Posted on April 18, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

One that didn’t get away. A fillet from a 50 pound halibut that Peter caught Saturday in the Juan de Fuca Strait

 

I am a big fan of Calgary Mayor, Naheed Nenshi.  Are you?

I read a letter that he posted in  Saturday’s Globe and Mail. Here is a snippet:

“ In Calgary, we’ve started something simple called 3 Things For Calgary. It’s a simple idea that asks each Calgarian to do three things each year to make our community even greater. It could be something as small as cleaning up trash, or hosting a barbeque for your neighbors in your front yard , or something big like joining a non-profit board. Now imagine 3 Things For Canada. Imagine everyone of us doing three things this year to make our community and our world stronger.”

3 Things For Antigonish?   Are you in! Let’s see if we can get a hundred people to say “ I’m in.”

I hope you’re not getting turned off with my shameless boosterism of Antigonish!

Thank you for the terrific response to two posts this week. There was a lot of feedback on the story of Martha MacDonald and the incredible Boyd clan. It is obvious that this family is well known and well respected in the community.

 And I appreciate the comments about the rather harmless piece that I posted on Saturday called “ Why I Love Antigonish.” I wrote that piece in under 10 minutes and it was one of those stories that took on a life of its own. I guess that I am not the only one who feels the way I do about our community. I well remember a dear old friend, Rev. Leo “Pops” McKenna who taught me a lot about golf and life. He was forever expounding the virtues of the area. “ We live in paradise and we don’t even know it’” was one of his favorite expressions.

Hopping to post a full length story this week ( for old times sake ). It’s about me losing my vehicle in a mammoth parking lot at Walmart!

And coming up on Thursday, my “Faces in the Crowd” story will be about someone from the area who received a double lung transplant a number of years ago. Stay tuned for “Breathless.”

Have a great week.

 

Posted on April 11, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 4 comments

Oslo

“ No. no, no it ain’t me babe

It ain’t me you’re looking for.”

Bob Dylan

Here are my observations about dogs after dog sitting for almost one week: dogs are always happy to see you… especially at meal time; they love to go for walks and sniff things; they love to be patted on the head and told how good they look, and…. they are “babe magnets.” ( I know I’ll get in trouble for saying this! ). I always wondered why guys walked their dogs. Wonder no longer. Oslo attracts the women, young and old. I wish I were so lucky!!!

I am on day 11 of my 30 day “ CNN and Donald Trump” cleanse and I’m happy to report that it is going very well. I no longer have to endure “Breaking News,” buffoons or banalities, and the endless array of talking heads.

If you love the outdoors, Victoria is as close to heaven as you can get. The climate is great most of the year. It is a city of walkers, joggers, bikers, skateboarders, and hikers. It seems like everybody is out doing something. And it is a gardener’s paradise. Unlike the Maritimes where Spring is often elusive, Victoria has a real Spring. The smell of flowers and fresh mown grass is what strikes you most coming from the East at this time of the year.

I watched A LOT of golf on the weekend! While I no longer play golf, there is nothing that I like better than watching The Masters.

This week’s “Faces in the Crowd” is about love, longevity and commitment. Check it out on Thursday.

Have a great week.

Posted on April 4, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Len, Tom, Catherine and Oslo 2015

Peter MacDonald photo

 

One no Trump.

On April Fools Day, I saw a post on Facebook encouraging all of us political junkies to have a “Donald Trump Free Day.” I thought that this was an excellent idea and refused to turn on CNN or even watch the CBC National News that evening. And then I did the same thing yesterday. I realize that I have been sucked into the vortex of sensationalism and negativity and I want no part of this. So, for at least the month of April, I’m going cold turkey on CNN and Trump. Only bridge players will get the significance of my opening words!

I’m humming Willie again as I’m “ Back on The Road Again.” I’m heading to Victoria tomorrow for a month. My brother and his wife are going away for a month and I am going to “dog sit” for them. Oslo is a beautiful Golden Retriever and the two of us will walk many miles through the flower dappled neighborhoods of Oak Bay. I might even get a dog story out of this experience. I will get my first taste ( a bad choice of words! ) of poop scooping.

And speaking of dogs, a chocolate lab is featured in this week’s “Faces in the Crowd.” ( FITC ) The subject of this story will be recognizable to many and you will see a side of him that most people will find quite interesting.

What are the odds of staying married for 50 years? I’m not sure but first of all, a couple has to have the good fortune to live that long. They have to have patience and understanding ( toilet seat up… toilet seat down! ) . And they probably need to have a good sense of humour. I have a story coming up that will make your jaw drop. I spent a wonderful afternoon recently in a country kitchen chatting with a lovely lady and her niece. She was born into a family with 12 other siblings. Of the thirteen, 12 have celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary! And the thirteenth passed away just a few months shy of his 50^th. Keep your eye out for this piece in the coming weeks in FITC.

Have a great week.