The view from here
Well, wasn’t that a party! No one could ever accuse the County of not knowing how to celebrate the summer and, especially, a long weekend in the summer.We know how it’s done and should probably make a few notes to pass along to our visitor friends. I am speaking of visitors who, no doubt, will […]
Exploring South America
The history of grape growing and wine production in the southern hemisphere is linked to the discovery and settling of new territories by European explorers. Over the coming weeks we will explore how and when the various countries developed their own unique wine culture that, in many ways, reflected the tastes of their homelands. Since […]
Unlikely victory
The man sitting behind us in Section 115 wore a T-shirt with the words “I’m not dead yet” emblazoned across his chest. I had to comment on the shirt. He accepted my admiration graciously. I told him that the little fellow sitting with us was our grandson, at his first Blue Jays game. He introduced […]
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 […]