What's up today (bullchiting) thread.

I have been begining to move some firewood into the wood room of the basement this past week. Didn't use much firewood last season due to the mild winter we had and also the first full season of the Vapor Fire 100. (Man, that thing literally sips firewood! Thanks again Lamppa mfg.)

The wood room is large enough for just over 6 cord; I only have to haul in 2 cord this winter.

 

The bar owner said i could eat and drink anything i wanted. I grabbed 2 cans of Pepsi and headed home to dry out.

 

Is that in perpetuity?

 

We visited Bell Island yesterday. This 13 Square mile island in the middle of Conception Bay was once a mining boomtown, home to 12,000. It's definitely one of those places which is sadly a shadow of it's former self.
The last mine closed down in 1966, and today, despite attracting a good number of tourists in the warmer months, the island is home to closer to 2,000, a large number of derelict buildings, and sometimes subject to ridicule as a bedroom community which costs a lot of tax dollars to operate two ferries on the 20 minute voyage to the "mainland". Once upon a time, it attracted people from other areas of NL and even around the world to work. Now, besides the historic and tourist attractions, and some stores and food establishments, it is hardly self sufficient.

The two ships currently on the run are the 9 year old Legionnaire, and the 39 year old Beaumont Hamel. We managed to go to the island on one, and return on the other.

 

The iron ore mines on Bell Island operated from 1895 to 1966, and are several of the largest submarine mines in the world. Extending far out underneath the ocean beyond the island's shores, the deepest reaches of the mines have 1800 feet of rock above them, and the Atlantic Ocean above that. A huge amount of ore remains, and there has been interest in the possibility of resuming mining in the area.

Today, a musem showcases many artifacts, and offers a partial tour of one of the mines, until a point is reached where the mine has filled with fresh water. There have been some necessary changes, such as gravel walkwayst and lightbulbs, for the safety of visitors, but the mine is still much as is was before it closed down. The demonstrations of the darkness, slippery slopes, and extreme physical labor these workers endured, really makes one realize what people did to survive back in the "good ole days of yore". And some did not survive, a number of people were killed by out-of-control mine carts and other accidents in the mines.

Germany was one of the largest buyers of the ore, but when the Nazis took over and world war 2 started, they were cut off. Nazi Germany retaliated by sending two U-boats, several weeks apart, each sinking two ore carriers and claiming many lives. In tragic irony, the torpedoes were made from Bell Island iron ore. Later, one of the U-boat captains was awarded a medal for the destruction, made from Bell Island Iron ore. The daughter of this U-boat captain, who had no idea of the event before that point, eventually found her father's orders and awards, and very upset, she eventually donated them to the museum on Bell Island, where they still sit on display.

The other U-boat missed one of their targeted ships, striking a pier and shaking the island itself, shattering windows in houses.

 

I thought I was looking at nearly empty ammo shelves, until I zoomed in. Lol

I thought Halloween stuff on the shelves in August was bad.

 

TrinitySouth99 Thanks for the pictures and the tours. Your pictures always look good. We didn't find out about Bell Isle until we were ready to leave and didn't have time to see it or so we thought at the time.
The way our trip has been going that we find out about neat sites but are moving on to the next area.

 

They are almost out of stock already?! Sheesh! That usually doesn't happen til at least Christmas Eve... maybe January!

 

Oh man...she could clean up with that! Just need 2 insulated bags...a hot one for the cookies, cold one for the moo juice! Budding entrepreneur right there!

 

Next quick project started.

 

What dat be gon be?

 

Rebuilding a cast iron and wood garden bench. Using black locust. Should be lifetime durable.