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Who Gives A Hoot?
Well, certainly I do. Recording any unusual bird provides me no end of pleasure. Over the course of last summer and fall, using my Merlin Bird ID app, I identified over 78 different species, including a Sharp-Shinned Hawk, a Cooper’s Hawk and a Caspian Tern (the largest tern in the world so I’ve discovered), Read more
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“History is just gossip with a purpose; ignore it, and you’ll miss the whole story.”
I don’t know who came up with this quote, but it’s certainly catchy. Up north, the federal government – recognizing the importance of studying the past – is marking Canada History Week, (#CanadaHistoryWeek). I’m a huge history buff, although I’ve never restricted my reading to matters Canadian. Far from it. In fact, I’m interested in Read more
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Generals Die In Bed
Every year in Canada, Nov. 5 to 11 is Veterans’ Week, an opportunity for Canadians to honour the efforts and sacrifices of our veterans. November 11 marks Remembrance Day, the final day of Veterans’ Week, and recalls the end of hostilities during the First World War, on that date in 1918. Back in the early Read more
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‘Shoplifter’s Death Stokes Outrage’
Now there’s an attention-grabbing headline, one I never expected to use here. My ongoing series of posts is supposed to focus on books, writing and my own life story. But, in fact, the topic actually fits easily into all three categories. Earlier this fall, I was visiting San Francisco, staying in the downtown core, primarily Read more
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Diaries 3 (My Life As It Is Now)
My use of diaries (see my last post, of Sept. 28, 2024) and the need for more space in which to keep up my daily record grew as I reached the age of maturity. When the meager Letts journals no longer sufficed, I turned to whatever I had access to at year’s end: plain or Read more
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Diaries 2 (Let’s Start at the Beginning)
I’ve been keeping a diary, off and on, since junior high school. It will come as no surprise to my loyal readers that the first diaries I used (doubtless a Christmas gift from my parents) were published by that venerable British stationary company, Letts of London. John Letts opened his company in London in 1796, Read more
