Free the two Michaels sign in window

The two Michaels, Michael Kovig and Michael Spavor, have been imprisoned in China for more than two years with no release in sight for either. Macleans, Canada's newsmagazine, reports:

They were detained by Chinese officials in December 2018, in implicit retaliation for Canada’s arrest nine days earlier of Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Chinese tech giant Huawei, and the two men have since been formally arrested and charged with espionage, which means a virtually certain guilty verdict.

Canadians are incensed but finding the action that will free the two men and bring them home to their families is proving elusive. Signs are appearing in windows calling for the freeing of the two Michaels.

A good example of early 1900s housing

The Grand Trunk Railway relocated their locomotive repair shop from Toronto to Stratford in 1870. In the early 1900s the repair shops were expanded and Charles Heppler moved to Stratford looking for work as a machinist.

In 1905, Charles married Ann Hansuld, a Stratford dressmaker. in Stratford. The couple bought a  lot on Water Street and their future home was completed in September of 1907. Within two years the couple was looking for another place to live. They sold their large home to the former owner of the Queen's Inn and moved to another Stratford home.

Architecturally, the home is a good example of the style of home being constructed throughout Ontario at that time.

Plaques often found on historic Stratford homes

If you wondered how I found out so much about the Charles Moore home in Stratford, it was relatively easy. Many of the finest, historic homes in the little southwestern Ontario town carry plaques. These tell the year in which the home was built and the name of the first owner/resident.

Charles Moore home in Stratford. Built 1915.

This home is one of my favourite homes to be found anywhere. It was finished in 1915. Immediately the builder, Charles Moore, 27, and his new bride Myrtle Harris, 22, moved in. The couple had postponed their wedding for a year and half while their home was completed.

The young couple lived in their Edwardian Classic home all their lives. They grew old together in that home. Myrtle passed away in 1983 at 90 and Charles was forced by his advancing age to move into a senior residence in 1990. He died three years later at 105 years of age.

Wouldn't you love to see the interior of this home. They rarely build homes with such elegance today. Agreed?

A 3 day series: 1st, check window treatment

 

While visiting Strathroy I noticed the window treatment on the large windows on the rear wall of an older home. These windows were unique in number, in shape and even in the decoration surrounding each one. I thought this window treatment amazing. 

I stopped, got a picture and then walked around to the front of the home. The front of the place was equally amazing and tomorrow I'll share the why with members of the group.

Should rabbits eat red holly berries?

The rabbits around our home enjoy feasting on many of our decorative shrubs. The green holly with the bright red berries is a favourite with both birds and small animals, like rabbits.

We worry that the red berries, while enticing to wildlife during the depths of a cold winter, may not be good for them. Are the berries toxic, we wonder.

The answer, I believe, is that the berries are the best food, even for cold and hungry rabbits. That said, the berries are not apparently dangerous when eaten but in  small amounts by hungry, little animals like our local rabbits. 

The rabbits around our home enjoy feasting on many of our decorative shrubs. The green holly with the bright red berries is a favourite with both birds and small animals, like rabbits.

We worry that the red berries, while enticing to wildlife during the depths of a cold winter, may not be good for them. Are the berries toxic, we wonder.

The answer, I believe, is that the berries are the best food, even for cold and hungry rabbits. That said, the berries are not apparently dangerous when eaten but in  small amounts by hungry, little animals like our local rabbits. 

The berries seem to be well tolerated.

Sledding hills often closed by concerned city bureaucrats

Part of the hill, so popular with children and even families, has been closed by the city. A father who operates a popular exercise gym in the city, was seriously injured while sledding on the hill with his family. Reportedly, there was a fairly dangerous jump created by neighbourhood kids and the gentleman struck the jump, became airborne and struck his head. It is not known if he was wearing a helmet. A fractured skull was his most serious injury but he suffered other injuries as well.

A very long snow fence has been erected and the snow jump has been removed. Folk in the area are questioning whether the fenced slope is, in fact, where the fellow was sledding. Why? The closed area is thick with brush and dotted with trees.

Most children sledding on the long slope gravitate to the area with smooth, deep snow and devoid of brush and trees.