From Following Jesus: A life of faith in a postmodern world - on Facebook from where these images also appear. With thanks to Imelda Kedge for the link From Kurt at followingJesus.org I wrote this for US Thanksgiving in 2013 when our table included those born in the USA, Iraq, Korea, and Ethiopia. With Christians,... Continue Reading →
On the building of organs, and of those who build them
A number of student organists in Victoria during the mid-1970s worked for local organ builder, Hugo Spilker. We loved playing the organ โ I speak here of large instruments placed in downtown churches, many comprising four manuals and a pedal division โ These were not small electronic substitutes which proliferate where I live today in... Continue Reading →
Miss Piggy, DJT, and the apocalypse
Reposted from Sylvia Olsenโs blog here Dr. Sylvia Olsen is an author, story-teller, knitting designer, housing specialist and teacher, Sylvia Olsen is an eclectic mix of her creative and academic pursuits. Her books have received numerous awards and nominations and many are Canadian best sellers. Her knitting designs have received attention across Canada and the... Continue Reading →
The Way I see Street Photography
On my daily troll through online news, sports, and entertainment items I often check out Fstoppers.com, an excellent source for photographers of all abilities and interests. A recent blog talked about street photography and how photographers must practice care, discretion, and resilience to get good shots. For some persons appearing in public, the taking of... Continue Reading →
A Pitcher-Perfect Podiatry Appointment
What do a visit to my podiatrist, photography, and Blue Jays baseball pitchers have in common? I love to visit my podiatrist. Following treatment my feet feel cushioned by angels. Walking becomes pleasurable again. I love walking into the waiting area of Gerber and Associates in Kelowna for a lively visit with a Toronto Blue... Continue Reading →
An economy of place โ The Fogo Island story
How one of Canadaโs richest women transformed the island of her birth Highlights from Deirdre McQuillan in The Irish Times Sun Aug 24 2025 Having made a fortune in fibre optics, the โculturally responsibleโ entrepreneur Zita Cobb helped reverse the fortunes of Fogo island, Newfoundland At the age of 13, in 1971, Zita Cobb, an... Continue Reading →
One camera lens โ Two very different photographers
Bill Cunningham at work (and play) Two photographers, one living, one no longer with us, documenting our world, brilliantly. It has been some time since I have blogged on photography. It has been however one of my priorities since launching takenote.ca. Today however, I return to photography. Two recent news articles highlight the work of... Continue Reading →
Kicking back on western maple โ A celebration of fine furniture program graduates
Now fifty years since I graduated from Victoriaโs Oak Bay High School I have fond memories of wood shop class. Lacking an eye for detail coupled with insufficient powers of concentration I particularly loved making bowls on the wood lathe. I likely created more shavings than bowls, but it was wonderful fun. When invited by... Continue Reading →
Canon โ A picture of resilience and innovation
[Ken Gray] It has been some time since I featured a blog on photography. Today I seek to correct that imbalance. I have owned Canon equipment in the past but that predated my serious interest in digital photography. In 2005 I purchased my first set of Nikon gear, a D50 body with two lenses and... Continue Reading →
Hobbies and side-hustles
I am looking forward to visiting with others who graduated from Victoriaโs Oak Bay High School fifty years ago, the Class of 1975. As interest spreads my guess is that around fifty of us will show up at a Victoria hotel in early June, hoping that we are recognizable and we will recognize others. I... Continue Reading →