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 […]
Sporting women
I love to read. My favourite time of day is early morning with the newspaper, LOML and a cup of coffee. It doesn’t make any difference where I am, morning isn’t morning without the essentials. And, while I don’t usually spend a lot of quality time in the Business or Sports sections of any newspaper, […]
No sweep
They have put away their brooms in Vancouver.Those on Canada’s West Coast who thought their Canucks would cruise to a sweep of the Bruins got a rude awakening Monday night.After a scoreless first period, the Bostonians stormed out of the gate, and hammered the Canucks. The final score was 8-1. The first two games in […]
California dreamin’
The history of the grape vine in California supersedes the arrival of the European settlers. The indigenous people were hunter-gatherers and as such would harvest the native grapes when in season. When the Spanish settled in the Americas, they ventured north along the Pacific coast establishing settlements and missions. The missions planted orchards, grain crops […]