Gravenhurst Opera House February 23rd 1993, 3pm

FRED SCHULZ - AND HIS DAY OF RECKONING…….. FEBRUARY 23RD, 1993

THE OPERA HOUSE DOORS WERE PADLOCKED….EVEN BARRING THE MANAGER FROM ENTERING

     IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IT WAS SO LONG AGO. I REMEMBER THE NEWS REPORT AS IF IT HAD JUST BEEN BLARING IN MY ONE GOOD EAR. IN FEBRUARY IT WILL MARK THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEAR TOTAL AND ABSOLUTE CLOSURE, OF THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE. IT WAS ON FEBRUARY 23RD, AT PRECISELY 3:00 P.M., THAT MANAGER FRED SCHULZ BECAME IMMEDIATELY EMBROILED, IN ONE OF THE BIGGEST LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE DECADE. IT WAS SO BIG, IT MADE IT TO THE NATIONAL MEDIA, WITH FRED TRYING TO PUT A POSITIVE SPIN, ON WHAT MOST OF US, (THE PESSIMISTS) COULD ONLY SEE AS DIRE. NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. JUST A LOT OF WORRIED EXPRESSIONS, ON FACES OF EVEN THE MOST ARDENT AND POSITIVE OPERA HOUSE SUPPORTERS. HE WAS DANCING ON FLAMING EMBERS BUT HE WOULDN'T LOOK DOWN. HE KNEW THAT IF HE DID, HE'D FEEL PAIN, AND IT WOULD SAP HIS RESERVE OF FADING OPTIMISM. THIS WAS GOING TO TAKE MOXY AND HE WILL ADMIT NOW, TO HAVING MANY SELF DOUBTS IN THE EARLY GOING. WAS HE THE RIGHT CITIZEN FOR THE JOB? AND IN THE VEIN OF THE ARCHITECTURALLY MACABRE, THE WHOLE WORSENING SCENE, OVER THAT IMMEDIATE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, HAD A SORT OF RIGOR MORTIS QUALITY, FOR THE ONCE LIVELY MAIN STREET THEATRE……AND A MANAGER LEFT OUT IN THE COLD TO PONDER.

     IN THE OPERA HOUSE HISTORY, "THE MANY STAGES OF OUR LIVES," CIRCA 2001, WRITER / RESEARCHER J.P. STRATFORD REPORTS THAT, AT THIS MOMENT, "THE COLLECTIVE JAWS OF GRAVENHURST RESIDENTS DROPPED AS MINISTRY OF LABOUR OFFICIALS PADLOCKED AND SEALED THE DOORS OF THE OPERA HOUSE FOR SAFETY REASONS. NOBODY, INCLUDING GENERAL MANAGER FRED SCHULZ WAS ALLOWED ENTRY."

     THE BOOK NOTES, "IN 1992, THE OPERA HOUSE RESTORATION PROJECT, SPEARHEADED BY MAUDE SWALM, WAS STILL AFLOAT. IN FACT, IT WAS ANNOUNCED THE NOW $3 MILLION RENOVATION, $1 MILLION TO BE RAISED LOCALLY, WOULD BEGIN WITH PHASE I IN THE SPRING OF 1993."

     "ENTER ONTARIO'S MINISTRY OF LABOUR IN EARLY 1993. WITH EVERYTHING SEEMINGLY IN PLACE TO OVERHAUL THE HERITAGE BUILDING, THE FOLLOWING SPRING, THE MINISTRY, WHO HAD TOURED THE BUILDING A FEW MONTHS PREVIOUS, INSISTED ON THE IMMEDIATE SUBMISSION OF A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS. AN ENGINEERING CONSULTANT WAS RETAINED BY QUADRANGLE; THE RESULT WAS A CAUTIOUSLY WORDED REPORT, DATED FEBRUARY 12TH, SUGGESTING THE BUILDING WAS STRUCTURALLY SOUND AND SAFE, PROVIDING SOME REMEDIAL ALTERATIONS BE MADE. IN ADDITION THERE WAS TO BE CONSTANT MONITORING FOLLOWING ALL SNOWSTORMS, FOR SIGNS OF DURESS TO THE BUILDING'S SUPER-STRUCTURE. THIS WASN'T CONVINCING ENOUGH FOR THE MINISTRY. THEIR 'ERR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY,' DECISION WAS UNDOUBTEDLY PROMPTED BY A RECENT ROOF COLLAPSE OF THE ORILLIA PUBLIC LIBRARY IN THE WINTER OF 1992." THIS OF COURSE WAS LONG AFTER THE GREAT ARENA SCARES OF THE LATE 1970'S, WHEN NUMEROUS RURAL COMMUNITY CENTRES, INCLUDING BRACEBRIDGE, HAD PORTIONS OF BUILDINGS CONDEMNED DUE TO STRUCTURAL CONCERNS. AT LEAST ONE ARENA HAD COLLAPSED UNDER SNOW LOAD. SO THERE WAS FEAR OUR OPERA HOUSE COULD SUFFER THE SAME FAILURE.

WHAT'S A MANAGER TO DO……TO SAVE THE DAY

     "Provincial authorities decided the building's 92 year old wooden arch superstructure, never 'code-compliant,' in the first place (was there a provincial building code in 1901), may have deteriorated to such an extent that collapse under a winter's snow-load, especially if combined with high winds, was a possibility," notes the book's author. "It's totally devastating. It breaks the continuity of being known as an entertainment centre. The Opera House is now known as an entertainment centre as well as a theatrical centre. Should this building be re-opened, we'd have to start all over again. It's a dark day for culture in Gravenhurst." This was the response by Manager Fred Schulz. February 1993.

     If it hadn't been for the efforts and courage of folks like Fred Schulz, the Opera House might not be getting a roof-job today. It might have been a parkette with a little blue historical marker, with a "raised letter" editorial, about the building that used to stand on the corner lot. The beautiful 1901 former town hall, and community theatre, that we all adored……..until we got the repair bill……and there were a few frugal citizens who began questioning the tax burden we might be faced with, down the road. There were detractors in 1993 who didn't think the building was worth fixing. Fred wasn't one of them. I wonder how many folks in Gravenhurst today, especially our town council, realize just how important the present manager of The Barge, and the "Music on the Barge" summer concert program, at Gull Lake Park, became, in the community-wide effort back then, to save the Opera House from being torn down. While Fred wasn't a one man band on this project, he was certainly one of the most visible, and pivotal movers and shakers…….and the few today, who remember that period of bleakness, suffering from a spate of bad news in the community generally, will surely recognize how Fred kept-up enthusiasm for fundraising…..and boy did he do the walk.

     Fred and I get together a couple of times each month, to chat about current events but it usually winds-up slipping back into talk about the good old days. Well, February 23rd, of any year, still gives him a chill up the spine, recalling the terrible situation, where he had to inform the townsfolk, their main street jewel was being closed…..and possibly forever. He didn't know what was going to happen, other than a change of schedule for quite some time into the future. He couldn't have known then, where the money would come from, over and above the renovation project, that had commenced on paper, the year before. Fred still gets a little misty-eyed thinking about the stresses of that moment in time, and himself at the helm of an apparently sinking ship. If you know Fred like we Curries do, you would appreciate that he felt as if he'd done something wrong, and that he should accept the blame, for apparently putting lives at risk in a theatre deemed unsafe by the Ministry. He spent a lot of time in fearful retrospectives, with the "what ifs"……  What if something had gone wrong earlier, and there had been a collapse, trapping people inside. Then he fixated on the possibility he hadn't reacted soon enough; wondering as only he would, if he could have corrected all the deficiencies single handedly. He did the same thing with The Barge for decades, always trying to keep ahead of the structural demands, that could have inspired a similar closure due to safety concerns. He has always gone above and beyond. But as there was nothing that could fix the Opera House, without major surgery, the Barge had to have its own intervention, finally.

     Fred and I have been yarning away the hours, talking about the present roofing issues, the delays, and some of the problems encountered with certain areas of the decking beneath the shingles. He knows that building inside and out, and when he looks at it, if there was a blood-pressure cuff on the man, it would blow-off the rubber bulb. He might not be the present manager…..although I've often thought he retired way too soon, but it's as if his soul dwells within…..and every hammer blow to the structure, seems to injure him in some way. But he'll admit, that what happened twenty years ago still bothers him to this day. Fred has made a career, of helping others in this town. As he felt that somehow, he had let the community down, he's still paying for it emotionally, all these years later. That's how big his conscience is. Just try to change his mind. It's as if the "locking of the Opera House doors," happened yesterday. That's how fresh it is in his mind. Each time he tells me about facing the national media, with tears rolling down his cheeks, representing our town, I know that he retired in body, but never in spirit. You couldn't love a place, as much as he still admires the old building, on that corner lot of the main street, and not dwell a little bit too long, in the nostalgic glitter of those house lights, that always seem so mysterious and ghostly. So what has been assumed to be the ghost of a past caretaker…..well folks, this just isn't so. I would venture to say, that if there is any apparition attached to that building, it's a poltergeist former manager, who never really retired at all.

     We've been talking a lot lately about new beginnings, and projects we'd both like to do……in the future, and a few things we'd like to give up. Seeing as we both don't smoke or drink, at least to any excess, we'd have to give up something we can really do without. The more we talk, the more we realize, we're kind of attached to it all, regardless of its inherent weight. Fred is for all intents and purposes, still the unofficial manager of the Opera House. The fact that he's no longer getting a pay cheque doesn't matter. He's still got one hand on that proverbial ship's wheel, and yes it is rooted back in Februrary 1993. That was the day he knew he had to dig in if he wanted to save the building. That meant rooting deeper than he had ever imagined, as a facility manager. It went well beyond the definition of a job. It became his obsession. Maybe he won't like me writing this, but he knows it would be impossible to prove me wrong. He has a hard time looking up, as the roofers continue their precarious job, to give the old building its shielding for another couple of decades. The tell-tale wince, when he has watched big slabs of shingle-covered plywood, flipping end over end, off the edge of the building, proves to me he's not over it yet.

     I'll tell you what he's feeling pretty good about though…..in case you're wondering. When Fred was manager, for the second time, early in the new century, he had a chance to bring-in the very talented Stuart McLean, and his nationally celebrated "Vinyl Cafe." It was one of Fred's highlights as manager. He admits to still getting choked-up, when he hears a replay of the show, and how wonderful it was, to have Gravenhurst profiled so poignantly by Mr. McLean…..during his monologue. So he and I are sharing the excitement of having Stuart and his CBC crew back in town……this time, the town that will commence his Canadian Christmas Show schedule……what an honor in 2012. Most of all, Fred and I wonder if the visit by the Vinyl Cafe, and the fact that both shows have been sold-out, will inspire the town to commence an entertainment renaissance so to speak……..seeing how the old building, built back in 1901, can still host a major act…….and as many theatre managers have prayed, good ones "that will put bums on seats." Well, Stuart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe have done this for Gravenhurst, because they decided to visit us first, on this Christmas season tour……and having possibly more confidence in us, than we have in ourselves…….well sir, it sold out fast. Both shows. The naysayers were left without tickets. I would fall into this category by the way. I delayed getting tickets for my wife and I. "What a maroon," says Bugs Bunny. Reality is, we can fill the Opera House with big and popular acts. Hopefully, hosting these sell-out shows will give the town, and Opera House management, a little more confidence to get out there and hustle.

     Fred and I would love to meet up with Stuart McLean while he's here. Fred's a big fan of the show too. Suzanne has made five dozen "Vinyl Cafe" tribute cookies…..that are supposed to look like vintage vinyl (records), but from the cussing this evening, some are looking more like flying saucers or shuffleboard discs than records. She's pretty excited, because a dear friend of the family, had an extra ticket for the Friday night show…….and offered it to her…..for the price of a packet of home made cookies. Done and done. Same with the good Mr. Schulz. Suzanne made him a large one with extra icing as he ordered well in advance.  We've got cookies and more cookies here, and there's a special parcel for Mr. McLean and his companions with the show, we're sending with son Andrew, who will be working with him, as a technical assistant. This will mark his forth and fifth time as a small part of the Vinyl Cafe tradition.

     We had all hoped the roof repairs had been finished by time the CBC rolled into town. But I'm sure Stuart will understand the needs of old theaters across the land, and forgive some of the inconveniences, and construction bins dotting the landscape.

     In the meantime, Fred and I recollect about this and that…….and always arrive at the same place, each time……at the final cookie crumb. We love this place……Gravenhurst. Good times and not so good, by golly, it's been much of our past, as it will be much of our futures. Never just a place to hang a hat. As for the Opera House……we hope for many profitable and entertaining years to come.

     Thanks very much for joining today's editorial offering. It's always nice meeting up with friends and friends soon to be. If you are going to the show, Friday or Saturday night, I hope you have a great time. Mr. McLean is a crowd pleaser, from coast to coast.

The Angel That Walks Amongst Us, and Stuart McLean

A SWEET GESTURE, COMPANION CANADIAN AUTHORS, AND STUART MCLEAN'S VINYL CAFE

TWO SOLD OUT CHRISTMAS SHOWS FOR GRAVENHURST - WILL THEIR BE SCALPERS - BECAUSE THERE WILL BE THOSE LOOKING FOR TICKETS

     I WONDER IF STUART MCLEAN WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, THE CURIOUS COMPANY HIS BOOKS KEEP, ON MY SPECIAL SHELF OF THE FAMILY KEEPSAKE CABINET, IN THE HUMBLY DECORATED LIVING ROOM HERE AT BIRCH HOLLOW.

     THESE ARE, OF COURSE, MY PERSONAL COLLECTION OF AUTOGRAPHED AND FIRST EDITIONS, THAT I'VE BEEN HUSTLING-UP FOR THE PAST THIRTY YEARS. THESE ARE ALL BOOKS BY AUTHORS I ADMIRE, FOR ANY ONE OF A NUMBER OF REASONS. TITLES THAT I WILL SETTLE DOWN WITH, AT HEARTHSIDE, ON THOSE GLOOMY AND COLD DAYS OF AN OLD NOVEMBER. I MAY NOT READ THEM COMPLETELY, FOR THE SECOND, THIRD OR FORTH TIME AROUND, BUT WITH EACH BOOK, THERE ARE OCCASIONS, SOME RATHER SPECIAL ONES IN FACT, WHEN A COUPLE OF CHAPTERS, READ BESIDE SPARKING CEDAR,  ARE AS SMOOTH, GENTLE AND SOOTHING TO THE WEARY, TRAVELLED SOUL, AS A SIP OF WINE, OR A WEE TASTE OF BRANDY AFTER DINNER…..TO THE RECLINING MORTAL WISHING TO BE RESTORED OF GOOD FAITH.

     STUART MCLEAN'S BOOKS ARE NEATLY AND COMFORTABLY PADDED, COVER TO COVER, BETWEEN SOME OF MY FAVORITE AUTHOR COMPANIONS. AT THIS MOMENT, THE GOOD MR. MCLEAN IS KEEPING COMPANY WITH PAUL RIMSTEAD'S BOOK, "COCKTAILS AND JOCKSTRAPS," IN WHICH THE LATE TORONTO SUN COLUMNIST INSCRIBED THE MESSAGE, "HAVE ONE FOR ME," WHICH OF COURSE REFERRED TO THE DRY PERIOD OF HIS LIFE, HE DIDN'T MUCH CARE FOR. IN LIFE RIMSTEAD, IN SUCH CLOSE QUARTERS, WOULD HAVE BEEN BEGGING STUART, TO JOIN HIM FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN. I'M NOT SURE HE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH RIMMER.

     ON THE OTHER SIDE IS A SIGNED COPY OF THE EDDY SHACK BIOGRAPHY, WRITTEN BY A FRIEND OF MINE, ROSS BREWITT. IT'S ALSO SIGNED BY BIG ED HIMSELF. RIMSTEAD WAS PLANNING TO WRITE THE SHACK BIOGRAPHY BUT DIED BEFORE MUCH HAD BEEN COMPLETED. I SUGGESTED BREWITT, ALSO A FRIEND OF NUMBER 23, COULD CARRY ON IN THE SPIRIT OF RIMSTEAD. HE SENT ME A DOUBLE SIGNED COPY, AND IT'S NOW A PRECIOUS PART OF THE FAMILY LIBRARY. THERE ARE BOOKS WITH MY SIGNED STUART MCLEAN BOOKS, BY CANADIAN AUTHORS, SUCH AS MY LONGTIME FRIEND WAYLAND DREW, FORMERLY OF BRACEBRIDGE, AND ACQUAINTANCE JOHN ROBERT COLOMBO, WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO WRITE A DEFINITIVE BOOK ON MUSKOKA GHOSTS.

     ON THE SAME SHELF OF DISTINCTION, ARE SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS BY ROY BONISTEEL, W.O. MITCHELL, ROBERTSON DAVIES, TIMOTHY FINDLAY AND THE PIERRE BERTON HEAVYWEIGHT HISTORIES ANCHORING THE COLLECTION ON EITHER END. THEN THERE'S THE FIRST EDITION "LAKE WOBEGON," THAT'S JUST KIND OF HANGING OUT THERE, ON THE SHELF ABOVE, IN CASE AMERICAN STORY TELLER, GARRISON KEILLOR, EVER COMES TO OUR PROVINCE OR REGION, FOR SOME STORY-TELLING GIGS.

     NOW I'M NOT SURE IF CANADIAN STORY-TELLING LEGEND, STUART MCLEAN CORRESPONDS AT CHRISTMAS, OR ANY OTHER TIME OF THE YEAR, WITH AMERICAN STORY-TELLING LEGEND GARRISON KEILLOR. I'M SURE THEY KNOW OF EACH OTHER'S WORK, IN THE FIELD OF MAKING COMMONPLACE AN ENDEARING PLACE. MCLEAN, BEST KNOWN FOR HIS BOOKS AND RADIO SHOW, ON CBC, KNOWN AS THE "VINYL CAFE," AND KEILLOR OF COURSE, WITH HIS HIGHLY REGARDED, HUMOROUS, SMALL TOWN MINNESOTA STORIES, FROM LAKE WOBEGON, AND THE FAMOUS RADIO SHOW, "THE PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION." SUZANNE AND I HAVE SPENT MANY PLEASURABLE HOURS IN THE COMPANY OF BOTH GENTS, IN PRINT, VIDEO AND AUDO, AND I HOPE NO ONE THINGS THIS WEIRD OR INAPPROPRIATE……THE FACT WE HAVE THE KIND OF OPEN MARRIAGE THAT ALLOWS FOR THE INCLUSION OF STORY TELLERS, TO KEEP US ENTERTAINED ON THESE LONG NEAR-WINTER NIGHTS.

THE COMMONPLACE WHERE WE WANT TO BE

     It's quite true, that Suzanne and I are seriously indebted to both Stuart McLean and Garrison Keillor, for getting us through quite a few winters here at Birch Hollow, situated on a grassy knoll, across from The Bog, and just up the dusty road from Muskoka Bay, of the greater Lake Muskoka. When our young lads had, by ruthless persuasion, taken possession, of either the television or the stereo, we had the choice of an old cassette-tape player left over from the 1980's, and of course, both author's books kept within a long-arm's reach, of our toasty-warm hearthside chairs. As the wind would remind us of a storm approaching from just over the lake, and the snow tapping at the window pane became the harbinger of that winter metamorphosis, the stalwart vigor that goes back to pioneer days, having the company of these fine authors, all of them in fact, made many a commonplace night in the heart of Muskoka, as warm as it was enthralling.

     My fantasy performance one day, would be to have both Stuart McLean and Garrison Keillor on the same planking of theatre-stage, sharing the evening, regaling us with the "stories about story telling," we'd really like to know……and we'd pay dearly to have the opportunity.

     Speaking of opportunity, wishful thinking and prayers answered. Here's a good neighbor story I want to share with you. And it happened right here in Gravenhurst. Today in fact.

     A couple of weeks ago I bared my soul (which is as naked as one can get), confessing a blunder of epic proportion; and with crushing poignancy, a few well chosen words about the wife I let down once again. You see, silly me, I underestimated the spell Mr. McLean has on us Muskokans. I must apologize to Mr. McLean for not appreciating the true weight of celebrity. Rushing about is something city people do, and we laugh at them when they're not looking. We're usually pretty laid-back here, especially in November, as we're still recovering from the busy summer season, which of course stretches past Thanksgiving these days, to the annual Bala Cranberry Festival near the end of October. We're a tourist region so this is good. Suzanne had given me money to keep at our main street music and antique shop, to purchase two tickets for the Vinyl Cafe at the Opera House. As God is my witness, and as a God fearing chap, I mean that,….. I had every intention of ambling over to the box office, (our stride in the off-season) which is less than seventy five yards away, to make the ticket purchases. Every day, when Suzanne would ask, I'd say, like about a bazillion other spouses, "I'll look after it tomorrow."

     Well by golly, I let the hours and days pass, and I finally asked son Andrew, who works at the Opera House, how the tickets for the Stuart McLean shows were selling, believing they might have been as high as fifty percent sold. Just not one hundred percent gone. My heart sank. You could hear it thudding-away at about my belt buckle. "They've been sold-out for a week," he said, with the question in return being, "Tell me you didn't forget to buy mom her show tickets?" We Currie's, like foreign films, communicate by stark expressions, a lot of the time, and I'm told mine, at that moment, ranged from horror and disgust, to fear and loathing, as to what I was going to tell my dear bride. The "Dear, I screwed up again," opening admission, has been used so many times in our house, it has lost all significance. She turns away with "the look," before I even get to "screwed up."

     Suzanne is a big fan of Stuart McLean and the whole premise of the Vinyl Cafe. Ironically, we helped open one of those for our sons, who also grew up listening to the story teller, on road-trip Saturdays, and on long ventures to Algonquin Park. We'd even turn up the van radio, at our campsite, so we wouldn't miss the ongoing family chronicle. It was always funny to see folks walking by the campsite, some with canoes over their heads, asking us if that was Stuart McLean on the radio. I often wondered if he really knows just how imbedded he is in Canadian households and more than a few wilderness campsites. Well Suzanne got over the bad news, but decided that my lack of follow-through, wasn't going to thwart her efforts to create a special edition "Vinyl Cafe" cookie, as a sign of respect for her radio hero, Stuart McLean. You're absolutely right. She's making them in the shape and color of vintage vinyl. For the past week she's been experimenting with variations of cookie and icing, to more closely represent a record….just one you shouldn't put on a turntable. She's got the first Vinyl Cafe cookie for official taster Fred Schulz, ready for Friday morning, and like a February Groundhog, if he comes back for seconds, it's a good batch. If he sees his shadow, it's going to be a long and cold winter 

     This all began, because Suzanne has been baking cookies for the Saturday morning hot-stove league, of musicians and assorted cronies, who have been visiting the vintage music shop, in the old Muskoka Theatre building, for the past seven years. Now the lads aren't sure whether the gang comes for lively conversation or just for the free cookies. So we asked Suzanne, as a recognition of the Vinyl Cafe's visit to Gravenhurst, if she could come up with a kilo of cookies for the old gang, and a few others……with a tin of course, for Mr. McLean himself. Maybe he will find this a kind gesture, or a bit of sentimental silliness, but once the locomotive will, of my dear wife commences chugging and steaming along on a project, there's not much that can stand in her way until the station is successfully reached…..and on schedule. All week I've been tasting the still-warm prototypes. Not bad. Of course there's no dieting in this house…..ever.

     But you know, the best news, is that one of the kindest souls ever,…… who having read my recent blog……about missing the opportunity to buy tickets for the show, gave me a call today, to let me know she had a ticket available to offer Suzanne. Opening night. It was proof that angels do dwell amongst us. Being speechless for only the third time in my life, I gave her a big hug on the phone (I asked her to imagine the sensation of a heartfelt embrace), and I have had this cheerful domain of attitude all day. Gads, I feel like Ebeneezer Scrooge after the visits of the three spirits, and it's a really nice sensation……knowing there are such kind and considerate folks in our community. This is what it means to be a homeowner. A good neighbor in a good town.

     When I told Suzanne the good news, she started to well-up with tears, but this time, it wasn't because of something I'd done, or left undone. It was a well received bit of news after a long school day, and we both want to heartily thank our spirited friend, for thinking of Suzanne…….and helping an old writer make amends to his long suffering partner. She will be at the show with "bells on" as they say.

     The donor wishes to remain anonymous. To her, I say with great respect and friendship, continue to read between the lines……as the ogre who writes them, is really a big softy!

     I'm glad you were all able to meet here today. I am so pleased to have such a good news story…..about a great performer coming to our Opera House stage, the commencement of the Christmas season, and the charity that truly does begin at home. Hear, hear! Please come and visit again. Remember my Christmas Sketches of Gravenhurst coming by December Ist, to this site.

     "As I sit at my desk, day in and day out, answering my phone, paying bills and scribbling away in between, I know that my lamp and I share this fundamental fact; neither of us is really necessary in this big wide world of light. But bidden or unbidden, we are here nevertheless. Here by the grace of some big unknown thing. And while we are here, we will shine when we are called to, and do our best to shine as brightly as we can, shining away until the dark morning when someone will forget to turn us on." February 6, 2005. Stuart McLean, "Vinyl Cafe Note Books."

The Opera House Should Have Been Closed for Roof Repair

TACKLING THE GRAVENHURST EIGER SANCTION - I HAVE GREAT RESPECT FOR ROOFERS "SPIDER-MANNING" OFF AN ONTO THE OPERA HOUSE ROOF

IN HINDSIGHT - MAYBE THE ROOF WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED IF OPERA HOUSE HAD REMAINED CLOSED

     IF GRAVENHURST COUNCIL HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, WOULD THEY HAVE OPTED TO….A. DANCE GANGNAM STYLE, B. BUILD A DOME OVER THE OPERA HOUSE SO THAT IT COULD BE REPAIRED ALL YEAR, DESPITE THE WEATHER, OR C. HAVE CLOSED THE OPERA HOUSE UNTIL THE ROOF REPLACEMENT JOB WAS DONE?  COME ON YOU KIDDERS. HOW MANY OF YOU THOUGHT THEY WOULD CHOOSE GANGNAM STYLE? I'M BETTING THAT COUNCIL THOUGHT IT ADVANTAGEOUS TO MUNICIPAL COFFERS, TO KEEP THE OPERA HOUSE OPEN, DURING THE ROOFING WORK, BUT HONESTLY…..THAT WAS JUST DUMB. I'M SORRY. THERE'S LITTLE WAY OF ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, WITHOUT ASSESSING BLAME. THE ROOFERS HAVE HAD TO HOPSCOTCH AROUND AND DELAY WORK BECAUSE OF THE FACT, THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS AT TOWN HALL, TRIED TO DO THE SAME HOUDINI ACT THAT THEY DID KEEPING THE ARENA OPEN DURING THE CENTENNIAL CENTRE OVER-HAUL. IT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING INQUIRY, TO FIND OUT HOW MUCH EXTRA MONEY IT COST TO KEEP THE ARENA OPEN DURING THIS RE-CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. YES, IT KEPT HOCKEY GOING, BUT WHAT INCONVENIENCE AND OBSTACLES DID IT CREATE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION CREWS. I'M SURE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A LOT OF BELLYACHING FROM HOCKEYISTS, AND IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN HARD TO TAKE, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE TO GET YELLED AT…..BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT COST OVER-RUNS AND RELATED DELAYS, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED IN PART BY THE FACT THE ARENA REMAINED OPEN, THE QUESTION IS……..WHAT WAS THE GAIN AND WHAT WAS THE LOSS?

     IT'S OBVIOUS THE TOWN FIGURED THEY COULD DO THE SAME THING WITH THE OPERA HOUSE. KEEP IT OPEN DURING THE ROOFING REPAIRS. TODAY WAS A CASE IN POINT. WHILE IT MAY NOT HAVE SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A PRECARIOUS SITUATION, TO THE USER GROUP, THAT DIDN'T SEE ALL THAT WAS FLYING OFF THAT ROOF. WHAT I WAS OBSERVING WAS DEFINITELY MORE DANGEROUS THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN, IF THE RENTAL HAD BEEN DENIED, OR EVENT MOVED ELSEWHERE. THERE WERE SLABS OF PLYWOOD COMING OFF THAT ROOF AT REGULAR INTERVALS, AND ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A ROOFED SCAFFOLDING AT THE ENTRANCE, IT JUST WASN'T THE KIND OF ENVIRONMENT THAT REFLECTED SAFE PROTOCOLS FOR OPERA HOUSE GUESTS. NOT FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, ACROSS THE ROAD, WATCHING THE DEBRIS BEING SENT BELOW, BEFORE AND AFTER FOLKS HAD WALKED THE BASIC COVERED TUNNEL , CONNECTED TO THE OPERA HOUSE VERANDAH. THE CREW ON THE ROOF, SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO ADJUST THEIR WORK FOR THIS EVENT, OR ANY OF THE OTHER RENTAL SITUATIONS OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT HAS OBVIOUSLY FORCED THEM TO ALTER THEIR PLANS, AND THIS HAS CAUSED THE DELAYS WE'RE SEEING TODAY.

     WOULDN'T IT HAVE SEEMED LOGICAL…..PRACTICAL, AND RESPONSIBLE, TO ALLOW THIS PRECARIOUS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, TO PROCEED WITHOUT DELAY, DUE TO HUMAN OBSTACLES. ONE WOULD HAVE TO BE PRETTY NAIVE, NOT TO THINK THAT REPLACING A MULTI-LEVEL NUMBER OF ROOFING MATERIALS, NAILED FIRMLY TO THE PAST, WOULDN'T CREATE A PROBLEM INSIDE AS WELL. IT'S PART OF THE WIDTH AND BREADTH OF THE JOB OF REPLACING A LARGE SECTION OF ROOF WITH PESKY DORMERS. WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A STRAIGHTFORWARD PROJECT, COMPLETED IN THE BETTER WEATHER THIS FALL, APPEARS TO MOST OF US ARMCHAIR ROOFERS, AS BEING UNNECESSARILY HAMPERED, THE RESULT OF THE OPERA HOUSE BEING OPEN FOR BUSINESS……EXCEPT FOR A WEEK AND A HALF, WHERE PRESUMABLY THE DUST OF AGES MADE IT DOWN INTO THE HOUSE.

A BUSY WEEK, AND COULD THERE BE SNOW?

     Today I spent time…..between our customers (yes there were quite a few), watching the exceptional work undertaken by the roofers……to catch-up on the front portion…..east side of the building. I was thoroughly impressed, although some of the cast-down plywood came close to kicking back against the Opera House windows…..and the verandah took a pounding, as most debris hit it, before tumbling into the garbage bin at its side. These folks spider-manned all over the place, with ropes and pitchforks (it looked like), and if it had been put to music, what a story it would have told. They put in a great day's work, and when we retired for the evening ourselves, two roofers on the peak, were still silhouetted in their labors, against the evening sky; as winter darkness had settled over the work place. They were busily putting down tar paper roofing to cover the bare wood, exposed after a day of lifting, tossing and scraping. I couldn't have found a complaint with these lads, even if I'd been up there with them, studying the fine points of replacing the old, and layering on the new. What I watched today, just for argument's sake, was a gang of highly competent roofers, on the slope of what I've come to call the Eiger Sanction (of movie fame), and I don't know how these guys can move in the morning; after the incredible physical demands, of hanging onto a rope, on a substantial pitch, and scraping old shingles off with a long handled device…..that must give them Popeye arms at the end of the day. If I've given the impression, at any time in these blogs, over the past month or so, that the roofers were in any way sloppy, or slow……then I really owe it to them to offer this clarification……it hasn't been your fault.

     The town really needs to gets its poop together…..honestly. This roofing job, that is now bordering a Muskoka winter…..seriously, could have been done a long time ago, if the crew hadn't needed to worry about public use, and what might dislodge with hammering and scraping, onto the heads seated in the theatre below……or anywhere else in the building. It's like asking someone to run a three legged race, at the church picnic, but having to carry a cement block, blindfolded, and forced to run backwards…….while the normal fare is two legs, of two competitors, tied together, and a determined, circumstance-adjusted "hop-trot " to the finish line. What could we expect from the roofers, faced with these impediments foisted on them by a narrow focused town administration? The fact it has been open through all of this, with a small exception due to whatever (they won't tell us), has played a role in some of the problems experienced; and with the hurry up offense, for this week, due to the CBC coming to town, for the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Show, it has created an almost ridiculous situation for the roofers to contend. It didn't have to be this way. The town needs to find out how this came down the pike, and who offered the advice, it was good to go……when, "no," it shouldn't have been open to the public. For all kinds of reasons. Safety for one. There was no earthly reason, why the event today at the Opera House couldn't have been moved for safety reasons. I think the users, in this case, would have understood the prevailing circumstances and conditions, and not blamed the town for being moved elsewhere. They may argue that everything was great and it was resoundingly safe. Once again, that would be deluded thinking, because I was there, and I saw all that was going on, above and below. The roofers trying to do their job. The visitors, walking the gauntlet, in between huge portions of shingled plywood slabs, falling on both sides of the covered scaffolding. Why did the town need to take on the risk on this, when they seem, most of the time with policy, to be so liability obsessed? One misdirected tumble of debris, and one out of place visitor, and yes indeed…..it would have been a serious liability issue. With witnesses. Accidents have a higher rate of occurrence when there is this kind of work going on…..and many passersby traveling in vicinity. Ask the statistician to come up with a risk percentage. Insurance? Gads, shouldn't someone at town all look at this kind of risk factor, before the accident has a chance to occur.

     I personally want to recognize the roofers who today, showed amazing capability, of working under pressure……not just because of the closing-in aspect of winter, but the fact they had to work with high consideration to the fact the town refused to close a building…….that was visibly and actually, raining debris for most of the working day. They showed a lot of courtesy to those passing by, and they appeared, by the end of the day, to have successfully covered over the wood decking of the roof, they had exposed to the elements. As there is rain in the forecast, this was a necessary precaution of course. There are three inclement weather days in the next five…..if you believe those weather prognosticators.

     I hate retrospectives which is odd, considering I'm an historian. But in this case, I hope Gravenhurst Council reviews their "construction while open" policy. They've pushed this situation into a race against the clock, to have the site cleaned up this weekend, for not only the arrival of two shows by Stuart McLean, and if I'm not mistaken, the BIA official Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, for the Black Friday shopping extravaganza. I don't like the idea of hurrying-up workers on such a precarious peak of architecture. These workers may not read my blog…..why would they? But I tip my hat to them anyway, for putting in a hell of a day, under duress no doubt, with obstacles abounding, and finishing up with great efficiency in the low light of a November night. Thanks to all of you, for protecting our historic Opera House.

     As for the town……you know what……let's dance Gangnam Style. I'll do M.C. Hammer. We'll resolve our differences eventually……but now…..let's dance.

     You folks too. Thanks for visiting with me today. I've got a stiff neck from staring up from morning till early evening. You know what. For what I saw today of a roofer's life, I'm glad for the experience. And the retrospective, I would have never made the grade, had I chosen roofing over authordom.

Please join me tomorrow for my own tribute to Stuart McLean, and the Vinyl Cafe. Suzanne's making her special edition "Vinyl Cafe Cookies," that she's been experimenting with for the past week. She's got a large one ready for Fred Schulz, a desert connoisseur, Suzanne trusts to give her an honest appraisal of cookie quality. Thus Stuart McLean has an official cookie tester, to ensure quality control, before he gets his package on Friday afternoon.

     I think there'll be a few extra at our shop, so drop in for a sample.

     We should all be darn pleased in this town, that the first Vinyl Cafe Christmas Show of the season, has been gifted to Gravenhurst. Let's make him, the crew and the CBC generally, feel welcome here in South Muskoka.

Fact, Fiction, Wishful Thinking or Mad Speculation?

WILL GRAVENHURST BIA AREA BE INCREASED IN SIZE? I BROUGHT IT UP SEVERAL YEARS AGO AS A VIABILITY ISSUE

EXPANSION WOULD BRING IN MORE BUSINESS REPRESENTATION, AND MORE DIRECTORS

     DESPITE WHAT YOU MIGHT BELIEVE IS CAST IN MUSKOKA STONE, I DON'T DISLIKE THE LOCAL BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION. IT'S WELL KNOWN, OUR FAMILY HAS HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, WITH UNDERLYING POLITICS WITHIN, AND THEN, IT WAS ONLY WITH SEVERAL MEMBERS; AND NOT THE WHOLE GANG OUT THERE. THE RESOLVE WAS, TO SIMPLY REMOVE OURSELVES AS PARTICIPANTS IN BIA GOVERNANCE AND GENERAL MEETINGS. OUR CHOICE TODAY IS TO ABSTAIN, BASED ON THE LIKELIHOOD OLD FRICTION CAN BE RENEWED UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES. POINT IS, WE HAVE FOUND THIS A COMMONPLACE ATTITUDE, AMONGST SOME OTHER VENDORS, WHO WOULD RATHER BE LEFT ALONE, THAN PLAY ANY MAINSTREET REINDEER GAMES. IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID THE TITHE TO BELONG TO THE GROUP, AS IT IS MANDATED BY THE MUNICIPALITY; BUT IF THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO "OPT-OUT" OF THE ASSOCIATION, I BELIEVE THE EXODUS WOULD BE ENOUGH TO SHOW VERY CLEARLY, THAT THERE IS A GENERAL INDIFFERENCE TO THE GROUP'S POLICIES, AND FUTURE PLANNING.

     I'VE FREQUENTLY SUGGESTED THERE NEEDS TO BE CLOSE SCRUTINY GIVEN BY THE TOWN, TO THOSE COUNTER-OPINIONS CIRCULATING, ABOUT THE NET WORTH OF THE BIA, AND THE ONGOING ECONOMIC CONCERNS ABOUT THE MAIN STREET. AND YES, I DO BELIEVE THE TOWN IS BLIND TO THE FACT, SUPPORT FOR THE BIA IS NOT AT ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, AS THEY SEEM TO BELIEVE. SO WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF SUPPORT? WHY DON'T WE KNOW THIS? IS IT 20 PERCENT, FIFTY PERCENT OR SEVENTY PERCENT? WHAT WOULD THE TOWN GATHER, FROM A SURVEY, IF THEY FOUND SEVENTY PERCENT OF BIA MEMBERS, WOULD LEAVE THE ASSOCIATION IF THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY? WOULDN'T IT BE USEFUL FOR THE BIA EXECUTIVE, TO KNOW FOR FACT, THAT SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES, SUPPORT THE PRESENT EXECUTIVE. IN MOVING AHEAD WITH FUTURE MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENTS, THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT OF ALL, WOULD BE TO KNOW JUST HOW STRONG THIS ENDORSEMENT IS…..OR IS NOT. A LOT HINGES ON MEMBER PARTICIPATION FOR THESE PROGRAMS. IT'S NOT LIKE THE SUPPORT LEVEL ISN'T IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IT MOST DEFINITELY IS….ESPECIALLY MOVING ON TO MORE PROGRESSIVE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. BIA ZONE EXPANSION, FOR ONE! AS A FOOTNOTE TO THE ABOVE, ATTENDANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS IS NOT A BAROMETER OF SUPPORT OR APPROVAL. IT MAY BE A HARBINGER OF SOMETHING, BUT ONLY AN INDEPENDENT SURVEY WOULD FIND THE CONSENSUS, WE NEED, TO MAKE A CLEAR ASSESSMENT ABOUT THE ASSOCIATION'S PERCEIVED RELEVANCE.

     JUST BECAUSE WE AREN'T FRONT ROW SUPPORTERS, OVERALL, WE ARE NOT BIA DETRACTORS, BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE IN THE RIGHT FOR THE MEMBER BUSINESSES TO HAVE A STRONG REPRESENTATIVE VOICE, IN DEALING WITH THE MUNICIPALITY. WE SEE THE VALUE OF THE BIA ON MANY PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN, ALTHOUGH WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO DISAGREE, WHICH ISN'T LOOKED UPON FAVORABLY;……OR AT LEAST HASN'T BEEN, BY TRIAL AND ERROR. THE BIA GOVERNANCE HAS BEEN A SPARK MAKER FOR A LONG TIME NOW, AND YES IT DOES HAVE A REPUTATION FOR CREATING UNDESIRABLE AGITATION, OFTEN IN THE WRONG PLACES, AT THE WRONG TIME. IF MEMBER BUSINESSES WERE AFFORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CRITIQUE THE BIA'S PERFORMANCE OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE TOWN MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO LEARN THERE IS AS MUCH DISHARMONY, AS DECLARED ENDORSEMENT. THE SPLIT WOULD SHOW AN AREA OF WEAKNESS, AS IT HAS PREVAILED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, FOR YEARS. IT'S JUST NEVER BEEN PROPERLY ADDRESSED, BECAUSE THE TOWN HAS NOT TAKEN THE TIME, DESPITE HAVING A STAKE IN THE PROGRAM, TO KNOW…..WORTS AND ALL, HOW MANY ARE "FOR" THE BIA, AND HOW MANY ARE "AGAINST." IF THE BIA IS TO HAVE SOLID FOOTING, IN FUTURE PLANNING, IT REQUIRES AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT OF ITS BASE OF SUPPORT. IT NEEDS TO KNOW HOW MANY WOULD OPT OUT, IF IT WAS POSSIBLE, AND WHY THAT NUMBER IS WHAT IT IS. BEFORE LOOKING TOO FAR DOWN THE ROAD, THEY SHOULD BE BACK-TRACKING A LITTLE, TO FIND OUT WHAT MEMBERS WANT AND EXPECT FOR THEIR TAX-TITHE TO THE BIA. THE EXECUTIVE SHOULD WANT THIS INFORMATION ON DECK, AS MUCH AS THE TOWN SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PREVAILING ATTITUDE, OF PARTICIPATION AND GENERAL INTEREST IN BIA PROGRAMS. A SUBMITTED QUESTIONNAIRE FROM THE TOWN, WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START, BECAUSE SUCH A DEBATE ON BIA RELEVANCE CAN NOT BE HELD IN AN OPEN FORUM, DUE TO THE POTENTIAL OF SERIOUS NEGATIVE REACTION…..FROM THOSE WHO DO NOT APPRECIATE CRITICISM OF THEIR EFFORTS.

WHAT ABOUT AN EXPANSION SOUTH ON MUSKOKA ROAD

     Back about two years, I suggested that the BIA, to remain relevant in the future, would require an expansion of their zone. To be a more dynamic area, it absolutely requires more member businesses, and I'm sure this has been considered by both the town and BIA executive. I believe it will be an issue in the near future, as the multi-year planning will undoubtedly see expansion as strengthening the whole association, offering more money, and more participating members, with a lot more streetscape to incorporate into a cohesive marketing strategy. In fact, I think the BIA would be more prosperous and better served with an expansion, that in its present limited capacity in almost all regards.

     Now, just in case you're getting tripped up by what appears to be a giant contradiction of opinion, regarding the BIA, I will clarify, by suggesting that new members in particular, could mean a huge improvement for the association's general operations, and choices for governance. I think that getting new blood into the BIA would be a life-saver, if it eventually becomes the case, an expansion is agreed upon by those further south on Muskoka Road. I'm guessing the zone would reach to the border of the plaza area, at about the present gateway. I think having more business opinions on the BIA would be refreshing and could make a new and powerful alliance…..if the old guard will agree to share their sandbox.

     There have been rumors for years about this expansion. While a political watcher like myself, sees this coming down the pike in the next year, it could take much longer to get a positive consensus from these southern businesses…..and it may actually turn out to be a great divide as well. There will be some businesses, knowing what has happened over the past decade, further north, that will refuse outrightly to join the BIA, or agree with a potential town initiative to expand the qualifying area. Some will only see it as a tax grab, and refuse on that basis alone. Once again, I hope the town, and the council representatives working as liaison with the BIA, are prepared to handle such a contentious issue well in advance, because it will be…..regardless of anyone's wishful thinking……a time of serious reckoning. Unless this is handled properly, it could create a huge upset that no one needs at this point……when things are actually moving along pretty well, on the main street. No need to stir up controversy. Or so you'd think. We'll have to wait and see, if I'm clairvoyant or just a peddler of hearsay.

     My advice to south end merchants, who may be in such an expansion plan, in the future, is to get a neighborhood consensus before the matter comes to council for serious consideration. I have heard rumors about new expansion interests, but they're probably rehashes of rumors I've heard for the past five years. I probably started some myself, via this blog, but regardless of my meddling, it is a logical, sensible, practical and potentially workable proposal. The only kicker, other than the taxing part, is track record, from the present BIA, and how the north and south would partner for main street business improvement in the future. The reason I suggest the Town needs to know how the present BIA is graded, by member businesses, is to clear up, once and for all, if it is considered a workable, satisfactory association under all present circumstances. Before heading down the street, to incorporate others into the mix, the town would be highly negligent, if they didn't have an accurate consensus, of the BIA as it stands. If there is a plan to extend, what may be considered by consensus, as a failing association, then what trouble for administration and direction, will result by increasing membership and expanding jurisdiction?

     The BIA can not scrutinize itself, to arrive at an unbiased opinion, about its effectiveness and representative capabilities to member businesses. The town has a responsibility to scrutinize its operation. If member businesses aren't happy with their representation, they why? Why wouldn't the town want to know this information…..or these opinions? Well, I've been suggesting this for the past two years, and there hasn't been a murmur from town hall, that this is a reasonable way of proceeding. What I'm concerned about, just as an average, everyday town "watcher," is if this expansion concept, isn't handled properly when it does come to fruition……the hole at the other end will be a big one. It's just a rumor today. But if it becomes a more serious objective in the next twelve months, and if there is any evidence of "this is the way it's going to be," coming from the town or the BIA, then one can expect some interesting eruptions of opposition……and "vehemently" is a word that comes to mind, to describe efforts by those totally against any plan to expand the BIA zone. Oh they're out there. Best to chat with them first, and find out just what kind of opposition could muster quickly, to thwart these plans.

     I believe the BIA zone should be expanded. Stated this before, and I'll state again, so there is no confusion about this blogger's position. But like everything else, imbedded in my sense of democratic protocol, the southern-area merchants and property owners, should have the capability of voting on the proposal……and the town should oblige to make it fair to all. The BIA program can have many positive spin-offs, and bring the business community together for a strong mutual benefit. It is pivotal on matters of renewal and marketing, and I know enough about the work of other BIA groups, serving Ontario communities, to know it is a powerful association with great unifying potential. The question is, in our town, how the BIA here ranks on the level of best case scenarios…….of what we expect from our tithe and what we actually get in return.

     I feel that an expansion will bring new members into the association, who will create a more viable, inclusive democracy, and forgive me for welcoming such a plan, but I see new blood as a saving grace right now; for marketing and improving the downtown over the next decade. Status quo will make the BIA efforts, in this small uptown core, a dream scratched onto paper, but not much more. So the town has a conundrum that has been batted around for years, without any clear direction being shown. As a first step, they should know exactly what present members think of the BIA as it exists today. If there are problems that can be corrected, then the town should inspire change within, to make it more palatable to the membership. It would be wrong, to proceed with a plan of expansion, to the BIA boundary, without understanding what's been dragging the association down at present. But let the members at large identify what this drag has been.

     I have been unpopular with the BIA for years now, and the town doesn't care what my opinion is……on anything, including the half-finished Opera House roof, (what a nice day it  was for roofing - but nary a hammer was lifted) and I'm pretty sure I could start a rebellion in the south end, by suggesting it would be good to have an expanded BIA. So you know for sure, I'm not entering a popularity contest. But it needs to be said anyway, damn the torpedoes. I just want to see democracy play its role. If the BIA wants to be progressive and democratic, then work with the town to find a way of seeking consensus to such an expansion proposal, if and when it does come down the pike. Maybe I'm just a dreamer and none of this will ever come to fruition. On the other hand, well, maybe it's not so dumb to think about the future, before one is forced to swallow it……"cause that's the way it is!"

     Thanks once again for joining my daily blog. I know some find it a tad controversial. A few find it strangely inane. Colorful. Perky. Half nuts. Courageous and stupid at the same time. But I do value your opinion, and it is the case, far too many of us have lived with status quo in this town…..because we didn't know how to fight town hall. This is changing. I have a feeling the council two years from now, will be slightly more aware of democratic privilege, when they're officially sworn in. Democracy isn't a one day event, when we cast ballots for those we wish to elect. It's up to us to demand full accountability, and democracy, ever after. Please join me again. There's always an extra seat around the Birch Hollow hearth. I just need to toss on another log, to keep the home fire burning.

Albion Balcony Down Successfully, Nice Day Missed For Opera House

I'M JUST SAYING - OH BOY, WE LOST A GREAT WEATHER DAY FOR ROOF REPAIRS

ALBION BALCONY REMOVED QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY

     PLEASE FORGIVE MY OBSESSION WITH THE PARTLY FINISHED ROOF AT THE GRAVENHURST OPERA HOUSE. BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. IF YOU HAD A RE-ROOFING JOB ON YOUR HOME, AND IT WAS RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE, NOW PAST MID NOVEMBER, WOULD YOU EXPECT THE PROJECT TO GO AHEAD EVEN ON WEEKENDS? WOULD YOU DEMAND WORK BE DONE ON ANY CLEAR DAY THIS LATE IN THE SEASON…..EVEN AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAYS? I'M ASSUMING MOST OF US, WOULD BE PRETTY AGITATED, IF A PERFECTLY GOOD DAY WAS LOST, WHEN, IF YOU LISTEN CAREFULLY, WINTER IS SNOWSHOEING OUR WAY. I COULDN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THAT THE CONTENTIOUS BALCONY ISSUE, AT THE ALBION HOTEL WAS RESOLVED TODAY, WITH VERY LITTLE FUSS OR MUSS. IT WAS THERE ONE MINUTE, AND GONE THE NEXT TIME I DROVE BY…..WHICH MAY HAVE ONLY BEEN A COUPLE OF HOURS. NICE CLEAN JOB. I'M NOT COMPARING THIS COMPANY'S LIMITED JOB TODAY, WITH WHAT THE ROOFERS HAVE HAD TO CONTEND WITH, UP ON THE OPERA HOUSE ROOF; BUT I MOST CERTAINLY FIND MYSELF DEEPLY PERPLEXED, AT THIS KEYBOARD TONIGHT, WHY THE ROOF WORK WASN'T GOING ON TODAY AS WELL. IF I READ THE NEWSPAPER CORRECTLY, LAST WEEKEND, THERE WAS A CREW ON THE VERANDAH ROOF REMOVING SHINGLES. I REMEMBER READING ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE IT WAS NOTED BY A VETERAN, AT THE REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY, THAT THE WORKERS WERE RESPECTFUL ENOUGH TO STOP REMOVAL, DURING THE BRIEF CEREMONY AT THE CENOTAPH IN HERITAGE SQUARE.

THERE ISN'T MUCH EVIDENCE THE TOWN HAS ANY CONCERNS ABOUT ROOF DELAYS

     I wish I had their confidence. I most definitely wish I possessed their courage. If I was a councillor, sitting around that honking big table this week, I'd be panting and slobbering myself into a stupor, wondering how everyone else was so freaking calm, about the slow pace of repairs on the Opera House roof. Short of being tranquilized, to abate my teeth-gnashing concerns, I don't think anything or any comfort words, would resolve my present fears, that the historic building, to council, is simply not worth worrying about. The "Ah it'll be okay," attitude, makes me nuts! I want to get up on that roof myself, and finish the project. I worry about it, and possibly you do too, but as far as Gravenhurst Council goes, they've got nerves of steel over there at town hall. What's it like to be so fearless, staring at another short work week, with a partly finished roofing job? I don't get these people. I don't get the community press either. There's definitely a news disconnect, and for a newspaper, that's not good at all. How else can you miss this main street story, like a giant red throbbing thump pointed up in the air for everyone to see. How can our councillors be so calm and uninvolved in this very late activity, to fix the roof on one of our most important historic buildings?

     The Opera House has a busy week coming. There's rain predicted for Tuesday. Event bookings are going to limit what work can be undertaken, and this includes the CBC production of the "Vinyl Cafe," with well known story-teller, Stuart McLean. On Friday evening, before the show opens, there is supposed to be a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, I believe, to mark the Black Friday shopping event in Uptown Gravenhurst. As I have been watching (no, studying) progress on the roof, which did have a good week's advancement, thanks to hard, painstaking work by the roofing crew, and great weather, it just seems so preposterous today, nice and dry, to not have workers back to sneak in an extra day; even just to counter-balance the coming stoppages expected this week. If it was my roof, I think I would have made it pretty clear, all non-rainy days are roofing days. Would you agree? Would we be the kind of pain in the ass clients, who would have insisted on making up time on dry weekends? First of all, how many would be having roof issues this late in the season? Our town has a roofing issue, and it's heading well past the point it was expected to be completed, and it seems unreasonably risky, to have allowed it to go this long into November, without some type of intervention……or hurry-up offense, so that we don't wind-up with a huge snow-load on a potentially leaky, partly finished roof.

     I thought it would be grand if the roof was finished in time for the Vinyl Cafe's two night stand, this coming Friday and Saturday. We've got two sold-out shows to see Stuart McLean, with folks coming from all over the place to our fair town, to take part in the Vinyl Cafe Christmas Show; which if I'm correct, is the first of the cross-Canada seasonal tour. Imagine that? The Christmas festivities for our nation, start right here in Gravenhurst, and are going to spread all over this country before December 25th. I think it's an important occasion in the Opera House year, and the roof should have been done by now. One misguided projection, from the town, was that it would be completed by the end of the first week in November. More than a month ago, I predicted it wouldn't be done, and speculated it was only going to be partly finished by time the CBC rolled into town for the big show. Two right for me, but I don't feel good about taking any credit, for being ever-watchful and curious. I'd really like to think our councillors are just as curious, and just as watchful, but I can't say that with any assurance. I don't know. You don't know either, unless you're town hall staff or a councillor reading this blog. As it hasn't been in the press, or in any press release that might have made it to the electronic media, we haven't heard or read anything that speaks to the delay, the recent closure of the Opera House to the public, a month ago, or what can be expected on that roof top, by time Friday arrives, possibly at the same time as a heavy rainfall.

     I'm just going to throw this idea out there…..for the benefit of our elected officials. Minus the cliches and clever comments, about the project "moving forward" (at a snail's pace), it would be stunningly clever, if our leadership issued a press release, explaining to the fine constituents of our town, why it has taken so long to fix the Opera House roof. No baloney. No fudging. No generalizations, or evasive responses. Just tell it the way it is. This isn't a case where this writer blames the roofing contractor for the delays. I don't. I wouldn't. I couldn't. Nature doesn't answer to mankind, or schedule its inclement weather for our benefit. The buck stops at our town council, and they have very little interest in sharing anything with us…..even though there is a newsletter from the mayor's office…..which could in fact be used to relay such information…..but alas, it is seriously lacking in this regard.

     I don't suggest to you, that there is anything with this project that is extraordinary, or being purposely withheld because of any fear of constituent backlash. I just think it's more of what we've seen in the past, where addressing public concerns, in a timely fashion, with the honesty we expect, isn't a pressing issue for these people. Why should they put together a press release, explaining the project's complications and collateral issues? Yet they get their shorts in a knot when some ratepayer accuses them of being secretive and lacking transparency. Here's a case in point. I'll ask councillors the same question I asked you folks at the beginning of this blog. Are you concerned about the delay of the Opera House re-roofing project, now that it is nearing the back side of November, with a lot of work yet to complete? Was this the way the project was intended to operate, and when was the anticipated completion date by contract? Has there been any damage to the interior of the Opera House, caused by a leaking roof since construction began? What is the contingency plan, in the event a major snowfall was to occur, before the roof is complete?

     I was thinking of offering a mid-term report card on the accomplishments of the present municipal council. Then I thought, well, you know what? If they truly believe they are a transparent, democracy friendly government, they will issue a press release to the local media this week, to update the constituents of our town….owners of the Opera House, revealing answers to the above questions. Not because I'm making a demand from the bleachers…..but because they are obligated, as our representatives to answer for their actions……or inaction. They will be held accountable, eventually, so it makes sense to offer, ahead of the curve, a public statement to explain what is currently being questioned, by a lot more people than just me. I would certainly, and I give my word about this, be very impressed that they thought enough of constituents, to acknowledge their rights to this information……thusly to be offered in a timely press release to the local media. As they don't care for me, I don't need a press release personally. But I do need to know that they value the media for news coverage, as much as they benefit from it, when getting their pictures in the paper, for those many, many smiley-face grip and grins, I see published most weeks…..on those same news pages……that could, if the information was available, enlighten us, with what we wish to know.

     I hope we haven't degenerated, in this town, to having a lame duck council for the next two years; occupied by elected officials who don't intend to run for office again…..who feel enquiries like this are just an imposition and nothing more. This impasse doesn't have to remain an obstacle. It can be removed by simple information sharing. This is up to Council, here and now. Why would they deny this most basic request for information? 

     Even if I'm the only person keeping vigil, over the Opera House these days…..a chap without portfolio or elected mandate, I'm going to do my best to report on progress. Love me or hate me, that's the way it's going to be. But as a person of great faith in my fellow citizens, and even in our elected officials, I'm hoping the town will be pro-active, even as it's ironically an overdue issue, to keep the public informed, as we were all promised by ALL candidates two years ago.

     Thank you for visiting today's blog. I appreciate your support, and I'm so pleased you care so much about Gravenhurst, as to worry along with me……that somethings aren't going so well, as we have been led to believe. Please come and visit again soon.

     SIDEBAR: I HAVE NOT HAD ANY MORE INFORMATION ON THE DECEASED PUPPIES FOUND ON THE DOCK AT MUSKOKA WHARF ON WEDNESDAY. TALK ABOUT GNASHING OF THE TEETH. NO WONDER I'VE GOT TMJ (JAW DISORDER) TO THE EXPONENT OF TEN. I'M PRAYING THE PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS HORRENDOUS ACT, OF ALLEGEDLY SMOTHERING THESE PUPPIES, AND THEN PUTTING THEM ON DISPLAY, WILL SOON BE APPREHENDED. IT WON'T MAKE US FEEL ANY BETTER ABOUT THE PUPS, BUT IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW SOMEONE WILL PAY FOR THE CRIME. GETTING AWAY WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT…..MEANS MORE CARNAGE IS A SPARK AWAY FROM A FATAL RE-IGNITION OF RANDOM CRUELTY.

Help OSPCA Find Alleged Animal Cruelty Suspects

WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHO MAY HAVE ABUSED THREE PUPPIES IN OUR TOWN

PUPPIES FOUND STACKED, WITH WOOD CHIPS IN THEIR MOUTHS, ON A DOCK AT MUSKOKA WHARF

     THERE IS A SICK BASTARD OUT THERE, WHO NEEDS TO BE IDENTIFIED QUICKLY, BEFORE THE ABUSE ESCALATES BEYOND KILLING PUPPIES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE, TO FIND THREE STACKED-UP PUPPIES, LIKELY SUFFOCATED BY WOOD SHAVINGS, LEFT ON A DOCK AT MUSKOKA WHARF. I DON'T KNOW WHAT BRAIN DEAD NUMB-NUTS WOULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS, BUT WHAT HE OR SHE, OR A GROUP HAVE DONE FOR US, NORMAL FOLKS, IS TO ALERT US NOW, TO A VERY SERIOUS THREAT IN OUR COMMUNITY. IF YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO NEW BORN PUPPIES, YOU'RE NOT ONLY HEARTLESS. YOU'RE AWFULLY LUCKY I WASN'T THERE AT THE TIME, OR YOU'D STILL BE TREADING WATER OFF THE END OF THE DOCK. THEY'D HAVE TO SHOOT ME, TO LET YOU OUT OF THE WATER.

     THERE'S A LOT OF SHOCK ABOUT THIS STORY, THAT I JUST PICKED UP FROM THE ONLINE MOOSE FM NEWS PAGE. THE PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE WHO DO THINGS LIKE HURT DEFENSELESS CREATURES, AND GET A RUSH FROM DOING IT, IS THAT IT OFTEN ESCALATES WELL BEYOND THE ANIMAL-KIND. SOONER OR LATER, THE PERPETRATOR TURNS ON FELLOW HUMANS, AND THAT WON'T END WELL. IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, THE ABUSER IN THIS CASE, WILL HAVE FULL VIDEO COVERAGE OF THE "PUPPY STACKING,' FOR ONLINE VIEWING, BECAUSE IT GIVES THEM SOME PATHETIC STATUS AMONG THOSE WHO GET-OFF ON CRUELTY, BECAUSE THEIR LIVES ARE SO DANK, SICK AND BEYOND REDEMPTION. EXCUSE ME IF I'M NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT TO THOSE WHO COMMIT CRIMES AGAINST ANIMALS. IN THIS CASE, IT'S HARD NOT TO WANT TO EMBARK ON SOME VIGILANTE CAMPAIGN, TO NAB THE INDIVIDUAL(S), AND HAUL THEIR SORRY ASSES OUT FOR A PUBLIC RECKONING……OR FLOGGING, BUT THEN I'D BE AS CRUEL AS THEY ARE. I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE TALKING ABOUT A FLOGGING BY THE WAY. SO WHOEVER YOU ARE, THE BEST THING WOULD BE TO TURN YOURSELF IN, AND OFFER AN EXPLANATION WHY THIS HAD TO BE A DEMONSTRATION ACT. WHAT WERE YOU TRYING TO ESTABLISH……BEYOND THE POINT OF WHAT WE CAN ATTRIBUTE TO BRAIN CELL DEGENERATION?

THERE'S ARE LOTS OF THESE PROBLEMS OUT THERE - BUT WE ONLY HEAR OR READ ABOUT A FEW OF THEM

     One evening, I watched a muscle bound goofball, on a cold winter night, last year, let his small dog run loose on the main street. It was obvious the dog was scared of its master. I was sitting in our van waiting for my sons, Andrew and Robert, to finish their music instruction for the evening. The tiny white dog took off, as if to say, "I must get as far away from this guy as possible." It went to the middle of the vehicle parked in front, as if it had pulled a similar exit strategy previously on the owner. I could see it clearly from my vantage point, and the only concern I had then, was that it didn't dart across the road, when muscle-bound meathead decided to take chase, like the clumsy ass he obviously was. All he did, while standing with his gormless buddy, was to scream the dog's name, as if by volume alone, he could suck it back to the heal of his shoe.

    For two or three minutes, the merk stood and screamed at the dog, but there was no way this pup was leaving the safe domain of a parked car. I could see the pet owner getting seriously agitated, and although I didn't have a breathalyzer on hand, to check his sobriety, I would have bet the family farm, his rage came from having too much booze for his own good. Or that dog's good. All of a sudden, with a huge burst of misspent energy, this guy went berserk, falling to the slushy roadway, trying to grab the dog out from under the car ahead of me. I had already opened the door part way, when I thought I might be able to stop it from running onto the roadway.  I had one leg swung out, as soon as I saw how violently he was reaching for his obviously frightened pet. I sort of anticipated confronting him, and asking him to give me the dog. I wasn't sure, after that, where my teeth would have been, or for that matter my whole jaw. If he would hit a dog, he would hit a dog-face like mine.

    After swimming around on the slush and ice, the guy finally was able to grab the dog, and yank him from his hiding place. He was rough with it, upon retrieval, and gave it two substantial hits while I was trying to get out of the vehicle. By time I was out the door, as I have a wonky hip from my hockey days, I wasn't in a position to intervene before the assault escalated. I got on the sidewalk about ten yards behind the twosome, the dog tucked tightly under the owner's arm. The guy looked back at me, without much in the way of reverence, but I let him know I was watching how the dog was being handled. I followed him for three blocks, and I readied myself for an intervention if necessary. I walk slow, they walked briskly. So the distance between us became more than I could cover, if all of a sudden, he started beating the dog as he had before. I'm pretty sure he knew he was being followed, so I may have prevented the escalation I was worried about. I don't have a cell phone, and by time I got back to the store, the men were long gone down an ally far up the main street. When I picked up the lads, we drove around the side streets for about half an hour, hoping to catch a glimpse of them again…..possibly coming out of a store. I felt sick to my stomach thinking that I had, by not intervening sooner, destined that poor wee creature to an evening of suffering. I don't know what would have happened if I'd confronted them physically on the sidewalk, had I exited sooner. I was a fighter and a pretty good boxer in my heyday, but I'm not really equipped to take on two large thugs…..because they were thugs. Of this I'm positive. I probably would have met the same fate as that dog. I wish I had employed a cell phone camera but even to this day, I still don't have one. It would have meant I could have offered the police or the Humane Society officer with an image for identification. I really hated myself that evening. I've seen the guy since, but never again with a dog in tow.  I can't help wondering what happened to the poor creature.

     If you have any information that might be helpful to apprehend the individual(s) who left those dead (brown) puppies on Muskoka Wharf……it would be great if you could let the Humane Society, in Bracebridge, know about it…….even if it's just a tiny bit of information, that may help them fit the puzzle pieces together. This act has to result in human consequence. We need this perpetrator to pay for this deed. If you were to see something of this nature, and cruelty online, or get a tip that a neighbor may have just had puppies that have never been seen, let authorities know as soon as possible.

     We want a safe and cruelty free hometown. So here is our opportunity to do the right thing. Please help stop what may escalate in related cruelty and violence.

     Stacking dead puppies on a dock, for all to see, was meant to be a message from someone, who needs serious mental health assistance. Because if this kind of cruelty gets a person excited…..we all need to be protected from them.

     Thanks for tuning in to this blog today. Sorry my story had to be so sad and tragic today. I would really like to be able to report a culprit or band of culprits has been apprehended.

On Being The Spouse of A Teacher

THE SPOUSE OF A TEACHER - OR "I MARRIED CONTINUING EDUCATION"

I'M GOING TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT MY EXPERIENCES - A BELIEVE-IT-OR-NOT EDITION

     I'VE BEEN KIDDING SUZANNE FOR ABOUT A DOZEN YEARS, THAT I AM GOING TO WRITE A TELL-ALL BOOK, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF A TEACHER'S SPOUSE. THAT'S WHEN SHE CALLS ME A "LOUSE." I TOLD HER IT WOULD BE A NO-HOLDS-BARRED EXPOSE, ON THE STRESSES AND CONSTANT CONSTERNATION, OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH THE DOWNSIDE OF TEACHING SPIN-OFF……OR WHAT I CALL THE "WHIRLING DERVISH," SYNDROME, MEANING HOW THE SPINNING DRILL SLOWLY COMES TO A HALT…..BUT NOT QUICKLY ENOUGH. I KEEP RUNNING BUT SHE CATCHES ME. I APPARENTLY NEED TO LEARN MY LESSONS.

     SUZANNE DOESN'T STOP TEACHING WHEN THE SCHOOL DAY IS OVER, AND JUST BECAUSE THE KIDS HAVE ALL ROLLED-ON HOME, DOESN'T MEAN HER DETERMINATION TO TEACH SOMEONE "SOMETHING," IS DETERRED WHATSOEVER, BY THE LACK OF A FORMAL CLASSROOM TO INSTRUCT. APPARENTLY, THIS SPOUSE, FILLS A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE, IN ONGOING EDUCATION, WHICH FOR MY WIFE, IS A "24-7" ACTUALITY. I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, IT TAKES A LOT OF GETTING USED TO……AND ESPECIALLY FOR A GUY WHO HATED SCHOOL WITH A PASSION, FOR EVERY MOMENT HE WAS STUCK IN A CLASSROOM. SO WHY THE HELL DID I MARRY A TEACHER YOU ASK. WELL, CUPID GOT ME, YOU SEE, AND THEN IT DIDN'T MATTER IF SUZANNE WAS A PLUMBER OR PEDIATRICIAN. I WAS IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL. I JUST HADN'T ANTICIPATED HOW TEACHING IS KIND OF A HUMAN PATINA, GARNERED FROM YEARS IN THE DEMANDING PROFESSION. SHE DOESN'T CONSIDER WRITING A DEMANDING CAREER. "IT'S A LUXURY, THAT'S WHAT IT IS," SHE SAYS, WHEN I TELL HER HOW HARD I WORK……AND HOW LITTLE I PROFIT.

GETTING AN EDUCATION IN HOME ECONOMICS

     When I complain about being taught too much, too often, all she will say is that "Consider yourself lucky. If I was hired to tutor you, it would cost a lot of money….and with your shortfalls, you'd be bankrupt, and definitely my dependent." "But a smart one," she adds with a steely grin, as if etched by time and education.

     What's ironic is that I would do anything to skip school, as a kid, and as far as feigning illness, I became a master player at suffering from frequent bouts of influenza. It was academy award acting, and my mother was no match for the master faker. There were only a few teachers who could stand me anyway, and it was a mutual feeling. So they were happy when I didn't show up, and I was quite willing to work from home every day I could. In fact, it started a life-long relationship with researching and writing from a home studio, which is what I'm doing this moment. I just hated being indoors, and I daydreamed so much, the whole teaching exercise failed me. Except music. John Rutherford was the one teacher created by a kind God, who inspired me to work harder to play better. I wanted to be in his band. In fact, I would have taken nothing but "music classes," if they'd had allowed such a thing.

     This isn't a slur against teachers. Heck I married one. It was me! I wanted to be in a canoe, on a Muskoka or Algonquin lake, solving the Tom Thomson Mystery. I wanted my freedom to explore. I found education, in my day, confining, and the classroom like a "shadow box," where interesting decorations are placed for effect but not purpose.

     I married a former classmate from Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School. A country girl from uptown (maybe it was downtown) Windermere, on the shore of beautiful Lake Rosseau. I was a rough looking Charles Manson clone, with the scent of Woodstock in my hair, and we thought we liked each other. But it wasn't to be just then. We had to have a few life experiences first. They almost killed me, but she had enjoyed home and family, and the budding of a career……while I was in an alcohol induced stupor, writing poetry to my girlfriends, who thought I might have been another Leonard Cohen. Eventually Suzanne and I came together, and marital bliss was the first chapter of our days together. Then she started teaching me. Everything I needed to know. I had a resident teacher. One who reminded me that this wasn't high school any more, and I could feign illness and slack off from my personal improvements.

     I would be struck by a great white shard of explosive lightning, if I was ever to suggest, even in jest, that I'm so perfect as to no longer require upgrading. Life is a continual learning curve. Right to the end. So my only real problem, as it was in high school, arrives each day, with Suzanne's gentle but frequent tutorials, about how to be proficient at home economics. The so-called efficiencies of good and economic living, that she has been teaching for the past thirty years in one form or another. And by her unshakable conviction that her old dog can definitely learn new tricks. Apparently, she tells her friends that I'm incorrigible. A lot of Gravenhurst politicians are yelling out with ear to ear smiles…. "hear, hear," being in full agreement.

     When I slop tomato sauce on my shirt, I know what that means to her. I'm a student needing some assistance. When I leave the plastic seal off the bread bag, I need a detention. For the indiscretion of putting my socks and underwear in my shirt drawer, I need remedial assistance. Leaving the fridge door open, while making a Dagwood sandwich (like Fred Schulz and I talk about, while salivating), Suzanne always intervenes, even if she has had to jump out of bed like a ninja, to save kilowatts and keep the temperature in the ice box from falling…..as if it's an end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it thing. (So other stuff is spoiled) She explains how the fridge works, and how letting all the cold out, costs us money in energy usage. Hey, I never said she was wrong. I said it is hard living with a teacher, who doesn't work on the clock. There's no turning the woman off, from the teaching profession. Hell I thought I'd get good marks, for always putting the toilet seat back down, to avoid those late night watery dips, but no way; she found something else in the bathroom context, that I wasn't doing according to Hoyle. She insulted me, and my favorite author one day, by saying "You and Paul Rimstead were cut from the same cloth." I think she called me a slob at Paul's expense. We just didn't worship home economics the way she taught it to her students for all those years.

     After many moons together, Suzanne and I have come to an agreement about the limits of teaching here at Birch Hollow. I have established a wind-down period of every day and every week, so that for at least part of our time together, she can drop her guard, and stop feeling the necessity to always be teaching something to someone. It's hard. Do you know she even taught her own sons, Andrew and Robert at Gravenhurst High School, on the job and off the clock. They got their education as a constant you might say. So now, on the cusp of retiring, I have my work cut out for me. This is one of the reasons we have worked so hard to establish our retirement business well in advance. It's the reason we began planning for retirement in the 1980's, so that I could figure out a way of deprogramming the consummate professional, before we're together all the time in blissful senior citizenship. Then she told me the other day, she's already been hired to teach knitting to a family friend, once she takes the plunge as a full time antique dealer. Basically, what she's saying, is that she plans to continue teaching, just not in a classroom. Which does make me a little nervous. Maybe she'll want to tutor students as well as knit. I don't know. I'm trying to figure this out, but as I've explained to many friends and family over the years, teaching has been her greatest love interest, and it might well be heart breaking to have to eventually say goodbye.

     I've never minded being second string to her career. I'm proud to be married to a teacher. I don't know if she feels the same, being hitched to a writer / antique dealer. You know, I don't mind the tutorials, up close and personal, and I know I'm in need of ongoing education, to function without hurting myself or others (in the kitchen for example), if only I could convince her, that it's okay to drop one's guard, after so many years of service to mankind. If I can't make her believe this, or change her passions, I have a canoe on standby, just in case. I will just stay out of her way, in the early going of retirement, and let her adjust to a new way of earning a living……without a classroom attendance in front of her.

     I'll let you know how this works out, as the time to leave draws closer.

     Thanks so much for joining this little editorial occasion. It's nice having your company. I hope we can companion again sometime soon.

      Just in passing…..it has been a good week for roof repairs at the Opera House. A few dry days coming as well. It's nice to report good news for a change.