They are leaving me behind; Paw-Pa and Paw-Ma (Ken and Kathie) will travel to Ireland, without me, in just a few days’ time. They did not invite me; they did not ask in any kind of formal way, “would you like to come?” The message from the beginning was that I was not wanted on... Continue Reading →
I should have paid more attention during Social Studies class in grade eleven. I had opted for a special version of the curriculum called Socials 11C: The City is People. Our teacher, Mr. Bertie had a passion for urban studies and had shaped the geography portion of the course around themes such as urban planning,... Continue Reading →
T minus 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, “we have liftoff.” As an apocalyptic fire engulfed the Kennedy Space Centre launchpad. At the time I wondered if the Saturn V rocket had destroyed itself even before leaving the ground. Fire shoots out horizontally for a mile or so as the space... Continue Reading →
The joint was jumping at Canada Day celebrations at Riverside Park. After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, the popular in-person gathering returned with a roar of delight. The usual events such as onstage music and children’s play areas joined with community and Arts Council displays and demonstrations; all basked in the brilliant sunshine. And... Continue Reading →
The wait is almost over. Originally scheduled for September of 2021, Kathie, Hannah, and I will travel to Ireland for our long-awaited retirement trip to the Emerald Isle. While I lived in London and travelled in Wales in the late 70s, and as Kathie and I have visited the UK and Scotland (with and without... Continue Reading →
Water -- we were birthed in and through it. It is as visceral to us as breathing. Sweating, crying, and drinking -- all these human practices bring us life and allow us to live. Humans and non-humans, we are surrounded by water -- in nature, in the human-made world, in our instincts and in our... Continue Reading →
The text below is my 100th creation in the series Take Note!. I am so grateful for my readers, commenters and subscribers. Also to both my editors, Linda and Dorothy. Also to Kathie who does hear all too often “did you read my latest blog?” Finally, to Juno, my pawed protégé. Love you all. Ken... Continue Reading →
*This is not a typo. A “Junian” (June-ee-in) blog is an opinion piece by Juno, the dog blogger and has nothing to do with the Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung Today’s blog is another instalment of our growing One-Word blog series. For another, visit Cars. More to come. A man walks into the... Continue Reading →
Photographs by the author Some people collect stamps; others collect old cars and trucks. Or if they don’t collect them, they don’t seem to be able to get rid of them. All over the BC interior, I discover the shells of what were once beautiful and functional vehicles now slumbering in farmers’ fields, amongst old... Continue Reading →
To say that I struggle with a poor body image is an understatement. Influenced to a large extent by my disability, which apart from the sight challenges Albinism creates, my inherited condition includes as a feature, a lack of Melanin in my skin. I hate this time of year, when temperatures and the UV index... Continue Reading →
Take Note - Reflections on life, music, politics, retirement and more by Ken Gray 