Morning
5:20 a.m.: Out back in my prayer shack, the heavens transform from their slate-toned palette to the crimson dawn. It is here in this certain silence that I walk in the dreamtime, as I refer to it. You know, those first moments of awakening when the senses are dull and the mind is quiet. So […]
Meanwhile, in Canada
A popular Internet meme, Meanwhile, in Canada was once used to represent stereotypical Canadian politeness, resilience to cold and an intense amount of snow. It’s a lighthearted way to laugh at ourselves as Canadians and also to take pride in our strengths. Canadian police officers are often included in these images, like a photograph captured […]
A most memorable catch
Several years ago, I made a habit of meeting up with my childhood friend Peter Carver in Amherstburg, Ontario. Every summer for many years, he would head south from Kincardine and we would head west to the Detroit River. Amherstburg lies on the river, south of Windsor. On those occasions, we always went across the […]
A special niche
First introduced into the Loire and Bordeaux wine regions of France in the 17th century under the direction of Cardinal Richelieu, cabernet franc was more often referred to by the name of “Bouchet” until the latter half of the 18th century. Along with sauvignon Blanc, it is famous as one of the parents of cabernet […]
In the steps of Leacock
Were you required to read Stephen Leacock in high school? Do you remember My Financial Career, his story about a fumbling attempt to open, and then close, a bank account? My banking career took a similar embarrassing turn this past week. My Leacockian experience began with my assumption of the job of treasurer of a […]
Unfiltered
I don’t have internal dialogue. I was born this way. I’m filter-free. It’s a condition that looks like a spot of fun, on a little poster or bumpersticker, but we all know the trouble I’ve seen because of it. The very first time I heard the words Black Lives Matter (BLM) I thought, and then […]
Thank a farmer
Prince Edward County is in the midst of a drought. An exceptionally dry spring has led to a poor growing season in most of eastern Ontario, with near record lows in rainfalls. Rivers and marshes are drying up or are at the lowest they’ve been in recent memory. We can’t control the weather, but many […]
Labelling agenda
I was recently taken aback by an article that proposed labels and warnings displaying the dangers and adverse effects of alcohol on the body. After all, warnings on cigarette packages have reduced the number of smokers in Canada to less than 15 per cent of the population, with most of the smokers between 25 and […]
Summer drift
The dryness lifts off the fields of canola. At midday on days like today, it also seems like the heat imbedded in the pavement of Greer Road is about to devour my bike tires. The spread of the thirsty crop blankets the limestone shelf of baked clay that defines much of the soil of Prince […]
A basket of humble carrots
The Ontario government is thinking and acting big. In announcing her government’s climate change action plan, Premier Kathleen Wynne stated “When my grandchildren ask me what we did to help our planet, I want to be proud of what we accomplished.” I don’t envy the government its task. Even with the resources of the entire […]