The Bucket comes down

Apparently sometime Christmas Eve or early Christmas Morning the old KFC bucket came down. No one was hurt but another Hespeler Landmark is gone.

Merry Christmas

Have a safe Holiday

A new Liquor store for Hespeler

CAMBRIDGE

Hespeler's
tiny, 45-year-old liquor store is scheduled to be replaced with one of
the largest in Waterloo Region by this time next year.

The LCBO
plans to open a 12,000-square-foot outlet at 101 Holiday Inn Dr., as
part of a new retail plaza that will also include a new Shoppers Drug
Mart.

City council waived its environmental rules Dec. 8 to allow the development to proceed without more studies.

The existing Hespeler LCBO on nearby Shepherd Avenue is 3,200 square feet with limited parking.

The
new Hespeler store would be larger than the two-year-old,
9,500-square-foot LCBO at the South Cambridge Centre on Dundas Street.

LCBO spokesperson Linda Hapak said the company has no plans to replace the 6,000-square-foot store on King Street in Preston.

The
largest LCBO in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo area is 115 King St.
S. in Waterloo, with 16,000 square feet of retail space.

There
have also been rumours in recent years that The Beer Store planned to
build a big, new Hespeler store on the former Challenger Motor Freight
site at Queen Street and Groh Avenue.

That's near the existing, concrete-block beer store on Queen Street.

The Challenger site is vacant, after plans by Loblaw Co. to build a Great Canadian Superstore foundered.

City planning commissioner Janet Babcock says the property is up for sale after demolition and environmental clean up.

There
are no plans to renovate or replace the 4,000-square-foot Hespeler beer
store, said Sara Taylor, spokesperson for The Beer Store.

This article is from the Kitchener Waterloo Record.

 While it is nice to see a new state of the art liquor store being placed here in hespeler,  a new beer store is required as well.

I think your real Estate Agent is Crazy

OK, I
have been saving this one for the right moment and for some strange
reason this is the moment. So here it goes, the top signs that the real
estate agent you are dealing with is crazy.

You ask to see something in a Greek Revival: She takes you to a performance of “Oedipus Rex”

Instead of a pen,gives you a complimentary severed finger with his name and phone number on it.

Lists Protection money as a closing cost.

Works for the reality firm of Dion,Layton and Duceppe.

You ask to see a duplex, he shows you a video of Hulk Hogan

His office is a minivan

Tells you that the chalk outlines on the floor are the previous owners kids growth records.

Shows you the attic and then say’s”i bet you could pick off ten or fifteen people before you get caught”.

Insists on carrying you over the threshold of every home you look at.

The fixer upper he wants you to look at::128,567,525 Popsicle sticks and 15 tons of lepages glue.

And the main reason you know he is crazy: Wears a Mattamy Homes Blazer.®©

More Winter

Outside of the Duke and Duchess, will it ever end?

Winter in hespeler

That is me holding my Dad's hand. This picture is from 1960, it was taken at the old house on Cooper Street.

12 Songs of Christmas i don't want to hear!

I saw Daddy kissing Santa Claus

Frosty the hitman

I have an irregular heartbeat,pa rum papumm-pumm

It's beggining to look a lot like Prison

On the first day of Christmas...i maxed out my credit card

Silent fart

Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire

Santa Claus is scammin this town

Frosty my dopeman

I'll be homeless for Christmas

Rudolph hess the Red nosed Nazi

Walking around in womans underwear.

A lonely walk

Looking down Cooper Street on a cold fall day. Hell Winter hasn't even begun yet and already it is too cold for me!

The Passing of time

The Hespeler girls at little dam 1942.
Mary McLaughlin[Hillis],Betty Roscoe[Rabb],Betty Garside[Brueckner],Shirley Connor[Beatty],Irene Kendry[Constant]

Hespeler Girls at the old damn. Early 1940's
Hespeler Girls 60 odd years later.

A winters morning

Looking Down Cooper Street towards Hammet, Yep, Winter's here.

Skidmarks

What does a young man just about to turn 16 wait for the most? A hot girlfriend? maybe, but in reality it is the DRIVER’S LICENSE. The right of passage to manhood, the ultimate freedom sign. No longer having to beg for a ride somewhere, no longer having to hoof it from Hespeler to a party in Galt [remember folks in 1973 there was no Cambridge transit] no more watching the cool guy’s driving up Cooper Street with the latest Led Zeppelin 8-track blaring while i sit on a 10 speed bike drinking my Fanta Cream Soda and day dreaming. It was August of 1973 and i had just successfully passed my drivers test and as i was driving home my dad explained to me how much responsibility i now held in my hands, don’t play the radio too loud and remember watch everything around you. I dropped my Dad off at the house and away i went to pick up the girlfriend and head to the A&W drive in for a burger and a root beer and to meet my friends who were already there waiting for me. As i pulled in to the parking lot everything was going good, no embarrassing problems with the Strato Chief and then i got cocky. A quick acceleration into the parking slot and over went two garbage cans, and i received a standing ovation from the gathering of my friends. No wonder my Dad used to call me Skidmark, and it wasn’t because of my underwear!

Some more Cooper Street Relics

Now these are real COOPER STREET RELICS. It is a picture taken in 1935 of my Maternal Uncles as well as my Grandfather and his brother. they all lived on cooper street in the same house that i would eventually reside in during the 1960's. While everyone in the picture is gone now i still remember them and take pride in being a Cooper Street Relic just like them!

What i learned from my Dad

Our Mothers teach us things but we learn valuable life lessons from our Fathers. My dad was no exception, as i learned some things from him that my Mother could never have taught me.
Don't watch the Clock at work, the end of the day will come soon enough. I learned from him that fish can see you if you lean over the boat and that they can hear you if you talk too loud. I learned that which does not kill you will hurt you like the dickens. Oh yeah, i learned the word dickens from him as well. I learned that objects in the mirror are really closer than they appear and not to test the theory while he was in the car. Time travel was learned from him" If you don't smarten up i will knock you into next week". I learned to travel the back roads as often as possible and also where the good spots were to have a pee break. I also learned to question authority[unless it was him]. I learned that i wasn't born in a barn and that he had to walk 5 miles to school.uphill, both ways. I learned that "because i said so" makes sense to adults and that i would lose my head if it wasn't screwed on. I learned that Tabasco sauce and Limburger cheese won't kill you. I learned that i am lucky to have Parents and an extended family that really care.
Oh and i also learned one important thing.....FLATULANCE, and how to use it.

Hespeler's last Police Chief

Fred Stewart at his desk. He was the last Police Chief of Hespeler! He chased me a few times, and caught me once or twice!

The kid and me

On Halloween one of my employees decided to dress up. But as what? Well, like me! Gotta give Hespeler kids credit, they think cool!

Winters Clouds

The sky over Renwick Street tonight. Winter is coming, Don't say i didn't warn ya!

It's Coming

Winter is coming people, is this what we can expect? We will know soon enough i feel.

Friday's Thoughts

I know i am getting older, i can go months without sex but not 5 minutes without my glasses.

I chose the path less traveled, but only because i was lost.

If i can't be a good example than i will just have to be a terrible warning.

Thoughts for a Tuesday

A true diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but not her age!

An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind.

Before giving someone a piece of your mind make sure you have enough to spare.

When Hespeler had a Movie Theatre

Way back when the town of Hespeler had a movie theatre downtown. It was right beside what was then the Queen's Hotel,now known as Ernie's. It was the place to be on a Saturday night.

Rumination for a Tuesday

I love cooking with Wine
Sometimes i even put it in my food

Hespeler Rocks[Sort of}

From 1946, the Hespeler Band. But for their time they rocked. My uncle Doug is in this picture.

Cambridge Finds Its Voice - The Cambridge Voice

If i am Elected

Is everyone sick of Political Promises. Well i am and so i have decided to run for prime minister with my new party the "Looking stupid party". Here is my platform.

I will repel the law of gravity, it's just holding us down.

I will reduce the speed of light, it's going way too fast and may hurt someone.

I will provide higher education, by building taller Schools.

English, French and illiterate will now be our 3 official languages, than anyone could grow up to be Prime Minister, oh wait, someone already did that.

All sidewalks will be made of rubber, reducing the number of drunks hurting themselves when they fall.

I will turn the parliament buildings into giant beer halls, probably a lot more work would get done.

Lastly i would abdicate, I wouldn't want to be leader of any country that would want me leading them.

Autumn in Hespeler

I love this time of the year. The leaves changing and the birds getting ready to hide out. This ain't a Hitchcock movie is it?

The library[then and now]

1960's and now.Which one do you like.

I love a parade

Who doesn't love a parade. This is from when Hespeler had a Textile parade. I remember those well.

Falling Weather

Just some fall thoughts to start things off

I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger..than it hit me.
Reality is an illusion caused by a lack of Alcohol.
Those who live by the sword, get shot by those that don't.

I intend to live forever so far so good.
Welcome to hell..here is your accordion.
Maturity is knowing when and where to be immature.

I was hurt in a Chinese cooking accident..i may never Wok again.
Borrow money from a pessimist, they never expect it back.
There are two theories to arguing with a woman and neither one of them works.

I once shook hands with Pat Boone and my whole right side sobered up.
It is easy to blame others..which is the reason i do it.
I won't say that i hate you but my admiration for you is under control.

Winter is coming folks,enjoy the last of the good weather the snow will soon fly. And if i look confused it is because i am thinking.

More from the great outdoors

Just another picture of the great outdoors that exist just outside the town of Hespeler

Outside the city

I live in the city but just 5 minutes away is a wonderful area for walking,cycling and taking the dog for a walk. Just proves that you can find beauty everywhere, when you look for it. Another reason we need better environmental policy's in this country.

The coffee maker

I love Coffee, if my doctor told me today that i had to give up either Coffee or Beer the choice would be simple..Bye Bye Booze. I have used the traditional Mr.Coffee style drip maker and have never enjoyed it, but a few years ago i cam across a coffee maker that makes the best coffee in the world. My parents has bought the Regal coffee maker in the year 1952 and it was just sitting in my mom's closet when i found it and decided to use it. It works perfect and still has all the original parts. Makes a fine damn cup of java and for a 56 year old machine it is perfect. Now when i hit 56 i hope i work just as well. Well the coffee is ready so off i go.

A Hespeler Rock band from the 70's

Some local hespeler boys from the mid 70's. They are still around town today, but boy have they changed!

Late Summer Sunset

Sunset over the steeple of St.Marys church on Cooper Street.

How to throw a Hespeler style fit

Now that is a first class fit

The Beer store

I don't know about everybody but i think here in hespeler it is time for a new beer store. Here is a picture of the Hespeler store and the galt store, you decide.

More mysterious lights in Hespeler

I took this picture of some weird lights near Townline road.

A Child of the War

The following is a letter received by my Mother on August 20th 1944. It was sent by her brother Bruce on August 9th 1944 from the trenches in France. Unfortunately he was killed in action on August 14th 1944. The last communication the family had from my Uncle Bruce.

Dear Mary

Hya squirt,how are yuh? Don't know why I'm writing, i can't think of anything to write about but mush. Say hello anyhow, so here i am sitting nice and comfortable like in my slit trench swatting mosquito's, killing ants and things and writing all at the same time. Cripes a guy needs about four hands for this job. It's not a bad lost of a day though-at least it ain't raining. An enormous big bee just flew in,stopped in mid air like a helicopter somewhere in the vicinity of my schnozzle and stared me in my face like as if he was trying to make up his mind. However he apparently didn't like the looks of my ugly pan so he spread out his four or five inches of wings and flew away. I'm still cross eyed from looking down my nose, ah the brute.

How are all the boyfriends or have you found one steady one?. Cripes i haven't even been out with a gal since march-I'll soon be losin my Hespeler technique what little there is left.

Are you still at the same job and still doing the same thing-sitting at a desk, writing letters to your boy friends? That must be a pretty fair job. You even use the company paper i notice, you crook. Well, yesterday i received your letters from Grace, Mother,Alec, George Oliver and a girl and her Mother & sister in England, and a parcel from Grace as well. So i did okay for one day.All i gotta do now is answer them and boy that's a job. Well now ole dear, must scram for now so bye for this time, hope to see you soon but hear from you sooner.

Your big brudder Brucie.

The chase

One thing about my family is that you come to expect the unexpected. And when you throw a Nun,my Dad, a couple of shots of brandy and the Jehovah Witness,you wind up with an interesting afternoon. Such an occurrence happened and thank the lord i was there to witness it.
The year is hazy but i was still in high school so i guess it would have been around 1972 or 1973. My mother's sister was in fact a sister. Aunt Grace to us but Sister Francis Regis to the rest of the world. She always loved to come home to Cooper Street and sit out on the back patio talking to my mom and dad and enjoying the family life. This day she and my dad had opened the brandy and had a couple of shots when the doorbell rang and my Dad got up to answer it, when he came back he told Aunt grace that there were two Jehovah Witness's at the door and he had told them that there was someone who wanted to talk to them and they waiting patiently at the front door for her. Now in those day's the Nun's still wore all the habits and as luck would have it my Aunt's was on the chair beside her and she gladly threw them on and went to the door. but what happened after that is why this story sticks in my mind. Walking briskly up cooper Street were 2 Jehovah Witness's being pursued by a Catholic Nun in all her glory yelling "come back, we have a lot to talk about", never had i been more amused at something my family had pulled off and i swear my Dad almost split a gut laughing so hard heck even my Aunt and my mom could hardly stop laughing. Ah Summer, memory's are made of this. Aunt Grace is no longer with us but everytime i think of her i have to smile. I mean how could a little lady like this scare two grown men, really?

Lughnasadh August 1

Lughnasadh[loo-nas-ah] is the festival of the god Lugh. It is the celebration of the first harvest of our local staple grain,usually wheat or barley. Some hold their rites on the full moon of Loe as it passes through Aquarius. By the calender Lughnasadh is August 1.
The season of growth since beltane has come to it's end and now we enter the season of reaping. Myths are often played out during the Lughnasadh rites, with the Corn King offering himself up to be sacrificed and being reborn as a loaf of newly baked bread. The sacrifice of the king was at one time very real, as blood was offered back to the gods who had given the grain. The focus of the rite now is still this weave of exuberant life and release it to death. It is both a celebration of what we have sown and nurtured, and an acknowledgment of it's dying as it gives itself up to our needs.
Lughnasadh is often the biggest of the festivals, with people traveling from far and wide to share the joys of their harvest,bringing music and food,and trading crafts and stories. Good beverage and friends go well on this festival.

Summer and Max Webster

Ah, the late days of summer. Back in the 70's there were many things we did to enjoy ourselves as teenagers, that is in between work. But one of our pleasures was following one of our favorite bands around, and no not the grateful dead. The band was Max Webster, and whether they were playing in Southampton, Port Elgin,Turkey Point or Bala and all points in between we were there to see Kim Mitchell and his band of loonies perform. Their Wasaga beach party's were famous and many a drunken night was had watching those. I know myself i slept on the beach a few times and woke up with many people around me that i did not know. So for those who remember here is a video for you!

Max Webster - Coming Off the Moon

[via FoxyTunes / Max Webster]

Some music for a late Summer day

With a day off and nothing much to do I decided to just listen to some music and relax. So here are 12 albums that suit the mood.
1.Love-Forever Changes[1967] Still the best album from the early psychedelic period.
2.Eric Andersen-Ghosts upon the Road[1988] A album of lost lives and loves from one of the best Singer/Songwriters of my Generation.

3.Loretta Lynn-Van Lear Rose[2004] What a comeback! The perfect blend of country,folk and Rock ably assisted by Jack White

4.Nick Drake-Five Leaves Left[1969] Haunting vocals and sparse instrumentation make this a classic.

5.Richard and Linda Thompson-Shoot Out the Lights[1982] Listen to a marriage fall apart, both artistically and personally.

6.Lenny Gallant-The open Window[1994] East coast singer'/songwriter at his Canadian best.

7.Todd Snider-Songs for the Daily Planet[1994] The Who's My Generation has never sounded so good as on this album.

8.David Ackles-American Gothic[1972] Fighting for the American Dream[and not finding it] "The Montana Song" is a classic.

9.John Stewart-California Bloodlines[1969] The former member of The Kingston Trio makes the perfect country album for the new decade.

10.Laura Nyro-Eli and the 13th Confession[1968] Others may have had bigger hit's with her songs, but the original is always better.

11.John Gorka-Out of the Valley[1994] Alternative Country's leader, "Good Noise" is the best anti Republican song I have heard.

12.Gram Parsons-Return of the Grevious Angel[1974] The grandfather of Country Rock's Finest Moment. Ass kicking country and tender love songs. True American Cosmic Music.

Summer Breeze

The music video's being made these day's don't intrigue me so i looked up some that i do like and thought i would share them with you. Here is Seals and crofts performing Summer Breeze.

Seals & Crofts - Summer Breeze

[via FoxyTunes / Summer Breeze]

Night Moves

ht Moves

[via FoxyTunes / Bob Seger]

Just a video for a summer night. Enjoy

Reflections

Reflection on the water near the falls.

----------------
Now playing: Simon & Garfunkel - My Little Town
via FoxyTunes

Outside Ernies on a friday Night

All i can hope is that my fly was not open and that they were not laughing at me!

Sunset over Beaverdale

I took this picture from the Zehr's parking lot overlooking the 401 and Beaverdale. Just another reason to like Hespeler

Meet Me On The Corner

Look up, way up!

Hanging out of a window at Ernies on a warm summer evening!

Family History

My Grandparents , My Uncle Doug,Aunt Zola and my Dad. All were proud to call Hespeler home

Hot Potato #7

The summer is always a slower time but i still have a few weird thoughts and things to get off my mind so here are some more. Enjoy!

My Lawyer is an idiot, he got me into the Jehovah Witness protection program
4 out of 5 doctors recommend i go see another doctor
Virus is a Latin word meaning"your guess is as good as mine"

As i said before, i never repeat myself
There are no Stupid Questions, just inquisitive idiots
Honk if you like peace and quiet

There is no "Ctrl" button on Chuck Norris's computer...chuck Norris is always in control
Is a stolen Yam a Hot Potato?
I have a new pen name...i call myself BALLPOINT

My wife complains about how long it takes to water the plants..hey my bladder is only so big
I signed up for an Origami class, but it folded
Murphy was an optimist

My ex Mother in law buried 3 husbands and 2 were just taking a nap
Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names
The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life.


Well that is it for now but remember
I still have a full deck, i just shuffle a little slower now.

Hespeler Rainbow

This picture was taken Monday night on Jamieson Parkway right after a rain shower. We don't see too many of those in Hespeler anymore.

The Speed River Falls on a Sunday afternoon

A nice relaxing place to go on a beautiful Sunday Afternoon. Hespeler at it's finest

Cemetary lights

Walking home from work last night i snapped this picture of some strange lights in the cemetery. I have no idea what they are but they vanished as quickly as they appeared.

From the 40's

Cosmos diner on Queen street was the place to be in the 40's. These 3 young lady's certainly seem to be enjoying themselves.
In this picture Mary Hillis Irene Constant and Betty Garside

Old Hockey teams

1948. From the Dominion woolen news letter. 2 hockey teams. My Dad is on the team on the left and his brother is on the team on the right.

Hespeler Choir

This is from the early 40's. It was a choir put together during the war and all members were from Hespeler. My Mother was in the choir and remembers that they may not have been a great choir but they sure had a lot of fun.

Sunday Afternoon on Cooper Street

Backyard of my youth

This is the backyard of the house that i grew up in on Cooper street. My parents built the house in 1969 beside the old family house on Cooper. This is a picture from the seventies. I remember having to cut the grass at this house as well as the adjoining house on many occasions. I also remember being able to lay out in the sun and enjoy the peace and quiet of the area. But things change and not always for the better. The gap between the two house beyond our backyard is no longer there as the house on the left has built an addition that blocks any view of Hungerford road. If that addition had of been there when i grew up my friends and i would never have been able to hit golf balls with a baseball bat to see how far they would go. Ah! The memories.

The Bad Restaurant

Working in the restaurant business can be interesting and complex. Sometimes humor is needed to keep yourself sane. The following are some signs that you are eating in a bad restaurant.

Walls are covered in framed health code violations
coffee isn't bottomless, but your busboy is
All you here from the kitchen...here kitty, kitty
The cook just washed his hands..in your soup
Waitress asks"would you like ti hear about our selection of half eaten meals"?
They proudly display a collection of stomach pumps
You complain about a dirty fork, your waitress licks it and then gives it back to you
You order the special of the day and the kitchen staff starts laughing
Waiver of liability form inserted in every menu
Instead of handicap parking spaces there are ambulance only parking spaces
You're waitress is nicknamed "Typhoid Mary"


If any of these are present RUN

Tea and Biscuits

From 1960. Just sitting around on a Sunday Morning with my Mom and Grandmothers,Great Uncles and my older Brother. Just a Hespeler gathering. I wonder if people still have time to do that these day's.

A grandfathers guide to Baby Sitting

Any questions?