Amber was born 100 years after her great-grandmother (Amber’s my granddaughter). As I watch her grow, I wonder, “What will her world be like?” Amber’s great-grandmother was born in 1896, when the average Canadian lived 47 years. For most, electricity was unknown. Cars were toys of the rich. Airplanes hadn’t […]
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Oops, let me rephrase that. Daylight Saving Time is great. Getting that extra hour of sunlight in the evening does marvels for the soul gripped with the last vestiges of the winter blahs–even if this winter wasn’t particularly long, or cold, or plagued by repeated snow shovelling. What I detest […]
The woodcock is a funny-looking bird–hard to see, hard to shoot, and with a lot of its sense organs out of place. The woodcock is a mottled brown colour, much like that of dead leaves. You can almost step on him before he roars up in your face and disappears […]
At last, Virginia has her red convertible. Except for one detail, that is. The red convertible is green.The picture came in the mail today. There Virginia sits, a young and perky woman in a brand new luxury convertible with sporty tires. And the only touch of red in the picture […]
In one way, I love the Winter Olympics; and it was a mountain-top experience going to Nagano, Japan at the end of every day last month for an incredible show of athletic skill. But in another way, I hate those competitions. Somehow, I just can’t stand all that loss and […]
Time pressures are a major stress agent in our lives. But why, when we have so many time-saving devices, and more holidays and vacation time, than 30 years ago? Some people don’t actually take the holidays they are supposed to have. But many do–and still feel time stress. One cause […]
It’s hard not to notice Dr. Richard Carlson these days–positioned as he is with two books on the best-seller lists. Books that capture your imagination and insist that you read them. “Don’t Sweat and Small Stuff . . . and it’s all small stuff.” And “Don’t Worry, Make Money.” As […]
Falcons are indeed the speedsters of the bird world. They are streamlined, trim, and slim. The Peregrine Falcon, in pursuit of some prey or other, has been clocked at more than 200 miles per hour. Everything about them looks fast. They are lean-looking birds with long tails and narrow pointy […]
Buteos are our largest hawks. There are five of these birds in Canada but only three of them would normally be seen here in the northwest. They are typically large birds, and stocky ones, too. They have wide, rounded wings and tails which are rounded at the ends (not squared […]
About this time of year, I set aside a reading basket for seed catalogues next to my favourite chair in the living room. Absolutely nothing else is allowed in that semi-sacred basket. It’s exclusively a catch-all for Burpee’s, Gurney’s, Seeds of Change, Henry Field’s, Wayside Gardens, Miller Nurseries, Park’s Countryside […]
We were having our ball team wind-up back in September, 1988 when everything stopped so everyone could crowd around the TV set to watch Ben Johnson compete in the 100-m dash. The sense of excitement was overwhelming in the moments leading up to the big race, and the cheers explosive […]
For years, municipal politicians have complained about being lackeys of the provincial government. Feelings of frustration among local politicians have some justification. Most services that impact you and me day-by-day are delivered by municipal governments. But provincial politicians decide on the programs and make the rules. It’s been a province-wide […]
