Pain is such an inhibiting irritant. Its singular presence is normally incapable of rectitude. Like any good religion – though with more entitlement – pain is uncompromising. Yet once relieved of the annoyance (usually following the consumption of an anodyne), the world returns to a moderate and compromising status.  It probably helped this afternoon to overcome my ribcage arthritis having consumed two “quad” espresso; that is, double espresso twice. I am wary of attributing remedial medicinal theory to espresso; but, whatever the reason, the caffeine drug is not without its evident benefits.

Continue reading →

It would appear to the open mind that travel is an imperative for the elderly. I presume the impartial affliction is partly the result of years having been spent chained to domestic or employment necessities instead. For others (of similarly advanced age) whom I know, travel is viewed as an enduring and uplifting occupation. For others it is a mere diversion. Naturally those with the wherewithal to do so enjoy travel of every description; that is, covering both the Arctic and Antarctica, the pyramids and the Himalayas, etc.  For some the more exotic the travel, the better – including extraordinary hiking, remote islands, exclusive lodgings.  There are some who call upon their professional career as a travel agent.

Continue reading →

Depending upon how one chooses to look at things, perspective makes all the difference.  The word perspective has a multitude of meanings which reflect the variety of interpretations: outlook, view, viewpoint, point of view, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference, approach, way of looking/thinking, vantage point. In short, one’s perspective is largely determinative of how and what one experiences. The word derives its meaning from not only what is seen but also from the character of the observer.

Continue reading →

May 12, 2026
Mississippi Mills, Ontario

My dear Reader:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to hold my interest. It provides a modern technological springboard that I am wont not to ignore. I am especially anxious to experiment with the capacity of AI to provide meaningful and worthwhile direction. Asking pertinent questions affords the opportunity to assess the answers. For openers, the comparative subtleties of the human mind are not in my opinion to be underestimated. As much as has been said to extol AI, the blunt truth is that AI was created by man not by a god. Doing something faster is not the sole measure of accomplishment.

Continue reading →

Clouds most frequently express a metaphor for woefulness, albeit as often as changeable and as fragmentary. As I sailed along the winding countryside roads today I was repeatedly overwhelmed by the inexpressible beauty of the kaleidoscopic atmosphere. Yet as aesthetically pleasing as the fickle clouds were, I recalled the imperative of balancing clarity and obscurity, brightness and shadow, perfection and ambivalence.

Continue reading →

During the golfing season most of the social events in the clubhouse commence in the afternoon. There was a time I concerned myself about possibly interrupting early morning activity but now the only reason to call ahead is to book a table for ourselves.  So it was, this morning, that we secured a table overlooking the fairway.

Continue reading →

We could not have chosen a more ideal Saturday morning for a springtime breakfast at 175 Constance Lake Road nearby the Village of Dunrobin along the Ottawa River on the outskirts of Kanata. The azure dome was brightened by irrepressible yellow sunshine. The wind, though still brisk, refreshed the air and stiffened one’s resolve. The weekend atmosphere was palpable along March Road descending to Durobin Shores; that is, the traffic was noticeably less frantic than is customary during the workdays.

Continue reading →

All is now in abeyance.  But until the day was complete there was ample reason for reluctance. Let me explain.

The leaves, grass and flowers are not the only organisms flourishing in the springtime. The improvement of the weather from its former frigid dimension to a more adaptable expression has collaterally stimulated other indicia of daily living in the country. This morning, for example, not long after I awakened and then savoured a delightful protein and fibrous breakfast (including the lip smacking teaser of palm tree dates) I pushed off around the neighbourhood on my trusty (and, so I was later told, my dusty) tricycle. The object of my journey was twofold: one, an old fogey’s interpretation of athleticism (today – should you care to know – an impressive 4.95 Km and Avg. Speed 6.9 Km/h); and, two, the irrefragable advantage of sunshine and fresh air.

Continue reading →

Awakening to a sunshiny day – especially during that narrow avenue called springtime – is my preference. Not that I abhor the contemplative inspiration of multi-designed grey clouds in shimmering white billows. But never have I purposively distanced myself from a uniformly azure sky. Yet today I had to work to accommodate the balance of Nature.

Continue reading →

Stabilizing oneself is an ongoing adventure, controlled not by vulgar personal ambition so much as the modest fulfillment of scheduled daily tasks. First attend to what is at hand. Admittedly for the agèd community in particular, many of the pressing routine activities centre upon medical purpose. It is an unglamorous and unanticipated abridgement directed to the depictions of one’s family physician or corresponding specialist who in turn collectively have carriage of one’s well being.

Continue reading →