Family Ties

 Birthday greetings to my friend Ron Leach today.  And, in case that I don't post tomorrow, birthday greetings to my younger friend Calvin Wong who is a junior at just 77.

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I had coffee today with "the kids", Bassman and Squirt, at a Tim Hortons in Ancaster.

I was a couple of months shy of my 15th birthday when our Dad died.  Roger was 2 and Judy was still in the womb.

I had three part-time jobs after that and started full time employment when I was 17, so our relationship was not really a normal brothers and sister one.  It was something different, and in the end, special.  Roger later wrote a song titled "My father, my brother, my friend" which brought me to tears when Fishguts and Dave Jewett played it for me.

So today was a bit of a nostalgia trip, and a very enjoyable one at that.  Brought back lots of memories (once we were able to remember the names of those we were remembering).  A very nice day!

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Sadder news comes from the baseball world, as the Blue Jays continue their mediocre quest to make the playoffs.  Not going to happen!  Their pitchers are worn out, their hitters are mostly absent, and they're starting to make some careless errors.  Hard to watch.

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Our Prime Minister should have been a ball player because he's hitting them out of the park!  Quite a performance compared to that of the King of the Americas.

Elbows up.  Stay well.

Mother Nature and Father Time

 

Yesterday, while cutting the grass behind the greenhouse I came up to this hawk.  I got to within about 40 feet with the mower going and it didn't flinch.  So I shut it down and watched the bird finish its meal.  Mother Nature is really special!

Then it was time to head home for the Shoreliner BBQ.  Lots of folks attending.

First, the food lineup.

Seems to be a lot of really old people.  I don't understand.

They had a three man band, and Mardi and I even got up and danced (no pictures, don't want you to laugh).

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Today was a lot of fun as well, thanks to Father Time!  Because today we headed to Burlington to help Jim Maguire celebrate his entrance into the Old Boys Club as he turns 80.

This picture was showing when I looked at the screen.

And I was impressed with myself when I got to within 40 feet of the hawk!  If you've seen Jim's bird photos you've seen the very best!

A good friend!  All the best Jim!

Elbows up.  Stay well.

Some History Topics

This month, back in 2000, brother Roger and I delivered a truckload of plants to Brooklyn for David.  While we were there we took a tour of New York City which included a visit to the top floor of one of the World Trade Centre towers.  A year later that tower ceased to exist.  A sobering memory.

This morning I watched CNN's presentation regarding 9/11.  It was well done.  Very moving.  

Canada sent help to the U.S. during that nightmare time.  And as a result of that terrible event, Canada also sent over 40,000 troops to Afghanistan, including Mardi's son Greg.  Over 400 of those folks never returned.

It's hard to put up with the current Republican trade tantrum with that history in mind!

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During the three days of the Winona Peach Festival I dropped off the four volunteers from the Shoreliner - Mardi, Pat, Carol and Ada, and then headed to the greenhouse for my gardening gig.  Their shifts were six hours, mine two or three, determined by when my body told me to quit.

So, during the waiting time I dug out a book that I had previously read, "Saskatunes and Gopher Tales" that Al Knapp's mother Eva had written, about her experiences in a family of pioneers creating a life from scratch in Saskatchewan.

It's an enjoyable read which includes the highlights and challenges, the ancient recipes, all that those incredible families went through.  Inspiring stuff!  If any of you would be interested I'm prepared to lend it out.

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Played my first game of golf in about a month yesterday.  Not great, but better than I had been doing a month ago.  We played a scramble, so I don't have a score to whine over.  We'll see how things progress on Monday at Cambridge Golf.

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Mardi headed to St. Mary's yesterday morning for a golf tournament with her friends, including Kathy Gruhl who is visiting from P.E.I.  So, I've been a bachelor for over 24 hours 😐.  She's back and I'm still alive - will wonders never cease!

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The Blue Jays took another step toward 2026 oblivion, losing their fourth game in the last five.  It's still possible for them to make the playoffs, but not if they play the way they've been playing.

Elbows up.  Stay well.

Gardens and Grudges

 Spent a couple of hours at the greenhouse today before the humidity drove me home.  Moved a bit of sod, weeded five gardens, and watered the things that I have planted or moved.  Met my targets for the day. despite the weather conditions.

While I was doing that, Greg and his partner took Mardi to the Tiger-Cats/Argos Labour Day matchup where she met a new friend.

Why didn't I go you ask?  Well, let me tell you.  Back in 1972, Chuck Ealey won the Grey Cup for Hamilton.  A great quarterback, but Hamilton traded him in 1974.  So, I didn't renew my season's tickets and I haven't followed the CFL since.

And when Bobby Orr retired, I stopped watching the NHL.   

Do I hold a grudge?  I don't think so - I still watch the Blue Jays even though they traded Hall of Famer Roy Halladay.

And speaking of the Jays, they start their game at 10 p.m. EST tonight so I'll be watching that tomorrow on Blue Jays in 30.

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Elbows up.  Stay well.

War and Peace

 I cut the grass yesterday and worked in the gardens today.  The Swallows have left for the year, but the Killdeer are still here...

...and they don't care how close I get these days.  The kids are grown and almost ready for the flight south.

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David has had the plastic replaced on the greenhouse, a task that is required every few years.  

He has offered the old plastic to the public and today I saw two couples taking advantage of that offer.  Maybe they're going to build a backyard rink.  Lots of old plastic sheeting left if you're interested.

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I totally agree with the folks who want the U.S. Ambassador to Canada, Peter Hoegstra, to be declared persona non grata (not welcome in Canada).  He's an arrogant Trump surrogate, part of the Republican plot to take over Canada.

But I also agree with the folks of Newfoundland and Labrador who have invited him to the 9/11 commemoration.  If he has the courage to attend it will be all over the U.S. T.V. networks.  And reminding the Americans of what the Newfoundland folk managed to do in those fraught days may change some minds about what is going on today in our relationship.  And if he doesn't have the courage to attend, that will tell them something as well.

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Greg came to town to speak to the Limeridge Legion about his 36 years of service, inclluding his army time in Cambodia and his air force time in Afghanistan.  He's staying with us over the holiday weekend.  Nice to have him visit.

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Blue Jays lost today leaving them one game short of the playoffs.  But they still have time to get there.  Fingers crossed!

Elbows up.  Stay well.

Cactus and Clowns

The threat and eventual reality of rain kept me away from the greenhouse for the past few days.  So, with a few hours of sun before more rain and thunderstorm threats, I needed to cut the grass today.  Three hours under a high U.V. ray sun, but we're good to go for another three or four days.

When we talk about climate change we think of a warming world and milder winters.  But, August used to be hot and dry.  With climate change it's no longer as hot in August but really wet.  When was the last year that you saw your grass brown in August?

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New lesson learned: when you're on your hands and knees weeding in the garden, remember where the cactus is.  Apparently, I didn't remove all of the barbed hairs.

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U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Canada would come back to the table due to its dependence on the U.S. for security.  But who is threatening us?  Russia is busy with the Ukraine.  The U.S. is the only country trying to take us over.  Seems to me that we have to depend on the European Union for security against our hostile "friend".  Hopefully, Europe would remember our sacrifices on their behalf in the two world wars.

Which makes it all the more important that Canada purchase Gripen jets from Sweden (which would be made in Canada) rather than F-35 jets from the U.S. which could later be remotely disabled by the U.S. if they wanted to.  Why buy jet fighters that would be useless against our invaders?

What a clown!

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My love and I decided to eat out.  Chuck's Roadhouse and a delicious, reasonably priced filet mignon dinner, with a glass of wine of course, made my day.  Mardi chose Honey Siracha Sizzler Chicken which was also delicious.

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Jays lost, maybe the beginning of the end.

Elbows up.  Stay well.