Glenda's Birthday Celebration

Our youngest daughter had a birthday a few days ago and we had a double treat. Not only did she have a happy time  but made us aware of her selection to take her MBL. This is quite an honour as only 30 were chosen to partake in this unique program where leadership is the main focus. This is a challenge that she will gladly take and is a reward for her years of hard work in her leadership role in education.

Most of the family were present and it is always special when we get together. There will be another celebration when Glenda graduates and makes us all proud of her accomplishments.

Last Rose of Summer

On the last day of summer my garden looked better than it did during the drought of this summer.I wandered around the house and took a few pictures and noticed that the beans, Swiss chard ,peppers and Tomatoes were still producing and happy with the cool nights.

Our last days of summer came with good rain and the ground really needed it. The trees specially require that they go to bed with wet feet so we should make sure that they get a good soaking before the frost. Fall is a nice comfortable time of the year as it slowly gets us ready for the chill of winter.

Our leaves will not be as brilliant as usual because of the drought but some re already turning colour and look OK. We usually take a drive up on the escarpment which is covered with deciduous trees. Hard maple and red maple are prominent but the yellows and purples mixed in make a perfect fall bouquet.

While I was taking pictures Chipper our chipmunk was following along and begging for peanuts.

I have a few weeks left to feed the rhubarb and lawn before departing for our winter retreat and shall take in all our fall beauty because there is no such a display in the deep south.

The Keys To Success

Theresa prides herself in always taking care of keys, making sure the car and house are locked every time we leave and generally is a careful person. We also know that the one job around the house I do not like very much is plumbing.

With these two thoughts I will tell you a story stranger than fiction. We arrive home after being out for some time and Theresa makes a quick exit to the basement bathroom. This is not unusual as I do the same thing when I am out for an extended period of time where there are no facilities.

I was in the family room when I heard this commotion. Theresa used the toilet and flushed as she stood to arrange her clothing and her keys fell into the toilet bowl as she flushed. I heard the keys hit the water and Theresa letting out a small but painful yelp. Being curious about the alarm in her voice I  went to her rescue. Theresa was very upset as the key chain had the car remote, house keys and other items. Looking down the toilet bowl was of no consequence as all we saw was clear water after the flush.

I tried to reach into the dark recess of the toilet with no success. I have a snake and tried to get some satisfaction but again with no success. We both decided that the keys were gone. However we decided to not use this toilet until today. This day we were going to go to the Milton Fair but the weather was not good.  I decided to take up the toilet and maybe, just maybe, the keys would be there.

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I hate plumbing but I just installed this unit a few months ag0 so I asked Theresa to go to Home Depot and get a new wax seal  and We would be OK. Theresa left and I removed the toilet without a problem but it was heavy and when I moved it away and laid it on it's side a splash of water came out on the floor.As I inspected the bottom of the toilet I saw a key in bedded in  #@%$#@ and I removed it and placed it in the sink. After washing the keys they were none the worse as they were water proofed.

The wax seal only cost $1.89 but I fixed it and cleaned out the  mess that caused the keys to be rescued. In a few minutes I had the toilet back in place and the mess cleaned up. Just as I completed the job Theresa came in with not one but two wax seals. It seems that the girl  thought we might like a better than ordinary one so Theresa bought two. As I showed Theresa the keys she was extremely happy and we both were better off for the effort.

I am keeping the extra seals as this might not be the last time one of us has an accidental dropping of something valuable into the toilet but this time I would just say these were the keys to success. A happy ending.

Ash Tree Problem

Oakville is known for it's oak trees however there are over 100,000 ash trees that line our streets. These trees have been attacked by a beetle which bores under the bark and kills the tree.We had two such trees on our boulevard and they were removed a few months ago.

We were assured that new trees would be planted to replace the Ash Trees and this morning sure enough men were outside our door planting new trees. I asked the worker what the name of the trees he was planting and he did not know. From the leaves I was unable to define the tree variety but it is not an ash I hope.

The tree program in Oakville is very active and we are fortunate to have the kind of leadership which recognizes the value of its beautification program. The replacement trees are all ten feet in height or taller and a minimum of 4 inches in girth. This ensures that vandalism will not cause damage to the new trees.

Blogs are written by fools like me but only God can make a tree. AMEN.

Last Word On Asbestos

Finally we can put the asbestos story to rest. It took an upset election in Quebec to motivate the Harper Government to with draw its objection to naming asbestos as a dangerous and toxic substance. Now Canada's name may be added to the throng of other countries who signed a treaty identifying this mineral as hazardous to humans.

The new Quebec minority government made it's first strong statement that would withdraw the $58 million dollar loan to open a new asbestos underground mine. This clear direction came after years of the Harper Government supporting this industry internationally against all factual information  and caused our country to be ridiculed by member nations of the treaty banning this substance.

Third world countries and African countries used asbestos in unsafe conditions causing thousands of deaths to working people handling asbestos. This is a victory for people power - who finally are heard.

Back To School

School is back in session and although there is some labour problems the students were happy that their summer break came to an end. I see the little ones happy to see their school mates and meeting their new teacher. Ontario is supposed to have the best public education system in the world and when labour strife comes into the picture it weakens that argument.

As a former educator I recognize the reasons for the problem but strongly disagree with the manner in which it was dealt with. Teachers never threatened strike but the government acted as they did and from there the sides were drawn. I feel confident that a reasonable deal could have struck has both sides been given the time to share ideas and compromise a fair deal.

Now the government who had the educators support for several elections lost that support and have angered teachers, students and parents.It seems like a lose, lose situation to me. How sad that we do not find reasonable methods to solve big problems. No wonder there is so much violent strife in the world where very large differences clash. Will we never learn?

Hockey Lockout

The NHL is again going through this ugly dance between Billionaire owners and Millionaire players. As a hockey fan I wonder how much concern these people give to their loyalty base. The last time this occurred there was little problems in getting the fans back into the hockey palaces. This time there will be increased hostility as the media has given much of the financial dealings to the public.

Few fans will have sympathy for either side because in times like this with all the economic woes people making millions do not get consideration from people who are just making it at their place of work. This is a confrontation with sides wishing a bigger piece of the pie. Greed we call it and one could solve the problem in minutes if both sides could work with the present agreement until a reasonable solution is found.

During the last few years I have been watching junior hockey and college games. I find a real joy in seeing the younger, energetic and eager players working hard for the love of the game and their team.

Two years ago I took my grand daughter to a Maple Leaf game as her father was unable to do so. I used his tickets and was amazed to see the price was nearly $200. per ticket. A hot dog was $3.50 and a Beer was $6.25. Everything that was sold to the patrons was double the value and to top it all off parking was $20. With these prices I wonder how the teams can pack the rinks and sell out year after year.

The reason is that Canadians love the game of hockey and are being denied their fix on Saturday night so don't suggest that they turn to cricket or soccer. The only antidote is hockey.

First Frost

This morning we experienced the first white frost. While picking up the paper I was surprised to see frost on the car roof and the houses with white shingles. It is the middle of September and we see the changes in the weather in a dramatic manner. The days seem to get shorter quickly and the night time temps. fall to make sleeping comfortable again.

For us it is canning time and we completed the task of using our tomatoes and produce to put away enough spaghetti sauce for the winter. This year I planted half of our tomatoes with Roma brand and had a huge crop. I think they are the very best for sauce.

With little more than a month before migrating south we have to prepare our gardens and trees for the winter. With the failure of the apple crop this year there is a prediction for a bumper crop next year as the trees have had a season to rebuild their strength. All but a few apple farmers had a dismal crop this year and we will pay at the markets with higher than normal costs for our favourite fruit.

With the fall weather and schools and colleges in session we golfers have a better choice at good times to play.

Perfect Fall Weather

This past week we had the perfect fall weather for outside work or just for playing golf. Several times a year we get together with old friends that we share time with both here and in Florida. With the temperature around 24C and not a cloud in the sky we thought of playing golf but a call from our friends confirmed our thoughts and off we went.

We only play 9 holes on a course that is kept in perfect shape and it is a social outing rather than a serious game. We do however keep score as our friends like to know their score. This day went perfectly until the seventh hole when my partner thought it a good idea to look for golf balls in a place where he always has luck.

This time he did find five balls but dropped his Tilly hat in the water and came out of the trees looking much the worse for his search. After some good-hearted fun poked at my friend we ended the game having experienced another perfect day provided by Mother Nature.

International Award A Joke

The Appeal of Conscience Foundation of New York had awarded Stephen Harper with its Statesman of the Year award.  The award was honouring Harper as its statesman of the year for his work as "champion of democracy". What a sad joke for the Canadian people as this Prime Minister is without doubt the worst person to ever hold that office when it comes to protecting democracy.

It is a sad reflection on the foundation when it "believes that freedom, democracy and human rights are the fundamental values that gives nations the best hope for peace, security and shared prosperity" and award this man the honour.

Since Harper became Prime Minister he has systematically assaulted democracy in Canada, overlooking and in some cases condoning clear cases where our democratic institutions and traditions were undermined. Harper's record of assault on democracy and rights is well documented.

I will list a number of direct actions which stand out to make my case. The government killed the Center for Human Rights and Democratic Development. This group monitored human rights around the world. In 2010 the government slashed the funding for Human Rights Commission. In 2009 the government cut funds for Cairo after they criticized Israel for bombing a Gaza health center.

The Harper Government chopped funding to the Status of Women, the Court challenges commission and at the same time propagated parliament twice in less than a year. Harper is the only Prime Minister to be found guilty of contempt of Parliament and approved the distribution of a handbook which explained how Tories could disrupt committee hearings by barring witnesses with damaging testimony.

The Harper Government has ignored freedom of speech and information by muzzling senior bureaucrats, withholding and sometimes altering documents, making personal attacks on whistle blowers, and lying to voters. These are only a few of the items I read in our news media but sufficient to cause concern when awarding such an award to such a unsuitable person.

It would appear that this body used a narrow criteria when making this award. I would suspect that since this group was founded by a New York Rabbi back in 1965 that Harper received this honour for his strong support of Israel and his strong criticism of Iran. There is some confusion why Canada closed the embassy and recalled its workers leaving Canadians unsupported while working in or visiting Iran.

A Peaceful Place

Every community has a place to bury its citizens who pass away. Often this place is in a quiet area and holds much of the history of the community. I personally visit graveyards when I travel and marvel at the stories that could be told by reading the inscriptions on the tomb stones. Magnetawan and Chapman Valley have such a place for its departed.

This graveyard holds some of my best friends from the past and acquaintances I made over the few years I lived in that district. I visit this place and I get a sense of warm memories every time. Looking at the head stones is like reading a role call and each one has a story or memory to share. This particular site holds special beauty experienced by all who visit.

McKeller Fall Fair

Last Saturday McKeller held its annual fall fair. Well it rained and rained and sort of ruined some of the expected events. However the local people made the best of it and we attended. Few animals were on display but a pink goat was trouping around the grounds. A large 760 lb. pound pig made his presence known and the chickens did what they do best and squawked at the folks observing them in their small cages.

Displays of crafts were proudly shown and the friendly took time and patience to explain their wares and skills.For small rural Ontario villages and towns who hold fairs there is support from the government and proud members of the community keep the tradition alive. We enjoyed the hours we shared with the locals and wish them success in the coming years.

Cottage Visit

My daughter and her husband purchased a cottage up north on a beautiful lake. They are very proud of there digs and have had many people travel there to enjoy the quiet life and experience a few days with peace and an opportunity to observe nature.

We were pleased to be invited and travelled the two and a half hour journey through country side ans lakes galore. Immediately we were aware of the complete silence disturbed only by the birds and small animals rustling the leaves.

I owned a cottage some years ago not too far north and my children had some experience with the cottage life. It seems almost an obsession with big city folk to have a place where they are free of all the noise and activity which comes with living in an urban environment.  Theresa and I felt the natural atmosphere and just sitting on the deck and watching and feeling the beauty was enough to make the trip worthwhile.

Good food served in the outdoors and company with your friends adds to the enjoyment.We hope to have an even better experience next year when we return to help with some renovations planned to improve the northern retreat. Our journey home took us through different country and we had an opportunity to re-visit Magnetawan, my home for two years when I was beginning my educational experience.  It was a great couple of days for us and will be put in our memory bank.

Reversing Falls Saint John.

One of the rare wonders of the world is the reversing falls in Saint John, New Brunswick. Th Saint John River flows into the Bay of Fundy right smack in the center of the city. Here the tide is the highest in the world and sometimes reaches 58 feet. When the Bay is at low tide the water rushing out of the river makes a waterfall of considerable height. When the Bay is at high tide the water flows into the river and creates a waterfall flowing inward.

Ships travelling upstream or downstream choose the time when the tide equalizes the water flow and there is no current to speak of. This has been a tourist attraction and most people travelling East make a stop to see this rare occurrence.

Attack On Labour Unions In Ontario

I recently wrote a blog on the horrible situation at the federal level where the government has taken the teeth out of negotiations by settling labour talks by decree from the government. We now have a similar situation in Ontario. The premier and the minister of education decided to solve the financial crisis by freezing the salaries of teachers across the board. The Premier rationalized the need as he feared a teachers strike.

This is a fabrication of a crisis for political gain. The teachers have never threatened strike but have insisted on meaningful negotiations.I am a retired educator and have always thought that educators have been responsible citizens and concerned people when provincial matters are at stake. Over the years there have been a few labour snags with the teachers but after negotiations both sides were winners.

Teachers have become a strong middle class segment of our social fabric. Teachers are at the forefront in volunteering their time to their students and the communities. in which they live.This mistake made by the government could dampen the spirit of co-operation and the students would suffer.Teachers who have had a contract which had built in guarantees for salaries based on qualifications and teachers have taken the step to invest in educational programs to become better mentors of their students are being denied their rightful earnings.

Had there been honest negotiations I feel that a better solution would have been the result.This government has always been pro education and received  strong support during the last years. It is absolutely necessary to have calm, energetic teachers in the classroom. Labour unrest is not the answer.

Education is supposed to be all about the students. Happy teachers engaged in a professional manner will provide that balance which makes Ontario public education the best in the world. In order to keep it that way there has to be a renewal of trust between the government and the educational community. I hope the leadership of both parties get it right and get it done without involving the people that we all work for ... the STUDENTS.

Canso

Canso is a small town on the north east corner of Nova Scotia and on a clear day has a wonderful view of beautiful Cape Breton. Famous in the early days for its fishing fleet which gleaned a fortune from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland when Cod was king. Theresa and I made a journey out to this town while we were staying in Guysborough to see once again this town which lost its huge fish processing plant but remain viable.

We entered the town and immediately were overwhelmed by the natural beauty of the harbour and the fishing boats. We drove around the town and settled for a parking spot on the seashore. From there we took many photos.I engaged a group of about a dozen workers who made their living from the sea.

I asked about a friend who came from there and they knew the family name and said the fellow we knew left long ago  and went to Upper Canada. They seemed to be happy with their lot as fishermen and one quoted me the money he made last week when he  brought in 32 sword fish. Another said he and his fellow workers landed 50,000 lbs. of lobster at $4.00 a pound last week and that was not too bad.

I felt happy with the security these men found in doing what they and their ancestors have being doing for many years.The trip off the big road is well worth the time if you travel East in the future.These little towns have for the most part have come on hard times but I have a feeling that Canso will survive as a fishing town for many years to come.

Family Get Together

Every year when Theresa and I visit Cape Breton our family plan an event so we will see as many of the family and friends as possible. this year was no exception as all my siblings and many of my nephews and nieces came out to Melvyn's and Darla's home. With a great pool for the young ones to swim and surrounded by country food our shared time was warm and memorable.

I have four brothers and sisters living back home and it is special to be able to see them together and relating so well. The changes in the little ones over two years is amazing. Little girls become young ladies and boys grow to be young men. The family traits are deeply ingrained and the comparisons are made. Pictures are taken and and one of we five always draw special notice as we are getting older. I don't see too great a difference each year because I don't wish to think of us aging.

Family pulls you together and helps you to remember your heritage and share the past with young ones.I feel it is sad when children lose out on gatherings where there is an opportunity to mingle with members of the family from away . These family events help to keep the clan strong and I love every time we are able to have a fam..jam.