For my birthday, on August 16th, I am going to give America a gift from Canada. I’m going make every can of beer cost a little bit more. Aren’t you grateful? You might think that a gift should be something you actually want, but that’s not how this […]
I am watching creatures die, and I am actually enjoying it. Yesterday evening, I had a sudden infestation of ceratopogonidae. That is a very big name for very tiny insects also called midges or no-see-ums. They arrived in my living room through the kitchen sink drain. A quick […]
The City of Edmonton decided this week that everyone should wear masks indoors in public places as of August 1. There are some exceptions, such as when eating and drinking, and for those with medical conditions that make wearing masks impossible, but for the rest of us when […]
America, I love you but some of your police actions are not helping you. Today I read about police officers in plain clothes grabbing people off the streets, putting them into unmarked vans, and driving away. How is that any different from a kidnapping? And, more to the […]
Last week, a house in my neighbourhood exploded in the middle of the night. The blast blew out one wall and destroyed the interior staircase. Fortunately, everyone was able to leave the building with only minor injuries. When I walked past today, this is what it looked like. […]
Dawson Park in Edmonton is a delightful park for walkers, joggers, cyclists, and dog owners, and it runs alongside the North Saskatchewan River. I had not been there before today because I don’t usually go to dog parks. This one, though, is well worth a visit. All the […]
One way to memorize a series of random words is to use imagery. Here are some images that might help.
This is no-see-um season in Alberta. As the popular name suggests, these bugs are invisible until they are actually flying in front of your face. I don’t even know their official or scientific name. They are simply no-see-ums. They are so small that they can get through fly […]
At 2:30 AM last night. I was having a bad night because I had insomnia, so, when my next door neighbour’s motion-sensor light came on right outside my bedroom window, I noticed. In fact, I noticed enough to get out of bed and look out of the window. […]
The first pecking order I became aware of was in housing. My family lived in a semi-detached house (known as a duplex in north America). At some point I began to realize that I went to school with some people who lived in detached houses, some who lived […]
A little while ago, Mark and Patricia McCloskey pointed their guns at some protesters in St. Louis. One of those guns was a semi-automatic rifle, a weapon of war. The protesters were walking together past the McCloskey house towards the home of their city’s mayor in order to […]
For a few years I have tried growing shrubs and bulbs in our front yard, but have had very limited success. The soil quality is not good because it is mostly clay. In addition, there are bugs that are determined to kill almost anything that starts to look […]
Perhaps this is the door they use when they pour hot oil on hostile attackers. Or, maybe it is the escape route of last resort in the event of a home invasion. More likely, there was once a balcony that has since been removed. But, why did they […]
Lorenz Omondi has initiated a project to get masks to the children of Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. As you can see from this photo, they have been using cardboard packaging in the absence of cloth masks. Please follow the link below to see his blog […]
When you watch Independence Day celebrations and hear the patriotic songs, it looks and sounds as though the people of the USA are all celebrating the same thing, doesn’t it? Today, I’m beginning to think that the perception is wrong both for the observer and the celebrant. Yes, […]
I spent about half and hour pottering about in the garden yesterday. It had been raining, so everything was wet, which provided a wonderful environment for insects of all kinds. When it started to rain again, I went back in the house and soon realized I had a […]
When I was out for a walk yesterday, a passing police car stopped to watch what I was doing. I think I probably looked suspicious. Perhaps someone phoned in to say that there was a woman standing outside their house and taking photos of their tree. In fact, […]
I am a snowbird who travels south for the winter. When I get there I have a bird of paradise plant on my patio.
