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 […]
Columnists
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 […]
“Grimpons, grimpons,” sings the French professor in the 1960s Disney film, “In Search of the Castaways.” All the while smiling, and making you feel for sure that anything is possible. Anything at all–if you just keep climbing. The word, says actor Maurice Chevalier, means “let’s climb. It is the French […]
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 […]
Bordered by Maine on the east, Vermont on the west, and Massachusetts on the south, with a narrow tip stretching up to touch Quebec, the 9,000 square mile triangle known as New Hampshire has to be one of the most beautiful spots in the U.S. It’s a state with picturesque […]
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 […]
Even though I’m this side of 60, I’ve never really felt old. With one exception, that is. And that exception was many years ago. I’d gone to school most of my life, and taught the rest of it. I’d travelled in the summers, and served in many places of need. […]
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 […]
