Film at Eleven... how did we miss THAT???

I have fallen behind in blog posts, as my loyal readers may have noticed.
This is not for want of material. There is never want of material...
It is because my internet connection has been at first sporadic and more recently defunct.
Which means that I have to borrow Brian's computer, and it's not always convenient, timewise, because, well, simply put, because he's using it...
Jim from Brendish Computers assures me he is working on the problem. And it is a problem. It's been going on for a month now...

And am I steamed. You see, I usually post in the evening, and I'm in the habit of tossing my newsclippings, snippets, etc. beside my own computer. That computer, incidentally, is the one that is geared up with all my photos, etc.

And so, and so, and so... I have missed out on two GREAT blog posts. And if you think YOU are disappointed by that, imagine how I feel...

First of all, last Wednesday afternoon, Brian's snowmobile coughed, gagged, and died while he was grooming ski trails. Luckily it chose the moment of its demise carefully, and was close to the road. David arrived with truck and tools, but it needed more intensive care than they could render roadside. However, while they were tinkering, along came the van from Barrie's A-Channel News. The reporter, Trina Maus, hopped out and interviewed Brian for a piece she was doing on cottage break-ins in the area. Film at eleven, as they say... The lad did himself proud, commenting on some of the things cottager owners should be doing when they go away for long periods to ensure their cottages are as safe as possible. The really obvious? Well, maybe being able to see the big-screen tv and associated electronic theatre system through the window is not such a great idea. BBQ's left on decks. Tools in unsecured garages. That sort of thing.
When Brian is out grooming the ski trails, or driving in the area he, like all our neighbours, is always on the look-out for suspicious activity. So, there he was on the six p.m. news... and the 11 p.m. news... and I didn't get it on the Blog. Dang.

The second biggie was the airing on TVO of the program: Muskoka, Life on the Edge. This was produced by Ontario Visual Heritage, and our good friends Zack and Yvonne spent a lot of time in the area conducting interviews, collecting archival photos and film, which they have crafted together into a very interesting show. It skips along through Muskoka's history, right back from the ice-ages. Both Brian and Nancy were interviewed, and edited into the story. There's a great 'bit', where the film uses little vignettes -- such as The Homesteader in Muskoka, brought to you by the Ministry of Agriculture -- in a grainy, black and white newsreel style that open with a photo of a family in front of a farmhouse -- that farmhouse would be Bondi. Those folks would be Joseph and Elizabeth, their two eldest children Douglas and Percy, and the year would be 1905. It's a little unnerving when the interviewers tell you they are looking for folks with memories of the old days... but then we realized that we didn't have to be the old-timers ourselves, we only had to remember the tales our parents told us!

You can search through the Stories section. Check out my favourite 'bit': the animation of my description of Farming in Muskoka, in the section: Free Grant Land. And, naturally, my old dog Holly is the Star of the piece...

You can check it out on-line. You can buy it on-line, as well, or you can buy it from us if you want to keep a copy. Or, you can ask your Library to get it for you. So maybe I didn't miss that one out quite so much...

Jim tells me he's coming today to climb up the antenna and try to figure out what's not working. Keep your fingers crossed!