©Ian Coristine/1000IslandsPhotoArt.com The "Fair Jeanne" in the Lost Channel
Coristine's magic
We recently attended Ian Coristine's book launch of his fifth picture book "The very best of Ian Coristine's 1000 Islands". Over the past several years he and his wife Mary have become very good friends and own a spectacular island a few miles downstream.
We met at one of his book signings when I introduced myself as a wanna be Challenger aircraft builder who wanted to pick his brains, as he was the former representative for the company in Canada. (The Epistle, November 2008) Over the years, he used his plane to take some 30,000 aerial photographs. Then, he got busy self publishing one coffee table styled book at a time and to date has sold some 60,000 copies in the local area alone. His latest is aptly named, as it is the very best with every page being like a liquid gloss book cover. Every month in the summer, he generously allows me to help myself to a photo out of his collection to open the months posting on my blog so I can share with you some of the great images of the area.
This months is no exception. The scene above is of the tall ship "Fair Jeanne" coming through an area of the river called "The Lost Channel". Janice and I sailed on her last year but this picture captures the first time in 249 years that a tall ship has ventured into this particular area of the 1000 Islands (minutes away from our dock). The last time was on August 14th, 1760 when Britain's HMS Onondaga was lured into the labyrinth by French attackers. A boat with 14 men was lowered to warn HMS Mohawk away, but was never seen again. On failing to find even where it was lowered, this spot became known as the Lost Channel. Ian was the only one to capture this latest scene.
Aside from having sold his plane (an unforgivable mortal sin in my book) and insisting on using a fruity computer (you know the kind that has an orange or a banana...no wait!..an 'apple' as it's logo), it's hard to find much wrong with the guy. It's not every day one gets to brag about a friends accomplishments, but dude, ya done good! We are very proud of you.
This months is no exception. The scene above is of the tall ship "Fair Jeanne" coming through an area of the river called "The Lost Channel". Janice and I sailed on her last year but this picture captures the first time in 249 years that a tall ship has ventured into this particular area of the 1000 Islands (minutes away from our dock). The last time was on August 14th, 1760 when Britain's HMS Onondaga was lured into the labyrinth by French attackers. A boat with 14 men was lowered to warn HMS Mohawk away, but was never seen again. On failing to find even where it was lowered, this spot became known as the Lost Channel. Ian was the only one to capture this latest scene.
Aside from having sold his plane (an unforgivable mortal sin in my book) and insisting on using a fruity computer (you know the kind that has an orange or a banana...no wait!..an 'apple' as it's logo), it's hard to find much wrong with the guy. It's not every day one gets to brag about a friends accomplishments, but dude, ya done good! We are very proud of you.
The scam
As most or all of you know by now, we had our email account hacked last month. I woke up one morning, fired up the computer to check on emails and could not get in as my password was not registering as valid. Thinking that I made a typo, I tried again and again. Truly frustrated and annoyed, the phone rang with a call from a friend telling me my email account had been hijacked.
Unless you have had it happen to you, it is hard to understand how powerless and violated it makes you feel. It is the digital virtual version of being raped. I began getting calls from friends in France, California and parts beyond asking me what the heck was going on. It seems that the nice man from Nigeria that hacked our account changed the account password so that I could no longer access it. Then he sent an email to everyone in my address book as 'me' with a sad tale of Janice and I being robbed in London England, and needing money wired to us immediately.
Some recipients knew immediately this was impossible as we were at the Island and Janice was undergoing treatment for cancer. Others were confused but wary. It took me 24 hours to contact Yahoo and work things out with them, change my password, profile, ect. My greatest fear was that someone would succumb and send money before I could warn them.
The unnerving part is that to this day I have no idea how my account got hacked. I have always used a password that has combination's of letters and numbers that is considered very secure. Of course all bank account and other locations where we use a password had to be changed also.
At first I was relieved and pleased that not a single person was duped. Then I thought.....hey....NOT one person sent me money in what they thought was my time of need? A fine bunch of friends you turned out to be! Shortly thereafter the comedians came out of the woodwork asking when they could expect the thousands of dollars they 'sent' me back?
This might be a good time to check that you have our correct email address and that you did not inadvertently end up with the hacked one. Our email address is starfireproductions@yahoo.com. If you have anything else, it is wrong. Some people have asked how they will know if an email from us, is truly from us? It's simple really. If the email is asking you to drop us a line or ask about news from your end of the world, it's from us. If the email ever asks you for money, it's not from us.
Some recipients knew immediately this was impossible as we were at the Island and Janice was undergoing treatment for cancer. Others were confused but wary. It took me 24 hours to contact Yahoo and work things out with them, change my password, profile, ect. My greatest fear was that someone would succumb and send money before I could warn them.
The unnerving part is that to this day I have no idea how my account got hacked. I have always used a password that has combination's of letters and numbers that is considered very secure. Of course all bank account and other locations where we use a password had to be changed also.
At first I was relieved and pleased that not a single person was duped. Then I thought.....hey....NOT one person sent me money in what they thought was my time of need? A fine bunch of friends you turned out to be! Shortly thereafter the comedians came out of the woodwork asking when they could expect the thousands of dollars they 'sent' me back?
This might be a good time to check that you have our correct email address and that you did not inadvertently end up with the hacked one. Our email address is starfireproductions@yahoo.com. If you have anything else, it is wrong. Some people have asked how they will know if an email from us, is truly from us? It's simple really. If the email is asking you to drop us a line or ask about news from your end of the world, it's from us. If the email ever asks you for money, it's not from us.
From the project dept.
Every summer when we first show up at the cabin, we run around to make sure everything is OK and has survived another winter and long absence. So far, so good. The one thing that has clearly deteriorated are the seams in the drywall. Because we do not heat the place in the winter, there is some expansion and contraction that occurs and a fine gap can be seen where the drywall sheets meet. Fortunately there is little drywall in the house as it is mostly logs, as one would expect in a log cabin. However, there is drywall in the kitchen and these minor gaps could be seen developing on the ceiling.
In the bedrooms we had trusses that were part of the roof supports that crossed the length of the rooms. Clearly structural, these bad boys were not removable but hardly fit the decor. We killed two birds with one stone last month by fitting beams over the kitchen ceiling gaps and softiting the trusses with beams also. You can see the results above and judge for yourself.
The Cancer thing
Janice had her second Chemo this month and was quick to point out that she was a third of the way through. A third of the way through Chemo maybe, but only one tenth of the year long process. She will have a total of six Chemo treatments, three weeks apart but still needs secondary weekly treatments. People ask if the treatments are easier to support the second time around. The answer is no. The treatments maybe more effective but are still no picnic.
A "Bee" of a BBQShe is not allowed to be in the sun much. On the island for the summer, that is like taking a kid to the candy store and saying “look but don’t touch”. To level the playing field, we got a commercial 11’ (nearly 3 meter) umbrella for the dock so she could be outside but not in direct sunlight. This beast is attached to a 250 pound (113 kilos) base filled with wet sand so that it won’t blow away in the wind. I set it up and within an hour in a light breeze it was in the river.
Before
After shaving head (with wig)It would appear that it is designed to be in a backyard, poolside or in some place that is sheltered. This was a month ago so the water temperature was still cold enough to cause an instant (virtual) sex change to any man who would dare venture in it. We drew straws and as luck would have it she told me that I drew the short one so I had to fetch it. Funny how that works.
This time I was going to work smarter, not harder. I bolted the sucker to the dock, then filled it with the wet sand.
The plane
I have started back working on the plane recently. I had the engine delivered and I am moving forward one step at a time. With weekly trips to the hospital and other non aviation related activities and obligations, I will clearly not have the time I need to devote to this pursuit to finish it in the time frame I had planned for. No matter, I will get it done as I am able and I will fly or die trying. Hopefully, not as a result of.
I have started back working on the plane recently. I had the engine delivered and I am moving forward one step at a time. With weekly trips to the hospital and other non aviation related activities and obligations, I will clearly not have the time I need to devote to this pursuit to finish it in the time frame I had planned for. No matter, I will get it done as I am able and I will fly or die trying. Hopefully, not as a result of.
