The sound of jets...

I was not pleased recently to read of, and listen to, reports in the Toronto media of people being upset with the annual air show at the Canadian National Exhibition. Their contention is that the sound of military jets is the sound of oppression for many refugees. There are claims that the sound of jets is the sound of hell raining down on people who had experienced first hand the terror of living in a war zone. Okay, I can understand that. But welcome to Canada, the land of freedom and tolerance. This is where we choose to let others live and let live.  If you don’t like the sound of military jets, fine. Don’t listen. Tune it out. Ignore it. You’re in Canada. The chance of a military jet raining down terror on the population here is quite remote. If you want to live in Canada, get used to other people living their lives too. We Canadians are made of sterner stuff than getting upset at the sound of a military jet.

Besides, I come from a military family. I grew up with the sound of jets. I know that jets are also the sound of freedom, when those jets are deployed against tyrants in other parts of the world. Yes, Canadian warplanes have done their share of raining hell down on the bad guys. Sorry if that offends, but hey, you want to be a Canadian, then get used to other people having different opinion. Jets are the sound of redemption when our troops are pinned down or trapped by the enemy. When our jets are sent in on a ground support mission, it means our troops have a better chance of coming home from a dangerous mission.

I know some people might not like that, but here in Canada we have values that override your personal opinions. So maybe it’s time to consider how others think and learn to go along and get along.

Complaining, nicely

Sometimes you have to complain. I was paying my bills this morning when I noticed the cost of my digital subscription to the New York Times was more than $25! When I signed up last year, it was only $12.94 a month. I called the 800 number and was greeted by a pleasant customer service call-centre person. After a brief and good-natured chat, where I said I would have to quit the service. she offered to renew my digital subscription and chopped the price back down to about $10 a month for the next year.  Nice, very nice.

A perfect Northern Ontario weekend...

Well the Labour Day weekend was one of the best times so far this summer. Claudette and I drove down to Westree for a visit. Who knew that we would end up playing Texas Horseshoes?  It was more fun that I expected. I loved spending so much time with Tyler and Nathan, who haven’t yet learned how to stop growing tall!

Don, Jennifer and Scott got out to do some serious fishing. And I mean serious. Look at those pickerel. Jenn caught the five-pound monster on the right, out of Opikinimika Lake. We had an amazing fish fry at the camp Saturday night. Don and Denise were the usual masters of hospitality. Supper was excellent. An evening around the bonfire was perfect.

We also got a tour of Denise’s garden. I was impressed. Along with her many other talents, Denise has a green thumb. I was pleased as well when she donated a couple a fresh turnips. Claudette and I cooked them up with some mashed potatoes and cabbage rolls when we got back to Timmins Sunday night. Wow, I amazed at how often I forget how good it is to have real food, fresh food.

And I know Jennifer is reading, so here in the info on the wine. It’s a French Red and you will love it:

http://www.lcbo.com/lcbo/product/philippe-de-rothschild-pinot-noir-pays-d-oc/628289#.V82q8VsrLcs

Tragically Hip concert, so emotional ...

Still buzzing after last night’s concert performance by the Hip. It’s hard to say exactly how great it felt to be with friends to see the final show on CBC. Claudette and I had planned to go to the special concert broadcast in the park in Timmins, but we were at a family gathering of sorts at Marie and Moe’s place. Had a great dinner and then the rain came. It poured and poured. We all moved to the rec room. There was easily 30 people in the room and when the concert began, we were pumped. The concert was everything we expected and more. Especially when they opened with Fifty Mission Cap, the story of Timmins hockey great Bill Barilko.  When Gord Downie began singing Fiddler’s Green, I could barely believe it. Fiddler’s Green refers to folklore about a better life in the afterlife … like he was facing his own mortality and having the courage to sing about it. I was in tears! The best part was being in the room with people who truly enjoyed the concert. I will never forget last night. 

I use it every day!

At first glance, it looks like a cute little twin-lens reflex camera.  On closer inspection it is a very clever little pencil sharpener with a unique design. Jenn got this for me at Christmas and at first I thought it would be an ornament on my desk. I use pencils every day and I am fussy about them being sharp. So yes, I use this neat thingy every day and I am glad to have it. Who thinks up stuff like this?

In praise of home cooked food ...

We’ve had some hot weather in Timmins lately. Hot enough that it saps my appetite and I do indeed lose interest in cooking. It is so much easier to order a pizza or grab some take-out burgers. So it was quite a treat this weekend when Claudette outdid herself with a fabulous roast beef dinner. Potatoes, carrots, home bottled beets, fresh bread and even horse radish. (Wow, the beets were amazingly tasty.) It was made even better by a bottle of Pinot Noir. So of course we could not eat it all. Sunday night rolled around and the beef dinner became beef stew. How could I say no!

Just stuff...

The Olympics have become interesting to watch because so many Russian athletes have been banned from participating. I wonder if this will become an issue at some point in the future, when people claim that the games are no longer truly representative of the world’s best because so many missing athletes cannot compete. On the other hand, I wonder if the IOC will at some point declare all the Russian medals won at Sochi in 2014 to be null and void because of the doping scandal uncovered by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

It is sad to think that this is what international sport has become.

I sat down last Friday and told myself how much I like Northern Ontario. That’s because I was with my friend Claudette at a pre-wedding celebration in Sudbury, sitting in a backyard, with several other folks just enjoying their company, although I had not met most of them before. I could have been in any backyard in Timmins or Kirkland Lake or Chapleau on a summer evening. I like to think that Northern Ontario folks are especially relaxed and welcoming. Anyway, the weather was warm, a light breeze kept the bugs away and the people were just so friendly.

I am getting more concerned about Donald Trump, his comments, his attitude and his seemingly unstable personality. I was especially disturbed by his comment that Second Amendment enthusiasts (right-to-bear-arms advocates) might to be able to take care of Hilary Clinton and her choice of Supreme Court judges. Wow, that is a bizarre comment. Absolutely bizarre.

The great forest fire of 1916

Canadians were shocked earlier this year to see the destruction of the forest fires in Fort McMurray. But it was 100 years ago this week that the worst ever forest fire in Canadian history burned in the area of Matheson, Nushka (Val Gagne), Porquis and Iroquois Falls, just east of Timmins. The difference back then is there was no early warning and when the flames did roar into these tiny settlements, the destruction was complete. There were no teams of firefighters in helicopters, no aerial water bombers, no modern evacuation procedures. The fire was half a million acres in size. The death toll is estimated at 223 persons, but it was likely higher than that. And yet these communities rose up after the fire and the people found the strength to carry on. I am always amazed when I read about things like that. We live in a fabulous country, but it is the people like this who have made it great.

YouTube is better than I ever expected

YouTube has become one of my favourite sources of entertainment these days if only because it offers some pretty interesting viewing choices. Jenn and Scott, and Santa Claus, got me a Roku video streaming box a couple of years ago and so I can enjoy watching YouTube on my big screen. Recently, I got a kick out of watching videos of the White House press dinners held in the past few years. Barack Obama has some pretty funny speech writers and in the past few years, he has done some pretty hip and funny joke routines. I also enjoy watching and listening to some amazing music videos. I dare say that almost any favourite song you have can be found on YouTube. It’s the same thing with movie clips. If there is a scene from a favourite movie you would like to see again, do a search on YouTube. I am pretty sure you will find it. Another thing is that some of the best Academy Award winning movies can also be found. I don’t how people manage to get all this stuff online, but I do enjoy seeing it. 

It is okay to be offended. Roll with it.

Yes, I know I am getting mellow in my older age (Notice I didn't write OLD age). I was going through the news websites this morning, getting caught up on all the stuff from the past week. I too am shocked, saddened and shaking my head about the terrorist attack in France. I clicked on one story only to discover if was a video of the truck in Nice. There was a warning that the video contained explicit images. I stopped watching. Then I realized that I had done something so simple, that I wish more people would do it. We often get complaints that our news images are too shocking. Well, yes, that might be. So if you don't like it, don't look. Don't try impose your views on everyone else and have the images removed. Stop looking. It's as easy as that. If you're offended, that's okay. You have the right to be offended. So, get over it. I have the right to be offended too, so I stop looking. But I do not have the right to stop you from looking at something in the news.

Yes, it is so good...

Summer is when I like to try new drinks. Okay, I lied. I drink new stuff all year round. But summer seems the time when they come up with some pretty nice new beverages. I was out stocking up this week when I saw the new Mill Street Brewery brand of root beer. It is made right in downtown Toronto and is a blend of Mill Street's vanilla porter and root beer, with hints of sassafras and licorice. It is just as yummy as the first time you tasted root beer when you were a kid. So of course, I cooked up a couple of hot dogs Friday night, (Yes, Debra, they were Schneiders!)  and washed 'em down with root beer. So, so good.

July is good

Enjoying July. Well most of it anyway. Had to drag myself out of bed at 5:00 a.m. today when the fire pager sounded for a structure fire in the city’s north end. I didn’t feel like it, but I peeked out the bedroom window. Yup, there was a big fire, flames and smoke roaring into the sky. Thank goodness the people got out safely.

I was planning to enjoy my Sunday morning with tea and a fresh pan of apple crisp for breakfast. I made it yesterday using Granny Smith apples. I was worried it would be too tart, but the Granny Smiths are just perfect. So I will remember that. I usually use McIntosh apples, which are almost as tasty.  I had the apple crisp later this morning when I got home from the fire call.

Now last week, I made another fruity crumble dish, but this time I used rhubarb and strawberries. It was SO good. I bought the rhubarb at the grocery store, where I was surprised to see it. The only problem was the rhubarb was $6.99 a pound and the strawberries were another $4. So that is a rather expensive dessert for this old man.

I spent Canada in Timmins and really enjoyed the perfect weather. It was about 20 Celsius and sunny with a light breeze. It was the perfect day for joining the annual Canada Day flag walk with Karl Habla. Karl is an immigrant who wastes no time telling everyone in Timmins how great his adopted country is. Every year, for more than 20 years, Karl has led hundreds of citizens on a two kilometre walk from city hall to the international flag park in Schumacher. I met a lot of folks there I have seen in past years. It was very nice.

Later in the evening, I sat on my balcony here in the north end and watched a really nice display of Canada Day fireworks. How cool is that?

Last Sunday I was pleased to be invited out to dinner to help Marie and Moe Maltais celebrate their 40^th anniversary. Can you believe it? I love those people. It was a nice dinner organized by their son Zacchary, as a surprise party… and it worked. Moe gave a nice speech during dinner where he said the first rule of a great marriage is to always do whatever she asks. Well that got a good laugh. Then he said the second rule is to be the best of friends. And then he gave Marie a big smooch. A lot of people got teary-eyed when that happened.

Time for another cup of tea …

Brexit vote

I am not sure quite what to think about the Brexit vote, the fact that the Britain has voted to exit from the European Union. I think part of the issue is racist. And that comes from fear. I think another part of issue is that the younger Brits just didn't vote. Either way, I don't think this is the end of the matter. I think Germany and France will be having votes before we know it.

Loss of a legend...

So yes, I felt sadness today at the news of Gordie Howe’s death. It is bizarre because just last week at work we were talking about the death of Muhammad Ali and we wondered what other athlete might have had the same impact in sports that Ali had in the 20^th century. I suggested maybe Gordie Howe. Some of my co-workers agreed. So Rest In Peace old man.

I also remember myself and Gary playing rubber boot hockey in Portage La Prairie when we were kids. (we didn’t have skates yet) We had one pair of shin pads and a Gordie Howe Red Wings sweater between the two of us. So if one got the sweater to wear, the other of us got the pads. I always enjoyed wearing that sweater when it was my turn. I remember arguing with Gary that he shouldn’t get the sweater because he was playing goalie.  Either way it was kind of cool that kids back in 1961 wanted to be Gordie. 

After a long week ...

I spend a lot of money on groceries. I think everyone does. But some days I just don't feel like cooking. That's how it was Friday night. I worked a bit later than expected and so I decided to stop at Tiffany's take-out. The clerk at the counter said there was a 30-minute backlog on orders. I said that's okay ... and I took a chance and complimented her on her hair. It looked like a new cut, so I mentioned it, said it looked nice. I had my order in five minutes! LOL Maybe she just wanted the old guy to leave quickly. Either way, I got home and enjoyed a nice medium serving of Quebec-style poutine. I know I have to eat healthy, so I tossed in a baby tomato!  By the way, I like Tiffany's better than the "other place" that is so well known. I also enjoyed a very nice cold can of Guinness with the poutine. Life doesn't get much better eh. Wonder how the poor folks live!

Red Rose from now on ...

It's disappointing to learn that something that you enjoy so much has something wrong with it. I am referring to a cup of tea. CBC Marketplace ran a report not too long ago that revealed that most popular tea products in Canada have trace amounts of pesticide. Now Health Canada said that this is not a major problem even though the Canadian Food Inspection Agency revealed that many popular teas have pesticide residues above the acceptable limit. The tea industry also responded to Marketplace saying that pesticides are a fact of life for tea. Most teas are produced in India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), China and Kenya.

Here's the thing. Red Rose Orange Pekoe Tea and Red Rose Canadian Breakfast Blend has no residues, none, nothing. At first I thought it was a mistake but then Red Rose issued a statement saying its tea producers are certified organic and that their tea is grown in Kenya, where there is no threat from insects and therefore no need for pesticides. You can see the organic approval seal on the left side of the box.
So, I went out Saturday and bought Red Rose. I threw out half a box of Tetley, half a box of Lipton and a few sachets of Twinings.

Staying hopeful ...

I saw the following in Tuesday's edition of New York Times. I am hopeful.

Mr. Trump has said so many irresponsible or dangerous things so often and in so many settings that there is a real risk that many voters will simply tune out and his campaign will somehow be normalized.

So it is particularly important to note when Mr. Trump’s statements go beyond the merely provocative or absurd and instead represent a threat to America’s carefully balanced political system. This is such a moment. It is not too late for Republicans who revere that system to question how they can embrace a nominee who has so little regard for it.

Good news for Dome Mine ...

It was satisfying this week to find out that they're extending the life of the Dome Mine for a few more months, no doubt in response to the gradually increasing price of gold. I got a whiff of the story Thursday night and as luck would have it, I bumped into the mine manager about 15 minutes later at a social event. I pulled him aside to see if there was any truth to the story. You can imagine my surprise when he confirmed it, and then unloaded the details on me.
It was funny when I asked the mayor for a comment and at first the mayor didn't believe me, then said how pleased he was at the good news.
I just hope the price of gold keeps moving north. I have lots of geologist friends who assure me there is still lots of gold beneath Timmins that hasn't been found yet ...

A good trip to Sudbury ...

So the next time you go to Red Lobster, try out the Garlic Linguine Lobster, and then order a side of scallops and then order a side of stuff mushrooms. Oooh yeahh. That's what I did this weekend when I dropped in to see Jennifer, Scott and Nathan. Tyler was away at camp. So it was a very pleasant weekend in Val Caron. I think it has been about two years since I visited Red Lobster and so it was a good time for a repeat visit. So it was the best seafood meal I have had in some time... Although I have had some delicious seafood treats in Westree Sur La Mer!

So yes it was indeed a nice visit. Everyone is well and I convinced myself I have to hit the highway a bit more often, if only to go shopping at Costco with Jenn. They had the best deals on socks and underwear!

Nice things eh?

Well it was kind of nice to get noticed. I was fortunate to be honoured, along with three of my colleagues, as a finalist in the Ontario Newspaper Awards. I didn't expect it. But it was nice regardless. One award for city hall reporting, the other for feature reporting on a story about mining history. So Sarah Moore, who was also a finalist, was kind enough to attend the awards night in Hamilton and to bring back these tidy little pieces of etched glass. I put them someplace special ... next to my whiskey bottles!