Attractions and distractions

Twenty-plus years ago, when our family left the city for the rural routes of Ontario, the first people to welcome us were Denis Grignon and his lovely wife Nancy Payne. After our first shared meal I thought we’d been given the low-down on pretty much everything going on in these parts. Over the years and over many more visits, many of them mano e' mano with Denis, I’ve realized I am still just scratching the surface.

Portrait of podcaster, with fuel for fire.

Denis is a super-inquisitive guy, friendly to all, and keen to suss out a good story no matter who he’s with. He’s worked for CBC, been the morning guy for BOB radio, and is a sought-after stand-up comic — an engaging and entertaining chap, in other words. So I have no difficulty recommending his new podcast, The Advocate Podcast: Stories from Kawartha Lakes.

I’m happy he’s doing this. He and I tend to get together once or twice a year, and I always feel like I should have my notebook and pen handy because he is a trove of inside information for this neck of the woods, and a few others I’ve yet to set foot in. His bi-weekly podcast is, at this point, only two episodes in — and alongside a wide array of local event info, I’ve already learned the definition of “consanguineous” and which food-item should never ever be introduced to the community chili pot. Check it out.

Also: I’ve a handful of posts that draw a near-continuous flow — well, trickle really — of traffic. One of the tops is The Inexorcisable John Gardner. Today, while scrolling through back-end stats, I discovered the commenter who cleared the research block at the beginning of my post has a blog of his own — Years Of The B.A.S.S.: A Journey Through The Best American Short Stories Anthology from 1978-2019.

Portrait of blogger, with grist for mill.

It’s a fabulous concept I wish I’d thought of. Blogger Jakon uses the anthologies, introductions and stories as springboards for personal recollections and thoughts that launch out in some truly unique directions. I’m having a hoot catching up with his past entries (twelve years’ worth!) and look forward to more. Check it out.