Mill News : Jackson's Mill is For Sale. Please contact us for details or click here. LATEST MILL NEWS IS AT THE TOP - CLICK LINKS ABOVE FOR PREVIOUS MILL NEWS UPDATED December 10, 2006 - Welcome to Jackson's Mill Mill News - The Kick and Push Railroad Returns! Mill Contest Update Mill Race at it again Click on images to enlarge. Update - Mill Contest!! What was that??!!? Refer to www.jacksons-mill.com for details of the Grand Mill ‘What was that??!!?’ Contest as set out in Mill News - November 17. Entries to the ‘what was that?’ contest received since 21 November. (www.jacksons-mill.com and the Miller accept no responsibility for the opinions expressed below by contest entrants) Contest still open – What was that???? Ann from Kingston writes:“it looks like the burnt remains of your last family Sunday dinner" Iain from Vancouver“what am I supposed to be looking at....” Hamish from Hong Kong suggests:Moose S*** Roger from Hong Kong:“To be honest - on close scrutiny - it looks like a partial right boot”. Frank from Hong Kong: “You are bored?” The Miller Replies:Actually Roger, it’s a partial left boot (See photo here), but what we were really interested in was the mass of black material that had Pluto so intrigued. As reported in the November 21 issue of Mill News. Dr. Ruth, the Miller’s sister, determined through rigorous testing that the material was dirt, not S*** (Clearly Hamish doesn’t read well). The dirt had obviously been excavated from nearby and deposited in the middle of the trail without leaving any other traces. Following detailed investigation (the Miller has been watching CSI Miami) a fresh dig was spotted in a rock crevice 3 feet away. To summarize, something dug out a good shovelful of organic soil from a rock crevice (in chunks about two inches long) and left it in a nice neat pile three feet away from the hole. A very small Yeti with a bucket and spade? Dr Ruth again: “I think it’s a skunk dig. Stick a pole down the nearest dig hole and see what that smells like! … hope you try the stick trick when I am not around”. The Miller, deciding to continue the investigation using Platonic rather than Scientific methods (I don’t think I fancy shoving a stick into a skunk hole except as a last resort) has searched the internet, consulted with a local wildlife expert and has written to a skunk expert in New Mexico Scott (the local wildlife expert who works for a company specializing in helping City folks cope with wildlife) doesn’t think it’s a skunk (“they pile up dirt like a ramp right outside the burrow”) but has no idea what it was. The Miller will keep looking and maybe we’ll get some tracks when the snow flies. And yes Frank, the Miller may be bored but not bored enough to stick a pole down a potential skunk dig. Life at the Mill is exciting enough. Stay tuned – the contest is still running. Mill Headline News - The Kick and Push Railroad Returns! On December 29, 1884, the Kingston and Pembroke Railway opened between Kingston and Renfrew in the Ottawa Valley where it connected with the Canadian Pacific Railway. The first section of line had been opened between Kingston and Sharbot Lake (46½ miles) on June 17 1875, with the first stop outside Kingston at Jackson’s Mill. In 1913 the KPR was purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway who continued its operation for another fifty years. The line served the Mill for almost a Century until it was abandoned in the 1960s, shortly before the Mill ceased working. After the closure of the line, the Right of Way was acquired for a Utility Corridor by Bell Canada and the track lay dormant until it was removed for scrap in the mid 80s. Since then, the KPR Right of Way has been used as an unofficial recreational trail by local residents. On 18 July 2002 Kingston City Council voted to purchase the Right of Way with a view to creating a multi-use recreational trail and utility corridor and in August 2006 the purchase was completed. The sign shown in the picture below right went up across the Street from the Mill on November 1. The picture on the left shows Clarendon Station on the KPR sometime during the early 20th Century and comes from Steampower Publishing. Jackson’s Mill is now the intersection of two of Kingston’s major recreational assets, the Planned K&P Trail and the existing (and very popular) Rideau Trail. Marvin, who owns the former Mill Manager’s house across Jackson Mills Road (as well as the land on which the Mill Pond is located) remembers when the Railroad stopped at the Mill Pond and also on his front lawn. He and the other local residents are very pleased to see the plans. Mill Race at it again Following the heavy rainstorms and the Mill Race turning on as reported in the November 17 Mill News, after nearly two weeks of dry weather the Race flow gradually diminished and finally dried up on November 29. The respite was short-lived as another heavy downpour on December 1st brought the Race back to life on the second. Watch this space!! Mill Photo of the Week Okay, so it’s two photos. The Mill is an amazing place.  Ian The Miller at Jackson’s Mill  (Next Mill News – Going off the Grid!)  Previous Mill News - November 21  You are receiving this e-mail because you have expressed some interest in Jackson's Mill at some time in the past. Or maybe you just happened to click on the wrong Internet site and you have been added to the list without permission? If you wish to be removed from this list please e-mail back and let me know.   'Mill News' is published on an irregular basis whenever the Miller has something he thinks is interesting as regards Jackson's Mill or the area. If you wish to be added to the Mill News circulation please e-mail The MIller