Summer's here!

If you needed any physical evidence that summer's finally here, kids, the past week pretty much filled the bill. A replica of a sword used in Mel Gibson's Braveheart was on display at the Municipal Complex, the weather was outstanding (and hot-hot-hot at last!), Bob Stead announced he'll reoffer in the upcoming municipal election, and the

21st annual Gunn Baldursson Memorial women's soccer tournament took over last weekend.

Add to this excursions to the beach, shopping, barbecues and live theatre and you have a very solid argument for summer in full swing.

I could reference day and art camps for kids, swimming lessons, Kentville Wildcats baseball, little league, junior soccer, tennis and a plethora of other summertime activities, too, but you get the point.

The joint's jumpin'!

The Wallace Sword - an icon of Scottish freedom - was delivered by Stirling Provost Fergus Wood, who had a bit of fun with our reporter Kirk Starratt by hamming it up with the impressive weapon and aping Gibson's battle cry in Braveheart for Kirk's video camera. The result can be viewed on NovaNewsNow.com. It's a hoot and I encourage you to have a look.

The weapon itself is a two-handed broadsword, five-feet, six-inches in length. That's nearly as tall as me, for heaven's sake! Sheesh!

Wood said he was here to 'cut the mustard,' which apparently is another way of saying he'd like to do some business in the region. We can certainly use that, so good on the county and Warden Fred Whalen for organizing the visit, which is a reciprocal gesture in relation to last year's visit by a Kings County delegation to Scotland.

In another political arena, Wolfville Mayor Bob Stead surprised everyone by announcing last week that he's in the hunt for the upcoming municipal election in October. Wendy Elliott broke the story Friday morning on NovaNewsNow.com and the reaction both in the

newsroom and around town was immediate. People were flabbergasted.

Why? Because Stead had hinted prior to the revelation last week that it was time to hang it up, that the climate in Wolfville had been tainted by negativity to the extent that he just didn't think he would let his name stand. I didn't blame him, either, because I think politics is a thankless deal that requires a heck of a lot of time with little good being said about you because decisions revolve invariably around taxes, budgets, who gets what and who doesn’t. It’s quite often a no-win endeavour to engage in grassroots politics.

I get the feeling there’s some unfinished business in the back of his mind and to go now before certain matters are resolved would leave a bitter taste in his mouth. I think also things just got a whole lot more interesting in Wolfville with his decision.

Finally, we have the Baldursson and the energy it injects into the area. There were 162 teams from all over Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, plus one from Ottawa and another from St. John's, Newfoundland. Young ladies sporting their team colours were everywhere and soccer fields all over Kings County were alive with their energy, sportsmanship and vibrancy.

The tourney is a huge boon economically for us, too, but what impresses me most is the level of organization that brings the event off without a hitch, the quality of the soccer being played and the overriding sense that all of these teams embody what's best about young people today.

We're lucky to have such an event in our own backyard and we should never take for granted its tenets of goodwill, competition and fair play. They hold sway right across board.

Indeed, you couldn't go anywhere last week without getting a wicked good dose of what summer in the region is all about: hectic, antic, amazing, surprising, just plain fun. And it's not over yet.