Jeff, Shawn & I made it down to the river today, with a modest catch of 3 fish. With the water as cold as it was, I suspect the fish had Lock Jaw. The fish shown with Shawn prooves that there were some with loose lips. It looks like the weather will be good enough for an outing around Christmas Day. Merry Christmas!!!!

Declaration of the Onkwehonwe of Grand River Territory on the 2010 olympic torch relay

As part of the renovations taking place at Grand River we are checking into big and small projects alike.  One issue that perpetually perplexed me was the sticking latch on the doorway to the attic, especially now that the weather is turning colder.

I’ve installed lock sets before, even gone so far as to drill the holes in the doors to do so, but this was something that I was totally not prepared for.  The lock set is likely original to the house, which was built in 1916, but after taking it out of the door and giving the workings a good cleaning, it worked like new again.  The mechanism is very simple, but definitively involved more work to install in a door than modern lock sets.  The whole mechanism is contained in a rather large box which needed to be recessed into the door, and appears to have been hand chiseled to accommodate the mechanics.

I don’t know, perhaps I’m perturbed by the quality of some modern hardware, or perhaps its only because I have a fascination with mechanical systems, and the fact that nearly everything in this house seems to have been built to a different standard than they are today.

Our 1916 Colonial will be benefiting greatly from my upcoming week off.  Since we moved in, we have done absolutely nothing to this room beyond moving furniture in – partially because we didn’t have to do anything to make it livable, but also because the room wasn’t in too bad of shape.

Typical settlement cracks plague the walls, and there’s evidence of prior water damage on the ceiling from a leaking radiator in my brother’s room.  Beyond that, the only thing we were worried about was the paneling that covered the west wall of the room.  Having pulled paneling off of the walls in the Foyer during a spring break a couple years ago, I was really hesitant to pull this paneling off but we’re Schroeders.  When we do something, we do it right, or at least we try.

Imagine my surprise when I saw a window hiding behind one of the pieces of paneling!  I was shocked, and could feel the adrenaline kicking in because I felt like I had found treasure.  Usually when we uncover something here, it’s a problem.

There’s more though.  To the right of the fire place is another window, or at least a hole where a window used to be.  But, under panel number three was… ANOTHER WINDOW.  The third window is actually in place just like the first one, so we have two complete windows just waiting for hardware and a saw to cut an opening through the siding to let the light pour through.  That’s right, somewhere in this house’s past (est. 30-40 years) someone boarded over the windows and put new siding on the house.

Why would someone do that?  I haven’t a clue.  I expected to see water damage or something but it really looks like someone just hated windows and covered them up.  This is far more exciting than the porn and panties we found left in the walls of the house (I wish I were kidding, but there was women’s underwear in the insulation in the attic.  Don’t ask.  I don’t know).

This is just day one though.  All that’s left in the room is some clutter, the entertainment center and couch.  After Greg gets home from work I’m going to con him into helping me extract the couch and entertainment center.  Once the room is cleared out, we can get to the always exciting task of plastering walls and ceilings.

Game plan for the week:

1. Fix all of the walls and ceiling with plaster.
2. Prime and paint the entire room.
3. Add insulation around the fireplace and windows since we can clearly see daylight in some places.
4. Replace the carpet.
5. Build a fireplace surround to cover the hideous brick and tile “creation” left by some previous owner.
6. Fix the pocket doors.

It’s a good thing I have the time off because this would be a nightmare to work on in my “free time” in the evenings.

There’s always something to do in Brantford, Ontario! From history and heritage to exquisite natural beauty, Brantford’s got it all. Hiking, biking and canoeing to catching a show or going to one of the city’s fine museums, there is something for everyone here in the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky.

The Tournament Capital of Ontario

Brantford is known as the Tournament Capital of Ontario, and with good reason. Some of the best sporting events in all of Canada are held right here. Numerous arenas, skating rinks, playing fields and more make Brantford a popular sporting destination all year round.

The true centre of sports in Brantford, however, is the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Containing 3 ice surfaces, an Olympic sized swimming pool, 2 softball fields, 3 tennis courts, 2 football fields and much more, you’ll never find yourself bored here.

The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre is also home to the Sports Hall of Recognition, a place where Brantford recognizes some of the many sports heroes it has produced as well as other sporting greats. The Hall hosts rotating exhibits featuring 28 athletes at a time with a variety of fascinating artifacts from each one. The one permanent exhibit is that of Wayne Gretzky, showcasing a collection including his Los Angeles Kings jersey.

The Grand River

Brantford is located on the beautiful Grand River, which provides many things to do in Brantford. Water sports such as swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing: you name it! You can even have fun out of the water with hiking, biking and more.

One of the great places to visit along the Grand River is the Brant Conservation Area, located right in the bend of the Grand River. A popular camping destination, it is makes and excellent home base for plenty of fun to be had in Brantford, the Telephone City.

History

The city of Brantford is a place with a very powerful history. One of its nicknames is the Telephone City, in honor of one of its greatest residents: Alexander Graham Bell. Immigrating to Brantford with his family as a young adult, much of his work on his most famous invention was done right here in the city. The Bell Homestead is now a national historic site , where you can take a tour guided by staff in authentic 19th century dress, to get a feel for Bell’s home as it would have been when he lived in this very house.

Fun for the Whole Family in Brantford

There are plenty of great places to bring the family in Brantford, such as the Ben Mar Family Fun Centre. Miniature golf, go-karts, enclosed driving range, batting cages, arcade, a ferris wheel and much more can be found at the Ben Mar Family Fun Centre. Located in between Paris and Brantford, it is a great place to spend a day of fun and excitement.

More fun can be found at the Earl Haig Family Fun Park. An exciting go-kart track, mini-golf and batting cages are just the tip of the iceberg here. The star attraction are its amazing water attractions, including a 60′ water slide, a gigantic wet and wild leisure pool and the 600′ Lazy River Ride.

Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley

There were some celebratory beers had Friday because Soph and I were convocating. (More degrees to hang up! Brup brup!) The dinner was on my parents, so I chose a place with excellent food and beer – not the qualifications to meet in London, Ontario. My mom got a Grand River Highballer Pumpkin, Soph got a Rodenbach Grand Cru and I had a St. Bernadus Prior 8. If the rumour mill is correct, this beer consists of the same malts as the 12, but more water is used when brewing, which makes me want to think of the beers of variations of each other but that may not be the best approach. It certainly had similar tastes of dark fruits, molasses and a hint of spiciness, but at a more subdued in the alcohol. There is still a wallop here – a delicious Belgian wallop.

I was pretty full after dinner, so my dessert was of the liquid variety. My Grand River Russian Gun Imperial Stout was actually not as sweet and chocolately as I expected. Or rather, those characteristics were offset by a large amount of bitterness that minimized any creamy feel in the body. It was still a well made beer and an excellent nightcap (especially since the planned side trip to the Wellington brewery was abandoned because they were out of their impy stout).

Grand River Russian Gun Imperial Stout on Ratebeer

St. Bernardus Prior 8 on Ratebeer

Today: 830mL. Year-to-date: 20.45L

This is the result of a frenzied miter saw battle between me and the United States Postal Service.  Unfortunately, a mailbox loosely affixed to the top of a 2″ pole cemented to the core of the earth that can be dislodged by passing semis doesn’t match their definition of an acceptable mail receptacle.  This also unfortunately meant that they threatened to suspend our mail service.  What I couldn’t quite comprehend was the fact that this mailbox was more than sufficient for the two years we’ve lived here, and by the rust marks, I suspect many years prior.  C’est la vie.  Nothing I, $20, a 10′ long 4×4 and my trusty miter saw couldn’t solve after work one evening.

Oh, and yes, that’s Aurora – little pain in my… er fluff ball from heaven!  Long story short, this was a quick, cheap, easy way to appease the postal service to prevent a stoppage of delivery.  The only mail I get are bills, so its not as if I’d have been missing out if they did follow through with the threat.

Did everyone make a Tanabata wish on Tuesday? I did! I wrote a poem, as is common with Tanabata wishes, so it covered my entire life.

For the whole of Tuesday, it was tied to my bamboo.

Yesterday, on the 8th, I made a trek through the forest trails that are my backyard, headed toward the Grand River to set the wish free.

I’m thinking about setting up a Shinto altar in my home. Being a Shintoist in Canada has proven time and time again to be a difficult thing, because resources are so far out of reach.

Once I reached the river, I clapped twice to wake the Kami, and asked them to guide the wishes so they would come true.

One wish is mine, the other is my mom’s.

And then I set them free.

Not a bad celebration for the limited Shinto resources that Canada has.

Blair’s Sheave Tower in spring, summer, fall and winter

Photo by Ruth Kinzie

A while ago I watched an interview with Ron Brown, the author of a book called Top 100 Unusual Things to see in Ontario. It was intriguing to think there were so many places to visit off the regular tourist track in this province. Always interested in learning more about my area, I purchased the book. I have seen a few of the featured places including the Pioneer Tower which stands on a high bluff along the Grand River near Doon. But I had never heard of the other local landmark  located a short distance downstream in Blair. The first summer evening I went looking for it, I was unsuccessful as trees along Old Mill Road hid it from view. Here is a description of the Sheave Tower from a local artist’s web site.

Built by Allan Bowman in 1876, the Sheave Tower, 31 feet tall, was considered to be the oldest hydro-generating system in Ontario. The board-and-batten structure with pointed gothic windows is located in a stand of cedar, bass and maple trees on Old Mill Road outside the Village of Blair, Ontario. The late Nick Hill, an heritage architect, described the Sheave Tower as “absolutely magical . . . a jewel in the midst of a beautiful wetland.” Water from Blair Creek ran through the sluice and turned a vertical turbine shaped like a corkscrew. A series of shafts and gears spun a giant pulley mounted high outside the tower by the steep-pitched roof. A long cable was looped from the tower’s pulley to another pulley 70 metres away at the Blair Mill. The Sheave Tower produced an additional 15 horsepower for the Blair Mill, which once ground corn for Schneider’s pea meal bacon. Heritage Cambridge restored the Sheave Tower in 1999 as a passive display without moving mechanical parts, and returned the medieval-looking tower to its original oxblood colour. Marriage proposals have been made within its walls! Fishermen, artists and photographers continue to be drawn to it.

The old mill across the road is still in operation to this day, and Blair Creek rushes by the restored but silent sheave tower on its way to the nearby Grand River.

Cost: Free

Nearby Attractions: Village of Blair, rare, Langdon Hall, Walter Bean Trail

Directions: Old Mill Rd, Blair just west of Meadowcreek Lane (map)

October Sunrise

Photo by Ruth Kinzie

Waterloo Region has some rolling hills, but lacks spectacular summits which can be climbed for a fine view of the land.  The Grand River cuts through the region and in many places the water’s edge is easily accessible. There are high sand bluffs in Homer Watson Park, once known as Cressman’s woods, where you can look down on the river and across the city towards Cambridge. The sunrises here are beautiful and it is not unusual to find one or two people at dawn quietly watching the view. As morning comes, the birds start singing. Bank Swallows nest in the bluffs and many species of birds including Woodpeckers, Owls and other passeriformes live in these woods. Once it is light, you can walk the groomed path, part of the Walter Bean Trail, through the woods to Doon. There are some steep sections, but a boardwalk has been constructed along part of the slope. The lower part of the trail near Doon Mills is often flooded in the spring.

Cost: Free

Location: Take Wilson Ave past Wabanaki Dr  to where the road ends. There is a small parking lot here at the trail head. The bluffs are to the left of the parking lot. (map)

The joys of second guessing!

The Grand Rapids Press article by Troy Reimink about the new promotional video to promote our city (actually west Michigan….unless Grand Rapid’s urban sprawl has made it’s way to the lakeshore) is copied below.  But first, a little conversation among friends.

The video is OK.   It was commissioned by the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.  Obviously it is meant to promote Grand Rapids and the lakeshore as a place to visit, spend some money and have a little fun.   As you can read in both the article and the comments (from the Mlive peanut gallery) it’s open to debate if this video really captures the soul of this area.

I know when I visit somewhere, it typically is because of a great, natural setting (Leelanau Peninsula), specific events (Memphis in May), specific attraction (Great Wolf Lodge, Cedar Point, Detroit Tiger game)  or world class attractions and restaurants (Chicago).

Which leads me to a question, is Grand Rapids at the tourist destination level yet?  It is a great place to live, work, raise a family, and play.  The quality of life is outstanding!  However, unless you are here on convention business, I don’t know if it is vacation-worthy.   Certainly, expanding Grand Rapids to include the lakeshore region, especially Saugatuck, Holland and Grand Haven changes the picture…those cities and surrounding areas are certainly vacation-worthy but I don’t really consider Grand Rapids to be lakeshore. (I know, it’s about marketing)

For what it’s worth, if I was responsible for promoting Grand Rapids as a tourist destination I would do whatever it takes to create, develop, promote “buzz-worthy, memorable, big idea” events and attractions.  As an example, here are couple of ideas in the pipeline:

ArtPrize. Love it, hate it, don’t care about it….it doesn’t matter.  If it can live up to it’s vision, and attract world-class artists (and hopefully thousands of subversives) to the city for a two-week period, this really will be something memorable and unique.  It will certainly generate a buzz.  It will be talked about.

Another project that could change the landscape is the Grand Rapids Whitewater initiative.  If you haven’t followed this very closely you should.    Without damaging the existing fishing experience, this project would create a stretch of whitewater that would attract recreational rafters, kayakers, and other water-loving enthusiasts to downtown Grand Rapids.  Although we might not realize lengthy stays in area hotels, it would bolster the experience of those who are staying here all ready plus attract the “day-trippers” who would probably be hungry and thirsty after a day on the river.

Back to the video. Call it second guessing or back seat driving. Call it whatever you like, but it is a great debate for anyone who feels that enhancing our city, for both residents and tourists is critical to the quality of life we enjoy in Grand Rapids.   What do you think of My Giant Little Town?

Does the ‘My Giant Little Town’ campaign with Brian Vander Ark capture the best of Grand Rapids?

by Troy Reimink | The Grand Rapids Press

Wednesday June 10, 2009, 2:48 PM

A scene from the tourism video "My Giant Little Town" by Brain Vander Ark.

My Giant Little Town ( < click on this link to view the video)

We’ll have a story up on this soon, but we wanted to share some video from a campaign to promote Grand Rapids, which features a song called “My Giant Little Town” by former Verve Pipe singer Brian Vander Ark.

As one of the city’s better-known musicians (assuming Anthony Kiedis was unavailable), Vander Ark is a natural choice for the clip, put together by the Grand Rapids Convention and Visitors Bureau as part of its “Michigan’s West Coast” campaign.

His track reflects the “big city but not” reputation Grand Rapids has managed to develop. Take a look/listen:

Vander Ark last year provided vocals for a song titled “This Time,” which was part of a feel-good marketing campaign for Detroit (understandably a tougher undertaking) and for the Detroit News and Free Press newspapers:

But getting back to the Grand Rapids promotion, a lot of the images are obvious — city skyline, Meijer Gardens, art museum, etc. — and fairly generic. One (and by “one,” I mean “I”) can’t help wondering if the producers missed a chance to include some of our city’s more idiosyncratic elements.

I would have suggested some of the following:

• The fluoride monument

• Rob Bliss Urban Experiments (zombie walk, pillow fight, chalk flood), etc. On second thought, maybe portraying the city as overrun with zombies might not have the desired promotional effect.

• Adults playing kickball

• Yesterdog

• Outdoor events such as Festival of the Arts, Eastown Street Fair, the Local First Street Party, Avenue of the Arts, Founders Fest, etc.

• The thriving culture of bikes, scooters, mopeds and the like

• The weather ball

Any other suggestions for how to sell our city?

E-mail Troy Reimink: treimink@grpress.com

There’s always something to do in Brantford, Ontario! From history and heritage to exquisite natural beauty, Brantford’s got it all. Hiking, biking and canoeing to catching a show or going to one of the city’s fine museums, there is something for everyone here in the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky.

The Tournament Capital of Ontario

Brantford is known as the Tournament Capital of Ontario, and with good reason. Some of the best sporting events in all of Canada are held right here. Numerous arenas, skating rinks, playing fields and more make Brantford a popular sporting destination all year round.

The true centre of sports in Brantford, however, is the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre. Containing 3 ice surfaces, an Olympic sized swimming pool, 2 softball fields, 3 tennis courts, 2 football fields and much more, you’ll never find yourself bored here.

The Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre is also home to the Sports Hall of Recognition, a place where Brantford recognizes some of the many sports heroes it has produced as well as other sporting greats. The Hall hosts rotating exhibits featuring 28 athletes at a time with a variety of fascinating artifacts from each one. The one permanent exhibit is that of Wayne Gretzky, showcasing a collection including his Los Angeles Kings jersey.

The Grand River

Brantford is located on the beautiful Grand River, which provides many things to do in Brantford. Water sports such as swimming, boating, canoeing, fishing: you name it! You can even have fun out of the water with hiking, biking and more.

One of the great places to visit along the Grand River is the Brant Conservation Area, located right in the bend of the Grand River. A popular camping destination, it is makes and excellent home base for plenty of fun to be had in Brantford, the Telephone City.

History

The city of Brantford is a place with a very powerful history. One of its nicknames is the Telephone City, in honor of one of its greatest residents: Alexander Graham Bell. Immigrating to Brantford with his family as a young adult, much of his work on his most famous invention was done right here in the city. The Bell Homestead is now a national historic site , where you can take a tour guided by staff in authentic 19th century dress, to get a feel for Bell’s home as it would have been when he lived in this very house.

Fun for the Whole Family in Brantford

There are plenty of great places to bring the family in Brantford, such as the Ben Mar Family Fun Centre. Miniature golf, go-karts, enclosed driving range, batting cages, arcade, a ferris wheel and much more can be found at the Ben Mar Family Fun Centre. Located in between Paris and Brantford, it is a great place to spend a day of fun and excitement.

More fun can be found at the Earl Haig Family Fun Park. An exciting go-kart track, mini-golf and batting cages are just the tip of the iceberg here. The star attraction are its amazing water attractions, including a 60′ water slide, a gigantic wet and wild leisure pool and the 600′ Lazy River Ride.

Copyright (c) 2008 Wes Fernley

Reference: Dress Up Games for Girls

http://barbiedressupgamesonline.wordpress.com/

http://dadandson.blogsome.com/

Most “typical” college students go somewhere crazy for spring break, indulge in a little too much alcohol, and wind up with nothing but an air brushed t-shirt and some wicked sunburn to remember the occasion.

I on the other hand embarked upon one of many “surprise projects” during Spring Break ‘08.

Here’s what the foyer looked like originally:

Notice the blood red walls.  The blood red carpet.  The dark molding.  Just… awful.  Not exactly an inviting entrance to TOGC (This Old Georgian Colonial).

The red you saw on the walls wasn’t actually the walls however.  It was merely a sham!  Instead of properly repairing the cracked wet plaster walls, the previous rennovators put up some ugly tile board and painted it red.  Why?  I have no idea.  They also opted to install a drop ceiling instead of repairing the leak upstairs (little did they know that leaks persist and it wound up staining and ruining the drop ceiling and causing me a bunch of headaches down the line).

That right there is one of the aforementioned problems of covering up a leak without repairing it!  The lath had just rotted away due to the moisture.  I hate working on ceilings, especially when it means wet plaster, finish coat(s) of plaster, scraping away old paint, sanding, priming, painting, etc.

And that aforementioned sanding of plaster turns hardwood floors into this!  No one could sneak around in the first floor for the entirety of this project.  In retrospect, we should have taped up some tarps to prevent the dust from getting into the dining room, kitchen, living room, up the stairs, down the stairs, and everywhere in between.

Cue the brother to snap a photo of me working for proof.  I had a grey phase but as I type this, more than a year later, I am contemplating a completely different color scheme, with some custom wainscoting and some color for warmth but the grey still is a million times nicer than the old tileboard walls.

And this is how we wound up the project.  My brother and his girlfriend lent a hand in the cleaning and supervision of the project and all in told, this remodel took 5 straight days of working.  Thank goodness for the radio!

If I do wind up changing the wall color and adding wainscoting I’ll post an update.

Grand Rapids, MI circa 1915. Click for larger image.