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Laverne Stewart

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Pat Graham has a pet partridge. This wild bird will come out of the woods whenever Graham drives his all-terrain vehicle on a trail near the bird's nesting area.

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As soon as the bird hears the ATV motor, it will come running. Sometimes if it is feeding deeper in the woods, Graham says, he leaves the engine running to give the bird enough time to walk or fly out to greet him.

Graham calls the bird Sparkie. The bird happily chatters while it eats, says Graham.

But it seems this is one picky partridge. The bird refuses to eat small pieces of apple and berries from the ground, preferring to pick it from Graham's hand.

When the meal is over, Sparkie always shows his appreciation with a song or two.

The bird has also been known to fly and land on his shoulder.

Graham, a logger, who's spent the past 58 years in the woods, has never been able to make a pet in the wild before now.

"He will walk on the trail with us but when we leave, we have to get on the wheeler and speed away or he will follow us home where the cats and our dog Cuddles would be glad to make a meal of him."

History comes alive

The journal of a former Fredericton music teacher who travelled to Germany from 1913 to 1914 is being published.

Barbara Gill, one of the former students of the late Anna May (McAdam) Lister, is making this personal account of this time in history for all to read online and through the New Brunswick Provincial Archives.

Readers of the journal are introduced to the travels of six young women and their female chaperone who travelled by land and sea from Fredericton to Leipzig, Germany 95 years ago. The sea voyage happened on the Laurentic, a ship of the White Star Line, a year after the Titanic went down.

While in England, they visited Lady Ashburnham,a former Fredericton telephone operator who married into the Ashburnham family.

In the diary there are many artistic and cultural references as well as indications of the building tensions, culminating in the First World War.

"Her intention was to publish the journal under her maiden name. In honour of her dream, I will make the authentic pages of her 'book' available to the world online and donate the journal to the New Brunswick Provincial Archives," says Gill.

A reception is being held at the New Brunswick Public Archives at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 23 Dineen Drive, on the UNB campus. The journal entitled, European Trip, as well as her letters to Gill, will be available to view at www.shandarrah.com as of Oct. 15.

This 13-year-old has a passion for antiques

Jordan Brown may be young but he loves all things old. This 13-year-old's passion for old coins and antiques started when he was in kindergarten.

Over the years, he's acquired things like an antique meat grinder, a Second World War riding crop, glass power line insulators and rare, old coins.

His mother says this doesn't come from her or his father. They don't collect anything.

In fact, she says, his growing collection sometimes is at odds with her need to keep things neat and tidy.

"Sometimes his collecting gets a little out-of-hand. I allow him to use the storage room to keep some of his things and some of it is in his bedroom," says Pam Brown.

Jordan Brown says he is most fascinated with the history of each item he owns.

Some of his collection is on display in his bedroom but most of it is in storage to keep it from getting damaged.

This teen goes to yard sales, flea markets, antique and coin shows in search of must haves.

"I don't think I'll ever have enough. When I'm older I'd like to continue to find things that I can't afford now like more expensive, old and rare coin sets."

Someday, he says, he might become a coin and antique dealer but then again, it might be too hard to part with the things he values so much.

"I'd find it hard to sell the things that are unique. I don't think I'd be able to let them go. I think the historical value is more important that the monetary value."

Maritime Idol is in Fredericton

This is the first year the singing competition for teens, ages 12 and up, is being held at Leo Hayes High School.

It started with auditions on Oct. 1 and will continue every Wednesday evening from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. until Oct. 22.

"We're doing auditions every week before the show. If we end up with enough competitors we will run a second competition," says Kathy Pomerleau the show's manager of contestant relations.

Show producer Ron Pomerleau says as long as someone is able to carry a tune, they are invited to audition.

"We give all kids a shot as long as we feel they aren't going to be made fun of."

The winners of each week's show will move on to the regional competitions when singers from Fredericton will compete against performers from Stanley and Chipman.

The singers who receive the highest number of online votes and approval from the show's judges will move on to Moncton for the quarter finals, featuring singers from all three Maritime provinces.

Up for grabs is $15,000 in prizes and a recording contact for the singer chosen as season three's Maritime Idol.

The shows are being recorded and are available to view on the contest's website.

For more information, go to www.maritimeidol.com

Laverne Stewart is a staff writer at The Daily Gleaner. If you've got an interesting tidbit to share, please contact her at stewart.laverne@dailygleaner.com. Did You Hear? appears every Friday.