We feed 'drugs' to our honeybees, to make them stronger.

Do you read historical fiction books? I like reading books that are based on true stories because then I feel like I'm learning something while still goofing off.

Now in its 2nd year, the 2011 Toronto Christmas Market at the historic Distillery District grew by another thirty three percent! This December the cobbled lanes and red brick buildings located at 55 Mill Street south of Front St and Parliament are absolutely filled with seasonal curiosities. There are over a hundred street vendors selling crafts and tasty foods made from organic ingredients and costumed performers, and live stage shows and the entire place is licensed for alcohol.

Have you been to Picton Ontario recently? One of the only landmarks I remember was a large red brick church right on the main street of the town. The church is gone now.

Honeybees are among the first creatures that man domesticated, and yet, they are still basically 'wild'. The science of commercial beekeeping has been part of man's experience on planet Earth for at least two three thousand years. Indeed, on the walls of the sun temple of Nyuserre Ini from before 2400 BC, workers are depicted blowing smoke into hives as they are removing honeycombs.

There has been a sharp rise in the volume and quality of Christian relics offered for sale on eBay recently. During the last two centuries, many monasteries, convents, religious houses, and even churches have shut their doors. The very oldest institutions often have relics to 'get off the books'.

Ben Franklin wrote "in the world nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes." in a letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy (13 November 1789).

Matthew was a tax collector.

Very few people know what a donnybrook is...  Its a brawl. But in one small town in eastern Ontario its an auction sale.

The Warkworth Donnybrook is a huge auction sale that's held for the benefit of the entire community.

Have you ever been north of the Number 7 highway anywhere in eastern Ontario? Its God's country up there, and the residents are a little more reverent, more plain spoken and generally more down to Earth ... Yes I'm stereotyping, but if you've ever been to Havelock or Marmora or Madoc you know what I mean.