A thermocline is usually defined as a significant temp change in a relatively small depth change. As a scuba diver I have seen a surface temp of 70 with a gradual decrease to 65 degrees at 18-20 feet, then a rapid drop of 10 to 12 degrees in the next 2 or 3 feet. At 22 feet it might be 54-55 degrees and gradually decrease to 51 or 52 degrees at 35 to 40 feet. In a deeper lake it is not uncommon to have a second thermocline at about 40 feet and a temp in the low 40s below the second thermocline. Sometimes a diver will even see the thermocline as a distortion similar to a cooking oil mixed with water in a pan on the stove. You definitely feel the temp change on your face below the second thermocline. I have to imagine it is like “Bobbing for Budweisers in the beer cooler” toward the end of the party.

In the winter there is not a significant enough temperature variation to have a true thermocline, but even a small temp change may be enough to attract fish. Keep in mind that water under ice will run low on oxygen later in the winter and some species of fish have a tendency to be shallower. Use your electronics and lake maps to develop a game plan. Hope this helps.

Dim blinking turn signals and no running lights is an indication that you have a bad ground. The power to the turn signal element is taking the easier route by feeding back through the tail light element and finding a ground through the power wire to the tail lights.

Ensure that all connections are clean and working well. This means the bulb and socket, the ground wire for the light fixture, all wiring, and the ground wiring at the hitch. Sometimes using a jumper wire with aligator clips between the trailer and the tow vehicle will show that there is a bad ground at the hitch area. Some trailers are wired so they rely on the hitch itself to complete the ground circuit. In a worst case situation, a new wiring and light kit can be installed.

Dogs have been known for generations as “Man’s Best Friend”.

3000 years ago in Egypt cats were considered Gods. They have never gotten over that.

…..And now for the forecast:

This evening’s forecast is dark, ….with darkness continuing through the night, then turning to widely scattered light by morning. (from George Carlin).
As far as the chance of precipitation we have a new untrained and untested box of darts and the official dart thrower is recovering from a shoulder injury, or so he says. You know how it goes at this time of year. It might rain, or snow, …..or maybe not. You just might have to look outside, roll the dice, flip a coin, or use whatever your normal decision process involves.

Now for the fishing forecast: Your odds for success go up dramatically if you bait up a hook and drop it in the water(swimming pools and bath tubs not included). Kind of one of those “Must be present to win” situations.

Its always good to be first, but remember “The first story teller never has a chance”. He just set a reference point. The next story teller can always stretch the details further.

Best regards and happy holidays to all.

We had a 1995 19 ft Four Winns fiberglass boat for 18 years and used a 50/50 vinegar and water mix to clean it. It worked very well. We would wet a corner of a towel or a separate wash rag with the vinegar mix and wipe clean and dry the sides of the boat from the gunnel to the chine. By cleaning the boat this way we only washed the boat once or twice a year. We went boating every weekend for almost 6 months every summer and stored the boat in doors when not boating. The vinegar mix is slightly acidic and works well on water spots on fiberglass, stainless and other metal parts, and even windows. A build up of water spots for several days will take more effort to remove, but it will work. Hope this helps.

We have made the trip many times and find it to be a very scenic and enjoyable trip. Yes, you may wind up going through some gas, but we always felt it was worth it. We always felt that $30 to $50 in boat gas to go for a scenic cruise was a good way for the family to spend a day. You can stop and fish for a while here and there, or go into Hudson or Stillwater for a bite to eat. Some people beach by the Hudson boat ramp and walk up to DQ for ice cream. You can also tie up in the protected area behind the floating dock at the south end of Stillwater next to the paddlewheelers (for a fee) and walk over to the warehouse area for a burger. In addition to the info already provided by others just watch for the red and green bouys. There are not too many bouys, but they are there for a reason. Going north from Prescott keep the red ones on your right (Red, Right, Returning from the Sea). A relatively calm day during the week is usually not very busy, but you can do it on any weekend too. It is very interesting to watch the river transform from a large river that is 2000 feet to over a mile wide and 40 to 90 feet deep into a much smaller more secluded river that is too shallow to navigate in some places. As stated, you might want to wait for higher water to do much north of Stillwater. The locals know the river, but you can get in trouble real quick if you do not know where to go. Another thing to consider in higher water conditions is to go up the Kinnickinnic river. We have done this in our 19 foot I/O boat. Water levels should be up within a few feet of the high water “no wake” level so you can get over the sand bar at the mouth of the Kinnickinnic. Once past the sand bar just proceed slowly and cautiously and watch the depth. It is very quiet and secluded. We have been up the river about a mile. Go have fun and explore!!!

Looks like he’ll have a lot of time for his broken nose to heal.

We bought a Sony HDR SR12 in November 2008. This was $1K at the time, and is not a current model any more. My brother bought a Sony HDR SR160 this summer for about $550. I highly recommend the HD video cameras. The detail is great on a larger HD TV. You have a choice of editing the video and making a Standard Definition disk, a High Def disk in the Sony AVCHD format, or a Blue Ray disk. Blue Ray disks do require a Blue Ray burner which can be obtained for $100-200+. A 25GB Blue Ray disk holds about two hours of Blue Ray video and costs start at a little over a dollar. A standard 4.7GB DVD holds about 2 hours in Standard Def and about 35 minutes in the High Def AVCHD format.

I do recommend the video cameras with the Hard Disk Drive, and the larger the better. I have recorded over 10 hours of Scuba diving video and a few more hours of video on land during vacations without the need to download and delete footage on the camera, and still had a lot of room left. We either connect the camera or computer to a TV directly or download to the computer to make disks.

Be aware that High Def video takes a lot of room on your computer. I have a laptop with a 320GB hard drive. I have over 200 GB of video footage on the hard drive and have moved a lot to an external hard drive. When editing and creating a video you are actually making another copy. This does take processing power and space. Also, converting a file to a different format to burn to a disk can take several hours. I have seen the computer work for between 5 and 18 hours depending on the movie length. Yes I would still do it again.

Snagged the handle end of an open umbrella. That one took a while.

Cheater Pipe: A tubular extension of various length used to gain unfair mechanical advantage to totally destroy either the fastener, the part, or the holding fixture with much greater ease.

We have been using the 50/50 vinegar and water mix on the same boat since new in 1995 with excellent results. We wipe down the sides of the boat after each trip while tying down and covering for the drive home from the water. I try to wax the boat once or maybe twice a year. It is best to keep the boat inside, but at least covering it will help protect it from the elements. An added benefit is the vinegar mix works well for windows and metal fittings and rails.

“2. Watching congress in action ……”
Now those are two words not often seen in the same sentence.

This could possibly contribute more than any other factor to pushing through the legislation to build the new bridge that certain environmental groups have been trying to prevent.

On a T-shirt in Florida:
“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.”

When vehicles are first started the alternator has to recharge the battery. With an additional electrical load such as a heater fan on “High” and head lights the load may be more than the belt will turn if the belt is old or wet. Whether the alternator belt has a spring loaded tensioner or a manually adjustable bracket the possibility exists for a loose or worn belt to slip and squeal. Since the squeal stops when electrical load is turned off I would doubt that the squeal is a bearing. A used belt can glaze somewhat and cause it to slip easier. I would recommend making sure the belt is tight (spring tensioner has adequate tension or alternator belt tension bracket is adjusted tight enough). A new belt may be the fastest and easiest cure.

James and Cheryl,
Congratulations and best wishes to the two of you. There is nothing more enjoyable than spending time with someone who is your best friend and the love of your life.

All the best!

Back in the late ’90’s a co-worker was in a similar situation. He and two others designed a website that has been used in almost all states and many countries around the world. It is http://www.ourfamilywizard.com. The website is a scheduling and communication tool for any family, but has been used as a monitoring tool by divorce courts. It costs each parent a small monthly fee for membership. Communication is monitored to assure civility. The schedule is set. Occasional schedule changes can be discussed and agreed to or not. Whether this interests you or not I will agree with the others that recommended to document any issues you have. Keep it professional and civilized, but accurate!!! I have seen several instances where one parent will try to manipulate the situation to their advantage. By all means you need to stand up for what is agreed to. If you are looking for something different it needs to be addressed in court. Best of luck, and maintain a great relationship with your daughter.

Congrats on the job!!! I understand where you have been. In 2005 I lost my job, then two months later my dad. No unemployment, at least not until a year and a half later when it went through court. Times were tough. After 6 months I did land a job….at 60% of what I had previously made. I learned a valuable lesson. We are each in the driver’s seat of our own destiny. Employment and job hunting are like fishing. If you want a chance at another fish, and maybe a bigger one, then bait up a hook and toss it in the water. Otherwise your odds of catching anything are very remote.

Having a cell phone can literally be a life saver. It can also be a way for people to pester you, or you pester them ;-)….. I agree that a phone is worthwhile. Only you can say whether you can justify internet service which usually runs a buck or so per day.

I’ve heard “keep it above 1/4 tank”. The pump relies on the fuel for cooling. The pump/electric motor runs constantly and being mounted in the tank does not allow for much cooling when low on fuel. Being submersed in fuel transfers heat approximately 20 times faster than air. If the pump makes noise or doesn’t last that long I’d look at whether any warranty is included.

Sometimes the thermostat will not close completely. This could cause it to warm up, but cool off when driving. However, usually the engine is developing a lot more heat while driving so this may or may not be the problem. It may be worth checking the thermostat if it is not too hard to remove, or just replace it. The problem with the fan could be several things from intermittent connections in or near the fan, or the switch, or possibly even computer issues on later vehicles. If troubleshooting it yourself I would recommend getting a volt-ohm meter and tracing wires. I sympathize with you. Intermittent electrical problems affecting your heating system in the coldest time of the year is no fun.

I had a small 2 stage track drive. They work fine. The biggest difference I noticed was that the machine was much harder to move when not running. The wheeled units roll rather easy. The tracks provide a little additional traction, but the difference is not always that much. I have a vertically challenged (short legged) dog and use the blower to make a path in the lawn for her outdoor activities. The track models are adjustable to allow for leaving a couple inches of snow cover in the grass, but a wheeled unit can be used also, with a little attention. The biggest problem I have had is when a little oil and snow/water get on the discs of the “transmission” causing the tires to not turn.

Got that right!!! What a waste of time and money, and a compromise of safety.

Gas will work. A disposable paint brush may work as a parts cleaning brush. The environmental croud would probably be concerned about the disposal of the gas afterward. I’d recommend using the smallest amount feasible.

I bought a Sony HDR SR12 almost a year ago and am very happy with it. Its HD with a 120GB hard drive and a memory stick. We took it on a 1 week vacation last winter and were able to easily fit all the pictures and video on the hard drive and memory stick. I know what you mean about prices, but if you think some of the cameras are a little expensive you might try pricing underwater housings and lighting.

With the motor trimmed down most of the way the prop blade on the right side is essentially taking a bigger bite than the one on the left. This is because of the slight nose up attitude of the boat and mostly the angle of the prop shaft to the direction of the flow of water past the prop. This causes the wheel to turn to the right when released. As the motor is trimmed up the force on the wheel will neutralize and with still more up trim the wheel will want to turn to the left. This is very common on most manual steering systems. A friction lock or power steering are the only ways I can think to eliminate “the pull”.

When using a sock as a trolling bag make sure the sock is strong enough to be used that way. With a “V” hull boat using one trolling bag under the boat can cause directional problems when the sock moves from one side to the other under the boat. I do like the idea of rigging the sock under the boat, just make sure that it is far enough forward so it can not become tangled in the prop. It also adds some speed flexibility to your presentation if you can troll forward or backward if conditions allow. Typically the prop is not as efficient in reverse so you will see a slower speed in reverse than forward. It might be something to try, or at least get a speed reading for reference. I currently have a 19 foot I/O runabout. Using a sock or two is one way to slow the boat down when other options like trolling motors and kickers are not feasible or easily mountable. Slowest normal idle speed is 3.7 mph or so. A 40″ Wave Tamer under the boat brings it down to 1.7. A pair of 25″ socks slow it down to about 1.4 – 1.5 mph and provide much better directional control. The two disadvantages I see are the possibility of a fish getting tangled in the sock during a fight and the fuel consumption at idle is more than a small engine. A large engine may be expensive to feed, but it may be cheaper than other alternatives.

To balance a door pull the rope to disconnect the opener from the door. Raise and lower the door by hand to see if the springs are adjusted properly. The door should not be too heavy to lift, or so light that it goes up by itself. If you have Torsion Springs (where the rod goes through the spring) and have never worked with them, hire a pro or get training.

While you have it disconnected you should tighten all nuts, bolts, and screws (they do work loose) and lubricate everything. Move the door up and down listening for noises. Lubricate everything including hinges, rollers, and the spring system. Don’t get messy, just enough to do the job. I even lubricate the springs so they don’t make noise as they wind and unwind. Hope this helps.

Yep, my ’99 did it about 3000 miles out of warranty. It took a trip to the dealer shop to replace the anti lock brake unit under the driver’s floor. By the way GM stood behind it. If you are good with a wrench and can find the exact component to change, you might be able to do it cheap. If not, the unit was $800 plus a couple hundred in labor in 2001.

The clunk is not uncommon, but more likely with an actuator that moves farther due to drum brakes that are worn or need adjusting. Most drum brakes do not automatically adjust like cars do.