The usual sounds and smells that are welcome to wake me up in the morning are the subtle waft of caffeine perking out of the coffee-maker and the beeps that spell “Ready,” the drift to the nostrils of fresh bread baked by timer in the bread-maker, and the smell of […]
Columnists
I had a busy week of calves (on the top day I had seven arrive). That happened to correspond with Canada Agriculture Day, which I celebrated by bringing more beef into the world. I guess it was good that it was warm since I had to recycle them through the […]
It was Family Day in Ontario on Monday and here in Fort Frances, we had a thunderstorm and rain for most of the day. Needless to say, it was not the most wonderful day for outdoor family activities. Driving back from Dryden under a sunny sky Saturday afternoon, I could […]
Death is not the opposite of life but a part of it. Haruki Murakami, a Japanese writer, said those words and he is the same age as our beloved Stuart McLean, whose death left our world a lot less bright today–the day I am writing this; writing to soothe the […]
Sometimes everything in my life comes together–and sometimes I have to coax it into place like a scared dog. I was in the shower enjoying my hot water therapy session Thursday night when I stopped scrubbing and opened my eyes as a sudden and impending doom washed my peace and […]
After a week of fun fishing in Texas between the first two stops on the 2017 FLW Tour, it was back to the grind for me at Lake Travis in south-central Texas before the second tournament of the season starts later this week. The FLW Tour has strict rules regarding […]
I think we can agree that there is a load of the ridiculous that gets posted on Facebook. And when I say ridiculous, I don’t mean those postings that make us giggle or laugh right out loud, or our hearts to ache, but those postings that have the descriptor stupid […]
It is probably a little early to start talking about spring, but there are signs everywhere that spring is just around the corner. Leaving my mother’s house on Sunday just before 6 p.m., there still was some light in the western sky as I drove home. Yes, the days are […]
Well, my cows caused me some stress earlier this week. I noticed a cow was acting like she was going to calve around 4 p.m. on Sunday, so I went and put her in the barn (I wasn’t worried as it was her third calf). She also was the cow […]
Should it be chocolates, flowers, and a quiet candlelight dinner at a restaurant? Or should I prepare a special romantic dinner for my wife? Maybe a combination of ideas should be considered. I don’t often think about Valentine’s Day but every year when Feb. 14 comes around, I can’t help […]
In January, I had the incredible opportunity to travel with several of my colleagues to Israel on a parliamentary mission with the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs. The purpose of this trip was for us to gain a better understanding of the region and the unique issues its people […]
The 2017 FLW Tour bass tournament season got underway this past weekend down at Lake Guntersville, Alabama. Although it was some of the toughest fishing that I’ve encountered in my travels south over the past five years competing in these events, I was very fortunate to leave Guntersville with a […]
