Thursday Tidbits
Posted on July 23, 2015 under Thursday Tidbits with no comments yet
“Go Go” the gorilla getting his teeth checked at the dentist’s office
I’m in training… again.
No, I’m not going to run the Boston Marathon again. Those days are in the rear view mirror. I love to walk and have a hankering to go on a long walk. I was in Western Newfoundland a month ago. The Trans Canada Trail happened to pass through the property of the people we were staying with. The trail goes from Port Aux Basques on the west coast to St. John’s on the east coast… a distance of approximately 900 kilometers.
I got to thinking that a walk across Newfoundland would be an adventure and might make a great book. My plan would be to walk 20-25 kms. each day and stay with locals in the small towns and villages that dot the landscape. In exchange for a room for the night, I would have my hosts tell me some stories which I would include in the book. I’m thinking that I’ll try the first leg this fall ( Port Aux Basques to Stephenville ) .
Michael MacDonald is a character. There are lots of Michael MacDonald’s but as far as I know there is only one by that name in Red Islands. Antigonishers will remember Joe Sam’s hands. Now , Michael’s aren’t quite as large but they are mitts, for sure. He has used them for labor, in the ring and holding a fiddle. I think you will enjoy hearing his story which I’m working on presently.
You’ve heard the expression “ opportunity knocks but once.” I am here to dispute this claim. In an upcoming story called “When Opportunity Knocks,” I will review the long and storied history of the Opportunity Shop. I have dropped off bags of clothing in the outside bin over the years but never spent much time inside the facility… until I spent some time researching this story. I learned a lot and there will be some things that surprise you too, including some of the interesting things they’ve found when they’ve opened the bin in the morning!
Week three of the Antigonish Art Fair is happening this Friday at Chisholm Park. The crowd at our last fair was close to 1400 and we’re hoping for another big crowd this week. Come on down and enjoy some amazing ethnic food, lots of great art, an awesome kids corner and lots of live entertainment at the gazebo.
I’m still digesting the two hours I spent with Pat Evans. Pat is a wonderful, warm and witty woman who lives in George’s River, Cape Breton. She is one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. She had a terrible accident thirteen years ago when she hit a moose and instantly became a quadriplegic. While she was robbed of her independence, it hasn’t stopped her from inspiring lots of other persons with handicapped along with her care givers and everyone else she meets. Her story “Positively Pat” will appear in an upcoming edition of the Cape Breton Star as well as on my website.
I am trying to convince Pat to come to Antigonish to give a talk at the library. I will keep you posted.
Can someone explain, where and how July evaporated?
One more thing. When is the last time you visited the Antigonish Visitor Information Center ( VIC )? Like a lot of locals, I haven’t been there in a very long time, until recently. Let me tell you this: it is a gem and one of the most interesting Visitor’s Centres I’ve been in lately. I reckon that I have been in 20 or more in the United States in the past year alone. On the holiday Monday at 2:00 p.m., I will be putting on a show called “ Tales and Tunes” at the Antigonish VIC. Grab a chair and come on over. I’m hoping to have a few musical guests and will do some story telling as well.
Have a great weekend.
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