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 […]
Columnists
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 […]
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 […]
“Who should get flu shots?” asked the interviewer. And the expert looked earnestly at the television camera to answer. “Well, to begin with, the elderly should get shots,” he said. “Anyone over the age of 65.” And that’s when I stopped listening. Now, I have nothing against flu shots. Without […]
Cliff McIntosh
This is a good news/bad news story. No matter where you live in Northwestern Ontario, the forest product industry is important to the local company (as the biggest earner of foreign exchange, it’s a big part of the national economy, too). A basic change has happened in the industry–recycling old […]
“Watermelons are like people. They’re all good but some are better than others.” He says that line almost every time I try to choose a watermelon at the farmers’ market. And Eli Bontrager should know a thing or two about watermelons–he’s been growing them for years. Every autumn Saturday, Bontrager’s […]
One can accept “The National” broadcasting from Ottawa to cover a federal election. One can accept it coming to us from the dark streets of Montreal during the height of the ice-storm aftermath. But Peter Mansbridge in Washington, D.C. to anchor the coverage of U.S. President Bill Clinton’s alleged misdeeds […]
Here in Northwestern Ontario, we have quite a few hawks, which fall into four different categories. The Accipiters are called “bird” hawks because a good part of their regular diet is made up of smaller birds. So these are the very few hawks which really give all of the others […]
It’s been almost a year now since I started My Book of Daily Gifts. To begin with, I found a handy reporter’s notebook in the stationery cupboard and requisitioned it. Four inches by eight inches in size, the pad is perfect for keeping on my desktop. I start every new […]
