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T Navigating down memory lane in honour of Father's Day That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor 19 | Thursday, June 12, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com he apple, or so I'm frequently reminded, does not fall far from the tree, which is to say that I am apparently very much my father's son, having inherited assorted traits -- some good, some bad, some endearing, and some perhaps, well, not so endearing. Which is to say that sometimes when I do something slightly, ah, Juniper-ish, my wife will look at me like she's experiencing a particularly vivid ashback, shake her head, and call me by my father's name: Dennis. My father and I were born under the same sign. Not astrologically enlightened, or inclined, I'm not precisely sure what that means. I would never suggest that we did not (vehemently) disagree on things, or occasionally call each other out as chowderheads, but for the most part, our heads were screwed on in a similar fashion -- we viewed the world through the same lens. I guess you could say, we tended to be on the same page. Every morning, we tried to be on the same pages. Ridiculously early risers, we would wrestle at dawn for the rights to the sports section of the local paper. It was a battle that had to be done in silence -- to wake the rest of the family was to incur their day-long wrath -- and one that I typically won, given that he was forever abandoning the newspaper to re ll his coffee, or have a smoke, or run out and chase the squirrels off his birdfeeder. Yes, we shared a love of sports. However, neither of us was all that concerned about the wins-and-losses aspect of the games. We were more interested in the athletes, their quests, their back-stories. We shared an afnity for lovable losers, endearing eccentrics, the clown princes of the sporting world. And in that world, we found a place in which we could always easily lose ourselves. Granted, we could pretty much lose ourselves anywhere. Neither of us was blessed with much of a nose for navigation. Hard to imagine that my father, who got us hopelessly lost in every city we ever visited, was a Royal Canadian Air Force pilot who trained recruits in the Second World War -- in his porous defence, he'd say that he was a pilot, not a navigator. Suf ce to say, when pops passed, I lost my way for a long time. Of cially stated: Dennis Grif n Juniper died on May 3, 1996, a victim of vascular dementia that had near robbed him of his essence. I say, `near robbed' because even in the grips of this insidious disease, ashes of his true self shone through the fog. In particular, his sense of humour. One day, I was visiting him when he began rubbing his shoulder. "That hurting?" I asked, playfully patting the offending shoulder. He looked at me, then at his shoulder with my hand now resting on it. He inched slightly, then replied with a smirk: "It is now." Pops loved life. He loved joking around. He loved the simple things. A cup of coffee in the morning. The sun setting on the horizon. A beer, some peanuts, and a baseball game on TV . This huge appreciation of life's little things rubbed off me. It's been 18 years since I was last able to look him in the eye and wish him a Happy Father's Day. But not a day passes where I don't think of my happy father and feel blessed. In nitely lucky. And immensely loved. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook www.facebook.com, or followed on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Secure your future with hands-on training. APPLY NOW FOR FALL START DATES! September 2, 2014 Electrical Training Program (22 weeks) September 15, 2014 Millwright & Machinist (22 weeks) September 22, 2014 Home Renovation Program (26 weeks) We can't predict the weather but there are many things to do to prepare your home for it Despite a year of extreme weather, Canadians do not feel any more prepared to deal with its potential impacts, according to the seventh annual RBC Canadian Water Attitudes Study. In fact, only half (52 per cent) feel prepared to cope with the adverse effects of severe thunderstorms. About 38 per cent feel prepared for flooding and a mere 27 per cent feel prepared for hurricanes. "With extreme weather events on the rise, it's likely that most Canadians will experience moderate to severe weather events in their area sometime this year," says Paula Bandi, Senior Product Manager, Home, RBC Insurance. "Learning what actions to take can help Canadians protect themselves, their family and their home in the event of an emergency." RBC Insurance® offers these important tips to help Canadian homeowners prepare for extreme weather events: 1. Inspect the roof annually, checking for missing, curled or damaged shingles. If any, speak with a professional roofing contractor. 2. Maintain eavestroughs and keep them clear of debris. 3. Seal any cracks in foundation walls and floors. 4. Install a back-flow valve or a backup generator for basement sewage drains or sump pumps. 5. Install downspout extensions, rain barrels and splash pads to ensure water is flowing away from your home. 6. Keep outdoor storm sewer grates clear of debris. 7. Keep trees and shrubs trimmed to avoid branches or trees falling onto your home or your neighbour's home. 8. Have large trees that are growing directly over pipes checked every three years to ensure there are no cracks where roots can enter and grow. 9. Install impact-resistant windows and doors and, at least once a year, check that they're secure and re-caulk as needed. 10. Put together an emergency kit of first aid items and supplies, and identify the safest area of your home for shelter. For more information, please visit www.rbcinsurance.com/preventiontips. ® / TM Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence.