I've been busy trying to do 14 things at the same time again but I had to take a few minutes out the other day to snap a few photos of the Trillium's down Beach Road. There must be millions of them all over Manitoulin at this time of the year. Too bad all the summer visitors miss this fantastic view of our island.
The Fort Sheg Flee Market is now open for the season. Come and see me and all the other booths every Saturday and Sunday from 9:00am to 4:00pm right through the summer and into October. 
Another new web site for the books this week. The Innavik Hydro Project is being undertaken by Pituvik Landholding Corporation in the village of Inukjuak in Nunavik. This town is one of my favorite locations in the entire country and is a great place to visit. If you're looking for a different kind of adventure for your vacation this year then this would be it. There is a great little hotel run by the local CO-OP and you can easily arrange a guide to take you out on the land, up the river or out to Hudson's Bay. 
If you're an amateur archaeologist then you might be interested to know that the oldest rock in the world is located near the community. It has been dated and fully documented at well over 3,000,000 years old. Access to the community is only by plane and you would most likely take an Air Inuit Dash-8 aircraft out of Montreal and could possibly make stops at La Grande, Kuujjuaraapik, and Umiujaq on your journey.
Still no sign of the Hummingbirds or Cardinals around the house yet, although they've been seen in other parts of the island. I heard a Whip-Poor-Will in Manitowaning the other day and something today that might have been a Mockingbird but I didn't spot him. The male Goldfinches are all bright yellow again and the Rose Breasted Grosbeak showed up yesterday so the Baltimore Oriole can't be too far behind. I'll let you know when they get here.
I've been puzzling the last couple days over how to tell you about one of my favorite Watkins products and then hot off the internet comes just what I was looking for, and worded much better than I could have done. Here is the text from a Summit Group bulletin about Rezist Plus. If you would like more information on this product or a list of ingredients just let me know.
Many respiratory conditions such as colds and flu are caused by viruses that attach themselves to the lining of the nose or throat and then spread through the upper respiratory system. In response, the immune system floods the area with infection-fighting white blood cells. The symptoms of a cold or the flu aren't produced by the viruses, but are actually the result of the body trying to stave off the infection. They are more common in winter, when indoor heating reduces the humidity in the air; this lack of moist air dries out the nasal passages and creates the perfect environment for viruses to reproduce.
You can contact us about all the Watkins products through this blog, by calling 705-282-3556 and leaving a message, by emailing me at murray@ourmanitoulin.com or you can even order direct by going to www.WatkinsOnline.com/Dewing 
Today it gives me great pleasure to welcome a new member to the family of web sites that I maintain. It is for the EaglzNest Bed & Breakfast located right here in Wikwemikong, the very heart of Rainbow Country. Check it out and please consider staying there on your next visit to our area. Lorraine, Mocha and Buttons would be happy to see you! 
The "Free E-Associate Web Site" set-up promotion offered by Watkins expires April 30, 2009. Any new Independent Associates signing up by then will have the normal $64.95 fee waived, regular monthly fees will still apply but what you save with the no set-up fee will even cover your initial cost of becoming an Independent Associate.
No buds on the poplars yet but the signs of the seasons are out there in the form of the frogs peeping, doves and other birds ‘frolicking’, the ducks are checking out nesting sites, our loons and geese are back on the beach and I even saw one of our giant wood spiders yesterday. I moved a board and there was, a full adult 2+ inches across. I’ve seen them much bigger than that when we were building the house and so far they’ve proved harmless but I have to admit that I’m a little nervous putting on my boots in the summer, even if I do shake them out first!
The lawn is all raked, except for the back yard which is still a little damp from runoff and the spring back there. It should be dry enough to do by next week, probably. There is still a little bit of snow way back in the bush and along the road in places but that won't last long. 
Oh yes, just a little bit of Facebooking mixed in throughout the day… well, more than a little bit because I’m addicted you see. I shudder to think of what will happen when the full version of Microsoft Vine is released. Guess we’ll have to petition for longer days or less of a sleep requirement.
I wasn't going to add any details to this but since you've asked...
Although it's nice to hear the waves again I know I'm going to miss the morning silence while I'm out on the deck with my coffee. I enjoy it when there isn't a sound except for the birds and the trees talking to each other, perhaps a crackle as some small animal moves through the woods. For me that's the time to contemplate and ponder... think and plan... reflect and wonder. I like the morning dawn, can you tell?
... to drive the speed limit, or a little better. 
it was a great experience for me personally as I got to talk and promote Watkins to several hundred people. It was also made plain to me by several that I hadn't been forgotten during my three or for year absence and if I now chose to start my run for the Governor position I would have a very able crew promoting me. 
A little while ago I posted a note that the Pileated Woodpecker is back for the summer. Well, looking at all the chips I'd say he's been a busy fellow but I'm wondering... which way will the tree eventually fall? I guess luck dictates that it will be towards the house instead of away and it will be close!
I passed a major hurdle in my life this morning. As I was searching for my Melvin Jones Fellowship pin to make sure I had it to wear to the Lions Convention this weekend I ran across my old Northern name tag. 
Enough of that… what I started to tell about today was that the Northern name tag, like myself, is now officially retired. While I sit on my deck or peck away at me leisure on my little laptop the name tag has received a different fate… it’s now on the way to the landfill. Hmmm… almost like losing a friend but maybe it’s time to gain a family. 
It’s only the past few years then there has been much offered in the way of cash to winners of the major bonspiels, and unless you’re talking about the really big ones then it’s probably not enough to cover team expenses for attending the event.
Then on the other hand you have the “professional” hockey, football and baseball players. I don't think any of these people would even consider suiting up for a game unless they were getting paid millions of dollars a year... win or lose of course. On top of that they demand that all expenses are paid for them plus a huge bonus if they meet certain goals for the year. Now I ask you, is anyone worth that kind of money? To run around playing a game that has absolutely no importance, no meaning and does absolutely nothing to improve the quality of the world is nothing but a complete and total waste of time, energy and money that could be better spent on more noble endeavors.
While I can understand (and actually enjoy) baseball and rugby, sports like hockey and basketball have got to be two of the most boring activities known to man, surpassed for sleep factor only by soccer and cricket. The biggest waste of money of them all in my opinion would be the Olympics and I seriously resent having one single penny of my tax dollars going to support this extravaganza. I wonder what good could be done in Canada if the billions that are being spent on Vancouver 2010 were channeled towards apparently silly things like housing or fresh water, alternative forms of energy or even maintaining our roads. 
I don't know... some people figure I have too many opinions and I guess maybe my priorities are different than a lot of other people. 
