Tag Archives: Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving Day in Canada. It was originally held in November but the date was changed about 60 years ago so that it wouldn’t conflict with Remembrance Day which is held on November 11.

The history of this day of thanks, while related to British and European harvest festivals, is also said by historians to come from the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America during the 1579 voyage of explorer Martin Frobisher while he was in the Arctic looking for the Northwest Passage.

Another explanation is that French settlers, having arrived with Samuel De Champlain in 1604, held a thanksgiving feast with the neighbouring First Nations.

Whatever the history, the point is that we should recognise and appreciate the advantages that we have in life.

Many thanks.

Summer Fun

With school holidays drawing to a close, I decided to post a second photo of this lovely sculpture on Lake Okanagan’s shoreline in Penticton. (The first time I posted a picture of this sculpture was about five years ago.)

I remember well those seemingly endless summer breaks when all you had to do was play intensely and be sure to arrive home – during my childhood, at least – when the streetlights started to come on. I think this sculpture captures well the childhood sense of freedom that many of us were able to enjoy and is perhaps gone forever, replaced by caution and organisation.

Happy Monday.

Some Valentine’s Thoughts

Valentine’s Day can be a cute, lighthearted day, but I don’t like what has become of it. When I was in elementary school, it was fun to make cards, colour hearts and take them home for friends and family. There would likely be a few heart-shaped chocolates or a heart-shaped cake for dessert. It was a low-key, fun day.

Now, advertisers try to make us feel like moral degenerates if we don’t buy flowers, chocolates, restaurant meals and some sort of sexy present for our significant other, if we have one. It’s sort of, spend money, and spend THIS way, otherwise you don’t care about or love your people.

My M and I disagree. We don’t believe in giving special attention on just one day; we try to show it every day. We avoid going to restaurants or buying gifts for Valentine’s Day; the commercial demand that we celebrate in an “appropriate” way by spending money in a super-busy restaurant with over-worked staff who are serving up limp meals is not something on which we’re willing to spend money.

We would much rather go at a time of our choosing and really enjoy it. Give flowers at any time just because. Do little things and show in numerous ways how much we love and appreciate each other. Enjoy a chocolate heart.

But be guilted into a formulaic response so that big companies can collect money? No thank you.

What is your opinion?

The Road Home

On June 24, M and I left the Northwest Territories to head to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.

Here are a few photos from our drive west through the mountains. They aren’t terrific because I took them from a moving vehicle through the dirtiest windshield ever!

Mountain view.
Getting closer.
Young mountain sheep in Jasper National Park.
Here, they have the right of way.

We are home now, starting to relax into holiday mode after an extremely busy covid-related 15 months. It’s really hot (low 40s C) but I’m happy with that. The covid cases are continuing to drop, and I hope that we have seen the last wave.

Today’s #Photograph 18/Jun/21

Seats in the Sun Enjoy!#View my professional pictures here, where you can buy them as digital files, framed prints, canvas wraps, or Giclee art …

Today’s #Photograph 18/Jun/21

These bright yellow chairs sitting in the sun remind me that in about four days, I will be starting my holidays and heading to my home in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. For the most part, it will be a staycation. Looking forward to it.