This is my once-a-year day

The Brier begins.

First round TSN feature - Howard-Ursel. A bit boring, having seen the last rounds of Howard coming out of Ontario. Again we have a rink with the skip not shooting last. We shall see how this transpires.

End 1: Back and forth on a rock behind a front guard until it moves up to roughly the button for the final rocks. Howard rolls to the button behind the guard, it seemed to me, though the commentators say "wide open". Cotter (Ursel's fourth) moves the Howard rock but it stays in the ring, and he loses the shooter. Howard's shot swings a ton, finishing in the back of the button, never having been swept. Cotter hits and sticks for one for BC.

BC 1 Ontario 0

End 2: Wow, rocks are moving on this Manitoba ice. Howard has a rock at the front of the 8-foot in front of a BC rock on the button and behind BC centre-line guards. Ontario clears the fron tone but not the other. BC puts another guard in place, and the previous Ontario stone sits in front of those guards. Ontario does a combo that knocks the BC rock off the button and out of the house BC clears the Ontario stone, and they have rocks at 10 o'clock in the 12 and 8 foot. Howard has Hart hit the high stone and roll onto the center line, mid 8-foot. Ursel hits and removes and now has two rocks in the 8-foot. Hart nose hits and does not get the toll he wanted - in 12 foot up front. Cotter kills it, leaving the shooter in the 12-foot. Howard hits one of the BC rocks and rolls beautifully into cover. Cotter makes a fine angle takeout - Howard will now try to blank. As he does.

I need to go off to the kitchen. No likely reporting for a bit.

BC 1 Ontario 0 - hammer Ontario

End 3: Ursel into the back 4, not quite freezing on a Howard rock in the 8th, a variety of stones out front. (Sorry - was in kitchen.) Hart peels a couple of front guards. BC puts one back. Hart puts himself into the top of the button, not too far in front of a BC rock. BC put a shot onto the edge of the 4-foot at 1pm, trying to hold Howard to 1. This end is too confusing for me. Cotter makes a great risky shot picking Howard's rock - Howard has to draw against two. As he does.

BC 1 Ontario 1.

Missed most of this end : Howard makes a big miss on final shot, lets Cotter draw for 2, as he does.

BC 3 Ontario 1

Back fron the kitchen! What happened? End of the 8th BC 3 Ontario 8

Damn! Don't cook during curling.

End 9: Knowing they are conceding, BC at least let Cotter get the feel for draw. Classy.

Expect to watch the next draw in bed, unconnected to the Internet. Till tomorrow!