Columnists

A glutton for punishment

Posted: September 20, 2013 at 8:54 am   /   Columnists

I’m going, and I hope you will too. I’m going to the John McDermott concert at Picton United Church on Saturday October 5. Doors open at 7 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. start. Tickets are $40 apiece. The display ad shows where to get them. I’m going for two reasons. First of all, it’s all […]

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Sugar, sugar… ah honey, honey

Posted: September 20, 2013 at 8:52 am   /   Columnists

I’m going to get all bossy this week. So, head over to the junk drawer in your kitchen. Ya, you’ve got a junk drawer. Dig around and see if you have a measuring tape, and not one of those metal measuring tapes you’d use for drywall and two-by-fours. Get the cloth tape with the numbers […]

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The season begins…

Posted: September 13, 2013 at 9:05 am   /   Columnists

Last Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles dodged a bullet in the fourth quarter as the Washington Redskins gave them all that they could handle. The Eagles received the opening kickoff and proceeded to run a “firewagon” brand of offence. They passed, they ran, they eluded tackles, and stormed down to the Redskins goal line. Michael […]

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Calm before the storm

Posted: September 13, 2013 at 9:03 am   /   Columnists

This is a perfect time to visit the vineyards and taste the difference made by vintage, varietal and terroir. Since the County has fewer guests than in July and August, there is a short window to relax and enjoy our wines in a more intimate setting. Within two to four weeks, all the wineries will […]

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The second best paper

Posted: September 13, 2013 at 9:00 am   /   Columnists

It would be disloyal of me to suggest that the Wellington Times is anything but the best weekly newspaper in town (although it is anyway). But what’s the second best? You want hints? 1. It comes on a single sheet of brown paper. 2. It’s free. 3. It’s usually found in restaurants. No, it’s not […]

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Put on your big boy pants

Posted: September 13, 2013 at 8:58 am   /   Columnists

As I’ve written before, sometimes a column is difficult to put together. This week’s is one of those columns. Mostly I try not to step too deeply into politics, but it’s all politics, isn’t it? Everything has a political side and today I’m trekking down the road I’ve avoided in the past. War. Armed conflict. […]

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Just gin and bear it

Posted: September 6, 2013 at 9:17 am   /   Columnists

Dutch physician Franciscus Sylvius is considered the first to distill gin in the early 17th century. This tasty spirit—as most early distillations—was primarily created for medicinal value, as a beverage infused with botanicals. In fact, it’s name derives from the Dutch word “jenever” which translated to English indicates its prime flavouring of juniper berries. It […]

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50 years of kitten’y softness

Posted: September 6, 2013 at 9:11 am   /   Columnists

My editor was expecting that this week I would weigh in with a piece about the size of council, and make some acerbic comments about which councillors would ‘drink the hemlock’ in order to conform with the wishes of the Citizens’ Assembly. But that’s for another time. Today’s column is all about toilet paper. And […]

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What’s green and pushes itself to the curb?

Posted: September 6, 2013 at 9:10 am   /   Columnists

Okay. Okay. You’re going to laugh, so have your laugh right now. Go on. Yuck it up. I’ve got a problem. Ya, I know I’ve got more than one problem, but this particular problem is green and my problem is a bin. I fell for the green bin hyperbole. I crawled all over the idea […]

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On the last night of August

Posted: September 5, 2013 at 9:17 am   /   Columnists

The Carrying Place bridge swings closed; a final rotation on this hot August day. Downbound in the Murray Canal the sail vessel ‘Sally’ courses out toward Indian Island and a blue moon rising. Night falls and the crickets begin their chant. At North Beach provincial park the neon sundown is swallowed by Weller’s Bay; the […]

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