I am wearing a pair of blue jeans today that are very faded and one knee is becoming quite frayed. In other words, they are on the verge of becoming fashionable, all I would have to do is rip that knee open. If I donate them to a thrift store, perhaps someone will do something … Continue reading Tattered Levis
Whimsy
Birds, tractors and writing
We hang birdfeeders from a post that is visible from our dining room window. There was not much traffic at our goldfinch feeder last year and I wondered why. This spring, when I got that feeder out of the garage I decided to give it a thorough cleaning. I soaked it, scrubbed it, and then … Continue reading Birds, tractors and writing
Let’s take time to talk
Early in the 20th century, settlers poured into Saskatchewan from around the world, lured by the promise of free land that would enable even the poorest to own their own farm. Life wasn't as easy as portrayed by the government advertising, but most people stuck it out through hardships, harsh weather and unexpected setbacks. Despite … Continue reading Let’s take time to talk
The secret life of words
Yesterday we attended church. That sentence makes perfect sense in English, yet attend comes from a French verb meaning wait. We did not go to church to wait. In French we would use the verb assister to tell you that we were present at church during the worship service. Assister also went through a change … Continue reading The secret life of words
Canadian Writers Should Write About Canadian Places and People
I listened to Jake and the Kid every Sunday afternoon on CBC Radio when I was a young lad (I was 14 when the series ended). These were people that I knew. Jake, the Kid, and all the other characters could have been people in my home town. The grass, the fields, the sky, the … Continue reading Canadian Writers Should Write About Canadian Places and People
Fun facts about Canada – 1
These guys prefer Canada to the USA. Image by Dave Eslinger from Pixabay 55% of the bald eagles of North America are in Canada. The largest concentration is along the Pacific coast of British Columbia, but they can be found all across southern Canada. There was one in the sky above our yard earlier this week.
The times they are a changing
It was in 1963 that Bob Dylan recorded the song by this name. It was the era when many white people in the USA could not grasp the concept that black people were people of equal value. It was the era when the USA was fighting a war against a small country in Southeast Asia, … Continue reading The times they are a changing
Uncharted Seas
[re-posted from five years ago.] Everything is changing and we must change with the times or be left behind. Nothing we knew yesterday will be of any value to us tomorrow. But tomorrow will be better than today and the day after that even better. This is the age of progress. But where is this … Continue reading Uncharted Seas
It is raining to drink standing up
Image by Pexels from Pixabay The heading is a translation of the French expression Il pleut à boire debout. In English we might say that it's raining cats and dogs, which is more colourful but less realistic. Saturday evening we were having a late supper, watching the clouds and listening to the approaching thunder, when the water taps … Continue reading It is raining to drink standing up
AI = Automated Imagination
A recent news report told of someone who logged on to an online service empowered by AI and complained that the cheese didn’t adhere to the pizza. The answer provided by AI was to try using a non-toxic adhesive. I understand that particular AI service is being tweaked to avoid giving such derisory answers in … Continue reading AI = Automated Imagination
Flatlander Faith 