Kathie and I are working our way Emma Thompsonโs new four-part suspense series on Apple-TV, described by Wenlei Ma on THE NIGHTLY as โa great show with an unusual tone that, like Slow Horses, generously peppers wry humour between the drama and thriller elements. It keeps things moving along without ever getting bogged down in... Continue Reading →
And now, for something completely different
Just for fun, and for a break from the savage political and ecological non-fiction swirling around me right now, I have turned my hand to fiction, and to short stories in particular. Here is my first story. See what you think. Truth disguised Truth be told, sometimes distractions are the main thing. Recently graduated from... Continue Reading →
All in the family
A sermon for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, November 9th, 2025 for the congregation of St. Stephen, Summerland by the Very Rev. Ken Gray The original title of Norman Learโs 1971 TV sitcom All in the Family was Those Were the Days which ended up as the showโs theme song. I can imagine J D... Continue Reading →
John Schneider gets my vote for the Manager of the Year
Final Blue Jays post for a while; I promise! But I canโt resist calling out John Schneider for his management of this yearโs team. Still a newbie baseball fan myself I donโt know the great managers of the past. But I have admired John Schneiderโs direction of our rags-to-riches Jays this season. โThey went about... Continue Reading →
Buck nails it in Game 5 โ An appreciation of Sportsnetโs Dan and Buck
On what may be in the final game in the 2025 World Series today, and at the end of a remarkable season for the Toronto Blue Jays I am glad to share the appreciation below from the Toronto Sunโs Mike Ganter. AIRWAVES: Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez defies the odds and the adages calling Game... Continue Reading →
Win or lose, itโs how the game is played that makes it exciting
As the Jays travel home today for Fridayโs World Series game six up 3/2 I cannot resist posting Mark Kingwellโs op-ed in Tuesdayโs Globe and Mail. Following my own thoughts on this yearโs World Series contest Kingwell takes the analysis further. He identifies the tensions and stresses, the disappointments and delights, the drama and occasional... Continue Reading →
Blue Jays baseball โ Letโs play ball
Gotta love our Toronto Blue Jays. Their 2025 season story continues to unfold and delight fans everywhere. This year, fans smile rather than grimace. Blue shirts, caps, hoodies, scarves, and socks are on full display everywhere right now. Eight months ago the season looked like a sorry repeat of the 2024 seasonโs last-place finish in... Continue Reading →
Meet my friend Ken
Moving in to our Summerland home in October of 2022 the first piece of art we broke out of its packing box was a watercolour painted by my friend, Ken Faulks. It Is a lovely plein air painting from the Dewdrop Plateau in Kamloops, our former home. Its size, style, and mood perfectly complement the... 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 →
The humble photographer โ Boring? Or brave?
OK, I admit it; I am jealous of photographers who can travel to majestic, exotic, and breathtakingly beautiful places all over the world to capture amazing images -- Mount Killimanjero, Victoria Falls, the Great Bear Rainforest, New York City. I donโt travel all that well now; I cannot justify the expense given other priorities; I... Continue Reading →