Cal's Journal

215 bodies were discovered buried at the Kamloops residential school grounds. 215 lost souls. The poor students, some as young as three, have been forgotten and ignored for decades. It is a sad day in the history of our ‘great’ nation. Canada has been on a path of reconciliation. We have been faced with our nations abhorrent treatment of the indigenous population that lived on this land for generations prior to the arrival of European settlers. If we don’t face Read more…

I dropped the boat in the water this week. I backed into the lake and waited until the boat slid off the trailer and my wife held Serendipity on the dock. I pulled ahead to go park the truck and trailer. But the truck and trailer held fast. What the? I put my Chevy Dually Diesel into four-wheel drive and pushed down the throttle. With a shake, the trailer surged forward and I was freed. But I could hear the Read more…

After fifteen months of restrictions and fear, we finally have a plan. In our beautiful province of British Columbia, the government has announced a roadmap to return to normal.  I hope they can follow the plan and we can return to normal on September 7. Meanwhile, people in Manitoba are dying and their health care system is overwhelmed. Manitoba has sent people from the ICUs to other provinces. While we look at recovery here in BC our friends and neighbours Read more…

Two hundred and two years ago a child was born in London, England. That baby girl would grow up to help shape the world we live in today. I wonder how many people know we still celebrate that birthday here in Canada? The May long weekend is not just the first weekend we go camping in Canada. It’s also Queen Victoria’s birthday.  The legacy of the second longest-reigning monarch in British history surrounds us. The cities of Regina and Victoria Read more…

Phil calmly walked the fairway on the eighteenth hole of Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. His demeanor on the outside was one of calculated confidence. He looked to all the world like a man out for a stroll on the final fairway of the PGA Championships. Inside his stomach was playing leapfrog with his lungs.  After over a year of playing golf before small crowds of people, this was the first large crowd in over a year and Read more…

Springtime in the Okanagan burst forth this week.  Sunshine and blue sky embraced the world below and it was time to stop and smell the flowers blooming in our wonderful valley. May long weekend arrived and there was a vibrant feeling of renewal filling the air.  After a couple of weeks of struggling with work and with my teenage daughter’s angst, I feel I have crested the wave and will try to swim like hell to stay on top. Life Read more…

Barrman awoke at his mountain home.  He was excited for the day, he felt refreshed and invigorated. The blue sky looked like he could reach out and touch it. He stood and embraced the view. The silence enveloped him as he breathed in the clear air. Peace filled his soul and he held the moment. There was a sparkle in his eye as he turned to go. With a grin, he jumped aboard his Honda ST1300 motorcycle. His body groaned Read more…

It was another Monday in the coronaverse. Has anyone noticed how short everyone’s fuse is lately? Or is it just me? Or my fuse… Many of us are starting to get covid burnout and it doesn’t take much to set people off. I know I have been guilty of it myself. My fuse is short and I am starting to have a tough time living with myself. I’m sure it’s not easy for my wife.  I have had a few Read more…

It was time to plant the garden. Life is quite a bit different than it was a mere one year ago. The local nursery was crazy busy and things have been going full steam ahead. Feelings of anxiety and stress have taken over last year’s feeling of peace in spite of the pandemic. It was a release to get in the garden and feel the dirt sift through my fingers.  The heat soaked into our skin and the intense May Read more…

I got the jab today. I felt nothing – until later on. Then I started to feel the nanites spread inside my arm. Microscopic creatures were reproducing inside my body. It began with a dull ache, a burning sensation inside my arm. I could tell it was beginning to spread its influence throughout my veins.  My entire body began a dissonant throbbing. I felt nerves from the tips of my fingers echoing down into the end of my toes. I Read more…