Columnists

Q: War, What is it Good For?

Posted: October 19, 2023 at 2:51 pm   /   Columnists

“It’s good news week. Someone dropped a bomb somewhere, Contaminating atmosphere and blackening the sky.” Like a lot of you, I’ve got an ear worm going on. It’s Good News Week is the song that plays over and over and over in my head these days. It was a protest song recorded in 1965 by […]

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Straw bale garden

Posted: October 19, 2023 at 2:50 pm   /   Columnists

The concept of the straw bale vegetable garden has erupted on the Internet over the last year with new gardeners looking for an alternate to the back-breaking labour of tilling a bed in the yard. The concept is very easy. Put plants in a straw bale and let them root in the natural pockets created […]

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Garden clean-up

Posted: October 12, 2023 at 9:46 am   /   Columnists

The snap in the air signifies more than just the arrival of winter; it also means that it’s officially time to clean out the perennial beds. This can be a challenge even for the most experienced gardener because we always forget the specific treatment for any new species or plants that we’ve added to beds. […]

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History is not history

Posted: October 12, 2023 at 9:44 am   /   Columnists

Someone great once said, “History is written by the winners.” I am an accidental student of history, and I find this is true. For example: The War of 1812 was won by the Americans. This is based solely on the fact that the famous Battle of New Orleans was won by the American soldiers. This […]

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Smell my feet

Posted: October 12, 2023 at 9:36 am   /   Columnists

Well, Thanksgiving is a wrap. Thanksgiving might be my second favourite holiday. What’s not to like about setting aside one day to be thankful for what we have? On top of being thankful for what I have, I’m thankful for the people in my life who have helped me along the way. I am so […]

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A Cup of October

Posted: October 5, 2023 at 11:19 am   /   Columnists

Wait a second! What happened to September? Geez Louise, I haven’t had nearly enough picnics or hikes or beach visits, and not one glass of wine on a patio—and now October is telling me to put the yard furniture away! What’s next? Find all of the rakes and the yard waste bags? Who knows, I […]

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The five & dime

Posted: October 5, 2023 at 11:17 am   /   Columnists

I recently did a video session about how the County has changed over the years. Usually I defer things like this to my local historians, who know way more than me. They were my ‘go-to-guys’ who could remember all the way back to when they stopped breastfeeding. Then I realized that all of these great […]

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A front yard for Tracy

Posted: October 5, 2023 at 10:16 am   /   Columnists

As real estate agents continue to analyze the value of our homes, trying to squeeze every last dollar out of them, the front yard continues to be one area that should get a lot of attention when it comes time to sell. Online and business experts place the value of the front yard somewhere between […]

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Give without remembering

Posted: September 28, 2023 at 10:17 am   /   Columnists

I’ve got an idea. Let’s start with this, “Stop blaming poor, underemployed, under-housed people for just about everything.” Do you need an example? Sure you do. Recently a Food Pantry was opened at the Picton Library. It’s not meant to be a food bank. It’s not meant to be anything except a place where a […]

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Government overreach

Posted: September 28, 2023 at 10:16 am   /   Columnists

This column is actually about Point Traverse, and me. First, some background. I have a problem with authority figures. I’ve had several encounters with them, and they have rarely been fruitful. Basically I believe managers become managers for no reason known to mankind, other than their inability to manage. And so, as a political animal […]

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