A couple in the city of Saskatoon has been ordered to get rid of the chickens they are keeping in their backyard. Two city councillors came up with a whole list of reasons why it is a terrible idea to keep chickens in the city. Chickens attract pests, they are noisy, chicken manure smells. … Continue reading Chicken apocalypse
Whimsy
Self Help or Helping Others?
In my younger years, before I was a Christian, I read most of the well-known self-help books on the market. I was disappointed with the whole lot of them.In The Power of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale took a verse from the Bible and told me to recite it over and over, much like a … Continue reading Self Help or Helping Others?
Women and men
“A man once asked me ... how I managed in my books to write such natural conversation between men when they were by themselves. Was I, by any chance, a member of a large, mixed family with a lot of male friends? I replied that, on the contrary, I was an only child and had … Continue reading Women and men
Fanatics
A fanatic is a man that does what he thinks the Lord would do if He knew the facts of the case.-Finley Peter DunneA fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.-Winston ChurchillFanaticism consists in redoubling your efforts when you have forgotten your aim.-George SantayanaFanatic is often the name given … Continue reading Fanatics
Lumosity better than Prozac?
A recent study of elderly persons suffering from depression compared the effects of playing cognitive training games on a computer to taking a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). The cognitive training games were found to work faster and better than the SSRI. I grant that my headline is a bit misleading. The games were not … Continue reading Lumosity better than Prozac?
Canada Geese can tell time!
Jack Miner was effusive in his praise of the intelligence and faithfulness of Canada Geese. But he may not have been aware of their ability to tell time. Our last visit to the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary took place about 25 years ago. The sanctuary is located on the original Miner farm on the … Continue reading Canada Geese can tell time!
Health vs Wealth
When we are young we spend our health to gain wealth And when we are old we spend our wealth to gain health. -Author unknown This is a wall motto we saw in the Miner house at the Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary many years ago.
How did I get so old, so fast?
My cousin Ted turned 76 today. No, that's not Ted in the picture. It looks more like me, except that I can still stand up straight and I'm not nearly that skinny — yet. I'm working on it, but it's coming pretty slow. There was a day when I believed that anyone past thirty was over … Continue reading How did I get so old, so fast?
The bugs of summer are here
We congratulate ourselves sometimes that we live in a country where winter protects us from the kind of bug problems they have in some other places, say the southern USA for instance. Nevertheless, short though our summers may be, there are bugs that thrive in that season. Mosquitoes, grasshoppers and ticks, for instance. The vet … Continue reading The bugs of summer are here
Old age is not a disease
I had a birthday a couple of years ago. They come every year, for me as for most people, but this was the one that marked me definitively as being an old man. I told my family and friends that I did not want anyone telling me that I was 70 years young. I was … Continue reading Old age is not a disease
Flatlander Faith 