Today is Guy Fawkes. When I was a boy we would make up a “Guy” who was an effigy of the historic Guy who planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament and if this stuffed figure was good enough people would put money in a hat or can when they got off the bus or train. This would help us to buy fireworks. And help our self esteem and cement our place in the history of our culture. For however bad the political structure was, and however corrupt it was, it was what we had as our fragile wall against true barbarians at the gates, the Nazis, the hate filled racists, the witch hunters, the ideologues and the Inquisition, only our feeble but accountable COMMONS. I feel the same way now on the eve of the US election. We don’t have much, but we have the best we can manage at this time in our history. We still have to choose, we must vote and we always do have to choose, because despair and indifference is surrender and defeat.
Today driving home from Mindemoya I got to our road and stopped just before a gorgeous white tailed deer decided to cross the road just as i got there. I slowed down and then stopped as it crossed the road and leapt magically over the four foot fence to the woods on the other side, launching itself like a super ballerina soft as air, no effort and no fuss but just kinetic perfection. I was playing SPA music on my Sirius Radio and having stopped my car and with no traffic in sight i decided on an experiment. I turned up the volume, opened the windows and watched to see if they liked my music. Well these four deer stayed in place, their big round ears directed to my car and did not move. So we sat, I playing my spa music loudly with windows open and they standing like statues with only their ears twitching and looking like they would like to leave but could not. I had more fun and less conflict I think than if I had tried to kill them.
So why were you in Mindemoya you ask. Well there is a major tidying up going on here at home and Sarah is helping big time. The result is the production of many huge bags of clothing that we don’t want and things to be given away. So I was assigned to taking them to the thrift store run by the Women’s shelter in Mindemoya. Well, while I was there I went to the grocery store and bought some beer called ORGANIC OLD DUCHY ale made in Oxfordshire with barley used in 1905. It is very delicious and made by Wychwood Brewery who make surprising beers like HOBGOBLIN, which you must try. The guy in charge of the liquors section of the store, who has always been wooden and sullen and silent before suddenly came to life on the subject of beer and claimed it was his intention to offer the most varied and diversified collection of beers in Northeastern Ontario. He may well be on his way with a fascinating collection of exotic beers. I am a supporter. I told him that his collection was the only real distinction his store could claim, as every other store had all the same things. He seemed stunned by this thought so the conversation ended. So ends this diary day.
