The Weekly Zekely!


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Before we get started, please consider following @town-crier as many of my recent stories have been posted there as I joined forces with a digital marketing company to volunteer in my great community.

The Zekely has taken a turn, kind of like society in general, at the moment. In the past (and hopefully future,) I pause at the end of a long week to check the photo reel on my phone for the adventures of days recently past. It makes for good reflection, and has been a popular staple of my blog for years. Make your own weekly to get everyone caught up and share your stories too!

At a high level, it seems like more food and beer than normal but that is what you get as a Beerologist in a pandemic volunteering to help the local restaurants!


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Speaking of restaurants, it is estimated that 18% of Canadian restaurants will close up during this pandemic. I would estimate the number is higher for tourist towns like this one and I have too many friends who own local joints. So, I have been consulting and volunteering to help as many as I can as they flex, pivot, and stay engaged with the community.

Recently, we had a little socially-distanced out-door time to prepare the terrace/patio at one of my favourites. We have a pint or 2, string the lights in the trees, and this year we spaced the tables out a little more for then it is time to return to serving patrons. They will be a little further away from each other and the rules are not even clear but Rob will be ready.

Here he is at 7:30, joining the neighbours and ringing one of his old church bells in support of the health care workers. Leaders gonna lead!


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Inside, it smells FANTASTIC as they have transformed the fancy menu into comfort food that is equally elegant! As a sample, these are freshly made Turkey Pot Pies served in individual portions for the folks ordering takeout and delivery. Never one to waste a good crisis, the chef has taken the opportunity to cook and serve the things he and his family love to eat at home which makes total sense when you are designing a take-out menu. Definitely helps that his partner is an awesome cook as well.


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Those pies were destined for a special group of local front line healthcare workers. As the story is told here https://hive.blog/leofinance/@town-crier/gourmet-dinner-for-essential-pharmacists, these are some courageous and hard-working pharmacists who are working longer and more critical hours. They are equally as brave as their happy faces would show as they celebrate the home made cookies and send this solid selfie back to the restaurant staff in a message of thanks.


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Though it has been a while since my last ladders post, I have had occasion to do some climbing. This is a shot right on the main street in town right across from the fanciest hotel in the area. I was doing a little technical onsite internet work for the resident who was having trouble with her internet connection. During isolation and working from home, internet has become even more essential and I have made sure to be available to help install or fix any issues so people can stay sane, connected and productive.


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I did get a chance to take a trip down the road to have my winter tires swapped out for the summer ones. You know a road trip is going to double as a brewery visit at the best of times and this is no different. Upper Thames Brewery https://upperthamesbrewing.ca/ is still in business at their bottle shop, though closed for tours and food. I definitely look forward to a passing of these times so I can sit and learn about every little brewery around in person. Til then, they have a good couple IPAs and I took a little home to reward my fridge.


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Since the beer stores stopped taking empties due to COVID, I have been hoarding them because the last time I put them out, the recycler left an Alcoholics Anonymous flyer in my bin ;) It is a tasty rainbow in there and I am gonna be RICH when this is over!


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The week ended on Mother's Day and I sure had a big one. Since it is the biggest day of the year for restaurants, I jumped in and made sure to help deliver the wonderful mothers their gourmet Sunday brunch and hanging baskets of flowers. I don't normally appear in videos but these days of masks are making it easier for me to remain somewhat anonymous to avoid all the autograph seekers. Here is a quick shout out on Twitter which I use solely for the promotion of decentralized social media platforms like Hive


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The garden is expanding, or rather the lawn is retracting. A little hard labour on Mother's Day had me building another raised box to plant more veggies! This one should have carrots and strawberries if I can keep the animals out with liberal application of chicken wire. I can't wait til summer arrives and I can put up a regular garden blog!


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I would like to thank all of the people staying home, being patient, and showing their support for the front line workers. I have been collecting pictures of art, signs of support and images that maintain my belief in the power of love and mankind.


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This was the view out my front window this morning. I think 2020 needs to go home because it is drunk.

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Thank you for years of engagement and recent support for @town-crier marketing. I hope you enjoyed this segment of the Weekly Zekely and promise to return to sporting and outdoor adventure, onsite beerology and all brands of fun when the lockdown eases!

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I am honoured to curate for:

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How does the lockdown look in your neck of the woods? Link me your weekly update!

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Still no alcohol, cigarettes sales down here, only go shopping once a week for essentials... totally boring I'd say. Weekly updates come in the way of finding creepy crawlies around the garden!

Snow in May? Sounds familiar we had snow on mountains a month ago still only in Autumn, very early start, now back to normal.

Pies look exceptionally good, beer sounded even better being in the company of friends.

Flowers not currently being sold over here either (not that I've seen) so nothing like that on Mothers day.

Thanks for sharing a little about normal and have a great week!

No beer and smokes for sale?!!? The rednecks here would revolt for sure.

Breweries were listed as essential here along with liquor stores. Not only do they help keep some of us sane, the real alcoholics would need hospital treatment and make it worse at the hospitals.

Stay safe and bored!

Crazy affair with some wishy washy reasoning which I will not go into great detail about or I would be here all day.

Yes total ban has now made illegal tobacco trade larger money spinners than the legal smokes, 2018 estimated 33% of trade was already illegal. R33M lost in tax per month, so nothing makes sense. Local news, Beer drinkers look away now. SAB has begun dumping beer. 25 thousand litres went down the drain...

Isn't life strange, now normal people are becoming criminals!

That is WILD! Where is that?

In town, there are kegs worth of beer in restaurants that can't be sold. I have been known to trade some time in the dish pit of restaurants (offering take out) in exchange for a little beer. Can't have it wasted!

South Africa, the SA Breweries are close to where we live. Beer ages, sitting for six (almost 7) weeks, oldest beer had to go with no sales.

Many are now turning to brew their own beer, yeast has become scarce, pineapples have gone sky high in pricing with many attempting home brew pineapple beers.

It is a shame washing so much down a drain, here we sit and wait! (Not so patiently.)

Yeah man the snow is getting old. Come on mid May already!

God Gawd we surely need the internet in times like these!!!

We really do. I am a contractor that does the onsite work for the ISP and they gingerly asked if I waqs still available. Is said HELL YES BRING IT ON because people need their internet now more than ever.

I hope you are keeping well in your Michigan lap of luxury my friend. Feel free to escape over that border when the loonies go off the deep end.

Some restaurants are already closing here by us, hopefully some will re-open after the pandemic!!

Yah many of them closed because they had a dining room as their main business. It has been great seeing some pivot to delivery and pickup and FINALLY getting to set up online ordering and marketing.

Never waste a good crisis!

Snow. Wtf. Love the recycling pile

Yah man it is not cold but this is getting ridiculous.

Beerologists gotta.....beer.

Damn those pot pies look amazing!

My recycling situation is outta control.
All the local centers closed and cans are .10 here.
So i'm PBR rich sitting on about 80 bucks. LOL