There are a lot of black birds but not all of them are Blackbirds. We have quite a few birds in the same family, including orioles, meadowlarks, and the bobolink. But we also have three black birds which are true Blackbirds, and can be quite confusing to the amateur birder. […]
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How can you live without time? Or more accurately, how can you live without a time “piece”? That’s the question I had to ask myself many times last week high in the Colorado Rockies. To begin with, my wristwatch kept perfect time, faithfully signalling one activity after another. But then […]
Well men, we’ve had the biscuit. Done. Kaput. We’re obsolete. We may be wanted but soon we won’t be needed. First a little background. For hundreds of centuries, two genders had to be in intimate contact for reproduction. Men were the hunters and warriors. Women tended the hearth and nurtured […]
There are probably more stories about the wolverine than any other mammal in America. It is supposed to have amazing strength, be extremely intelligent, and have a very ugly disposition.Whether these stories are all true or not, no one really knows. The wolverine is the shadow in the deep woods, […]
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 […]
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 […]
