Mushrooms, Maple, Cherries and Royalty
Life has a strange way of imitating art. About five years ago, this column made the proposal that Prince Charles come and reside in the County. Now we learn he will be making an official visit to Wellington on June 30. Who knows, maybe if he likes what he sees, he will come back to […]
Appropriate dishes
Recently, two women in Portland, Oregon were forced to close their pop-up food cart amidst accusations of cultural appropriation and exploitation. What the H E double tortillas is wrong with us? Yeah, yeah, there’s been a lot of talk about cultural appropriation recently. But I’m not really sure I understand the process of culturally appropriating […]
The art of placemaking
There has been much written about urban planning and how t o make communities truly livable spaces. Jane Jacobs wrote the bible on the subject in 1961—The Death and Life of Great American Cities. When she chose Toronto over New York as her new home she moved into a neighborhood I would later live in. […]
Encroachment
I wonder if it’s the spring weather that’s making us feel feisty. Or perhaps it’s the rising water levels. Is there the sensation of feeling trapped, anxiety mingling into our lives now that a walk on the beach is not an option for unwinding? It could just be that the weird and wonderful social crutch […]
Dilemma
On the horns of a dilemma, I am. I want to say something about the private patio on public property. I have, however, worked for a County municipal department and the pressure to make a profit was very real. It was a very real pressure, every day, of the very short season for our museums. […]
Rain, rain gone away?
There is no more popular topic of conversation in the County than the weather. Too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, just right, but too windy, just perfect, but too humid. I swear there’s only one day each year in which the weather is perfect for everyone. Then we switch to talking politics. We […]
I shop; I speak in public
Like many other Wellington residents, I took in the Wellington Farmers’ Market last weekend. The market has grown vibrant over the past five years from the few rather desolate stalls it started with. Locals like it because it’s a good place to meet and catch up on all the gossip; and besides, it’s fun to […]
Pig on the loose
I’m not a social media follower for my own reasons but from time-to-time someone will forward me something that not only sparks a curiosity but reaffirms the split-second dialogue among strangers that the medium delivers. Take this one for example: Saturday 9:12 a.m. A photo is posted of a pig hightailing it out behind a […]
Circle of life
The life span of a grapevine might be compared to a human: its first ten years full of vigour with unrepressed and misdirected growth, and then beginning to produce workable yields and quality in its teenage years. Once reaching its adult age of twenty years, grapes reach the summit of their quality and production. In […]
The success of failure
Failure is a big industry these days. Every week or two, we hear reports of some high tech executive saying he wants to hire people who have tried something and failed. And now, to put the icing on the cake, next month the “Museum of Failure” is going to open in Helsingborg, Sweden. Admission is […]