Attention, please, all friends and supporters of Glenn Howard and his Coldwater and District Curling Club rink.

Under no circumstances are they to be pinched or awakened.

The dream season these curling lads are presently in the midst of is too enjoyable to miss a second.

“Absolutely, I’m pinching and dreaming,” Howard chuckled recently while motoring out of Brantford following a $14,000 win.

He had just knocked off Jean-Michel Menard 6-1 in the championship final of the Sunlife Financial Invitational Curling Classic, continuing a six-bonspiel winning streak that began in late September in Brockville.

“I’ll be honest with you. I felt so confident when the guys won the first bonspiel of the season in Brockville,” said Howard, referring to the Shorty Jenkins Classic.

Still recovering from hernia surgery, Howard was forced to sit out that event. Richard Hart moved up from vice to guide the team.

The Coldwater rink won the title – and the current streak was launched.

“With the guys playing really well in Brockville, and me recovering from surgery, I figured we had a chance to do really well going forward,” he said.

The Midland native estimated it would take him a month to get back into form following his surgery, but was surprised at how quickly he healed and rediscovered his touch.

In total, the team has now won six straight titles since September, collecting $103,000 on the World Curling Tour circuit.

“It’s a good chuck of money and, frankly, to have won that much money before the end of November is almost silly,” said Howard.

The foursome has compiled a 43-6 record in competitive play so far this season, with a winning percentage better than 87 per cent.

The journey has been a truly out-of-body experience for the manager of the Beer Store in Midland.

“I’ve used the word surreal to describe what has been happening. Everyone is making the shots and playing at a very high level,” said Howard.

While winning three world titles and hoisting Ontario and Brier championship trophies will always be personal highlights, Howard said the current winning streak is almost as sweet.

“Winning the worlds was great, but this has been enjoyment over a longer period of time,” he said.

Giving credit where it is due, the 46-year-old Penetanguishene resident said the wins have been a total team effort.

“Richard (Hart), Craig (Savill), Brent (Laing) and myself have all been playing great,” he said.

The present aura that surrounds the team reminds him of the 2006-07 season, when the team curled better than 90 per cent for a good portion of the year, en route to a decisive win over Germany in the world championships in Edmonton.

What makes the current win streak even sweeter is that it has come against opponents such as current world champion Kevin Martin, Jeff Stoughton, Randy Ferbey and others.

“We’re beating the top teams, and that is a great feeling,” he said.

Next up is the National in Quebec, and then the start of a possible run toward a return to the Ontario, Brier and world championships.

mdodd@simcoe.com