Garden clean-up
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. […]
History is not history
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 […]
Smell my feet
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 […]
A Cup of October
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 […]
The five & dime
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 […]
A front yard for Tracy
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 […]
Give without remembering
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 […]
Government overreach
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 […]
Preparing for fall
It’s definitely time for me to answer some reader questions. These three questions seem to be the hot ones for fall this year when it comes to indoor and outdoor plant care. “My cedars are turning brown from the inside. Are they dying and what can I do to save them?” Good news, you don’t […]
When is green not?
Anyone who has been paying attention has awakened to the fact that being us—just being us doing what we do—is screwing us up. Personally, I can’t believe there’s a climate change denier left in Canada (probably lots in the US, where avoiding abduction and anal probing by aliens is still a major concern). I don’t […]