Wow, what a great day, 27 degrees later this afternoon and more sun on the way, hopefully right through the long weekend. I was out at the Timberwolf driving range last night and between swings watched a water bomber drop water on a large brush fire off of the Falconbrige Highway. It was pretty amazing to watch but also reminded me of just how dry things are in the bush. No snow over the winter and very little rainfall has resulted in a high risk of forest fires, and we are still in the middle of May. No fireban yet, which I find surprising, if you are out camping this long weekend, be extra careful with your campfires and fireworks….Have fun!

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Game seven tonight between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Defending Stanley Cup Champs are having a tough time with the Habs, a team that barely made it into the playoffs. But, Montreal has an amazing goaltender, Jaraslav Halak who is without a doubt the best goalie, some might say best player in the playoffs this year. Tonight, Sidney Crosby and the Penquins will try move on in the playoffs, a daunting task considering Montreal defeated the Washington Capitals to get into this series. I’m not a Montreal fan, but I hope they win tonight because we need the Stanley Cup back in Canada…it is our game! Go Habs!

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Checked out the Full Monty at Sudbury Theatre Center on Tuesday night. I go to the theatre a few times a year and usually enjoy the show, although once I actually fell asleep during a production. I haven’t seen the movie so I was not sure what to expect from the Full Monty except that it was a musical about unemployed men becoming exotic dancers to make ends meet. What a surprise! An amazing cast that could not only act, but sing! The performances were flawless, and what I found amazing was the set design that could be transformed within seconds. I laughed out loud quite often as did the rest of the full house. This is without a doubt the best play I have seen at STC, big city theatre right here in Sudbury. As to the men going Full Monty, you’ll have to find out for yourself! Mother’s day is coming up, she’ll enjoy the show and you will too!

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We have all heard that eating several servings of fruits and vegtables every day is a great way to stay healthy. I agree. I usually make a fruit yogurt-protien shake smoothie when I get to work in the morning, much better than a cup of coffee. I’m sure you have noticed that our store bought fruits are getting bigger…not just big, but mutant big. I picked up two pounds of strawberries yesterday and some of the strawberries were as big as pears. These things are so big you could probably fend off a black bear by throwing a few at it. Are these genetically modified fruits? If they are, are they really safe to eat? I’m starting to wonder if the quest to produce food quicker outweighs the health benefits of healthy foods. Now I know why they call them Franken Foods, strawberries are not supposed to be THAT big! Next month I’ll be heading out to the Valley or Sturgeon Falls to get some of those farm grown berries, the normal size ones, really sweet and locally grown. And hopefully we will have a great blueberrie season, because I’m starting to think that picking your own is better that buying the “funny looking” berries.

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Great time last night at Sudbury Downs for the Sudbury Derby, the kick off to this years Big Bike Ride for Heart and Stroke. The Big Bike ride has been in Sudbury for the past 17 years and is not only a great fundraiser for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, it is also a lot of fun!
Talk to your co-workers, your boss, friends and neighbors and put together a team of 30 to jump on the Big Red Bike. For employers and business owners it is a great way to make your business visable and also a great team builder for your staff. Best part is all the funds raised go to Heart and Stroke research and programs. The Big Bike will be in Sudbury the Week of JUne 7th, find out more and sign up at http://www.bigbike.ca/

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The City’s planning committee voted in favour of a new proposal to save the Pearl Street water tower. Giant electronic advertising signs will be placed on the tower and provide revenue for a proposed Commercial and residental development. My poll question on Wednesday on new life for the tower was a 50 50 split, half were happy it was going to stay, the other half think that it is time for the tower to go. Personally I would like to see the tower stay since it was a part of my teenage years and perhaps yours also. For teenagers out in their parents car in the 70′s and early 80′s it was the place to go on a date and look at the city lights, talk about the meaning of life and listen to Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles while the windows fogged up. Then usually , the tap of a flashlight on the driver’s window and the police officer informing us to leave….all part of being a teenager in Sudbury back in the late 70′s……..I hope the tower stays….

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That stubborn volcano in Iceland continues to wreak havoc with air travel. Flights are finally resuming out of London England, the cost to airlines 1.7 Billion dollars. I did a google search on Iceland to find info about the country. What a surprise. This quiet little country in the middle of the North Atlantic is home to 300,000 people and boasts some one of the lowest tax rates in the European Union. The Gulf Stream moderates temperatures in the winter and the south coast is home to 7 volcanos, one of which has been active for the last couple of months. The interior plains are home to livestock and fishing is plentiful off the coast. And the country is near the Arctic Circle, during the winter months the Northern Lights are spectacular. For 50 dollars a person, CDN, you can take a 3 – 5 hour tour to see the Northen Lights away from the city and hot springs common across the south coast. Sounds like an interesting place to visit on vacation, something out of the ordinary, I’ll put it on the bucket list for sure.

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On Sunday close to 60 men took to the streets of Sudbury wearing High heel stilettos in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event, an event to raise awareness of Domestic Violence and ehlping Woman and Children to take the important first steps to walk away from domestic violence situations. I must say that walking in 3 inch heels is challenging and after a walk around Tom Davies with police officers, firefighters and the Mayor, my ankles were killing me. Happy to get my sandals on afterwards. Thanks to all who walked and pledge to this important fundraiser for the YWCA.

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On Sunday Morning at 11 I’ll be joining other men in the city in the The Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event. This event helps women and children take the important first steps to walk away from domestic violence. I’ll be joining police officers, teachers and other men from all professions in this fundraiser. What makes it interesting is that we will be wearing high heel shoes, women’s shoes, hence the title for the event. It should be a lot of fun since I have been told that walking in high heel shoes is not easy, so it will be quite humourous to see dozens if not hundreds of men walking around Tom Davies Square on Sunday morning. Make a pledge, or if you want to be a participant you can find out more at www.ezrocksudbury.com

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It was 30 years ago Monday that Terry Fox began his Marathon of Hope in St. John’s Newfoundland. I can remember Terry making his way through Sudbury. At the time I was a teenager more interested in hanging out at Bell Park than a guy running across the country. But, I do recall stopping to watch Terry and thinking how courageous his run was. He was running 26 miles a day with one leg, the other lost to cancer. Terry had a goal of raising a million dollars, a huge amount of money 30 years ago. As most Canadians know, Terry had to give up his run as the cancer had spread to his lungs…he later died and the nation mourned a true Hero. 30 years later the Terry Fox run continues in over 40 countries and to date over half a Billion dollars has been raised for Cancer Research. 30 years ago the type of cancer that claimed Terry’s life had a survival rate of 20 to 50 percent, today the rate is closer to 80 or 90 percent. Dozens of streets accross the country are named after him, Schools bear his name, even an Icebreaker is named after Terry Fox and here in Sudbury, we have the Terry Fox complex. It does not seem like 30 years ago, how time flies, Thank you Terry.

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