London Lobster

I have always thought it odd that lobster is so readily available in towns and cities so far from the ocean. This weekend lobster was on sale in London. The dinner shown cost less than $5.45. The grocery store cooler was brimming with fresh, cooked lobster. I wondered how many they would sell at such bargain prices. Later, I googled lobster and discovered that the price paid for lobsters has collapsed. According to CTV, "Hundreds of lobster harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador have stopped fishing altogether to protest prices . . . "

A Drop of Rain

Hostas are tough. I know — they flourish under my care, or lack of care. I plant them and forget them. Thursday they were watered but not by me. Mother Nature stepped in. After the rain I could not ignore the hostas. Their rain-wet leaves sparkled, thousands of clear water droplets reflecting a bright but rain-threatening sky.

When GM Was the Leader

It's Thursday and this evening from 6 p.m. till dusk the Hyde Park Lions Club is hosting the second Country Cruizin' evening at Steve Plunkett's Fleetwood Farms. The nights are free, with optional donations going to the Special Abilities Riding Institute in Arva, which offers horseback riding to children with disabilities. Expect to see several hundred cars, mostly beautiful Detroit iron such as this heritage Cadillac, but there are always a few foreign cars, too. If all this sounds interesting, visit http://www.countrycruizin.com for directions and more details.

The Carolinian Forest City_Once!

Native to southwestern Ontario? Quite possibly. Observing that hardwood forests in southwestern Ontario shared many characteristics with forests as far south as the Carolinas, botanists named this area Ontario’s Carolinian Zone. The area's Carolinian forests were originally enriched by tulip, sassafras, Kentucky coffee, cucumber magnolia, black gum, and papaw. Sadly, more than 40 per cent of the national list of endangered and threatened species are found here. In some parts of southwestern Ontario, agricultural and residential pressures have destroyed more than 90 per cent of the original Carolinian forest.

Good Morning Sun

Sunrise finds highway 401 at London still night-quiet. But 401, running 820 km from Windsor to the Quebec border, is one of the busiest highways in the world. In fact, the section running above Toronto is the busiest freeway in North America. London's location on 401 is a big plus for the southwestern Ontario city as it competes with other communities for business and industry. You see, over half the population of Canada lives along the Quebec City-Windsor Corridor and 401 is the corridor's major roadway.

The picture is the view from the driver's seat of a Morgan Plus 4 roadster. For a take on Morgan motoring see: A Morgan in the Morning - or see a short Morgan video or slide show from Morgans Over America IV when about 45 Morgans from all over the world toured North America.

The Best Place to Learn

Fanshawe Lake is one of the best places to learn sailing. The high cliffs and the shape of the lake itself make sailing there a challenge. Those lucky enough to hone their sailing skills on Fanshawe Lake are said to be among the best sailors in the area. The Fanshawe Yacht Club and Sailing School is holding their annual open house this weekend - May 23rd, 24th. The winds were light Saturday but not light enough to prevent members from taking visitors for a gentle sail on the small lake on London's doorstep. Sunday afternoon looks like another fine day.

Still an "A" Roadster

Another classic gets some lovin' care at the first Country Cruizin' event of the year at Steve Plunkett's Fleetwood Farms west of London, Ont. The Hyde Park Lions Club is hosting the free events weekly on Thursday evenings through Sept. 24th. Donations are optional but greatly appreciated with the money raised going to the Special Abilities Riding Institute in Arva, which offers horseback riding to children with disabilities. Pictured is a Ford Model A roadster built in the late '20s in the Ford Motor Company of Canada plant in Walkerville, Ontario - now part of Windsor. As suggested in a previous post, for more details and complete directions please visit http://www.countrycruizin.com.