There’s a little town called Fenelon Falls about 3.5 hours drive south-west from Ottawa. No, I hadn’t heard of it either. And it actually takes longer to get there when you have a 3-year-old in the car, no map, and drifting snow. But what a cute little town! It’s basically one street lined with two-storey brick colonial facade buildings. Lots of handmade signs for tailors and restaurants and pool halls. The Tim’s is rightly banished to the other side of the falls.

We went to Fenelon Falls to support our friend Mike Perry at his nomination meeting for the federal NDP. He was nervous, but got the speech off the page and delighted the 50 people who turned out for his send-off. And good luck. We were counting the “It’s our land. Government be damned” signs as we drove through the riding. Cental Ontario is not exactly fertile ground for progressive policy — Mike’s speech steered clear of gun control and same-sex marriage!

The weekend was relaxing and interesting. Mike and I jogged along an old rail bed past beaver dams; Suzy and I took Jasper for lunch at the Cow and Sow, a local pub/eatery with one of those handwritten signs (just picture a plywood pig) and arguably the best club sandwich I’ve ever had. Real peameal, a full breast of panseared chicken, and a mountain of fries served in a backet lined with checkered paper. YUM.

The only mishaps included a a leak in the ceiling (another story), and Jasper tripping over the power cord for the microphone as the nomination meeting was about to begin. It’s the Tory I’ve passed on: Sabotage!