Columnists

Beaujolais Nouveau

Posted: November 14, 2024 at 10:12 am   /   Columnists

Thursday November 21 marks the official release of Beaujolais Nouveau this year. It happens annually on the third Thursday of November. This tradition in the Beaujolais region of France dates back to the 1800s, and though Nouveau wines are made all over the world, in Beaujolais the third Thursday of November became popularized by the […]

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Hydrangea confusion

Posted: November 14, 2024 at 10:11 am   /   Columnists

Since I’ve started hosting a small radio call-in show for gardeners looking for help with their outdoor spaces, the phone lines have been jammed from the moment the show starts until the final credits. The radio show has taught me a few things, including that no matter how much is on the Internet, people still […]

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Statistically speaking

Posted: November 14, 2024 at 10:09 am   /   Columnists

Don’t you just love statistics!? I, for one, am always impressed with something along the line of “The number of doughnuts sold on World Doughnut Day would fill thirty-five Olympic-sized swimming pools.” Imagine, if you can, someone measures the volume of the average doughnut, then finds out how many were consumed on Doughnut Day and […]

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Recalls

Posted: November 8, 2024 at 10:00 am   /   Columnists

We have pretty much figured out that we make stuff, find out it might be a huge mistake, and try to fix it. Personally, since I’m a do-it-yourself guy, this is part of every project I’ve ever done. Everything looks great, until you find you’ve left a ground wire close to a live wire on […]

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Tea and cookie time

Posted: November 8, 2024 at 9:56 am   /   Columnists

It’s Sunday. It’s November 3rd, and if you aren’t concerned about the outcome of the USA Presidential Election, you should be. Whatever the outcome, we’ve got a huge pile of problems in this old world. If the USA has decided to elect a deranged, Putin-loving, hatred-towardswomen spewing, psychopath as their President, then we’re in for […]

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Plant importing

Posted: November 8, 2024 at 9:55 am   /   Columnists

For the last few years I’ve been buying heirloom plant seeds from all over the world to increase my personal inventory of rare plants and vegetables. I’ve always assumed that if they could be shipped to me, then it must be okay with whatever inspection agency that Canada has in place. I was surprised to […]

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Heated driveways

Posted: October 31, 2024 at 10:29 am   /   Columnists

After a couple of years of heavy snowfall paired with a few seasons of freezing rain and ice, homeowners are finally getting past the idea of shovelling the driveway and the sidewalks and moving towards heated systems. The technology has been around for a while, but for some reasons, Canadians think that having a heated […]

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Cookies make it all better

Posted: October 31, 2024 at 10:28 am   /   Columnists

Well, wasn’t October a party? Now we’re looking forward to the depths of winter. The USA is on the cusp of making either the biggest mistake of their independence or making a move in the right direction. Here, in Ontario, we’ve got a Premier who struggles to make a decision, and when he does he’ll […]

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Common sense

Posted: October 31, 2024 at 10:27 am   /   Columnists

There was a time, long, long ago when we knew the term “It’s Common Sense.” It was the kind of thing that, when your mother said, “Do not ever put your tongue on anything metal when the temperature is below zero,” you just had to try it. I contemplated this while my tongue was stuck […]

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Do you believe in magic?

Posted: October 24, 2024 at 9:39 am   /   Columnists

I’ve been around a long time. I don’t often delve into politics, although the Times is my political arm—where I can vent my thoughts, and you can love me or hate me. I’m okay either way. I’m a big believer in: “Say what you think.” If you have the strength to speak your mind, you […]

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