Cal's Journal

June 1, 2024 Actionfest

Barrman, Kaydee, Cookster, Krispee, and Biker Girl rolled out of Barrman’s Westbank driveway and headed down the highway. The intrepid motorcyclists stared into the darkening sky and hoped for the best. In the distance, Barrman could see the rain fill the valley and he took a deep breath hoping to stay dry. The friends were on their machines together for the season’s first ride—the destination – Actionfest in Summerland. They accelerated south from Peachland and the sky got a little...

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May 28, 2024 What a long strange month it’s been

The stop sign was one I’ve stopped for a thousand times in the past eighteen years. Ninety percent of the time no cars came and I would stop, look both ways, and then go. Never an issue, it was almost second nature to stop, look, and go. Until the big Dodge was there when I never expected it.  I panicked and slammed the gas pedal down. I could outrun the trick coming at me at sixty kilometres an hour.  The...

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May 19, 2024 Grad Walk

The beautiful young lady stood beside me. I felt a surge of pride as I stared around, many others were sharing in the moment. That lady holding my arm is my little girl, my daughter, the love of my life. She’s not so little anymore. How could the last twelve years have gone so quickly?  After all these years she was passing on to the next stage in her life. She is graduating from high school. Hundreds of young graduates...

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April 10, 2024 Snowbee

I emerge into consciousness surrounded by a cacophony of mewls and engulfed by balls of fur. My sight is dim and I can barely hear. With every passing minute, the light grows brighter and I feel the warmth from my mommy. Searching for nourishment I find her body and drink from her bosom. There are so many sounds, I feel confused and afraid. As each day passes, I feel love and safety flow around me. Then one day strangers appear. Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago

March 9, 2024 6 hours in ER

When a person gets into their fifties it’s time to start worrying about your health. Time to start taking better care of yourself so you can last another thirty or more years. Time: It’s ticking away. When the doctor gave me a form to get a stool test, I ignored it at first. I thought, “Hey I feel fine, I don’t need to get tested”. Until I talked to a few people and was told that, yes it’s important to Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago

March 3, 2024 Ukraine

The Holodomor – it’s a word I’d never heard until this week. A tragedy that occurred almost one hundred years ago in the Ukraine. At the time part of the Soviet Union. Holodomor literally means death by hunger. And that is what happened between 1931 and 1934 in many parts of Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Some consider it a form of genocide committed by Joseph Stalin against the Ukrainian people. It’s a story that not that many of us are familiar Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago

February 14, 2024 Shots Fired

Janice stood in the middle of the crowd, joy and euphoria bounced all around. It was a feeling shared by everyone. On the stage stood her gridiron heroes. When the season ended she didn’t think The Chiefs would repeat as champions. Kansas City finished the season as the third seed and would have to play in Baltimore to make the conference finals. After proving their dominance, the Superbowl was a nail-biter to the end and when her team finally raised Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago

February 12, 2024 Powder to the People

Barrman and his buddy Brettman slid across the top of the mountain. The sun caressed their faces as the glow in their eyes lit their way forward. The two ski buddies rejoiced in connecting at the top of the world once again.  It had been too long since they’d shared their passion for dancing on the snow. The traverse across the top carried them onward and upward. They came to a fork in the path and elected to push a Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago

January 18, 2024 It’s Cold Outside

Stumpy staggered toward the alley in the middle of the town. His legs were numb, snow whirled through the air and he rubbed his hands trying to find warmth. He rubbed his legs trying to feel them. Cold, so cold. The snow started in the middle of the night, he lay under his cardboard shelter trying to find some peace. Find some sleep. Sleep escaped him when the freeze hit. There was so much wind, and it howled down the Read more…

By Victor Barr, ago
Connections