How to kill a pox
In the late 19th century, the European government launched a contest offering reward incentives to anyone providing solutions to save the devastated European wine industry and vineyards. Thousands of recommendations were offered ranging from the age-old remedy of burying a toad under each vine to beating the ground to drive the pests away. It was […]
A sweep through time
That power outage last week sure made people testy. I just happened to mention that I was one of the few enlightened people who kept his kitchen clock on 24-hour time. I was immediately challenged by everyone within earshot: “Why would you do that?” they said.. “Well, because then I can tell what time of […]
Are you ready for some football?
The British Columbia Lions travel to Montreal to face the Alouettes in the opening game of the 2011 CFL season on Thursday night. For some of you, this may come as a bit of a surprise. You may still be celebrating the Bruins Stanley Cup victory. (I ran into a guy in Belleville who had […]
Eternally grateful
If my dad were alive and I said, “Wanna know what burns my arse?” He’d likely have responded, “A flame about this high?” If I said, “Funny Dad but, no. What burns my arse is people who bicycle without helmets,” I know he’d laugh and say, “Pish posh. Guess they don’t know how hard it […]
The Devastator
Phylloxera, a tiny, almost microscopic, pale yellow sapsucking insect, related to aphids, feeds on the roots and leaves of grapevines, depending on the phylloxera genetic strain. This results in deformation of roots and secondary fungal infections, which can girdle roots, gradually cutting off the flow of nutrients and water to the vine. Nymphs also form […]
Vancouver’s Lament
The streets in Vancouver have pretty well been restored to order following the Canucks’ devastating loss to the Boston Bruins.The series went seven games, with the final played on Canada’s west coast. For several days, fans had gathered in downtown Vancouver to “feel the love” and to watch their team as it struggled in Beantown. […]
There goes Jupiter
Let’s just start by saying, the last thing I want to do is collect on any type of insurance policy. I don’t feel because I’ve paid a premium I should be able to collect unless justified. And, for the record, I do a slow burn when I hear about people circumventing the rules to get […]
A dozen eggs and a black chicken
In the mid 19th century, the Californian wine industry was fledging. In 1857, Charles Lefranc—a French pioneer— established his vineyards by planting Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Malbec and Semillon. His wines were reputedly excellent and, with the assistance of his son-in-law, Paul Masson, their names remain synonymous with the industry today. Interestingly, during this time, Sonoma […]
Not a sports story
Peter Newman told the near-capacity audience at the Belleville Club last Thursday that the archives of the Hudson’s Bay Company weighed 68 tonnes. They were shipped from London, England, to Winnipeg. He is a bit of an authority on those manuscripts. He spent 10 years with those files, as he was composing the history of […]
So I survived my brain surgery
I know the man who was the first Canadian to have this kind of operation—a very brave soul. He tells the story of how the surgeon rushed out to Canadian Tire in mid-operation to replace the drill bit. The helpful clerk asked the surgeon what he needed to drill. The clerk was eventually revived. My […]