January 13, 2012
FOUR CANUCKS NAMED ALL-STARS
Four members of the Canucks were among the 36 veterans and 12 rookies announced by the NHL for the 2012 Tim Hortons NHL All-Star Game, to be played Jan. 29 in Ottawa. Forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin, defenceman Alexander Edler and forward Cody Hodgson were selected to play. More
January 6, 2012
The detached garage needed a bit of work to make it a workable shop. I ran 50 amp 240 volt power to it and wired the inside with plugs, lights, thermostat and heater. Next were the doors. When you opened the old doors they drug on the ground until they fell off. Not good. Besides, I wanted to put in a man-door to prevent heat loss in the winter. Simple.
Make it light, easy to work with, and efficient.
A good place to work on my 15ft 70’s boat with the metal flake paint on the deck powered by twin 1957 Mercury Mark 28 outboards.
Lets’ go fishin
December 18, 2011
Anyone who visits my shop knows I support the Vancouver Canucks with a flag on the roof and a sign which says “Canucks Fans Parking Only.” The Canucks are playing the Leafs tonight and at the end of the 2nd period they have a 1 goal lead at 3-2. If they keep playing as they did in the first 2 periods they should win this game. The West is Best!
December 15, 2011
I was given the opportunity to acquire over 50,000lbs of decorative paving stones for free if I removed them from their location. How could I turn down that offer. So with some help from a couple of friends for some beer I did and now the stones are at my place ready for next Spring’s project.
It took 4 separate trip with the truck. Each load weighed about 13,000 lbs.
I also was able to receive a beautiful large aluminum Gazebo with railings, tempered glass, skylight in the roof. Next Spring’s project is to lay down a cool stone path from our back deck through the trees to the Gazebo. Sounds like a wonderful place to have a cool beer.
Ken
December 11, 2011
The concrete steps at the farm house were applying constant pressure on the deck of the house which was ever increasing due to rain and frost. This was pushing the deck down an the eventual result if enough time were give would have been collapsing of the deck.
Using chain wrapped around the two big Blue Spruce trees and a come-along the stairs were pulled away from the deck and levelled and straightened as much as possible this fall.
Next Spring I will use jacks and chain/cable to set steps correctly with a concrete footing under them. I will be building a decorative stone path from the deck/steps out to a gazebo I will be setting up in Spring. The brick/stone project is another one to be documented shortly.
Ken
December 7, 2011
I was married on Dec 6. 1992. Even though it was the same day, it was 3 years after 14 women were murdered at Polytechnique. However, it was a day which stuck with me for the feeling of those who lost their lives and for the fact that I grew up in a violent home. I chose to never allow myself or my home to be something so terrible. When I decided to end this marriage in 1999 I wrote this poem. As I wrote I heard in the background on the radio 5 more women were gunned down in Baltimore.
This Day
On this day which is so special to me
there is a dark cloud above raining on a river which flows to the sea
It was on this day when I said, “I do,”
I believed I would learn about love and spend the rest of my life with you
So, why on this day which was special to me, did fourteen women need to die, fourteen of the best?
There is not a lot I can do or a lot I can say
I cannot bring back those fourteen lives
I can only know the poison and walk my own way
It does not seem like much and it haunts me to wonder why
So many dreams were crushed, so many tears were cried.
When I try to practice what I have written here, some comes easy and some comes filled with fear
I do not let this stop me from striving each day, to let my heart speak what it really needs to say
Here are fourteen reasons but, there are many more
Each one is special, each one opens a door
Each one is different and leads to a sacred place
Each one is full of love and leads to more open space
Look into her eyes when you want to come clean
Look into her eyes and feel what she means
Make a contribution to her endeavours without any strings
Trust her, never lie to her, and listen until her heart sings
Be interested in her beliefs even if they are different than yours.
Back off when she is angry and looking for more.
Do not use your physical advantage to dominate a fight.
Do not be stubborn even if you feel you are right.
Stop for a moment when you just want to shout.
Stop for a moment and think of what it is all about.
Laugh and cry with her and dedicate a safe place.
For it is the gateway to intimacy, the gateway to grace.
So, why on this day which was so special to me
do I just want you gone, do I just want you free
Why do I hear on the radio low in the background while I write
today in Baltimore, five more women were gunned down?
And, it’s raining… (Ken Bateman, December 6, 2000)
December 1, 2011
The kitchen cabinets on the one wall were ok but they didn’t have any handles. So, I decided to correct that…
and they look and work great. Next entry will be about moving the concrete steps at the front of the house to take the heavy pressure it places on the desk. The step were constantly causing the deck to sink affect it’s roof.
Ken
November 27, 2011
Getting your septic tank pumped out is usually a matter of digging down to the hatch, the septic truck comes out and pumps it out, and you fill in the hole again which you will not have to dig for another few years. That is if you know where the septic tank is. If you don’t know where it is, it can be a bit of a mystery. To add to the enjoyment, if there is an old tank which is no longer used and you get some misinformation about location, the fun only gets better. I dug 4 holes over a weeks time before I finally found the correct location. As you can see from the photo above, the correct spot is marked and I will be laying down some stone blocks and a bench to mark this location so I never need to work that hard again.
November 17, 2011
The first task to be done was the entrance doors and locks. The first door was the front door. The hardware in the door was cheap and the hole for it was cut too big. I removed the old hardware and cut 16 gauge metal plates with the correct hole size. I did some work to the jamb and the latch and lock now look good and are secure.
The door into the back porch was latched with a simple external deadbolt which was hard to open and close. I removed this and cut two metal plates with the correct sized hole, installed new hardware, and reworked the jamb. The door now works well and looks much better. There are other doors in the house which need attention and I will do eventually.
Ken
November 15, 2011
The articles in the Farm House category are about a 100 year old farm house we live in and the property it is on. It may include some of it’s history and area which surrounds it. This info is available for two main reasons. Number 1, it is such a beautiful home to live in and is full of history. Number 2, it gives the owners of the house and property full access to see and understand the work and care we put into the home and land.
The beginning articles will not be in tune with the time they were done or happened since I am beginning to build this today but need to catch up on what has been done in the previous two months since we moved in.
For those who view this site please enjoy the photos and articles. For the owners, please know that we love living here and your house and property is being cared for as if it were our own.
Ken
