hippo birdie two ewes! -- huminbean goes gossip column

Mat Noble turns 19 today! When asked, he stated, "It's kind of an anti-climactic thing." When pressed further, he said, "I don't want to talk about it." Sources close to the star speculate his blase attitude has to do with the fact that his birthday was celebrated two weeks ago in Point Michaud (family members weren't sure if they would have the time off when his real birthday rolled around, but coincidentally, they do), and the dreary weather. Martine Remillard, the star's mother, is quoted as saying, "It's a good thing we celebrated two weeks ago, because this would be a crappy day at Point Michaud," and declined to comment further, continuing with her knitting. Celebrity analysts have also postulated that the illness affecting both his mother and sister (this column's venerated author), which has been described by one sufferer as "The Sleeping Beauty Disease", because it makes those afflicted by it feel drowsy and sleepy, has contributed to the general lack of activity for Mat's birthday.

However, seen on his way out of his Long Hill home for a night on the town of Baddeck, where he revealed he was heading to The Legion, a Baddeck hotspot, with his friend Alice and an unidentified driver who looked suspiciously like his father, local resident Scott Noble, Mat had time to say, "Overall, I'm happy with the fact that I'm turning 19, I'm not that sad." And that, ladies and gentlemen, dear readers, is the last word on the issue.

Other stories we are following this weekend in June include Deanie Cox's open house, where musicians from Cape Breton, Ireland, Scotland and the East Coast of the US were seen mingling among raku pottery, nibbling on cheese and drinking wine, and opining on Susanne Donovan's Pomeranian, and whether or not it was actually a dog, and not a teddy bear or fox. The glitterati of North Shore were seen wearing the hats of Barb Longva's popular shop "Sew Inclined", located on the Cabot Trail, Le Chateau (Mayflower Mall, Sydney), and of course everyone's favorite boutique, Value Village. The cuisine was the garlic-infused dishes of musician Otis Tomas (the potter's husband), and delicious potluck brought by guests, a fun way to include party-goers that this columnist thinks will soon catch on in New York, London and other social hubs. Though we were feeling ill and had to leave at the shamefully early hour of 9 PM, reports say that the party went on til 4 AM, evidence of which was seen the next day by the shop operator, who cleaned up wine glasses from amid the pottery displays.

Baddeck is quiet this time of year, made especially more so by the rainy weather, but summer visitors are relentless and are already filling our local hotels and B&B's. To be sure, this summer, this column will have scads to report, so watch out for our Canada Day special, and if you are at all able, be sure to attend the Fire Hall Dance, an annual favorite for Baddeck and area newsmakers! It certainly is, as one area resident has said, "The hot event of the month." Or perhaps, the whole year.