Nature Reflections

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Nature Reflections - March 9, 2006

Late night visitor

by Jean Griffin

Last night I had a visitor - well, it didn’t really come to visit me. Rather, it came to see what it could find to eat. It was a Northern Saw-whet Owl. This tiny owl, no bigger than my hand, was looking for a vole or flying squirrel that might be feeding under the bird feeders. I know Danny Meadow Mouse (more properly the Meadow Vole) has been getting fat by eating the seeds, particularly under the niger seed feeder.

While I often see the vole in the daytime, I expect it is out even more in the night, which is when this little owl hunts. Whether or not the owl saw or caught the vole, I don’t know, but hope it was able to find food. Several years ago I found a dead one under my porch, which most probably had not survived because of lack of food. When the vole population crashes in one of its cycle of numbers, life can be difficult for the owls that depend on them for food.

Owl Woods on Amherst Island southwest of Kingston is usually a popular place for bird watchers, because it is known to be a place that these owls and other larger owls will gather in winter until it is time to disperse to their breeding grounds. There, Saw-Whets can often be found perched low in a cedar tree, and quite approachable. This year there have been very few owls seen there because the vole population is in one of its low population cycles. Would my visitor be one of those that might normally have found food and shelter there? Or now in early March, is it passing through as it is time for this and other owls to start spreading out to their breeding grounds?

Silent most of the year except during the breeding season, it is named for the call it gives when alarmed - which resembles the sound of a saw being whetted. The primary courtship call is a monotonous, whistled "hoop", emitted at about 1.5 notes per second and which it may keep up for several hours without a break. The male when bringing food to the nest gives a rapid staccato burst of ‘toots’, with the female responding with a soft ‘swee’.

Besides voles or flying squirrels, this owl may feed on mice, bats, and sometimes small birds, as well as larger insects. It is reported that when prey is plentiful, the owl may kill as many as six voles or mice in rapid succession, caching the excess. In winter, a frozen carcass may be thawed out by ‘brooding’. It is common when food is plentiful that only the head of the prey may be eaten. Like other owls, bones and undigestible parts of the prey are ejected as pellets. The pellet is regurgitated with what appears to be great difficulty, with a great deal of twisting of the head and body.

This owl requires a cavity, either a natural cavity or one that has been made by a woodpecker or flicker, in which to nest, competing with Boreal Owls, Starlings, or squirrels for these. The Saw-whets can themselves be predated by larger owls, as well as Martens, Cooper’s Hawks or Northern Goshawks. In captivity they have been known to live up to eight years, but in the wild, the average life span is probably much shorter.

It was a delight to see this little visitor.

Observations: Share your observations, call Jean at 268-2518 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Feature Article - May 18, 2006

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Feature Article - May 18, 2006

Black Comedy at Sydenham HighSchool

by Wilma Kenny

Black comedy walks a difficult line, finding humour in grim and sensitive places. Sydenham High’s production of Dearly Departed tackled death, disintegrating relationships, religion, aging, infirmity and personal failure, and still managed to keep the audience laughing.

What high school drama group can resist a play in which the principal’s cameo appearance has him dropping dead in the first scene? Bruce Marchen, though perhaps not yet ready for Hollywood , deserves full credit for his brief star turn as the father whose funeral finally brings the eccentric but somehow familiar Turpin family more or less together.

The large cast played off each other with energy, obvious enjoyment and surprisingly good southern accents. Some of the highlights: Adrian Murray’s airband rendition of "Highway to Hell", Emily Bashall’s rants at the invisible back seat children, and Steven Michels’ turns as a longsuffering preacher with an excellent back-up choir singing gospel. Jessica Roberts expertly handled the difficult role of ‘Delightful’, who was on stage for long stretches of time with no dialogue, by hilariously eating her way through every bit of food she could get her hands on, while her huge eyes followed the rest of the family racing through their lives. Tom Glassco stood out in a convincing and touching performance as a son grieving his father’s death, while trying to cope with the chaos around him.

The program booklet, with its sly inclusion of fictional ads, was a final bonus in an entertaining evening.

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

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Feature Article - July 6, 2006

Letters to the Editor

What a wonderful Community we live in!

On behalf of my kids, Harlan, Johnny and Violet, and myself, I would like to thank this wonderful community for all the help people gave us when I fell and injured myself on Father’s Day. Special thanks to Glen and Mary Howes who came to my rescue and called the ambulance and were so kind to my frightened children. Also special thanks to the Teal Family, Bob and Christine Riley and Katie, for taking care of my kids and many other things. There have been so many other people in the community who have helped with driving and delivering food etc. People I hardly knew made such generous and kind gestures. I also want to recognize the wonderful resources we have in the North Frontenac Community Services. The staff there is incredibly compassionate and helpful. They will do what it takes to find solutions to challenges people may be facing.

Our family feels very privileged to belong to such a generous and kind community, that helps without thinking twice about it.

- Karen Skuce.

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Feature Article - August 24, 2006

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Feature Article - August 24, 2006

Study supports eat local initiatives

A Queen’s University researcher has applied a study called Food Miles from the Waterloo region to Kingston , Frontenac, Lennox and Addington, Leeds and Landsdown region, concluding that potential emissions savings from increased local and regional food production would cut green house gas emissions significantly.

The study looked at the most commonly sourced food items, notably beef, finding that if all beef consumed in the Kingston region were produced in the region, it would have the same impact as cutting the number of cars in the region by 2,000.

“The fact that beef imports produce the highest emissions is important to note as it provides yet another reason to develop the local beef market and industry that already exists in the Kingston region,” says the report, which was written by Sunny Lam, a Master of Environmental Studies candidate at Queen’s.

Other products near the top of the list include lettuce and tomatoes, which could also be grown locally in hydroponic greenhouses to save energy use, “but only if the energy trade off of growing these two specific crops in an energy intensive greenhouse are less than importing them,” the report says.

Other popular items that would save energy if they were produced and eaten locally include potatoes, apples, onions, cheese, and carrots.

Recent initiatives such the Feast of fields events, (this year’s event will take place on Sunday at the Reinink farm at Yarker), a grown local logo to identify locally produced food, and the Saturday morning Frontenac Farmer’s Market in Verona are all designed to bring producers and consumers of food together to benefit the economy, help people to eat better, and cut down on the emissions caused by the bulk transport of food that could be efficiently produced within the region.

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Feature Article - August 17, 2006

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Feature Article - August 17, 2006

Local Fare

by Chava Field-Green

During the summer months, the Frontenac News will be profiling local restaurants. This week’s profiled communities are Harrowsmith, Verona and the picturesque surroundings of Silver Lake .

VERONA

Bravo Restaurant, situated right on Highway 38 just south of the village of Verona , serves a varied menu of Greek and Canadian dishes. Specializing in Greek dishes such as pork and chicken souvlaki, Bravo serves everything from fajita lunch specials for $7.95 to the Sunday night prime rib special, including soup or salad, choice of potatoes and rice pudding or jell-o for dessert, for $11.95. Owner Chris Lianos is pleased to be able to serve good quality food at a great price to the locals.

613-374-5444

MOM RESTAURANT

Located on Main Street (Hwy 38) in Verona , Mom Restaurant serves a full range of Italian and Canadian food. Specializing in pizza ($8.85 to $20.45), Mom offers everything from Spaghetti with meat sauce and a homemade roll for $8.25, to steak, to club house sandwiches with fries and coleslaw for $8.75.

Owner Peter Doulas has been offering good food at a good price for 25 years.

613-374-2817

RIVENDELL RESTAURANT,

Set on the luxurious Rivendell Golf Course located a few minutes north of Verona on Highway 38, Rivendell Restaurant caters to many more than just the golfers who visit the course. With weekday and weekend menus including sandwiches with fries and coleslaw for $6.95, salads, liver and onions, pork chops and steak dinners for 14.99, Rivendell provides excellent dining for everybody. Owner Ken Harper has turned what was once a golfer’s canteen into a full menu restaurant for everybody, and stresses that he wishes to see Rivendell Restaurant as a place for locals as well. 613-374-3404.

SILVER LAKE

SILVER LAKE MOTEL RESTAURANT.

Located across Highway 7 from beautiful Silver Lake , Silver Lake Motel Restaurant offers the classics at an inexpensive price.

The breakfast menu includes omelets done your way, 2 eggs or pancakes for $3.99. Lunches include classics such as BLTs with fries for $5.95 or burgers with fries for $5.25.

For dinner, specials such as the Friday night pork roast with vegetables; potatoes and a small side salad cost $7.99.

New Owners Janina and Steve Pokrajak say they intend to please their customers and provide the best service possible.

613-268-2511

SILVER SEVEN QUALITY FOOD RESTAURANT

Situated across Highway 7 from Silver Lake Provincial Park , Silver Seven specializes in hot sandwiches, and their ever popular burgers. On the menu, classic lunch specials are $5.95 and dinner specials cost around $8.00.

Silver Seven also offers live music on some Thursday evenings; call for a schedule of appearances by groups such as North of 7 and Country Friends.

Owner Brent Cariveau is pleased to serve good food at great prices.

613-268-5693

HARROWSMITH

THE OTHER SIDE RESTAURANT

Located on Main Street (Hwy.38) in Harrowsmith, The Other Side Restaurant is Harrowsmith’s breakfast hot spot.

Lunch specials include soup and a sandwich for $5.99. Dinner specials, starting midweek to Saturday, include fish and chips with coleslaw and tarter sauce for $7.49.

Owner Elaine Wilson is happy to succeed in providing a great service to Harrowsmith. 613-372-3663

PAPA PETE’S PIZZERIA

Situated right on Highway 38 in Harrowsmith, Papa Pete’s offers Harrowsmith’s best pizza.

Prices range from $8.75 for a small tomato sauce and cheese pizza and go all the way up to $24.10 for a Jumbo size (16 slices) Deluxe pizza which includes cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, bacon, onions, and a choice of sausage or olives.

Papa Pete’s is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 am to Midnight, Thursday 11 am to 1 am and Friday through Saturday from 11 am to 2 am. Slices are available from 11:30 on.

Owner Linda Irish-Burns welcomes all to come enjoy the great pizza offered at Papa Pete’s.

613-372-5693.

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Feature Article - September 28, 2006

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Feature Article - September 28, 2006

TheNorthFrontenac FoodBank

The North Frontenac Food Bank is a small food bank organized by a committee of community volunteers. It has no formal building or hours for public access. To contact the food bank, you may leave a message at Northern Frontenac Community Services at 613-279-3151 or Fax referrals to 613-279-2565.

The North Frontenac Food Bank Committee operates totally independently from NFCS and, except for a small grant under a federal program for children, is not associated with any provincial or federal agency; nor is it affiliated with any religious or church organization.

The food bank depends on donations of food and money from the community to provide food baskets to people who need one. We realize that there are times when people need extra assistance, which is why we volunteer on the food bank committee. However, because we have limited resources, it is necessary to have certain policies in place: referrals should be made by a social worker, doctor, minister, or other advocate, whenever possible; a financial criteria is in place which must be met; only one food basket will be given in a month; the food bank should not be used every month for an indefinite period of time; it is for emergency situations only, so should not be used to subsidize a monthly budget.

The food bank reserves the right to refuse anyone a food basket if it becomes apparent that its assistance is being used every month. On the other hand, we would not be volunteers in this role if we did not want to help people when necessary.

- North Frontenac Food Bank Committee

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Feature Article - November 23, 2006

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Feature Article - November 23, 2006

Loughborough Christmas Committee andEmergencyReliefFund (LCC&ERF)

The name may be long, but then again so is the list of families that need our help.

Although we originally started over 20 years ago to provide food baskets and gifts for needy families at Christmas, we have evolved into Loughborough's year round food bank, as well as being a source of funds for financial emergencies, i.e. overdue utilities or rent,

and disasters like house fires, etc.

Other organizations like Rural Visions may also be contacted in the event of financial

difficulties. Rural Visions refers Loughborough residents back to LCC&ERF for food bank related assistance; however, they are a great resource for many other needs people may have. We operate independently, but we work closely with them to ensure that anyone who is in need of our emergency services doesn't “slip through the cracks”.

We thank the numerous organizations and individuals in the community who provide the

only support LCC&ERF receives in order to be able to distribute more than 60 baskets at

Christmas, and emergency assistance throughout the year. With only a handful of regular volunteer members, along with extra helpers at Christmas, LCC&ERF provides recipients with about a week's worth of groceries, including all the trimmings for a traditional Christmas dinner, a gift and book for each child, gifts for teens, and additional donated items for parents to choose from to put under the Christmas tree for their little ones.

To support LCC&ERF's work, a number of fund-raisers have been planned. Ginny Trousdale will donate 10% of the proceeds from today’s sales (November 23), to our

organization. On December 2 from 10am to 4m, Christmas elves will accept donations of empties at the Sydenham Beer Store. On December 17 at 7:30pm, a Christmas Cantata will take place at the Sydenham Holiness Church with collections being donated to LCC&ERF, A mitten tree located at the Sydenham Library accepts donations of yarn and/or mittens, bats, scarves and slippers, which will be put into the Christmas baskets.

Contributions may be deposited into any of the festively decorated jars in offices and stores of Sydenham Village merchants. Alternatively, please take a moment to mail your cheque made out to LCC&ERF to P.O. Box 450 ; Sydenham , ON ; K0H 2T0 and provide your address so that a tax receipt can be mailed to you in the New Year.

To be considered for a basket, or to recommend someone else who might benefit from one, contact us by leaving a message at 613-376-3532 and Bev will return your call. Thank you for helping us to continue to make Christmas special for many of our neighbours! Merry Christmas from the Loughborough Christmas Committee.

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Nature Reflections

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Nature Reflections - November 2, 2006

Signs of Autumn

by Jean Griffin

It is not just cooler weather, or falling leaves, or earlier sunsets that are signs of autumn’s farewell and the coming of winter. It seems that almost everything in nature has its own way of showing us that seasons are changing.

Summer had brought us busy chipmunks who mated and had families, and as the summer waned it was common to see a half-grown chipmunk scampering across the road with its tail a banner pointing toward the sky. There are less of these now, though still one or two trying to find either food or an unoccupied territory where it will spend the winter underground. The squirrels have also been busy preparing for winter, building leaf nests in the trees, harvesting the nuts and seeds that will be the mainstay of their winter diet, and hiding them, sometimes in tree cavities, and sometimes burying them - where they may or may not find them again, and thus give that unfound nut or seed an opportunity to grow.

Each of the mammals has its own way of adapting to the coming winter. Some change the colour or thickness of their fur coats and meet winter head-on. The white coat of the Snowshoe Hare may help it evade its predators, while the white mantle of the Short-tailed Weasel may give it the advantage of disguise. The denser coat of the White-tailed Deer will help protect it from the chilly winds, though the shelter they seek in cedar swamps will help.

Other mammals hibernate, and now is the time for the Black Bears to seek out a place to den for the winter. It was obvious in the pile left on the road by one of these animals that it had been enjoying the supply of apples and other fruit and was probably now well-insulated with a layer of fat on which to survive.

It is easy to observe how the birds react to the coming of winter. Almost all the songbirds of the summer have headed for warmer climes where there are still insects to be found, and life is easier. Those that remain have put on their winter coats - an extra layer of down. Like the squirrels some of them have also hidden away seeds, while others have spied out the bird feeders that will be a place of plenty. From more northern areas we are starting to see our winter visitors. This week I saw a small flock of Snow Buntings (only about 6) busily feeding on the weed seeds on the side of the road. They and the redpolls, Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks and others leave the barren tundra for areas where winter food is more available.

Now not so readily visible are the insects who have had to adapt to season change possibly by cocooning, burrowing into the ground, or (for a few) heading south. Many insects have finished the entire span of their life, and it is the eggs they leave behind that will be overwintering and be the insects we see next year. The Woolly Bear caterpillar crossing the road the other day will have to find shelter - this one was almost totally black with only a hint of the coloured mid-stripe circling its body - what does that tell us about the coming winter?

By now most of the frogs are buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond, and the toads also buried but in the ground. The snakes have been gathering in their underground retreats - except for the young Eastern Garter, only about 8 inches long, that was slithering over my basement floor a couple of weeks ago. It must have found a small chink in the basement wall while looking for a place to shelter. I placed it out in my flower garden in the hope it could find some other safe hideaway.

So autumn wanes and winter looms ahead, and we humans also find various ways of coping - blazing fires in wood stoves, storm windows, mittens and hats, vacations in southern places, snow tires, and so forth. And like the animals, wait for the coming of spring!

Observations: Helm in Oconto had a Black Bear cross his yard on October 22, and savoured a meal of Hericium coralloides, a Coral Fungus, on October 24. Share your observations - call Jean at 613-268-2518 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Nature Reflections

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Nature Reflections - November 2, 2006

Signs of Autumn

by Jean Griffin

It is not just cooler weather, or falling leaves, or earlier sunsets that are signs of autumn’s farewell and the coming of winter. It seems that almost everything in nature has its own way of showing us that seasons are changing.

Summer had brought us busy chipmunks who mated and had families, and as the summer waned it was common to see a half-grown chipmunk scampering across the road with its tail a banner pointing toward the sky. There are less of these now, though still one or two trying to find either food or an unoccupied territory where it will spend the winter underground. The squirrels have also been busy preparing for winter, building leaf nests in the trees, harvesting the nuts and seeds that will be the mainstay of their winter diet, and hiding them, sometimes in tree cavities, and sometimes burying them - where they may or may not find them again, and thus give that unfound nut or seed an opportunity to grow.

Each of the mammals has its own way of adapting to the coming winter. Some change the colour or thickness of their fur coats and meet winter head-on. The white coat of the Snowshoe Hare may help it evade its predators, while the white mantle of the Short-tailed Weasel may give it the advantage of disguise. The denser coat of the White-tailed Deer will help protect it from the chilly winds, though the shelter they seek in cedar swamps will help.

Other mammals hibernate, and now is the time for the Black Bears to seek out a place to den for the winter. It was obvious in the pile left on the road by one of these animals that it had been enjoying the supply of apples and other fruit and was probably now well-insulated with a layer of fat on which to survive.

It is easy to observe how the birds react to the coming of winter. Almost all the songbirds of the summer have headed for warmer climes where there are still insects to be found, and life is easier. Those that remain have put on their winter coats - an extra layer of down. Like the squirrels some of them have also hidden away seeds, while others have spied out the bird feeders that will be a place of plenty. From more northern areas we are starting to see our winter visitors. This week I saw a small flock of Snow Buntings (only about 6) busily feeding on the weed seeds on the side of the road. They and the redpolls, Snowy Owls, Rough-legged Hawks and others leave the barren tundra for areas where winter food is more available.

Now not so readily visible are the insects who have had to adapt to season change possibly by cocooning, burrowing into the ground, or (for a few) heading south. Many insects have finished the entire span of their life, and it is the eggs they leave behind that will be overwintering and be the insects we see next year. The Woolly Bear caterpillar crossing the road the other day will have to find shelter - this one was almost totally black with only a hint of the coloured mid-stripe circling its body - what does that tell us about the coming winter?

By now most of the frogs are buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond, and the toads also buried but in the ground. The snakes have been gathering in their underground retreats - except for the young Eastern Garter, only about 8 inches long, that was slithering over my basement floor a couple of weeks ago. It must have found a small chink in the basement wall while looking for a place to shelter. I placed it out in my flower garden in the hope it could find some other safe hideaway.

So autumn wanes and winter looms ahead, and we humans also find various ways of coping - blazing fires in wood stoves, storm windows, mittens and hats, vacations in southern places, snow tires, and so forth. And like the animals, wait for the coming of spring!

Observations: Helm in Oconto had a Black Bear cross his yard on October 22, and savoured a meal of Hericium coralloides, a Coral Fungus, on October 24. Share your observations - call Jean at 613-268-2518 or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Feature Article - November 30, 2006

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December 2006

Slow Food delegates bring the message back from Turin.by Jeff Green----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Turin came to world attention this past winter as the host city for the winter Olympics, but in the alternative food production world it has another distinction - as the locale where the Slow Food movement was born some 20 years ago.At the end of October, the second biennial Terre Madre Conference was held at the Oval Lingotto in Turin, the venue where Cindy Klaussen won all of her speed skating medals last February. For one week, about 4,800 farmers, breeders, fishermen and artisan food producers from 150 nations, 1,000 cooks, 400 academics and 2300 observers and guides, met together to talk about food. The conference was devoted to celebrating the diversity of growing, preparing, and eating food, and stood in stark contrast to the focus on agri-business and large scale farming that has become dominant in the food production industry.

The conference was the subject of a panel discussion at the Annual General Meeting of the National Farmers’ Union Kingston and Region local, which was held in Sydenham on December 7. Four enthusiastic attendees from this year’s conference made up the panel. They were maple syrup producers David Hahn and Marion Watkins from Bedford, who attended as delegates, and Suzie Osler and Cheryl Nash from Maberly, who have organised a slow food group, or “convivium” in LanarkCounty. The Slow Food movement is devoted to quality, fresh, local food, in all its variations. One of the characteristically Italian aspects of slow food is the preoccupation with eating well, in the company of other people.

“We think of slow food as more expensive,” David Hahn said, “but in Italy that is not the case.” David and Marion spent a week travelling around Italy before the conference, and they ate most of their meals in “Hosteria”, informal eateries that each serve their own range of dishes, reflecting the interests of the owner or the region where they are located.

Cheryl Nash said that the food traditions in Turin, and in other parts of the world, are very strong, in contrast to Ontario. “We don’t have the food tradition that they have in European countries. The average Canadian family spends 18 minutes a day preparing food, so we need to work with youth if we are going to bring an appreciation of food in our region.”

The Lanark Slow Food group has organized five events over the past 18 months, all designed to bring the producers and consumers of local, organic food together to share a meal. The concept of bridging the gap between food producers, whether they produce beef, maple syrup, eggs, or vegetables, and the eating public, is a major goal of both the Slow Food Movement and the National Farmer’s Union local (NFU local 316).

The Feast of Fields event, which has been running for three years, provides an opportunity for a mainly urban group of people to experience the reality of farm production by visiting a local farm, sampling food, and talking to a many of the small scale farmers in the region.

This summer a new initiative was unveiled. An “Eat from Kingston’s Countryside” logo was created to identify food that has been grown within 100 kilometres of the City of Kingston. Over the next year the NFU will be working on a project aimed at developing guidelines for a local food system. Again using the concept of a 100 kilometre radius from the City of Kingston, the project co-ordinator, who will be hired within the next few days, will be meeting with food producers, individuals and institutions to try and build a network that will make it possible for more quality food to be produced and consumed from local sources.

All of these activities are consistent with the insights of the Slow Food Movement, and they are complemented by the development last year of the weekly Frontenac Farmers’ Market, which joins with the market in Perth in providing the option of fresh produce, meat, eggs, and local baking and preserves to consumers on a regular basis.

Restaurants with a similar focus, such as the Fall River Pub and Grill in Maberly and the Mill Street Cafin Sydenham, have also sprung up in the last couple of years.

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