I came to understand how much I appreciate picking up the Times Colonist from my doorstep when I brought in this morning's edition. I fully expected the front page to have something splashed about the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Hey, if it bleeds it leads, eh? And just yesterday our closet queen prime minister bellowed how we're all at war with the jihadists who are lurking in our garages just waiting to detach our heads.
So what was featured on the front page of the TC? A major report about a fellow from Ucluelet who encountered a cougar in his livingroom. The cougar had followed Ted Benson's pet cat, Mushka, through the front door looking to have its smaller cousin for dinner.There was one other story about an island family that has to fork out almost $50,000 after their son accidentally set off his school's sprinkler system.
Charlie Hebdo? That was inside on page A2. As for the prime minister's call to arms, that made it on the back page of the front section, A14. Most of the back page was taken up with an advertisement for a sale at a high-end audio-video shop.
It's not unusual to find the TC's lead story a review of a memorable concert the evening before. Tony Bennett the lead story? Yes, and that's wonderful - to me at least.
One of the things about living on Vancouver Island, especially well beyond Victoria, is the sure and certain knowledge that you've got far more to fear from cougars than you do from any errant son of Allah. I've had a couple of close encounters with them. My daughter spotted one in repose on a tree branch, presumably waiting for a deer dinner to pass unwittingly beneath. A friend has a 5-acre property outside of town which features a brook and two paths, one frequented by black bears, the other by cougars. In other words, cougars are far more interesting and newsworthy than a couple of wastrels caught up in radical Islam or a cowardly prime minister who whines about them.
By the way, here's a mental image for you. Captain Canada, face to face with a cougar, and not a single broom closet for miles. Can you say ugly brown stain?
