The cost of landscaping
The cost of landscaping always seems to shock homeowners. Somehow people relate the cost of landscaping to the cost of gardening and are surprised to find out that decks and wood cost more than plants…not to mention the labour involved to install them. In speaking to several industry professionals, the average backyard renovation starts at […]
Gaining perspective
I see a lot of activity in the County. Like it, don’t like it. Some of us moved out to the Maritimes, where they found the us that used to be us. And they bought homes that were priced the way County homes used to be priced. And they found friends and neighbours just like […]
Happy Scamday
July is such a birthday month for our families! I’d bet if LOML and I enjoyed a slice of birthday cake, or three, with each of our July celebrants we’d look like the Weebles™ who wobbled. I’m not sure of the exact number of birthdays we celebrate, but I believe it’s probably near fifteen. That’s […]
A nation of nations
Canada Day! It’s been and it’s done. The County put on a great show of Canada Love. LOML and I celebrated quietly with visits from some of the kids and some of their kids. Personally, the older I get the more difficult it is for me to celebrate Canada Day. When I was a kid, […]
Casting shade
According to recent online studies (Wikipedia), over 70 per cent of all outdoor useable space surfaces being installed in our backyards are either stamped concrete, manmade pavers or natural flagstone. This is creating a phenomenon called ‘urban heat islands’ in cities and towns. This study goes on to show that we are able to increase […]
Manage credit
My dad taught me about handling money—what little I had. He always said: “If you want to buy something, save up your money and pay cash. Then you don’t owe anybody anything.” It may be a Campbell thing, but we never leave a debt unpaid, and we always pay for work and things supplied. As […]
Magic of the Mathematical Variety
Sunday, Father’s Day, 2024. When I think about my Dad I recall many of the wonderful things he could do. I remember the very first time I saw my parents dancing together. It was in the kitchen on Sunset and a Glen Miller classic was playing on CFRB. It was a magical moment and I […]
And so, politics
I guess an election is coming, and those of us who know nothing will reel in the best propaganda Canada has to offer. We have governments, I think more than we actually need to get jobs done. And this makes me wonder: What does government do? Simple question. I don’t think any of us have […]
What’s on the menu
I don’t like liver. I don’t eat liver. I don’t buy liver. I won’t cook liver for someone even if they love liver and I love them. The thing about me not liking liver is I don’t need a degree in nutrition science nor do I need to be a dietitian to have an opinion […]
What people do
I’m a people watcher. I observe the behaviour of other people. This is a form of entertainment for me when there’s nothing else to do. Smart people take reading material to airports to await their flight (and cheap snacks and homemade sandwiches, because airport prices make you think they did an express courier from Japan […]