Columns

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

Have you ever seen a lazy ant? I am sure you haven’t but you certainly at sometime in your life have had to deal with an infestation of ants either in your home or yard or garden.

By Susan Douglas
Red Hat Society

Our Hawaiian Luau scheduled for July 24th to Sable Island took a little turn due to extreme heat of 96F. Lady Linda of La Di Da (Linda Budreau) offered the use of Oak Grove Camp and beach for our red hat pleasure. The ladies were decked out in Hawaiian hula skirts complete with neck & head leis, or colourful bathing suits & cover ups. While half the party of 22 took to swimming with red & purple noodles, the others joined Captain Larry (Budreau) & Deck Mate (Garrett) for a cruise up & down the beautiful Rainy River. Lady Dolly of La Tea Da (Dawn Jarvis) was the envy of the synchronized swimmers, floating in her water lounger. Lady Carolina Rose (Carolyn Kreger) used her powerful prowess to control Queen La Diva (Susan Douglas) from floating down river, as Queenie chatted away, slipping off her water noodle. ( Lady Carolina jiked “look who’s off her noodle” and probably considered letting the Queen float away for her previous antics on the beach with water guns aimed at the unsuspecting sun bathers.) Queenie, however, rested upon the raft, now spouting water from her mouth, instead of the pistols! She was joined sunning with newcomers Lady Belle (Sydney McIntosh), Sheila McIntosh, Bev Langer and Lady Eleanora. (Eleanor Wiersema).

By Al Lowe
Contributor

Ontario has 15 species of snakes, more than any other province. Of these only one is poisonous. that is the Massasauga Ratler. It lives around Lake Huron and Georgian Bay so it it is no threat to us here.

By Gary Sliworsky
Ag. Rep.

While driving around on hot summer days, many of us have probably seen cattle herded together around the only trees in a pasture.  Unless you are a cattle producer, you probably haven’t given much thought to the importance of providing summer shade for cattle.  The following is from Kevin Teneycke, Manitoba Agro Woodlot Program.

By Ken Boshcoff
MP T. Bay-RR

A few weeks ago, I wrote about some serious concerns that were raised in the Toronto Star about the efficiency of the ecoEnergy Retrofit Program. I am very pleased to report that EcoSuperior in Thunder Bay continues to provide an expert auditor with extensive experience (he has conducted over 700 audits to date). Both pre and post renovation audit services are available through EcoSuperior for Thunder Bay area home owners who are looking to improve their energy efficiency. We are fortunate to have such excellent services available in Thunder Bay and I continue to be hopeful that Atikokan, Fort Frances and Rainy River will soon have similar providers.

Submitted by
Bev Brodi

They come from Florida, Illinois, Kansas, North Dakota, Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, Morson and Bergland. But when they gather they are called the “Miss Sticks” - a group of summer visitors and locals who form a Red Hat group of summer visitors and locals who form a red hat group for the four months of summer. Meeting now for the fifth year, their goals are to enjoy each other, get to know the area, and most importantly, to have fun.

By Melanie Mathieson
Gardening Guru

I have had many questions from readers over the last few weeks. “How do I rid of cats from my gardens?” is the most commonly asked question of late. Cats are definitely not the gardener’s best friend, but remember cats are pets and they are someone’s best friend.

By Al Lowe
Contributor

This is the ugliest bird we have in Ontario. There are uglier ones on other continents.
Our vultures are mostly thought of as black, although if you get close up, they turn out to be a dark, sooty brown. Head and neck are bare and red, much like the head of a tom turkey - hence the name Turkey Vulture. The scientific name is Cathartes aura.

Submitted by
Ken Boshcoff M.P.

A recent Toronto Star investigation has raised some serious concerns about the efficiency of the ecoEnergy Retrofit Program. The report found significant discrepancies between the energy audit recommendations provided by four different firms in the Toronto area. The audits called for renovations ranging from $3,000 to $25,000 on the same Toronto house. “That means homeowners could spend big money on ill-advised retrofits and waste as much as $10,000 in grant money from the federal and provincial governments,” says the Toronto Star.

By Howard Hampton
MPP Kenora-RR

Not many things light up your life like a great smile - a child’s toothy grin, a smile across a crowded room, or a grandmother’s wise knowing smile.
 Smiling is an infectious practice, but over 40 per cent of low-income families in Ontario are tight-lipped because they can’t afford proper dental care.