Picnic at High Falls on the Grassy

So I am back at work today (Yes, I KNOW it's Labour Day). Back in from a week of vacation time which I spent in Timmins. It was nice to sleep in each day and luckily we had some nice weather. Sunday was the perfect day to head out to High Falls on the Grassy River near Timmins. I had a picnic there with my friend Maggie and her daughter Willow.

Too often we ignore the nice things we have in the North and I am amazed that it hasn't been that long since this whole area was first explored and settled by the early prospectors.  Getting to High Falls takes about 30 minutes of slow driving on back roads. It was a real treat. The water was low since my last visit in early June when the river was running fast and very high.

In praise of cast iron ...

It has been about a year and a half now that I have been enjoying my cast iron fry pan. Some visitors have expressed surprise that I no longer have any Teflon pans in my home. I was pleased to show off this week when folks were at my place for omelettes. Using my big pan, which is now perfectly seasoned, I was able to make excellent omelettes without anything sticking to the pan. The same goes for steaks, chops, burgers, raw veggies and even grilled cheese sandwiches. And it's perfect for frying fish. Cleaning up is easy. I have a couple of stiff brushes, some hot water and then wipe it clean with paper towels. When I cook fish or eggs, I usually throw in a bit of baking soda and vinegar, to kill any lingering odors. Rinse with hot water, wipe with paper towel and then half a teaspoon of oil to season the pan.
I noticed that the Lodge Company, which makes my favourite pans, has released an updated video about cast iron cooking.
It is worth taking a few minutes to have a look.

This is important because I have read that in some parts of the world, factories using any kind of recycled metal to make up cast iron, including old lead.

Northern lakes are so refreshing

I have been nursing a bit of sunburn in recent days, but I think it was worth it. I have been prone to burning ever since I was a kid, but these days I feel it more. I don’t have enough hair to keep my scalp from burning and last night I had to soak my head with cold water for relief. I say it was worth it because I spent a day at Bigwater Lake, just north of Timmins. The water was clean, fresh and oh so cold. I find the best way to beat the heat it to jump into a northern lake. I had put sunscreen on my shoulders and face, but forgot the top of my head. Anyway, if the hot weather continues, I am heading back to the lake.

Just some photos from this summer in Timmins...

A woman, Lynne Bouchard, was the captain of a winning mine rescue team.


The Mr. Schumacher statue was nicely repaired and cleaned up.


Entrepreneur Jon Bonney set up a wakeboard ride on Gillies Lake.


Gillies Lake, just a nice place to hang out on a summer day.


A blasting incident at the Hollinger pit. A rock escaped the blast zone and landed on a parked car. Production shut down for three weeks.


Some local teenagers were rescued after spending a night stranded on the shore of the Grassy River when their canoe flipped over.


The summer concerts every Wednesday night have been a hit with a lot of Timmins folks.

Click on the photos to see the large version.
Photos by Len Gillis ©

I was hooked ...

I had an excellent discussion this past week when I dropped in at Collège Borèal in Timmins for a photo. They were having a fish fry to entice students, parents and visitors to drop by the campus to see what courses were being offered. Pretty good marketing idea. It was even better, when after I shot my photo, one of the kitchen staff walked over and plopped down a heaping plate of pickerel, French fries and cole slaw. Now that is what many folks in Northern Ontario call dinner fit for a king. How much better can it get? … well it could be a little better with a nice bonfire, a breeze off the lake and a fresh beer so cold that it snaps your molars. Anyway, during lunch, I was joined by a staff member. We discussed that life is indeed good in Northern Ontario. Yes, it’s nice to visit Toronto and other points down south, every now and then, but it is hard to beat the good life in the North, where people know you, where the streets and pretty safe and we are close to the best of Nature. Both of us could name several instances of where folks have gone south and then returned to raise their children and carry on. I try not to get political here, but the only downside is that we are not masters of our own destiny. Northern Ontario makes up nine-tenths of the province. We have the gold, silver, copper, diamonds, electricity, clean air and fresh water. But a bunch of know-nothings down south always seem to get elected by know-nothing voters (ha ha, now I am in trouble) and the North gets shut out on the decision making.

Blessings

Here it is another nice Friday in August. Lucky me I have a day off. Last Friday was excellent. I had a visit from Jennifer, Tyler and Nathan and it was just the best time. I am not much of a prayer guy, but when I went to bed that night I thanked God for the blessings in my life. That sure includes Jenn and her family. Jenn was in good spirits having just completed a couple of summer school courses as she works towards her nursing degree. I knew I would forget the course names… some science thingy or two – but she earned 90 per cent in one and 86 per cent in the other. She figured it would give her a bit of break during the regular school year to take advance courses in the summer. No kidding. I am amazed that she is a housewife, mom and university student all in one. I have to give a lot of credit to Scott and boys for their excellent support. Wow, what a change from five years ago eh? The visit was nice despite the rain we had. As usual, there was chocolate cake to be enjoyed. Whenever the boys were sniffing around the kitchen wondering what to snack on, I’d just say Chocolate Cake? Yes!! I should have snapped a photo of one such snack… we sliced a banana lengthwise, put it in bowls, ice cream down the centre topped with strawberry syrup, smack a hunk of choco cake on top of that and then smother it all in hot fudge sauce. The boys actually had to work at eating it all. It is fun being a grandfather.

I can be a pocket pain in the a$$

What a pain in the a$$ I am. Yes, mea culpa! My phone is a pocket-dialing nightmare. I thought it was ALL my fault but I have since learned that the BlackBerry is one of the worst phones for this, likely because it has a keyboard. But the keyboard is exactly the reason I like the BlackBerry. Anyway, I called Jennifer this week, not once, but twice. To make things worse, the call was late in the evening... at the time when nobody wants an unexpected phone call. As it was I took a call from another reporter, named Joey, who was trying to find the house where a murder investigation was underway. I was heading out the door and pushed the phone into my pocket. Jennifer's name was close to Joey's name. Suddenly I heard a voice saying, hello, hello ... Yes it was Jennifer. So I apologized. But it seems a week doesn't go by that I don't mistakenly pocket dial somebody. I went to the BlackBerry website and there is an app available to disable the keyboard quickly and easily. I will have to explore that.

Just catching up

Catching up. Yes, I am a procrastinator. But we can talk about that another day. Just kidding! With summer in full swing, I am indeed enjoying the outdoors a lot more. I so enjoy summer mornings, when the air is cooler and so fresh. Some mornings I sit on my balcony with a nice mug of coffee and just enjoy how nice it is. I close my eyes and listen to the sounds of the birds, the wind in the trees. Good or what. I don't missing winter a bit. Working is turning out to be okay. Although I am back in the assignment pool, I find I don’t have to work as hard as when I was alone. I still do the writing and layout for The Timmins Times, but I don't have to look after so much paperwork. The past few weeks have been nice. I was down to Sudbury to see Jennifer and her guys last weekend. The boys are so tall! I love it. You just know that a kid enjoys the compliment when you remark on how tall he is getting. Tyler and Nathan looked great and I enjoyed having some alone time with them. We went to a model air show, and then had pizza. By the way, that cheesey crust pizza aT Pizza Hut is soooo good. Jenn and Scott were off to a family wedding. Don and Denise were in town for that and so was Christine and Demetrios. I think the best thing about family weddings is how the women love to get all dressed up. They spent hours over their hair, their nails, their make up, picking the right dress, picking the right shoes… And they looked fabulous of course. The guys not so much. LOL. They jump in and out of the shower, scrape off a few whiskers, throw on a clean shirt and they stand around drinking beer waiting for the ladies to be ready…this includes matching your earrings with your dress, with your necklace, with your shoes and don’t forget it has to match the handbag too. What an effort. The important thing is that they have fun. Ty and Nate both had great school years and great report cards. Ty was mildly disappointed because he had a C in dancing. Phfft. Who grades dancing? They should have graded him for doing backflips from the top of the woodpile… He does that very well. Anyway, Tyler enters Grade 9 in the fall. It will be a whole new world for him and I know he will enjoy. Nathan is going into Grade 8 and he will be the boss of the school. This is the first time he and Tyler are in different schools. But I just know he will shine. Had fun this week writing a story about a lady whose cat got lost after some home renovation work. Twenty six days later they found the cat – still alive – which had been trapped inside a wall in their home. It was fun to write. It was even more fun to watch other media pick up on the story. It was run in papers all over Canada and then radio and TV stations picked up on it. Went out and had a nice dinner at East Side last night… first time I have been there in two or three years. But it was nice. The food was great. The company was excellent. That’s it for now.

... To be on your own, with no direction home ...

It was interesting to read that the lyrics for the famous Bob Dylan song Like A Rolling Stone sold for auction this past week for more than $2-million. I've always like Dylan. Loved his music. It reminded me that it was this week, wayyyy back in 1971, that I hitchhiked out west. Part of the trip was through Minnesota and we stopped for a few hours in Hibbing, Minnesota. That's where young Robert Zimmerman (AKA Bob Dylan) grew up. We never found his house, but we did see his high school. It was a great time to be alive. I think the world was more interesting then. People didn't walk around with cell phones in their hands. They talked face to face.

Teachers

I have a greater appreciation for teachers. This past week I was able to drop in on several high school graduations, and one Grade 8 grad. It was indeed satisfying to see the faces of the young people, so full of hope and confidence, as they move to higher education. It is one of the things that makes Canada a great place. I was equally impressed at these events to see the teachers, obviously happy with the achievements of their young students. There has to be immense satisfaction on their part to know they have given so much to these young people. That's a good thing. That being said, I was also so proud that Tyler has graduated Grade 8. I so wished I could have been there. I think he knows how everyone in his family is so pleased for him, especially his Mom and Dad.

Tweeting

I have been known to say that there is a reason that Twitter is not called SMARTer. I am not a twitter person. Several of my colleagues are, and say it is important. I fail to see why. I think some people feel the need to be "in the loop" and if they can comment on a developing situation, then they feel they are a part of the bigger world. Some of my newsie chums believe they can stay on the edge of really important news by monitoring what other people are tweeting. I don't buy it. If it's that important, we will know... I grew up in a military family, in the Sixties. If something was that important, we'd all see the mushroom cloud on the eastern horizon. Also, so much Twit information is just not reliable. Some people tend to Twit some pretty stupid things ... and those things come back to bite them in the a$$. There is also that new situation known as FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) as described in new urban dictionaries. A lot of people have FOMO. They also buy into the internet situation called ICYMI, which means In Case You Missed It. This just gives people reason to go twittering other people, usually with the most inane trivial bits of information. Thank goodness they can't see anyone rolling their eyes. Maybe we should create RMEAWYJT (Rolling My Eyes At What You Just Texted).

Passing on secrets ...

It's what families should do. Although this is not a big secret, I was kind of pleased to tell Jenn about it last week. It began as I was discussing how food can quickly "go bad" no matter how much care you take. I was telling her that I bought a pint of strawberries and they rarely last three or four days before they go all soft and mushy. But I also mentioned that I use a bit of vinegar when I wash the strawberries and it sure helps. When you get home from the store, wash the strawberries with one part vinegar to ten parts water. Rinse them all over really well, drain them, rinse them a bit more with fresh water and put them in the fridge. The word is that the vinegar kills the mould spores and keeps the berries fresh, longer. But I still say you should eat them within a week ... and they're still fresh and sweet.

Throwing out my socks

I read somewhere a few years back that actor Sylvester Stallone doesn't wash his socks. He throws them out and buys new socks all the time. I do something like that. Today was my sock-throwaway day. Just for my white gym socks. Every summer I buy several new pairs of white gym socks. I wear them with my sneakers, usually just during the summer. Here's the thing. White socks get dirty and yucky and no matter how much you wash them, they just get old, real fast. And you can never match up the pairs right. Some get stretched out. Others do not. So I throw them away and buy new socks. This year I picked up several new pairs of Fruit Of The Loom gym socks. they're less than a dollar pair. That's cheaper than a cup of coffee. I know it seems like a waste. My mom would be so upset. It's not like you can donate socks to the Salvation Army. So now I have all news sock again, that will last for the summer. Lucky me eh!

Meals to remember

It was nice to chat with Jennifer earlier today and we talked about one of those Internet sites that are all about healthy food … only this website put out a list of the nine foods you should not eat. Things like margarine, canned tomatoes, processed meats …on and on. Okay, I go along with some of that stuff, but after awhile I just think, Hey I am gonna die one of these days and when I look back on my life I just know I am NOT going to be thinking about how much soybean curd or quinoa I should have eaten. Truth be told I don’t eat that stuff. That being said tonight was a steak night. In deference to Jenn’s beliefs I have cut way back on red meat. I have stopped eating pork. I have stopped eating canned tuna. Other people have assured me this is a good thing. So every five or six weeks I treat myself with a nice cut of beef. In this case, it was a very thick slab of top sirloin that marinated for about 30 hours (Black pepper, Pepsi, olive oil). I sizzled it in the big cast iron pan for 11 minutes, then I let it settle in the oven for another 10 minutes. I added half a baked potato and some grilled veggies. It was perfection. Instead of wine I quaffed a freezing cold pint of Danish ale. But the steak was too big. So tomorrow morning, I will have an egg and steak McMuffin for breakfast. These are the kinds of meals I like to remember.

Disappointed ... well just a bit

Ontario has a new government. Voters gave Premier Kathleen Wynne a majority government Thursday. I like her. I've met her twice and she seems a person who is positive and sincere. Problem is, she's a Liberal. I could not vote for her party Thursday because of the many well-documented scandals of the previous Liberal government. Former Premier Dalton McGuinty makes Richard Nixon look like an altar boy. Funny how the Toronto media made a big deal of Mike Duffy over-spending about $90,000 on his expenses. They seemed to make less of a deal over McGuinty misspending more than $1.1 Billion on the gas-plant scandal. Anyway, it is a new time and I am hoping the new government moves forward. Interesting that Northeastern Ontario pretty well thumbed its nose at Queen's Park and continued to vote NDP.

On another note, I switched allegiance on camera brands. Since 1974 I had been shooting Nikons. In the past year or so, I tried Canon. The company bought me a new Canon 60D, a nice $2,500 mid-range pro camera DSLR. I liked it. Now that I am integrated into a new newsroom, the company said I have to share the camera. So I handed the 60D over to the boss and went out last week and purchased my own new Canon. Except I bought the one that is more expensive and more state-of-the-art; the 70D DSLR. (Seven frames a second up to 1/8000th of a second!) It also shoots HD video. So expect to see more photos here in the coming weeks and months as I continue to learn.

Gillies Lake in Timmins

A summer morning in Timmins ... ( A shot with my new camera. Click for large size)

Small world or what

The new job brought an interesting fact to light this week. One of my new co-workers, a fellow named Ron, mentioned growing up in Toronto and riding the Roncesvalles bus. That twigged a memory. I told him I used to sell newspapers nearby at The Junction, when I was a kid. I was a street corner newsboy near Jane and Dundas. I said it was the by LCBO store and the old army surplus store. That's when Ron revealed he remembered going to that store as a teen. He lived near The Junction. I said I used to hang out there every Saturday and then I would go to my uncle's house on Jillson Avenue. Ron's eyed went wide. "Who did you know on Jillson?, he asked. Now Jillson Avenue is one of the shortest streets in Toronto, all of two blocks long. I said it was my uncle Mike Maclean, his wife Marg and their children Tina, Laura and Jamie. Ron laughed. It turns out he and Jamie were school buddies. I said Jamie was really big on playing hockey. Ron said yeah, he and Jamie were on the same team. How cool is that? You never know who you know.

Back where I started eh ...

One of my colleagues said it best this week, telling me I had come full circle. I came to Timmins 40 years ago, to take a job as junior reporter at The Daily Press. Over the years I worked in private radio, network radio, magazines, freelance, TV news and then the weekly newspaper. Well go figure. I was handed a letter Tuesday, on Sunmedia letterhead, directing me to shut down my office at The Timmins Times and to move over to the daily. Today is my first day on the job. I am still going to put out the Times every week, but the company is saving huge dollars by merging our operations now. In time, I will join the general assignment pool at the daily, but I have to make sure to keep putting out the Times since it still has a huge circulation. I am told the only thing changing is the location. So we will see how it goes. The Times building has been shut down and will soon be for sale. I will miss my nice quiet office with a window. I am now in a big, big newsroom... but there are only a handful of us newsies left. We've been told that at some point, they will also put this building up for sale, and that we will also move into a storefront. Interesting times ahead... (no pun intended!)

Endorsement!

Journalists are not supposed to endorse anything! But I am gonna step out of line right now and endorse Muskol spray. I spent several hours in the bush last night and early this morning and the Northern Ontario blackflies are swarming by the billions out there. Muskol is amazing. It works. The blackflies stayed away from me. If you are going out into the boreal forest anytime soon, grab a can of Muskol!

I never did this before ...

Was pleased to go out and spend time with friends at a house party this weekend. It was nice in the sense that it was a chance to have some really good conversation. At one point I remember thinking, how is it possible for so many people to be talking all at once? It was just a huge cacophony of voices. Anyway, around midnight, I figured it was time to go. After four hours, I had nursed only two drinks. I was hungry and had not had supper. I was ready to grab a cab, but didn't need to. So as I was driving home, I saw Chez Nous ... the most popular place for poutine in Timmins. It's also where Shania used to go when she was a teen. So I stopped, went in and placed an order. About seven minutes later the lady handed me the take out bag (I also ordered a burger) and I went home. Okay, now I know. Now I know why so many people go to this place. The poutine just tasted so so sooooo good. Yes, I have tasted it before ... but this was the first time I went in and bought the stuff. This was all mine. I could savour every french fry, ... every lump of cheese ... and every piece drenched in gravy! Yeah, it was that good.

We carry on ...

It’s Saturday morning after a nice week; well nice for the most part. Tea and cake for breakfast is a good thing. I was looking at the newspaper Thursday morning. It is the last newspaper that will be printed in Timmins. From now on the papers are going to be printed at a press plant down south, and the papers will be trucked north. Our parent company Quebecor made that decision. It means the six guys in the press plant here at our paper are being laid off. Not a happy time. Our press plant had printed the Timmins Press, The Timmins Times, as well as the newspapers in Kapuskasing, Hearst, Cochrane, Iroquois Falls and Kirkland Lake. It's a shame they're closing our plant. I wonder how much thought goes into that kind of decision. It may save a few dollars today, but if the price of fuel goes up, who knows. I enjoyed some television last night, by watching Netflix. I am pleased to report that The West Wing is being presented. So I am watching it again. It was a great show that began in the late 1990s and ran for a few seasons … one of the best television shows I can remember. I had a pleasant evening Wednesday, when I attended a local coffee house where an event called Timmins Voices is presented. In this case, the voice was Diane Armstrong, our main columnist at The Times. She did a reading from her latest book. That was nice. It was also nice to see so many young people there, as well as a few oldies, who did poetry readings. When is the last time you sat down and listened to poetry? Exactly! It was just excellent. Some folks at the microphone were getting really personal and pouring their hearts out. I plan to be at the next one. It is Mine Rescue time in the North. That’s when Mine Rescue teams from the various mines compete for bragging rights. Kidd Operations won this year, at an event held last weekend. Second year in a row. Congrats to them and my brother-in-law Moe the miner, who has been part of Kidd mine rescue for 20 years. Team Kidd are also the defending champs for Ontario. ( I am proud of this because I am a former Kidd mine rescue man.) So in June, all the winning mine rescue teams will be in Timmins to once again, compete for the title of best mine rescue team in the province. By the way, this is the May long weekend. Saturday morning and there are snow flurries outside. The river is rising, and the city has set up sand-bagging stations because flooding is expected any time now. Life in Timmins … it goes on. People just carry on.

Books, and the pretty sales girl.

So I read a lot. It’s my vice. I bought more than 35 books last year alone. I was shopping on the weekend when I dropped in to Coles just to see what might be new and interesting. I was really just browsing. A pretty sales girl walked up and asked if I was interested in anything specific. Not much, I told her, but I do like history. She picked up a nice looking hardcover and handed it to me. It looked interesting. I flipped it over. The comments on the back cover seemed enticing. Okay, so I bought it. I got home and a few hours later cracked open the new book. Damn! It wasn’t really history… it was more of a science fiction novel with a history twist to it. I don’t know why I bought it or what I was looking at or thinking of, when the pretty girl handed it to me. Thankfully, I have other books waiting to be read. I guess I will save the science fiction for the day when I am in a nursing home, sneaking out the back door to enjoy some cigars and whiskey…

Good Karma...

Life is good. I am totally relaxed after a nice Easter weekend in Westree. This morning I enjoyed a fabulous piece of leftover carrot cake with coffee for breakfast that I took home with me, from my visit with Don and Denise and the family. Denise has outstanding bakery talent. But the best reason for visiting is to enjoy the great hospitality and the chance to unwind. It is so calm and peaceful there. On Saturday I was sitting on the front porch reading and then I stopped for a bit to enjoy the quiet. A short time later, I realized I had dozed off while sitting on the porch. How relaxed is that? It was great to see everyone too. Jennifer and her guys were there, so the visit was just excellent. The grandchildren are all getting older, quickly it seems. But Westree is where they do have fun. Denise organized a scavenger hunt for the kids and within minutes they all roared away on ATVs. When Victoria,Tyler and Nathan got back more than an hour later, they were all full of stories and laughing hard. I know these are times they will remember for years and hopefully share with their own children someday. I knew I had some good Karma coming my way. A couple of weeks ago, I went to renew my driver's licence and to purchase new licence plate tags. The girl at the counter forget to charge me for them. I only realized it when I left the building. So I drove back to pay the $170 owing to the Ontario Government. The poor clerk was so pleased that I returned to pay. I figure this past weekend was my reward. The other good thing is that there is a new TV season for Downton Abbey. It is a fabulous television series on Netflix. I watched three episodes last night before finally giving up and going to bed at 1:00 a.m.

The nice people I work with ...

The local media gang in Timmins gets along quite well. Many of us meet on a regular basis to socialize and enjoy each other's company away from the work environment. So with one of our group leaving Timmins to pursue a new job down south, I decided it was my turn to have some company, with a farewell dinner for Paige. It was nice. One of the nice things was that it also forced me to do my spring cleaning. That took about three days. I also enjoying cooking. The menu was pasta primavera, shepherd's pie, glazed chicken with mac salad; a cheese platter, a veggie platter and an anti-pasto plate. Zoom. Everything went. The fun thing was that some of the people were working and so they dropped in after their assignments to eat, chat and laugh. The big surprise came from Lydia, a local TV reporter I've known for several years. She showed up with a very nice birthday cake... a very big cheesecake in fact, complete with two candles, one a six and one a zero. I was indeed caught off guard, but I liked it. So thanks to Lydia, and Emilie, and Paige, and Paige's mom Lori who was in town to help her move, and Amelia, and Nabi, and Shane, and Blair, and Steve, and Brent, and Daniela, and Joey. ***** Also, congrats to my niece Valerie and her man Dennis. Was so pleased to see the photos of the wedding in Arizona. Was also pleased to see my son Neil there, along with several of his cousins who made the trip from Timmins.

Birthday gift ...

Whew, I am 60 now. A freakin' senior citizen in some circles! Anyway I got a nice gift yesterday ... in a way. March 31st was the first day of special hearings into improving health and safety for miners in Ontario. The hearings began in Timmins and I was there to cover them. I have covered hearings like this before, in the 1970s and the 1980s. Miners are still being killed in underground accidents. More miners have died in Timmins in recent years than in any other single mining camp in Ontario. I do feel strongly about this. I am glad that more will be done to try to prevent more deaths.

I am just nosey...

One of the best things about my job is meeting new people. This week I ran into an interesting fellow who is a vice-president with RBC Royal Bank in the commercial financial section. His name was Pierre Maltais. Of course, I had to ask him about his family name, which is the same as Terry's family. Turns out his Dad is quite the researcher into the family history. He told me all the Maltais in Canada are tied back to two brothers who came from the Normandy region of France back in the 1600s. He said his branch of the family settled in the Saguenay region of Quebec, where they were mostly employed in the logging business. Interesting eh?

I dress bland ... but more people are doing that now.

I'm a fashion trend setter! Who knew? According to the fashionistas out there, the newest trend in men's fashion is something called Normcore. Apparently it means just plain bland ordinary comfortable clothing. Yup, that's where I am now. Several years ago I had to follow a spiffy dress code and wear suits and ties at work. Not any more. My thing now is clean and plain and comfortable. And yes, I get to wear jeans. I don't worry about that because if I have to go to a special chamber of commerce lunch, I just throw on a blazer. I bought two very ordinary looking cashmere blazers in the past year. One is navy and one is light brown. They're perfect for adding a bit of formality to my everyday casual clothes. The best part is that I dress comfortably. If I have to work in these clothes for 10, 12 or 14 hours a day, I am going to be comfortable!

Grandma's letter to Jennifer

I am very pleased with myself this weekend. I did some housework. Ha Ha. But more than that I found a letter that Grandma Gillis mailed out more than 30 years ago. The letter was addressed to Jennifer. I thought it was lost, but it was in an old photo album. Jenn was just a child at the time and likely had a hard time reading Grandma's handwriting. The important thing is that it was a letter about our family history and how the Gillis family came over from Morar, on the northwest coast of Scotland. Grandma was a teacher at one time and had a great memory for detail. I remember her with great love and fondness. I have made digital copies of the letter and I will transcribe it into text as well. Grandma signed off the letter with this: "Now my hand is getting tired and you may not be able to make out the writing but try to anyway. Give my love to your Mother & everyone. God Bless You. Will write at Christmas. Bye Bye. Your great grandmother."

Hmmm... did you notice she didn't mention me? I thought I was her favourite! LOL

People are getting to be so young!

So here we are in March 2014. This is a bit of a milestone month for me. I will be turning 60. I'm okay with that, but some days I am amazed how young some people are getting. Of course, people don't "get young". It's just that as I go about my day to day work meeting different people in different walks of life, I come upon some very talented and very interesting people ... and they are so YOUNG! It takes everything I have to shake hands with them, instead of giving them a gentle pat on the head, as you might with a child. Well, it's not really like that. But it is how I think sometimes. I ran into one of these people last week, who is so young and fresh-faced you might think he is a teenager. But this fellow is a mining engineer who is in charge of a billion dollar gold mining operation and oversees the jobs of hundreds of people. Sometimes I walk into an office or a building and ask to see the see the boss. Many times I am surprised to find that the "big boss" in these situations is often a young person, younger than my own children. I am confident that I act properly but I sure hope my face or mannerisms don't give anything away. I believe in the idea that in these days of very strict working conditions, you don't get to be the boss unless you have exceedingly good qualifications. That being said, I work in a situation where most of my fellow reporters, colleagues in the news business, are also young. And as expected, they make a lot of rookie mistakes. I don't bother pointing out the mistakes, as I am confident they realize when they have done something wrong. I do however make a point of complimenting them when they do something really well. It sure makes the day go better.

I bought a book!

Not such a big deal... unless you consider I have been using an e-reader for a year now. I gave in, as a friend suggested would happen. He said sooner or later, I would go back to a book. So on Sunday, I bought VIMY by Pierre Berton. I like it; already half way through it. Pierre Berton would approve I think. I met him once and there was a bit of a falling out. He was speaking out against the logging situation in Temagami, Ontario back in the 1980s. I asked him if he had ever been to Temagami. He said no. I asked how he could form a valid opinion of the place if he had never visited. He was upset at my question and even more upset when I broadcast the interview. I was working for CBC Radio at the time. Oh well.

Unusual behavior... for a wild cat

One of my neighbours came over Friday night. He told me his wife's dog was killed by a lynx, while on the hiking trail near our homes. Everyone was quite upset. Maybe I could do something to publicize it, they suggested. Sunday morning I went out to the trail to check things out, not really expecting to find much. Imagine my surprise when I saw this lynx. I was able to get within a few metres of this cat before it began moving away. They're bigger than I expected and apparently not worried about contact with humans. The dog that was killed was still on a leash with the owner right there. I wasn't going to press my luck by stepping off the trail into the deep snow. But this is the first time I have seen a lynx, up close, in the wild.

What an incredible hockey game!

My own little tribute to Team Canada's women's Olympic hockey team... It was the best game I've seen in a long time.

House of Cards... again

I am such an addict. The House of Cards series returned to Netflix on Friday. Thirteen new episodes. I'm sorry, I can't help it. I have already watched the entire second season. I don't feel so bad. I have been meeting people all this week who also watched the second season, every episode. It is just the best television show out there right now. The only thing that really bothers me is that the main character, Frank Underwood, (played by Kevin Spacey) is just so evil. And I like him! This is so wrong! LOL No wonder his cufflinks have his initials... F U :)

New mine begins in Timmins ...

I am not fully acquainted with the video function on my little sony cam, but the noise in the background is the sound of my news cam clicking away, shooting still photos.

Timmins is changing

By this time tomorrow, things in Timmins will have changed significantly. Goldcorp is having the first blast for the new Hollinger open pit mine. This will be the newest gold mine in a city whose entire history is gold mining ... only this new mine is going to be in the heart of the city. It will be within half a kilometre of the downtown core. This means the company has to put up special signs all around the new pit advising when there will be blast. The sign in the photo is located across the street from the Food Basics grocery story, right next to the soccer field. The mine even has to notify the airport so that aircraft don't fly over the mine site when a blast is on. This will be the "new normal" in Timmins for the next ten years at least.  Interesting times eh?

Good things, bad things.

Good Thing. I confess I am now reading Alice Munro stories. I bought one of her books awhile ago and I think I mentioned here that I just couldn’t get into her writing. Well now this has changed. I finished another book awhile ago and because I had a collection of Munro stories, I picked it up and tried reading again. Somehow I got hooked. I can see why she became so popular. I am not thoroughly convinced she deserved the Nobel prize, but that is just my opinion.

Good Thing. The winter Olympics are on and I am enjoying them. I watch bits and pieces on the Internet. I like speedskating. The energy of those athletes is incredible. I also watched some luge events. I am amazed at how they can speed down that course on a couple of steel runners. I thought the opening ceremonies were boring ,..but I did like the way the torch lighting took place.

Bad Thing. I covered a fundraising dinner last week for a group of men raising awareness of sexual abuse of boys. It was uncomfortable to see two grown men, my age, telling their stories of what happened to them … it drove them to alcoholism, drugs and to the verge of suicide. Both men were sobbing with tears rolling down their cheeks.

It reminded me of an uncomfortable incident when I was a boy. I was an altar boy. The priest, who I thought was an okay guy, was always getting me to stay after mass to sweep the chapel or help put things away. I was good with that because he always gave me a quarter or two. My parents were okay with it because I was helping Father do chores. I guess they saw it as something good, because I was not really a good kid.

I was always getting into schoolyard fights and generally raising hell. I even began smoking when I was ten, stealing cigarettes from my parents.

So one summer night, Father invited me to his officer quarters … this was on the base at RCAF Downsview. He said he was moving or something, and needed help packing boxes. So I went. Once I was there, we did a few chores and then Father asked the strangest question to me. I was 12 or 13 at the time.

“Have you heard the word c**ksucker?” he asked.

Okay, so I am a bit shocked, but I answer “Yes Father. That’s a bad word.”

Suddenly something I had been told was making sense. One of the other altar boys, named Eddie, told me that Father had stroked his crotch one day. I thought that was the weirdest thing Eddie had ever said, and so I stopped talking to him.

But anyway, back to Father.

He said “Do you know what a c**cksucker does? Do you know what the word means?”

Okay, I thought, play innocent here. “No Father,” I said.

Then I thought if he tries to stroke my crotch, I am going to punch him. There is no way this pudgy old f**cker is going to touch me.

I was like that as a kid. Thanks to my Dad, I knew how to take a beating. I was a better than average scrapper for a kid that age. I guess I was angry.

So in those few micro-seconds that Father was staring at me, I figured I am going to punch him in the throat and the second punch will be in the nose and then I will run. A punch in the throat is always a shock punch because no one expects it and it hurts like hell. The punch in the nose always bleeds. There is blood and mucus going into your nose and mouth, making it hard to breathe,  and your eyes water making it hard to see.

For some reason Father didn’t ask me any more questions. And nothing happened. Maybe he sensed he had gone too far. Either way, I never said anything to anyone. Certainly not to my friends. And certainly not to any adults. This was stuff people just didn’t talk about. Besides, who would have believed me?

Thank You Logging Truck Man ...

It’s just one of those things. If you stray too far from the beaten path, you’re gonna get stuck. Sure enough I was out on a remote logging road south of Timmins Sunday morning, minus 36, following a photo opportunity where a road grader went off a bridge. Paramedics, police and fire crews were all there. I got within about 500 metres of the scene. A first responder said keep to the right of the road, because we can’t block the ambulance coming out. Keep to the right is a good idea until the side of the road suddenly disappears in the soft snow. My  vehicle got stuck real good. A team of six firefighters was not able to push it out. Luckily, there was a massive logging truck nearby with a nice big chain. Guy pulled me out in about 15 seconds.  He was a very nice fellow so I gave him 20 bucks for Timmies. I don’t feel too bad about the morning. A Timmins firetruck and a Timmins Police cruiser also went off the road at this call.

Yes, it sure is like January around here...

Holy crap, where has January gone? I said that at work the other day, only because I am always working ahead on the paper. Our next edition comes out on January 30th, so I think that is what prompted my question. I think it might have been more appropriate to ask where the time has gone in general. It was 40 years ago this week I arrived in Timmins as a young student reporter eager to prove myself in the news business. So I am still working on that.
Timmins is just one of the best places I can imagine. I have lived in other places, but Timmins seems to be the place where people are very welcoming. That has been my experience. I moved away for several years in the Eighties and Nineties, but I can tell you I was sure pleased to come back.  So that's a good thing.
The cold weather has continued throughout most of January. I don't mind that so much. There has been lots of snow this year as well, but people are grumbling about the poor level of snow removal. I can only say I am glad I drive only four-by-fours these days.
The cold weather has also prompted me to change my cooking habits. I have enjoyed several winter soup dishes these past few weeks. Also, while I have been trying to stay away from red meat, I enjoyed a wonderful ribeye on Saturday. I think that was the first steak I had since before Christmas... and oh it was so good. 
And for some reason this month, I haven't been eating much in the way of veggies, but I have indeed been packing away the fruit. I bought some pears this week and I love waiting until they're a bit overripe. Then I tear into it and just love how sweet, juicy and slurpy they get.
I was just going to sign off, but I should mention I went out this week and bought new skates. I haven't been skating for 20 years! But I was out taking pictures at a local rink and suddenly got the urge. I was worried a bit about my left foot, which I broke some years ago. The last time I was skating (in Sudbury) I remember the skate being very uncomfortable. I find the skates I purchased this week are wayyyy more comfortable.
I was going to go to the rink this morning, but the temperature was minus 36 so I will wait until this afternoon.

Cold enough for ya?

Cold snap continues in Timmins. I have to make a point these days of ensuring the vehicle is plugged in. Thursday morning the temperature was minus 41, with a windchill of minus 52. Cold like that gave people a lot to talk about in the line ups for coffee. I honestly don't mind the cold, as long as one is properly dressed for it. I was driving along Pine Street Thursday and saw a telephone company guy going up a ladder to work near the top of a utility pole. Now that has be a challenge. One doesn't see too many outdoor workers when the temperature hit minus 41. Apparently the cold snap will break this weekend, thanks to warmer weather moving in from the Prairies. Funny, some of my earliest memories of extreme cold came while I was living in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.
I have to admit that with Christmas and New Years falling in the middle of the week, I find I am not yet in full back-to-work mode. I feel more like putting my feet up and daydreaming!
Had a nice chat with Debra a few days ago, now that she and her men are back home in Cambridge. They all took off to Disney World in Florida to celebrate their Christmas. Deb said they all had a great time, which is nice.
Jennifer and I shared a nice phone call to Neil on Boxing Day, so we could all get caught up on the family gossip. I felt terrible about not calling Neil on Christmas Day, but it was quickly forgiven. Neil had "an orphan's Christmas", getting together with several friends in Vancouver to celebrate. He also enjoyed telling us that the weather in Vancouver was so mild that some people were wearing shorts outside.

They're the best guys...

As a proud grandfather, I'd like to share the story of my Grandsons on Christmas Eve. After consulting with their mom and dad, it was decided both boys could have a fixed amount of money to pick out a gift for themselves from me, Papa. So off we went, first for a fabulous breakfast at a pancake house and then on to the mall. After hiking through the crowds for what seemed like hours, Tyler found the perfect hockey stick. It wasn’t as expensive as it might have been, so Tyler still had $30 to his credit. After much deliberation, Nathan said he’d like to buy a Sudbury Wolves hockey sweater. Luckily, there was a specialty shop that sold those sweaters. As we walked in, Nathan was obviously pleased. Looking at the big display, I asked him if he wanted the navy blue sweater, or the white sweater. He said neither and pointed at the retro-style green sweater worn by the Wolves in years past. Nathan was smiling. He was able to find the right size right away, but there was no price on it. We called the sales clerk over, who told us the price. It was $20 more than Nathan had to spend. Without a word, Nathan's face went blank. He turned to walk out of the store. But that’s when Tyler spoke up and said he would pay the difference for his little brother. Now, these guys scrap and argue like any other fellas, but when the time was right, a brother stepped up for his brother. I was so happy. I am sure my eyes got misty. And then on Christmas morning, I got an autographed photo of both of my favourite guys. Life doesn't get much better eh. Just sayin'.

Winter nights

One of the nice things about winter in Northern Ontario is just enjoying a nice winter night. That's how it was over Christmas at Jenn and Scott's place. We had time to enjoy a nice bonfire and the boys had fun on what they call the ODR (Out Door Rink). Scotty hung little frying pans on the goal net as puck targets, because the styrofoam targets you buy at the sports store get shredded quickly from all the practice shots.  Another fun thing that I enjoyed was actually shovelling all the snow off the rink. It was great exercise after enjoying all the food, the drink and the amazing christmas pastries and treats. This is also my first video on here. If people like it, I will post more.

Roku. It rocks.

Roku. I have no idea where the name came from, but I was introduced to my Roku-3 on Christmas morning. Thanks to Jennifer and Scott. It's an amazing little electronic device you hook up to your TV and it brings in hundreds and hundreds (not kidding here) of TV shows, movies, e-Games, and free music channels. You can also buy into some programs if you want. But already I have spent hours browsing the free stuff.  Basically it works to connect your big-screen television to your high-speed internet and is pre-programmed to bring in every FREE multi-media service in the world. It just made my DVD player obsolete. It's the best techie thing I've seen in years! Just sayin... :)
If you want you can Google it to see what the Tech magazines are saying, or check out the website here:   CLICK

Back on the bean!

Yup, having coffee again. I cannot say why or how, but for some reason I stopped drinking coffee -- about three months ago. I was on a tea thing only. Tea in the morning, tea in the afternoon and sometimes even tea with supper. I remember wondering why. I even told people I was going to donate my Keurig to the church thrift shop.  Then last week I was at an assignment around 2:00 p.m., when I was offered a cup of coffee. I took it. It was great. So now I am back on the bean! Can't tell you why or how... but it sure tastes great. And just in time too. Next Christmas morning at Jenn's place, it will coffee and Bailey's!!! Yum.

Minus 28

It was a bit cool today, but the sun was shining. I had to get out and get some fresh air. Oh it was fresh alright. Took a nice hike out at Hersey Lake. Lots of snow shoers on the trails. But the ground and the snow was solid enough that I didn't use the snow shoes. To be honest, I forgot to bring them. But it was a beautiful day and great way to spend a couple of hours relaxing. I was shooting photos and took my mitts off too much. My hands got so cold, I had to use a couple of those handwarmer packs. First time this winter... and they worked great. One of my cams froze up, or the battery died. Either way it did not work. That never happened with my film cameras. I remember being in the Arctic years ago, with my Nikon F2 slung around my neck all day, and it never froze. Digital cams are nice, but they're not always reliable.

C-c-c-cold these days in Timmins.

Timmins is in a cold snap these days. I don't mind it. For some reason, I find minus 38 weather to be re-assuring. It's how things should be in Timmins in December.  Crazy eh. I find that when I dress for the weather, I don't mind it. I am definitely going to get heated seats next time I get a new vehicle.
My Nitro seems just fine in the cold weather, otherwise. I think it's because the Jeep engine does not let one use heavy oil, never, ever. Also, I find that driving in second gear for the first 10 minutes in the morning is a good thing when it is this cold.
By the way, here is the photo I snapped Friday morning. This is a sun dog, caused by the ice crystals in the air.

No kidding eh?

Sometimes, the stuff people put on Facebook is so interesting.
So I stole this to re-post it here.
The following information will be appreciated by at least two people that I know... Jenn & Neil!

LIFE LESSONS YOU GET FROM WORKING IN A RESTAURANT:

1. If you don’t have a thick skin and complete abandonment of political correctness, don’t go near the kitchen. You will immediately learn there that what you consider to be off-limits is just the baseline of someone else’s sense of humor.
2. Bad tippers are the worst kinds of people, and are often terrible in many other ways than just being cheap.
3. Correction, the worst people are those who don’t tip or tip very badly, and accompany their financial insult with a snarky note left on the receipt.
4. The pain of a bad seating chart is a real one, and not a single customer will care or understand that you got slammed while someone else is totally dead.
5. The difference between the people who have never worked in food service, and the people who have, is always clearly visible. And a lot of time it has to do with the basic degree of respect they give to the people who are serving them.
6. Make back-of-house’s life easy, they will make yours easy. Working is always about scratching someone’s back so they’ll scratch yours, and you’d better not break that chain.
7. The only people you’re going to be able to hang out with — and often date — are by default going to be other people in the industry. So you better like the people you work with it, because no one else is going to be coming out with you at 1 AM.
8. There is absolutely zero shame in eating the plate that gets sent back barely-touched because someone either misunderstood what they were ordering or is incredibly fussy about their perfectly-good food. People who will judge you over shit like that are people who don’t know the joys of a pristine plate of onion rings coming back to you when you are starving.
9. The most important friend you will make is the one who will cover for you while you eat, crouched next to some appliance in the kitchen. True friendship is about taking the fall so someone can eat.
10. There are a lot of people who are going to look down on you for working a restaurant, and treat you with massive disrespect, and you just have to get over it and remind yourself to never be like that in your own life.
11. If you are good to your server, your experience will be about a thousand times better, and you might even get free stuff if you’re lucky.
12. There is nothing better than a chef who is currently trying out new stuff and has tons of excess food for everyone to try. The best friend anyone can have is a good chef.
13. Line cooks are some of the hardest-working, most humble and honest people in the working world. And many of them happen to be felons. And when you see them get off a 14-hour shift and still manage to make jokes with you at the end of it, you realize that every judgment we make about the guy with neck tattoos is completely off base.
14. If you’re a female waitress/hostess/bartender, some of the more drunk male customers will take it upon themselves to also designate you “professional receiver of gross comments and inappropriate touches.”
15. A good manager is the one who will shut shit like that down, because they would rather lose the money from that customer than have someone who mistreats their staff.
16. Even the best establishment can be run into the ground by a petty, spiteful manager.
17. There is no worse an experience on this planet than working a busy brunch shift when you are brutally hungover.
18. If you don’t make friends with the bartender from the get-go, your life is going to be difficult. And you quickly learn that this also applies to the places you don’t work at — treat your bartender well, reap the rewards.
19. The calm before the storm (also known as the rush) is one of the most precious, fleeting moments in life. And as soon as you see that first customer looking at the specials board just a little too long, you know that it’s already over.
20. Never be the person who comes in just as the kitchen’s closing and orders something really complicated. Just don’t be that person.
21. In the best restaurants, you’ll become like a little family, and live through several very important moments together (especially because you don’t get days off for normal, human things such as holidays or birthdays).
22. There will be one item on the menu that you fall in love with so much that you actually start having dreams about it, and go through withdrawal when you don’t have it for a long enough stretch of time. You can actually get that way over, say, a cream of crab soup. It’s like heroin.
23. Going back to a place you used to work and seeing all the old group — and getting to eat and drink all your favorites again — is one of the best feelings you can have.

Credit for this item goes to Brooklyn, NY writer Chelsea Fagan.

Just a chat

December is one of those months where you’re at work, and somebody suddenly blurts out “Oh my God, it’s December 6th… where did the year go.” Yup, that happened. So here we are with the new year just a few weeks away, but it is still a nice time of year. People are already going to Christmas parties. The media crowd here in Timmins had a party Friday night, but it wasn’t for Christmas. It was just a potluck thing because one person got a new apartment. So we went and carried on for four or five hours and it was nice.

  I noticed at the party that somebody would say something and I was struggling to hear it. I think my hearing is crapping out on me. Or maybe it’s because too many other people were talking. Then again, when I listen to my emergency scanner radio, I can immediately hear the message, despite any static or background noise. I’ve always been good at listening. You have to be when you’re a reporter. Listening and taking notes is essential. But now when I am in a courtroom or important meeting, I use an electronic recorder to get everything.

 Today is Sunday and I am moving quietly and gently. Had a few glasses of whiskey last night and I enjoyed much laughter. The event was the after – party for the annual Christmas Telethon in Timmins. I really hadn’t planned on going and helping out, but I knew I would feel guilty if I did not. So I showered, shaved, put on a fresh shirt and blazer and headed out to the TV station. It was nice. It’s one of the few places where I can relax and put my feet up because the folks there know me. The Telethon was a success and more than $80,000 was pledged to buy grocery vouchers for needy families.

Timmins is not in a slump economically, but it feels like it. Normally with the price of gold things are soaring and there is much excitement over mining exploration. The price of gold is hovering at about $1230 per ounce. A year ago, it was over $1800. So that means prospectors are having a hard time finding money from investors to go out in the field looking for prospects. That’s a big change. So the city continues to move forward, but just not with the hoopla that we’re used to. Also, there’s not as many players investing in the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) or the TSX venture exchange… just so you know, mining is still the biggest part of the TSX.

There is excitement though about a huge new mining venture north of here. It’s called the Ring of Fire. It’s a chromite prospect. You need chromite to make stainless steel. Stay tuned, this is going to be as big as the tar sands in Alberta.

 I am looking forward to Christmas. I will be joining Jennifer, Scott, Tyler and Nathan as usual, but I am looking forward to just unwinding and shutting down for a few days. The news game has been running in high gear for the past few weeks and I will be glad for the break.

 I had a very brief chat Friday with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne who was in Timmins with several of her cabinet ministers for a meeting with Northern leaders. I always like to meet with these people and offer them a genuine welcome when they come to Timmins. But it’s not the same as it used to be. Politicians now seem more on their guard than ever before when speaking with media. I always regarded such a chat as off the record and just like to just have a quick one-on-one chat about the weather, or the Maple Leafs, or whatever, just to be human for a few moments. I have met all the premiers since Bill Davis and interviewed five prime ministers. I was always relaxed and comfortable with it. Now it seems everyone is too worried about political correctness and everyone is just to tense. That’s discouraging.

Well, the elevator in our building has been acting up for a few weeks now, not working properly. Living on the third floor, I was annoyed at first. But now I am getting used to using the stairs. The elevator is partially back in service this past week, but it is still not fully repaired. So I will be getting a bit more exercise. That’s not a bad thing.

As a follow up to last month’s posting about Ron’s adventure with prostate cancer, I went to a doctor to get a referral for blood testing. So I will find time Monday to get bloodwork done. Will keep you posted.

Ron is okay

I had an interesting, and lengthy, phone chat with Ronald yesterday. It was his birthday. But that's not interesting. He is doing well... and that is interesting because last week he had surgery for prostate cancer. That's probably why we spoke for more than half an hour. We never to do that. But it was good to catch up and find out about his episode with the Big "C". It turns out that he went for his yearly physical and they noticed that the PSA levels in his blood (prostate specific antigen) had spiked. So then he went for more tests and after a quick biopsy, it was determined Ron was positive for prostate cancer. He had the option of chemo, radiation or surgery. He chose the surgery. Good choice. He is now doing fine, but he has to walk around for a couple of weeks with a funny little bag to collect his urine. The things you gotta do to keep the doctors happy eh? So our conversation was partly about the fact that Cancer runs in our family. It killed our Dad, and several others. So that settles it. After the conversation with my little bro, I am determined to go for the PSA test. My next doc appointment is in December, so we'll take it from there. Good thing Ron has annual physicals. It's an army thing. I rarely go to see the doc unless something hurts. But in this case, I will make an exception. So if they find anything wrong with me... I will let you know, ... after the surgery. :)

Smells good eh?

Today was one of those days when I was inspired to do some winter cooking. I was shopping for fresh produce; lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers and such when I noticed the celery and remembered I still had plenty at home. The celery kicked off a memory of a friend who made a huge batch of chili in early September. Well, that did it. So I rushed around getting what I needed and now my kitchen smells fabulous. The only difference is that instead of ground beef, I bought ground chicken. So this will my first “chicken chili”. One other thing about shopping that grinds on me is that I have to buy smaller packages of things like bread and buns. Quite often I will open the bread or buns only to find little spots of mould. I just don’t eat it fast enough I guess. I notice that most of the bakery stuff I buy doesn’t last longer than a week before the mould happens. I guess that’s a good thing because there are fewer preservatives. I noticed one bag of bagels I bought lasted almost three weeks before I got tired of looking at them and tossed them out. They come six to a package and I had eaten only three or four, but they never got mouldy. The other thing to consider is that the bakery store is next to the liquor store. So if I don’t need to go to the liquor store, I don’t always get fresh bakery items. Maybe I should visit the liquor store more often. Ha ha.

Soup, soup, soup!

Oh yeah, today was a soup day! Woke up and there was snow on the truck and a bit of ice on the windshield. It was just chilly all day. Got home a bit early and was thinking about supper, when I noticed I had a couple of beef ribs in the fridge. Aha! Soup. Boil up them nice meaty ribs, a bit of pepper, couple chunks of celery, onion, a turnip, chopped up carrots, can of tomatoes, a small handful of pasta. Simmer, simmer, simmer. I had to run out to a photo shoot, but I got home just a while ago. Cut up some nice warm crusty bread, add a bit of butter and a chunk of cheddar. Yum, yum, yum. Suddenly everything is warm and the chill is gone! This calls for a wee glass of whiskey!

Reading something new ...

I got out of my comfort zone today of reading spy novels, techno thrillers and history. Like a lot of Canadians, I felt intense pride upon hearing that Alice Munro of Wingham, Ontario has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. I don’t believe I have ever read her stories, but today I bought one of her books; The Moons Of Jupiter. If the reviews of thousands of others are any indication, I am confident I will enjoy reading Munro’s work. I have a good stock of wine and a nice rib-eye ready for the pan. I will let you know. But it’s not yet lunchtime and I have some housework to do.

What would Forrest Gump say?

I think I believe in creativity as much as the next guy, but Hollywood writers really suck these days. Yeah, I know they probably make tonnes of money, but they still suck. I am referring to all the movies and story-lines about vampires and zombies. Enough already! I guess they are responding to market demand, otherwise Hollywood wouldn’t spend the money to produce movies about such dumb things. I guess the real culprits are the movie fans who spend good money to see this crap. I wish I could find these people and tell them stupid stories and take their money. Like Forrest Gump said, stupid is as stupid does. We need more stories like Forrest Gump.

A really great weekend

Thanksgiving weekend was great. I am just back in Timmins this afternoon after spending Friday, Saturday and Sunday with Jenn and her men. I really enjoyed it. Totally relaxed. Jenn mentioned a couple of international news stories... and I had no idea what she was talking about. I zoned out and enjoyed three days of reading, a bit of TV and enjoying the company of the boys. Nathan and Tyler are both getting taller and a bit older. So I was able to share with them some funny stories of the silly things I did when I was their age. I really think the boys are enjoying a particularly good time in their lives right now. They're building friendships that will likely last a lifetime. And they're at that age where they can appreciate good times and fun without having to carry any responsibility. I envy them... a bit. It was busy enough too. Nathan had to go one hockey game in Saturday and Tyler had a game in Elliot Lake. So Ty, Jenn and myself drove over to Elliot (2 1/2 hours) for that game. Saturday was glorious with the sun shining and beautiful fall colors along the North Shore. The boys' teams both enjoyed wins. And then we sat down to watch the Leafs Saturday night, and that was another win for our favourite team. This is the first Thanksgiving dinner in several years that we didn't enjoy the company of Don and Denise, or Chris, Victoria and Demetrios. I know it will be nice to see them again at Christmas. Sunday we enjoyed a nice turkey with potatoes, turnips, carrots, stuffing and gravy. Jenn made a really nice strawberry/raspberry shortcake dessert with whipped cream too. One thing I did this for the first time this year was to buy a fresh turkey, instead of a frozen one (Jenn's suggestion). It was excellent (Thank you Mr. Butterball). Jenn had an even better week that expected since Neil was in Ontario for a few days to attend a wedding in Toronto last week. (Nooo! Not his wedding! LOL) and so he was able to scoot up to Sudbury for a couple of days. Jenn said it was a great visit and she was indeed happy to see him. I was stuck in Timmins working on deadline, and so couldn't get down to Sudbury on time. Neil continues to 'Live the Life' in Vancouver. I am sure I will have to make a another trip out there. I am happy for him. Jennifer's studies are going well and she said this coming week will be interesting. She will be on a nursing placement at a seniors' nursing home. She will spend several days looking after elderly patients, taking care of all their many needs. There are many un-glamourous things a nurse has to do looking after elderly folks, and so Jenn admits this will be something of a test for her.

I spent more time on dessert than making the dinner...

I put this on Facebook, but I thought I'd share it here also. This was a nice fall dessert on Sunday. Really intense flavours. Pears poached in red wine. The sauce was a reduction of the wine, a drool of maple syrup, a whisper of allspice, a slobber of strained puree of raspberries, the merest hint of dark chocolate and a splash of bourbon! I let the pears chill and the sauce was warm. The pears were cool, fruity and juicy and the sauce was incredibly tart, which I didn't expect. So it was nice.

Tea, tea and more tea

What's going on...? I have more coffee in this place than I can handle, but for the last three weeks I have been drinking nothing but tea. This morning I figured I might just fire up the Keurig and enjoy a quick coffee. For some reason I patiently boiled the water and waited for the tea to steep. In my mind, I find that coffee has been a bit too bitter lately. I have enjoyed a coffee while out on assignment lately, but at home when I want to relax or get ready for work, good old Red Rose has done the trick.

It's October alright.

In reference to my last posting here, I finished reading The Orenda by Joseph Boyden, a couple of weeks back. Yes, it was indeed a good read. I actually put off reading other books once I got into it. I enjoyed some "readers' guilt". I put aside everything else until I was finished the book... and several times a day, I would re-read a chapter, just to enjoy it more. Boyden is a great storyteller and the book is hard and gritty. I am tempted to go back and read some of his earlier books, knowing I will enjoy them more. Well Fall has certainly arrived in Timmins. We have some areas of nice colours but I am mildly disappointed with our weather. Last year at this time, we enjoyed some nice Indian Summer temperatures. Not this year. I found our summer months were too hot and September arrived with chilly temperatures just a bit too quickly. October reminds me too much of the passage of time. I find it goes too quickly. On the other hand, I am looking forward to Thanksgiving Dinner. The moose hunt is on here in the North and so I am putting out the word once again, that I so enjoy a nice tender steak. Here's a photo I shot last week. The lighting was good. I got lucky. I like the mix of colours.

Book signing

Okay, so maybe it was a bit of hero worship ... but I have never taken part in a book signing event before. I have seen them and covered them as news stories, but last night was the first time I bought the book and got it signed. The author was Joseph Boyden, who was in Timmins to spend some time with his sister Mary Boyden, who everyone seems to know well. Joseph was helping out at a fundraiser ... which just happens to be the same time as he is kicking off his national book tour for his newest novel, The Orenda. I have to say, this guy writes very well. I have read two of his first novels, Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce. Great story-teller. Oh by the way, he has won awards for both books. His last book won The Giller Prize. That should be enough to convince you to buy his books. I am reading two other books right now... but as soon as they're done, I will be reading The Orenda. I will be pleased to lend it out...

Space balloon!

Okay so I have always been fascinated by flight, and especially space flight. I was more than a bit excited this week when the first ever launch of a stratospheric space research balloon was launched in Timmins. For a whole bunch of scientific reasons, Timmins was chosen a year ago as the site of the balloon launch base by the Canadian Space Agency and the official space agency of France. The base has been built, the science people have moved in and the first launch ever from Timmins was held Thursday night. This balloon, nearly ten storeys high, can hold 100-thousand cubic metres of helium. Cool! The next launch, sometime in the next 72 hours, will have a balloon than can hold 800-cubic metres. Amazing or what... and the plastic is the same thickness (or THINness) of a dry cleaning bag.

Cleaning a fishy frying pan

I know there are some friends who will wonder how you can possibly clean a cast iron fry pan after you've fried fish in it. Of course, with cast iron, you never use soap. But you can get it clean. I just add some hot water and let it soak for a few minutes, and then I scrub it with a stiff dishwashing brush. I rinse it and pour the pan almost dry. Here's the good part. I throw in a tablespoon of baking soda and then scrub the pan again and let it soak for a few more minutes. The baking soda acts like an abrasive and it also removes any odors. I dry it with a paper towel, add a teaspoon of oil and rub it in. In five minutes the pan is like new!

Time passes, but life is good ...

I am not alone when I ask where has the year gone. I overheard some friends say the same thing earlier this week, when it was obvious that September had arrived. Perhaps we can be glad we all have so many things to do and keep us busy that we forget about the passing of time. I do know the summer was enjoyable. I saw my grandsons so often that I think I am getting new wrinkles from smiling and laughing so much. I saw the boys again just recently when I drove to Sudbury for the Labour Day long weekend. It was a nice time. Don and Denise were also in town briefly and it was nice to see them as well. We all headed out to the Ribfest downtown and that was a good way to spend a Sudbury Saturday night.
Back at work this week was a time for getting back in the groove as more and more newsy things are happening. Even today I will be out and about (That's oot and aboot for my American friends!)  to get some photos of things going on.
I am still enjoying the pleasant memory of a really tasty Friday night supper thanks to a few Westree pickerel fillets that made their way to my big cast iron frying pan. I didn't get fancy. Just dusted them with flour, added some fresh pepper, melted butter in the pan and within a few minutes, they were perfect. It doesn't get much than this ...

I also enjoyed a different beer. Wellington Special Pale Ale was new at the LCBO in Timmins this week,  so I grabbed some. It was great with supper. It was tasty and really crisp, not too hoppy, which is good. I cannot imagine enjoying fresh fish without a nice cold brew.

Steak

I recently finished reading a book about steak. It’s written by Globe and Mail columnist Mark Schatzker. I don’t usually write about what I have read unless I really, really enjoy it. Okay I really enjoy steak, but I found Schatzker’s book interesting, but not fulfilling. He travelled the world… from Toronto, to Texas to Argentina to Scotland to Japan, all in search of the perfect ribeye or strip loin. He was searching for the perfect beef flavour. In one sense I might have agreed with him. But it wasn’t until the very final pages of the book that he wrote about cooking the perfect steak. That’s what I wanted to read about. For all that I read, I am not changing my ways. I like my strip loin. I like it pan fried, cast iron, with a touch of olive oil for about eleven minutes. Then I let it rest for ten minutes. Sometimes I marinade, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I will really treat myself and get a ribeye. But the book has inspired me in the sense that I will try different cuts of steak, such as flank and maybe a T-bone (which I think are wayyyy overrated). I have had three steaks since I finished the book and each time I just added salt and pepper, nothing else, not even A1 Sauce or HP Sauce. All have been nice. Anyway, the book is okay. I wouldn’t buy my own copy, but the library should be helpful.

Such a nice visit...

Just noticed that I have a fridge full of healthy foods; things like fresh lettuce, broccoli, celery, carrots. I deliberately purchased this stuff because I know that Jennifer enjoys good fresh veggies and she likes to ensure the boys have them too. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, when Jenn and the boys came to visit Timmins this week our only nod toward really serious meal-taking involved some fabulous New York strip loin steaks we had Wednesday. Jennifer also made a salad that was so good we all had seconds on the salad. But after that, I enjoyed going off the garden path and into the land of chocolate-cake-breakfast, chips & poutine at Gillies Lake, and BBQ ribs at Auntie Sue’s place. We also went through three packages of Reese’s cups, Oh Henry’s and Hershey bars, not to mention the amazing cheese & onion potato chips. There was also the choco-banana milkshakes where we threw chocolate cookies into the blender with the swirling ice cream, just for fun. Those were so good. Well, I just checked the fridge and noticed that all I have to eat for the next week is good wholesome food. All the good junk is gone. I sure miss those boys!

Amazing Westree weekend ...

It was nice to enjoy another long weekend in Westree with the Alexander family. The big difference this weekend was getting to enjoy the time with just about everyone else in the community. It was the official celebration of Westree’s 100th anniversary as a community. I really enjoyed it. Aside from the amazingly clean fresh air, and the incredible peace and quiet, it was nice to chat with people at the Texas Horseshoes tournament. Another nice part was the release of the 100 anniversary book put together by Roger Latour and Denise Alexander. Unfortunately Roger died several weeks back and could not enjoy the event. Everyone seemed to agree though that Roger was there in spirit. The other good part of course was spending time with the Alexander household and enjoying Don and Denise’s hospitality. It was like Christmas all over again. I liked getting up early in the morning and enjoying the coffee and Bailey’s for breakfast… and then within a couple of hours, Denise would cook up and huge country breakfast. Another nice part was the fact that Demetrios brought his family to Westree. It was so nice meeting Nick and Helena, who were on their first ever visit to Northern Ontario. They’ll be spending a couple of weeks in the bush camping and fishing and I know they will sure have something new to talk about with all their friends in downtown Toronto.