It is a small world, after all

At Epcot, we encountered a local, St-Eugene native Carolane Wylie, working at the Canadian pavilion. The many attractions include Japanese drummers and a fireworks show.

Island of contrasts

The Bahamas is an island of contrasts. Although it is independent, its capital, Nassau, retains tradition, such as the traffic cop in the midst of a bustling narrow street, and some obvious, sharp signs that some areas are off-limits.

End of the line

After the last windshield was made at the Pittsburgh Glass Works in Hawkesbury last week, the workers held a mock funeral for the firm that had been providing work for as many as 600 people over the last 40 years. They hung up their safety books, some of which were creatively enhanced, and released black balloons.

Ready for winter

Well, it is time to put away the canoe for another year. Forecast calls for snow, for the next six months.

Line on a line

There was something compelling about this line on a line suspended over a creek. Guess you had to be there.

She is in the slot...

Milly, who along with Percy popped up in my garden recently, is quite the hockey fan, playing the role of armchair coach.

Into the unknown

One of the many advantages of living in the boonies is that the short, and unusually stress-free, commute offers the chance to appreciate colours and foggy vistas.

Lost and found

Hey, anybody out there missing a boat? This craft, spotted beside a creek near Hawkesbury, sort of blends in with the fall colours.

Duck blind

A duck bobs happily on a shiny Muskoka lake while observers are blinded by the setting sun.

Eden

OK, so it is not a bumper harvest, but my first-ever apple (shown July 1 and at the time of picking) to grow on my apple tree, planted too many years ago, is very special.

The war hits home

The war in Afghanistan hit close to home when a 21-year-old soldier from Chute-à-Blondeau, east of Hawkesbury, was killed near Kandahar September 13.

The death of Private Patrick Lormand touched our community. Many citizens attended his military funeral last week.

At Remembrance Day ceremonies, veterans speak of their fallen comrades in philosophical terms, saying the departed never had the opportunity to grow old.

Sadly, too many of the casualties of this conflict will also remain forever young.

Lucky driver

You know you are going to have a bad day when....

The driver of this school bus escaped unscathed after it flipped into a ditch on a country road north of Cornwall last week. Fortunately, the bus was carrying no passengers when it collided with a tractor trailer.

Tree gum

A gum-covered tree in a New York State park is proof that some people heed the sage advice about not daring to swallow chewing gum, because it will stick in your innards for 17 years and will contribute to climate change, or something like that.

Spectrum

One of the joys of shopping at a farmers' market, such as the fantastic one in Ithaca, New York, is the ability to buy directly from the source. As you can see, although all products on sale must have been grown within a 30-mile radius of the city, the variety is extensive.

September morn

Summer is on the wane.