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Some fatherly advice sticks

Brenda says some may be not be good lessons but others will be a guide for life.
12225814_web1_Brenda-Mallory-THUMB
Brenda Mallory

June is a busy month! Father’s Day comes along June 17 followed by the longest day, June 21.

For your enjoyment let me present the 35th year of the Midsummer Music Festival. Great music will fill the air in this valley June 29, 30 and July 1. I suppose if I happened to be in the know a few June weddings will bring some love to happy couples. It’s too much I tell you.

I will start with Father’s Day. My father died five days after I graduated from high school. I was 17 years old and he was not yet 50 years old. He was the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony. He told all of us to take charge of our lives and learn all we could. As the local barber, he did not emphasize a university education.

With his Grade 8 education and an inquiring mind, he spent the little bit of life allotted to him working hard for the community of Port Alberni. He wrote a couple books and patented his inventions.

He still had time to show me the best fishing spots, taught me stuff about carpentry and showed me how to do a ring job on our 1948 Ford. He wrote some great symphony music for me to play on my violin.

He taught me tolerance of others, stand up straight, have a firm handshake. These are the lessons of my youth. I don’t fish anymore nor do I have a 1948 Ford. The point is, for the young fathers of today who try their best to teach their children, hang in there, some of your lessons will stick. Some may be not be good lessons but others will be a guide for life.

On the lesson side of things, is there a father out there or anyone for that matter who can help get rid of mosquitoes? I know I could spray myself silly with a major pesticide loaded with serious chemicals. I will avoid that for now but what about my dogs and old cat?

I did look up some natural sprays that could be conjured up with all manner of oils and other ingredients I do not have in my pantry. What to do? A fan in the porch where the dogs sleep and one outside where they seek a bug-free zone under a table seems to make a difference. The dogs get it all figured out. The cat is a different story. Mosquitoes avoid the cat. I am thinking it just might be the slobber they use to clean themselves.

What about people bug repellent? I know anything with deet in it is not a good thing. I am going to admit here that I do use a little bug spray on the dogs. I spray a small amount of Skintastic on my fingers, then put the stuff in the middles of the dogs forehead. Not close to the ears, eyes, mouth or tongue.The best bet is to ask your vet about a solution to the skeeter problem.

Don’t wear dark clothing, get rid of standing water or stay inside. Tell that to the mosquitoes who follow me into my bedroom. Lucky me. I will bring the cat in with me. Maybe some of his spittle will come in handy.

Call me with your solutions at 250-846-5095 or send along an idea to mallory@bulkley.net.