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Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays
Last winter (Dec. 9, 2023) I mentioned the many gifts I’d received from my godparents. That got me taking a look at my old Rupert the Bear annuals, which came out at Christmas time. Bringing back many happy childhood memories, they seemed the perfect visuals for my annual holiday greetings. This one is from an… Read more
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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
