As my plane flew into San Jose on Friday, we travelled over the south San Francisco Bay. Some of the geographic features and human constructions made some interesting shapes. I wondered what some of them were, but mostly I just enjoyed the unusual formations.
On the last day of my visit to Nanaimo I once again enjoyed the harbourfront walk. This time I made a point of having lunch at a floating restaurant called Trollers Fresh Fish and Chips where they served me some delicious fresh-caught halibut. I noted that they had both white and malt vinegar on each […]
One of the gardens associated with Butterfly World in Coombs is dedicated to the growth of a variety of orchids. Here are some that I enjoyed seeing when I was there this week. And here is the Japanese garden.
In Coombs, British Columbia, is a magical place. Butterfly World provides environments that replicate several natural habitats for butterflies, turtles, frogs, orchids, and insects. I tried to get as many pictures of the butterflies as I could, but they don’t sit still very much. When I was there, the beautiful Blue Morpho butterflies were mating. […]
Yesterday it rained relentlessly, but today the sun shone and I was once again able to enjoy the harbour in Nanaimo. With no apologies, here are more pictures of this lovely place. And, get ready for take-off.
A few days ago, some friends invited me along on a tour they were making of the studios of various artisans in the Duncan area. It was a delightful day meandering around the countryside, looking at some very interesting arts and crafts, and catching up with each other. I was presented with a lot of […]
Midnight Drive by Kenneth Price is available for pre-order at Amazon, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble, and will be released on June 1st. It is a gripping crime story that I would recommend even if I were not Ken’s mom.
I arrived in Nanaimo, British Columbia, yesterday and then had the best sleep I have had in many months. I think it must be the sea air. This morning I enjoyed a walk along the harbourfront. It was windy and cloudy, but very enjoyable even so. I saw a lot of people who look a […]
This week I have been trying, multiple times, to change the address and phone number on my Bank of America account. You’d think that would be fairly straightforward, wouldn’t you? First I tried to make the changes online, but could not enter any edited data. So, I tried the chat line. The chat person was […]
Fair Warning by Michael Connelly If you have ever had doubts about what happens to your DNA after you submit it to a genetic analytics company, this book will add to your concerns. It raises the fictional (I hope) possibility that DNA information might be sold on to multiple other companies to do with as […]
The major theme of this blog is “Living and Learning,” and this week I have been living with and learning more about Covid-19. I first started to feel under the weather on Wednesday afternoon. By Thursday morning I had a scratchy throat and brain fog. Later that day, the cough set in and continued for […]
This is a shameless promotion for my eldest son’s novel, coming out in a few weeks. More to follow.
When I was chatting with one of my singularly remarkable sisters who has recently become single, she said something that captured my attention. Normally, declarations that come with hesitations make me cautious, or even suspicious, but this one was instructive. After I asked her how she was feeling, she said: “I’m feeling hap. . . […]
Don’t get me wrong. I am still reading, but lately I’ve been abandoning some books. It all started when I thought I should work my way through some of the un-heard books in my audiobook files and unread books in my e-reader. Most of them have been there for many years, silently waiting for me […]
A couple of days ago, I told my eldest son that I wanted to thank him for being so supportive of his wife’s success. She recently had some good career news, and we were enjoying a celebratory dinner. My son said it was a “no brainer” to compliment her accomplishment, and I pointed out that […]
I am working on a crocheted blanket which will have one hundred and twenty-eight motifs joined together when it is finished. The pattern is stretching my capabilities a little, but so far I have been able to figure it out. Today I realized that, while I enjoy making each motif, I don’t much like the […]
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow was published in 2008 and, although it discusses computer technology that is now dated, it still has relevance today. It is a book intended for young adults and has teenaged characters who find ways to challenge and disrupt their dystopian world. Marcus is a tech-savvy seventeen-year-old who has figured out […]
Snowbird of Paradise 