It never crossed my mind how much I would treasure peace and quiet until I looked across the room just now and realized the kitten was fast asleep. Asleep instead of tearing around the house strafing curtains and racing up the back of my reading chair only to launch itself […]
Columnists
It finally is the end of 2014—a year that most of us would like to forget. The snow piled high and everyone’s snowblower had a long seasonal workout last winter. In fact, the district had one of its highest snowfalls ever recorded. The cold winter began shortly after Remembrance Day […]
Somehow, this Christmas, giving gifts and receiving gifts was more fun than usual. Small gifts and large. Expensive gifts and trifling gifts, as well as gifts from my closet. The least expensive gift I gave was a small bag of sesame sticks. My husband loves them! On the other hand, […]
Last week at this time, I had a visiting dog (I didn’t mention it in my column last week because I was hoping it would find its way back to its owner). I was quite suspicious that it had been dropped off but I wasn’t certain. In the meantime, I […]
Last week, I wrote about my annual late-season moose hunt I take with my friends. Every year I take off for five-seven days and stay in a cabin with my friends. This year, my wife, August, decided she would take her own hunting trip at the same time and hit […]
Roy Avis
From the Mayor's Desk
From the Mayor's Desk
2014 was a year ripe with challenges for our town and citizens. It is encouraging that the year appears to be ending on a high note, with the decision to heat the kraft mill in the interests of asset protection and the production of a heart-warming video by the folks […]
As I sat down to write this column, I wondered to myself if all my electronic gadgets were dumbing me down or making me smarter. The more I have read, the more confused I’ve become. I remember Mrs. Benson, my Grade 1 teacher, having special books for us to practice […]
I’m reading a book about meditating for beginners. It’s an easy read, not causing me a brain cramp trying to decipher the language. The first point the book makes is how we must live with the understanding that everything is constantly changing. The continents are drifting, the winds are shifting, […]
’Tis the season, isn’t it? The season of joy, no matter our stand on faith and religion. It is the season of hoping and smiling, and the season of imagining. It is the season of lights and parades and cookies and bad eating habits (especially if we happen to be […]
“What if I choose not to believe?” It’s a line from one of my favourite movies of the holiday season, “The Santa Clause.” I’ve always believed in the power of mystery and magic. I have, of course, mailed letters to Santa for my children when they were small and I’ve […]
Talk about crazy weather. It was Dec. 15 on Monday yet it looked like April. It is very wet, slippery, and messy, and personally I’d prefer it a bit cooler and less damp. I know it seems like we are never happy but this is crazy. My almost step-kid is […]
Dear Santa: I am writing this letter on behalf of many important people who probably would like to believe in you but somehow feel it below their dignity to write. Our premier, Kathleen Wynne, has had a lot of grief since taking over leadership of the Liberal Party of Ontario. […]
