Fido… Come… Sit
By Yvonne Passmore
http://www.FidoComeSit.com

Yes, I have a Great Dane and you don’t know how often I’ve heard that line. Great Danes can stop traffic quicker than a beautiful woman. Officially, he’s the height of a miniature horse. I could put a saddle on that thing. When I walk Zuma, I hear the usual references about horses and ponies. I don’t mind. Truth be told, I like the attention he gets. It impresses me when I see someone walking a brute of dog that is in control and I know that Zuma is impressive when we are walking through town. I adore my Dane and I don’t mind at all showing him off for other people that are amazed by his size (36” at the shoulder) and his wonderful personality. You need to be an attention hound yourself to like having an extra large dog. I really didn’t realize how much attention he would get before I brought him home.
Right now there is a lot of construction going on in my hometown. The main park is getting revamped, trees are being trimmed, gardens are getting beautified, roofs are being replaced, fences are being installed and all that stops when I take my Dane for a walk. A 15- minute stroll can easily turn into a 45-minute outing. Everyone wants to touch him. Everyone wants to know what he eats. Everyone wants to know if I have to refinance my house to feed him. Everyone wants to know how much he weighs. Everyone remembers someone who used to have one, or does have one, or is getting one but I rarely see Great Danes out and about.
There is a huge misconception about having such a large dog. There are many that say they’d love to have one but they don’t have a big enough yard or house. This is true for people’s opinions about most extra large breed dogs.
If I lived in an apartment, I’d get a Great Dane. I’d even consider a Newfoundland Dog, a Leonberger or St. Bernard. I personally have a harder time relating to toy breed dogs, which is the number one choice for most people that think they want a low maintenance dog, especially for smaller living quarters. Extra large breeds are typically quiet. They don’t bark at every thing they hear. They love to lie around on something soft and spend time with their owners. In the case of my Great Dane, he loves his daily walks and romps through the bush but he doesn’t demand exercise like my Retriever girls do. He’ll walk for as long as I want him to or for as little and be satisfied with whatever I choose. Obviously a large breed dog needs training to walk nicely, and needs to be well socialized to put up with all the attention it gets from strangers.
Of course there are some other things to consider if you want a large dog. In my home, coffee tables are banned. Knick-knacks become projectiles. Unless you place your television up a little higher you’ll miss half of your shows. Dog pillows are larger than the chair I sit in. He can keep me warm in bed, but the snoring can keep me up. Men that visit my household need to protect their ‘stuff’ from the wagging tail. Absolutely no one is walking into my house if I’m not home. I get the biggest, fattest, wettest kisses ever, but not from my husband. Alas, my husband’s dream of a ‘mid-life crisis mobile’ won’t be happening anytime soon and he wishes they made beds bigger than king size. Sadly, most extra large dogs have extra small life spans, but it’s a pleasure to able to share those few good years with such a wonderful creature.

You can contact Yvonne through her website at www.fidocomesit.com.

As we head into the fourth annual Grand Bend Burgerfest weekend, James shows you how to make his signature burger. Warning: it packs some heat!

Recipe by James Eddington
http://www.eddingtons.ca

Eddington’s Burger

Ingredients
2 lbs medium ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp butter
1 small red onion, diced
3 tbsp minced garlic
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp horseradish
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp hot sauce

Directions
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the onion softens and begins to turn brown, or about seven minutes. Transfer into a large bowl. Add yogurt, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, horseradish, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and hot sauce. Whisk together until smooth. Mix in the ground beef and bread crumbs until evenly blended with the yogurt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat barbecue (medium heat). Shape mixture into six patties, each 1/2” thick and 6” across. Grill burgers until no longer pink in the center, or about five minutes per side. Only flip once. The less movement the burger has, the better it will maintain its integrity.
For those who want to be creative try making a unique chutney or relish for your burger. You can find a chutney recipe we featured here previously under In The Kitchen at www.grandbendstrip.com. Although the original recipe called for rhubarb, you could try substituting peaches, bell peppers or even hot peppers for a unique burger topping. Have fun and enjoy.

Cheers,
James Eddington

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

Do you stand tall and proud for the Canadian National Anthem? Do you sing it out with a sense of pride in your country? If you are wearing a hat, do you remove it? Apparently we are living in a time when many people not only avoid singing the anthem, some don’t even know all the words or melody!
According to a study conducted by the University of Victoria in B.C., 30 per cent of choir students polled did not know all of the words; 46 per cent had the melody incorrect. And these were choir students! Perhaps this disheartening situation is a result of high schools choosing not to sing the anthem each day. Perhaps it is because music specialists are no longer valued in our educational system. Or, even worse, maybe we just don’t feel the patriotism. By the way, Newfoundland scored the best in the national anthem survey. Good for them!

View of a new Canadian
If I were a new Canadian, depending on my country of origin, I might be heard to say, “I am so happy and proud to become a Canadian citizen. Life in the old country was so hard. No jobs, no democracy, oppression everywhere. Canada is the answer to all my prayers. It is the best country in the world! I am so grateful and feel such a deep emotion toward her flag and her anthem. I am so proud to stand up tall and sing it out loud!”

View of war veteran
If I were a Canadian war veteran, I might be heard to say, “I am deeply saddened that our young people do not show respect to the Canadian flag and the national anthem. If it had not been for my fellow veterans, in all areas of the military, Canada would be a terrible place to live. Thousands upon thousands of Canadians gave their lives to protect us from the supreme evil; they fought tooth and nail for our freedom, for peace, and for democracy. Because of them, we live in the best country in the world! Many of my brothers and sisters who have gone before would be so sad and disappointed if they knew our youth didn’t care about our national anthem and had no sense of pride in their country. I think maybe they do know, and are rolling over in their graves. Something must be done to stop the ignorance and the sense of entitlement many of our young people seem to possess!”

Perhaps we could pause and take some advice from a truly great Canadian, none other than Stompin’ Tom Connors. The lyrics from the chorus of his song Canada Day say it all:

O Canada, standing tall together.
We’ll raise our hands and hail our flag,
THE MAPLE LEAF FOREVER!!

Fido… Come… Sit
By Yvonne Passmore
http://www.FidoComeSit.com

I’m lying in bed, roll over and feel a chill. I pull up my low quality but warm, fuzzy polyester blanket to my neck and the sparks begin to fly. I smile thinking and reminiscing about my younger days and sharing a room with my sister. Way back then, the blanket sparks would have initiated a flurry of both of us tossing our blankets around to see who could make the most fireflies dance in the darkness of our room. Other times we would talk about our parents and their annoying rules, the cute boy that sat next to us in class and our dreams of becoming a world famous horse wrangler or flight attendant. The dark and bedtime was a time to bond, grow, and share secrets and fears.
These reflections started a conversation between my husband and me about whether we are doing our children a service by ensuring our homes are big enough for every child to have their own room. Is being alone in the middle of the night robbing children of the opportunity to really get to know their brothers or sisters? It’s hard to giggle uncontrollably under the sheets or get annoyed by the person who made that smell when you are all alone.
Being with your family and loved ones in the still of the night is a comfort for most of us. For dogs, it’s part of their natural social structure to maintain that pack during that most vulnerable time. Bedding with a pack also helps create and strengthen a bond. In the wild, it serves as comfort against the cold and protection against predators. Given a choice, both dogs and most humans prefer to go to sleep with that feeling of togetherness.
It saddens me to see dogs that sleep in the basement, or worse, outside, because there are some who don’t believe that a dog should share sleeping space with their pack. It’s another example of how people believe a dog should conform to the human’s way of thinking with no consideration for the animal they brought into their lives.
I don’t believe dogs have to sleep in a bed with their owners, but mine do. I don’t think a dog has to sleep in the bedroom, but most would prefer to. Some dogs are perfectly content to claim space in a hallway between the rooms of family/pack members. That dog’s comfort still comes from the noise of us snoring, tossing and turning throughout the night. That dog is surrounded by his pack.
A few nights ago, my Great Dane decided he couldn’t climb the stairs to come to bed. Physically he was fine, but he does tend to develop the odd unexplainable mental block about what he can and can’t do with his body. I gave up trying to coax him up the stairs and decided that if he thought he couldn’t get up the stairs, he could go sleep on his pillow on the lower floor. After listening to his howling and moaning, and still not being able to get him to move his body past the first two steps, I decided to spend the night on the couch. His stress didn’t result from missing his usual sleeping spot; it was the result of being alone in the dark. Once I was on the couch and settled, he lay on his pillow and quietly slept the night away.
Some may think that sleeping on the couch was above and beyond the call of duty. I think it was tending to a dog that I dearly love that was experiencing mental anxiety. As my sister did for me so long ago, it was my pleasure to help comfort, protect and dispel his fear.

For column suggestions, training help and book info, contact Yvonne through: www.fidocomesit.com

Recipe by James Eddington
Eddington’s of Exeter
527 Main Street, Exeter
519-235-3030
http://www.eddingtons.ca

This is a simple little recipe that I hope will inspire you to plant some peppers and tomatoes this spring. If, as I do, you lack a green thumb, no need to fret; they are easy to grow. I bought the seeds, followed the instructions on the package and stuck them in planters on the front porch. Even with the lack of frequency in our watering patterns, I produced healthy, vibrant and delicious plants that were enjoyed all summer.

Beyond the varietals, take a look at the benefits!
Source: villagefarms.com

Tomatoes are fat-free, low in sodium, and have been shown to lower cholesterol. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A and calcium. They are also packed with phytonutrients, including lycopene, an antioxidant that protects our cells from damage. They have proven to help prevent a wide variety of cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, lung, and pancreatic cancer. Tomatoes also contain an array of nutrients that work to lower cholesterol and prevent heart disease, including fiber, potassium, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, and lycopene. Finally, tomatoes also contain phenylalanine, an essential amino acid important in the functions of the kidneys and bladder. Phenylalanine has been found to boost energy levels, ease depression and increase mental clarity.

Bell peppers are also rich in vitamin C and vitamin A. The vitamin B6 and folic acid in peppers reduces homocysteine levels that increase our risk of heart attack and stroke. Bell peppers are also a good source of fiber, which can help lower cholesterol and reduce our risk of heart disease. Red bell peppers also contain lycopene.

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion (diced)
1/2 bunch celery diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic
4 large red bell peppers, roasted, skinned and diced

Note: when roasting red peppers, char out side until black, place in stainless steel bowl and cover until cooled. This will steam the skin, making it a lot easier to peel.

5 large tomatoes, chopped in cubes (Any variety works. I used simple field tomatoes in my soup.)
1 clove
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
2 ounces honey
Salt and pepper to taste

In large stock pot, sauté onions and celery in olive oil over low/medium heat, stirring occasionally until soft. Add 1/4 cup white wine to deglaze pot. Add 3 cups of stock, 2 cloves of garlic, diced peppers and chopped tomatoes. Bring to rolling boil then simmer for about an hour. If needed, add water to thin mixture. Once ingredients are soft, puree with hand blender. Return to medium heat and add 35% cream and honey, and blend again. Add cloves and bay leaves and let simmer on low heat until ready to serve. Add pinch of salt and pepper as needed, or more honey if desired.
If you want to be creative, add balsamic vinegar for a unique flavor or substitute one red pepper with a hot pepper for kick.
Have fun and enjoy.

Cheers, James Eddington

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

In early March, while visiting Fort Rose Maple Company, I spied a horned lark from my perch on the hay wagon. It was skittering across the expanse of diamond-crusted snow, and at first glance the bird’s black collar suggested it might be a meadowlark. This idea was quickly dismissed when I realized it was sparrow-sized; too small for the meadowlark, which isn’t even a lark. Editor Casey Lessard had recently mentioned some sightings of horned larks in the Grand Bend area, and so this species has become the topic of the April column.

The horned lark (Eremophila alpestris) is one of the most widespread birds in North America. It is a brown ground bird, seven to eight inches in length, with black sideburns and two small black horns on the top of its head. These, of course, are feathered tufts and only resemble horns. It sports a black bill, black bib, and pale yellow to white throat. The back and rump are tawny brown, and the tail is black with white outer feathers. All features combine to create a most handsome appearance. The female appears similar but is duller and lacks the black crown. The white underparts of both genders are noticeable in flight. The feet are black and the rear toe is quite elongated.
Behaviours
The horned lark forages on the ground, preferring open fields, golf courses, prairies, and tundra, etc. They sometimes group with snow buntings on graveled shoulders of the roadside. The lark walks and runs, as opposed to hopping, and is often found in agricultural areas.
Food mainly consists of seeds, grains, insects and small mollusks. The song of the horned lark, given from high circling flight, is a series of bell-like tones (tsee-tete, or zeet).
The nest is a shallow depression in a grassy meadow, either natural, or dug by the female and lined with feathers and other soft materials, and is often near clumps of dirt or animal manure. The female lays two to five gray or greenish eggs dotted with brown. The young stay in the nest nine to 12 days, brooded by the female and fed by both sexes. These young are classed as altricial, which means they are born naked and helpless, like most of our songbirds. This contrasts with another ground nester, the killdeer, whose young are precocial; this means baby killdeer are born fully feathered and ready to run off within a few hours.
The population of the horned lark is common and the eastern range has expanded because of agricultural development. Keep your eyes sharp for the black collar and the little black horns of this most attractive songbird in our area.
Recent Sightings:
– A bald eagle (just north of Ailsa Craig)
– Red-bellied woodpecker (both at the feeder and on roadside trees)

Fido… Come… Sit
By Yvonne Passmore
http://www.FidoComeSit.com

It’s been a few weeks now and my friend, her children, and Chloe are settling in. Of course, now come all the issues of having a dog with children. My friend is learning the delicate balancing act of incorporating a dog as a member of a family. She now deals with curiosity, insensitivity, unruliness, noise, exhaustion, running around, fear and clinginess. All of this applies to both the dog and her children.
Gone are the quiet mornings of sneaking a coffee before the children are out of bed. Chloe likes to greet her first morning outing with a pee and barking. Thankfully, she quiets on command, but I’m sure it wakes up the children along with the neighbours. Chloe doesn’t chew the children’s toys on the floor, but there’s no guarantee about lunch left on the sofa.
Taking a dog for a walk with kids becomes an ordeal. There’s boots and strollers, coats and mittens, leashes and poop bags, and the hope that no one gets tipped over or falls due to a lack of leash manners.
The commitment required to balance and live peacefully with everything that this entails is huge. It’s an endless lesson in patience and priority placement, and no easy task. It’s a great idea to have children grow with the family dog, and vice versa. If the dog is truly to be a member of a family, it needs to be with that family. It needs to go for walks with the family. It needs to live in the house with the family. It needs to be incorporated into and be part of the family unit. It’s much easier to crate or tie out the dog and tend to it after the family’s needs, but then it doesn’t become the family dog. That dog will become a whiny and uncontrollable annoyance.
Bringing any dog into a family, whether an older re-homed dog or a puppy, requires much thought. Saying you can make it work and actually making it work is a whole different ball game. There are ways of helping to ensure success and my friend is doing everything in her power to be successful.
So far, we do not have a match made in heaven. We do have a beautiful, sweet dog that is offering love and affection and a bundle of great characteristics. We also have a dog with issues that will work themselves out with time, management, age and training.
Since my friend and Chloe are still in the ‘honeymoon’ stages of their relationship, I’m sure there will be even more issues that are yet to be seen, but during the next few months of that honeymoon stage, other current issues may just work themselves out. Even Steven. Every dog has issues. We learn to work with them and around them and realize that dogs, like children, are works in progress and we need to give them time to grow and develop.
For most owners that have great dogs, like I do, they are never perfect and we can’t expect them to be. Heaven-made matches rarely exist, but great pet and family dogs do.

Contact Yvonne by visiting her website: www.fidocomesit.com for column suggestions, training help and info about her book.

Recipe by James Eddington
Eddington’s of Exeter
527 Main Street, Exeter
519-235-3030
http://www.eddingtons.ca

Photo by Casey Lessard

The great thing about a chutney is that is can be used in so many applications. It makes a fantastic topping for chicken, pork tenderloin, fresh fish, etc. Once you’ve established your chutney base, you can also “pear” your fruits to each season.

Ingredients

1 round Brie cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small carrot, julienned
1 red pepper, julienned
4 stalks rhubarb, diced
2 ounces balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup white wine
3 tsp butter

Note: These measurements are a guideline for the wine and vinegar. At start, add less liquid than listed above and increase as necessary. Water content in each fruit varies and must be considered before adding wet ingredients.

Mix butter, onions and garlic in a medium stock pot on low heat. Once softened, add carrots and peppers, stirring periodically until just about soft. Now add diced rhubarb and balsamic vinegar. Mix well.
Turn heat up between medium and high and add remaining ingredients. Bring to quick boil and reduce heat, letting liquids reduce.
Now you be the judge. Taste chutney and make sure it suits your palate. Not too sweet, not too sour. Never overcook the chutney. The entire process should not take more than 10-12 minutes. Texture is key to final product.

Enjoy!

Living in Balance
By Jenipher Appleton

Have you ever met someone who makes you wonder at his or her energy and enthusiasm? Someone who is passionate about something and follows through on this passion with unremitting effort? When these people share their enthusiasm with others, they can really make a positive difference in society.
One such individual is Ron Walker of Ailsa Craig. Ron is the founder, past chair, and now manager of operations and collections of the Ailsa Craig and District Historical Society. However, Ron is far more than a history buff. He grew up listening to the stories told by his grandfather, Elmer Walker (1906-1999), a man who genuinely cared about the value of history and the importance of understanding what has gone before. Like Ron, he believed that it is essential to understand your past in order to know where you are going. Ron embraced his grandfather’s stories and made it his business to ask questions of older community members. He has delved into the local community’s past for his entire life. As a result, Ron has become somewhat of an expert in the field of our community history.
Since the founding of ACDHS in 1996, the organization has grown to include two properties: the former Trinity Anglican and Ailsa Craig Baptist churches. These buildings house museum artifacts, archives, and the Marg and Leroy Walker Research Room (named for Ron’s benefactor parents). Multiple annual events serve to celebrate our heritage and to educate our young people.

Connecting with youth
Ron is the main impetus behind this society. He reaches out to the community by giving historic talks at local schools. Ron has the most amazing old postcard slide presentation; the pictures include everything from buildings and streetscapes, to bridges and other landmarks or landscapes. The kicker is that Ron knows the background of each picture in the greatest of detail and can go off on a tangent, sharing anecdotes about events that occurred 100 years ago and more. It is both fascinating and entertaining.
Ron came to East Williams Memorial Public School in Nairn on Wednesday, February 17 to present his slideshow of local history. One of the pictures he showed was of ‘Temperance House’, which later became the Pinewood Restaurant in Ailsa Craig. Coincidentally, two days after the presentation, that historic 1860 structure burned to the ground. The fact that Ron had shown that postcard on his recent visit to the school had a great impact on the students. They were able to understand a link to the town’s heritage far more easily because of that slide presentation.

At the end of his talk, Ron made two key suggestions:
- talk to your grandparents and elders, and ask them questions before they are no longer here; and,
- take pictures of local buildings, bridges and other landmarks

One Grade 8 student, Blake, approached Ron following the presentation and said, “Mr. Walker, would you like me to take pictures of some bridges? I have my own camera.” It was clear that Ron’s passion for history had made a difference in this young man’s mind. Even if Blake was the only student who took the idea of embracing the past seriously, it is likely that he will look at older buildings and structures with new eyes from now on. Ron makes a difference. For some it could be a life-changing experience.

Fido… Come… Sit
By Yvonne Passmore
http://www.FidoComeSit.com

Many of you were touched and saddened by my last article about those beautiful, retired female breeding dogs that my friend and I assessed for a potential addition to her home. What seems to have saddened those who contacted me is the fact that what this breeder was doing was not illegal. She provides safe shelter out of the elements. She provides clean water, food and veterinary care. What the breeder didn’t provide was a life of physical and mental stimulation. Unfortunately, that is not a crime. Just as it is not against the law to keep a dog chained to a doghouse 24 hours a day. Obviously, changes need to be made in how the law looks at dog ownership, which is why I occasionally write columns like the last one. I hope those of you who were so appalled at the fate of those dogs will help educate others you know who are on a puppy search.
So, how did this story end for my friend on the mission to find a new best friend? She continued to search with her head and not her heart. Mind you, she did have some criteria that considered her heart, such as breed type and size. Most of us want to like what we’re looking at and with that her heart stayed true. After more searching and with that sensible head in place, the criteria list grew.
In her perfect world she wanted a dog that was fairly easygoing. A dog that had shed its puppy habits and had a level of mental maturity. She wanted a dog that was experienced with young children. She wanted a dog that came from a loving home with owners looking to rehome a dog with that dog’s best interests in mind. This girl really wanted a lot!
There were wasted calls dealing with people who knew nothing about the dogs they were trying to place. There were other calls made to people who were looking only to profit.
Paying for a dog wasn’t the issue. I think it’s legitimate for people to ask for a small financial investment to ensure that the new potential owners feel committed to a dog in more ways than one. It’s a way of weeding out the insincere. After all, if you can’t afford a hundred dollars for a dog, can you afford to feed it and vet it if need be? What hurts is when someone that says they love their dog, wants only a good and loving home for that dog, but need $600 to make sure that happens. You know that their interest isn’t really about the dog. Could you sell a family member that you can no longer keep because of unforeseen circumstances?
Though my friend’s list of wants was long, it wasn’t insurmountable. Along came Chloe, a beautiful red Golden Retriever. What more could she ask for? She was a house pet. She was raised with a baby. She wasn’t a puppy. She didn’t chew or go potty in the house. She was loved by her owners but they didn’t have the option of keeping her.
My friend took her children to meet Chloe and based on her temperament, all the boxes in her head were checked. Based on her good looks and her affection, all the boxes in her heart were checked.
A match was made. Was it a match made in heaven? Stay tuned.

Contact me through www.fidocomesit.com for column suggestions, training help and book info.