Changes on the way...

Mark Twain wrote " a journalist is a reporter out of a job". He also wrote "I am not an editor of a newspaper and shall always try to do right and be good so that God will not make me one." Hmm... Well things are gonna change. Stay posted.

Growing Stuff

I started growing stuff last week. No!, not THAT kind of stuff... I am growing herbs. And it's not THOSE kind of herbs either. I am gonna try my hand at growing basil, sage and chives. It's not because I am being cheap... although there is that advantage. I just figured it would be fun to see if fresh herbs make a difference in my cooking. I set up a few growing pots in the kitchen with a UV light and already tiny little sprouts are coming up. I will keep ya posted.

Spring has sprung!!!

Today is the first day of Spring. Yup. It’s today. Not March 21st. Spring is no longer determined by the calendar, according to NASA. It’s determined by the position of Earth in relation to the sun and occurs on the vernal equinox, which is the day when the length of daylight is equal to the length of night. The first day of spring in Timmins is rather mild. What a change from last night when we had a storm with high winds, white-outs and it resulted in schools being closed and the highways shut down. And tomorrow, the forecast is rain! There’s a saying in Timmins … if you don’t like the weather, just wait ten minutes, it’ll change!

Things you DON'T want to see while ice fishing...

Hey what can I say? He caught a fish and had to bend over to pull it out of the hole in the ice!

The latest buzz...

I was deleting some of my old photo files when I found this shot of a honeybee on a thistle. It’s a good reminder that the warm weather is not too far away. In other news I got a note from my favorite sister-in-law Loni ... she says she is on leave from Afghanistan and will be home for a few weeks. I sure hope Ron gets caught up with all of his housework! : )

Funny Church Sign

Good Doctor? Bad Doctor?

Check out this website to find out what people say about the doctors and dentists in your town. It's called: - RateMDs.com - It’s interesting to read. I think people love to complain about their doctors. To do a search, just enter the name of your town and you will get the list of local physicians. We all have friends that seem to know more than the doctor does… but the next time you get sick, will you go see that friend, or go to a doctor?

Looking for gold...

It’s no surprise to see a diamond-drilling rig at work in a mining town. This one is set up behind our office, about ten metres away from the hiking trail. This diamond-drill is searching for gold. It’s called a diamond drill because it uses a diamond studded drill bit that drills a hollow tube about two inches wide and a mile deep, into the rock. The driller then hauls the drill tubes up, twenty feet at a time, containing core samples that tell where the gold is hidden.
The drill cores are stored flat in these wooden boxes which will be shipped off the lab where they'll be studied to see how much gold there is down the hole.

Take Mother in Law for a ride eh

Okay I am not making this up… some guys call this the “mother in law” sled. I was out on the trails Sunday and saw this cool set-up. It’s all enclosed and it’s a good way to bring youngsters along for a day of sledding.

Grrreat neighbors

It's happened twice now. I've been out and about lately. And when I get home after a snowstorm, my driveway is clean and clear. So thank you to the good neighbor or neighbors who have been so helpful.

Neil living in Van-groovy.

Got an email from Neil, my fave son. He is now living in Vancouver. I guess the fresh air of Jasper was too good eh. Oh well -- always good to try new things. Sources tell me he even shaved his beard, trimmed the sideburns and got a haircut. I guess it all goes with the new job at the Steamworks. It's all good eh. Hmmm... I must be getting old. I just realized it has been 35 years since I hung out in Gastown.

I still like wine -- despite the tax grabbin' bastards.

So here is a photo of my new wine opener. It was a gift from Claudette. I have to admit this is the best and easiest corkscrew I have ever used. It's so easy that even a man can do it right. It’s even easier than a Swiss Army Knife. I like wine, but the Ontario government has instituted an annoying bottle return program. The LCBO now charges 20-cents extra for each wine bottle to entice you to return the empty. But here’s the dumb part. You have to bring the empty bottles to the beer store, not the liquor store. Not everyone drinks beer ( did I really say that in Timmins?). It’s not very environmental when you consider the extra driving required to go to the beer store to return a 20-cent wine bottle. I know I won’t do that. McGuinty’s lying liberals say the program will divert 80-million bottles from landfill sites. Oh please, …. put a cork in it willya!

Another camera

I added a new “old camera” to my collection this past week. I found a very nice Nikkormat FTn on Ebay so I put in a bid and got it a great price. The Nikkormat was my very first ‘professional’ camera. I bought one in 1974, but sold it a few years later. After going full digital for the past few years, I guess I will enjoy using a fully manual film camera. The Nikkormat allows for all manual functions and lets the photographer take the picture. It also works perfectly in any weather, with or without batteries.

Snowmobile adventure

We had a full house last night when Scott arrived with buddies Richie and Al to get a headstart on some good snowmobiling. The guys were up early this morning to make sure their machines would start okay. It was minus 30 last night. It was all good. They’re heading north to the Abitibi Canyon for some extreme riding. Happy trails guys!

Free stuff

Sometimes good things are indeed Free. I found that out with a note from PC World Magazine about a free download that catches spy programs trying to get onto your computer. It’s called Zone Alarm and it actually works. It stops those annoying pop ups and other worm programs that try to sneak in when you’re on the internet. It even stops Microsoft from trying to get in with updates! I have installed Zone Alarm on all three of my computers. Try out the free download for yourself. If I find any glitches, I will post a note here.

It's Flag Day.

Happy Flag Day. This is one of those nice holidays where you don't have to buy cards or gifts or get caught up in the big marketing thing. Just smile and enjoy the fact the Canadian flag still means freedom and the good life. I checked the official Government of Canada webpage at 9 AM today and there was no mention of flag day ... oh well.

Real Hockey

There were at least a couple of good hockey games on the weekend. Jennifer and Scott went to the Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Air Canada Centre. Tickets were more than $125 apiece! I guess the game was worth it. There was great action, a good fight, they saw Sid Crosby and the game had an overtime goal. Of course, the Leafs lost. I also had the chance to watch hockey this weekend. I took this photo of a bunch of kids at the Eighth Avenue playground rink in Timmins. It was about minus 30 and they were having a great time. As I stood there watching, I realized this is real Canadian hockey. Oh by the way, this is the same playground rink where Bashing Bill Barilko used to play when he was a kid. Leaf fans will know that name. Bill Barilko was around when the Leafs played great hockey.

Porcupine Lake

Had some fun on the weekend. We drove over to South Porcupine where is was sunny and freezing cold. It was a great day for a drive so we drove out on the lake for a nice spin. We even surprised a couple of snowmobilers who pulled up alongside while we were driving. The ice was thick and the snow crust was easily hard enough to support the truck.

Tipping

I was visiting a restaurant in the US recently when the waitress noticed me. “Oh the Canadian guys are back…” she snickered. I should mention this was a biker bar and rib joint that had excellent food, great music, good beer and waitresses with attitude. She said “ hey what’s the difference between a canoe and a Canadian?” I shrugged. She said “Canoes tip” Recently I had a good discussion with a friend after the kid at the gas station filled up the car while the weather was close to minus 40. “Did you give the guy a tip?” I asked. The answer was No. So I figure we Canadians need some advice on tipping. I feel mildly qualified, especially since I have worked as a waiter-bartender. So have my kids. I try not to tell people how much to tip, but I feel there are several categories of hard working people who provide service, often good service, and deserve a little extra recognition. They are: Tim Horton’s staff, gas station jockeys, table waiters, bartenders, hair stylists, hotel porters, taxi drivers, hotel shuttle drivers, casino blackjack dealers, hotel chambermaids and even the kid at the supermarket who pushes the cart and puts the groceries in your car.

Watching TV

It's not something I normally do... but I watched TV yesterday. The Superbowl Game was on and I had a connection for some free nachos... so I caved and watched TV. Living in Canada, we don't get to see the best part of Superbowl; the commercials. Today I found the website that features all the best commercials... check it out and enjoy. http://sports.aol.com/nfl/superbowlads . My favorite is the guy with the comb-over.