Yard Work as Sport

This is a version of the column I had published a few weeks ago in the Kings County Record.  I have been working hard lately trying to get my yard looking good.  Its almost complete and hopefully I'll have some pictures to post.  Enjoy.

 

It was with mixed emotions that I watched the sun come out this afternoon.  After a long rainy spell I was spiritually lifted to see the sun.  I then looked out at my lawn and realized that with the sun came the need to mow the grass 2 times a week.  In no time though I was whistling a tune as I pulled the mower out and made the first fresh cuts across the lawn.  I was dreaming of long hikes, campouts, casting a fly line, ball games, and lots more.

After the lawn I had to weed the flower beds out front.  I thought "I'll never get fishing at this rate."  As I weeded my mind started wandering and I was comparing gardening and yard work to other sports that I participated in.  Fishing is considered a sport but really I find gardening much more physical than fishing, and I find it harder to grow a good lawn than to catch a brook trout.  I don't dispute that stock car racing is a sport with it's continual left hand turn but I can easily compare that to mowing the lawn.

My mind stopped wandering and I came back to reality as I finished weeding the flower bed.  I went to the shed thinking once again of my fishing rod but instead grabbed the chainsaw so I could limb the apple tree and cut up a fallen limb from the ash tree in the backyard.  Timber sports are under appreciated, especially if your saw isn't working right.  I pulled on that starter for 28minutes before I finally got it to turn over for the first time this season.  I'm afraid I wouldn't make much of a lumberjack.  I used a step ladder to get up the apple tree just to prove the point further.

"Now" I thought, "I can finally go fishing."  I looked up though and realized the sun was setting so the fish would have to wait another day.  I headed back to the front of the house and worked until dark doing some more weeding.  When I finally called it quits and headed inside I was tired and sore.  That likely has to do more with my poor physical conditioning lately than yard work being physically strenuous.  Either way yard work is a great way to get outside and burn off some calories and we could all stand to do that regularly and why not get some work done while we do it.  Next time I'll try to enjoy the yard work a little more.

Coming up on June 4 is National Trails Day.  I encourage you to get out and hike, bike, or paddle your favorite trail.  While you're there why not do some yard work and leave the trail better than you found it.  If you wish to do more good for the environment, keep an eye out for the Kennebecasis Watershed Restoration Committee's "Water and Willows Day" coming up the following weekend.  This is a great chance to field work, which is the Olympics of yard work.

Making memories

There are not enough moments in our life where we make memories.  Last night at Sully's Ice Cream in Sussex however, our family added a moment to the memory banks.

It started off rather below normal as my wife calls me just before I'm leaving work to ask if I want to go for ice cream later that night with the kids.  I'm a big ice cream lover, especially "Death by Chocloate", so it was a no brainer.  I made the drive home and we had supper and then cleaned the kids up a bit before taking off for town to meet my sister and her kids for the anticipated treat.  I was told on the drive down that my brother and his family would be there as well, so I thought "Man this is shaping up to be quite a party."

As the eleven of us sat there, my Mom and Dad drove by and stopped in as well.  It was a great moment where we shared light converation and the kids ran around with one another.  To top that moment, a train came by and the kids all watched it, enthralled with its size and loud clickety clacking.  I could see the family moment building there in that moment as I held my daughter and watched her reaction to the train and as I looked over at the wide eyed, big grinning expression on my son's face.

As we got ready to leave I braced myself for an anticipated fight with the kids but it never came.  We peacefully loaded them into the car for the drive home.  Usually this might be where the memory would end...but on this night it is where it would be cemented into not just a memorable moment but a great moment.  There was a funky song on the radio and my son started dancing foolishly in his booster seat and the rest of us joined in.  Laughing the whole way home, we even sat in the car for sometime in the driveway still dancing away foolishly.  For those who may have drove past us last night who were worried we might run into you, I apologize.

God thank you for family, and thanks so much for a great memory.

Fishing for Food or Fun??

This is a condensed version of a my column that appeared in the Kings County Record back on May 10th, 2011.  This is a topic that I feel is important and I hope that our provincial government doesn't make a knee jerk decision simply to please a few boisterous and ill informed voters.  I hope that science and resource conservation win out on this one because if not, I'm afraid we won't have the trout around for much longer.

Now, I know what you're thinking "Oh no, here he goes again talking about a great day casting a line on the water."  While I will touch on that, this column is a bit different.  I have read in the local papers recently that people are asking the provincial government to increase the bag limit on brook trout and I have to take the bait (pun intended.)  I have to ask WHY?  Fishing is not about killing a fish for food anymore.  I can only think of one type of individual that might actually be fishing simply to feed his family.  Most of us now fish for the pure enjoyment of it.

If you want fish to eat, you can more readily and economically purchase it from your local grocery store.  You would save the cost of your fishing license, the gas to get to the river, the cost of a pole and tackle, and as noted by one individual your ATV fuel, registration and insurance, your trailer inspection and insurance, and your boat license, registration and insurance.  When I go fishing with my son the rule is if you kill it you eat it.  Why do we need to kill a fish we aren't going to eat?  Why not let it go so when we need it there to feed us it will be there.

Fishing, or more appropriately here angling, is about the sport and challenge of catching a big brook trout in less than optimum circumstances.  Anglers will cast a single hooked line numerous times across a pool trying to entice a brookie to take the bait.  An angler will use a light test weight line and a barbless hook just to make the challenge all the more enjoyable. 

I will take and eat a trout from time to time but I can't see a need to increase the bag limit.  If our trout populations were high enough to sustain an increase in the bag limit then maybe I could agree.  There is no evidence stating that our trout can accommodate this.  This is especially true if you consider the ever increasing stress that we continue to place upon them with development and natural resource harvesting as well as the unforeseen impacts of changing climates.

A T-Rex Size Adventure

Awhile ago I had read about an event that I thought my son would really appreciate.  It isn't something that I would have likely enjoyed as a kid but he is slightly different than I was.  I truly love him for this difference and when I see that side of him show, I respect him for how comfortable he seems to be with it.  I always had that side but was never comfortable as a youth expressing it and it makes me proud that he can so readily embrace his intellectual and artistic side more readily than I ever could as a kid or even young adult.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, the event I read about.  My son's five year old intellectual side loves dinosaurs.  So when I found out that a tyrannosaurus rex display was going to be at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History I immediately started planning a trip to see it.  It was a family weekend getaway.  I have to state that I was impressed with the organization of the Nova Scotia tourism websites as I surfed for information to plan the weekend.

Two weekends ago we made the drive to Halifax with anticipation and a sense of adventure.  It was likely the longest drive either of our kids had been on and luckily for me and my wife they travel really well.  We only stopped twice for pee breaks and only heard "Are we there yet?" twenty times or so.  Due to some car trouble we were late getting on our way on the overcast Saturday morning but we made Halifax and after some misguided site seeing of the city we found the museum. 

It took no time for Seth to get out of his booster seat; in fact he ended up being lectured on waiting until the car stopped before unbuckling.  We made our way to the entrance where the walkway was lined with whale bones and already he was having fun.  We stepped in side the museum and I was immediately impressed with how many people were there.  I never would have expected to see people lined up to get in on what turned out to be a sunny Saturday afternoon.

I started to feel like a kid myself as we stepped into the t-rex display.  Seth ran up the ramp and stood there wide eyed and mouth open in awe.  I'm sure my eyes were wide too as I was impressed with the size of the ancient reptile.  It was all we could do to keep up with Seth as he dashed from interactive display to display.  It took no time for him to see all there was to see and we were worried we wouldn't have time to see it all.  From the t-rex display we took in the other displays, including the bird display, the wildlife, and marine displays.

After we left the museum we took some time to walk through the Halifax public Garden and we were fortunate enough to take in some more great wildlife.  Geese, swans, ducks, birds, turtles, and some other questionable characters were all observed by the kids as we wandered around the wonderful green space.  The history of the trees and the obvious, painstaking, effort put forth to plan and maintain the space was as impressive as the size of some of the trees.

As we left the city, in which I spent two years living in sometime ago, I got a bit lost trying to find Lawrencetown and I ended up taking the long way along the shore.  This irritated the kids a bit but I resolved to enjoy it a little.  We were going to stay with my Aunt Pat and Uncle John and I made us a bit late for supper.  Sorry Pat and John.  We enjoyed their hospitality through supper before heading to the beach to watch the sunset.  This shoreline on the east coast often gets hammered by some of the biggest waves along the eastern Canadian seashore.  It makes for a great spectacle and I was hoping to share this with my family.  We were lucky to witness some surfers cashing in on some good size waves and Seth and Michelle were quite impressed, in fact for Michelle it might have been the best part of the trip.  It was windy and really cold though so we decided to leave before the sunset.

We returned back to my Aunt and Uncle's and spent a quiet night with them.  It was rewarding to watch as our kids, who seldom see this part of our family, interact so easily with them.  That is one of the best things about family I guess, they are always there.

The next day we made the long drive home and were tuckered out when we finally pulled back into the driveway.  Surprisingly we had other family obligations to attend and made them with little trouble but when night time came that evening, none of us had trouble falling asleep.

This video is a bit dark but I couldn't help but post it.  My daughter quickly  adjusted to being at my aunt and uncle's.

Town of Sussex New Brunswick | National Family Wellness Month

Did you know this month is National Family Wellness Month. It is a great initiative to get people off their butts and doing their part to keep themselves and others healthy. The KWRC (the place I work) is hosting a geocaching event to promote outdoor recreation, family togetherness, and a sustainable environment. The event is on Saturday, May 14th and you can find more out about it on the link below.
Town of Sussex New Brunswick | National Family Wellness Month

Small Town Charms All Around Today

It turned out to be a great afternoon and I had to get out of the office for a while and enjoy it.  I had some banking and payments to mail out so I headed to the uptown area.  I parked my car at a central location along Broad Street in Sussex and walked around to complete my errands.  My first stop was at the post office where they know me when I come in and I often engage in small talk.   Today the conversation was very humorous and enjoyable.  This was due in large part because of the great sunshine coming in through the glass front building I'm sure.  The next stop was Sully's Ice Cream for a lunchtime treat.  It was great..thanks for the ice cream Ryan.  The staff there are always friendly and cheerful and that is part of the reason why it has turned into such a successful business.  I sat on a chair under the eave of the Historic Train Station and enjoyed my "Death by Chocolate" and watched as many people walked by enjoying the day.

Next up was the Bayview Credit Union.  I know banks are not usually a place where one would enjoy going but the staff at the Bayview try their best to make your visit pleasant.  It is great to walk into a bank and have them know your name and chat with you before taking or handing you money.  The day was topped off with a chat on the sidewalk with my Aunt Sue who is visiting from Calgary and my Grandmother.  It was a great chat filled with laughter and hugs.  Love you both and you made my day and inspired me to write today.

There is a lot to be said about the charms of a small town and I experienced most of it this afternoon over my lunch hour.  Living in this part of New Brunswick is incredible and we don't necessarily need an economic boost...I believe we are making out just fine.  If further mining and natural gas is brought to the area then I think we should quickly plan how to develop this area and maintain the small town feel that so many of us love and enjoy.  We can grow best if we grow cooperatively.

Thunderstuck in a Theater

NOTE:  This is a column I had published in the April 26, 2011 edition of the Kings County Record.

This story starts over a year ago when I gave my wife a gift certificate to the Imperial Theater as a Christmas present.  The deal was that we would go see a show of her choice.  The kicker was, I had to enjoy it and if I didn't I would have dish duty for a while.  I have to be honest I am not the most cultured individual around so I was a bit worried I might not enjoy the show, especially if she chose a dance show.

I expected her to pick a play or something of that nature and was surprised when she decided that she wanted tickets to see Classic Rock perform.  Classic Rock is a tribute band that covers some classic rock bands from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  At present they are covering AC/DC's Back in Black album.  I should tell you that another difference between my wife and me is our taste in music.  She loves the harder rock and roll and my preference is geared more towards country music.  Its not that I don't like rock, I just don't care for the same bands that she does.  Lucky for me, I do like AC/DC, as it brings back memories of high school hockey games.  When the day of the show arrived I was actually looking forward to it though I never admitted that to her.

The day started with my Mother-in-Laws 60^th birthday celebration and it was a great time with family and friends.  Shortly after that we left our kids with a sitter and headed for dinner in Saint John.  We enjoyed the time together and laughed lightly over dinner in anticipation of the show.

When we walked into the Imperial Theater in Saint John, I immediately notice the diversity in the crowd.  Good music spans generations and AC/DC is one of those bands that can make that happen and the crowd here was proof of that.  There were grey haired men in suits and young kids with torn jeans.  There were older women looking like they were still living in the 70s while other ladies were wearing the latest fashion, not that I know anything about fashion.  It felt like a great bunch of people to party with though and the close quarters of the Imperial Theater had a way of making you feel like it was actually a party.

The theater smelled lightly of alcohol and cigarette smoke.  It was like the staff at the theater plugged in Beer and Smoke scented air fresheners just to add to the mood.  If that is the case it truly worked.  When the music started I immediately started tapping my feet and a big smile kept twitching my cheeks.  As the band played loud through the evening I couldn't help but look around and watch people's heads bobbing back and forth.  Some people were pumping their fist and screaming and I couldn't help but to continue to tap my feet.  It was great to enjoy an evening out with my wife and she bobbed her head, hollered, and pumped her fist to some of her favorite music.

When the band came out and played Thunderstruck for their ovation we danced like we were in high school and I was singing the song for the next couple of days.  The Theater and the band played an equally important role in providing us with a great date night but if you're not into rock I would suggest simply picking a show and visit the Imperial Theater.  The old style architecture, the coziness of the stage, the sounds, and maybe even the well placed odors make it a great place to enjoy your choice of cultural art.

Thanks to God and Family on Good Friday

It is Good Friday and it has been better than Good it has been GREAT.  I woke up this morning and had breakfast with my kids and as I was doing the breakfast dishes I was cheered on by a warbler singing cheerfully in the globe cedar out in our front yard.  After completing some of the indoor chores I took my son downtown to do some errands, one of which was to get my fishing licence.  This would turn out to be $26 that I would quickly earn back.  He and I returned home and did some yard work...well I did the yard work while he impressed me with his artistry skills by drawing with chalk on all the rocks in the garden.

Earlier in the week my parents had invited our family up for an Easter lunch and so we loaded the kids into the car while the sun warmed us and continued to lift our spirits.  It was truly a day blessed by God.  We made the short drive and my son was out of the car before it stopped I think.  All he had been talking about was going fishing for the last month and a half and today I told him we would....after lunch.  He was very patient and managed to eat some lunch and waited longer still as I ate mine.  It was a great meal with our entire family gathered to enjoy the day God had made.

The kids went outside to play as the adults cleaned up the kitchen and after I was done I went outside to see if Seth still wanted to go fishing.  Silly question.  He came running the minute he saw me and hollered "Can we go fishing now?!"  We grabbed our fishing gear out of the trunk of the car and away we went.  Of course all the boys joined me, 5 in total, and we hit the first deep pool just below my parents place on this small 3rd order stream.  The water was running fast but clear and right away my son brought a fish to the surface, and shortly after that landed one before I had all the poles ready to go.  First fish of the season and he was happy to let it go. 

Shortly after that there was a double hit and 2 10"+ trout were landed.  This time I wasn't able to convince any of the boys to let them go.  I gave them all a quick lesson on why it is important to let most fish go but told them that as long as they were going to eat the fish they could keep 2 or 3 (the limit here is 5 but don't tell them.)  Fishing kept the interest of most of the kids for about 15minutes but Seth and his cousin Kyle kept with it and wanted to continue to explore some of the brook.  After trying the holes directly behind my parents house I asked the boys if they wanted to continue up the brook and they were eager to see what was around the next bend everytime.

It wasn't about the fishing, it wasn't even so much about family; though they were a very important part, it was more about the great spring weather and being on this small brook that I knew so well.  The temperature was perfect with no flies, the sun warmed the body and the soul, the sound of the water cascading over the bedrock was  comforting, the light breeze through the tops of the spruce, pines, cedars was calming, and the smell of those same trees was mesmerizing.  It was a great day to enjoy and our family truly enjoyed the day. 

Thanks to my family.

A Pleasant Geocache

My sister and I were looking for a way to entertain her two boys and my son this afternoon.  It was much to nice to have them simply hanging out and playing the Wii today.  So after I took care of some needed work on my car, we loaded the boys up and went searching for treasure.  I had noticed a geocache near a local, Sussex Corner playground and decided to make a game out of it for the boys.  Before going out I showed the boys where the cache was located using the Geocaching website and had them memerize the clues.  There were some pictures to view as well so we looked at them so they knew where to go and look.

Once we got to the park though the boys had other ideas.  They simply wanted to go and play on the playground.  It took a bit of convincing to get them to go search out the cache.  I played a little bit of hot and cold with them and before long they spotted the hanging film cannister.  They were a little dissappointed that it was only a log style cache but that was quickly forgotten when I told them the treasure was the playground.

It was a great day to get out and have fun and geocaching is an awesome way to add to the day.

Stanley Cup Dreams

Note: This is a version of a column that I had published in the April 12, 2011 edition of the Kings County Record.  

 

It is that great time of year when the Leaf fans are spending their evenings raking the yard and prepping their gardens while the Canadiens fans are glued to their televisions hollering loudly as Carey Price makes a remarkable save on a blast from Zdeno Chara.  My hockey season, much like the Leaf's is over.  I wrote last fall that I was coaching an Initiation hockey program.  That team just finished up their season.  There is no Stanley Cup, no big contracts, or promotion deals but to me it was hockey at its best.

To watch kids step on the ice for the first time is very entertaining.  Some were fearful, some clumsy, and some were just naturals.  No matter how good they were, when they took that first full stride, their face would light up with such pride and joy I couldn't help but feel their excitement.  They overcame the first challenge with ease.  From that first stride the kids made huge improvements throughout the season.  Unlike the pros, the kids don't suffer slumps or ups and downs during the season.  Every game they show improvement and win the personal battles while honing their game skills.

Another aspect I noticed was how many of them responded to competition.  I have always been a believer in healthy competition and its ability to bring out the best in people.  Watching how much more effort some kids put out to win a relay race and to watch them improve over the span of that short race has further affirmed that belief.  A child who can't focus their attention long enough to listen to an explanation on how to complete a drill, suddenly watches and cheers on his teammates as they run through a grueling relay.  If they lose they are more than eager to try it again in hopes that they can improve and win.  This illustrates how the competitive drive pushes people to improve.

Sport at this level is much more pure than at the pro level in my mind.  The kids at this level usually aren't even sure what the score is so they are simply playing to play.  The score only matters at the end of game and then, only if you can get their attention long enough to let them know that it was "a tie game."  Once off the ice the kids immediately start to focus on what kind of donut they want at Tim Horton's after the game.  They talk loudly about who has the biggest "Bakugan" collection or asking their parents if their newly formed friend can come over and hang out.  They aren't dwelling on the missed shot or the botched call by the referee.  It was always up beat in the room after the ice time which made it very enjoyable.

It is a great reward to watch a young kid improve throughout the season.  As a reward for the kids this year we took them to a Saint John Seadogs game.  I was amazed to see in my own son how much his understanding of the game has advanced.  This was something I did not focus on as a coach so he simply picked up this aspect of the game himself.  It is likely that all the kids were growing in this manner and so next year I better adapt my coaching approach.