Spring is come?

Like the person who believes an empty bank account means the end of the month is near, I consider my rapidly disappearing woodpile to be an indicator of the imminent end of winter.

Since the temperature is stubbornly hovering around –10C (-22C with the wind chill), that does require somewhat of a leap of faith, but it’s not the only sign of spring.

Yesterday the doves were back from points south where they spend the coldest winter months. The chipmunks have come out of hibernation. The raccoons have broken into our screen porch for what will likely be the first time this year. And the wild turkeys have returned to our yard, as they do every spring.

But the one true, irrefutable, sign of spring? Hot cross buns are back on the shelves at the supermarket. Yum!

 Photo: Wikipedia

Oops - I just dropped my fork ....

Every so often one comes across an item that proves there is no end to creativity when it comes to separating large chunks of disposable cash from folks who clearly have too much of it!

For 20,000 Euros, or thereabouts, you too can treat 21 of your closest friends to dinner - at the end of a steel cable, 150 feet or so above the ground.

But don’t waste an invitation on me; I can’t eat when I’m nauseous.

It’s dinner time. Do you know where your food is coming from?

Under Canada’s antiquated food labelling laws, any food product can be labelled Made in Canada, “as long as 51 per cent of the production costs, including labour, transportation and packaging were incurred in Canada”.

That means that the actual food item itself could be coming from China, Mexico, Guatemala, anywhere, and as long as the cost of repackaging, storing, handling and shipping in Canada exceeds the cost of the food content, it qualifies to have a Made in Canada label stuck on it.

Even if the law is dated, I don’t understand why anyone, at any time, would have felt that a food item not grown and processed here in Canada could ever have been considered as being made in Canada – 51% threshold or not.

However that’s the way it is now, and the regulations need to be changed.