The Perfect Guide to the highways and byways of Ontario and the city and country treasures you’ll find along the way. Unique and out-of-the-way gift shops, antiques, country inns, bed & breakfasts, restaurants and tea rooms, live theatre, artist tours, town events, craft shows and festivals . . . and so much more!
Bonnie-Jane, Canine Consultant & Adventurer
To my fellow canines . . .I’m told that in November we turn the clocks
back, giving us an extra hour of sleep (read “playtime”), but that the sunlight hours will now begin to be shorter and shorter. I’m also looking forward to my first big snowfall, which I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to write about in my December column. In the meantime, my humans have been nice enough to rake a big pile of fallen leaves together in the middle of the yard for me. I thought I would just jump in them and spread them around a little bit. It was a windy day too, so that helped. It was great fun, but don’t think I don’t take this assignment seriously. I did make sure that every blade of grass in our yard was again covered in leaves - beautiful!
Now on to something that truly is serious. We take a moment to honour our soldiers and our veterans on November 11th. It lands on a Sunday this year. I did a little research . . . the origins of Veterans Day can be traced to the ending of World War I nearly a century ago. Known at the time as "The Great War," World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France. But the fighting had actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allies and Germany went into effect on November 11, 1918. The following November United States President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 "Armistice Day" in honor of the cessation of the hostilities, and the day became a federal holiday in 1938. That act was amended in 1954 after veterans service organizations, in recognition of the efforts of soldiers who fought in World War II, asked that the day be renamed "Veterans Day" so it honored all soldiers and not just those who fought in World War I. Of special interest, I also found out that dogs are in fact included among the war heroes. To name a few - Chips, Kaiser, Nemo, Smoky and Stubby -- read their stories at https://dogtime.com/dog-health/ general/10959-five-war-dogs-for- memorial-day. On the 11th hour on November 11th, remember those who have fallen while protecting our rights to freedom and those who today make sacrifices, including time away from their families, to face our foes and keep our lands safe. Bow your head for a moment of prayful silence.
I hear that, not only snow, but Christmas too, is just around the corner. I can’t wait to share with you my experiences preparing for winter and for Christmas. I dunno, something about helping wrap presents or something. Until then, happy daytripping with your humans!
Well until my next column, Happy daytripping with your humans!
Check out my videos on you-tube. Visit our website at www. curiousguide.ca to view these fun little vids.
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