My wife and I drove south to the United States border on our way to join our friends in Spokane, Washington, for the Iron Maiden concert. We loaded up the camper on the truck and left for our journey southward. As usual, we left late. I decided right from the start I would not get frustrated or upset at leaving late. We would go when we were ready and there was no point in being stressed out. We arrived at Read more…
I felt a press of human flesh surround me. Energy pulsed through the crowd and we moved with an ebb and flow as music filled the air. A sudden push and we moved closer to the front. The crowd behind pushed hard and I held my ground and stood like a pillar in the chaos. Except I was too small to be any more than a pebble in the wave of the chaotic mosh pit. ***Three hours earlier*** We arrived Read more…
Monday, September 26 marked the 140th Monday since the Covid19 pandemic swept the globe. That is a lot of Mondays. But on this particular Monday, they announced the lifting of the final restrictions caused by our viral foe. Vaccination will no longer be required to return to Canada after traveling out of the country. The use of masks on planes, trains, and cruise ships will no longer be mandatory. This marked the end of the coronaverse and the return to Read more…
Fiona lashed her way up the Atlantic seaboard. Without emotion or feeling, she wreaked havoc upon everything in her path. Behind her, she left devastation. She left the Maritimes in chaos. They said she would be coming with a fury few storms ever had. They were right. Reports have come in about homes being washed away. Livelihoods are in tatters, and people’s dreams are in ruins. As our climate changes, the intensity of storms has increased. Winds as high as Read more…
Bright sunshine bounced off the white caps that chopped the water of Okanagan Lake. I had my new battery and I was early for my morning boat ride. The girls from The Blind Angler were going for lunch at The Landing, a lakefront restaurant at The Cove Lakeside Resort. The boat fired right up and everything seemed good as we set out on the breezy waters of the Okanagan. The last time on the boat I’d suffered a dead battery Read more…
I heard the motor sputter and stall. I looked back at the Mercury 150 at the back of the pontoon boat and noticed it was shaking. I looked at the fishing rod sticking out the back and saw it shake as well. Could it be a fish? The shaking stopped. And so did the engine. The strong northern breeze continued to push our pontoon boat but the motor no longer was running. What the…? “Hey, this isn’t good guys. The Read more…
Dave stood in the doorway and greeted his friends. They smiled and shook hands and he embraced them with relief and joy. “Happy Birthday Dave, nice to see you, and thanks for having us here.” Barrman slipped off his shoes and put down his cooler. Eighteen months ago no one would have thought Dave would be here shaking hands, let alone standing. It was a testament to the human spirit. “Glad you could make it,” Dave grinned wide at his Read more…
I received an email telling me that my daughter has school off next Monday, September 19. At first glance, I didn’t understand why. Then I found out that the Queen’s funeral was going to be on September 19, 2022. Now it made sense – sort of. They have closed the schools because of her funeral on Monday. Canadian federal government employees now have a paid long weekend as well. That’s right, Canada has taken a holiday to honour the Queen’s Read more…
911 – the numbers for emergency services. Also, the date was when one of the biggest emergencies ever faced by a western nation took place. It is a day that will live on in the history books like the ides of March from ancient roman times, and Oct 14, 1066, when the battle of Hastings occurred and Britain was conquered by William. Or in more recent times, October 29, 1929, when the stock market crashed, and December 7, 1941, when Read more…
Blood pumped through my veins and my fingers tingled with the excitement of the day. My favourite new band was only hours away from taking the stage and I couldn’t wait for the show to start. We met our friends in front of the VRBO place we’d booked in the middle of downtown San Diego. We chose the closest most affordable place to The House Of Blues and hoped that it would be ok. Thankfully it was a good place Read more…