Shake, shake, shake
Never underestimate the value of good instructions. A fellow I know mentioned he had just picked up his first prescription for “high blood pressure pills”. He seemed pleased with himself, as if he’d won a hard-earned spot on the road to a heart attack. The whole notion of someone taking medication for hypertension makes me […]
The Home Stretch
It wasn’t that long ago that the boys of summer were kicking around the dirt in the spring, somewhere in the south. Then began the gruelling, grinding, often painful quest to become the best team in baseball-the winners of the World Series. Many of those decisions have already been made, and, within a day or […]
Wine has made us grow
We should be very proud of the wine industry in Prince Edward County. It offers employment and training opportunities that give our young folk a reason to stay here. It attracts a broad range of visitors, who spread the word about the endless attractions of the County. Wineries have had a major impact on the […]
Messy, smelly and ugly
I attended the council committee of the whole meeting on September 19, for the debate about council size. It was not a pretty experience. In fact, it was downright messy, smelly and ugly. Council appointed a Citizens’ Assembly panel to come up with a recommendation on the size of Council; which it did, suggesting a […]
Meeska, Mooska, Mouse-kateer…..
And then it was autumn. What the heck happened to summer? How did we get from “Hot enough for you?” to “Had to turn on the heat last night.”? In an old house, such as the one I live in, it’s time for the creatures to move back inside, and I’m not talking about the […]
Hockey night in Belleville
The final score of the hockey game last Saturday night was…..unimportant. After all, it was an exhibition game, and the players are just working out all of the kinks from a summer away from the game. The Washington Capitals and the Winnipeg Jets faced off at the Quinte Sports Centre to the delight of thousands […]
A difficult vintage
It has been an extremely challenging year for grape growers in the County. We had a cold, late spring from which the vines have been trying to recover ever since. I predict this will be a fabulous year for producers of sparkling wines. At this point, however, producers of red wines—especially Pinot Noir—can only hope […]
Old roads
The thing I like about old roads is how they lie atop the land like satin ribbons. Roads and pathways once traced with low technology follow the natural bends of the earth, rising and falling through watersheds and across plains. Old roads remember the nature of geography. The feeling I have this morning on the […]
A glutton for punishment
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 […]
Sugar, sugar… ah honey, honey
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 […]