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Snowbird of Paradise

Living and Learning in Alberta and California

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Make-up Tray
April 20, 2021April 20, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Degrees of Vanity

The temperature in Alberta during April is notoriously unreliable. It can change twenty degrees (Celsius) within hours. This week on my Facebook feed, friends in Red Deer showed pictures of snow while some of us in Edmonton had endured only a little rain. I am trying to persuade some vegetables and herbs to grow from […]

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April 9, 2021April 9, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

My Covid Year

It has been quite a year, hasn’t it? We have all adjusted to new truths, new living situations, and new restrictions. As I look back on my year, and as I try to stay hopeful, I want to review what has changed in my life and how my life has changed me. I do this […]

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March 26, 2021March 25, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Youthful Poetry

I once took a course, many years ago, that required me to write poetry. I have never considered myself a poet or a connoisseur of poetry, but I did as I was asked. That poetry was put into a ring binder and added to a box of miscellany that I recently rediscovered. Here are a […]

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March 24, 2021March 22, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Wordless Wednesday 24 March 2021

March 15, 2021March 16, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Nurse Nan And Her Wardrobe

After a suitable interlude, I have resumed my memorabilia winnowing. A few months ago I sorted through and discarded about nine boxes of miscellaneous documents. Most recently, I abandoned an attempt to sort out “The Box” and my eldest son relieved me of it in its entirety. You might have thought this would have cured […]

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March 13, 2021March 13, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Whitemud Park and Talus Dome

Suddenly today the temperature went up to 14C and nearly all the snow disappeared within a few hours. The sun was shining and the sky was blue as my eldest son and I went for a walk in Whitemud Park in Edmonton. The river still has a frozen surface, but everywhere else we saw bare […]

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March 5, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

The Box Is History

It’s gone. That box that I have talked out in a couple of blog posts (here and here) and that I have been packing around for fifteen years, is finally gone. I opened it up, looked superficially at the contents, and decided there was too much to sort through. Inside the box were three big […]

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February 21, 2021February 20, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

My Stalagmite

As my Covid-19 and winter hibernation has continued, a stalagmite outside the door to my suite has evolved. In the absence of anything else to look at, I have been noticing how it has changed. This ice tower grows beneath the vent from the furnace to my home. As the hot air leaves the house, […]

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February 8, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Three Books About Family

Here are three more books you might like and my thoughts about them. Little Cruelties by Liz Nugent. Sometimes children fight for their parents’ affection and/or attention. This story is about what happens when that competition continues into adulthood. It involves three brothers, each of whom is not very likeable but each for different reasons. […]

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February 7, 2021February 6, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

When Is A Flipper Not A Flipper

About a year ago, my dentist offered me a choice. He could replace a missing tooth with either a Maryland Bridge or a flipper. He explained the disadvantages of each, and neither option sounded desirable, so I demurred. I remember saying at the time that I could not understand why he was explaining reasons for […]

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January 31, 2021January 30, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

I Don’t Dream

I don’t dream. I can go for months or years, even, without being aware that I have dreamed. Once in a while I might be startled awake while dreaming, but after I have gone back to sleep I don’t remember the dream. I haven’t woken up in the morning remembering a dream for years, until […]

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January 29, 2021January 29, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

A Year Of Masks

This time last year I bought some masks to use while removing some mold. I only really needed one, but they came in a box of 10, so I had nine left over when the Coronavirus arrived. They were N95, the Cadillac of masks, and the ones recommended for medical professionals. As such, they were […]

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January 25, 2021January 24, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Mistrust Has Consequences

Every now and then I come across someone online who is mistrustful. They don’t trust the government, or the World Health Organization, or the traditional media, or the Centres for Disease Control, or even fact checkers. I can understand why someone would have their doubts about some of the actions of these institutions, but we […]

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January 23, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

What It Is and What It Feels Like

Today in Edmonton the temperature is -20C (-4F) with a windchill ‘feels like’ temperature of -28C (-18F). This distinction between the nominal temperature and what it actually feels like has always left me slightly bemused. In my world, only the ‘feels like’ temperature matters. When Canadians check the outside temperature they want to know not […]

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January 22, 2021April 14, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Reading Thrillers During A Pandemic

Today I have three books ready to give away and before I do that I thought I would write a short review of each of them. Where I live, the libraries are currently closed as are most retail stores, but thankfully Indigo (aka Coles, aka Chapters) bookstore is available online. I sometimes also get books […]

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January 19, 2021January 19, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

From Riches to Rags

There are a lot of workers in Alberta who are without jobs right now. Aside from the cutbacks due to Covid-19, the resource industries are in decline. In January 2017 there were 297 active drilling rigs but by June 2020 there were only 11. (Government of Alberta) That number has gone up slightly since then, […]

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January 10, 2021January 9, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

Hawrelak Park, Edmonton

Edmonton has lots of great parks and yesterday I visited one that is a popular site for festivals, walks, skiing, skating, and picnics. Hawrelak Park has hosted ice castles, Shakespeare festivals, Heritage Days, and the International Food Festival. It is named for a popular Mayor; William Hawrelak who was quite a character. He was mayor […]

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January 8, 2021January 8, 2021Snowbird of Paradise

What’s In Your Wallet?

Just suppose for a moment that you want to find out the price of a new car. Not a loan for a car; just a car, outright. But, when you ask, the dealership does not give you a dollar amount. Instead, they ask you first to tell them how much money you have saved, how […]

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December 27, 2020December 27, 2020Snowbird of Paradise

Moonlight Becomes You

The moon seemed larger and brighter than usual this evening. Here are a few pictures and a little Bing Crosby.

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December 19, 2020Snowbird of Paradise

A Good Day For A Walk

After several days of bitterly cold weather, today was a balmy 4 C (39F). The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the North Saskatchewan River was white. It was a perfect day for a walk, and I took lots of pictures. Here are some of them.

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I am a snowbird who travels south for the winter. When I get there I have a bird of paradise plant on my patio.

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Recent Posts

  • Wordless Wednesday 21 April 2021
  • Degrees of Vanity
  • Lessons from Canvases
  • Three Books About Belonging
  • More Love For Nurse Nan
  • My Covid Year
  • Wordless Wednesday 7 April 2021
  • Trying Out A New Lens
  • A Box of Rocks
  • Free Ideas
  • I Was Wrong About Feminism
  • Youthful Poetry
  • Forest Heights Park
  • Wordless Wednesday 24 March 2021
  • Three Books Filled With Dread
  • Nurse Nan And Her Wardrobe
  • Whitemud Park and Talus Dome
  • Wordless Wednesday 10 March 2021
  • The Box Is History
  • Wordless Wednesday 3 March 2021

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