A man who tills the soil and soils the till.
Rotzy’s a man of the soil…who knew?
Readers Write
I liked this one as it (sorta) ‘hits home’ for yours truly and perhaps others in my age bracket. Check it out: *As the writer approached the counter of a NAPA Auto Parts store, he overheard a conversation between a sales clerk and a 70-something gentleman…the customer asked “Can I get a longer dip stick for my 1998 Ford F-150? Mine doesn’t reach the oil anymore”.
Gardening Update….
…from 555 Harris Place here in Brant’s Ford. I used to speak of my sheer enjoyment to ”get out on the land….hoe and/or cultivator in hand….and work the soil”. Well, ‘the land’ here at Harris Place is a rather small plot of soil, all bounded by a cement curb. Yet, one of our fellow tenants was considerate enough to have it ‘topped up’ with some good quality topsoil and manure….a good thing as it’s basically solid clay underneath. Yet, when I worked the three together it’s decent-looking soil, and judging from the early growth, it appears good as/better than our Nakina gardens. We’ll be eating radishes and green onions this week. As to our deck/porch/balcony at #303, we get a LOT of full sun and tomatoes, herbs etc are doing well. Miz. Jo is tending to a couple 6” pots I got at Dollarama…the basil is fine and the strawberries (after a slow start) number over a dozen that’ve popped through the potting soil. I have no idea how to grow strawberries, proven by one badly botched effort in Nakina a couple years ago….but do stay tuned. I still need to keep reminding myself….”Hey Toad, in 2019 we’re going for quality, not quantity”. And that is brought clearly into focus when I decide to ”get out on the land for an hour or two”….a 30-40 second drive in Norm The Truck to the garden plot (which is totally surrounded by cement and/or asphalt), help myself to a cultivator from the box of tools/equipment….and I’m done weeding/’scuffing things up’ in about 5 minutes….10 if I stretch it. Yet, make no mistake about it….Rotzy and half a dozen or so other oldsters are lovin’ it!
I’m Getting Asked Regularly….
….by readers and cetera….’How are you doing’? ‘How’s your health’? ‘Still got the runs’? ‘You have your colonoscopy yet’? So….SO…. I suppose I’d likely reply ‘good’ to the first two, and ‘yes’ to the next two. *note….now this is gonna be another one of those ‘keep it under your hat things’, OK? After two months I am really tired of ‘the runs’….it’s NOT funn/funny anymore….and I’m tired of running to SDM (Shoppers Drug Mart*tm) for ‘Royale’ Ultra Soft, and at $5.99 for 12 rolls, it’s the best deal I’ve found, yet it seems to be their ‘everyday price’. By the bye, a couple nurses have asked me ”have you been travelling”?….wondering if my ‘problem’ began in Mexico or the tropics?…and I replied ”are you kidding”?? It’s a roll of the dice as to whether I can make it to Zehr’s, the In And Out Store and back without soiling my blue jean shorts.That brings me to my colonoscopy, which I had a week or three ago….it wasn’t much funn either…and if you’ve had one, y’all know what I’m talking about. The Doctor signed and handed me the ‘patients copy’, which read ‘clear’….indicating no polyps, etc., etc. Anyway, I waited for over a week to hear from MY Doctor….not knowing they were waiting for ‘biopsy results’ from Ancaster. They called me middle of last week to advise I have ‘colitis’….and our game plan is to ‘eliminate’ some of my meds completely and some (one at a tyme) that may cause diarrahea as a side effect. So…
Say What???!!!
To say that Ontario Premier Doug Ford is ‘like a bull in a china shop’ this past few months just doesn’t quite do it. In truth it comes nowhere near the description of this Trump-like character. The big news last week is his plan to close all Beer Stores in the province! Does that mean the LCBO is next on his Bucket List?? As to cheaper suds being made available at your nearby Hasty Markey, Mac’s and cetera. Like maybe a couple bucks less for a 2×4 of Bud, Blue, or Coors Light. Has he given an ounce of thought to the myriad of problems (*see below) that lie ahead if he were to actually impliment this hairbrain scheme….other than perhaps to improve his ratings/popularity, which have PLUNGED drastically, largely because he was ‘unfriended’ by at least half a dozen various unions….yet Dougie and Vic Fedeli, Ford’s #1 Yes Man, continue to beat the PC ‘balance the budget’ drums. I got thinking one day last week that he’s running on the same track which that former Premier from North Bay…the one with the big nose….was on until he de-railed the whole enchilada. Back to The Beer Strore….it says here that, despite what Quebec, New York State, etc. might say about beer sales/distribution in Ontario being rather ‘antiquated’, it’s doing just fine, thank you! As to the problems that would manifest themselves (*see above) I could surely write an entire page (and then some) about the shortcomings of going with the PC’s ‘corner store plan’. Virtually untrained clerks, deciding who can buy beer, and who can’t. Of legal age?, already intoxicated?, driving a vehicle?, and cetera. Of course the LCBO would endure the same problems, maybe worse because of the hard stuff. Then we have the minor problem of Ford tearing up the signed contract with The Beer Store, which reported will cost Ontario BILLIONS of tax dollars, and would certainly not help reduce the debit. I fully expect that type of thing also may well occur in the health and education sector….altho I could be told differently. Hey…..Doug Ford scares the s–t out of me. *Rant complete…..for now.
*Thought Of The Day…Q/ How do you milk sheep? A/ You bring out a new iPhone and charge $1000 for it.
