there is a whole lot of aviation news this month. If it bores you, you can probably stop reading now, because it's not going to get any better.

How to built an aeronautical seaport

Having finally reached the point where the plane is being put on amphibious floats, I needed to finish the 67 feet (22M) of new dock at the island. (Amphibious is different from a float plane as it has retractable wheels inside the floats that allow the plane to take off or land from either a grass or asphalt runway and / or the water) 

I began the assembly of the dock on top of our electrical transformer enclosure which doubles as a poor mans workbench. It's the construction equivalent of preparing a wedding banquet over a fire at a campsite. 

Please spare me the condemning emails about my goofy looking 70's 'staying alive' swimsuit. I can do serious marine construction or be a fashion plate, but not both at the same time.

In the video below, you can see how after building the basic frame of one section of dock, it got 'launched' into the river, and towed by boat to where it belonged. The end of the video shows how I mowed the runway. How do you mow a river? Easy. The weeds that grow under the shallow area of the bay would get caught in my water rudders on the planes pontoon floats. 

So, I went out with our little runabout boat and used the propeller on the outboard to cut the underwater weeds wherever they grew to about 20 inches (60 cm) below the surface. Gotta keep the runway mowed!

Anyways, the 5 sections of dock were then united to the staircase from the island, empty plastic barrels inserted into the framework of each section to raise them out of the water and the deck added to the top of each section. Then there was the issue of attaching the aircraft carrier (the metal plane lift) to the entire floating dock. This was the tough part but, as usual, it got resolved with the help of the brains of the operation, my buddy Wayne.

Humpty Dumpty coming together, slowly but surely.

In the August 2010 Epistle, I wrote about the new aircraft carrier I had purchased. I had talked a bunch of friends and neighbors into helping me get it in the water. In the hopes of demonstrating just how it would eventually work with the plane on it, I posted this picture.

OK, so it took me 5 years to connect all the dots, but as you can see, if patience is a virtue then I am the most virtuous guy you know.

In preparation for my landing in front of our island, I thought it prudent to meet with the local authorities who have jurisdiction in this area. We are in a unique but tricky location being literally on the US / Canadian border and incredibly close to the US and Canadian custom stations. To add to the complexity, there is a 400 foot tall (130 M) tourist observation tower nearby.

The finished seaport awaits the plane

Flying low, near and around all these obstacles and sensitive locations had the potential of raining all manners of hell down upon me. I beat them all to the punch by presenting myself to them first with a detailed plan as to where I would take off and land in the area. 

This was in the hopes of preparing them for the possibility of a 'concerned citizen' hysterically reporting a low flying airplane near the tower and the border area. Shades of 9-11...

You would be forgiven for thinking that I am getting over dramatic here until you realized that I had to meet with the folks at US and Canadian customs, US border patrol, New York State Police, Ontario Provincial police, US and Canadian Coast Guard, Homeland security, the  Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the owners of the observation tower. All of our neighbors have been anticipating the first landing all summer long.

 Let the games begin.

"He landed so he must be here somewhere"

 

Finally, a little humor that was sent to me on Facebook