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 →
Fun and games — a Blogscape Scavenger Hunt
Something totally different today. A test of memory for all my loyal readers, and those who arrive at this page by accident. (Lucky you.) An investigative challenge for those who enjoy the variety of personalities named in the over 680 posts viewed 103,000 times by over 64,000 visitors. This year, 2025, the volume of traffic... Continue Reading →
Donald Trumpโs war on climate science has staggering implications
Thanks Geoff Strong for sharing the Facebook post Ralph Keeling is a distinguished professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and president of the Keeling Curve Foundation Even a policy of โdrill, baby, drillโ would imply more climate research, not its evisceration, says Ralph Keeling. If you have seen one graph on the subject of climate... Continue Reading →
Finding the sweet spot
No sermon from me today but a beautiful reflection from our friends at the Center of Action and Contemplation. I have read it several times, each time finding something jarring, beautiful, and different. Dr. Gary Paul Nabhan describes how Jesusโ parables invited listeners to find wisdom in their daily agricultural circumstances . . . Nabhan... Continue Reading →
Her words didnโt shout โ they glowed
Eleanor Farjeon The story of the song Morning Has Broken With thanks to Nostalgic Memories Before Cat Stevens ever sang a note of it, Morning Has Broken was a quiet offering from a woman who saw the sacred in the ordinary. Eleanor Farjeon, born in 1881 London, grew up surrounded by music and poetry. Her... 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 →
The meat in the belly of my brother
A sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC โ The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost, August 3rd 2025 โThe Very Rev. Ken Gray Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." I remember the death of my motherโs parents, my grandparents, Maxwell... Continue Reading →
No long sermon from me today
Amongst other gifts and duties, deacons preach in congregations as they connect us with the wider community In fact, no sermon at all today. As I now only preach on the first and third Sundays of each month today is truly a day of rest. Instead I share a reflection on sermons as an art... Continue Reading →
Celtic spirituality, science, and climate disruption
Diana Beresford-Kroegerโs new book says nature holds the key to a healthy planetby Christopher White in Broadview Magazine -- Originally published Feb. 21, 2025 Diana Beresford-Kroeger is a botanist, biochemist, writer and mystic. Raised in Ireland, she spent her youth immersed in Celtic spirituality and the medieval Irish Brehon laws, which are communal ways of... Continue Reading →
Let us be fearless โ Church as an imagination-shaping force
A Sermon for the congregation of St. Saviour Anglican Church, Penticton BC - Sunday, July 13 2025 โ The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost โ The Very Rev. Ken Gray Mainstream media has not focused on a very special event that occurred a few days ago in New York City; church media certainly has however. the... Continue Reading →