the scoop december 2012 - january 2013

The Joshis

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THE DECEMBER 2012 - JANUARY 2013

SCOOPCELEBRATES RURAL LIFE

HuntingRed Tail Hawk Chris Murphy Village Lights

2 | THE SCOOP • DECEMBER 2012 - JANUARY 2013

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CELEBRATES RURAL LIFEFounded in 2005

PUBLISHER / DESIGNER / AD SALESKaren Nordrum

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EDITORAngela Saxe

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PHOTOGRAPHERBarry Lovegrove

[email protected] photographs are by Barry Lovegrove

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CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUESebastian Back, Leah Birmingham, Sally Bowen,

Dalton Cowper, Mary Jo Field, Jane Foster, Beverly Frazer, Darrell Hookey, Anita Jansman, Thomasina Larkin, Barry Lovegrove, Cam Mather, Blair McDonald, Mike Paterson, Reba Pennell, Allan M. Proulx, Blair Richards, Angela Saxe, Linda Selkirk,

Grace Smith, Terry Sprague, Merola Tahamtan, Sue Wade, Helen M. Wilson, and

Faith Woodland

The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. Reproduction of this publication in whole or in part without prior written permission of Stone Mills Scoop is prohibited.The Scoop is an independent publication and is not affiliated with nor funded by any corporation or interest group.

Letters and submissions are most welcome and encouraged. This is your community magazine devoted to celebrating the stories and lives of the

folks who live here. Get involved! Let us know what’s happening in your area.

COVER PHOTOThe Joshi family in the Roblin Gas Bar,

November 2012. Credit: Barry Lovegrove.

The Scoop wishes all readers & advertisers a healthy, happy & joyful Holiday Season!

Publisher Karen Nordrum, Photographer Barry Lovegrove, Editor Angela Saxe

Here’s The Scoop ...By Angela Saxe

Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men.

New Testament, St. Luke 2, verse 14

The Federal Government of Canada has big plans to recognize and commemorate the War of 1812

as a defining moment in the history of our nation. To ensure that the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 provides an unprecedented opportunity for all Canadians to take pride in our traditions, and our shared history, the government is spending more than 28 million dollars to commemorate a war that happened over 200 years ago when the United States declared war on Great Britain. Communities across Canada received grants “to help preserve our history, our story”. Locally, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the Museum of Health Care in Kingston received over $12,000 to mount an art show of medical artifacts.

I certainly believe that citizens should know the history of their country and they should recognize the sacrifices made by their fellow Canadians. The Canadian military fought bravely in both World Wars, in Korea and lately in Afghanistan, but we were also peacekeepers, and one of our Prime Ministers won a Nobel Peace prize. I hope the government is also handing out grants to celebrate peace initiatives as well as military ones.

I was heartened to read that the citizens of Stouffville north of Toronto resisted the local MP’s efforts to celebrate their community’s military history – and for good reason. Stouffville was founded by pacifists and war-resistors: Mennonites, Brethern in Christ and Quakers - all fleeing from the USA during the War of 1812.

Despite efforts to glorify war, the reality is that it is brutal and filled with suffering. Our advances in media and communications now make these realities accessible in real time, although there is no shortage of accounts or images detailing the horrors of human conflict. Wars historically have been fought over land and resources: the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians being an ongoing example where each side feels justified in their use of force.

The civil war in Syria has claimed over 37,000 lives. The Congo Civil War (which began in 1998) has claimed 5.4 million lives. Ten years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan have claimed the lives of over 132,000 civilians. The numbers are staggering – all that lost potential, all that grief and suffering. Why?

The writers of histor y and our governments will justify conflict for righteous or noble reasons - chasing down terrorists, looking for weapons of mass destruction, saving a country from a dictator or from fanatic religious extremism. And yet the numbers of soldiers who die in combat are pale in comparison to the number of civilian men, women and children who die from direct military action or from the effects of war: lack of food, water, medical care.

“If we have no peace,” said Mother Teresa, “it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” How is it possible that we keep forgetting that? Human beings have more in common with each other than we have differences. Our gods may be different, or the colour of our skin or the language we speak…but we all need peaceful conditions to live and raise children, tend to our economy and be creative and innovative citizens of the planet.

The notion that men can live peacefully

on Earth and can feel goodwill towards each other is a common message in Judeo-Christian teachings, an ideology that molded Western civilization for the last 2000 years. But what does it take to make that happen?

First and most important we have to believe that peace is the ultimate goal of human interactions. We have to invest in peacekeeping and the cultivation of talented peacekeepers and peacethinkers in our midst. Thomas Mann once said: “War is a cowardly escape from the problems of peace.” But if we raise our children to solve these problems by respecting others and demanding that others respect them and if we teach them the art of negotiations and compromise we will be raising a generation of citizens who will make a positive impact in their workplace, community and government.

As we commemorate the efforts of our military let us ask who will speak for the innocent victims. Mahatma Gandhi in “Non-Violence in Peace and War” said: “What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism, or the holy name of liberty or democracy?”

Peace and goodwill emerges when we are committed to solving problems together, peacefully. If we can do it in small groups, why not amongst nations?

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The Scoop SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 Page 7

Comfort Food for Human and Canine AlikeBeverly Frazer and Dalton CowperBy Linda Selkirk

What does a Bakery and a Dog Boarding Kennel have in common? Food,

certainly but that’s not all. Two of our neighbours are managing to combine the two seemingly dispa-rate businesses quite well. The food industry is highly competitive. New restaurants and bakeries continue to open up pro-viding a variety of food while many long established eateries continue to serve patrons in our local townships, but The River Bakery on Concession St. in Tamworth not only lives up to its hard-earned reputation of serv-ing slow cooked, fresh food without preservatives as well as tasty baked goods but it continues to grow and expand especially now under their new owners: Dalton Cowper and Beverly Frazer. As a team they work long hours but it is quickly evident that they are doing what they love. Many of us still recall the original owners Poppy Harrison and David Greenland who opened their doors boasting that “they made the best bagels in Eastern Ontario.” Over the years the Bakery changed owners but the quality of the food and the baked items only got bet-ter. Now Bev and Dalton, with the aid of David, who still does the bulk of the baking, have expanded the menu and offer a greater variety of take-out items. Bev always has a warm smile to greet everyone who enters The Bakery and many of her recipes are now in demand. Annette Wilson, along with Anita Wilson, welcome the patrons and provide first class service. Customers pop by to pick up a bagels, bread, muf-fins, pies and a wide variety of other baked goods or they can sit down and have a delicious lunch from the expanding menu. The old favou-rites, such as the much-loved lemon tarts are still available but look for what’s new. A big hit has been the slow-cooked ribs that are offered Friday nights as part of a prix fixe menu with five delicious courses. Dalton, well known for his year-round boarding kennel for dogs called the Regal Beagle on Hwy. 41, had already brought the same level of attention to detail and a love for quality organic pet foods with little or no preservatives to their kennel. I share Dalton’s love of dogs and can appreciate the attention he pays to keeping both his and his cli-ents’ dogs on a nutritionally sound diet which gives the lucky pooches wonderful immune systems and su-perior health. So it’s not a surprise that Dalton and Bev wanted the very best for the customers that visit The Bakery. The Regal Beagle was envi-

sioned as the culmination of a five year plan when they first moved to Kingston. While working at a full-time position, Dalton managed to fit in several years of part-time work learning more about dog training with boarding experts in Kingston. Dalton believes that when dogs are boarded, they are embarking on their own holiday from home. They join the Cowper dogs who live there (all seven of them) for the duration of their stay; they become a part of the dog pack. Dalton’s love of dogs was evident when he rhymed off his own dogs names: Dabney, Saxon (the newbie), Porter, Kilty, Cooper, Lacy and Louis Target (yes, he is so special he has his own last name). There are two Labs, three Beagles, a Bloodhound and a Coonhound; all of them serving as excellent hosts welcoming the other dogs into the kennel. Some dogs may never have experienced this before, but dogs love to socialize with other dogs. Since they are free to mingle and roam in a safe environment, they learn to enjoy the comfort of a rou-tine that includes a nap and, yes, a weekly campfire night on Saturdays when humans and all the dogs are quite literally “happy campers”. Dalton was pleased to learn that the burn ban has been lifted for now so the dogs won’t have to miss this spe-cial campfire night. Returning “cli-entele” recognize their holiday spot and jump out of the cars looking forward to another visit. For own-

ers, this is a huge relief knowing that their pets are in good hands. Even as a youngster, Dalton was drawn to dogs, caring for his own family’s dogs and for those he walked as a part-time job while growing up. Bev also loves dogs and Labrador Re-trievers have a special place in her heart as she always had a loving Lab growing up. The kennel has many home comforts including air conditioning, homemade and branded organic treats and CBC radio for their listen-ing pleasure. Some visitors of the canine kind stay for a month or 6 weeks at a time. There is a feeling of comfort and safety communicated by the resident dogs to newcomers and plenty of time to enjoy human

companionship as well. Each dog then finds his niche in the pack for the duration of the stay. Helping out at the kennel is Cody Kew, a Tamworth native who has already contributed to the suc-cess of the kennel for four years and is a valued and trusted asset. Stu-dent Sean Bodzasy, like other stu-dents in the past, was able to com-plete his volunteer hours there and is now another assistant Dalton can rely on. One way I can enjoy both their businesses is when I go to pur-chase fresh bread, smoked almonds or specialty cheese, I bring one of my dogs, sit on the patio and talk “dogs” with Dalton. Sounds like a new show: Dogs with Dalton… nev-er a dog’s breakfast! The website for the Re-gal Beagle www.regalbeagleun-leashed.com offers a wealth of in-formation for dog lovers. The website for the Bakery is in progress: www.riverbakery.com

Top photo: Dalton and Bev. Bottom: Dalton, Anita, and Bev.Photo credits: Barry Lovegrove.

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Boxes, Bags, and TagsBy Grace Smith

The Christmas season is always a busy, but wonderful time. In my house, this is especially true. With

eight people living under the roof, it’s always crazy in our home. All families have their own traditions and here are some of ours.

Christmas shopping occurs all year long, but as soon as Halloween passes us by, our Christmas season officially begins.

It all starts with an avalanche of Christmas movies. We all have our favourites, so we slowly rotate through them. Erin forces us to sit through the Alvin and the Chipmunks’ Christmas Special; Megan enjoys A Christmas Story; Jack, Evan, and Danielle just can’t get enough of the Frosty movies, all three of them; Shawn just loves the original, cartoon version of The Grinch that Stole Christmas; Mom can’t seem to pick between Rudolph the Red-Nosed R eindeer and Santa Clause is Coming to Town, both of which will always be classics; and I absolutely a d o r e N a t i o n a l Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. We watch these movies year after year and they never get old.

Next, our tree is set up on December 1st. And it is definitely unique. With six children in the family, we’ve collected quite a few ornaments over the years—probably enough for one ornament on every branch of the tree. It is covered with bulbs of all colours, candy canes, and Christmas figurines galore. It may not be the prettiest tree, but it’s definitely ours.

Another tradition that we always follow through on is our annual Christmas baking day. We’re all so busy that we need to fit it all into one long, flour-filled day. Mom is always in charge and to be honest, she does most of the work. We make sugar cookies, fudge,

peanut-butter marshmallow squares (my personal favourite), rice crispy squares, and any other treats we can think of. And we make enough to last us through the Christmas season. It’s always a long day, but it’s always great to accomplish something with your family.

Our cookies and movies help us last until Christmas Eve. On that day, we all pack up and head to my grandparents’ house for a family get-together. My Ma and Pa—as my family calls them because Megan and I couldn’t pronounce Oma and Opa, the German words for Grandma and Grandpa, when we were little—always welcome us warmly and

we reminisce and laugh all night long. But before we leave, Santa

always shows up and hands out stockings and gifts to

all those present. But it isn’t about the gifts; it’s the way all the kids’ eyes light up when he walks in the room.

Soon after Santa leaves, we head home for a long night of restless sleep. And while we dream,

Mom and Santa Claus take care of everything.

They sit up into the wee hours of the morning preparing stockings and presents, ensuring everything works out just right.

Christmas runs as smoothly as it does in our house because of Mom. Everyone chips in of course, but she sacrifices quite a bit more to ensure that we’re happy when we wake up in the morning

And we always are. We rise before the sun and groggily make our way to the living room. The gifts are always nice, but they aren’t what makes Christmas so special. It’s not about one person or event, it about everyone—it’s a time to give back to those you love. After all, Christmas isn’t about boxes or bags or tags, Christmas is about a little bit more.


Take These Broken Wings and Learn To Fly…By Leah Birmingham

Very few people that bring injured birds to Sandy Pines Wilderness Centre realize the severity of the

bird’s injury. Two major examples of serious injuries that were brought back from a certain fate of death this summer occurred in a couple of our Red Tailed Hawk patients.

The first hawk was transferred to us from Bowmanville Veterinary Hospital. He had severe lacerations on both wings from being entangled in nylon string. The entanglement must have happened some time before he was admitted to their hospital as the wounds were severely infected and a tendon in both wings (that is essential for flight) was within a millimeter of snapping in two, leaving this bird unable to fly forever.

It is hard to use the term “lucky” on wild animals that end up in our care, since a very horrible and unfortunate event must have happened first. However, life is full of unfortunate events for every living creature; I guess it is the series of events that follow the initial one that really testify to one’s luck.

That being said this bird was one lucky Red Tail Hawk…the veterinary team at Bowmanville Veterinary Hospital removed the nylon and treated the initial wounds which involved both feet and both wings. Realizing his recovery was not going to be a quick fix they transferred him to SPWC (a relationship that has helped hundreds of wild animals over the years). Immediately we went into wound cleaning mode and got right down to the problem. While the feet injuries were severe, with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory treatment they would likely heal with very little effort on our behalf. The wings were another story; he had deeply infected wounds on both wings that exposed nerves, tendons and bones!

Initially we were reluctant to bandage both wings as this would leave the bird bound quite severely. Most birds resent having one wing bandaged, both was unthinkable. We hoped that by keeping the bird in limited cage space, he would be unable to move the wings creating further damage, and this would allow us to tend to the wounds more easily without having to remove a great deal of

bandage material to reapply treatments.

Our volunteer veterinarian Dr. Deanna Daneshmend came out to inspect our latest avian challenge, and agreed we should continue with our chosen treatment. After her follow-up visit it had become clear that having even slight mobility to those tendons was causing further degradation of the wound, and the length of tendon exposed was becoming more brittle. It was time to put the bird through a very unthinkable body bandage, regardless of the effect it may have on his emotional well-being (yes, we do have to consider the impact of stress and anxiety on our patients who have a range of emotions rivaling those of humans).

At this point Dr. Deanna was giving the bird a less than poor prognosis…she debated whether or not treatment was a viable option and wondered if we were putting the bird through a lot of suffering. The doctor’s weekly visits were like a roller coaster: Will he make it? He looks worse - let’s consider euthanasia as a kinder option. If he wasn’t such a laid back bird, I would have agreed with her, but he tolerated so much and stressed very little in his confined space, in fact he seemed to quite enjoy the room service and multiple snacks throughout the day. The interns and volunteers were getting an excellent opportunity to learn about restraint of a raptor on a fairly ‘easy’ to handle bird, occasionally he gave them an unexpected challenge.

His care lasted throughout most of the summer, but eventually he had healed enough to be tested in our flight aviaries. His flight was weak at first but his strength kept growing and after this point he had no more setbacks. We were pleased to make the call to arrange for his release, and while we will never know the rest of his fate we were so grateful to have been part of his journey to regain flight.

As if one Red Tailed Hawk with an almost

flightless fate wasn’t enough, less than a month after he was released we received a couple more Red Tailed Hawks with broken wings. Only one was a viable candidate for rehabilitation, the other’s injuries were such that it would never fly again. Bones that are broken close to joints or compound (part of the bone is exposed to air and protrudes from the wound) have very poor prognosis. Also depending on how long ago the fracture happened we may not be able to repair it. After a bone is broken the muscles and tendons around it start to constrict and seize in this abnormal position making it impossible to bring the bone back into alignment.

This second Red Tail is a great example of how important our volunteer drivers are at SPWC. The bird was located quickly after the incident that left it with a broken wing, and a call was placed to SPWC without delay, allowing us to contact a volunteer for transportation. Thankfully, the volunteer driver responded quickly as well and the bird got to us promptly. This allowed us to attempt to realign the bone as soon as possible from the initial trauma. As we worked away at the wing stretching the slightly constricted muscles gently, the bone popped back into place and one could feel the edges were in the most ideal position possible. Now the tough part…keeping the bone in position, whilst handling the bird a couple of times a day for pain medications!

Firstly, the wing was given a Figure 8 bandage to keep the bird from stretching it out, and then a body wrap was applied to keep the wing tucked into the body in a natural resting position. After our experiences with the first Red Tailed Hawk success story, we were not taking any chances with this one!

She was kept in confined caging which protected her feathers from damage and kept her calm. Much like our other hawk; she quite enjoyed not having to hunt during her convalescing time. After several days in indoor caging we decided it would be nice to get her outside, thankfully we have cages designed to keep them safe and give them very little mobility while they bask in the sun and enjoy some Vitamin D! By day 10 her broken bone had already set quite nicely. When bones heal they “calcify” around the site where broken, which can sometimes impede their flight and ability to rotate their wings properly to

gain altitude (critical for a bird of prey). Her calcification was minimal. She still had to have a wing wrap on, and for the most part was leaving it be and not trying to remove it. Wild animals eventually decide they are done with the bandage material impeding their mobility and start removing it. Once the wing wrap was off it was time to start on some gentle physiotherapy. Human physiotherapists should appreciate their patient’s ability to comprehend that the end result is worth the initial stress and discomfort. Our patients do not understand and really do nothing to help, in fact if they can get a bite in during the process they will do so readily!

After a couple of weeks of physio and gradually increasing the size of the aviary she was held in, she too was ready for release. Her release is somewhat ideal, being a migratory bird found close to SPWC we have been able to give her a ‘soft’ release and monitor her post release.

Nothing quite describes the feeling I get when watching a bird that had initially appeared so forlorn and lost, lacking the ability to catch flight, as it initially swoops its wings and catches that air. Much like the title of this story, I hear the Beatles song and think to myself “You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

Leah Birmingham is the Assistant Director at SPWC. As a Registered Veterinary Technician, she helps manage patient care and treatment. As well as coordinating a successful Internship Program, handling media relations, and assisting Sue Meech with management of the staff and operations of SPWC.

Anyone who is interested in helping SPWC and the injured/orphaned wildlife patients that come to the only Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre in South Eastern Ontario (between Ottawa and Toronto) please contact SPWC’s volunteer coordinator Julia Evoy ([email protected]) and sign up as a volunteer transporter, as well as look into the many other ways in which you too can help those in need.

Injured Red Tail Hawk waiting for medical help at the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre. Credit: SPWC.

Closeup of Red Tail Hawk’s entangled foot. Credit: SPWC.


Canadian Dream, InterruptedBy Darrell Hookey

If the community of Roblin has a centre – a heart – it would be the large table tucked into the brightest corner of

the Roblin Gas Bar. This is where you will find the locals who gather whenever they want good talk, good company and, on a very good day, a new friend to share their thoughts with. This morning, we are talking about the beleaguered owners of Roblin’s only gas station, confectionery and whatever else the community needs it to be.

“They just got caught in the middle,” says Claude, a retired farmer who moved here in 2005. Previously, he summed up the situation with a euphemism that could very well be used to fertilize the surrounding rolling fields of corn.“Yeah, like Claude says,” adds Tom, who has been coming to this table three years longer than his friend. “It’s a shame. He’ll have to sell a pile of gas before he gets back what he lost.”“Couldn’t ask for a nicer couple”, says Ted, who had just returned with a Moon Pie.“Look,” says Claude, pointing to a plate in the centre. “They bring us treats.”

The triangular pastries have a sweet, spicy centre; and they were still warm - and half-gone.“It’s an Indian dish,” says Geet Joshi, who owns Roblin Gas Bar with his wife, Poornima, the subject of this morning’s chat. Geet is pleased to hear the treats were well received.“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this community.”

Indeed, there wasn’t much this community wouldn’t do for this new family in their midst.It is a tumultuous story that began, literally, half way around the world. It was 1998 and Geet was living in a small town in the Himalaya Mountain region of India. He was a computer software engineer who owned his own business in this small town of 15,000.His parents had found him a good match and, six weeks after meeting Poornima, they were married.Geet says arranged marriages are common in rural India, and this one is good.His smile is easy and modest, but it is now coyly pulled up to the left as he says, “Our love started after the marriage.”

Geet knew Canada only by its reputation: a welcoming place for immigrants, first place ranking for living standards, nice people, clean. After he read a newspaper

published by the Canadian High Commission that invited I n d i a n s t o emigrate, he and Poornima m o v e d t o Mississauga, Ontario where h e w o r k e d as a quality inspector at a plastics company that serviced the food industry. H e l a t e r transferred to its Brampton offices. Meanwhile, he started up a t r u c k i n g company.

But he and his wife yearned to move to a s m a l l , rural town where they could both benefit from Canada’s opportunities while enjoying the clean air and nice neighbours. They felt that Toronto was not a good place to raise their sons, 13-year-old Robin and Martin, 10. “Lots of crime, lots of drugs, lots of fighting,” says Geet. So, with the help of a real estate agent, they found the Roblin business that had been owned and operated by the Hart family.

The family of four moved to Roblin right away, moving into the apartment upstairs and working downstairs each day. The boys who have their school work to do, (and extra homework assigned by their parents) also help out whenever they can with such jobs as filling the cooler with drinks … otherwise they play soccer or basketball - like kids anywhere.

On that first day in May of 2011, they thought they had found the home for which they were searching. But the dream became a nightmare just four months later. Although the buried gas tanks were tested and passed the prepurchase inspection, they began to leak. A neighbour found gasoline in his well and the tanks had to be emptied,

dug up and replaced; it would be a year before business could resume as usual.

“I didn’t sleep well for a year,” says Geet today. “I was depressed. My insurance company said I wasn’t covered.” There is a lawsuit pending, but it will be a long time before it gets settled. Just two days after “the incident”, the Joshi family had no money. But Geet says they had hope … and they weren’t let down. “The community supported us.”

Roblin residents encouraged and supported the new family making purchases at the store when they could have gone into Napanee. The community helped keep this local business alive – the only one like it south of Kaladar and north of Napanee – until a private lender, from Toronto, showed the same faith in the Joshi family as the Roblin residents.

The new gas pumps are working now and business has improved. The Roblin Gas Bar offers a variety of services: propane tank exchange, an ATM machine, sale of

lottery tickets, sale of hunting and fishing licences, a post office and DVD rentals - where there are no membership cards (you don’t even have to show ID). Then there are the groceries that are needed often -- and often quickly -- such as canned goods and bread and milk. There is a wide variety of munchies that include locally made baked goodies, chocolate bars and eleven types of sausage sticks. As well, the small kitchen serves up sandwiches year round and soup in the winter, and ice cream in the summer.

In those dark days, Geet says they felt like “poor people living in the corner”. Today, they truly feel they have found the Canada they had dreamed of, a place where they can raise their family in safety and among nice and caring people. “I will never forget the kindness of the community in Roblin,” says Geet. “I can’t ever repay them. We came here and found a good life, an easy life, a peaceful life - life as it should be”.

We’ll never forget the kindness of the community in Roblin.

2nd Annual Downtown DocFestThe 2nd Annual Downtown

DocFest, Belleville International Documentary Film Festival, will

take place March 1-3, 2013.

Due to the popularity of the inaugural event last March, the festival is expanding to three days and will feature outstanding films that celebrate life and human dignity around the world and right here at home. On Friday evening the Opening Gala film followed by live entertainment will again grace the stage at The Empire Theatre. All other screenings will be at the CORE Centre and Belleville Public Library.

Downtown DocFest is partnering with the Travelling World Community Film Festival out of Courtney BC and Hot Docs Showcase in Toronto to present films focusing on social justice, the environment and the arts. As well,

local filmmakers will be featured and information on film submission can be found at www.downtowndocfest.ca.

DocFest will again offer Quinte area community agencies and organizations an opportunity to present and sponsor documentaries pertinent to their stated objectives and for the second year, Loyalist College students will assist with promotion, presentation and screening of the films. Photojournalism students’ work will be on display at the library and Artists Below the Line will repeat their art show and sale in the gallery at the CORE.

You can Find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter. Email: [email protected] or call 613-849-1976 for more information.

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GrassRoots Growers’ Roundtable EveningBy Mary Jo Field

Gardeners are a curious lot, always wanting to know more about how to make their plants happier, how

to get rid of the pests that make their plants unhappy, when to mulch or prune or plant. The GrassRoots Growers hosted an event on September 18, 2012 and welcomed anyone and everyone to come to the Tamworth Library to put their questions to a panel of resource people.

Our resource panel (and their respective areas of expertise) included Colleen Martin-Fabius (perennials and shrubs), Cam Mather (organic vegetables, solar irrigation systems), Kathy Pogue (Master Gardener, ornamentals, organic pest control), Carolyn Smith (organic gardening, garlic and sweet potatoes), Karen Ten-Cate (heritage vegetables, beekeeping, heritage seed saving), John Wilson (owner of Wilson’s Blueberry Patch).

The audience at large reflected the full spectrum of gardening experience, from novice to expert, and it was particularly encouraging to see some young gardeners at this event. And the questions kept coming. It was a good thing the evening’s introduction by Milly Ristvedt had set out a few parameters for the questions and answers or we would still be there!! Eventually the questions had to be cut off so we could get to the refreshments, once again wonderfully prepared by Marilyn McGrath of The Sweet Side of Town.

I’ve been pondering how to convey in a relatively short article the amazing amount of information offered in the all-too-brief evening. I’ve decided a quiz with multiple-choice answers is the way to go. Obviously, with all the back-and-forth questioning and so much knowledge and experience being offered by so many both on the panel and in the audience, I have had to paraphrase. But I have tried to stay true to the spirit of the questions and answers.

1. When is the best time to transplant?(a) when the plant stops flowering(b) when the centre of the plant dies out(c) before freeze-up(d) when the plant is in the wrong spot(e) sometimes it is better to prune

Correct answer - All of the above. Lift, divide and transplant clumps of perennials either before or after flowering, especially when the plant looks overcrowded and stops flowering with its usual vigour. Transplanting can take place in spring as plants emerge, or late into the autumn until freeze-up. Sometimes a lack of vigour is due to the plant getting too much shade or too much sun, and it needs a spot better suited to its nature. And sometimes,

when a plant is just too big or is too close to the house, it is better to prune it back rather than risk the plant by disturbing a massive root ball. Better yet, think about its ultimate size when first planting – this being important especially for large trees and shrubs.

2. What is/are the best method(s)/ product(s) to avoid / control pests?

(a) Bt (bacillus thuringiensis)(b) dish detergent(c) nematodes(d) neem oil(e) a dog(f ) hardware cloth(g) prickly ash(h) cleanliness(i) a vacuum cleaner

Correct answer – All of the above. Bt is a biological pest control, effective against larvae of some insects. (It is used by organic farmers, but as with everything, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and it would be wise to read directions carefully. And note it is effective at the larval stage, not against adult insects). Dish detergent was recommended as a way to control mosquito larvae in rain barrels. As for the amount to use, experimentation seems to be the key. Nematodes can be spread in early spring to fight iris borer. Neem oil, an extract of an evergreen native to India, with natural insecticidal properties, can be sprayed on roses when you first see the little green worms to help prevent soft fly damage. Get a dog if you want to keep the deer and ground hogs at bay, as apparently electric fencing does not work so well. Hardware cloth wrapped around tree trunks will ward off those little varmints that love to burrow under snow and eat bark. Or a tent of prickly ash, of which we have an abundance in this neck of the woods, will keep at bay the deer who might be after your tender little shrubs and trees. Cleaning up diseased plants and disposing of them by burning or in landfill, rather than composting, helps prevent the return of problematic diseases. And finally, I have not tried it myself, but the trusty vacuum cleaner may be just the ticket to suck up those thousands of squash bugs against which nothing else seems to work.

3. Which of the following statements is/are true?

(a) The best time to dig horseradish is in October.

(b) If you want to save seeds of heritage tomatoes, grow each variety 10 – 20 feet away from other varieties, or shake the flowers every morning.

(c) If you want to save pepper seeds, make sure the peppers are fully ripe before harvesting seeds.

(d) If you want to save squash seeds, make

sure you know the Latin names of the varieties you plant.

(e) Coffee grounds are excellent soil amender for blueberries.

(f ) Brussels sprouts can be picked until January.

(g) If your ginger sprouts, plant it up and it will survive and keep growing indoors over the winter.

(h) Oak leaves are great for mulching tender perennials.

(i) Good mulches for vegetable beds include hay, straw and cedar bark or chips.

Correct answer – All of the above. Thanks to the person in the audience who provided the answer to the horseradish question. Tomatoes are generally self-pollinating, but heritage tomatoes can cross-pollinate with other varieties more easily than hybrid varieties, so to ensure your seed will come true, separate the varieties, or shake the flowers each morning to release pollen onto lower flowers. Squash plants will cross-pollinate easily within a species, but not with those from a different species (with some exceptions). So, for instance, you can safely plant butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) near your zucchini (C. pepo) but don’t plant acorn squash near the zucchini, as they are both C. pepo and seeds saved will often result in a fruit that looks fine, but has a not-so-great taste. Coffee grounds provide organic matter and help acidify soil around blueberries, which grow best in soil with 4.5 pH. Pine needles are also good, and when used as mulch, keep roots cool for shallow-rooted blueberries. Brussels sprouts, like parsnips and kale, benefit from a frost or two, and can be picked long into the fall and winter. On the other hand, ginger (the kind we use in cooking) is a tender, tropical plant which can be coaxed into carrying on through the winter indoors in a pot. Simply slice off a bit of the root without disturbing the plant any more than necessary, and carry on cooking. Oak leaves are good as mulch for tender plants, because they curl, trapping more air than flatter, smaller leaves. There was some discussion about cedar bark or chips as mulch for vegetables, due to possible acidification of soil, but several people indicated they had used it for years without apparent problems. There may be some risk of hornet nests buried in straw or hay mulch, so watch for that.

The answers above barely scratch the surface of information available on the various subjects, and I urge anyone who wants to know more to explore further in books or on the internet. Look up things like Bt or neem oil or nematodes

or squash varieties – there is so much to learn.

Another topic of great interest at the round-table event was the weather last summer and its effect on gardening. Cam gave some interesting information on his irrigation system, and both Cam and Karen talked about the impact of the heat and drought when trying to grow food for others in their Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) efforts. Someone wondered why his carrots were so short and stumpy, in spite of frequent watering. Answer – variety? Soil condition? Frequent shallow watering? Another great question was how to determine when to plant the vegetable garden when the spring weather has become so erratic. Answer – succession planting.

All in all, a fascinating evening, with lots of thoughtful questions and answers contributed by a large number of people eager to learn and willing to share their experiences.

By the time, dear readers, that you have seen this, the next GrassRoots Growers’ event will have already transpired. On November 20, 2012, Karen Holmes will be at Tamworth Library to lead an interactive workshop on the real costs of food production, whether local or global.

Keep an eye on the GrassRoots Growers’ website for future events. With only a few, well advertised exceptions, events are free, and all are welcome. Visit us at: [email protected]

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Heather HuntsBy Barry Lovegrove

I have talked to many hunters in this area whether they go moose, deer, geese or duck hunting and they all

say the same thing: They love being out in the bush or in a duck hide beside a lake or pond, no matter what the weather, and they look forward to it every year. There are also young apprentice hunters that go out with their Dads or members of the family to learn the skills of hunting. Great bonding takes place and the memories of being out together and telling stories of the successful hunts or the ones that narrowly got away will stay with them forever.

We generally think of hunting as being a man’s sport but that is not entirely true. Women are now hunting with their families and feel just as passionate about the sport as their brothers, fathers and uncles. Recently I sat down with Heather Schimmel who has been hunting for the last six years. Yes, she loves hunting but not just for the sport of it; being a single mum it helps feed her family. Heather lives and hunts on her own land (it was once her family’s homestead) which she has now proudly bought and paid for herself. It is important to her that she feeds and supports her family without government help and assistance, so hunting and homegrown produce mean a lot to her.

In November when hunting season comes around she puts down her carpentry tools, puts on her camo gear and bright hunting orange jacket and goes out on her land to hunt. Heather has two tree stands (a platform or chair built or attached to a tree in order to provide cover but which

also provides a good vantage point from which to shoot at the animal) one she told me she uses for bow hunting and one for rifle hunting. “Why don’t we go out on our ATVs and I’ll show you where I hunt and some interesting places around my property,” she said. It was a beautiful morning - the sun was out but there was that fall nip in the air and you could smell the damp carpet of fallen leaves beneath the wheels of our ATVs as we drove the trails. Before we got to her first tree stand she showed me a cabin that she had built herself in the bush surrounded by maple trees. It was really unique; there was enough room inside for a couple of single beds and a pull down table below a window overlooking nature’s beauty outside. “The children love camping out here and in the spring we tap the trees and make our own maple syrup.”

We then hit the trail again enroute to one of her tree stands. (Why they call it a tree stand I don’t know since hunters commonly sit in them?) Heather’s tree stand was a bit different from others that I have seen. She had built a platform about twelve feet up from the ground on a sturdy tree and fastened an aluminum ladder to it. Instead of a wooden bench to sit on while up there watching, she had put a very comfortable old car seat. Talk about comfort. She showed me a couple of scrapes on the ground and broken twigs indicating that deer had recently passed by her stand. The second tree stand was a bit bigger; two people could use it quite comfortably. In fact it was from this stand that she harvested her first deer last fall. It happened to be her son’s birthday when both she and her seventy-

eight year old stepfather Bill made their way to this spot. Shortly after both of them were in place Bill spotted a buck wandering by that was well within shooting range. Heather slowly and with confidence took aim with her rifle and softly squeezed the trigger downing her first deer. S h e w a s s o excited that she went back to the house to tell her son that she had shot their first deer on his birthday.

I found spending some time with Heather very inspiring. She works hard, plays by the rules but, above all she puts her children first in everything she does. She is a real Mum that hunts and works to feed her family without any outside help. Well done Heather!

Ready to go hunting.

Around the World in … 8½ YearsFrom the Topsy Farms BlogStory and photo by Sally Bowen

One of our ATVs - the 2004 Suzuki Eiger - has just gone over 40,075km. That is the distance

around the Earth at the equator. Not bad, considering all but perhaps one kilometre was done on Amherst Island. The actual count is higher because the speedometer cable was broken for a few months. Also when the machine is in reverse, the metre runs backwards.

We currently have 4 ATVs (all Suzukis)... 2 Eigers, one smaller King Quad, and

one larger something-or-other. The total distance travelled on these and our previous ATVs would total over 200,000kms.

The ATVs are absolutely vital in allowing us to farm as we do. We check sheep in several fields, and feed the guardian dogs daily (and I mean daily... come rain, shine, snow, sleet, hail, ice storms... you name it). Depending on the season they may be found anywhere in the eight fields, often distant from each other.

Some winters we feed the sheep grain, towing a self-unloading grain cart with 800lbs (363.363kgs) of corn. (We used to do that by hand from bags.) We also use our trusted machines to do sheep drives, build and maintain fences, control weeds, and haul firewood plus a lot of day-to-day activities. Even doing basic repairs around the buildings, the first tool you reach for is the ATV because the other tools are up in the shop and you’re going to forget something.

Now it’s not all sweetness and light with these machines... during our peak usage period, one or more breaks down or is thinking about it. And, repairs are not cheap! We do most of our tractor repairs, but these ATV motors are specialized. We ordered repair manuals for all, and delivered them to our Island mechanic for fixing. Most of the year, all four are in basic running order.

They are fabulous machines a n d m a k e v i r t u a l l y everything more efficient... for example: long, long ago (in the ‘good old days’), we used to do sheep drives on bicycles! ATVs are faster, can handle rougher terrain, and you’re not as likely to be wounded or winded at the end of a long drive.

Don’s ATV.

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Crafty ShoppingBy Sue Wade

My husband and I had a hair-raising adventure on a Monday afternoon in mid-November;

we drove eastbound on the 401 across Toronto. Our goal was to arrive back in paradise (a.k.a. Eastern Ontario) in one piece, so there wasn’t much gawping at the local scenery as we trekked across the city. I was sitting in the passenger seat trying to mentally help my hubby drive through the nightmare that is the 401 when a sight grabbed my attention: the parking lot at the Yorkdale shopping mall was full. No parking spots anywhere - at all. Cars were cruising the lot waiting for a sated shopper to leave so they could have their turn to participate in all the shopping madness. People were out in force. Christmas shopping had begun!

I come from a family of avid shoppers. In the old days when department stores delivered things one had purchased directly to one’s door, Eaton’s and Simpson’s trucks were frequent visitors to our home. The drivers w o u l d d e l i v e r merchandise, and sometimes pick it up again to return it to the store after my mother had decided on the one lamp to keep out of the fourteen that she had ordered. “I have to see which lamp looks best in our living room,” my mother would explain. “Those lights they have in the stores twist all the colours around.”

My mother is the family’s shopping matriarch, but her genes live in the rest of us. There was some talk in our extended family a few years ago about giving up our Christmas Eve gift-exchange. We were at the point in our lives where our houses were full of stuff and none of us really needed or wanted anything. Should our gift exchange die a timely death? We played around with the idea - for seven seconds. To this day, the gift exchange lives on, because there are members of our family who just can’t do Christmas without shopping for gifts.

Am I a shopper? The very first word I was able to read at the tender age of three was the SALE sign on a shop window. Draw your own conclusions.

I am also however, an artist and I like to give gifts crafted by myself or by other local craftspeople. This means you will probably not find my car among the hundreds in the parking lot at Yorkdale or any other shopping mall at Christmastime, but you will see me at local art and craft shows throughout the year displaying my own wares and perusing treasures made by other hands. This is a different kind of shopping - a more fulfilling kind of shopping experience.

Look for me.

I’ll be meeting the gentleman who carved the small wooden bowls I bought (one for a relative’s wedding gift and the other, a gift for me!) and he’ll tell me about the sugar maple burls he found from which these gems were made.

I’ll be hearing about alpacas from the

lady who raises the animals and used their wool to knit my husband’s socks.

I’ll be buying stunning clay wine goblets in my favourite deep sage colour from a woman who is selling the last of her handmade pottery as well as her tools of the craft because arthritis won’t let her work with clay anymore.

I’ll be ordering a bone necklace from the young girl who will make one to fit my daughter’s tastes exactly.

I’ll be conversing with the watercolour artist as I admire his painting of an old barn door, and revelling in the story he

tells of why he came to paint it.

I’ll be hearing about a photographer’s journey into the

cranberr y bog down the road from his house and how he took a time lapse/

zoom photograph t o c r e a t e a spectacular piece

of art that will live with honour on my cousin’s living room wall.

I’ ll be buying a tiny quilted angel

decoration t h a t w i l l hang on my grandson’s

first Christmas tree from the artist who has four grandsons herself, and an infant great-granddaughter way out in British Columbia who will be coming “home” for the first time at Christmas.

I’ll be stopping at The Honey Lady’s table to buy buckwheat honey for my tea, which I will drink while remembering my grandmother and how she would buy buckwheat honey by the pail and use it to bake the most decadent walnut torte. I can smell it.

I’ll be visiting the Fudge Lady who does not play fair and puts several fudge samples out on a little white plate at the front of her table. Over the years of frequenting these sales, I’ve learned that it’s pointless to fight temptation, and I buy a generous slab of maple fudge as I leave the community centre. The Fudge Lady just smiles.

I’ll be shopping locally, supporting my fellow artists, buying Canadian and learning something about the people who have crafted these gifts, imbuing each piece I purchase with a little bit of life - its own story.

Christmas is coming, and the New Year follows smartly on its heels. Do I find you in the throes of making lists of gifts you need to buy, and other lists of resolutions for bettering your lives in 2013?

Here we are in small town Ontario where artists and craftspeople abound. May you resolve to seek them out at their studios, or at the plethora of craft shows that blanket our area each year. May you acquaint yourselves with these creative people - your neighbours - and their work, and may you share their talent with the people in your world.

Lessons LearnedBy Blair McDonald

I was recently approached by one of the more senior professors here at the university with a question and a

complaint that seems to come up more and more among my fellow teaching staff: the use of cell phones in the classroom.

His question was simple: “Blair, what do you do to prevent students from using their phones in class? It’s driving me crazy. I just got into a heated argument with one of my students who refused to put it away. I had to tell him three times. I wish we could just ban these things altogether.” I’ll admit it’s not an easy question. I’ll bet that any teacher will readily agree that it’s an obvious distraction in the classroom. But when it comes to trying to fight this battle, tread with caution. There is no army in the world that can win against someone who doesn’t want to pay attention to you.

I responded to him by saying that: At times it bothers me, but if I let these things get to me it distracts me from what I am there to do. My advice - Don’t take it personal, keep the class moving, whether they tune in or tune out is up to them. You can only control what you do in the classroom and no one else.”

He seemed t o a g r e e with what I was saying, but I could see that the battle was far from over. I g o t t h e impression that he still wants to control everything that goes on in his classroom and lecture them about how immature they are. I think I should have said a prayer for him there on the spot.

People are going to do what they want to do, regardless of what you want to happen. It would be nice if undivided attention was the rule, but it isn’t. Nonetheless, the show, not the battle, must go on. As I see it, the positive in all this is that as a teacher, presenter, coach, whatever you are, it makes you work harder. The only thing you can do to win them over is to put on such a great show (and yes, teaching is 90% showmanship) that their friend’s text is the distraction, not you.

If that is still not enough, remember that your job is to fulfill what is uniquely you. Wouldn’t it seem foolish to let a little text get between you and your destiny?


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“Wishing my loyal customers a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!”

Trust the Rhythm of ChristmasStory and photo by Mike Paterson

Time, even to science is still a mystery. But Earth-time’s leading edge, as it travels this turning

planet, seems to sweep up the energies of the day, of the night — the joys and torments, creations and annihilations — and radiate them out to the infinities.

Each day, it’s all just a little bit different. We are different. And — if we put aside whatever fears unsettled us yesterday — we can breakfast on new insights, opportunities and hopes.

But winter has come: The nectar’s gone. The fruit have fallen. Frost has bitten and the bees huddle in their catacombs. Squirrels, finger-lickin’ fat, snuggle in their nests. The life-sapped stillness of bare trees and greyed grass tell us it’s over, done, ended.

And isn’t the World a mess, all things considered? Walking the dog, I find the weakened grass revealing more of the roadside trash. It makes me wonder what General Petraeus is buying his wife for Christmas.

Christmas… the birthday party for… no, not for Santa, for Yeshua — for “Jesus”, whose ministry became the foundation stone of Christianity… or, ah, alternatively, it’s just the “season”.

The date was not arbitrarily chosen. It coincides with the northern winter solstice. So Christianity celebrates not just a person, but all that a person stood for …and everything he came to stand for: new hope, new life, new joy… the possibility of redemption.

The solstice is easily explained: have an obedient child hold a basketball. It’s the sun. Take a wee green pea carefully between thumb and forefinger: it’s about the Earth’s relative size. Hold the pea on a 23.5 degrees angle. Which end is nearer the basketball? The top? The bottom? Now, walk a big circle, counterclockwise, keeping about 90 feet away from the

child (if he’s still there), with your attention fixed on the pea. Watch what happens to its “top” and “bottom”. If you suddenly find yourself in heavy traffic or a neighbor’s kitchen, move the child and start again.

Once around the circle represents a year. Half way around is six months. Take your time. This is important. Stop when you get to June and consider the pea: which end is closer now? The rest is self-evident.

Exactly! Actually, we don’t need the seasons explained. What matters is the rhythm.

Since Neolithic times, the shortest day of the year has been marked as a turning point: after it, the lengthening days would lead into spring and usher in all the beauty and abundance of another summer.

Nature had not trashed life, after all. Joy and plenty with goodness would return: refreshed and revitalized. Cultures all over the planet drew hope and vitality from the solstice.

The ancient Babylonians celebrated Zagmuk; for Persians it was Deygan; old Anglo-Saxons held a “mother’s night”: Modraniht. At the same time, across the Atlantic, the Incas were into Inti Raymi.

In 1995, in Brighton, England, a group of New Age Brits launched a Burning the Clocks festival as a counter-attack on the debauch of commercialized Christmas. Oddly, at least from a Canadian perspective, it was called off in 2009 because snow and icy weather were forecast.

In the Northern Hemisphere, this year’s winter solstice falls on 21 December. In the Southern Hemisphere it fell on June 20. There, despite the milder climate, Maori people observe Matariki (the rising of the Pleiades constellation).

Which brings us, at last, back to Christmas… and, whether you or I are Christians, or not, it’s what the longer days ME A N that matter.

Think about those longer days. Remember t h e m ? T h e wildflowers?… t h e b e e s ? Remember witnessing their constant relationship. It has been going on, just as you saw it last summer, for 100 million years or more.

And, remember, in sustaining itself, the bee, fly, wasp or butterfly (whatever pollinator you have in mind) also sustains the plant. In fact, through its ancestors, it helped that plant to evolve, and made possible today’s diversities of all we see, smell and taste among flowering plants, their fruit and in by-products like beeswax and honey. Few of the fruit or vegetables we eat would have formed without a pollinator.

Moreover, all of these good things have long served humans as sources of inspiration.

Sure, it can all be explained. But, when we look for “meaning”, instead of walking around in circles, we see that “the whole” is far greater than the sum of its parts. Everything has been benefitting.

Pollinators are creatures for which we seldom spare a thought, far less esteem as our evolutionary elders or teachers.

Yet, in sustaining themselves, they benefit us all — even in mid-winter — honey and lemon is a great treatment for winter colds — and, apart from the odd sting, they do us no harm.

We seem to have fallen into a dangerous place where, in sustaining ourselves, we damage our planet (including the flowers and their pollinators). We impoverish, dupe and damage each other and each others’ cultures; we surround ourselves with “collateral damage” … perhaps we’d do well to heed more humbly the teachings of the beauty and abundance that embrace us?

And, doing that, we can feast on the hope and joy the “holiday season” offers: the hopes that Christmas offers. Forget the economist who tells you that deepening your consumer debt for Christmas puts a great, passing spark into The Economy.

There are far more important things going on: new hope, new life, new joy. Even the possibility of redemption. Enjoy!

Explorer’s MarketExplorer’s Market is an exciting new

retail outlet located in an unlikely location at 27 Kellwood Crescent

in Napanee’s industrial area. Explorer’s Market showcases handcrafted, fair trade, unique home décor and gifts from around the world.

Local owners Catherine and Keith Arnold are seasoned travelers who after several years of supplying other retailers across Canada, have decided to launch their own retail outlet and online store. “We wanted to give our local customers options by having both an online and retail store accessible to them. Our online store shows our entire inventory of product, while our retail outlet allows customers to browse physical products and take advantage of special in-store offers,” states Catherine.

Much of the product is designed by Catherine herself, who then communicates her ideas and works directly with the individuals in the fair trade workshops overseas to create the products you see in the store today. The “Fair Trade” products are individually handcrafted from a wide range of natural

materials and purchased directly from the artisans who determine their own wages, costs and profit.

Explorer’s Market also carries a wide range of North American made product including Canadian made handcrafted pottery, Kitras art glass and hummingbird feeders, as well as their own line of Canadian made plantable gift cards.

“We aim to provide the area residents as well as tourists visiting our community a pleasant and unique shopping experience by offering exclusive one of a kind product from around the world at a price you can

afford,” states Catherine.

Although off the beaten path, Explorer’s Market is worth discovering! This hidden gem in Napanee is a rare find that will truly have you coming back for more! Visit the retail outlet today, call 613-354-5649 or to view a map and winter hours check them out online at:www.explorersmarket.com.

The promise of things to come.

Something for everyone.


A Natural View:Watching Wildlife Can and Does Reduce Stress By Terry Sprague

Two years ago, with my wife’s blessing, I spent just under a thousand dollars erecting an

aluminium garden shed, complete with wooden foundation and a small deck at its approach. The building wasn’t for garden tools, or firewood, or flower pots. It was for bird feed.

The building houses all my bulk bird feed, separated, and affectionately stored in galvanized garbage cans, lined with plastic. I purchase all my feed in huge quantities from a distributor in Picton, just a 20-minute drive from where I live. The cans contain mixed seed, sunflower seed, niger seed, safflower seed, and peanuts in both whole and shelled form, some of the bags so huge as to barely fit in the back of my car. Shelving units provide storage for unused feeders, scoops, suet bars, spare suet logs, a box of spare plastic bags with which to line the containers, and spare parts. I spent a day wiring the building, with an indoor light, an electrical outlet, as well as a powerful floodlight on the outside of the building for those 5:00 a.m. feedings. The building even has a clock.

Although no one has dared challenge me yet on my decision, it is an expenditure for which I offer no apology. I emphasized this at a bird-feeding workshop I held recently, attended by over 70 avid bird enthusiasts. We no longer feed birds because we feel a sense of obligation to do so during the three lean months of the year; we do so because we enjoy their presence in the backyard, pure and simple. There is nothing wrong with that, despite the warnings of doomsayers and windsocks whose knowledge of birds usually extends no further than the backyard birdbath.

You need to understand, that bird feeding for me is a form of relaxation. My setup is just outside my home office window where I can look upon 30 or

more feeders, all concentrated in an area of only 50 feet square. When my mind grinds to a halt at the computer, all I have to do is take in the activity at the feeders and the world makes sense again. Some feeders hang from a large maple tree, others dangle from poles, some from a red cedar, a few from a Russian olive, and still others from a white spruce. My birds even enjoy a heated pool – a large basin of water equipped with a built in de-icer and thermostat. The entire ground area beneath the feeders is kept clear of snow in the winter with the help of my snow blower.

Birding – bird feeding in particular – is a hobby and spending exorbitant sums to enjoy this pastime is no different from the photographers I meet every spring at Prince Edward Point and Presqu’ile Provincial Park, armed to the teeth with many thousands of dollars’ worth of sophisticated photographic equipment – to take pictures of birds. The hobby is a release valve and everybody returns to his or her place of employment totally refreshed and revitalized. You can`t put a dollar figure on that.

The bird feeders outside my office window always work like magic. While writing my book, “Up Before Five – the Family Farm” two winters ago, thought processes often ground to a halt, the same as they do when I write my columns for local newspapers. All it took to jump start my brain again was to swing around in my chair, and look out the window at the menagerie of birds outside at the feeders. Early this past fall, it was the pine siskins, hundreds of them vying for space at the niger feeders.

Sometimes, it is the cardinal, cautiously working his way to his favourite feeder at the red cedar for safflower seed. Or, it might be the juncos and tree sparrows on the ground scratching for their favourite tidbits, or the chickadees darting back

and forth. In the summer, it is the downy woodpecker, offering its young family suet, and the chipping sparrows filling up on finch seed. One year, it was a family of brown thrashers, another year a family of catbirds.

Quite correctly, birds could be described as stress relievers. The benefit of animals toward relaxation has been well documented over the years. Studies going back as far as the late 1980s have shown

that gazing at aquarium fish for example reduces s t r e s s a n d subsequently lowers blood pressure. We are hypnotized b y t h e i r peaceful and serene nature, c r e a t i n g a calming effect f o r a f e w moments in o u r h e c t i c lives. Seniors w h o w e r e provided with an aquarium filled with fish had significant blood pressure reduction. Watching fish has been shown to calm children who suffer from hyperactivity disorder. Dental patients who were subjected to hypnosis vs. an aquarium experienced the same or greater benefit from the aquarium. Other studies have shown that dental patients required less pain medication after having watched fish in the office. It’s little wonder that physician offices, dental clinics, and even waiting rooms for counsellors have traditionally kept an aquarium in the waiting room. Studies have shown that seniors who have Alzheimer’s experience a variety of health benefits from watching an aquarium. Alzheimer patients ate more, and required fewer supplements after an aquarium was placed in the dining room. They also exhibited less physically aggressive behaviours.

Owning pets, as another example, not only provide us with companionship by making us feel secure and happy, they act as an anchor or stable force that helps one cope with the stresses of everyday life. Their unconditional love gives our mental and physical health a boost, and for this reason there is much to be said about the responses humans have had to pet therapy as an alternative or supplementary treatment to help reduce stress, as well as treat a whole range of medical and emotional ailments. This therapy is widely used in nursing homes, prisons, hospitals, and schools to reduce loneliness, anger, depression, and stress. A leader in the area of pet therapy research found that cardiac

patient survival rates were higher for those who owned pets, and that elderly people with pets made fewer visits to the doctor’s office. In the final days before my mother died 11 years ago, it was often difficult to rouse her from a seemingly comatose state in the nursing home, but the moment she spotted the Sheltie/Terrier I owned back then, her arms would stretch out, and she was alert once again.

Dogs, cats, dolphins, and many other types of social animals have been used for years for this type of therapy, with encouraging, positive results. Even walking a dog is good for a little human stress management via fresh air and exercise. This ability of animals to provide calming effects could explain the reason for the popularity of wildlife watching these days, be it at a zoo, on TV, on a guided hike, in an aquarium, gazing at birds through binoculars in the field, or just watching them through a window. Spending money on pursuits such as these is not an expense, but rather, an investment.

For more information on birding and nature and guided hikes, check out the NatureStuff website at www.naturestuff.net

Terry Sprague lives in Prince Edward County and is self-employed as a professional interpretive naturalist.

A black-capped chickadee and white-breasted nuthatch share a suet bar. Credit: Sylvia Chapman.

saturdaY driVers ed Course dates:Feb. 9, 16, 23, & Mar. 28:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.(Subject to change)

Course loCation:245 Belleville RoadNapanee (NDSS)

Contact us to book your spot [email protected]

For more information:www.collisionprevention.ca

Hospital FundraiserPlease visit Hospice Lennox and Addington’s

own REGAL GIFTS fundraising website at: www.hla.shopregal.ca

and place your Regal order! Items are shipped right to you!!!

Funds raised will be used to support our Palliative Care & Bereavement Support programs in our community! Thank you!

For more information email: [email protected] or call: 613-354-0833

Fundraiser ends December 31st.

Columnist Terry Sprague fills one of his 30+ feeders. Credit: Nola Sprague.


Carrie-Lee Jeffrey, RMTNew Healthcare OptionBy Linda Selkirk

Carrie-Lee Jeffrey, RMT is not new to the area, having

previously worked with a chiropractor in Napanee, however, in June 2012 she took the plunge and opened up her own massage therapy business at 2 Concession St., Tamworth. The former Video Store location has now been restored and redecorated to provide a n i nv i t i n g , w a r m environment for her clients.

While she soothes others with deep tissue and relaxing Swedish massage to reduce pain and lengthen muscles among other things, Carrie-Lee herself was grateful to the community for their nurturing help. Not long after opening her practice in Tamworth, her lovely home in Croydon burned down in June. Her three children, attending Grades 3 through 8 at Tamworth Elementary School and her husband, who works in construction, found themselves in a cottage for the summer months. Normally this would be a treat, but circumstances here were far different. The community rallied as it often does to bring clothing and other essentials to get them back on their feet. Just a couple of weeks ago they happily moved back into the home, beautifully restored by a superb local firm, Forest River Group, in only four months to the day.

Carrie-Lee’s decision to relocate her business in Tamworth, which is growing at an amazing pace, was also shaped by her desire to have more time to be more involved in the lives of her young children whose school is virtually around the corner. She is involved in kids’ soccer and hockey and has made space at the office for a room for her children should they need to stay home for day or two.

Though Carrie-Lee is not a diagnostician she is delighted with the welcome she has received from the local medical centres in Tamworth and Newburgh. She also works in the surrounding communities, at the hospital and seniors’ homes, bringing this therapy to their own environment when they cannot reach her.

Carrie-Lee does a thorough professional examination to determine the unique needs of each client and then targets the massage to help lessen pain, increase flexibility and solve a myriad of other woes our bodies suffer from our jobs, or from an accident, or just the general wear and tear as our body ages. From farmers’ aching shoulders and backs to injured workers and office workers with carpal tunnel syndrome she magically brings smiles back to hurting muscles. The list of conditions she can improve range from arthritis to cancer pain and much more. Moms and Dads will be happy to note she also helps with babies!

She values and respects her client’s experience and knowledge of her or his

own body; to ensure that you do not experience unnecessary discomfort, she relies on the 1 to 10 scale so you may indicate when anything is not within your own unique pain threshold.

Apart from alleviating pain from injuries, massage is a most relaxing and enjoyable experience that helps the body release stress and makes life more pleasurable.

Treat yourself or a family member to a massage – it’s a perfect holiday gift!

You can contact Carrie-Lee Jeffrey, RMT at 613-877-4050.

Kingston Fencing ClubFencing instruction for all levels from novice to advanced.

362 Division Street, Kingston www.kingstonfencingclub.ca613-547-5580 Head Coach: [email protected]

Chris Murphy,Singer & SongwriterStory & photo by Barry Lovegrove

It was a damp and chi l ly Novemb er mor ning when I

drove the long and windy road to Chris Murphy’s home in Inverary just east of Sydenham. Chris is a self- made guitar picking songwriter and singer who has several CDs to his credit. After we introduced ourselves we sat down in his living room and started to talk about a subject that was common to both of us: a love of good, old down-home country, folk and Celtic music. On some occasions when I’m interviewing people for a possible Scoop story they become a little tongue-tied and a bit shy. Not Chris, he sat on a chair with his young daughter Claire on his knee and started to talk about his love of music and song writing. Basically I just asked him how he got started.

This is how it went!

“My Dad, Don, played finger style guitar which I really liked, and sometimes he would pick up a harmonica and play it also. He taught me a couple of chords but it wasn’t until I was in grade nine and ten that I took a real interest in playing. I taught myself a fair amount then I took a guitar class at Sydenham High School which really got me going. From that point on I just couldn’t put my guitar down. I guess that my style is considered something between folk and Celtic. I like writing songs that tell a story and I put minor chords into the music as they add a beautiful tone and feeling to a song. My favorite song writer is Stan Rogers. He had a very unique voice and stage presence that got everyone going. He was definitely a master of his craft.

I play in a band called, Crooked Wood along with a friend of mine who I’ve known since grade eight - Steve Kennedy. I would go over to his house and we would play Stan Roger CDs till the cows came home while all our friends were listening to AC/DC and Metallica.

Music has grown to be a huge part of my life since my Dad planted the seed by teaching me my first couple of chords. I love it. Now I do it full time. I teach music three days a week and play two to three gigs each week as well. My wife, Heather is a United Church Minister in our area so I get the opportunity to play the organ on Sunday mornings at church. Periodically I am also asked to do some session work in the recording studios around Kingston.

Writing and playing my own songs is my great passion. In 2001 I recorded my first CD of original material with another local musician friend of mine - Jeff Babcock. He was living in Verona at the time and had his own home studio; he is

a great technician with a good ear as well as being a great musician. Since then I’ve recorded a CD with Crooked Wood which is a trio. All three of us write including Steve Kennedy and Jon McLurg, who is my brother-in-law. Most recently I released a new CD of original material titled Finally Coming Home. When my brother-in-law Jon and I went to Cape Breton Island, we recorded a few of our songs with a great musician from down there called J.P. Cormier. One of the first songs I ever recorded was titled Finally Coming Home so we decided to re-record it and name the CD after it.

I play a Martin J40 guitar and just love its big rich sound. I bought it from a good friend who lives in the Elgin area who was getting rid of a few of his guitars from his collection awhile back. At the moment I’m playing in three different bands so that keeps me busy. Apart from Crooked Wood, I play in a Toronto band called Peace of the Rock (Rock referring to Newfoundland) and another trio that I have just recently formed called Turpin Trail. We play a lot of my own music but we also have to play a lot of bar band type of music as well as a mixture of Rock, Country and Celtic.”

Here are a couple of verses from Chris’s song Finally Coming Home. It’s available on iTunes and is well worth the money.

Been alone for years three months and fifteen days

Dad I’ve been gone but I’m coming home today

The train stops at the station of the town where I was born

and It finally sinks into me that I’ll be home this morn

So as I walked along the long and winding road

I remember every rock and tree and I don’t have far to go

I’ll soon sit in the kitchen with the family that I know

for nothing beats the feeling of finally coming home

Thanks for your talent Chris and making this little part of Ontario your place to come home to.

Meet ...


Kids & Parents

County of Lennox & Addington Public Library Children’s Programs NAPANEE BRANCH • Mondays 6:00-7:30 p.m.: Wii night• Tuesdays every other week 2:00 p.m.:

Writer’s Group• Tuesdays 3rd of the month 10:30–

12:00 noon: Book Club• Tuesdays 6:00–7:30 p.m.: Wii night• Wednesdays 1st of the month 10:30–

12:00 noon: Book Club• Thursdays 10:30–11:30 a.m.: Story

Time

TAMWORTH BRANCH Wednesdays 6:30-7:15: Bedtime Buddies/Storytime. Wear your pyjamas and bring your bedtime friend!

CAMDEN EAST BRANCH Mondays 10:30-11:00: Toddler Tales. Story, puppets, and flannel board stories.

AMHERSTVIEW BRANCH • Tuesdays 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.: Family

Night. Board games, activities, craft, puzzles and a storytime at 6:30.

• Wednesdays 10:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.: Storytime. Session 1 at 10:15 a.m. and Session 2 at 11:15 a.m. Please call the library at (613) 389-6006 to register or to find out more.

• Thursday December 20, 2-3:00 p.m.: Avid Readers Book Club.

• Thursday December 20, 6:45 p.m.: Mom’s Night Out Book Club.

Eco-Friendly School Plans to Improve

On Monday, October 15th, St. Patrick Catholic School had an eco-school assembly and they

learned about how to improve as an eco-school. In the past, St. Pat’s has done many things to be more eco-friendly. They planted a few small trees in their front yard. They have had “No Power Days”. On the day of the eco-school assembly, they spent the afternoon raking and bagging leaves. Over the rest of the school year, St. Pat’s will add the leaves to their school compost bin to make better compost that they can use for their school gardens. The school is looking into using rain barrels to collect rain water to water their plants. Grade seven student Stephen Harper says, “In my opinion, the eco meeting on October 15th was a very worthwhile gathering, as it taught the staff and student body to strive towards being environmentally inclined civilians.” The goal in mind for St. Pat’s is to gain gold certification, the best recognition for eco-schools. They have earned silver certification in each of the last two years. In the end, even if they do not achieve gold status, the school of St. Patrick in Erinsville will be proud that they are doing good things in their school and community.

Written by Logan Laplante and his classmates in the Intermediate Class at St. Patrick CS

An Excerpt FromStory of School Life in CroydonBy Helen M. Wilson (nee Amey), whose teaching career in Croydon totalled nineteen years (1925-1931, 1941-1954)

Having spent the above nineteen years as teacher

in Croydon School, I will try to give a story of the school life and happenings during that time.

Early in the school year of 1925-1926 the members of the Women’s Institute of Croydon, parents, and members of the School Board met in the school one evening to take part in a friendly discussion pertaining to the needs of the pupils and teacher in the year ahead. All were deeply concerned over the children’s welfare and many of the school improvements brought about later owed their beginning to the understanding and co-operation that developed from that meeting.

It was decided to have hot lunches at noon hour during the winter months. Canned vegetables were bought by the case (peas, corn, and tomatoes). These were used three days a week and to offset the cost of these, the pupils brought soup bones, potatoes, beans, and other vegetables for the other two days. Milk was purchased from a nearby farm. A grant was received to help with the expenses. These hot dishes were enjoyed by the children, some of whom walked a distance of nearly three miles every night and morning. Thermos bottles were not in common use at that time. This system was followed for a number of years after this.

Plans were made to get a new rope and fittings for the flag pole which at that time was fastened to the belfry. All were anxious that the Union Jack be flown on the required days. Pupils sold Simmers flower and vegetable seeds and made enough in commission ($3.00) to buy a new wool Union Jack flag, 6 ft. by 3 ft.

A new desk costing $50.00 was then ordered and paid for by the W.I., and a matching chair bought by the School Board. Needless to say everyone was proud of the new furniture.

The teacher boarded in the community and frequently accompanied pupils home from school to spend the night or week-end. A close relationship was established with the pupils and their families.

Each year in October a School Fair was held on Centreville Fair Grounds. All schools in the township exhibited work done by the pupils at school such as writing, art exhibit, science projects, woodwork, sewing and other crafts. Baking and candy-making was done at home, as well as grain and vegetables grown from seeds sent out from the Department of Agriculture. Prizes of money were awarded for individual workandforschoolgroups •givingdemonstrations of exercises, marching and singing.

The school became the only place where the children could engage in social activities. Besides their outdoor games, parties were held on special days. Junior Red Cross meetings were conducted by the pupils who also arranged the programmes.

The highlight of the year was the Christmas Concert for which much preparation was made. This was held in the Community Hall which was always filled to capacity.As there was no platform in the hall, Mr. Ed Fowler and Mr. Dan McGregor drew enough lumber to make one about thirty inches high across the front of the hall. This was removed after the concert. Soon after a permanent platform was put in.

Finances were used to buy extras for the classroom, a record player and record were an early purchase. We purchased hand towels, soap, basin, mirror, water pails etc. Thus one corner of the classroom was equipped with washing facilities. Water had to be carried from the village for drinking and was stored in a crock with a tap. Water for washing was carried from the creek. In the winter snow was melted in a large kettle on the big box stove. Cleanliness was maintained with some labour but there were few complaints and on the whole the children were very happy.

The first Friday in May was Arbour Day. This meant general house-cleaning inside and yard cleaning outside. After the raking of leaves and grass, all debris was drawn away with wheel-barrows. Cleaning usually started a few days ahead of time so we could finish in time on Friday to get up over the hill in the woods and down to the river for dinner. Quite a procession wended: its way carrying pails and kettles of lunch usually consisting of salmon sandwiches (made at school), hot dogs, lemonade, oranges and bananas, peanuts and candy. After lunch the river bank was explored, some wading done, then an afternoon spent picking flowers and back to school tor a ball game tired the best of them.

A picnic at the end of June climaxed the year’s activities. This was held by the Salmon River on Mr. Bash Close’s farm for a number of years and later at Beaver Lake Park.

Croydon School in 1926. Credit: Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives.

Lennox & Addington Resources for Children

TAMWORTH BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

Located at Tamworth School, LARC offers an exciting Before and After School Childcare Program. Hours of operation are: 7 a.m. until school commences and school dismissal until 6 p.m. Stimulating programming and a nutritious snack is provided. Cost is $15 per day for both before and after. Before only is $7 and After only is $9. For more information or to enroll your child(ren) please contact Karen Dunlop 613-354-6318.

PLAYGROUP HAPPENINGS Tamworth Playgroup Mondays at the Tamworth Arena from 9:30–12:00 p.m. Christmas Party on December 10th. Yarker Playgroup Wednesdays at the Yarker Free Methodist Church 2841 VanLueven St. Yarker, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Christmas party December 12th. For playgroup times in other parts of L&A County see our website at www.larc4kids.com or call us at 613 354-6318

Credits: Dave Rooney.


BeLLe sTAR

Saturday, January 26 $20

cATHeRiNe MAcLeLLAN with JoNATHAN BYRD

Saturday, February 23 $20Smokin’ fi ddles & intricate harmonies blended with energy & talent. Just back from Nashville & bringing a new CD. This will be great!

Multi award winning east coaster Catherine MacLellan & one of the Best 50 Songwriters of the Past 50 Years, Jonathan Byrd, on one stage. Don’t miss it.

THe GooD LoVeLiesSaturday, April 20 $30 advance

RiK eMMeTTSaturday, May 25 $30 advance

Music Hall of Famer, JUNO Award Hall of Famer, Music Instructor at Humber, & award winning guitarist with multiple gold & platinum albums, performs with David Dunlop (Jazz Guitarist of the Year 2007) in an acoustic show guaranteed to impress.

Juno Awards, Vinyl Café, headliners at major festivals in Canada, England, Australia & the US & they’re back. Come enjoy this exceptional experience. You won’t be disappointed.

All shows start at 8:00 p.m., open at 7:00 at the Tamworth Legion - general admission seating.Tickets to any or all of these concerts would make a great seasonal gift! Call 613 379 2808

Please support

our sponsors!

Tamworth

Marshall AutomotiveCar • Truck • Farm Repairs

ERINSVILLE 613 • 379 • 5818

Wishing our customers

a wonderful holiday

and a very

Happy New Year

Storring Septic Service Limited

501 County Road 15Tamworth, ON K0K3G0(613) 379-2192www.storringseptic.com

Your Independent Food Town

STONE MILLSFAMILY MARKET

672 Addington Street, Tamworth 613-379-2440

We wish to extend our thanks to all of our wonderful customers and staff. Have a happy and safe Holiday!

Taking fresh turkey orders for Christmas: All natural vegetable grain-fed free-run or Grade A.White Spruce & Scotch Pine Christmas trees: $25

HOLIDAY HOURS:MONDAY DEC. 24 8 AM - 4 PM

TUESDAY DEC. 25 & WEDNESDAY DEC. 26 CLOSEDTHURSDAY DEC. 27 & FRIDAY DEC. 28 8 AM - 7 PM

SATURDAY DEC. 29 8 AM - 6 PM

SUNDAY DEC. 30 11 AM - 5 PM MONDAY DEC. 31 8 AM - 4 PM

TUESDAY JAN. 1 CLOSEDWEDNESDAY JAN. 2 8 AM - 7 PM

3050 Rutledge RoadSydenham, ON K0H 2T0

613-376-3618www.sydvets.com

Merry Christmas

and Happy

Holidays!


11 Concession St. S., Tamworth, ON K0K 3G0

Follow us on Facebook @ The river bakery café & patio llboWe look forward to serving you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Now Taking Holiday Tray Orders

Christmas Dessert Trays / Luncheon Deli Snack Trays / Morning Baked Goods Tray

Select from a wide variety

of our regular & our seasonal baked goods!

Cookies Tarts Squares & more! Come in and grab the order form!

Holiday Cakes & Pies!

Daily Lunch SpecialsServing Breakfast & Lunch

Take Home Meals (ready to heat & eat)

Quick & easy Deli Sandwiches ready to go when you are

Try our vegetarian options

Wednesday & Thursday 8 am - 2 pmFriday & Saturday 8 am - 4 pmSunday 9 am - 4 pm

WISHING ALL A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!

Congratulations to the Winners of the SCOOP

Pet Photo & Story Contest

2nd Prize: $20 gift certificate

“Rex is a 3-year-old English Spr inger Spaniel . He was welcomed into our family at a time when we needed to heal from losing our previous family dog. Rex has certainly filled that void! He can often be seen herding cattle, spending time with my grandfather, in the tractor with Dad, participating in the Canada Day & Christmas Parades or riding in the back of our truck. When my Dad is parked down street in Tamworth, Rex never attempts to leave the back of that truck for fear of not getting another ride. Rex enjoys hunting deer and thrives on Dad’s presence.”By Kallista Way

3rd Prize: $15 gift certificate

“It was a dreary January afternoon and as I pulled out of the grocery store parking lot and headed home, I noticed a small, furry creature running down the middle of the slushy road. Was it a mouse? A squirrel? It was a kitten, and as soon as I pulled over and opened my car door, she hopped in, climbed up the front of my winter parka and covered my face with kitty kisses. I don’t know how she managed to find me but we’ve been together ever since and as you can see, Lizzie is a beautiful cat!”By Michelle Mather

Rex. Credit: Kallista Way.

Pedro. Credit: Mila Neufeld.

Lizzie. Credit: Michelle Mather.

1st Prize: $50 gift certificate

“My 5-year-old cat, Pedro, is an orange tabby with a black spot on his chest that looks like a bow-tie. He opens doorknobs and eats his food with his paws! Pedro wears little backpacks and hats that we sew for him. He purrs when we put his outfits on and he never tries to take them off! Pedro loves to cuddle and lick our noses. Sometimes he leaves his tongue sticking out of his mouth. He lies on his back and stretches his arms over his head. This means that he wants his armpits and belly scratched. Isn’t he silly?”Love, Mila Neufeld

A big Thank You goes out to all our readers who sent in photographs of and descriptions about their pets. What a difficult time we had choosing the winners! We also want to thank the sponsor of the contest: All prizes were provided by TCO Agromart Ltd. of Tamworth and Napanee.


To all our customers, thank you for your business this year.

We wish you the best of holidays and a happy 2013.

Wishing All

a Merry

Christmas

and Very

Happy New

Year!

www.theoldtinshed.com

heritage lightingsalvage furniturelinens & rugshardwarejewelryclothing

feat

uri

ng

Bancroft 25 Sherbourne St.613-332-6565

Open 362 Days a YearOPEN LATE IN

DECEMBER

Check us out on facebook

Mike Paterson captured the American Egret as it stood in the marsh south of Tamworth..

A WAlk on the Wild Side

Tamworth officially turned on their Christmas lights and decorations on November 24th to the sounds of Christmas carols sung by The United Pentecostal Tabernacle Choir. After the lighting everyone was welcomed into the Library for more songs,

fellowship and delicious refreshments. Thanks to all for a great evening.


Public Notice: Dog Licenses - 2013Please be advised that dogs located within the Municipality are required to wear a current dog tag issued by the Township of Stone Mills

Dog Tag Fees:Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2013 $15/dog tagAfter Mar. 31, 2013 $25/dog tag

Kennel License Fees:Jan. 1 - Mar. 31 $125/kennel licenseAfter Mar. 31 $250/kennel license

Residents considering the purchase of a kennel license must contact the Township Office to obtain the appropriate application forms. Please note: Specific restrictions apply.

Dog tags are available at:• Beaver Lake Variety, 5804 Cty. Rd. 41,

Erinsville• Kingston Humane Society, 1 Binnington Crt.• McCormick’s Country Store, 2561 Cty. Rd.

1, Camden East

• Stone Mills Municipal Office, 4504 Cty. Rd. 4, Centreville

• Tamworth Hardware, 2 Concession St.• Yarker Lucky Dollar, 4255 Cty. Rd. 6

TO AVOID ADDITIONAL CHARGES RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BUY DOG TAGS AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE

If you have any questions please contact the Municipal Office at 613-378-2475 or call Frontenac Municipal By-Law Enforcement, Ken Gilpin at 613-541-3213 (24 hour service)

Darlene Plumley, C.A.O./Clerk, Township of Stone Mills

Township of Stone Mills4504 County Road 4, Centreville, Ontario K0K 1N0Tel. (613) 378-2475 Fax. (613) 378-0033Website: www.stonemills.com

.ca

Three days ofOUTSTANDING

fi lms that celebrate life and

human dignity around the world

and righthere at home.

w w w. d o w n t o w n d o c f e s t . c a

DOC FEST MARCHBelleville International Documentary Film Festival

downtown

1-3, 2013

Visit us online!

Happy Holidaysfrom

The Stone MillsFire Department

The Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council: Public Service Announcement (PSA)

Make sure the base of your Christmas tree is immersed in water at all times.Never place lit candles on or near the tree.

Have a

FIRE-SAFECHRISTMAS

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Council and Staff for The Corporation of the Township of Stone Mills wishes everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. It is

our pleasure once again to extend a very sincere Thank You to all members of our local volunteer associations with a special Thank You

to the members of our volunteer fire department. It is largely through the efforts of our volunteers that we have a safe and enjoyable place in

which to live, work and raise our families.

The Township of Stone Mills Municipal Office will be closed Monday, Noon, December 24th, Tuesday December 25th, Wednesday,

December 26th, and Tuesday, January 1st, 2013. Waste Sites will be closed on Wednesday, December 26th.

Wishing ever�one good health & happiness

during the holidays & throughout the year

Thank You to the communit�for making Stone Mills Massage Therapy

a success

To my clients, thank you for allowing me to cont�ibute to your health and well-being

Stone Mills Massage TherapyCarrie-Lee Jeffrey, RMT

2 Concession St. South, Tamworth, ON(Located at the fi ve corners in the old Village Video)

Phone: 613-877-4050www.stonemillsmassagetherapy.com

Lanthorn Real Estate Ltd.44 Industrial Blvd.

Napanee/Tamworth613-354-4347

May the joy and blessings of this

holiday season remain with you

throughout the new year

Your business has been truly appreciated

Tamworth379-2903

Robert Storring Broker

Gwynne StorringAssistant


Yes, You Can Write!

Country Chicks By Faith Woodland

I’ve never been much of an animal person, but when my

husband a n d I moved to a r ural area, we decided to embrace the experience and open ourselves t o a l l t h e opportunities c o u n t r y l i f e offers. Finding o u rs e l ve s o n a property with a decent chicken coop already for use, we thought we’d start our foray into farming by raising our own meat chickens.

It was a magical moment when my daughter and her daddy returned from O’Neil’s with a cardboard box full of fluffy, yellow, peeping, bundles and a big bag of chick starter. She proudly showed them to her three big brothers and everyone got involved in getting them settled into their new home. Being May, we believed they would be fine out in the coop under the heat of the warming lamp. We set out pie plates full of water and filled their feeder with seed. For most of the afternoon, the kids fondled and fussed over their future dinners until finally, with much resistance, they agreed to leave them for the night.

After settling my four little chickens into bed I went out to the coop to make sure all was well and was greeted with a horrific scene. Left unattended, the little creatures had gotten themselves completely soaked in their drinking water. One was already dead and many of the rest were reduced to soggy little piles of mushy matter. Some were struggling to stay upright; wet wings uselessly weighing them down. What feathers they had, were plastered to their bodies and many looked as though they were breathing their last. I quickly grabbed the most helpless looking ones and raced into the house calling for my husband to help. Collecting towels and a hair dryer I began to work on the little guys, frantically trying to get them warm and dry. Our second son got out of bed at the sound of the commotion. I sent him out with an empty ice-cream bucket to gather as many chicks as he could. He brought in load after load while I dried and I cried. My husband, completely under-reacting, said; “Not to panic, the chicks are cheap; and anyway, everyone loses a few.” I glared at him and continued my heroic efforts. Finally, we got the situation under control and re-situated the fur- balls into the downstairs bathroom. I set up muffin tins with much less water and my husband convinced me to leave them for the night.

The next morning I dreaded going down to check on our chicks, sure I would find them all dead, but lo and behold when I arrived, there they were: yellow and fluffy, and chirping cheerfully. Within a few days we moved them back out to the coop amazed at how fast they were growing. Not only growing large,

but kind of ugly. And soon after, we noticed the smell! I never realized how badly chickens smell. Nothing like Swiss Chalet! By June I was washing my hair twice a day, after each trip into the coop to fill up the feeder.

Before long, the chickens were big and bold. I noticed how the bully chickens would stomp over one weak chicken that had been born with a bum leg. Unable to get to the feeder and water source, it began to lose weight. Sorry to see it tormented, my husband felt that he should put it out of its misery. After wringing its neck, he left it in a bucket for me to bury the next day.

I headed out early the next morning with my shovel ready to deal with the carcass, and was surprised to be greeted by an inquisitive head sticking up over the bucket’s edge, clucking like nothing had happened at all. I decided with that kind of resilience, the poor thing deserved another chance. Unable to walk on its own, I would carry it in a shovel and place it as close to the food as possible and each night, shovel it back into the coop.

Within a week, however, nature took its course, and our gimpy chicken died. This time I buried it in the yard. Only a few days later, we loaded the rest into a truck for the journey to the meat processor. Being really busy, the butcher asked if we could hang the chickens up ourselves. As I grabbed the first two by their ugly, white, wiry legs; their wings frantically flapping my face, filling my hair with their stinky, chicken smell; I marvelled at what a resilient country chick I had indeed become.

Faith Woodland is a homeschooling teacher and a free-lance writer living the good life in Marlbank in a home she built with her husband Kerry.

Runaway CowsBy Anita Jansman

A couple of young boys and their dad on four-wheelers showed up late one hot August afternoon at

our house. “Are you missing your cows?” asked the dad. Of course I wasn’t missing any cows, that would have been my partner, John, and he hadn’t mentioned missing the cows either. Apparently the errant bovines had found a pleasant place to graze in a small field in front of this man’s house. He lived about half a kilometer away, about four houses down from us. How on earth did the cows find this place so far away from their pasture on our farm, I wondered.

T he cows are out! T hat is one announcement I loathe making to John, and one that any farmer hates to hear, especially late on a hot summer day. But make it, I did. A quick phone call to friends to cancel a dinner arrangement (for we knew this could go on all evening), a change of clothes to shield us from the prickly ash and poison ivy (for we knew there would be no avoiding these nasty Ontario weeds up on the ridge), and the two of us set off to try and coax the cows back to their homeland.

The cows are skeptical at first. But after minor prodding and possibly knowing their little adventure was over, they move en masse through the scrubby land towards our farm. Not being all that familiar with our neighbour’s property, we aren’t exactly sure of the correct path, just that we are going west, in the right direction.

It had been a particularly dry season, so it’s a mystery why the cows had found this little piece of land more appealing than their farmer-granted pasture that was still green and relatively lush, compared to the brown, crunchy grass that they seemed to prefer this evening. A stretched neck beyond a

malfunctioning electric fence, and they were out. It had rained recently, enough to create puddles of water everywhere, which explained why the cows hadn’t made their daily journey down to the barn for a drink.

We move silently along the ridge, beating down the prickly ash and avoiding the poison ivy and unfriendly low-lying juniper bushes. The cows seem to know, better than we do, where they’re going. It is John’s good farmer instinct to let them guide us. Surprisingly soon, for we think we are still a good distance from our farm, the cows have begun to head south down a lane. “It’s our lane,” says John. His tone clearly relieved. “They know exactly where they are now.” And they did. Soon they began a little trot down the familiar lane, with a collective knowledge that they were home, or very close to it. A short gallop down the wooded lane, veering off to the left betraying their original escape route, and they were back in their pasture.

The cows aren’t the only ones who know, when their hooves landed on their path, that they were home. I have walked that lane hundreds of times and I too, felt the undeniable warmth of a welcoming land that has become part of me, or me a part of it. Like the cows, I can’t be separated from this rural Eastern Ontario landscape, and like the cows, no matter how far away I travel I always find my way home.

Now grazing in their pasture, the cows are probably relieved to see an end to their adventure. John is doing some fence-mending. I head down the lane to my home, stopping at my garden to see what can be rustled up for dinner, and relax comfortably and securely in my familiar place.

“Hope, Purpose & Belonging in Long Term Care”

F I L EBIZCARD

The Scoop’s

Call us today to reserve your space: 379-1128

John McClellanChartered Accountant6661 Wheeler Street,

Tamworth, ON K0K 3G0613-379-1069

JUST 39 BUCKS FOR A BIZCARD AD. $110 FOR 3 ISSUES. YOU CAN’T BEAT THAT!

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Visit www.tamworth.ca

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Napanee & DistrictChamber of Commerce

47 Dundas St. E • Napanee 613.354.6601

www.napaneechamber.ca

Networking • Business Seminars Programs That Can Save Businesses $$

Ask Us About Membership [email protected]

Gordon McDiarmidLawyer

3 Rideau St. Kingston613-546-3274 [email protected]

I have practiced law in the areas of Family Law, Real Estate, Wills and Estates and Small Business Law for more than 30 years, but mostly I want to

support this fine commuity newspaper.

Brenda MayhewTel: 613-379-9906P.O. Box 386, Tamworth K0K 3G0

[email protected] Solid Gold Organic

Pet Food. 100% organic! No Chemical Preservatives! Beef,

Lamb and Fish/Vegetarian Formulas.

Pick-up or delivery available. Please call for more information and catalogue. Call the Regal Beagle:

613-379-1101

The Stone Mills Fire Department is holding a Blanket Drive. We are looking for blankets to use at emergency calls. If you have

any blankets you would like to donate please drop them off at the Township of Stone Mills municipal office. Thank you,

Stone Mills Fire Department

[email protected] [email protected]

www.moorepartners.ca 613 • 379 • 5958

Ba mhór ag Cumann na Gaeltachta cur in iúl go bhfuil féilirí pleanála le fáil ar ordú. Is tionscadal tiomsú airgid É faoi choinne GHaeltacht Bhuan Thuaisceart an Oileáin Úir. Taispeánann grianghraif an fhéilire tírdhreach Cheanada agus Éireann, go háirithe áiteanna sa Ghael-tacht. Rinne S2 Architecture, faoi stiúir Linus Ó Murchú, an dearadh mar dheon-achán. Is é $20 an cóip an costas (nó $20 S.A.M.), móide $5 postas (Ceana-dach nó Meiriceánach). Thig ordaithe a chur trí ríomhphost do:

Cumann na Gaeltachta is pleased to announce that 2011 planning calendars are now available for order. This is a fundraising project for the Permanent North American Gaeltacht. Photographs feature landscape in Canada and Ireland, especially Gaeltacht areas. The calen-dars have been generously designed by S2 Architecture in Calgary, under the direction of Linus Murphy. The cost is $20 Canadian (or $20 American), plus $5 postage (Canadian or American). Orders may be placed by email to Siobhán Ní [email protected]

Cheques payable to: An Ghaeltacht Bhuan

Send to:Siobhán Ní Mhórdha1 Kennedy Street, Apt 2.Kingston, ONK7M 2G8

1 Bedroom Apartment for rentMain floor of rural home. Kitchen, Living room, open concept - 12 windows with beautiful views. Private entrance, yard and driveway. Bell Satellite TV included. Refer-ences. $550 plus heat. 613-478-6349

Christ Church Tamworth invites you to a YULETIDE LUNCHEON

and BAKE SALE at the Tamworth Library Tuesday,

December 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. A homemade lunch will served with loving hands and there might even be some

entertainment for your enjoyment and pleasure. So come on down bring a friend to help kick off this

festive season.

PLEASE TELL OUR ADVERTIS-

ERS THAT “I SAW IT IN THE SCOOP” AND THAT ADVER-

TISING WORKS.

RobeRt WRight booksAntiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Canada International League of Antiquarian Booksellers

Hundreds of new arrivalsFri Sat Sun, 11 am - 4 pm379-2108Now open for the season.

www.tamworthbookshop.com

book shopQuality Second Hand BooksBridge Street East at Peel, Tamworth

The Scoop DECEMBER 2010 - JANUARY 2011 Page 14

They sure look guilty! Photo courtesy of Anita Jansman.


Camden Township Artifactsat the Lennox and Addington County MuseumBy Jane Foster

Camden Township is defined by the broad river valley of the Napanee River. Several sites along the river

offered potential sites of mills, around which villages clustered. Of these, Napanee Mills (Strathcona), Newburgh, Clarks Mills (Camden East), Yarker and Colebrook, were all located at falls on the river. All became important logging and milling sites. Camden Township artifacts, reflecting the industrial activity which developed along the river, are represented in the growing artifact collection at the Lennox and Addington County Museum, Napanee.

The Wartman Pump

Norman Bell, Moscow, was President of the Lennox and Addington Historical Society from 1992 – 1995. Norman came by his passionate interest in County history naturally. His father, Fred Bell, had assembled a small museum on the farm which Norman inherited. When the Society began actively building the collection at the Museum, Norman pulled a Wartman pump from a well on the Bell farm, Moscow, and donated it to the Lennox and Addington Historical Society Collection. To the delight of Museum staff, this pump was still in original condition, retaining its original length. A lot of Wartman pumps which surface at auction, have been cut off.

By 1851, Charles Wartman, son of Peter and Rhoda Wartman, Kingston Township, moved to Colebrook, Camden East Township. On the 1871 Census, he is listed as a “Mechanic”, likely working as a machinist in a nearby mill. Colebrook experienced a massive fire that destroyed several buildings, including a saw mill on the north side of the river. After this disastrous fire, Charles Wartman bought this lot to harness the available waterpower. He erected a large thirty by forty foot building that included a basement. By 1879, Charles started a

business hand crafting wooden pumps to be used on farms for wells up to twenty feet deep. A large turning lathe was installed in the basement of his shop, on which hundreds of pumps were turned.The pump making process began by squaring freshly sawn pine logs, which were then rafted together and sunk for a period of at least four years. This prevented the wood from splitting when it was turned. After the logs were properly soaked, they were removed from the river by a power windlass, and sent to the mechanic. A 1950 photograph shows the Wartman Pump Company’s log pond. The logs were placed on a revolving lathe and shaped by the mechanic using turning chisels, while a second man would hold different length augers against a guide rod. During the shaping, a hole was bored through the length of the log. A handle and metal spout, made by the Connoly Manufacturing Company of Yarker, were added.

The pump worked by using simple wood or lead cylinders, measuring approximately sixteen inches long by four inches in diameter, to plunge and pump water up from the ground. Every spring, in the span of a few days, an entire year’s supply of cylinders was produced by hanging a kettle of lead over a large fire by the roadside, and pouring the lead into mouldings. A hand crank auger was used to enlarge the hole through the middle of the pump wide enough to insert the cylinders.

Wartman pumps were well received, and earned a reputation for raising the most water with the least labour. Finished pumps were loaded onto wagons and sold in Napanee and Kingston every Saturday. Pumps often included the Wartman Pump Company’s logo stenciled on the front.

Frank and Wilbert Wartman, sons of Charles and his first wife Elizabeth, joined

their father in the family trade. Their entry in the 1889 Business Directory reads, “Wartman Bros (Wilbert F and Frank), planning mill, lumber and agrl [agricultural] implements”. Their father’s entry reads, “Wartman, Charles H, pump m a k e r ” . A f t e r Charles’ death in 1890, his sons took over the business e n t i r e l y, w i t h Frank managing the manufacturing of the pumps and their sale west of the Moscow-Colebrook road, a n d W i l b u r managing the sale of the pumps in the district to the east. By 1915, Frank sold the business to Norman Boyce and Ira Salsbury. The last pump was produced in 1959.

The Thomson Tea Urn

In the Lennox and Addington Historical Society’s collection, there is a silver plated tea urn engraved to commemorate John Thomson’s departure as Superintendent from the Napanee Paper Mills in 1878, presented by his descendants. The urn is displayed along with a shapeless ball of hardened pulpwood, which had been given to the Society’s collection shortly after the Society was formed in 1907 by John Thomson who had retired to Napanee. This wad is all that remains from an 1862 experiment by John Thomson to create a pulp suitable for making paper. At this time, most paper was made from rags. For two years, John Thomson’s trials had been unsuccessful, until one day his small boiler burst, and as he gathered the fragments of his experiment, he realized he had created suitable paper pulp. John Thomson’s pulp wood ball marked the beginning of pulp based paper making in Canada.

John Thomson, the son of papermaker James Thomson, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1837. The family immigrated to the United States in 1854, settling in Morristown, New Jersey, where John finished his apprenticeship as a papermaker. In 1860, John accompanied his father to Saint John, New Brunswick, working as a papermaker. He began his chemical wood pulp experiments, and successfully created chemical wood pulp in 1862.

While on route to Ottawa to patent his process, John took a contract installing a pulp works at Windsor, Quebec, with Angus Logan & Company, and never filed his patent. By 1864, large commercial quantities of pulp were being shipped to a paper mill at Sherbrooke, Quebec, which according to Mr. Thomson, produced beautiful paper. Although John Thomson never patented his process, he is credited with being the first in Canada to make paper from chemical wood pulp.

In 1872, John and his brother James built a new mill in Newburgh. The area around Newburgh was ideal for papermaking, having a large supply of trees for pulp. The best waterpower on the Napanee River was at Newburgh. At Newburgh, the Napanee River doubled, dividing into two branches which enclosed an island of about seven acres. The double river afforded thirteen good water privileges for industry within one third of a mile.

The Thomson mill was built on the island. Mill equipment, floated by barge to Napanee, was then carted to Newburgh. John built a second mill along the river at Napanee Mills (Strathcona) in 1873 for the Napanee Paper Company. After the Newburgh Mill was purchased by The Napanee Paper Company in 1878, the Thomson Brothers built another mill at Thomsonville, upstream from Newburgh at Camden East. A small community of workers cottages surrounded the mill. Today, only a few ruins remain of the Thomsonville cottages.

John T homson ret ired as the superintendent of the Napanee Paper Mills in 1878. On May 15, he was presented with a silver plated tea urn from his employees, engraved to commemorate his service. He remained active with the Thomsonville Mill until 1884 when he retired to Napanee. James Thomson and his sons continued the Thomsonville business as the Thomson Paper Company until 1911. The mill operated under the direction of a series of owners until 1932, when it was dismantled and incorporated into the Strathcona plant.

Due to an expansion to the Lennox and Addington County Museum and Archives, announced October 24, 2012 by the County of Lennox and Addington, the Museum and Archives are now closed to the public to enable staff to relocate displays and collections. The Museum and Archives will reopen in 2014. Staff will continue to be accessible by telephone and email. For further details, please visit:www.lennox-addington.on.ca

Thomson tea urn. Credit: Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives.

Wartman pump. Credit: Lennox & Addington County Museum & Archives.


Christmas is For Dogs Too!Story and photo by Dalton Cowper

Most dog owners admit to giving their dog a gift at Christmas. The big question is: What do

you get the dog that has everything? If dogs could talk I am certain they would ask Santa Paws for ‘more of everything and with extra cheese too!’ My well missed Labrador Retriever Riley used to love unwrapping presents, she would play endlessly with the paper her new toys came wrapped up in; which always made me wonder why I didn’t just wrap up empty boxes it would have been cheaper. I also used to love how my beagle Chieftain would flop on the floor and sigh after a successful night of begging. His sigh clearly directed at the couch which was now too hard to jump up onto due to his full belly. I know my Redtick Coonhound Saxon would love a new winter coat and Louie the newest arrival at our home would love a deer antler to chew on.

But if you’re lost as to what to get your pal, here is the best holiday dog cookie recipe ever. It reminds me of fresh baked apple pie. My dogs love the crunchy cookies so I always dry them out until they snap. This one calls for apples so if you have left over bits of skin from making pies keep them for this one. They are great teeth cleaning breath fresheners which really make them the gift that keeps on giving. They definitely are handy to have in your pocket especially if you find yourself under the Mistletoe with the family dog.

APPLE CINNAMON DROPS

• 1 large apple (cored but not peeled) • 1/4 cup honey• 1/2 cup of water• 1/2 tsp cinnamon• 1 cup oatmeal• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour• 1/8 cup whole wheat flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). 2. Core, slice and mince the apple (use

a food processor if you have one).3. In a large bowl, combine the minced

apple bits, honey, water, cinnamon, and oatmeal.

4. Gradually blend in the wheat flour, adding enough to form a stiff dough.

5. In a small bowl, add 1/8 cup wheat flour.

6. Spoon the dough by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking

sheets, spacing about 2 inches (5cm) apart.

7. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in the wheat flour (to prevent sticking), flatten each spoonful of dough into a circle. Adjust the size of the drops based on how big a treat you like to feed your dog.

8. Bake for 30 minutes. 9. Remove from oven and flip each

cookie to brown evenly on both sides.

10. Reduce oven temperature to 325 °F (180 °C).

11. Return to oven and bake for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool overnight.

Makes about 3 dozen crunchy cookies, depending on how big you make them.

Don’t forget about all the dogs and cats that have no homes this Christmas. Visit your local OSPCA and give a donation; they can always use kitty litter, dog and cat kibbles and who knows you may find your next family dog.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Secret Ingredient is Always LoveBy Beverly Frazer

Christmas is a time steeped with family traditions. The Christmas dinner and the recipes that have

been passed down are so much a part of what makes Christmas special for many. It’s recalling a special memory of watching your grandmother make the first apple crumble you ever ate or your mother explaining the secret to making her famous stuffing. It’s watching four generations in the kitchen creating a feast fit for royalty that help create the kind of memories you can taste. They are just simply the best times ever.

Whatever your favourite recipe is I am certain you would agree it is always delicious and there is never enough. The stories behind the recipes and passing them on are as much a part of the joy of Christmas as getting together and gobbling them up. For me the special part is hearing how my grandmother’s apple crumble recipe, absolutely without question, makes the best apple crumble in the world. It brings back fond memories of standing on a milk crate, wide eyed at the edge of a kitchen counter listening to her explain the secret to making a great apple crumble. I am certain now that the secret is the love that went into it! This is a classic apple crumble recipe ready for you to throw in some of your own love.

CLASSIC APPLE CRUMBLE Topping:• 1/2 cup (65 grams) all

purpose flour• 1/4 cup (50 grams)

granulated white sugar • 1/4 cup (55 grams)

light brown sugar• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon• 1/4 tsp fresh or ground

nutmeg (optional)• 1/8 tsp salt• 6 Tbsps (84 grams) cold unsalted

butter, cut into pieces• 1/3 cup (30 grams) old-

fashioned rolled oats• 1/3 cup (40 grams) chopped

walnuts or pecans

Filling:• 6 cups (1.2 L) Granny Smith

Apples or other firm, tart-tasting apple (peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks)

• 1 cup fresh blackberries or raspberries (optional)

• Juice of 1/2 lemon• 1 tsp lemon zest• 3 Tbsps (40 grams) white

granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.

2. Butter or spray with a cooking spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) deep dish pie plate or an 8 x 8 x 2 inch (20 x 20 x 5 cm) baking dish (or 8 individual ramekins).

3. Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, oats and nuts) in a food processor and process until the mixture is crumbly (looks like coarse meal) and there are no large pieces of butter visible. (This can also be done with two knives or your fingertips.)

4. Set aside while you prepare the filling.

5. Place the apple chunks in a large bowl, along with the berries (if using) and lemon zest.

6. Toss with the lemon juice and sugar. 7. Transfer to your prepared baking

dish. 8. Spread the topping evenly over the

apples.9. Bake for approximately 30-40

minutes (20- 25 minutes for individual ramekins) or until bubbly and the topping is golden brown. (If you insert the tip of a sharp knife into a chunk of apple, it should be tender, not mushy.)

10. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers and reheat before serving. Makes 4 - 6 servings. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and love the memories!

We repair, repaint and restore.

bebon coeD E S I G N

Tamworth 613-379-3074 www.bon-eco.comRain didn’t dampen Tamworth’s Santa Parade last Sunday afternoon

(December 2). The street was full of Moms, Dads, and children, all having a great time celebrating the Christmas spirit no matter what the weather!


Abies balsamea.

Evergreen MedicineBy Blair Richards

All the leaves have fallen and the herbs on the ground have withered leaving only brown skeletons

in the leaf mulch. This may appear to be the end of all the wild-crafting fun. Think again. Some medicines are at their prime like burdock and dandy lion roots because the power of the whole plant has gone underground. But some medicines are always there, the evergreens.

The tradition of bringing a tree into the house for Christmas speaks of the medicinal virtue of beauty. Few things lift the spirit more than the deep green colour and resinous perfume of evergreen trees.

Early Canadians owe much gratitude to the pine tree. Pine needles contain 5 times (by weight) more Vitamin C than lemons. If it weren’t for the kindness of the Native people of the Americas, who shared the knowledge of the usefulness of pine, many of the early settlers would never have survived to settle here. Vitamin C is an important support of immune functions and is necessary for the development of bones and teeth. The needles can be used in teas, or put in honey; they can be harvested anytime but are at their best first thing in the spring, when they are soft and sweet. The bark of the young twigs is a tasty treat when on a forest walk. I often nibble on pine needles. It reminds me of the winters where my friend Audrey and I thinned a pine plantation with bow saws. We would spend the days sawing, limbing, and nibbling on red pine. I was never healthier, nor more covered in resin.

All the local pines are edible, some are tastier than others. I personally prefer white pine. If you have the patience you can even collect wild pine nuts that are just as yummy as the commercial ones, but only a quarter of the size and you might have to wrestle a squirrel for them. White pine was considered a panacea by native people. Used for all sorts of coughs including whooping cough and bronchitis, it contained a very powerful antioxidant useful in fighting free radicals.

The most common pines to find in this neck of the woods are the red pine and the eastern white pine. Red pines (Pinus resinosa) have brown flaky bark near the base that turns reddish near the top and long, dark, stiff needles, that break readily ( making them poor tooth picks). They grow in twos out of the branch. Red pines are a robust tree, often shaped by the path of the wind giving them a dramatic feel, like they are telling a story.

White pines (Pinus strobus) have long, soft needles that grow in bundles of five from the branch. These trees often grow at the edge of lakes and take on a windswept look. At the top of white pines you can see the reason behind their names as white bark peeks out from between the branches. In times of old, white pine is said to have reached heights of 230 feet.

Christmas tree favourite Balsam fir (Abies balsamea), is also called a bubble tree by my children. They have little

bubbles on the bark that are full of a wonderful sap. This sap has been used for many things from healing antibacterial salves, a burn remedy, as a sort of glue to stick wounds or canoes together, and as our favourite forest snack. The kids just go crazy for the sap (at least mine do); they gather around the tree searching for more bubbles to pop. This is a survival food, and immune boosting plant. Often I nibble on the fresh spring shoots, I even add them to salads. The spring growth is prime for picking and drying into a lovely energizing tea. In the winter, I eat the little buds at the tip of the branches.

Balsam fir has flat needles that are soft to the touch they don’t

poke you like a spruce. They are a quick growing, fast dying soft wood tree, often found in neglected plantations growing in shaded acidic soils. They aren’t picky and will grow anywhere they get the chance. When I was first learning to identify

this tree I often confused it with Hemlock, which looks

quite similar. Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) is a slower growing hard

wood tree that grows into a mature forest. Balsam fir has wider needles with a white underside. The bark of a hemlock is rough and reddish with no bubbles. The Hemlock tree (not the plant that grows near water and looks like a wild carrot) is also edible as a forest walk snack, not to mention its medicinal merits. But ground Hemlock, or American Yew (Taxus canadensis) is not edible; it’s a low growing shrub that looks similar to both balsam fir and hemlock. Though very medicinal and the main ingredient of the cancer medicine Taxol, it is poisonous, all Yews are!! I recommend avoiding all balsam fir like plants that grow below 4’ and are not in a tree form.

There is much more to the average Christmas tree than meets the eye. The evergreens have always been more than moral support through the Christmas season, they have also been immune support. Pine and Balsam fir are generally safe for human consumption, some people have gotten headaches, or stomachaches from pine bark supplements. I have experienced the feeling of drinking too much coffee from strong Balsam fir tea and only drink it as a weak brew, or mixed in with other herbs. If you are on medications consult your doctor. If you know that you are allergic to pine or balsam fir - Don’t eat them. Always start out with small amounts of a new plant and be 100% certain of their identity. Use a good field guide, consult your local herbalist, or knowledgeable farmer/gardener friend.

Blair Richards is a Chartered Herbalist and Plant Geek who lives in Marlbank. You can email her at [email protected].

The Festive SnowflakeBy Merola Tahamtan

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is just a few weeks away. I never believed my parents when I

was younger, when they said that time goes by faster as you get older. How can time go by faster I thought. Now in my thirties, I know exactly what they are saying. I just remember it being Christmas last year. It is one of my favourite times of year, especially celebrating it with my husband, three kids and the rest of my family. Like many of us, I love Christmas, but what is it about Christmas rather than any other holiday that grabs hold of us.

Making connections with each other is at the core of human existence. Often, when these experiences are positive, bonds form. Because holidays like Christmas are treated as a “special season” by adults, children get a sense of goodwill and a “magical” optimism. As a result, holidays allow us to savor the things we overlook during other times of the year.

With the holiday season around the corner, traditions and bonding opportunities are fertile on both social and interpersonal levels. Decorating, baking, listening to music - and even shopping - are all opportunities for family and friends to enjoy the season together.

I know my three kids all look forward to making cookies and gingerbread houses with their Grandma Penny and their cousins Chloe and Wesley. Grandma celebrates one day with the girls and another day with the boys, making each day special for them. The kids just love spending that day with Grandma and their cousins, as well as the plate full of cookies that they get to take home and eat.

Traditions are a form of education about the past that helps to ensure the future survival of a specific culture. For this reason, people feel compelled to pass on the traditions that they were taught in their families. Culture and traditions often hold special meaning for people because such events trigger memories and a sense of belongings within a certain society.

Of course gift giving is an aspect of Christmastime which cannot be ignored. Often, presents are a focal point of the season. For younger people especially, the experience of receiving presents is akin to developing a strong sense or worth, acceptance, and reaffirmation of love. Giving gifts also delivers the power of possibility. Every person can make a difference in another’s life, and by being taught to recognize the value of giving, people build a sense of social consciousness. My husband and I have been teaching the kids the values of sharing and helping the less fortunate by filling a shoebox full of little gifts and

necessities for a deserving boy and girl. The kids love finding the perfect items to fill the box, and feel gratitude in helping out.

The basic theme behind both the biblical and fictional, Santa Claus stories of Christmas, are the virtuous elements of humanity: goodwill, kindness, caring, compassion, and giving. Thus by learning to make more of an effort toward our fellow man during the holidays we - hopefully – retain some of the goodwill for the rest of the year.

Snowflake Project

Here is a project I did with my kids - A Festive Snowflake. It’s an easy project that can be hung all winter long, and great to make with your kids or grandkids.

You will need 42 popsicle sticks, a wooden circle, hot glue gun, white paint and some ribbon.

To start: make each of the long “stems”. Using a hot glue gun, adhere three sticks straight in a line. Then attach two slightly outward at the one end. Repeat these steps until you have 6 “stems” in total. Now onto the more difficult part: on a large flat surface, position the “stems” to your desired shape. Before you glue them, arrange the remaining popsicle sticks around to form “v” patterns around the inside. Look at the photo for correct position. This may take moving things around to get it all lined up properly. Then you can glue them in place and glue the inner circle in place. When the glue has dried, give the snowflake a coat of white spray paint. Attach a ribbon and you’re ready to hang. Show it off on your front door, window or even a wall. Season’s Greetings!

Merola Tahamtan is an Interior Stylist in Home & Business Design, Home Staging, Painting and Window Draperies. You can reach her at 613-561-0244 or [email protected].

Homemade Festive Snowflake decoration. Credit: Merola Tahamtan.


32 Mill Street E. Telephone: (613) 354-4810P.O. Box 174 Fax: (613) 354-7112Napanee, Ontario Toll Free: (800) 267-7812K7R 3M3

Home • Auto • Farm

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Detoxing the Mind, Cleaning the BodyBy Thomasina Larkin, RMT

These days we often hear about the mind-body connection: happy body, healthy mind. It sounds

simple enough on the surface, but let’s take a moment to dig a little deeper and see what’s going on in there.

Toxins We Face

We actually “are” what we eat. The nutrients in the food we consume powers our cells and provides the building blocks for making tissue, muscles and bones. When we eat nutritious meals, we’re energized, our immune system is stronger and we’re happier. When we consume things like processed or refined foods, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, pesticides, preservatives or gluten, our bodies become out of balance and we enter a more toxic state.

Besides food, our body absorbs hundreds of toxins daily via chemicals in household and personal products. Before the average woman even leaves her house in the morning, she covers her body with more than 200 chemicals in the form of soaps, lotions, makeup, etc. In 1970 the cancer rate was 1/10; today it’s 1/3. While these substances can wreak havoc on the body, stresses such as work, school, relationships, kids and money simultaneously bring the mind into a toxic state.

The Mind-Body Connection

When our minds become toxic, there is a direct affect on the body.

Let’s take a look at the nervous system and specifically at two divisions called the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PSNS) nervous system. The PSNS is also called “Rest & Digest” and is our relaxation centre. The SNS is known as “Fight or Flight” and is our emergency response system.When in relaxation mode, our bodies direct energy to the digestive, urinary, immune and reproductive systems. So basically, when we’re not stressed out, we’re eating, eliminating and making babies with ease and good health.

On the other hand, when our stress mode kicks in, our bodies shunt blood to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Think back to the days when we lived in caves. When we suddenly heard a twig snap, all our energy was pumped to the heart, lungs and skeletal muscles so that we could out run predators; making babies and digesting food was definitely not a priority. This gives some great insight into why people who are stressed about getting pregnant often have problems conceiving.

Now consider this: If any type of physical endurance kicks the SNS into gear and effectively shuts down the digestive system, is it a good idea to take a walk

to digest dinner? The answer is no. A better idea would be to take a walk before dinner, to help speed up your metabolism so that calories from your meal can be burned through quicker.

Now, knowing that stress halts digestion, think about how stress is different today than in the caveman days. We are a chronically stressed out culture. Tension, fear, anger, guilt, shame, anguish, worries, expectation and sadness continually plague our minds, which in turn takes a toll on our bodies. Instead of processing food properly, stress brings on irritable bowels, skin conditions, weight gain and more.

Feeling Hormonal?

During stressful states, we have a few specific hormones that come into play. The adrenal glands secrete epinephrine and hydrocortisone, which both act to increase heart rate, increase blood pressure, increase the rate of respiration, increase blood-sugar levels, and prolong the intensity o f t h e S N S response even further.

The stress hormones also cause the release of fatty acids from adipose (fat) tissue for quick and continued energy. Releasing fat for energy sounds great, but if we aren’t doing physical activity, we aren’t burning through the fat. Instead it collects around the abdomen, which is why you see so many stressed out politicians with big bellies!

We also tend to eat sugar when stressed, so it’s a triple whammy for weight gain: the SNS shuts down digestion, hormones secrete fat around the abdomen and we eat junk.

Checking our pH Levels

If you have a pool, it’s a given that you check its pH level. But how many of us have ever taken the time to check our own pH? All the body’s fluids have a pH, which stands for potential for hydrogen. If you consider that our body is made up of about 60% water, which is H20 – or

hydrogen and oxygen, that is a lot of potential for hydrogen.

pH is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, where 0 is extremely acidic and 14 is alkaline. Our body runs almost exactly neutral, but a little on the alkaline side (7.4 pH for arterial blood). All those toxic things discussed – processed

foods, chemicals, stress, etc – bring us out of balance and usually make us more acidic. To test yourself, you can buy litmus paper at many health food stores. Saliva pH should run between 6.5 and 6.8 pH. I’ve done this test with many groups before and it’s amazing to see how different people test even based on whether or not they’ve had a coffee (which is highly acidic) or not that day.

Symptoms of being too acidic are: acne, low energy and chronic fatigue, weakness, confusion and nausea, frequent colds, infections, allergies or headaches, and pathologies related to poor calcium absorption.

The Beauty of Breath

Ah, glorious breath: Our life force energy that does so much for us without us even thinking about it. Unfortunately, most

of us are shallow breathers. The less oxygen we take in, the more acidic we become because not taking deep enough breaths

leads to an increase in the amount of

carbon dioxide in the blood. In extreme cases,

respiratory acidosis can occur.

W h e n w e g e t stressed to the point of a panic attack, we hyperventilate as a way for our body

to decrease the acidity of the blood. Have you ever been upset or mad and someone has told you “Just take a deep breath” or “Breathe and count to 10”? This is actually pretty scientifically solid advice. Taking a deep breath can provide clarity, lower stress, make you feel better about a situation, improve digestion and deliver nutrients to your cells.

On the other hand, too shallow of breath can lead to sickness, bacteria and viruses. Think of what would happen if you sealed up a fridge and pulled the plug for a week. What would you see when you came back and opened it? Where did those bugs and mold come from? They were always there, just like they’re always in us. By letting our bodies become more acidic, we provide a breeding ground for bacteria.

Three Places to Start Detoxing

FOOD: The Dirty DozenVarious environmental and food organizations have created a list the dirty dozen in produce. If you can manage to at least buy the following items from the organic section, you’ll considerably reduce the amount of chemicals you ingest:

1. Apples2. Celery3. Sweet bell peppers4. Peaches 5. Strawberries6. Nectarines 7. Grapes8. Spinach9. Lettuce10. Cucumbers11. Blueberries12. Potatoes

PRODUCTS: David Suzuki’s Dirty DozenDavid Suzuki issued the following list of harmful toxic chemicals that are found in many skin products. Most of these likely cause cancer, or are harmful for the brain or other systems in the body. Carry the list in your purse and avoid lathering any of the following on your body:

1. BHA and BHT (in makeup and moisturizers)

2. Coal tar dyes: p-phenylenediamine and colours listed as “CI” followed by a five digit number

3. DEA-related ingredients (found in creamy and foaming products)

4. Dibutyl phthalate (used in some nail care products)

5. Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives: look for DMDM hydantoin, diazolidinyl urea, imidazolidinyl urea, methenamine and quarternium-15

6. Parabens7. Parfum (aka fragrance)8. PEG compounds (used in many

cream bases)9. Petrolatum (found in shiny hair

products, lip sticks and balms and moisturizers)

10. Siloxanes: ingredients ending in “-siloxane” or “-methicone”

11. Sodium laureth sulfate (used in shampoos, cleansers and bubble bath)

12. Trilosan (used in antibacterial products such as toothpaste, cleansers and antiperspirants

THE MIND: Affirmations to Let GoAlong my journey so far I’ve learned many mantras and affirmations. The following is the one I like best. Try saying the whole thing once a day or once a week, and then draw a single line from it whenever you need it. Sit quietly, breathe and repeat one line in your head. The first half of the sentence you choose can be said on the inhale and the second half on the exhale.

I’m willing to let go I release, I let goI release all tensionI release all fearI release all angerI release all guiltI release all shameI release all anguishI release all worriesI release all expectationsI release all sadnessI let go of all old limitationsI let go and am at peaceI am at peace with myselfI am at peace with the process of lifeI am safe

Thomasina Larkin is a RMT and Fitness Instructor based in Enterprise. Her website is at www.thomasina.ca.


Earning a Living in the CountryBy Cam Mather

It was recently pointed out to me that my writing for The Scoop often takes on a bit of self-promotion. This would

in fact be an accurate observation. And herein lies the great, eternal country living/homesteading dilemma: How do you earn an income in the country? Here are some of observations I’ve made while trying to do just that.

#1 It’s much harder to earn an income in the country. There simply aren’t as many job opportunities and country jobs tend to pay less than city jobs.

#2 - If you move to the country but have to commute to the city for work, does it detract from your overall country experience? Not that there’s anything wrong with this, you just have to factor it into country life reality.

#3 - If you want to make money in the country growing food, borrow a lot of money, buy a big piece of land and buy a really, really big tractor with lots of fancy attachments. Growing food on a small scale in a world of industrial agriculture is just not an easy way to earn a living.

#4 - To reduce your need for an income in the country, work like a dog while you are living in the city and save every penny. If this takes you until you retire and you drop dead shortly after moving to the country, well, you kind of missed the whole point of wanting to move to the country in the first place.

#5 - If you move to the country before retirement age and you haven’t won a lottery or received a big inheritance, your biggest challenge is going to be changing your relationship with money. This means you have to get used to having less. Sounds easy. It’s not.

This final rule is really, really hard and after 15 years living in paradise, it’s still the one I struggle with the most. I experience ups and downs in this area. Sometimes I’m very “Zen-like” and I can rise above the money obsession. I can even watch those commercials that show retired people sitting on a dock after working and saving their whole life and I think about how many people I’ve

known or heard of who have died shortly after retiring. When I hear those stories I am glad that I got out of the rat race at the age of 38, rather than 65. Odds are now I’ll have a heart attack within the next few weeks after writing that line.

But then reality will creep back in and I’ll stress out over it. In the words of Roseanne’s Roseannadanna, “It’s always something.” That car of ours is going to need replacing one of these days. It would be nice to contribute to our daughter’s wedding. I’m really going to need a tractor if I’m going to keep attempting to earn a living growing food.

Michelle and I have had to resort to the “Anything for a Buck” motto for many years trying to find the right balance of work/income and trying to eke out a living here in our little piece of paradise. We have been experimenting and fine-tuning it for years and with the economic collapse of 2008 and the on-going jarring changes in technology especially in the publishing world, we have had to keep trying to tweak the income generating process.

It is difficult, but when we finally hit something that actually works it is incredibly gratifying. Getting there, though, can be quite a struggle.

Sometimes people who have read my books or attended one of my workshops ask me, “When is the right time to make the move?” I cannot give them a definitive answer. My inclination is always to say “right now”. But if you don’t have a source of income, or if you don’t want a 2-hour commute every day, you need to realize the tradeoff you’ll be making for that country experience. When I drive through suburbia I often think of the bliss that many suburbanites must feel, earning an income, spending it at the big box stores, taking a vacation to a warm place every winter and saving for retirement. And that’s all well and good, for them. Living in suburbia felt like a slow death for me so I got out while I was young. And now, slowly, little by little, I’m getting used to the fact that the government retirement plan that will be my only source of income, you know,

that’s the one that everyone says is going to be bankrupt, or is too small for anyone to live on… well, that’s going to be my retirement. And right now, it’s looking pretty darn great.

For anyone reading this that doesn’t have the income worries because of city jobs, good pensions, inheritances and lottery wins, knows that local business people really do appreciate your patronage. When you spend your money locally it makes a big deal to the local economy and to the lives of local people. When you buy stuff from big box stores in the city it helps shareholders in faraway places but not your neighbors. So please, when you’re making a buying decision, think of the local option, even if it costs a little more. Remember, someday the guy you rent videos from may be at your house extinguishing a fire on your porch when your BBQ falls over. The president of your internet-based movie provider won’t be.

Michelle and I are committed to reduce how much carbon we put into the atmosphere, so getting a city job isn’t in the works for us. Here’s what we do. We sell absolutely amazing kindling to start your woodstove! It’s all sourced from a local sawmill and it’s fantastic! Michelle and I publish books about sustainable living which you can learn more about at our website. We also run a CSA, which supplies local families with produce for 16 weeks each summer from our garden. It’s local. It’s organic and our members this past summer raved about it. We also do websites. If you’re thinking about a website for a business or organization

you’re involved with, we can help. And in the fall and spring we run a one-day workshop at our farm that talks about renewable energy, sustainable food production and changing your relationship with money.

So there you have it, my covert attempt at self-promotion to try and earn a living while living in the country. Actually, it wasn’t so covert after all …. www.cammather.com/

Socks • Winter WearGarments • Duvets

Quality Canadian Made Warmth

[email protected]

613-379-2580Tamworth, ON

Larry and Kim McCutcheon presented the Hospital Foundation with a cheque for $1000 raised at their Customer Appreciation BBQ held in August. The store holds

the annual free BBQ as a thank you to their customers. Donations of $1000 received by customers at the barbecue help support the new chemotherapy suite at L & A

Hospital. (left to right): Robert Paul (Lennox & Addington County General Hospital Foundation Chair), Larry & Kim McCutcheon (Owners of Stone Mills Family Market).

Hospice L&A’s AnnuAl Curling

FunspielSaturday,

February 9th

Two 6-end gamesPrizes * Fun *

Lunch * Dinner

Contact Kim 613-354-0833 or email:

[email protected] for more information or to register a team!


Desmond Technology(613) 328-5558

[email protected]://desmondtechnology.com

1-888-832-1904

www.lanevetservices.ca

School SpiritBy Sebastian BackGrade 12 studentSydenham High School

When I arrived at Sydenham High for the first time in grade nine, I was absolutely ecstatic to be

in high school. It was a new place. A place that gave me more responsibility and freedom to do what I wanted, that would begin to shape the person I would be for the rest of my life. Grade 9 was fantastic. The seniors were encouraging and filled with school spirit. On big game days the halls were filled with red and gold, in honor of our athletes.

Then the fire went out. The enthusiastic senior students of 2010 graduated. The energetic encouragement of school spirit became less apparent from our upper classmates and the sense of euphoric patriotism toward our beloved golden eagle plummeted to earth.

Currently the majority of students who participate on spirit days are from student council. Even the school clothing logo contest had only one entry. This certainly doesn’t reflect pride of being a part of our school community. But, where does school spirit come from? Why does it leave and, most importantly how do we get it back?

People have confidence and trust in a place when they feel safe - especially teens. We love to be welcomed, to fit in and when we fit in we feel safe. This safety allows us to express ourselves in an environment where this expression will not be shot down. However, if we feel insecure or nervous we do nothing. If we do not feel secure at school and we feel disconnected from faculty, other students and ourselves we have no desire to support our school. School spirit disappears when students feel less confident in themselves socially.

Unfortunately there are some students who feel isolated because of perceived differences. I for one see no openly gay students in our school. A Vietnamese friend of mine left after a year because of the racism he experienced while at our school. At other high schools one can see any sexual orientation expressed and any race, culture or spiritual belief represented, and respected. These schools have a greater sense of spirit because students feel welcome and accepted.

Even though cultural diversity at Sydenham is somewhat lacking, a greater effort must be made to create a more accepting school community: with more openness, and an awareness and respect of another student’s character and lifestyle. This may be difficult to cultivate but it’s something we all need to work on.

I believe that it is up to the current seniors to set the bar higher in order to help the younger students cultivate a safe and open environment for all students to express and find themselves. These are the years when we establish who we become for the rest of our lives. If we don’t have the room to search for ourselves we will be ill prepared for independent life post-secondary.

Christmas MemoriesBy Reba PennellGrade 11 studentNapanee District Secondary School

Don’t you just love it when

you se e the first snowfall? It shows that winter is finally here and my favourite time – Christmas, i s f a s t approaching. I r e m e m b e r when I was a kid I use to love r unning out into the snow and throwing snowballs at my family, and then my mom yelling for me to get my snow pants on but it was always to late because by then my regular pants were already soaking wet from jumping in the snow.

Then there was Christmas. I loved trying to stay up and listen for Santa’s reindeer but as always I fell asleep and then I would wake up at 7 to my mom saying that Santa had come…it was perfect. Now here I am and I get up even earlier on Christmas; 5 o’clock in the morning. Some may say that is weird but I do this just to have a little bit of kid inside of me because truth is, I can feel the ‘kid clock’ ticking away.

Here I am in Grade 11 and I’m already thinking about university and what I want to do with myself. Plus the work load at school is crazy and sometimes I want to pull my hair out. Nobody said the road to success was going to be easy, I know that and I understand that, but sometimes I just want to yell and scream at the world to just give me a break. I have been told before though that in the real world, there are no breaks.

Life is hard, relationships are hard, family life can sometimes be hard and around this time of year…Christmas shopping is hard. I remember when I was younger and the shopping used to be so easy. My parents would get whatever they thought was appropriate for my aunts, uncles and grandparents and then they would get me to help with the wrapping; that was my job, even though I was terrible at it. Now I actually have to buy the presents myself, pick them out and do the wrapping.

Then there is the money factor. I’m a teenager and I like to shop but when it comes around to Christmas time and I need to buy presents, I have almost no money.

Slowly but surely I am learning how to actually save my money but as I’m learning this I am also realizing that it isn’t about what the gift is, or how expensive it is, it’s about giving the gift to someone you care about.

I used to go shopping for Christmas gifts the week before, but now I buy them earlier. I never understood the importance of sales until I actually found myself excited for one because that meant the things that I wanted or needed were cheaper and that meant saving money. See? I am learning! I love Christmas shopping now because I’m the one buying the gifts for everyone instead of being dragged from store to store by my parents like I see happening all over and thinking: That used to be me.

Even though the future is creeping up on me and my ‘kid clock’ is ticking away, I’m slowly actually starting to feel confident; about saving my money, about life, about university, about school and this important time of the year…Christmas shopping. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year everyone!

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Journaling Workshop Offersa Strategy for GriefJames Pennebaker, a University of

Texas psychologist and researcher has found that journaling can

strengthen a person’s immune system. Indeed, the simple act of writing down one’s own feelings and reflections can decrease the symptoms of asthma, arthritis and the negative effects of stress. In his study he concluded that writing about stressful events helps a person come to terms with them and thus lessens their impact on physical health.

“Psychotherapists have known this for decades,” says Daisy Lemphers, a Napanee-based Grief and Loss Counsellor. “Many of us consider journaling to be an important therapeutic tool that helps our clients deal with their grief and other life challenges.”

As a Grief and Loss Counsellor, Lemphers seeks to assist her clients through the stresses of losing a loved one. She considers journaling to be “another arrow in my quiver” as she helps lead clients forward, step by step. As a community service, Lemphers is offering a free workshop: Journaling Through Grief. Limited to eight persons at a time, it was held on Saturday, Nov. 17, 1 to 3 p.m. at her home office in Roblin 15 minutes north of Napanee.

“Participants will warm up first,” says Lemphers. “Just as athletes need to

warm up, writers need to warm up by flexing their writing hand, breathing deeply and getting centered. We are all so busy in our day-to-day lives, sometimes it takes a bit of a ‘warm up’ to relax and focus. “After a quick writing exercise and a break, the real journaling will begin.”

While writing, the analytical and rational left side of the brain becomes occupied. This allows the right side of the brain to create and to feel. Journaling is a strategy to help you process your emotions, thoughts and feelings. Some people may be very experienced in journaling and for others it may be a new experience. Journaling Through Grief provides the writer the opportunity to express themselves using some specific

platform statements that may lead to further discussion about

grief. Lemphers also welcomes drawing and poetry as part of the journaling process.

“Writing about the anger and sadness of a loss is very therapeutic,” says Lemphers.

“Journaling is also a way to remember those joyful

moments,” she adds. “This is your grief; it belongs

to you; it is your journey.” During the two-hour workshop,

participants can share what they wrote … or not.

“What is important is that you pay attention to the emotions behind your writing,” says Lemphers.

After 20 years as a front-line social worker in the Yukon, Lemphers founded Capacity Consulting when she re-located to the Napanee area. Lemphers has a Master of Education in Adult Learning and is a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers. She has a lengthy and varied career in social work, policy and education. She has just recently opened her mobile private practice.

Registration for this workshop was limited to eight people, but it will be offered free on a continuing basis . Registration is at www.capacityconsulting.info or by calling 613-438-2010.

Mediation – A True Alternative to LitigationBy Allan M. Proulx

When couples are separating, what is the first thing they feel they must do? They race

to find the most aggressive divorce lawyer to knock the other spouse into oblivion! Fortunately, there is an excellent alternative to the expensive and adversarial nature of litigation and that is Mediation.

It is an interests-based process that has been around forever. Strangely enough, it is only now gaining popularity as a credible alternative to the court system. Compared with litigation and its mind-numbing costs, exaggerated motions, delays and huge financial and emotional price, mediation is humane, cost effective (mediator’s fee is split), fast and confidential.

The search for a way to make the process of separation less painful has led many to Mediation. It concludes with a balanced agreement to which each spouse will have contributed voluntarily – an agreement that reflects their individual needs.

Mediators are neutral, chosen by both spouses, who will get to know their clients and their individual interests personally, as opposed to a judge or opposing lawyer. They will work hard guiding the couple through their separation; with their dignity, self-esteem and assets intact at the end. Mediation allows couples to maintain full control over their own progression throughout the process leading to a “win-win” resolution.

As opposed to litigation, mediation does not demand that you relinquish control over your and your children’s futures to a judge and the court system.

A mediator does not impose any decisions. They are there to help the spouses reach a mutually acceptable agreement. They make sure that the process is fair, and that each person’s views are able to be heard. Needless to say, mediation requires a degree of civility and cooperation between the spouses – it does not necessarily work for everyone!

Compared with court, however, mediation is fast and confidential. Progress relates directly to how cooperative each spouse is in reaching agreement. There is an inherent fairness in mediation. While knowing the law, a mediator will work closely with the couple to arrive at an agreement that each spouse is both happy with and appreciates. Ongoing, these agreements often work considerably more successfully than court judgments since the couple was openly involved in putting it together.

Mediation and Children

The single, most important part of mediation is the children! The mediator’s mandate is to ensure that the best interests of the children are safeguarded, without compromise, in any agreement and parenting plan.

Is separation damaging to children? Conflict, in and of itself, is not necessarily a bad thing for children to witness. It is natural and healthy for their growth. This is true, however, ONLY as long as the conflict is not abusive AND as

long as children can see the resolution to the conflict. A mediator prepares a comprehensive Parenting Plan to ensure that the children’s needs are addressed and dealt with properly. This plan is completely driven by the parents, not the mediator, and frequently the children benefit from a higher quality of care due to their parents’ very considered input into the plan.

Mediation empowers parents to make the best decisions on behalf of their children and to salvage any goodwill to help them work together for their children in the future.

Do We Still Need Lawyers if We Mediate?

Since both parties retain full control over their separation agreement, does this mean that lawyers are not needed during a separation? No, not at all. Spouses should each retain lawyers for independent legal advice on their rights and to review their final agreement.

At the end of a successful mediation, the mediator provides a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding, including a Parenting Plan, for each spouse to take to their lawyer for review and, again, independent legal advice. Once this is signed, witnessed and registered with a court, it becomes a legally binding and enforceable contract. As time moves on, amendments to the agreement and parenting plan may well be necessary. They can be made on written consent of both parties or be re-mediated to reflect current realities.

Mediation can help you lay a solid foundation for a bright, new beginning and let you see that separation is merely a chapter in your life; it does not define your life. I am passionate about mediation and am always so gratified by being able to help families, especially the children, who are at their lowest ebb to move on to a new, exciting and happier life!

Allan Proulx is a Comprehensive Family Mediator and Arbitrator at Aequus Mediation and Arbitration and can be contacted in Napanee at 613-354-2904 or by email at [email protected] . John McClellan

Chartered Accountant6661 Wheeler Street,

Tamworth, ON K0K 3G0613-379-1069

From Colleen's Gardening Service,

Thank-Youand

Happy Holidays to all my Customers!See you in the Spring!Colleen Martin-Fabius


Answers to the crossword on the Puzzle Page (page 26):

Free ClASSiFiedSFree to private individuals or not-for-profit community groups. Ads are accepted by phone at 613-379-5369 or by email at [email protected].

Wanted: We are looking for 3 sets of old stairs (to use outdoors) and a flat-screen TV (small to med size). Call Susan or Steven: 613-379-5958

WANTED: Studebaker memorabilia. Items such as manuals, brochures, old dealer calendars, pens, pencils, lighters, watches, etc. Phone Norm 613-968-4400.

FOR SALE: Kindling - Best Kindling Anywhere! Locally sourced mill ends cut and ready to go. $10/box. Delivery and discounts available for 5 or more boxes. “The Ultimate House Warming Gift!” 613-539-2831

FOR SALE: Metal Working Equipment - universal metal bender with numerous dies; 1/2 inch bar twisting machine (powered, several scrollers for producing identical scrolls of different sizes with ease; & 4 x 4 foot steel welding table with vice. Phone 613-379-2682.

FOR SALE: Organically grown garlic. Call Sunflower Farm at 613-539-2831.

CORRECTION: Please note the following error in the 2011/2012 Tamworth and Erinsville Telephone Directory: The phone number for “Gillan, A” should be 379-2393. Apologies for this error. Please report other errors by email at [email protected]

WORK WANTED: Secretarial, micro-publishing, bookkeeping, etc. Contact Jeannette at 613-358-9173.

the horoSCoop By The Oracle Cassandra

ARIES March 21 – April 20Hello 2013I saw you arriveWith lights on high beamAnd gave you a high fiveYou can make a big impression simply by paying attention to the detail you put into the way you look and how you do things. Set your sites high and expect good profits from an interesting business opportunity. Mingle now, what you do for others will bring you recognition.

TAURUS April 21 – May 21Good morning new yearNice to have you hereNew plans being madeNew cards being playedSize up your situation and prepare to take the necessary action. Keep your ideas to yourself for now. Don’t procrastinate in making a decision regarding a change in your work or lifestyle both will benefit from a firm decisive move on your part. Success is in the cards.

GEMINI May 22 – June 22I remember The lights of DecemberHouses all aglow And softly falling snowYou may find yourself in a dreamlike mood for a while. It might be better to let reality come to the fore in the coming weeks making you more aware of risks that are lurking in your path. Dreams can be used to build a platform but logic should be your guide now. Rethink a personal relationship you may not be quite ready to make a commitment at this time.

CANCER June 23 – July 22Snowflakes do a pirouetteEach a flirtatious coquetteThey kiss upturned facesAs they have for agesDon’t be afraid to express your feelings and be direct with someone with whom you want to share your feelings. Others gravitate toward you now and friends surround you. Someone at a distance has news for you and you will be surprised when you contact them. Stand back from the hustle and bustle going on around you and just enjoy yourself for a few days.

LEO July 24 – August 23Midnight, now your hear The New YearOn little snowy feetWalking every streetNews heads your way concerning finances and opportunities for the future. The chance will come to prove yourself over the next few days, don’t push too hard, it will come to you. New ideas will come and go and most will seem attractive but don’t discard your old way of thinking completely just yet. You will come up with the right balance before long.

VIRGO Aug. 24 – Sep. 23The New Year is hereWhen did last year disappear?Guess it quietly slipped awayWhen I looked the other wayBe aware that someone is more observant than you initially thought. Something good is about to quietly slip into your life so this might a good time to move forward with that project you have been working on for the past few months. Sharing your knowledge and experience will make a difference in your life now and lead to new friendships.

LIBRA Sep. 24 – Oct. 22January to DecemberSpring then summer afterFall’s leaves of amberWinter’s icy chatterRecent events may have made you uncomfortable, your interpretation of what someone said is most likely far different from what was intended. Let events unfurl as they may and take a wait and see attitude. You find it easy to meet people and make new friends, but you need some time for yourself so stand back from the hustle and noise that is around you and just be yourself for a few days.

SCORPIO Oct. 23 – Nov. 21There is no doubtA big change is aboutTo come into our lives As the New Year arrivesYou believe that things should be done right or there is no point in them, let things unfold as they will do anyway. You can make a difference in a current situation by sharing your knowledge and contributing your thoughts to a project. Interacting with others will lead to opportunities that are on the threshold of a new path for you. Contributing your time and expertise will be appreciated by those who count.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22 – Dec. 21Mistletoe brings peace and loveThrough doorways it is hung aboveWander’s returning to the nestAre kissed by those they love bestYou have changed direction and the pace of life will speed up soon. Allow yourself to loosen up a bit and reach out to others. News is heading your way that will pertain to finances. Be nice to those you meet for the next few weeks, friends and family will play a big part in your life as the year winds down.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22 – Jan. 20Ice falls from a treeA crackling symphonyIts notes falling belowAre muffled by pristine snowYou have been coping with a challenge but muffle the instinct to make a quick decision. Find ways to improve your relationship with others and things will fall into place for you. Get your priorities in order and do only what you deem important. You have plenty to look forward to so set your sights on new goals.

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 – Feb. 19Carols are sungWreaths are hungBells are rungThe season has begunThe good times have begun; you get a chance to prove yourself to your peers but don’t push yourself too hard. Things will develop in your favour if you do not get into a dreamlike mood and disregard alarm bells going off in your head. Love is in the picture so let the good times roll.

PISCES February 20 – March 20You and I walked long agoThrough soft new fallen snowOur steps led us downA path with happiness all aroundYou will progress quickly along any path you choose to walk because charm is definitely one of your assets. Friends and neighbours will be pleased to see you now. You will find yourself motivated to go after those things that are close to your heart. Get together with old friends and loved ones, memories that come to the fore will delight both you and them.

Merry Christmas!

W&S ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICESApproved by the Ministry of the Environment

• Grass cutting• Seniors receive 10% discount• Large items pickup• Garbage pickup & recyclables

Phone: 613-379-5872Cell: 613-483-8441

[email protected]


Puzzle Page

New York Times Crossword

by Harriet Clifton / Will Shortz ©The New York Times

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

36 37 38 39 40

41 42 43

44 45 46

47 48 49 50 51

52 53 54 55

56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

65 66 67

68 69 70

71 72 73

Across

1. Footlong sandwiches

5. Lost traction

9. Post office purchase

14. Fairy tale meanie

15. Hatcher of "Lois & Clark"

16. Himalayan kingdom

17. Short on dough

19. Play a role none too subtly

20. Kind of paper for gift-wrapping

21. Short on dough

23. ___ to stern

25. Dedicatory verse

26. Sports org. for scholars

29. Finger food at a Spanish restaurant

32. Over-the-top review

36. The "A" in A/V

38. Howard Stern's medium

40. Tiny criticism to "pick"

41. Short on dough

44. Part of an iceberg that's visible

45. Sarge's superior

46. Aquafina competitor

47. Aardvark's fare

49. Attack en masse, as a castle

51. Architect Saarinen

52. ___ Beta Kappa

54. Individually

56. Short on dough

61. Bits of wisdom?

65. One washing down a driveway, e.g.

66. Short on dough

68. Eye-teasing paintings

69. Saskatchewan Indian

70. Teeny bit

71. See 22-Down

72. "Thundering" group

73. Agts. looking for tax cheats

Down

1. Downy

2. Wrinkly fruit

3. Garments that usually clasp in the back

4. Takes off on a cruise

5. Avenue

6. Fierce type, astrologically

7. Annoys

8. Jenny Craig regimen

9. Three-time P.G.A. champ

10. Word repeated after someone starts to show anger

11. Individually

12. Chess ending

13. Begged

18. "... and nothing ___"

22. With 71-Across, "White Men Can't Jump" co-star

24. Ballet's Fonteyn

26. Can./U.S./Mex. treaty

27. Give hints to

28. Good (at)

30. Barbecue area

31. Stick (to)

33. "___ Get Your Gun"

34. Church official

35. Prefix with -centric

37. Something good to strike

39. Unclose, poetically

42. Polite refusal

43. "Enough already!"

48. Globe

50. In an atlas, e.g.

53. #1 to Avis's #2

55. So-so grade

56. Restaurant acronym

57. "Uh-uh"

58. Nicholas I or II

59. Do art on glass, say

60. Partner of truth

62. "A ___ of One's Own"

63. Instrument that's plucked

64. Baseball's ___ the Man

67. Individually

1 47 5 1

3 2 65 9 6 2

9 7 1 42 4 8 91 4 3

3 9 63 9


QualitY seCond Hand BooKs: BridGe street east at peel, taMWortH

Fri-sat-sun, 11 aM - 4 pM 379-2108Open until December 23rd

BOOK SHOP

www.explorersmarket.com

“LIKE” & “SHARE” our Facebook page to receive a free gift when you visit the outlet store!

OUTLET STORE LOCATION: 27 Kellwood Crescent, Napanee, 613 354 5649

Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10am– 5pm

A Place Worth Discovering! WisHinG yoU a

HaPPy & saFe HoLiday!

Whether we had the pleasure of doing business in 2012 ...

orWhether we are presently

preparing for a future opportunity ...or

Perhaps our paths simply crossed at some point during the year ...

Thank you for your support

& your friendship.

sendinG yoU oUr sinCere WisHes For aLL tHe Best

in tHe CoMinG season!

A very merryChristmas

TO YOU AND YOURS

1 Dairy Avenue, Napanee 613-354-4424 3 Mill Pond Drive, Tamworth 613-379-2307 SALE PRICES APPLY TO IN-STORE ITEMS ONLY.SPECIAL ORDERS FOR CHRISTMAS DEADLINE: MONDAY DEC 10, 2012

STORE HOURS

Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm Saturday 8am to noon Sunday - Closed

GLOVES& MITTS

25% OFF

SPECIAL WITH PURCHASE

Receive 25% off any bird seed with any bird feeder purchase

SAVE UP TO 75%

on selectedCARHARTT,

TOUGH DUCK

Great selection for baby, toddlers and kids too!

Selected ItemsAll of December 2012

great selection of sizes and styles for the whole family

SAVEUP TO

My& a tr t a Lg ta d.W

BARRY BRUMMELSales Representative

Real Estate Brokerage

www.wagarmyatt.com

112A Industrial Blvd., Box 384Napanee, Ontario K7R 3P5

Bus: 613-354-3550 . Fax: 613-354-3551Toll Free: 1-866-461-0631

Cell: 613-484-0933Email: [email protected]

House to HOME Service

Wishing everyone a joyous Christmas and a � lfi lling year ahead in 2013


√ Tree and shrub pruning

√ Woodlot management for fire-wood, sugarbush, recreation, etc. √ Diagnosis, treatment and/or removal of trees infected with para-sites such as; •Emerald Ash Borer •Birch Borer •Dutch Elm Beetle √ Hard to access, machine as-sisted takedowns

Book early for Book early for winter discounts contactwinter discounts contact James @ 613James @ 613--561561--42334233 [email protected]

www.abovethewaterline.ca

Don’t get caught with your trees down!

Locally owned and operated Fully Insured and Qualified

Tree Service Tree Service &&

Woodlot Woodlot Management Management

√ Tree and shrub pruning

√ Woodlot management for fire-wood, sugarbush, recreation, etc. √ Diagnosis, treatment and/or removal of trees infected with para-sites such as; •Emerald Ash Borer •Birch Borer •Dutch Elm Beetle √ Hard to access, machine as-sisted takedowns

Book early for Book early for winter discounts contactwinter discounts contact James @ 613James @ 613--561561--42334233 [email protected]

www.abovethewaterline.ca

Don’t get caught with your trees down!

Locally owned and operated Fully Insured and Qualified

Tree Service Tree Service &&

Woodlot Woodlot Management Management

STUDIO YOGA YOGASTUDIO YOGA YOGA

48DUNDAS St.EASTN A P A N E E

613-770-4696613-770-4696

Free YogaFree Yoga

With AdWith AdExpires Jan.31/13

Land O’ Lakes Veterinary Services12497A Highway 41

Unit 2Northbrook, ON K0H 2G0

(613) 336-1608

NOW OPEN IN NORTHBROOKACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS

613•379•9906 www.beesbusinesshelpers.com

CALL FOR YOUR FREE NO OBLIGATION ESTIMATE

Brenda Mayhew

•Occasional Help•Administration•Accounts Receivable•Accounts Payable•Payroll •Warehousing•General Office•In-house Training•Confidentiality

Help for your business when and where you need it!

Please call or e-mail to register for a workshop and/or book an appointment: Aleris Cronk, Dietitian: 613-354-8937 ext. 154 E-mail: [email protected]

FREE diabetes counseling & group education available to all residents of Lennox and Addington including Deseronto and Tamworth

Individual Counseling Healthy Eating Workshop Craving Change

Workshop Who? Individuals living with

prediabetes or type 2 diabetes

Open to anyone Open to anyone

What? Free individual counseling regarding proper diabetes

management

A 2 session workshop to help you improve your health

Topics include: balanced meals, portion control, fats, fibre, exercise

and so much more!

A 3 session how-to workshop for changing your relationship with food. Understand your

cravings!

When? Offered days and evenings Locations include:

Napanee, Amherstview, Deseronto, Tamworth,

Odessa & Selby

Option #1: Thursday Jan 10 & 17, 2013

Option #2: Thursday Feb 21 & 28, 2013

Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm

3 Wednesday evenings from Jan 23 to Feb 6,

2013 Time: 6:00 – 8:00pm

Where? See above 6 Dundas Street East (Napanee CHC)

6 Dundas Steet East (Napanee CHC)

BeaverLakeventures

Beaver Lake Ventures-Variety

5804 County Rd. 41Erinsville, ON K0K 2A0

Tel: 613.379.5667Email: [email protected]

Brian SteenhoekOwner

BeaverLake_BC.indd 1 30/08/12 3:29 PM

Fall / Winter HoursMon - Fri 6am - 7pmSat 7am - 7pmSun 8am - 6pm

Service With A Smile

Gas, Basic Groceries, Hot Food, Propane, Beer Bottle Return Depot, Vehicle & Chainsaw Oils, Fuel Additives, Wiper Blades & Washer Fluid, Gift & Phone CardsBreakfast Sandwiches & CoffeeChip Truck Open Fri - Mon 11-5Ice Cream Still Available

Christmas Trees November 30thBrian & his staff would like to thank all of their

customers for their patronage and wish them the best for this upcoming holiday season & the new year.

Email for more info:[email protected]

We offer French immersion for kids aged 3-8 in our Tamworth home. Drop off your child after school for conversation, reading, counting, singing, & playing learning games - in French!

FRENCH FOR KIDS

Some previous knowledge of French is great, but not required.

the scoop december 2012 - january 2013

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