Yesterday I received a letter from my cousin who lives in Switzerland.  Last year I went on a rather odd holiday.  I wanted to re-connect with my cousins.  My mother died late in 2012 and finally the last of those in the family picture were gone.  My mother was the youngest of 7 siblings.  She…

April is an equal opportunity month for complainers in Montreal     You can moan that it’s too wet Or that sunbeams make you sweat. You can whine about a cloud Or the snow bank that’s not ploughed When the temperature’s too high You’re allowed to heave a sigh As the rivers burst their banks…

This is the view from the corner of my street.  I like that I can see that beautiful Montreal landmark from my neighbourhood.  It looks as though I could just walk up the little hill and make a bee line for that dome, doesn’t it.  There are lots of obstacles between me and it though.…

Lovely morning, cool and misty with a bleary-eyed sun creeping up over the roof of the house.  Last night there was thunder and lightning and not the downpour we were forecast, but the face of my garden got a little wash-all to the good.  Many busy robins out on the street and rustling about in…

Lovely Lazarus Saturday yesterday and Palm Sunday today.  I love Lazarus Saturday and think it is at the same time very mysterious and joyful too.  I often wonder what sort of a life Lazarus led after he was resurrected and if he wasn’t a bit obsessed with the whole business.  I expect people were always…

Alligators in my garden!  Since the temperature is supposed to climb to 25 on Monday and then plummet to zero shortly after, who knows what creatures will emerge?  Some creatures are stirring over my head too.  I finally rented my little apartment and my very. … very. . . young tenants are installing their second-hand…

They’re here.  And look, another orange hockey ball from Stevie’s epic practice last fall.  I started the clean up yesterday and will work my way up to the fence today.  Maybe by tomorrow I’ll be able to open the back gate, frozen, packed with snow for so long and scramble out into the back lane. …

This is not a very beautiful picture but it’s pretty Canadian, eh?  I remember one cold afternoon when Stevie next door, determined to perfect his slap shot, sent quite a few zingers over the fence into my garden.  I wisely abandoned my fall leaf raking, gave it up as a bad job and retired to…

Here in the city we hardly notice the night sky but somehow tonight it imposes itself upon us.  It is a cold night for April.  The moon is struggling to grow larger.  It is very bright as it climbs up the night sky.  There are even a few brilliant stars that have pierced the light…

  Yes, I bring the cows here to drink morning and evening.  That White-Foot doesn’t always want to come.  Isn’t she thirsty, I wonder.  Brownie comes before I even give her the switch but isn’t it funny that White-Foot gives more milk.  Papa says she’s the best cow.  Thank God it’s getting warmer.  I love…