It’s been a weird summer in the Lower Mainland.
But forget all that. September is smokin’.
Record high temperatures, and sun sun sun.
EB and I finally managed to get away for a few hours on the boat this afternoon. Most of the homeward bound sailboats were motoring up the Sound back to Vancouver, but we had a leisurely sail in the light southerly coming in from the Straight.
Howe Sound in all its glory.
The front porch. I’m swingin’ man.
Most of last weekend was spent shoveling.
Manure.
Saturday was one of those magic “December on the Coast” kind of days.
It was sunny with the temperature around 12 degrees C.
Perfect for shoveling a big pile of manure, and converting some lawn into edible garden.
Details on my garden’s website – SunsetGardens.ca
Oh.
If you’re wondering why my garden has its own website…it was jealous of the sailboat’s website, so now it has its own.
Sometimes a news story just jumps out at you as being so obvious that it’s hard to believe someone’s actually doing a story about it.
Two today from CBC.CA.
First story. It’s only surprising it’s taken this long for someone to turn up evidence that big tobacco knew ages ago that cigs are bad for you…
Imperial Tobacco Canada destroyed up to 60 early studies that linked cigarettes to addiction and carcinogens, according to a review published Wednesday in the online Canadian Medical Association Journal. (full story here)
Perhaps not surprisingly, Imperial Tobacco makes no mention of this on their web site, but proudly proclaims this:
We’re an international tobacco company focused on creating value for our shareholders.
Imperial Tobacco products are available in over 160 countries worldwide. Our geographic diversity and versatile multi-product portfolio provides business resilience and a strong platform for future growth.
Future growth ! Shareholder value !
Well guess what ? All the future growth and shareholder value is based on a product that will kill you.
My sister, a 2 pack a day smoker, died of lung cancer in her early 40′s. I was with her when she died.
Not a lot of future growth there, fellas.
Second story.
It’s surprising someone gave university researchers a $150,000 car to do this study, proving that fast cars and testosterone are linked.
Well, duh.
Researchers at Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business in Montreal took 39 willing young men and let them take a cruise in a $150,000 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet.
The men were then asked to drive a 16-year-old Toyota Camry. (full story here)
According to the lead researcher, “just put a guy in a Porsche, and his testosterone levels shoot up”.
Well, duh again.
But hang on here.
Every time I get in our Toyota Yaris, I most definitely have a little testosterone thing going on. Fully loaded, the Yaris clocks in at under 20-grand and even used to get a gas-miser rebate from the feds.
Maybe the John Molson School of Business should come out here and do a little study on us West Coast Men.
The Lower Mainland called in the big guns today – Sunshine.
After yesterday’s winter-like-but-not-yet-winter-rain-here-to-remind-you-what’s-coming rain, it was sensational to soak up the sun today.
I had wonderful session with my RMT at Complement in the West Van Rec centre. I’ve been seeing her for a couple of years now, and today was one of those magic sessions where I left feeling like a different person. Nice.
My newly-married-sister-in-law and her new husband are returning from leg 2 of their honeymoon in Quebec City, so thoughts of heading out on the boat to chase the sunshine for a couple of hours, had to be put on hold. They’re here overnight then head back to Portland Oregon, having now spent more of their married time in Canada than in their home country, the grand old USA. Ha!
With a small early afternoon window, I decided to do up some dill pickles. I’ve got a seemingly endless supply of fresh organic cucumbers in my garden. I love an old fashioned garlic dill pickle, and found what looks like a promising recipe/post called Dillicious! Homemade Dill Pickle Recipe the Mennonite Way.
The thing is, I’m trying this recipe with a bunch of lemon cucumbers, and a couple of Suyo Long variety – not exactly dill material, but what the heck.
I love the smell in the house – that’s awesome combination of vinegar and pickling spices that reminds me of when I was a kid, watching my aunt Simone in the kitchen. I spent most of my summers hanging out at her house with my cousins. She somehow always managed to do wonders in the kitchen while holding a cigarette in one hand and a Black Label beer in the other.
There always seemed to be an endless supply of chips and pop, which we’d get after helping her in the garden. We’d pull fresh corn and peas for dinner, then shell what seemed like bushels of peas (for freezing) while sitting in the living room watching daytime TV. I can’t eat fresh peas from the garden without being reminded of The Price is Right, The Dating Game and the Newlywed Game.
Hmm. That gives me an idea. Maybe tonight over dinner with my sister-in-law, I’ll have to give them a Newlywed Game quiz.
I know, when we open up one of these pretty little jars of dills later this winter, that the memory of my aunt Simone will be right there as well.