Snowbee sniffed the air. She could smell him. At least she thought it was a him. Her fur stood on end and her nerves were sharp as the claws on her feet. She remembered the smell from a couple of weeks earlier. It was that little bear cub. He was back. What was he doing in her neighbourhood again? The little white cat looked around, the light was fading but she wanted to know. She wasn’t sure what to think Read more
Weak, I felt so weak. My head pounded, cold sweats soaked my skin. Only hours earlier I felt fine, a bit tired but fine. My back ached but that was nothing new. Was it the pain killer and muscle relaxant combined with a puff and a beer? Couldn’t be, could it? The inevitable question arose. Was it covid? I have two vaccine shots, it couldn’t be the dreaded virus, could it? Man, every time anyone gets sick the inevitable questions Read more
My phone rang, it was my girlfriend. What could she want? Did I forget something at home? It was 11:15, I just got back to my office and it was just another Tuesday like any other workday. When I heard her voice on the line I knew it would not be another day at work. “Do you have a TV? I can’t believe it! Someone flew a plane into the World Trade Center! I, uh… I can’t believe it, where Read more
It was Labour Day today. A day that celebrates the working man. I know that it is for the working woman as well, but when it first was celebrated in 1894, working women didn’t exist in the minds of those that created it. In the last 127 years, we have come a long way. Back in the latter part of the eighteenth-century workers were very much oppressed by their employers. Women even more than men. The labour movement began its Read more
We set out from the Eldorado Hotel dock with a north breeze at our back. My excited group of adventurers sat in the bow of our pontoon boat and got comfortable for their two-hour journey on the waters of Okanagan Lake. It was one of the last tours of the summer of 2021, Labour day weekend unofficially signals the end of summer in our beautiful valley. There may be more warm days ahead but most people have resigned themselves that Read more
The crowd below Mia milled about holding signs, chanting slogans, and blocking traffic. The fourty-five-year-old nurse felt her nails dig into her flesh as she stood there staring out the window. She felt emotions tumble through her. What did those people think they were accomplishing? Why were they targeting the hospital? Mia wished they would just go home, she just wanted them to go away. Mia could hardly believe it when she heard about the planned protest outside Kelowna General Read more
Today was the last day of August, the final day in the last full month of summer. A summer to remember, a season that will go down in history. It was a historic summer for many reasons. A summer of unprecedented heat. It was a summer we began with optimism and excitement. This month ended with a time of uncertainty and fear. The month also ended with something we drastically needed. Rain. Glorious, rejuvenating, energizing rain. Our drought-ridden soil soaked Read more
Two weeks ago our fearless leader(?) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called an election. An election in the coronaverse that made little sense but will cost taxpayers a lot of dollars. A mere seventeen months ago the last election campaign resulted in a minority government for the Liberal Party of Canada. I am not sure what they think has changed to warrant a return to the polls. Canadians are in no mood for another batch of political posturing. We want the Read more
Ben sniffed loudly, the invasive stench of smoke still filled the air. He could smell another odour in the evening breeze. There were so many strange smells Ben didn’t recognize. It made him shiver with a feeling he couldn’t quite identify. His momma would have told him. But his momma wasn’t there. Was it fear? Out of the corner of Ben’s eye, he saw movement. A white blur. Ben turned and ran toward the tree. Behind him Snowbee the cat Read more
Black and silver ripples coated my view as I cruised the dark waters of Okanagan Lake. The sky overhead was filled with sparkling stars that lit the night. The shore in front of me was lined with the artificial lights of humanity. I felt freedom, and exhilaration as I powered my Biltmore over the rippled water. It felt surreal, it felt free. I had a connection with the universe under the sparkling stars of the moonless night. Then I saw Read more