My Past and Thoughts

Bauhinia Durivage

2009-04-23T21:27:00.001-04:00

Check it out

2009-03-19T15:22:00.003-04:00

Check out Hailey Wojcik

A Local Landmark

2009-03-03T08:12:00.001-05:00

The old Lemay place.

The Sentinel

2009-01-05T11:24:00.001-05:00

Christmas Day, December 25, 2008

Season's Greetings

2008-12-22T09:26:00.004-05:00

Green Lake, December 21, 2008

The Queen of Pipe Creek

2008-12-05T12:37:00.000-05:00

Thomas Cay, Exumas, March 2008.

Cousin Karol with Northern Pike

2008-11-21T08:52:00.001-05:00

My no. 1 cousin came for a visit last August, and Louise offered us a 1/2 day of guided fishing on the Ottawa River with Mr. Muskie. While we didn't land any muskies, Karol did catch this nice pike.

Frosting on the Cake

2008-11-06T11:04:00.002-05:00

Photo by Sylvie Gervais

Birthday Cake

2008-10-16T11:17:00.002-04:00

Beautiful Fall Colours

2008-10-16T11:11:00.001-04:00

Off Moffat Road

Dad, Green Lake

2008-09-09T14:16:00.001-04:00

True Nature

2008-05-22T12:29:00.005-04:00

This etching by Bielawski came to mind the other day as I was picking the first wild asparagus of the year along the Ladysmith road. I bought it from him either in '78 or '81 with Fredek's help. As an artist he seems to have flourished, having had his own one-man exhibit at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw in 2007. A few people have told me they find the image disturbing, which may be a symptom of our alienation from nature, or it might be something else entirely.

"Rzeczywista Natura" akwaforta, m. verniks, sucha igła (drypoint etching) épreuve d'art. 1977 Andrzej Bielawski

7 zjazd wych. Braci Szkolnych

2008-05-13T17:49:00.001-04:00

Unveiling of the commemorative monument at the 7th reunion of the alumni of the Christian Brothers' School, Duszniki Zdroj, Poland, June 25, 2005.

Piazza Navona, 1997

2008-05-12T07:05:00.001-04:00

Piazza Navona, sihouette paper cut out, by M. Imeri, Rome, April 19, 1997.

Surfs With Dolphins - Exumas 2008

2008-04-09T16:58:00.002-04:00

Ceci est l'hiver!

2008-03-20T12:15:00.002-04:00

A few days later, and about 22 degrees of latitude further south, our thoughts turned from Magritte to Gaugin. Allan's Cay, Exumas, March 7, 2008.

Ceci n'est pas l'hiver

2008-03-03T08:56:00.001-05:00

Hommage à René Magritte, Trois-Rivières, le 2 mars 2008

IN MEMORIAM

2008-03-03T08:27:00.002-05:00

Roland Guay
31.05.1919 - 24.02.2008

Winter's not so bad

2008-02-13T08:15:00.002-05:00

Te simti bine? Sâmbata, 26.01.08.

Winter visitor

2008-02-13T08:11:00.001-05:00

This barred owl spent a whole morning in a tree beside the woodpile. It may have chosen the sunny location because the temperature was around -20 C., but it may have been a good spot for catching mice.

Morinville, Alberta, January 28, 2008

2008-01-31T08:07:00.001-05:00

Just as I was beginning to feel sorry for myself because of the nasty winter weather we've been having here, I received this photo from my brother out west to cheer me up! It was a thoughtful reminder that no matter how bad one's situation might be, it could be worse, so be happy.

Survivors at 40 Below

2008-01-31T07:58:00.001-05:00

Photo by Ed Seifried, Morinville, Alta., 28.01.2008

Monochromatic

2007-11-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

The first few snowfalls of the winter are enchanting, draining the last of the fall colours into shades of black and white. You probably won't find me going out to photograph snowy scenes come February and March, but for now they still have some appeal.

Even though they look like b&w photos, if you look closely, you'll find some hidden colour in each of them. You can zoom in by clicking on the picture.

All of these were taken during the early morning of Tuesday, Nov. 27th.

2007-11-27T21:09:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Noctilucent Clouds

2007-11-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

Photo by: Denton Prior, Eabost West, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK Jul. 21, 2007

The Throne Room

2007-10-31T20:50:00.000-04:00

Thought you might like to see the bathroom. The colours are inspired by a robin egg shell that fell out of a nest last spring, the pine trees that grow back up on the Brulé hills, and our weakness for chocolate.

Do Widzenia

2007-10-31T07:44:00.000-04:00

Jarosław Kaczyński na chwilę przed wygłoszeniem przemówienia w czasie wieczoru wyborczego

Witajcie!

2007-10-21T17:12:00.000-04:00

The Civic Platform landslide in the Polish elections today is hopefully the first step in the long road back to the fold of civilized nations. Donald Tusk was the first name on the PO list for my riding, Warsaw Centre.

One Last Look at the Fall Colours

2007-10-17T21:53:00.000-04:00

G'day. I was having a pint with the lads in Dougie's garage last Saturday when I said to myself "Wait a minute - your going to be 56 tomorrow, so what the hell are you doing sitting around on this cold cement slab when the whole countryside is ablaze in fall colours out there to remind us of the glory, generosity and grand design of the Creator, if he exists?"

So I guzzled what was left of my Blue Light and off I went, to take these pictures to show you what's going on in the neighbourhood as the chlorophyll disappears from the leaves, photosynthesis stops, and the residual glucose in the maple leaves turns red.

2007-10-17T21:46:00.000-04:00

On the Brulé Road

On Fortin Road

On the 8th Line

The old Pontiac Pacific Junction right of way looking northwest

2007-10-17T21:38:00.000-04:00

The 8th Line

Sunset on the 9th Line

Horses on the 9th Line

Victoria Avenue

We're Getting There

2007-10-10T00:40:00.000-04:00

Time to take a drive out to see how the work on the cottage is progressing.

There it is! Quite a change from a year ago (October 22, 2006) as you can see in this next picture.

2007-10-10T00:04:00.000-04:00

The new shack is starting to look a lot like I pictured it, n'est ce pas? I'm glad the outside work is done as the cold weather is setting in.

2007-10-09T23:48:00.000-04:00

One of the local lads cleaned the chimney for us, and we've got the firewood in, so we're ready for winter, but first....

2007-10-09T23:37:00.000-04:00

...every day I look at this scene, and every day it is different, but never is it as spectacular as in the fall. Thought I'd better throw in at least one more fall colours shot, before the snow flies.

Progress Report

2007-09-28T00:15:00.000-04:00

Here is where we were on the project just before noon on Sunday, Sept. 23, 2007.

2007-09-09T13:38:00.000-04:00

Hi everybody! I'm back in the city for a few days, so I thought I'd give you a little update on how things are going at the lake. The good news is that we haven't run out of money yet, so work continues at full speed (at least by West Quebec standards). Things slowed down a bit for the Shawville Fair, and I can tell you, it was one heck of a party. But as soon as the fair was over, things started moving pretty fast. If I recall, at one point at the beginning of last week there were 5 contractors on site at the same time.

Here is the state of the project as of 7 a.m., Friday, Sept. 7th.

2007-09-09T13:19:00.000-04:00

We moved the back door from the kitchen to the old small bedroom, which now will serve as an entrance hall/mud room. We also opened up a new door from the old SBR to the old MBR (now the den) so you get a view of the lake when you enter the house through the back door.

Another door, between the new MBR and the den, allows for a sight line that runs all the way from where the bed will be to the fireplace. On cold winter nights Louise will be able to keep an eye on the fire, and if necessary, go and put on another log or two.

New picture window.

The bathroom measures 9 1/2' x 12'. There will be a 3' x 5' walk-in shower to the right.

The new small bedroom's dimensions are 9 1/2' x 16'. Note the high ceiling.

2007-09-09T13:09:00.000-04:00

The master bedroom has three doors, one to the deck, one to the den, and one to the hallway leading to the entrance, bathroom and small bedroom.

The 10' ceiling gives us lots of room for storage cupboards located above the closets. Notice that all the inside walls, including the closets, have lots of insulation too.

The old cottage has a pine floor throughout so that is what we will install in the new part as well. Refinishing the old floor will be a project for this winter maybe.

2007-09-09T12:57:00.000-04:00

We insulated the attic with two layers of 5 1/2" pink fibreglass, equal to R40, and the 2x6 walls with half that. We also tore out and replaced the yellow R12 in the old cottage with the same R40.

We covered the whole roof with IKO Cambridge 30 shingles, colour Driftwood.
Here's how they look up close, kind of.

2007-09-09T12:42:00.000-04:00

We installed a drive point well, and connected it to a jet pump in the house. There is plenty of water, and the pump draws about 8 gallons per minute.

Keeping the Vision

2007-08-28T08:52:00.000-04:00

Darn it! I forgot to bring the camera so I don't have any new photos to show you. We have been making progress though, mainly with the insulation, electrical and drywall. I won't go into details about our foundation disaster during last Friday's downpour. The lesson learned is keep your seals dry and backfill your foundation walls as soon as you can. Anyhow, here is a look at the latest design concept, with the new colours. Hope you like it.

Report on the Work in Progress

2007-08-14T23:58:00.000-04:00

I've been away from internetland for about a month now, so I though it might be time to give you an upadate on what has been happening with me.

Work is progessing well on the renovation and addition to the cottage. I am spending just about all of my time out there now, until the project is completed.

Here's what we've done so far....

It all started with single rotting beam under the cottage, that had to be replaced.

The old cedar floor joists appeared intact, so we decided to reinforce them and put them on a concrete foundation, and, while we were at it, to expand the living space by building an addition.

After clearing the land and raising the cottage on blocks, we excavated the foundation for the foundation under the addition. This was around July 12th.

Next we built the forms into which we would pour the concrete.

2007-08-14T23:31:00.000-04:00

While the project requires most of our attention, we do find time for other distractions.

Around July 15 there was some rain so we went picking chantarelles.

In the early morning of July 30 we enjoyed a magnificent moonset in the western sky.

Louise has been working hard cleaning the beach....

....but has also found time for relaxing and enjoying the sun.

2007-08-14T23:22:00.000-04:00

The foundation slab was poured on July 16.

The space under the old cottage was excavated by hand.

A new foundation was built for the old cottage, around July 25th.

The foundation perimeter wall was parged and sealed with tar.

2007-08-14T23:01:00.000-04:00

The floor joists were installed over the crawl space and slab.

The exterior walls were framed and sheathed at the beginning of August.

We began installing the roof trusses at 8 a.m. on August 3rd....

and were done by 11 a.m., thanks to the expert carpenters and engineered trusses.

2007-08-14T22:32:00.000-04:00

Installation of the new septic tank.

The septic byproducts will be pumped to a weeping field.

The house is already starting to look a bit like what we had planned.

The First Step - Clearing the Land

2007-07-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

The heavy equipment moved in this week to begin work on our renovation.

Doug Zacharias of Otter Lake works that shovel with the precision of a dental surgeon.

Before.

After.

2007-07-11T09:33:00.000-04:00

The giant stump in the front yard is gone. Tearing it out with the roots left a hole 20' in diameter.

The bathroom too is gone, to make space for the addition.

It took about 15 truckloads to haul all the debris away.

The site of the new addition and septic system.

Who Could Ask For Anything More?

2007-07-11T09:20:00.000-04:00

Just because we no longer have a bathroom doesn't mean we are deprived of the luxury of a shower. I simply moved the shower stall to a quiet corner under the pines, and rigged up a improvised water supply. The water is heated by solar power in a black plastic bag. We just fill it up, lay it out on the dock in the sun for a few hours, run it up on a pulley in the shower stall, and presto! - enough 100 degree F water for a nice long scrub.

Sad to See

2007-07-11T09:01:00.000-04:00

Loggers have moved into the pine plantation just to the east of us.

They are clear-cutting about 100 acres of some of my prime mushroom picking terrain.

It's sad to see this living cathedral being cut down to make chip-board and diapers.

Open for Business!

2007-07-11T08:47:00.000-04:00

The little shack out back is complete and open for business. The ribbon cutting and opening celebrations took place July 1st, Canada Day.

The interior is finished in a rich combination of pine and mahogony. Technical details available upon request.

Praca Nie Zając

2007-06-07T17:16:00.000-04:00

Well, as they say, work is not a rabbit, and there were a few days of rain, so the time seemed right to seek some inspiration for the continuing work on the outhouse. After a few shots of my favourite aquavita I renewed my resolve to build tall and thin. I wonder why?

When the rain finally ended I was able to finish most of the interior, including the all important seating platform. It is a solid 2' by 4' laminate, 2 inches thick, with mahogany veneer. The rest is mainly pine.

The last remaining big task is the installation of the door, which we will recycle from the existing bathroom when we tear it down later this month. By an eerie twist of fate, the seating platform in the outhouse is actually the cutout from that same bathroom door where we installed the hung window.

Work In Progress

2007-05-30T09:02:00.000-04:00

You may be wondering why I have been so quiet lately. Well, one reason is that there is no high-speed internet in our neck of the woods, and a masochist I'm not.

We're also preparing for the big cottage renovation, and got our building permit last week.

Unfortunately, the proposed addition is located exactly over our current bathroom, which must be demolished before we can proceed with the construction project. This means a summer of no hot and cold running water, no showers, and no toilet!!!

Well, the first two we can do without, temporarily, but not the latter. So, I have been busy building a temporary dry toilet, aka outhouse, privy or biffy.

Here's what we started with - thick mosquito-infested bush behind the cottage.

The first job was to select a site with the right Qi and polarity. We settled on a soutwesterly orientation corresponding to the Kun trigram (坤) whose nature is Earth and personality is receptive. It is the mother of the six gua children and the mate of the Heaven or Qian gua. The meaning of Kun is receptive energy, and that which yields, which seemed perfectly appropriate for the structure's function.

I used the machete I picked up on my honeymoon in Guatemala in 1979 to clear the brush. The sand from the 4'6" pit under the privy served as suitable fill for building the access path from the driveway to the structure.

2007-05-30T08:49:00.000-04:00

A solid foundation is essential. These boulders weighing up to 100 lbs. come from Donny's sandpit. I removed all the organic topsoil before placing and leveling them, so they rest directly on a bed of compacted sand several metres deep .

Once the pit was dug and the foundation in place, the framing could begin. This is a view of the structure from the rear, facing the lake with the cottage to the left. I can already imagine the joy of perching here on a tranquil summer morning, listening to the birds and enjoying a fresh breeze off the water.

2007-05-30T08:41:00.000-04:00

Desigining and then cutting and assembling the roof trusses was the most complex part of the project. I suck at cutting angles with a circular saw, so despite all the Pythagorean geometry that went into my calculations, it took several tries to make all the trusses the same size and shape.

2007-05-30T08:33:00.000-04:00

Installing the sheathing for the roof, and then the shingles, was by far the most physically demanding task so far, made more difficult by the 12:12 slope of the roof, the fact that one of my ladders is too short and the other too long, and by the swarms of mosquitos that wait to attack until the moment when you are balancing on one foot, 10' in the air, with 20 lbs. of shingles in one hand, a hammer in the other, and a mouth full of nails. I was lucky that my good buddy John from down the road was able to help with this phase.

2007-05-30T08:23:00.000-04:00

The exterior cladding of 1" x 6" tongue and groove pine (about $1.00 CAD a foot) started going up yesterday. I ran out of lumber before I could finish so I'll have to make a trip to Home Hardware for more.

GRATULACJE - ПОЗДОРОВЛЕННЯ

2007-04-18T08:11:00.000-04:00

Radium, Summer of '67

2007-04-17T21:03:00.000-04:00

l. to r.: You know who, cousin Karol, brother Eddy.

Polish Vernacular Architecture of Podlasie Region

2007-04-16T22:36:00.000-04:00

Fredek sent me these to give me some ideas for the renovations to the cottage.

I especially like the little porches which provide a sheltered location for casual meetings with visitors. This is very practical in the country when you don't want to have to ask people to take off their muddy boots.

Look at the little decorative details.

Even the most modest edifice has them.

BUILDING PLANS

2007-04-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

3D view of the proposed additions to our cottage.

The existing cottage is on the left, and the proposed addition on the right.

More pictures from Guadeloupe

2007-04-16T10:52:00.000-04:00

The black sand beach at Grand' Anse, Basse-Terre, with a view of the Saintes.

Aglaea, Euphrosyne & Thalia

Les Bains Jaunes, a thermal spring on the slopes of La Soufrière. The water is not too hot, and refreshing after a hot climb to the summit of the volcano.

Memorial to the French marines who built the baths in 1887.

A few pensive moments on the day before the return home.

Home Sweet Home?

Back from the FWI

2007-04-11T15:27:00.000-04:00

If you have found things a little quiet here, it's because L and I have been in Guadeloupe the last few weeks. We returned home on Easter Sunday. It was a lazy holiday, and I didn't take many pictures, but here is a small selection.

As usual we stayed at our friend Marie-Louise's place near Sainte-Anne.

One night Marie-Louise prepared a magnificent Choucroute alsacienne, which requires impressive logistics in the tropical climate of the Antilles.

One of the first beaches we visited was at Anse a l'Eau, which is noteworthy for the freshwater spring that emerges just above sea level at the far end of the beach.

The Musée Edgar Clerc located just outside of Le Moule displays various aspects of the lives of the Arawaks and Caribs who inhabited the island before Europeans arrived.

Canna Indica

Hymenocallis Caribaea

Spice vendor, Sainte-Anne.

Beach at La Coulée near St-François.

These little yellow birds feasted on raw cane sugar at our table every day, but looking at their severe expressions I wonder if they really enjoyed themselves.

Allée Dumanoir, part of the Route Nationale N1, just outside of Capesterre-Belle-Eau on our way to the Chutes de Carbet.***

Crossing a bridge on the national park trail leading to the second falls.

The 1st (125 m.) and 2nd (110 m.) falls of the Chutes de Carbet. Before the earthquake of 2004 you could go right up to the foot of the 2nd falls, but since then it is forbidden, due to the danger of rockfalls. We used to enjoy bathing in a thermal spring located next to the falls. One of these days I'll dig up a photo from those times to show you.

My Chinese Name

2007-03-10T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Friends,

When I was in Beijing a few years ago, my friends took me to have a personal name seal made by a "chop" carver. There was some discussion about which Chinese characters should be used, and I believe we finally settled on Ke-Li-Se or something like that. Now I wish I had asked what those characters represent in Chinese. I fear that they might mean something like "the one who carries the garbage out to the field" or "the village sex maniac". If there is a Chinese language specialist out there who can help me, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Yours truly,

A Walk in the Woods After the Snowstorm

2007-03-08T21:29:00.000-05:00

Last Friday we drove out to the hermitage in a howling blizzard, with no visibility and icy conditions on the highway. Just as we got there the storm ended.

Winter has filled the woods and covered the lake with a thick blanket of snow.

The little god of the birdfeeder looked a little cold.

When the sun came out, so did the snowshoes.

And off we trudged into the forest.

The woods were lovely, dark and deep. (Thanks, Robert)

But we had promises to keep.

Twenty Years Later

2007-03-05T21:27:00.000-05:00

(Drawing by A. Wysocki, 1974)
The next time I sat for a portrait was 20 years later, on the bench in front of the pear trees at the farmhouse of my spiritual mentor Michał Michalak in Kaszowo. This pen and ink drawing was done by Alfred right around the time he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. At this stage of my life I was 22 years old, had finished my B.A., had a 17 year-old girlfriend, and was spending the year contemplating what my next steps would be.

Guess Where This Is?

2007-02-22T09:08:00.000-05:00

Hint - shares the same saint's name as my parish church in Edmonton, but the resemblance ends there.

Canada in Afghanistan

2007-02-20T20:41:00.000-05:00

Why I am not against Canada participating in the war on the Taliban - the wanton destruction in March 2001 of this 3rd century Buddhist statue, part of the cultural heritage not only of Afghanistan but of all humanity.

Recent Additions to My iPod

2007-02-20T16:33:00.000-05:00

Brush With Fame

2007-02-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

My portrait painter, Eugenia Greinert, with Arthur Rubinstein, ca. 1955. The maestro is remembered, apart from his musical genius, for two quotes: "I have found that if you love life, life will love you back" and "Of course there is no formula for success except perhaps an unconditional acceptance of life and what it brings".

Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church, Smoky Lake

2007-02-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

No matter how modest or humble, the Ukrainian churches of Alberta have a heavenly quality about them. I find something inspiring in this architecture, and get great pleasure whenever I come across one of these old buildings while driving over the prairies.

1954

2007-01-31T18:28:00.000-05:00

(Eugenia Greinert, 1954)

Reflecting on my new directions, it took me a while to realize the importance of these old portraits, painted in a garret of the old MacDonald Hotel in Edmonton back in 1954. I have vague memories of the sittings, mainly of a sense of wonder, mystery and discovery. It may have been my first time ever in an attic, which may have influenced my later interest in archives and antiquities. It was also perhaps my first exposure to an artist.

When asked recently what I was going to do with the rest of my life I knew that I would continue my life-long search for the boy in these pictures, and let myself be guided by his innocence and curiosity.

(Eugenia Greinert, 1954)

A Couple of Endangered Species

2007-01-24T13:05:00.000-05:00

Sto Lat Wujku!

2007-01-23T13:04:00.000-05:00

On August 1, 1944, the 1st Polish Armoured Division, under the command of General S. Maczek, landed in France becoming part of the 1st Canadian Army in the 21st Army Group. In a series of operations, the 1st Armoured Division became the cork which closed the Allied gap at Falaise, through which German forces were escaping eastwards.

The Allies had managed to close the Falaise Gap, but a few small and dispersed openings remained to be plugged by the Canadians and Poles. The bulk of the 1st Armoured Polish Division to the east of the Canadian line occupied a wooded hill which General Maczek named "Maczuga" or "mace". Completely cut off from ground-delivered supplies of food and ammunition, it was here that the Poles intended to force the Nazis into submission. But there would be a battle of epic proportions.

Throughout August 20, German units able to slip past the Canadians, together with SS troops on the other side of the gap, stormed the Polish position ceaselessly. Surrounded, the Poles held fast until relieved the next day by the Canadian Grenadier Guards. In all, they lost 2,300 men. But in a stunning display of valour, the unwavering Polish soldiers had sealed the fate of the German forces in Normandy.

One of its veterans celebrated his 90th birthday on Jan. 22nd, 2007.

Howdy From Alberta

2007-01-21T18:01:00.000-05:00

The sun came up around 8:40 this morning.

The temperature was about -15 C.

Huskies with Ed.

Huskies ith me.

2007-01-21T16:50:00.000-05:00

Walking down Range Road 264.

The neighbours' ranch.

Snow meets sky on the adjacent quarter section.

The county has the world's best snow plow operators.

Looking southeast to where the sun rose this morning.

Decisions, Decisions (Again)

2007-01-15T10:15:00.000-05:00

Ed thinks we should buy this SUV. I admit it would be more practical than a pickup truck. We'd have to drive it back here from Alberta, though. That could be a adventure, especially in the middle of winter. The distance is 3,720 km. It would be the same trip I made in January, 1978, when I moved here, only that time I drove it alone. If I recall, the stops were Saskatoon (525 km), Winnipeg (777 km), Thunder Bay (692 km), Sudbury (1,219 km), and Ottawa (507 km).

Blizzard, Monday, 9:30 a.m., Temp. - 8 C

2007-01-15T10:01:00.000-05:00

Bleu

2007-01-11T08:42:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! Our new life in the country is much different from that in the city. For one thing, there's no high-speed Internet, which means there are fewer updates of this blog. I didn't make any new year's resolutions, but I think I will try to provide news more regularly and frequently.

Of course this is now being called the winter with no snow, but up the Valley there tends to be more of the white stuff than in town. We had a green Christmas this year, but a few days later it did snow. This is how things looked on Dec. 28th. at the corner where our concession road meet the highway.

There's an old Methodist church still standing there, built around 1914, but it is all boarded up and I don't think anyone ever uses it.

Our neighbours were out for a jog.

Blanc

2007-01-11T08:40:00.000-05:00

I've been keeping a spot near the dock free of ice so we can take a dip whenever we feel like it. It would be nice if we had an outdoor sauna or bania to warm up in after our ice bath.

This is what it was like just before Christmas. There was a lot of ice, but then it started raining. A good strong frost would have made perfect skating conditions, but that was not to be.

Ours is a spring-fed lake, and you can see in the pattern of the ice where the springs are.

New Year's Day brought freezing rain and a beautiful frosting of ice on the trees.

Rouge

2007-01-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

The houses in town were decorated for the holiday.

In winter the sun sets directly in front of our cottage, which faces south-west.

This is for the 50% of you who have been asking me to shave off my beard.

South-West.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2006-12-26T14:10:00.000-05:00

Two Good Reasons to Celebrate

2006-12-10T19:51:00.000-05:00

Lots of news this week. First we got our new fireplace insert installed on Monday. Then on Friday we signed the final papers, and, six months after taking possession, got the clear title and deed to our cabin in the woods. On Saturday we celebrated, by starting our first fire, and opening a bottle of Champagne.

It was a real challenge finding an insert that would fit into our 23" narrow stone fireplace. After a lot of research on the web I found this Regency I110, manufactured in Delta, BC. Despite its small size it still generates a good 55,000 BTUs of heat, and will take about 4 medium sized 18" logs.

I've got a feeling that this little slow combustion stove is quickly going to become the focal point of our country home.

After about 24 hours of burning, the stone fireplace finally got nice and warm, and even a small fire keep the whole house warm as toast.

My Retirement Dinner

2006-12-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

The world's best colleagues gave me a splendid send-off on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, at Mamma Theresa's. Among them a number that I am proud to have recruited and hired into the public service. I got a lot of nice presents and a few good speeches.

The Baptism of Radu

2006-12-06T20:59:00.000-05:00

Had I not been born a Pole, I would like to have been a Romanian.

The Silence of the Snow, Again

2006-12-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

Winter arrived on Friday, December 1, with the first heavy snowfall of the season. We had been hoping that our new fireplace insert would be installed that day, but the combination of freezing rain, ice pellets, and finally snow, made that impossible. As the temperature plummeted we prayed the electricity, our only source of heat, would not go out. After dinner we went out for a walk, and all around it was still and dark, except for the warm glow of lights from our house and our neighbours'.

Two days later it was still snowing. Looking at this picture you can almost hear the silence.

Thanks to Hydro-Québec it was nice and cozy in the house. Who wants to go back to the city on a day like this?

Thursday, Nov. 23, 2006

2006-11-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

Gapa and her pups, Kaszowo

2006-11-21T21:03:00.000-05:00

Noa Noa

2006-11-06T21:49:00.000-05:00

Nave Nave Fenua

Taaroa slept with the woman who calls herself Goddess of the Without (or of the sea). Of them are born the white clouds, the black clouds, and the rain.

Taaroa slept with woman who calls herself Goddess of the Within (or of the earth). Of them is born the first germ. Is born in turn all that grows upon the surface of the earth. Is born in turn the mist of the mountains. Is born in turn he who calls himself the Strong. Is born in turn she who calls herself the Beautiful, or the one Adorned-in-order-to-Please.

Mahoüi launches his pirogue. He sits down in the bottom. At his right hangs the hook, fastened to the line by strands of hair. And this line, which he holds in his hand, and this hook, he lets fall down into the depths of the universe in order to fish for the great fish (the earth). The hook has caught. Already the axes show, already the God feels the enormous weight of the world. Tefatou (the God of the earth and the earth itself) caught by the hook, emerges out of the night, still suspended in the immensity of space. Mahoüi has caught the great fish which swims in space, and he can now direct it according to his will. He holds it in his hand. Mahoüi rules also the course of the sun, in such a way that day and night are of equal duration.

Taaroa slept with the woman Ohina, the Goddess of the air. Of them is born the rainbow, the moonlight, then, the red clouds and the red rain.

Taaroa slept with the woman Ohina, Goddess of the bosom of the earth. Of them is born Tefatou, the spirit who animates the earth, and who manifests himself in subterranean noises.

Taaroa slept with the woman called Beyond-the-Earth. Of them are born the Gods Teirü and Roüanoüa. Then in turn Roo who sprang from the flank of his mother's body. And of the same woman were also born Wrath and the Tempest, the Furious Winds, and also the Peace which follows these.

And the source of these spirits is in the place whence the Messengers are sent.

International Harvester

2006-11-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

That's me on the farm around 1953. Ed was out there today, and saw the old International Harvester. Was it a Farmall? He wants to buy it from the present owners, and bring it out to his place. Maybe I'll go out there with him this winter to pick it up.

Cherhill today. Photo by Ed.

BIG NEWS!

2006-10-30T22:40:00.000-05:00

For those who have not yet heard, December 18 is the big day!

Preparing for Winter

2006-10-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday my neighbour Doug and his son Ken helped me pick up half a cord of firewood from Randy in town. It had been raining so the wood was wet, but we stacked in in a spot where it gets some sun and wind, and it dried our quite a bit in that gale we had on Sunday.

It was stacked nice and tight. There's some fine hardwood in there, maple, beech and oak, with a bit of birch. It's chopped just the right size for burning too.

Before we start burning, the chimney still has to be inspected. Ideally we'd like to get a cast iron stove with a rear vent, so we can send the stovepipe up the chimney. We'll need the advice of an expert before we can do that. Failing that, we'll just use the fireplace. While it won't be particularly efficient, the romance factor will be considerable. In the worst case the chimney will be in need of major repair, and we'll depend on the electric heating for the rest of the winter.

Cherhill, Alberta

2006-10-29T21:54:00.000-05:00

The old homestead near Cherhill, ca. 1950. My earliest memory is from the little house at left. I was walking from the sitting room into the kitchen. My grandmother's Singer sewing machine towered over me to the right. Just beyond it was a window full of golden sunlight. I guess I was about 3 years old.

Tsarist Officers in Kars

2006-10-25T03:38:00.000-04:00

Tsarist officers in Kars, northeast Turkey, April 3, 1910. My grandfather is sitting at left, sword in hand. It seemed appropriate to post this picture as I am reading Orhan Pamuk's Snow, a novel about a poet who arrives in Kars after 12 years in Germany, to be confronted by the backwardness of the growing Islamist movement as well as the right wing secular nationalists. Kars was much more cosmopolitan in my grandfather's day, containing a rich mix of Russians, Greeks, Kurds, Armenians, Turks, Azerbaijanis, and Turkmens. (Photo: S. Grammatikopulo, Kars)

The Silence of the Snow

2006-10-23T20:58:00.002-04:00

It's Sunday, October 22nd.

Louise has gone to sunny California.

I am left behind, all alone.

The day after she left...

in a bleak but beautiful expression of pathetic fallacy...

... it snowed.

Guadeloupe Getaway

2006-10-16T23:20:00.000-04:00

Please bare with me. This is a test.

2006-10-15T21:37:00.000-04:00

In Memoriam

Brat Stanisław

Zakonnik Zgromadzenia Braci Szkół Chrześcijańskich

Brat Stanisław Romuald Rybicki jest legendą Zgromadzenia Braci Szkół Chrześcijańskich, tzw. Braci Szkolnych. Ze zgromadzeniem przy ul. Pułaskiego brat profesor był od ponad 75 lat. Był w przeszłości prowincjałem zakonu, wykładowcą wyższych seminariów duchownych, wielu pamięta go jako nauczyciela polonistę w Niższym Seminarium Duchownym w Częstochowie i szkole sióstr Zmartwychwstanek. Zapisał się niezmiernie sympatycznie w pamięci wielu mieszkańców.

Face to Face in Pacific

2006-10-04T21:56:00.000-04:00

Between 11-15 September I was in BC to attend a regional directors' meeting. Before the meeting I visited a few of our sites in Vancouver and on the Island, and later headed for Harrison Lake. On the wayI visited the Chehalis River Hatchery and took this picture of some trout.

Summer was over, so it was fairly quiet at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa. The other groups meeting there were a nurses' association and sales staff from a national chain of linen shops. There were a few pensioners too, and some obligatory Japanese tourists.

Harrison Lake, BC.

Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa.

Benedictine Monastery, Mission, BC

2006-10-04T21:48:00.001-04:00

When our directors' meeting was over, Sylvain drove Alex to Langley and me to White Rock. On the way we stopped at Westminster Abbey, the Benedictine Monastery in Mission.

Gardens of the abbey.

"In order for man to be fully aware of what he is choosing, he must also be fully aware of what he is renouncing."

The abbey and monastery were built between 1951 and 1982. In the abbey the water fountain contained a piece of stone from the Benedictine Monastery at Monte Cassino.

Interior of the abbey.