The Observer
The acknowledgements didn’t make a lot of sense when I read them before starting The Observer by Marina Endicott. Neither did the author photograph on the back jacket flap. Both…
Flag Day
Sixty years ago, the maple leaf was raised for the first time as Canada’s official flag. On February 15, 1965 it replaced the Red Ensign and Union Jack. Not all…
28 Days
Close to 5 pm, for 28 days, the back doors of the barn, looking to the east. Every day I empty the wheelbarrow, then turn to close the barn doors.…
Photography
I’d like to introduce you to a new photography website - ta-da - jimstewart360.ca. Lots of photographs of places and objects. Also lots of information on farm equipment and astronomy.…
West Country Trilogy
I’d heard of the Battle of Jutland, but that’s it. No idea of who, when or where. Now I know, thanks to The Redeemed, third in Tim Pear’s West Country…
Gordon Pinsent 1930-2023
Actor Gordon Pinsent died at the age of 92 yesterday, February 25. He was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland, the youngest of Stephen and Flossie (Cooper) Pinsent’s six children. Like…
Lewes Bonfire Night
Remember, remember the Fifth of November The Gunpowder Treason and plot, I see no reason why Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot. A bonfire is a great thing to see.…
Hartland Covered Bridge
This weekend, Hartland NB is celebrating the centenary of their 1,282 foot covered bridge. That’s 1/4 mile or 391 metres. An open wooden bridge across the St. John River was…
Officers and Gentlemen
Commander Ralph Neville was one of several English naval officers living in Bay St. George, Newfoundland in the early 1900s. They shared a love of salmon fishing (see Part 1).…
The Ride of Her Life
In the fall of 1954, a woman decided to leave her home in Maine and, with her little dog, go to California. Annie Wilkins was 63, had been ill, had…
The Old Baler
I don't know how old the square baler is. There's no paint left. The name - McCormick - very faint. Old Faithful, I call it. A friend said you can…
Dr. Gino Strada
Friday on the news, I heard about the death of Dr. Gino Strada, Italian surgeon and founder of the medical NGO Emergency. He was 73. He'd worked in war zones…
Padstow May Day
Now imagine a still night, the last of April, the first of May. Starlight above the chimney pots. Moon on the harbour. Moonlight shadows of houses on opposite slate walls.…
Pelé
In the late 1980s in Costa Rica, my Spanish language teacher was trying to convey 'juego', or game. She gave what she thought was a huge clue. She tapped…
John Prine
When I hear the name John Prine, I think of Rwanda in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide. Yesterday, John Prine died from Covid-19. Yesterday was also the 26th anniversary…
Plantar Fasciitis
Nearly a year ago, I bruised my heel. So I thought. When it didn't stop hurting, I went to my doctor. Plantar Fasciitis, he said. What's that, I said. The…
Portugal Day
On this day in 1965 Newfoundland Premier Joseph R. Smallwood proclaimed June 17th Portugal Day in the province. It was at the Confederation Building when the Portuguese Fisheries Organization presented…
Boogie-Woogie Piano
Today, the 88th day of the year, is Piano Day. So CBC Radio q told me. One or another piano has kept me company almost all my life. And one…
Willow Grove Settlement
On the road to St. Martins in southern New Brunswick you see a sign in a clearing on a corner. Willow Grove Black Settlement Burial Ground, it says. Behind it…
Ma Bell
Our landline was not working. So my husband calls BellAliant. Customer service representatives are all busy, would you like a call back? Thank you very much, he thought, and pressed…
Dinner Talk
Swiss Chalet in Saint John, two 20-something women with a toddler each and one infant. Four full meals. One child picks at his food, the other has eaten all he…
Justify
A big chestnut colt won the Belmont Stakes on Saturday. Five weeks ago, Justify won the Kentucky Derby. Three weeks ago, he won the Preakness. So he won the Triple…
Mary Jo Kopechne
Known best as "the girl in the car," Mary Jo Kopechne had a promising career as a political worker in Washington. She was idealistic and enthusiastic - the sort of…
Martin Luther King
I don't remember what I was doing when I heard that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot and killed. I do remember the shock and horror I felt.…
Pegasus World Cup
This Saturday, January 27, is the 2nd annual Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park in Florida. The richest horse race in the world, it costs one million dollars to enter.…
Horse Fun Show
Riding students on school horses, visiting horses and riders. A barn open house and bbq. Warm, sunny weather. A good thing because the yard and barn were full of horses,…
School Horse
To call yourself a rider, one horse can give you your best final test: a school horse. Horses ridden in lessons build up knowledge of what makes a good, and…
John Perkins
On Saturday, July 22nd, John Perkins, of Butternut Stables in Hampton NB, died. He was my riding teacher. For many others, he was that and more. First, he was a…
Salisbury Horses
"Outside this lovely home, drive down the circular driveway covered by mature trees and be greeted by an old barn and about 3 acres cleared ideal for horses." Thus reads…
Goderich Postcards
My grandmother's parents, Matthias and Emily Lymburner, lived for a few years in Goderich, Ontario. These are postcards sent from their early days there in 1911. General View of Goderich…
Princess Louise Park
Sussex has the best all-in-one park I’ve ever seen: Princess Louise Park on Leonard Ave, just off Main Street. There are other recreation areas in town, but PLP puts a…
Hanover Horses
A Facebook share - Waco Hanover celebrates his 40th birthday in 2017. He's a Standardbred pacer, living in Vermont.* From his name, I knew he was of Hanover Shoe Farms.…
Christmas Stable
Their stalls are decorated, the horses snugged in. Wintertime at the stable, and Christmas approaching. Stockings soon will be hung on stall doors. The riding students who decorated the stalls…
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was a harness racing horse, a pacer. He was crazy good, they said. 110 years ago, he was the best pacer ever seen. He was a huge celebrity…
Therapy Visitors
"A woman was here today, a long time. I don't know who she was. She had a dog. I don't know if she was lost. But she sat right here,…
Horse Show
A horse show is a great way to spend a day. Sleek horses, adorable ponies and their riders showing their skill. It's watching beauty in motion. Today, at Spring Brook…
The Great Benjamin’s Circus
The circus came to town last Friday. The Great Benjamin's Circus at the Princess Louise Park in Sussex. Catching sight of a huge tent with lights flashing and flags flying…
Cuba
In the late 1980s, with one wintry week off, my boyfriend and I decided to go to a resort. We found a last-minute deal in Cuba. Our fellow passengers on…
Annabel
Michael Crummey wrote of Kathleen Winter's novel Annabel, "a beautiful book, brimming with heart and uncommon wisdom." That's on the book jacket. It's true. This is a beautiful love story…
Heaven
When my dog Jack died, I believed in heaven. After his burial, my mother-in-law gave me a card with a little story in it. It’s about a man and his dog…
Santa Dogs
The Christmas season, for me, officially begins with the Santa Claus parade. But you have to start feeling festive a bit earlier if you're going to be in the parade.…
Breeders’ Cup
Saturday was Hallowe'en. A big day. This October 31st was a big day for another reason. The Breeders' Cup Classic horse race and the chance to see something that's never…
Fire Muster
The Fire Muster is this coming weekend - Labour Day Saturday and Sunday - in Pinafore Park, St. Thomas. A chance to see fire fighters, fire trucks old and new,…
Backyard Birds
My knowledge of birds is minimal. There’s brown ones, speckled ones, starlings, other big black birds, robins, doves, cardinals and jays. We have all of these in our backyard and…
Ron and Secretariat
Last weekend, my dog and I went to Grand Falls/Grand-Sault in northern New Brunswick to see a statue unveiled. It is Ron Turcotte and Secretariat crossing the finish line at…
American Pharoah
Saturday, I saw something I've never seen before: the winning of the American Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. I hadn't expected it to happen, but I hoped. American Pharoah made…
Teddy in PLP barn
Musical Ride II
The RCMP Musical Ride was in Sussex this week at the Princess Louise Show Centre. Tonight they are giving a very special ride in Moncton, to honour the three Mounties…
Musical Ride
The RCMP Musical Ride was in Hampton NB last week. The horses stayed at Butternut Stables where I ride. I was there when they arrived and, next day, I ran…
The Tao of Horses
“If you knew a horse, you could depend on him and if he was going to do something bad, you could depend on him to do that too. I always…
Winter Resort
Winter wonderland for skiing, skating and snowshoeing when the mood strikes and the weather is perfect. Nature-made snow sculpturing. Little birds buffeted by wind in their brave search for seeds…
Turcotte, the movie
If you live in or are from New Brunswick, if you’re Canadian, if you like horse racing, the NFB has a film for you: Secretariat's Jockey: Ron Turcotte (2013). In…
Coming Home
Coming home after an absence, you see it differently. When you leave one home to visit another, you get it both ways. Going back to Ontario after a year in…
Hampton Court House
The 140-year-old Court House in Hampton, New Brunswick has heard its last case. Court cases for Kings County will now be heard in Saint John. The town knows a new…
The Christmas Gift
This Christmas, I got lots of nice presents but my favourite is a list of stores written on a scrap of paper. It’s about the gift that didn’t happen, but…
That Good Night
I have always loved Dylan Thomas’ exhortation to his dying father: Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Yes, I thought,…
House Deconstruction
Three weeks in our new house and slowly it’s coming together. A new house is like a Rubik’s Cube: frustratingly impossible to figure out the parts but hit the right…
Ponta Delgada
I’m not a city person, but one city stays in my mind. Ponta Delgada, capital of Saõ Miguel in the Azores: a tiny perfect city. Having flown in to another…
Interlibrary Loan
I wanted a book a while back. The St. Thomas public library didn’t have it and neither did the local bookstore. Did I want to drive to London to look…
Merry Solstice
Whatever the name of the event you’re celebrating, Happy It. The one thing that all the festivities happening at the time of the winter solstice have in common is that…
North Cape Trail, PEI
We went to Prince Edward Island in November for “oh, a day or so.” Just off the bridge, in Gateway Village, an “olde towne” of new buildings with tourist services…
Jeep
I got me a Rubicon! I’ve never had a Jeep, always wanted one. In my head, I have a list of vehicles, or types of vehicles, that I want at…
New England Fall
Driving to New Brunswick by the American route, through New England. Trying to pick out roads as the crow flies. But mountains and forests in the north. Looking at an…
Walking in the Woods
When I moved back to southwestern Ontario, I thought walking in the woods would be over for me and my dog. Groomed parks maybe, but no acres of forest or…
Goderich, Prettiest Town
The slogan of Goderich, on Lake Huron, is “The Prettiest Town in Canada.” It’s never seemed like hyperbole to me. Last Sunday, downtown Goderich was slammed by a tornado. It…
Going to Graceland
Thirty-four years ago, Graceland became a memorial shrine. The day before, August 16th 1977, the King of Rock and Roll had died in it, his home. Despite liking Elvis, Graceland…
Show Jumper
Coming up fast to the fence, feeling the muscles gather beneath you, crouching low over the horse’s neck, then springboarding into the air. Sailing over the rail, touching down on…
Fiat Bambina
If I could possibly justify another teeny-weeny cute car, I’d get the new Fiat 500. I’ve only seen one around here, a silver grey one. I like the tv ads, and…
The MINI Wave
I’ve noticed something this year, or rather the lack of something. MINI drivers in the London area are not waving at each other. Forest City MINI Club, get the word…
“Look at Bingy”: Alzheimer’s and Distraction
Frustration is part of Alzheimer’s and other age-related memory loss and dementia – frustration for the person themself and the people caring for or interacting with them. So distraction becomes…
Car Music
I once had an old Chevy Monza hatchback, a 1975. It came with a banged-in fender that didn’t seem worth fixing. The rest of the body was so rusted that,…
Friday the 13th Port Dover
Bucket list item checked off. The bikes at Port Dover. Beautiful weather and the only Friday the 13th in all of 2011. I was a little nervous about it, I…
Royalty
In June 1983 royalty came to St. John's. Charles and Diana, Prince and Princess of Wales, arrived on the Royal Yacht Britannia. Two years before, I had woken up early…
Mabee’s Corners
My cousin Lynda Sykes wrote this about her visit to Mabee's Corners many years ago, after reading about my ‘sighting’ of the road sign for it. She graciously gave me…
El perro de la playa
The Costa Rica beach dog - or el perro de la playa - a short story In the morning, when Helen opened her cabaña door, the dog was standing beside…
Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
It started with an email I received. You may have also got it, it’s making the rounds. A woman turned a jet into a house on a tropical beach for…
Snow Day
Our backyard late last night. All the snow had gone, even the mud had started to dry up. Then bang, last night, a snowstorm. A mixture of rain, freezing rain…
Lake Erie, North Shore
A few years ago we went east along Lake Erie, as far as Port Dover. We started in St. Thomas. It took us four days. Coming back, we took larger…
Detailing
Several years ago, I bought a two-year old car from a newspaper ad. When I took it for a test drive, I couldn’t believe how clean and nice the inside…
Skating on the canal
Low-flying on glass, long swooping strides pushing you along. Wind at your back propelling you. Wind coming at you, slowing you, your legs pushing forward into its face. It’s you…
Resort Towns (Feb. 2/11)
Brighton, in December, although still a fairly bustling city, bore little relation to Brighton in June or August. Jury often felt there were few things bleaker than a seaside town…
Seeing the world the Alzheimer’s way
With Alzheimer’s, how is space and time perceived within your head? Take walking 20 yards down a hallway, from your room to the dining room. Halfway through, you can’t remember…
A Charity of Your Choice
When making funeral arrangements, it’s common to think of a charity to which the deceased person would like memorial donations to go. It’s a nice way of remembering somebody and…
New Year’s Eve at the Harbourfront
The most wonderful place I ever spent New Year’s Eve was the waterfront in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The tradition started, according to CBC, in the 1960s with one family going…
The Boat House, Laugharne
When I was in high school, I discovered the beauty of Dylan Thomas’ writing. I first read Under Milk Wood and then moved on to his poetry. In community college,…
Portugal and Eco: The Knights Templar Castle, Tomar
Vacationing in the Azores, my reading was Humberto Eco’s Foucault's Pendulum. It was my introduction to the Knights Templar and I fell in love. I was going on to Portugal, and Tomar…