An Artistic Touch

This week The Duchess if again hosting guests from the arts community; Z'otz Collective is creating an installation at the Thames Art Gallery and we are delighted to have the gallery as a client and the artists as guests. The show will be open to the public starting this weekend and continuing through April. Search the web for the Gallery, Z'otz, the members at Ilyanamartinez.com, nahomflores.com and erikjerezano.net and on zotzcollective.blogspot.com. The Duchess is planning one breakfast with a Latino flavour - hope it works!

Getting Out

We made it to a couple of events in the past while: were fortunate to get a spot at the Union Gas table for a Wallaceburg Lacrosse fundraising dinner and auction. Enjoyed some Ukrainian appetizers and found out that the area generates more than a few university players and some professionals too. A set of 4 Leaf tickets went for over $800, and some football stuff courtesy of Shaun Suisham from his Redskin days. Also Rick attended a small reception for Fergie Jenkins at Rotary Park and the following day we went for lunch at The Armories and applauded Fergie as he unveiled his postage stamp. Rick had been carrying around a 1972 score card from Expos-Cubs and finally got it autographed.

Winter Wonderland

A new Chathamite from Newfoundland sputtered last week- "you told me that it doesn't snow in Chatham!" well, yes, but it "doesn't last". And we finally joined the club, but nothing like the heaps that have blanketed the rest of the country. It's nice and fluffy and it's no big deal. Roads are good, there's a cheery fire in the Wellsley Room, and The Duchess is ready to welcome you. Looking for a get away to beat the blues? Give us a call and come on down.

Chatham's New Old Theatre

Our neighbour, The Chatham Capitol Theatre is continuing with a great lineup of shows in the New Year..beginning with songstress Nikki Yanofsky and The State Ballet Theatre of Russia's presentation of Swan Lake in January. This will be followed in February by Jazz (Kaeshammer and Barber), Flamenco (Jesse Cook), Broadway (CATS), Farce (Stephen Harper The Musical), and Choral (Lady Smith Black Mambazo).

Whew!

The Duchess of Wellington is extending package offers, including savings on 2 best-available tickets, a night's stay, and full gourmet breakfasts. Hope to see you in Chatham.

Give me a call: Antja

Sugar Bush

The Duchess was concerned that we would run of of the Giffin family's award winning maple syrup, but thanks to sap collectors like Cecil Griffiths a good harvest was made at Sinclair Bush in Chatham-Kent. The advantage of buying from the farm gate is the chance to sample their outstanding products like maple butter: see our web site for locations where Giffin Maple Syrup and other great local stuff can found while daytripping. Photo by Diana Martin at Chatham Daily News.

Lake Erie Spring Birding

We and brother Jim and wife Faith visited Erieau in mid-March just as the last of the ice was out, and the swans were enjoying the weather. The Rondeau Wings of Spring has just ended with a successful outing. For those interested, we have been keeping an electronic log of the Xmas Bird Count at Rondeau, with data back to the 1940s. We have to get 2008 in, but would be happy to email a copy of the Excel file. Click on the title to get our website and contact info.

Last Train to Toronto

We recently took VIA Rail to Toronto for a few days, visiting son and fiance, and checking out the Ancient Ukrainian exhibit at the ROM, & the ancient Leafs at the AC Centre. Rick determined that Sidney Crosby is NOT overrated (as claimed by the Detroit press) and the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal IS truly awful (as claimed by most everyone). Libeskind's folly is way too Berlin (slashing in the walls). We did enjoy revisiting the crystal display and particularly the European rooms - after having made the aquaintance of curator Dr. Peter Kaellgren in Chatham.

Flooded Chatham

Whoops, 16-1/2 feet or 5 meters above normal. One foot above New Year's, and four feet below the 100-year high of over 20 feet. Lots of foot and auto traffic on Family Day to take pictures from the bridges (like me!).

River Rising in Chatham

A very weird month (for Chatham) is over...the coldest January in 30+ years, the first ice fishing on the Thames in 15 years, and much snow. In February a couple of record daily highs and lots of rain has almost taken care of the snow, but the river is rising. We happened to be watching it tonight from Casa Bella when the ice and assorted flotsam and jetsom torn from the banks earlier broke free and started to flow towards Lake St.Clair. We already had a crest over 15 feet above normal at New Years; are we heading for another?

Tilting @ Windmills

We had the pleasure of Nancy & Paul Gipe's company this week, and attended Chatham Rotary's annual banquet to hear Paul describe a sane wind and solar energy policy for Ontario and North America. A couple of weeks ago Rick & I drove through Port Alma on the shore of Lake Erie to view the Wind Farm started this summer.

Butterfly Magnet

The parks 30 minutes to the south of Chatham - Rondeau, Wheatley and Point Pelee - are famous for their butterfly displays. This butterfly-bush (Buddleia davidii) between The Duchess main house and carriage house has lived up to it's reputation. For more information of the nature preserves of SW Ontario, visit the links listed at www.theduchessofwellington.com

1964-1/2 Mustang

Hi! That's me and The Duchess with the latest Mustang being raffled by The Rotary Club of Chatham. Rick had just driven it back from the Comber Fair in time to be pimped for the Zurich Bean Festival. Would you like to get behind the wheel? Tickets are avalable at their site: http://www.chathamrotary.com/

The Capitol

Ta-dah. The provincial infrastructure renewal fund came through for our Capitol Theatre with enough to finish the job. The next 18 months should be exciting for Chatham-Kent as the stage, orchestra pit, and seating areas become reality. Congratulations to The Theatre Association, Bob Fox, Dan Donaldson and their staff. Visit their web site www.chathamcapitoltheatre.com to see the work in progress; call 519-358-7079 to arrange a tour.

A Country Visitor

A turkey-sized Ring-Necked Pheasant walked into our back garden on Wednesday, and we would have had a great picture if Rick had charged his camera batteries. Instead Eleanor Breynaert in the next block spotted him and called The Chatham Daily News. The attached photo of our bird was shot by the Daily News' Sarah Fraleigh. As an infrequent city visitor, we're unlikely to see him in the neighbourhood again. Great Blue Herons are another matter - they will be appearing as the ice clears from goldfish ponds.

The Birds

We've been picking the odd banger off our lawn this winter-not bangers as in "bangers and mash" but noise bangers-small shotgun cartridges. Our civic workers have been chasing crows out of town and down the valley into the countryside, where farmers tell us they try to chase them back. For the last few weeks we have been crow-free, which is a good thing because they filled the trees round The Duchess over Xmas. I expected Tippi Hendron to bang on our door at any moment, and Hitch to walk by.

Duchess gets a Prize

The day before Valentine's Day we got a nice present, winning a Mayor's Heritage Award for the restoration work we did on the Duchess of Wellington. Kind of amazing, considering previous winners and the competition this year. Also accepting were: Shannon Prince and the Buxton Historic Society for restoring the last log structure in the Buxton Setlement, the Congregation of Ste Pierre sur la Thames church, Jon Ford for the Ford-McKinley Funeral Home, Dave Benson for his McCollam-Wade 1855 Greek Revival home, and our friend Brian Chute for his Park Street United House of Worship. All the nominees would have been worthy winners. The presentation dinner was at the Ridgetown Campus of the University of Guelph. An extra surprise during the evening was a Citizenship Award from the IODE Captain Garnet Bracken Chapter which was presented to Rick and I for our preservation work.

Joe Storey's Pines Chapel

Earlier this month Rick was part of a focus group to determine new uses for the Pines Chapel. This mid-century modernistic chapel was designed by the late Joe Storey for the Urseline Sisters. With their former mother house being converted to condos the chapel is in possible danger. Joe's architect daughter Kim Storey took part.

The Capitol

Rick took in the Chatham-Kent council meeting on Monday, deeply interested in the future of the Capitol Theatre. Our 1936 gem has been under restoration as a legitimate theatre centre, but has hit a half-finished brick (pun) wall. Provincial Infrastructure funding being awarded in March will hopefully put the project over the top this year. See our web site www.theduchessofwellington.com for information on the theatre and (hoping) scheduled performances and packages down the road.

No Bananas

Being in Canada's Deep South, and known as The Banana Belt, this winter in Chatham has been a shocker. Temperatures not bad, but snow, snow, and more snow. The Duchess does have a Wonderland aspect though, and as long as we're shovelled who's complaining?