https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Xi4n8dJcF8

Mmm. I see lot of peanut butter there. Let's see what a peanut butter blossom is for starters.

Good evening, everyone. The weekend is coming to an end as is my vacay. Back to what passes for normal these days tomorrow.

It amazes me how quickly some constituencies are to rush into re-opening. Here in Ontario, we're allowing patios with suitable social distancing but that's it as far as dining/drinking out. And groups of 10 max, though they are now allowing some bubbling. And some part of the province were held back due to ongoing outbreaks. A very cautious approach, in other words. Now as things die down, municipalities and health officers are bringing in masking rules to make sure they are in place before the province gets it in its head to go to "stage 3".

Got in a nice hour walk today. Visited the valley along the west side of my neighbourhood, which I have not hiked in a while. Nothing dramatic but it's dense enough that you can kind of forget you're in the suburbs of a moderate size city when you're down there.

My July 4 hasn't exactly been a party so far. And the fireworks mostly consisted of me saying bad boy words. However, the grass is cut and several trees and bushes are pruned to cut down on blue language (when a branch is 5' off the ground and you are 5'11", swearing oftentimes is the result).

I'll just hunker down with some iced tea as the temperature rises. 32C here today per the forecast. And that's set to last through the coming week.

Hey there, Americans! Happy Independence Day! Enjoy it but stay safe.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/9DRaRwUjliM

Coffee is made, kettle is boiled, and there's plenty of Sara's patriotic cookies left. Come on in and rest when you need a break from celebrating.

Nice to see you slipped some Canadian ones in there, too, Daisy. We Canucks appreciate it.

To honour both countries, I'm taking a star and a beaver with my afternoon green tea.

I dashed off something today that I might drop on here. Too long to be a micro, but close to it.

Hunkering down for another hot one here. Got some online shopping done (one for curbside pickup, one for delivery) and that's really about it. Not very ambitious but, hey, it's a day off and I am sure it's okay to just crash and rest on those.

Anyhow, one of my orders was to replenish my tea stash. Scottish Breakfast, Duke of Earl (a fancy Earl Grey), Wakoucha (a Japanese black that's on sale so I decided to try it), and my favorite sencha. I will restock the loose leaf here once they arrive.

Hey, Gill. Glad to hear you had a nice vac. I'm taking some time off this week but no big plans. My part of Canada is still pretty locked down. Just stay home and do something that isn't work. Write, watch TV, something like that.

Talking about animals nearby within a mile of my home I've seen muskrats, geese, ducks, loons, beaver sign, several kinds of turtles including snapping. Plenty of fish since a fishing pond is across the street. And we are in an urban area.


Our area has gone from being the northern edge of the city when we built in 2000 to well inside it now as development has spread North from us. Our neighbourhood has a creek in a small valley running down the Western edge. There's been beaver there in the past (seen trees they've cut) but not sure about right now. Definitely deer, because they sometimes come up into the neighbourhood. And when I was walking down a new trail they made into the valley last year, I noticed there were coyote warnings up so I guess there's coyotes down there now. And then the usual urban/suburban wildlife like coons and squirrels.

Gettin' steamy here again, but last night was still cool enough that I got a good bike ride in. Will probably stick to walking tonight or maybe stay in and use the stationary bike (though I am trying to get outdoors for exercise as much as I can).

Time for an iced tea and ... oo, there's a cupcake-shaped cookie left.

I am slumped in a chair, staring at my newest painting. For over twenty-four hours I have been awake, painting in a near-trance for more than half that time. The painting portrays a scene not far from my studio, a shallow bay on Lake Madeline. A woman emerges naked from the water. An overturned canoe floats nearby. The woman’s name is Lily. Memories flood in. ***** Thunder rumbled in...

Added 30 Sep 2019 | Category Supernatural | Votes 9 | Avg Score 5 | Views 486 | 11 Comments

Spooky people come out to play. This is now your special day. Scare the other folks away. Spooky people play! Monster people come out to dance, Tonight will be your perfect chance. Caper, spin, stomp, and prance! Monster people dance! Witch-y people grab your broom, Soar up through the twilight gloom, Past the stars you're going to zoom, Witch-y people zoom! Halloween people this is...

Added 31 Oct 2018 | Category Poetry | Votes 7 | Avg Score 5 | Views 500 | 5 Comments

The rider came swiftly towards Eversham. Keeping his horse at a fast trot, he reached the cluster of buildings that stood beyond the town’s West gate. Those buildings stood mostly empty and boarded up now that winter had arrived. During the summer, though, they were home to hundreds when trade caravans passed through en route to the mountain passes. Dev Jackelbury, Warden of Eversham, stood...

Added 13 Oct 2018 | Category Fantasy | Votes 8 | Avg Score 5 | Views 620 | 8 Comments

I saw the light born and reborn this morning. From dark sea and dim horizon came a holy glow, A signal that night's rule was ending; A first, tentative announcement that light and life would indeed return from the underworld. That first dim glow grew brighter, and my heart quickened, Delighting in the light, celebrating the warmth and brightness that soon would be. Then it happened. In...

Added 15 Jan 2018 | Category Poetry | Votes 6 | Avg Score 5 | Views 788 | 5 Comments

The wind gave a piercing howl, rattling the windows of Professor Jack Lange’s apartment. Jack lowered his book at the sound and stared out at the blowing snow. "Wow, what a storm!" announced the disc jockey on the radio as if he, too, had heard it, "If you don't gotta go out, don't go." Jack turned off the radio. The storm had given him a rare day to himself, so he wasn’t especially...

Added 29 Mar 2017 | Category Horror | Votes 6 | Avg Score 5 | Views 1,068 | 9 Comments