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Crisp grass, puzzles and happy places
It was almost officially summer before the strip of grass in the common property behind our condo was mowed for the first time this year. Truth to tell, the grass had not grown much, but the weeds were tall and straggly. I do admire the resiliency of weeds. Finally, a summer student came with a…
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TO THINK THAT I SAW IT…
Dr. Seuss’s “To Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street” is a favourite of mine and recent bans have not changed my opinion of the book. I have always loved the story because it speaks of creativity and how far our imaginations can take us. Mulberry Street is a place of exuberance and joy,…
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A Quiet Rant
Geese in pairs – Do I dare Disturb them? Perhaps not. Many of the Canada Geese that I see on my daily walks with the dog these days are in pairs. They are doing their spring thing. After watching them for several days, I decided that the females have thinner necks than the males. Then…
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Bashful blooms, Things that go Boo in the Night and more
When I lived on the farm, my Christmas cactus bloomed predictably twice a year – once before Christmas and then again a few weeks before Easter. Since moving to the city, however, it has never bloomed. In fact, it has looked quite unhappy. After more than two years, I began to despair. Imagine my surprise…
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Trolls, maps and an old ring
My favourite trolls are Icelandic trolls. I came to this conclusion after auditing the course “Icelandic Folklore in a European Context” last fall at the University of Manitoba. Before that, I doubt that trolls would have taken much space in my thought process at all. My prior knowledge of trolls was limited to the story…
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Christmas Tree for All Seasons
I wrote this essay six months ago when the pandemic of 2020 was only a couple of months old. It remains accurate, although the ensuing months have taken their toll. COVID has found its way to rural areas; isolation, while a protection of sorts, is not immunity. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic has made me homesick…
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Live Long and Prosper among the fungi and poison ivy plants
How could I possibly connect fungi, poison ivy and the Vulcan greeting in one blog? Perhaps because it is September. My mid-September daily dog walks are an opportunity to watch our world as it moves towards fall. There are deer in the abandoned golf course I walk through every day – at least four female…
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When is a road not just a road?
When it’s the road past home. This picture was taken in September 2018, looking west down the road from our driveway. At the time, we were just weeks away from a move to the city. I used it as my September picture for the 2020 calendar I made for myself. For the next month I…
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A Hopeful Read
A month or so ago (when I check, I see that it was two months ago. I confess that I have lost track of time), I participated in one of those Facebook activities that have become even more popular now than they were before COVID. For ten days, I posted one photo a day of…
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Birds of a feather…
For once, the three young boys in our condo development had no interest in my dog. Usually they want to pat him, ask his name and his age and hold his leash. But this day all their attention was concentrated on the caterpillar one of them was carrying. “The mommy bird died and the babies…
Rural Routes, Blog Version
Looking at the world with country eyes
Rural Routes, Blog Version 