Soon after we moved to our little corner of paradise on the Tay River, just outside Perth (Canada, not Scotland!), we set to work rehabilitating our woodlands. After decades of neglect, the former woods, orchards, and meadows had been overrun by invasive buckthorn, prickly ash, wild juniper, and wild grapevines. While each of these species…
My grandfather almost always voted Conservative, but many (perhaps most) of his values would not square with the modern right-wingers who pass themselves off as conservative. Above all else, conservatism and conservation mostly overlapped in my Grandad’s view. Personal and government thrift were important to him, but so was being frugal with nature, taking no…
Back home, there are two kinds of people. The locals, and those who come from away. The CFA’s, as they are called, are nice enough folks, it’s just that, well, they’re from away. Don’t get me wrong. There’s no place more courteous, more welcoming, more accommodating, or just plain lovely than Down East. The Broadway…
The black walnut tree is one of the loveliest hardwoods of our part of the world. Tall, majestic, their leaves a lush emerald green, they are true landmarks. And for the craftsman, nothing compares to the richly coloured, finely grained, pleasant-smelling wood. As you might guess, the black walnut tree produces black walnuts, with meat…
There was a bus route in Ottawa, back in the day, where the morning driver was a local hero. Not because of some dramatic event, but because he spent forty years doing what he was born to do, and doing it well. City buses back then were noisy, grimy, overcrowded, reeking of diesel and sweat….
As 2021 winds down, we naturally turn to the new year, wondering what it may hold for us. But the more important question is, “What do we hold for the new year?” Because the truth is that to a very large extent, the new year will give us what we give it. Sure, stuff will…
Some of the most wonderful clients in the world came to me in my nearly four decades of legal practice, and many remain dear friends to this day. By and large, I was privileged and blessed. But there were others….. Like every other professional, I had my share of Clients From Hell. Especially in the…