It is hard to identify to which English carols Robert Herrick (1591-1674) refers in his nativity text, What Sweeter Music: What sweeter music can we bringThan a carol, for to singThe birth of this our heavenly King?Awake the voice! Awake the string! When children would reach for their stockingsAnd open the presents they foundThe lights... Continue Reading →
The elders that surround us
The Very. Rev. Ken Gray, All Saints tide 2025 -- This article first appeared in the November issue of TOPIC, the Newspaper of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, Vancouver BC Canada As we remember saints, sinners, and all souls together through the triduum of Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls let me also honour... Continue Reading →
Trees loom large in the imagination of Canadian Anglicans, including yours truly
Images throughout this post do not relate specifically to the text of Sean Franklin's article. They simply express how I engage with and respond to the presence of trees where I live. Article by Sean Frankling in the Anglican Journal Published October 15, 2025 The pages of Scripture are rife with roots and branches. From... Continue Reading →
It seems like blasphemy here in the land of wines and vines
No amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk, study finds. Even a drink or two a day isnโt risk-free, a new study suggests. By Richard Sima in the Washington Post For years, the common wisdom and science was that a little bit of alcohol wasnโt bad โ and even beneficial โ for... Continue Reading →
Out of the mouth, of primates โ How Climate Change is Rewriting Our Future
https://youtu.be/2creIhQvRLw Political Primate on YoutubeTranscription and highlights, KJG The clock is tickingโand our planet is sounding the alarm louder than ever. From raging wildfires to devastating floods, climate change is no longer a distant threat; itโs a global emergency happening right now. Ah, climate change. Behold the great paradox of our age. Ours is the... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Creation in a beautiful garden
Call it a stroll through a forest; a walk along curvy pathways; a resting place between colourful flowerbeds. Whatever you call it, you are invited to join together for the second annual Celebration of Creation at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens on Sunday afternoon, September 14 gathering at the Gazebo at 2 p.m. Itโs a great... Continue Reading →
Two tales, Tipping points, and the Haunted Architecture of Ecological Collapse
[Ken Gray] What a title! Todayโs post is LONG . . . but worth every second of your time. Trust me on this. So take your time; youโll be glad you did. Greenberg lays out the best summary to my knowledge of what can feel like a complicated panoply of relationships; he does so clearly,... Continue Reading →
Bee-lieve me โ This is interesting
Maple, an English springer spaniel, has been trained to detect harmful bacteria in bee hives. (Nick Schrader/Michigan State University) Another dog blog by Juno Almost six-year old Labradoodle, Juno is a dog blogger based in Summerland in the BC interior. She publishes regularly at takenote.ca. Today she introduces us to her new-found hero, Maple, an... Continue Reading →