There are some sounds that happen in life that I find calming, relaxing, soothing. Sounds that are deliciously marvelous, such as a baby murmuring in her sleep with a sigh that says life is perfect, a meadowlark in the spring with her voice floating in my window on a soft […]
Features
As I wrote this column Monday evening, the thermostat outside read “deep freeze with a side order of wind chill,” just shy of minus-30 C. Nothing is fun or heart-warming about that. It is the kind of winter weather that demolishes my otherwise fervent outdoor spirit. The bullish cold drives […]
This past weekend, my wife, August, and I travelled down to St. Paul, Mn. for the annual St. Paul Ice Show. This is the biggest ice-fishing show in North America, with representation from nearly every company that makes a product for ice-fishing, as well as several retail outlets. If you […]
Time for another hodgepodge of thoughts on a chilly winter’s day to hopefully warm your heart, if not your frozen toes, and stimulate your brain. • • • This past week saw the passing of two well-loved local residents with sporting connections, Fort Frances is grieving the loss of Louise […]
It’s hard to be shocked any more by the Harper government’s Senate scandal, but last week I was. This shock was the result of the sudden “discovery” of hundreds of e-mails by the prime minister’s personal legal counsel, Benjamin Perrin, which were thought to have been destroyed before he left […]
The goal is to have every cow calve consistently at the same time period every year, raise that calf to weaning, and then go on feed to finish at an optimum size for the consumer—and do all of this efficiently and profitably. A healthy herd is critical to achieve this […]
Once again it’s time to decorate for Christmas. And once again our decorations will be very simple. In contrast to my good pool-friend Pat, I like simple. Pat lives in a beautiful 19th-century Victorian house and she decorates it elegantly. Pat works on decorating for days–multiple trees and many ornaments […]
Heading south for the winter is quite an involved task. Packing (or should I say stuffing) the vehicle with every conceivable item requires not only strength, but quick reflexes to slam the hatch without the mound tumbling out. It takes a full day. This is further complicated by our detour […]
“The Prairie Garden” is an annual publication produced in Winnipeg by a team of dedicated and talented volunteers. The 2014 edition, entitled “Gardens,” marks the 75th year of publication and is due to be released very soon. The articles that appear in the “The Prairie Garden” are written by gardeners […]
Dear Mike: Watching the evening news recently, I seen a discussion on Canada’s education system, on how the standards for math, among other subjects, has declined. I was curious as to how English grammar faired but it wasn’t even mentioned. Moments later the newscaster actually said: “We did good!” Me […]
Dear Mike: A Christmas party for Rainycrest residents took place Friday afternoon. Hallett Hall was set up for party time, with the fireplace crackling, Christmas music playing, and all the Rainycrest Auxiliary members decked out in their Christmas hats ready to have fun. The residents were treated to a yummy […]
Katherine Hazel Neilson passed away peacefully, at the age of 86, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2013 at the Rainy River Health Centre in Rainy River, Ont. Katherine was born Katherine Hazel Stang on Oct. 20, 1927. Her early life was lived in the community of Dewart Township, Ont., where she […]
