Image by Bee Iyata from Pixabay Can't stand the smoke, can't stand the heat, we've got to get out of this place. We are in the middle of the hottest driest summer in years. Farmers are giving up on getting a grain harvest on some of their fields and cutting the grain for green feed for cattle. Hay … Continue reading Making our escape
Whimsy
Out with the new, in with the old
Effective Sunday, July 11 (yesterday), all COVID-19 restrictions required by the government of Saskatchewan have come to an end. When I sat down in church yesterday morning, the brother beside me said: "This is something new!" "No it isn't," I replied, "This is something old. We are done with the new." Image by ivabalk from Pixabay
Nocturnal visitor
My wife sets dishes of water on the lawn for the birds. We think birdbaths can be a deathtrap for the little guys - a cat can sneak up beneath an unsuspecting bird and remain hidden by the lip of the dish. With the dishes at ground level, the birds can see any approaching danger. … Continue reading Nocturnal visitor
Songs of summer
Image by GeorgiaLens from Pixabay At 3:30 in the morning the melodious song of a brown thrasher is heard through our open bedroom window. He is up at the very first glimmer of day, but it's much too early for us to get up yet. He is the size of robin, with a much longer tail, shy about … Continue reading Songs of summer
Prairie Spring
A few days ago we still needed to run the furnace in the morning to make the house comfortable. Today we have to try to cool it down. The temperature at 11:00 am is 30° (86°F). We had a long winter and a slow spring. But now we hear birds singing at 4:00 am and … Continue reading Prairie Spring
The art is in knowing what to remove
Michelangelo, when asked how he managed to create such a lifelike sculpture of David out of a block of marble, replied “I just removed everything that was not David.” Chaim Potok, who wrote novels such as The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev, said something much the same: “I think the hardest part of … Continue reading The art is in knowing what to remove
Yearning for more red rhubarb
Image by Di Reynolds from Pixabay What is a yard in Saskatchewan without a couple of rhubarb plants? But this yard did not have any when we moved in 13 years ago. Ten years ago I bought one plant from a garden centre and planted it in a back corner of the garden. It grew, but never produced … Continue reading Yearning for more red rhubarb
Half-baked writing
If I remember correctly, this happened 40 years ago when we moved into our house in Fullarton, Ontario. This was before the days of 220 volt plugs, I had to hard-wire the kitchen stove. Then wed put a couple of frozen pizzas into the oven to feed those who helped us move. Pretty soon we … Continue reading Half-baked writing
Why reverends should refrain from making public policy pronouncements
Image by torstensimon from Pixabay The Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, in a recent speech to the British parliament, was highly critical of Canada for over-ordering Covid-19 vaccines. He said that we have five times what we need in the pipeline. The view from this end of the pipeline is quite different. The pipeline ran dry … Continue reading Why reverends should refrain from making public policy pronouncements
Planet Earth: Future Haze
I think my wife has a kindly way of cutting through the swirling fog of prophetic teachings.
Flatlander Faith 