Growing hops
Have you seen the supersized trellis just west of Hillier? Inquiring minds are told it’s for growing hops. While I knew that hops were vital to brewing beer, I had never seen how they are grown. (I also knew that, prior to the Middle Ages, bitter greens such as dandelion, marigold or burdock root were […]
Nudge, nudge
One of the most excruciating experiences of my life was to sign up for an introductory economics course. I think I lasted three lectures. What got my goat was the assumption that one of the most basic predictors of decision- making was ‘economic man’ – the creature who ruthlessly cacluated and maximized his own self-interest. […]
NIMBY is me
Sometimes it takes a couple of headlong runs at a column to get it going. A public figure might do something incredibly stupid or insincere or just plain wrong and away I go—to the keyboard. Once in a while, I just look at the comings and goings in our community and voila, the story unfolds. […]
At the Canadian Open
For more than a hundred years, golfers from around the world have chased little white balls up and down the fairways in quest of the championship of Canadian golf. From tee to green, they have left their marks, and their divots, hoping to raise the trophy, and pocket a few Canadian dollars in the process. […]
Glass work
The glass decanter has an interesting back-story. First discovered at least 3,500 years ago in Mesopotamia, glass was probably a byproduct of metallurgy—most likely showing up in the form of glass beads. The Greeks later perfected the art of working this new material. There are excellent examples in museums throughout the world of Greek glass-working. […]
Et tu, Twinkie?
Yes, it’s true. The Hostess Twinkie is back. And how it got there is a heartwarming story. The cream filled sponge cake with an 83- year history has survived the double bankruptcy of its corporate parent, which ended up amassing some $1.3 billion in debt. But there is now a new owner on the block. […]
Can’t buy me love
My good friend, Suzanne, recently sent me an “article” about someone who had ordered his lunch online—from a very busy, fast food joint. Much to the chagrin of the folks waiting in line at the restaurant, this customer showed up at the appointed time, bypassed the queue, picked up his food and sashayed out. There’s […]
Witness
Hoary Puccoon, Black Mustard, Common Mullein; the Trout Lily and Touch- Me-Not: Reading through ‘Field Forest Hedgerow—A hiker’s wild flower guide for Prince Edward County’, I’m getting a handle on the colours that inhabit the landscape these days. I call Court Noxon, author of the guide to help me out. I’m supposin’ he’ll tell […]
Hockey Hall of Fame 2013
The Hockey Hall of Fame recently announced its inductees for this year. The induction ceremony will occur in Toronto on Monday, November 11. A couple of friends have indicated their displeasure with the date chosen. It is Remembrance Day, and has been a very important date in Canadian history since the completion of World War […]
Decanting
The Romans, who poured their wine from clay amphorae into glass containers, introduced the practice of decanting wine. They did this to separate the liquid from the substantial sediment (glop) that gathered at the base of the amphora. Improving the flavor of the wine was a positive byproduct. It has become common practice to decant […]