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The Citizen, 2019-08-15, Page 8PAGE 8. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 2019. Good weather helps farmers It was great to have a break from writing and I hope all the staff at The Citizen enjoyed their time off. However, it means we have twice as much news to report this week. Rick and I enjoyed a quiet long weekend. Our plans had to be cancelled because of the wheat coming off, but that’s a good reason to cancel. We did go to Bayfield for a visit with Rick’s sister Karen and went out for dinner at the Bayfield Public House. This restaurant is owned by some locals, Adam and Kelly Ann (Dalton) Keyes. They also have the Bayfield Brewing Company in the same building. The food was delicious and plentiful and the beer was tasty. They are brewing four kinds of beer at the moment: The Navigating Lieutenant, Woolen Shop, Cabinet Maker and Captain Ronny. I am not a beer connoisseur, but the two McDonalds are, and enjoyed their choices. Bayfield was a busy place! Let’s start with the good news that good weather brings. Great weather during the last week of July and then the long weekend, had lots of farmers heading to the fields to harvest the wheat crop. Others were cutting hay and the not-so-wonderful job in the heat, spreading manure on the harvested wheat stubble. Baled straw seems plentiful and most are saying it’s a good crop of wheat this season. The corn crop is looking much better, with the majority coming into tassel, but a few late fields are still a little behind. The lack of rain had some of the leaves starting to curl, but the “million dollar” rain last week has turned it around and it looks good. It was party time at the Ryan residence celebrating a milestone birthday for someone. The lucky man of the hour was Paul Ryan, who has made it to the ripe old age of 60! Family and friends gathered at the farm to help him celebrate. Lots of food, drinks and fun was enjoyed by the many gathered. Lots of campers arrived to stay the night and party into the night! Returning from a trip of a lifetime are Arnold and Chantelle den Dekker. A trip to Holland, where Arnold’s parents were born, was enjoyed by the couple, along with Arnold’s sister Christine and husband Rob Lee. The foursome was landed in Amsterdam and were immediately struck by the beauty of the flowers, cleanliness of the city and of course, the warmth and welcome of the Dutch people for the Canadians. They were also greeted by record high temperatures of 39.5°C. They met up with cousins in Amsterdam, who gave them a guided tour by boat of the city. They toured the city to find den Dekker street and had their picture taken in the giant yellow wooden shoe. They also toured the Rijksmuseum and Anne Frank’s House. They went biking around the town of Kinderdijk and enjoyed a visit with more cousins. Both Arnold and Christine’s parents were born in Holland, and were the only ones of their families to migrate to Canada. The foursome went to Amersfoort, to see the home where Arnold’s mother grew up and went to Werkendam to see their father’s childhood home. They enjoyed meeting and visiting with many cousins. Another highlight for the group was a visit the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. An awesome sight of immaculately-groomed lawns and pristine white grave markers of the fallen Canadian soldiers who fought to liberate the Dutch. They also took a trip back in history to the Delta Works, which made and designed the complicated dyke system in Holland and a fun trip to the cheese market in Gouda and Biesbosch. It was an absolutely marvellous 10- day trip to meet family, make new friends and to discover the beautiful country of Holland. Welcome back! The Wheeler/Knight families headed west to attend the wedding of Brent Wheeler and new wife Caroline the last week in July. Brent is the son of Gerry and Brenda Wheeler and Caroline’s parents live in Peachland, British Columbia. They travelled to Kelowna, and the wedding was held on the rooftop of the Eldorado Hotel. A breathtaking view of the Okanagan Lake and mountains created an unforgettable and amazing backdrop for the ceremony. Brent’s sister, Brooklyn and husband Bill and son Landon from New Hampshire, and sister Brianne from Toronto, were the emcees for the evening following the ceremony. Grandparents Jim and Dona Knight were accompanied by daughter Karen and grandson David to the celebration. There were 36 Ontario family and friends in attendance. Two local friends were part of the wedding party with Brandon Blake as best man and Scott Armstrong as an usher. The couple’s young sons, Blake and Luke, were junior groomsman. It was an amazing venue and everyone enjoyed and celebrated the joyous occasion. The couple reside in Grand Prairie, Alberta. Congratulations to Brent and Caroline! There were other friends of the Wheelers attending the wedding and some took advantage of heading west to tour the area. Heading out early were Randy and Donna White and Frank and Mary Stretton. They flew to Calgary and went to Banff, Jasper and toured the beautiful area. They then headed to Kelowna in time for the wedding and returned to Ontario following the festivities. Another foursome attending from Brussels was Bill and Tammy King and John and Merilyn McDonald. They flew out in time for the wedding and spent time after the event in the west. They also went on an Alaskan cruise before returning. NEWS FROM WALTON By Jo-Ann McDonald Call 887-6570 PEOPLE AROUND WALTON ATTENTION Tuesday, August 27 7-9 pm at the Blyth Arena New players require COPY of birth certificate Players younger than 7 welcome. Atom team based on numbers You need to bring 3 cheques per player when registering EVERYONE WELCOME! Call BJ 519-441-8606 or Erin 519-441-2845 Youth Ages 7-19 BLYTH JUNIOR BROOMBALL REGISTRATION For 2019/2020 Season Rutling Holdings presents Luxurious 2 bedroom townhouses in Blyth for rent Contact: 519-955-2323 agrutledge@hurontel.on.ca Cannonball! Zachary Cardie, airborne, of Waterloo visited the Brussels area just in time for the cannonball competition at the Brussels, Morris and Grey Community Pool. The competition, held on July 28 during the regular public schedule, brought out half a dozen competitors, each of whom won a prize, including Brussels’ Brody Lovie, shown above watching Cardie. (Denny Scott photo) It is the time for holidays and travel, but you don’t have to go far to see some interesting sites in almost our own area. Just ask our local travel planners: Rick and Margaret McInroy. They promised 90-year- old Pat Hunking and friend Lillian Appleby a mystery tour to celebrate the milestone birthday. The day began with the four of them getting tattoos. They are only temporary ones, but they were living on the wild side. The first stop was breakfast in Walton and then they headed to Brampton and the Forks of the Credit. They then went to the unique site of the Badlands of Ontario, an area south of Orangeville. The pictures of the ladies posing on the lookout, looks exactly like the photos of the Badlands in the U.S. The village of Cheltenham has many chainsaw tree carvings and the ladies were very impressed. It was then off to Floradale and a delicious lunch at a Mennonite store. They then headed to Fergus and Elora to see beautiful stone buildings and the Elora Gorge and then a stop at the covered bridge. It was an eight-hour tour, 350 kilometres and four exhausted folks who returned home. Thanks for a glimpse into what our area has to offer. Lorne and Bonnie Glanville have a house guest and they love it. Granddaughter Erica, daughter of their son Paul and Teresa of Alberta, is staying with them. She will be with them until grandson Edward is married at the end of the month. The beautiful city of Chicago was the holiday setting of choice for Keith and Gloria Wilbee. They went on a Cherrey Bus tour and found it very enjoyable. They met many interesting folks and friends. Some of the sites they enjoyed included the bean, a reflective giant bean- shaped sculpture. Keith remarked it should be here in Ontario in Hensall, the bean capital. They had a tour of Wrigley Field and it was amazing. The grounds are manicured daily. They went to a dinosaur museum, a city boat cruise, stopped near and walked by the Obama family’s home in Chicago, went to Come From Away, and many more interesting sites, all in five days. A great time was really enjoyed by them. Welcome home. A happy birthday to Ken Glanville. He reached a milestone of 75 years young. We have had some dry weather and the Johnson family felt the heat when they lost their tractor and baler in a fire while taking off some straw. It can happen quickly, so be wary and have your fire extinguishers ready. Our sympathies to Mabel Glanville and family on the loss of her brother Harold Westlake of Exeter. He will be missed by his children Jason, Jeff and Jennifer, as well as many Westlake realtives. Don Jacklin has retired from Donegan’s and a retirement party was held for him last week. Many friends and family attended. Locals enjoy well- timed vacations Continued on page 12