And that was the week that was ... Levi Johnston vs Sarah Palin and Harper in Europe

What can we expect in the dog days of summer but a media dominated by stories that range from the sublime to the ridiculous with Levi Johnston emerging at the end of the week as a reliable source on the Sarah Palin resignation as governor of Alaska. Levi, the hockey hunk and hunter from Wassila, who also happens to be the father of Palin's first grandchild, spoke out because people want to know why she is resigning, so says his lawyer.

At a news conference at his lawyer's office, Levi, who is now estranged from Palin's daughter Bristol, who is the mother of his infant son Tripp, said the governor wants to cash in on the lure of financial enrichments as the most logical explanation for the governor's sudden resignation.

A Palin spokesperson shot back that Johnston is also trying to land his own deals -- movie, book, modeling. But that is old news already reported in a major, generally favourable feature on Johnston in the July issue of GQ magazine. Meanwhile GQ's sister publication Vanity Fair comes out with an unflattering piece on Sarah Palin.

As many of you know, I was involved in small town hockey and politics for a long time, but the Palin saga, goes beyond anything that was ever in my wildest imaginings, and we were a pretty colourful cast of characters ourselves in Northern Ontario in the Seventies. Stay tuned.

Meanwhile, on a much more serious note, if that's possible these days, Stephen Harper, the prime minister, almost missed his second photo op at a meeting of world leaders. But he made it as his peers started to call his name. Harper missed the photo op at a meeting earlier this year of G-20 leaders. Unbelievable. reminds me of that trip Joe Clark, another Tory prime minister took, and lost his baggage.

Then Harper sees an opportunity to lash out at Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff for remarks the Liberal leader allegedly made. Turns out that Ignatieff never made the remarks, and there we have our prime minister on the international stage forced to formally apologize to Mr Ignatieff.

Want to bet heads will roll in the prime minister's office very soon. Harper tries so hard to come across as a world leader and twice he's blown it. At the next election Canadians will decide if he goes too.

So there we have it. Lots of very important issues out there but it's much easier to bring you the latest on Levi vs Sarah, and Harper blowing it on the world stage.

Cannon sounded to mark Dominion (Canada) Day in Chapleau

I always made sure I was up to hear the sound of the cannon being fired at seven a.m to mark the beginning of the Dominion Day celebration, organized each year by Branch Number 5 of the Royal Canadian Legion in my home town of Chapleau, Ontario.

Such was Dominion Day for a child who had to get his costume ready and tricycle decorated for the annual July 1 parade that marked one of the highlights of the year for me in the years following World War II that I still recall the celebrations like they were only yesterday.

Mom and my grandparents (Nanny and Grandpa... Edith and George Hunt) would help me get ready for the parade and off I would go for a day packed with activities for our entire community.

Leading the parade of course was the Legion Colour Party and the Chapleau Town Band that has actually been in existence over 100 years now. Mr J. M. Shoup, a veteran of both World War I and II, principal of Chapleau Public School and township councillor would get us all organized for the parade and later the children's races at the beach. I was also proud to see my grandfather Harry Morris, a veteran of World War I, and one of the first group of members of Branch 5 helping out at the activities. (See Mr. Shoup in photo.)

Shortly after the war, Dr G.E. Young, using his own money, had created a truly wonderful beach area on the banks of the Kebsquasheshing River, and it was the scene of swimming and canoe races, as well as canoe tilting contests. The Memegos boys dominated the canoe races and canoe tilting competitions for years and William Memegos, the back packing contest.

Dr Young's beach was complete with change rooms, wading pools, a nicely grassed area and each year he had truckloads of beach sand brought to refresh it. A Chapleau boy, Dr Young practised medicine for over 50 years in his home town and at 95 is living there in retirement. As an aside, Dr Young, in my view, should be named Chapleau's Most Outstanding Citizen.

In the afternoon of July 1, games of chance would be underway while the Town Band would give a concert in the bandstand at the beach area, while over at the ball field there was always an exciting ball tournament. Sometimes there would even be teams from out of town but to me the only team was the Legion on which Tee Chambers played shortstop. Tee was my hero in both ball and hockey.

The celebration ended with a dance and fireworks display at the beach area.

By the end of the day I would head home tired but happy looking forward to my summer vacation, cruising around Chapleau on my tricycle.

There aren't too many of those World War II vets left now, and none from World War I, but I remember all of them fondly, for in war and peace, they made our town a better place for everyone.

Sometimes I wonder why I stay in Cranbrook....

Sometimes I wonder why I stay in Cranbrook nine years after retiring from a fantastic teaching position at College of the Rockies here. I was totally immersed in my work at the college so never really became a part of community life, and in retirement have more or less been an observer rather than participant in the local scene. Yesterday, once again I "stumbled when I saw" to borrow my favorite line from Shakespeare's 'King Lear.'

I headed out for my afternoon walk towards downtown planning to make a stop at the Pharmasave drug store. I started to feel a bit light headed, but made it to Pharmasave, refusing to admit to myself that I had a problem. I made my purchase and was chatting away with Diane, the pharmacist, and Andrew, the manager.

Diane suddenly asked me if I was all right as I had broken into a sweat, and then my legs gave out and I headed for the floor. Andrew apparently grabbed me and broke my fall. There I was sitting on the floor with Diane and Andrew looking after me. They wanted to call 911 but after a glass of water and about 15 minutes regaining my wits, I felt OK, and managed to walk home.

They did insist that I call my doctor which I did and have just arrived home from seeing him. Looks like I suffered some kind of virus attack that sure came on quickly and seems to have disappeared. I have to take it easy of course, but am feeling so much better.

And Diane and Andrew contributed so much to how much better I feel today. I am a strong believer that people show up in our lives at exactly the right moment for a good reason. In fact I think I could write a book on the subject. First, they looked after me in a moment of crisis when in one of those moments, my life changed from a guy out for a walk to collapsing on the floor, and secondly, I won't be so quick to wonder why I am here in Cranbrook.

Thanks Diane and Andrew. By the way, Andrew's brother Ben Rutledge is a member of the Canadian Gold Medal Rowing Team in the Beijing Olympics.