Dog On A Root

- jim Young “I ain’t got no matches, but I got a long way to go.” - Carl Perkins When my parents first built their cottage on Gibson Lake in the early 1950s it was just a one room cabin. Highway 69 or even “Highway 103” or the “400 extension” as it was named in its early days, didn’t exist. So it was over an hour drive from Stroud, up Highway 11 to Bala and over dirt back roads to Sahanatien’s Landing at the north end of the lake. From there we rode by boat to the bay our cottage was on, half way between Sahanatien’s and “the narrows” . Next to sufficient supplies of food and water, probably the single most important thing to have on hand was matches. We needed matches to light the campfire, the wood stove when it was cold, the coal oil and naphtha lanterns when it got dark and in later years even the propane fridge and cook stove, not to mention the cigarettes that my parents enjoyed in an era when just about everyone smoked. I remember matches often being used to test for gas level

- jim Young “Who was that masked man?” - from the Lone Ranger As I sit here, the mask mandates in Ontario will end in just two days. To celebrate, I was considering driving to North Bay to visit as many stores as I can, without my mask, just because I can. Of course the price of gas doesn’t really make that a practical option. After two years of this restriction, I am certainly welcoming my new freedom. Admittedly, wearing a mask was not the worst part of the pandemic by any means. It was a mild inconvenience at best, but I’m still happy it’s done and over. I didn’t like my glasses fogging up when I wore a mask, I didn’t like having to walk back to my car whenever I forgot my mask and generally speaking, I just didn’t like wearing my mask, period. When I put it in writing like that, it all seems very petty. On the other hand, I think wearing the mask was a very visual and constant reminder of the times we have been living through that subconsciously played on our minds 24/7 and I am a

  I'm still tweaking this recipe to get it right, so keep checking back.

If you want to experience the best jerk chicken in the world, your best option would be to hop on a plane and take a trip to Montego Bay, Jamaica. After all , Jamaica is the home of jerk chicken, or more precisely the jerk seasoning which was introduced by the Jamaican Maroons. The Maroons were former African slaves who escaped their masters. Using their African meat cooking techniques, combined with local ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak Indians, the jerk flavour was born. There is no shortage of Jerk Chicken in Jamaica. There’s no shortage to be found in Jamaica of this unique spicy treat. As an added bonus, while you're in Montego Bay, you can take a stroll down the famous Hip Strip to enjoy the sights, sounds and friendly greetings from Jamaica store owners as they try to encourage you to have a look at their crafts. And did I mention the smells? No doubt you will detect wafts of a fragrance of a certain agricultural product which has only been legal here in Canada

FOR SALE: Make an offer. #70 I have no idea where I even got this. I really have to quit drinking before I go to Garage Sales, but you know… beer is not just another breakfast drink. However, I promise you it wasn’t stolen. That’s not my style. This is the Japanese release of “Let It Be” by the Beatles recorded in 1970 and was manufactured by Toshiba-EMI Ltd. Japan.  Both sides indicate the songs were published by “Northern Songs”, founded by Dick James, Brian Epstein, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Let It Be You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) While Phil Spector was credited as the producer of the album “Let It Be”, the production of both sides of this 45 rpm record were credited to George Martin.  “Let It Be" is backed with “You Know My My Name (Look Up The Number)” which was recorded in 1967. I don’t know how to properly grade records but this one looks pretty fine to me. Click on any of the photos for a larger view and judge for yourself. Let It Be You Know My Name (Look

FOR SALE: Make An Offer  #70 Some of the cards included in this set really aren’t in very good condition. That may not be a good opening for an ad to sell something but it is what it is and they are what they are. And Popeye says, “I yam what I yam.” Whaddya gonna do? I’m not going to insult your intelligence and try to tell you the flaws are the result of a bad scan. Some of these cards were stuck together and ripped when taken apart.  Many have what appears to be mold on them. That’s right, mold. I’m not gonna lie. The good news is, as Google is my witness, the type of mold that gets into paper is rarely toxic. You can find several suggestions of how to rid paper of mold online but I will leave that task up to you so you can ensure it is completed to your satisfaction. But enough of that talk. As Canadian suffragette Nellie McLung proclaimed, “Never complain, never explain.” Looking past their flaws this is what is being offered in this collection. From the estate of Janet P. Maneer