tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307503772012-01-08T03:02:30.771-06:00I am pottery with philosophic guts. These are bits of things, bits of a life.Keiranoreply@blogger.comBlogger1791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-46003404201895973332012-01-01T20:44:00.003-06:002012-01-01T21:05:32.827-06:00

2012 at last! I haven't liked the looks of a year so much since 2008. I suppose I must appreciate numbers divisible by four. The year of 2011 was nothing to sneeze at, not only on a personal level (worst and most difficult year of my life) but also on a global scale . . . so incredibly many natural disasters, stunning me and sending the world into mourning. It was also a trying year for many of

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-34606763808605017622011-11-01T15:13:00.003-05:002011-11-01T15:26:49.782-05:00

This little fellow is bound for the compost heap. My nephew very sweetly gifted it to me after I admired it. Yes, Halloween has come and gone, with its preponderance of masks, sweets, and spooky noises. This year all I managed was a pair of pumpkins and a handful of decorative corn (thanks mom!), next year maybe I'll rustle up some cobwebs.While I'm on the topic of Halloween, I was thinking about

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-5946082766168914722011-08-01T18:16:00.001-05:002011-08-20T21:31:04.631-05:00

Language and I are having a quarrel. When I think how I have sometimes felt married to words, it is perhaps no surprise, it is perhaps inevitable. Words cannot always express what we have on our hearts. I've got to pin my hopes on the idea that this rift will mend and I'll once again be rather attached to my computer keyboard and my fingers will fly effortlessly over the alphabet, and what I

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-89745550856336370622011-07-23T22:28:00.001-05:002011-07-23T22:31:35.236-05:00

Why is memory such a slippery thing? Sometimes I wish I could remember everything: every word, every second of fleeting beauty nature has shared, every moment of exhilaration, every wonderful thing I have learned. But on the other hand do I want to remember all bad, unpleasant, or uncomfortable things? In some cases forgetfulness can be a blessing – for example the pain of childbirth, they say

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-53229857737731708602011-07-18T11:35:00.003-05:002011-07-18T11:55:11.743-05:00

The mood was set right from the parking lot where a parking attendant gleefully hula hooped at the same time she waved those orange directing cones around. Multi-talented! I immediately grabbed a jumbo lemonade to keep myself hydrated and found a space in the shade to park my things.Some highlights: singing along to Fred Penner singing Sandwiches are Beautiful and the Cat Came Back. Seeing the

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-25388018619302705522011-06-09T18:28:00.002-05:002011-06-09T18:31:10.111-05:00

There is a certain rabbit who haunts my lawn (with my welcome!), gobbling up dandelions stem to tip. Today during the hottest part of the day she positively lounged; she stretched over on her side in the shadow of the flowering crab and chilled like a beach bum. It brings back good memories of a story I began writing about a mangy, lonely rabbit called Bump. The only trouble is that the story

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-87144939104176133782011-05-16T10:36:00.000-05:002011-05-16T10:38:20.630-05:00

There was a bird sang all night long to spell away the darkness. A plain brown bird she was, and small, insignificant some would say, but her voice was something silvern and most beautiful. The voice from her would set the stars to shining keener and the moon to shake off its dust and glow mightily.One night I listened to her singing all the way til dawn. When the morning came she went to

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-77933519514944369772011-04-24T16:15:00.003-05:002011-04-24T16:29:41.199-05:00

This is not a neat, linear-type story, because during the past month my mind has not functioned in a neat, linear-type way. In turns I disbelieved in time, in my senses, in laws of physics, and ultimately in reality itself. I learned that almost all my fears were subservient to the ultimate fear of total mental shutdown. In turns I was utterly fearless in the face of death, of bodily

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-71752326532746472212011-04-23T20:56:00.010-05:002011-04-30T10:20:26.788-05:00

A long dark Lenten season. There is light at the end of the tunnel, however - don't go into the light! That isn't the mystical light of heaven, that brightness is only the fluorescent lights of an actual hospital, and it will damage your retinas if you don't blink. (An important thing that I learned over the last month.) Also: lock up the polydent in a mental hospital because some patients

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-54419341517297876082011-02-18T22:53:00.003-06:002011-02-18T23:04:33.736-06:00

My most recent travel scheme features Mongolia, Ethiopia, Iran, and a return to Turkey. For awhile I was obsessed with a magnificent archipelago in Norway, but I'd still like to save some of the “safer” countries for when I am older and potentially infirm and like to throw money around.My fascination with Mongolia is on the newer side of things and mostly has to do with the horse culture there.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-91944100392581168042011-02-09T10:26:00.005-06:002011-02-12T12:08:06.526-06:00

Bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, solanum dulcumara. All these delightful names refer to the same plant, which is a plant that has apparently invaded my woods. The names conjure up the image of a bearded apothecary or wise woman crushing things with a mortar and pestle, muttering recipes like incantations. It's the sort of plant that would have figured in my multi-volumed epic

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-41583728818735258722011-01-30T09:07:00.003-06:002011-01-30T09:24:21.457-06:00

I consider it my duty to milk my birthday as much as I can. Unfortunately I took no photos of last weekend, which was my first birthday celebration, and which involved snowshoeing, skating, collaging, hot-tubbing, and a bed made of lumberjacks. (Okay, maybe not that last thing.)This weekend there was a sort of surprise birthday get-together with a few of my nieces and nephews. Wonderful

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-34234563666256602922011-01-15T10:32:00.005-06:002011-01-15T10:37:43.879-06:00

It turns out the shrews were not so much new roommates as simply burglars. They came in, vacuumed the floors, stayed two nights to torment me, and then shortly thereafter, possibly driven out by paint fumes or else lack of food. I set up a series of elaborate traps but they are long gone. Hooray?Now I've just got to figure out how they got in and stuff it with steel wool or something.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-46286491597454217042011-01-07T13:22:00.003-06:002011-01-07T13:37:46.086-06:00

Happy New Year! I returned from my careless gamboling at my parent's cabin to find that I was now sharing my house with several other mammals. Unfortunately they are not mammals of the human variety.Apparently, despite their snaky little tails, their ability to climb, the way they run really really fast, the squeaking noises they make, and the way the sight of them indoors makes me jump up on a

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-22193312781871684482010-12-21T20:04:00.001-06:002010-12-21T20:07:05.730-06:00

My high hopes for observing the total lunar eclipse were dashed with a great dump of snow last night. I went to bed at midnight when the full moon was still shining but blurred into an abstract blob of light, but still had hopes it would clear by 2:00 am. When my alarm woke me I threw on several extra layers and bounded out onto my snowy porch and eagerly searched the sky. A fine snow pelted

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-63911951964757988862010-11-19T14:21:00.003-06:002010-11-19T14:29:13.057-06:00

The first snowfall is a blank page for the woods to write on. And the woods always has a lot of stories to write. That's why the murder shouldn't have been such a shock.This morning I got myself all long-johned and down-jacketed and scarved and mittened, and I cut around the back fence and through the little strip of forest between my current home and my future driveway, over that one pesky

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-3836136894941944452010-10-18T22:20:00.002-05:002010-10-19T08:51:50.201-05:00

Long did I follow the trail of feathers, asking myself who it was that stole off with the expired grouse? I followed the trail through the wind and saw clouds that would creep darkly over the lake, until the crow passed over me with a loud warning.Here, a bit of down caught on a stick, here long checkered quills amid the leaves, and there bright brown or delicate tints of grey and blue feathers,

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-20361143685295564182010-10-14T09:28:00.005-05:002010-10-14T09:35:11.862-05:00

The other night I had a dream. Normally I don't remember my dreams, only once in a blue moon, and they are usually quite dull, as if to make up for my over-active imagination in real life.This time I dreamed of the dystopian future!I have always wanted a dream set in the dystopian future. What was it like? It wasn't actually all that different. The dream began in Safeway, which is the first

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-4824168100709280422010-10-13T11:38:00.004-05:002010-10-13T11:59:35.473-05:00

The month of October has so far been a standoff between the weather and me. I never dreamed I'd still be living in the camper at this late date, but the weather has been heavenly for the last two weeks.Jupiter is unbelievable. Every night it burns with a bright and beautiful light, confident as a pearl. Coyotes yowl and yip as soon as it gets dark and I'm coming to enjoy it, though a part of

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-9287365223673051192010-09-21T11:39:00.001-05:002010-09-21T11:43:46.214-05:00

Harvest Moon Fest in Clearwater - frost settled on the outside of the tent, on the grass, and inside my bones. I haven't been camping in a long time, and never for a festival, so it was a new experience for me. We accidentally set up the tent in the party campground, too stupid to realize the quiet camping would not likely be set up two hundred yards from the main stage. DJs Co-Op and

Keiranoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-79239165246634696822010-09-14T13:04:00.003-05:002010-09-14T13:17:02.187-05:00

I haven't abandoned my blog; this lengthy silence was entirely against my will. A month ago my hard drive crashed, much to my horror, since I hadn't gotten around to backing up anything. I used to have some of my older documents on my old computer, but after reading Thoreau I went through a purge and decided to get rid of multiple possessions, including my old computer. So I'd deleted almost

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-68326605445143443312010-08-12T11:44:00.003-05:002010-08-12T11:49:38.254-05:00

Time to try and condense my weekend journal ramblings into something readable. To my immense delight I was able to road-trip it out to Regina for their Folk Festival last weekend, and it more than made up for not getting the full Winnipeg Folk Fest experience this year.For one: Patrick Watson! Last year at Folk Fest I fell head-over-heels from the instant those bouncy piano notes and drumstick

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-25005602587486258262010-07-15T21:54:00.003-05:002010-07-15T22:04:37.246-05:00

This year, finding the Folk Festival weekend largely squeezed out by a wedding and other family doings, I ended up going just on Friday.It was a lovely day. There is a special sort of happiness I feel only at Folk Fest, a bit like coming home after a long trip, but a home that only appears once a year, like a travelling castle in a story. I arrived there bright and early despite highway

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-78229786265069472872010-06-17T20:03:00.003-05:002010-06-17T20:09:14.959-05:00

It's difficult to write about progress when none of it is physical. My site had dried out nicely for about two days when the next batch of rains came, and now it's soupy again. I might start planting marsh flowers and swamp grasses and just roll with it.What passed off as research for straw bale building was mostly, I discovered, simply websites with people gushing about how wonderful

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-18878530057536680192010-05-22T21:48:00.005-05:002010-05-25T09:03:26.667-05:00

The merry month of May is less "merry" at a greenhouse as rather "totally insane". Last weekend I nearly lost my mind in the heat and crowds, this weekend brought scattered clouds and steady breeze to relieve us, and the people in the long lineups were jovial and helpful, but still I ached for silence and proper footwear.In other news . . . *happiness*After the heavy rains of a few weeks past, my

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-35613203090540896282010-05-04T21:44:00.003-05:002010-10-26T11:00:52.739-05:00

Puddles are forming everywhere. I want to jump into words as if they were puddles. The spring months have surprised us, as if they swapped name tags and order of appearance. Today I crawled under damp benches and upset clammy threads of weeds, my fingers rooting in earth and wood chips like worms. I played on a great pile of dirt that turned to mud in the drizzle, potting up slips of birch.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-1721381071142745612010-04-26T21:03:00.003-05:002010-04-26T21:44:15.762-05:00

Suddenly all of the bushes and trees are turning lime and green with buds bursting open and catkins glowing in the sun and there is no denying spring has arrived. Just as suddenly, hardly knowing how, I also have a timber frame company and a designer for my house, so I guess it actually is happening! And it had better be finished by winter, since the campers my dad and I were looking at today

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-79259384295260506512010-04-11T16:55:00.004-05:002010-04-11T16:58:36.448-05:00

I didn't intend to let so much time go by in between posts. I started a new job, though, so it isn't entirely unexpected. A swath of forest is bulldozed and construction on my driveway has begun. The woods are suddenly disorienting. The poplars along the new road seem quieter and more frail, and the road is mirrored by a path of unobstructed sky. I also felt a little guilty as I heard the

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-82601070549057295282010-03-27T18:53:00.002-05:002010-07-21T21:23:15.362-05:00

The Queen's Staircase, NassauWe flew to Nassau a day before our flight home to take in the more touristy sights there. Hilary had a list of places she wanted to see so we let her drag us around for a day. The best of these sights would have been the Queen's Staircase, a 102-feet high set of limestone steps leading out of a sort of canyon chiseled out by slaves as an escape route for British

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-42022015025694694582010-03-23T15:41:00.005-05:002010-03-23T16:10:45.091-05:00

Okay, we only saw one. I named him (or her, possibly) Remington. As we were getting ready for bed one night I heard a shriek, and the girls called me over to squish a creature on the wall. To my delight - well, it wasn't unmixed delight since I was the teeniest bit frightened at first too – it was a scorpion. Instead of prematurely ending his adorable curly-tailed life, I coaxed him into a

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-91988315652556243552010-03-21T15:14:00.006-05:002010-03-22T08:55:27.288-05:00

Mt. Alvernia is the highest point in all of the Bahamas, a fact of which Cat Islanders are very proud. They are also proud of Father Jerome, who came in the early 1900s and built a hermitage on the mountain. Father Jerome, aka Monsignor John Hawes, was not only an Anglican priest, but an architect as well. He built beautiful churches in the Bahamas before heading to Australia, where he did

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-53786617892682204242010-03-18T10:43:00.007-05:002010-03-22T08:55:09.183-05:00

One day we decided to rent a car and explore the island from bottom to top. Hilary was our intrepid driver, steering faithfully on the left side of the narrow road, sometimes a little close to the bushes and trees for my comfort, as my window was open. Despite a noticeable lack of flashlights, we decided to enter a small cave with a sign outside that read “BAT CAVE”, making me think of the old

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-40890414335890072442010-03-16T22:00:00.004-05:002010-03-16T22:22:06.314-05:00

I lied. I'm not going to be writing about my trip today, because I just got back from a workshop/meeting and I'm too stoked to think about anything else. I met one of the members of an off-grid community south of Steinbach, so I think I'll be taking a tour of that place really soon. It sounds fantastic - the work of many imaginative people who are different enough to be truly interesting.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-5307065038670791692010-03-15T23:46:00.004-05:002010-03-22T08:54:41.498-05:00

This trip was a sort of reunion with two old friends of mine, Hilary, who lives in Alberta, and Anna, from Saskatchewan. It was Anna's mad scheme, and after a few short flights we found ourselves on Cat Island, serenely and quietly placed in the Atlantic and referred to as one of the Out Islands of the Bahamas.Cat is a small, unassuming island consisting mostly of tangled swamps and scattered “

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-39894693468810117182010-03-11T11:10:00.004-06:002010-03-22T08:54:16.382-05:00

Stay tuned for more photos and stories . . .

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-42504768634559171152010-02-28T21:38:00.003-06:002010-02-28T21:52:47.681-06:00

As much as I adore winter, it goes on about two months too long here. Thus, I am heading off for warmer climes tomorrow, so if there are no posts in the next ten days, it's because I am preoccupied with swimming in the ocean or building sand castles. Cat Island, here I come! Birthplace of Sidney "they call me MISTER Tibbs" Poitier, land of . . . okay, that's all it's really famous for. But it

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-51257096221955370462010-02-26T15:18:00.003-06:002010-02-26T16:22:33.409-06:00

surveying (the blurry dark figure at the end of the tape is my brother)polypores!little nest in a little oakfiery dogwooddeer fur

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-21392174132117269292010-02-26T13:13:00.001-06:002010-02-26T13:15:53.233-06:00

One subdivision meeting later, and I am one step closer to having 'a bit of earth' of my own. Yesterday I went to visit the 8 acre patch of woods which are soon to be mine. Plunging through the knee-deep snow, I followed the deer trails through the tangled woods. In no time at all I startled a gang of them; I say gang because it wasn't large enough to be called a herd, exactly, there were maybe

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-25105769436221298202010-02-21T16:33:00.005-06:002010-02-21T17:00:13.125-06:00

"Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations" - ThoreauIn my travels I did find that to be very true! There were several times I got good and lost in several cities around the globe, and it turned out to be some of the best experiences of all. So I found that quote true on

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-974106274793721532010-02-17T23:08:00.002-06:002010-02-17T23:11:51.884-06:00

We are entering the season of shadow, the season of the pinched belly. A darkness has fallen and we are without light. Like children, we must link our hands and plunge into the deep dark woods, though there is no light to guide us. What an adventure! What danger! But where a light would distance us from the darkness and make an enemy of it, we are now hemmed in by it. Darkness was, after

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-12780241958093216862010-02-16T15:52:00.006-06:002010-02-16T16:20:40.730-06:00

Walking into Fort Gibralter one is greeted by a myriad of weird and wonderful snow sculptures.Then there are some competitions. Apparently ankle-wrestling is a fierce competitive sport?!?The fashion is all very exciting.Spooky.And of course the fur trade is a huge part of our heritage. Plus, coyotes eat peoples' pets and farm animals. Might as well protect ourselves and turn our foes into

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-3254279164673562312010-02-06T23:54:00.002-06:002010-02-06T23:58:05.062-06:00

Candlelight is the most honest light. Nothing in our face or soul shies away from it; we are free to reveal our light and shadow within and without, the pits and angles of our faces, the crags and hillocks of our souls. It is not for us to know the whole.Sorrow and joy, like waves, crest and fall over us for no apparent reason. Science with all the mystery taken out of it has no origin tale to

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-33532725206166589502010-01-10T18:43:00.004-06:002010-01-10T19:00:59.065-06:00

Kerouac has given the world a list: Belief and Technique for Modern Prose. Number 29 reads "You're a Genius all the time". And number 6 is "Be crazy dumbsaint of the mind". I am thinking of becoming a genius for the month of February, but getting meals for myself will interrupt productive time, so this is a problem. I wish one could soak up nutrients through cigarettes, and then I would learn

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-21137986814788427972009-12-10T08:56:00.003-06:002009-12-10T09:00:51.554-06:00

My brother-in-law recently provided me with an African spear, for the comfort of having it next to me at night when things go bump or I hear strange knocking at the door at 5:00 am. Now I've taken to brandishing it at the squirrels who menace my birds. No question: I will not be a crazy cat lady when I'm 70. However, this is little comfort compared to the knowledge that I am, at 26, a crazy

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-67471153326541735592009-11-18T15:22:00.002-06:002009-11-26T11:42:10.906-06:00

I have seen four ravens roosting in a bare birch tree, chuckling together over the path I have chosen, and found the bushwacking young buck turning sound into fear. A lone duck sails through the freezing waters, bobbing her head for momentum. This is life at the lake.The wolves are out now, howling in packs at dusk; November is crisp and comet-filled. Needle-beaked nuthatches light on your

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-36037684217554173952009-10-31T09:49:00.001-05:002009-10-31T09:49:57.508-05:00

All Hallow's EveMost Christians are not offended by Halloween and instead see it as a fun time to dress up and act silly. In the Christian calendar it's the day before All Saints' Day, a sort of Remembrance Day for the honoured departed. My guess is that the Mennonites (my background denomination) gave this all up during the split with the Catholic Church, and chose largely to ignore Saints

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-79268805822105590962009-10-21T10:42:00.002-05:002009-10-21T10:45:58.916-05:00

Thoughts of OctoberOctober, so far you have brought me mist on the lake, racket-making grouse in the bushes, orange meteor-flames across the early dark sky, the changing colour of trees, and rocks appearing from the ground. You have gifted me with a first silent snow, ice-skinned puddles and teasing winter winds, geese bobbing on the shoreline of the waters, and hordes of ducks riding the cold

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-89429356677960790072009-09-22T15:02:00.004-05:002009-09-22T15:23:24.979-05:00

Autumnal Equinox (or, the Last Hurrah of John Barleycorn)It's a glorious day, this first official day of autumn. The fall nip is in the air but the ripening sun softens it. Everything is moving and breathing in the stirring winds, and life quickens as it prepares to die. This morning I went on a long hike along the trans-Canada trail. The little folk rushed about in the bushes, and a plump vole

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-58992499567601777222009-09-10T16:27:00.003-05:002009-09-10T17:14:37.161-05:00

August was completely mad, September is the new summerOne would think a "hermit" living in the woods wouldn't get much socializing done, but that's only if that hermit doesn't have a car or thirteen nieces and nephews whose birthday parties nearly all seem to fall within a few days of each other. I have changed diapers, wiped snot, read Dr.Zeuss and The Littles chapter books alike, made five

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-20638677077865712282009-08-10T08:20:00.003-05:002009-08-22T08:02:57.034-05:00

Life, World Order, ConsumptionIt begins with a seed. Tell me: who owns the seed of life? Who has rights to the specks in the clouds, the great masses of potential swirling in wind currents high above the deserts of the ocean?Everything points to seed as a gift from God. Creation itself is a sower; from the wind which makes parachutes of some seed, birds and animals which are first nourished by

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-79414668139220639352009-07-21T09:54:00.006-05:002009-08-09T12:01:42.970-05:00

Summer ReadingIt has been an eclectic summer so far, my reading all cobbled together from books others gave me to read, books I saw in someone else's bookshelf and wanted to read, books I ordered specifically to read, and books that found me.I'll list a few of the winners.Stolen Innocence, a skin-crawling account of how religion can go awry. This is not a heart-warming novel to return to again

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-73918705690855647452009-07-12T23:14:00.003-05:002009-07-13T00:04:47.484-05:00

Winnipeg Folk Fest 2009 or: I wish I was a sailor so I could meet mermaidsEvery year, it seems, my account of the folk fest becomes more spare. Perhaps I no longer feel the need to write about every costumed person I see, or take detailed notes on all the performers. Still, I am happy to report that all the most important recurring Dancing Persons appeared this year: Hands, who I have taken

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-40201217814664954282009-06-14T08:42:00.002-05:002009-06-14T09:08:40.340-05:00

The AftermathSummer has finally come: I believe it only because the leaves are green and I got my first mosquito bites. We haven't had the most glorious of springs; first there was the flood, then the constant rain which made it difficult and sometimes impossible for farmers like my father to seed the fields, even after the floodwaters had receded.On the other hand, the crummy weather has

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-13218721318256424472009-04-27T07:03:00.000-05:002009-04-27T07:04:26.713-05:00

Renaissance Voices presents "Parody and Whimsy"Choral hijinks, farce and fanciful fun, including the Missa "Sonus Musicae" by the 16 century nun and noted jam maker Sister Veronica von Dieselheim, lovingly rescued and restored by British composer Michael Mullin.Location and Time: First Presbyterian Church, 61 PicardySunday, May 3, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.Tickets: $15, $10 for students, available at

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-71468426844947088002009-04-16T12:17:00.005-05:002009-04-21T16:10:45.504-05:00

The Flood – Unedited (my apologies)A flood, like any natural disaster, is difficult if not impossible to imagine if you have never lived through one. Some disasters are quick strikers, taking out buildings and trees in the space of a few seconds. They give you no time to think, to hope, scarcely to fear, until the aftermath.Floods are different. They are a psychological battle long before the

Keiranoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-33582659142657632772009-04-12T11:41:00.002-05:002009-04-12T11:49:23.651-05:00

Easter Sunday - He Is Risen"Who can conceive of the love of Jesus, that it is not the mildly good whom finally he calls, but the abject and the dead? But resurrection never could be for the living. It is nothing for the living. It is only for the dead. Yet for the dead, it is everything."- Walter Wangerin Jr., The Orphean PassagesYesterday the sun went down in a bruised and bloody sky. This

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-62794114155322905922009-03-26T16:17:00.003-05:002009-03-26T16:28:45.303-05:00

Organologydedicated to my favourite ethnomusicologistSchutz was horrified to discover that the dubious classification of "aerophones" "woodwinds" and "ideophones" had entered into mainstream collective consciousness. In fact, he was so upset that he telephoned his good friend Petra, well past midnight, to rant. He first fired off several choice profanities in German. Petra assumed that Schutz

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-1606024862252603832009-02-25T09:24:00.001-06:002009-02-25T09:28:29.180-06:00

Ash WednesdayT.S. EliotBecause I do not hope to turn againBecause I do not hopeBecause I do not hope to turnDesiring this man's gift and that man's scopeI no longer strive to strive towards such things(Why should the agèd eagle stretch its wings?)Why should I mournThe vanished power of the usual reign?Because I do not hope to knowThe infirm glory of the positive hourBecause I do not thinkBecause

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-28625513102935805942009-02-23T18:46:00.002-06:002009-02-23T19:01:26.241-06:00

February Fellinto some sort of black hole. Where's it gone, eh? Where's that month gone?Now that I am attending an Anglican church, I have realized that the Lenten season is upon us. Hopefully I will be musing (in type) along those lines later on in this week.My firewood is running low. I am hoping most of the coldest weather is behind us.My New Year's resolution was buried near the end of

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-14900605139614103942009-01-07T22:46:00.003-06:002009-01-07T23:13:26.150-06:00

Happy New Year, all you wonderful bits of stardust and ocean salt!The first week of 2009 has been lovely "here at the quiet limit of the world", and I am optimistic for the ones ahead. Though I am drowning in snow! It began snowing at midnight on New Year's, as my siblings and I dodged the fireworks exploding alarmingly close to our heads, and it didn't stop snowing for about three days.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-79525001064494075372008-12-08T13:56:00.003-06:002008-12-09T23:31:55.513-06:00

A Very Inconvenient Truth Identity, cause-and-effect, personal growth, what it means to be a Christian, responsibility to the world and to others. These are the running themes of my year, of 2008. They are all connected. Advent is a good time for reflection. I've ruminated around the world and back again. I ran from and to God - from Thailand to Scotland and back to Canada.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-3523505556428794332008-12-02T09:34:00.003-06:002008-12-02T09:55:52.591-06:00

Winter Wildlife JournalIn the Whiteshell, winter seems to reveal more than it conceals. I have been keeping a wildlife journal of every creature I spot here - mostly that's birds but also includes red and silver foxes, a variety of deer, and what seems like dozens of squirrels. Last week I heard the ghostly chorus of wolves echoing across the frozen lake. Guess I'll start carrying pepper

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-83843314730455173882008-11-10T11:01:00.002-06:002008-11-10T11:04:05.726-06:00

Reflections in a Stable, Advent Concert by Renaissance VoicesFriday, December 5 and Saturday December 6Young United Church, 8 p.m. (both evenings)Again this year, Renaissance Voices present a concert of music for the season which is both reflective and celebratory. We will feature Esther Beresford's "Christmas Songs without Words", together with music which captures some of the scenes in the

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-67952454201155253342008-11-03T20:17:00.002-06:002010-10-26T11:20:28.932-05:00

I'm on the pavement thinking 'bout the government . . .Okay, Bob didn't sing Subterranean Homesick Blues, but nevertheless the concert was perfect. The band was fantastic, Dylan rocked that keyboard, and I even understood a lot of the lyrics! Many familiar songs were delightfully turned on their heads, so I never knew what to expect next. There was even, to my intense joy, the appearance of a

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-26867810382572457322008-10-21T08:41:00.004-05:002008-10-30T09:34:01.237-05:00

OH FORTUNA, VELUT LUNA. . . ever waxing, ever waning.I am enslaved to Carmina Burana this week. Two rehearsals, one dress rehearsal, five performances, one very crowded orchestra pit. It's wonderful. Beyond the obvious joys of actually singing this immense piece, we are situated inside the pit a mere arm's length away from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, meaning surround sound to the fullest

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-51365173109392318542008-10-08T09:38:00.003-05:002010-10-26T11:21:13.699-05:00

"Whatever Happened to Bosun Keira?"was the question lately asked by one of my nephews, saddened by the fact that I hadn't come round to play pirates for a few weeks. He is the captain, his two year old brother first mate, his dad the admiral, and his mom the harbour master. I was co-captain for awhile but then realized I needed something other than an imaginary position, so I became bosun.The

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-18830628317087445142008-09-25T10:18:00.003-05:002010-10-26T11:14:57.955-05:00

View From The WindowsThe stars don't belong to anyone. They can't. If they cut up the sky and sell it in pieces my heart will break, and I'm not being sentimental. Fine, I am, a little.Outer space is getting cluttered. By this I mean only the region which is visible to us since the universe is actually quite big and it would be difficult to fill it up. But as I child I can't recall seeing

Keiranoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-87386542286432999382008-09-06T10:22:00.005-05:002010-10-26T11:16:26.941-05:00

As I lay on the shores of the North Sea . . .This is my brain. My brain is sea foam - salty, porous, dulled by overmuch floating.Now what I need: I need the strength and sharpening that comes from honing one's wit and thoughts upon another's. I have listened and observed for six months, being The Observer, The Narrator, floating in and out of the worlds of other people. It is time to be a

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-36407106020190514292008-08-27T20:07:00.004-05:002010-10-26T11:39:55.824-05:00

What is it like to be home, after all that, after everything I've done and seen? I have walked so many miles under foreign skies, that every time I walk anywhere now, there is a second layer to things, a constant video in my mind of places I've laid my feet before, it hums persistently in my brain, behind my eyes. I wonder if it's here to stay or if it will fade, given time. So I can walk down

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-46051353656733681182008-08-12T09:38:00.004-05:002010-10-26T11:18:29.268-05:00

Storytime is coming soon, my dears . . .I totally owned the road, oh yeah (Chiang Mai, Thailand)my pen-demanding little friends (Pushkar, India)Sunset point (Jaisalmer, India)Hanuman wearing a fetching pink cloak (Bhaktapur, Nepal)I grew monster muscles (Sherkole, Ethiopia)(Sherkole, Ethiopia)

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-33199295573627894332008-07-14T12:17:00.004-05:002010-10-26T11:19:45.046-05:00

BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH SOUL!!. . . is the advice I took away from the Winnipeg Folk Fest this year, courtesy of one truly funky band. I also took away very soggy shoes, a tummy ache from eating a whales tail for the first time, and a couple of awesome cds including one from the inspiring Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Basia Bulat's one and only album.For the first time in festival HISTORY the Main Stage

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-75474148909167292242008-06-27T06:21:00.004-05:002010-10-26T11:41:03.541-05:00

Mange Mes Briefs, Stonehenge!Yesterday I went to see the Callinish Standing stones on the Isle of Lewis. And let me tell you, they are about 25x cooler then Stonehenge, which I dimly recall peering at through an exceptionally ugly fence while loads of other tourists walked around with headsets barely glancing at the stones themselves, so intent were they in listening to the theories of why the

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-36088941659182402492008-06-26T05:32:00.003-05:002010-10-26T11:23:00.191-05:00

Probably no one checks this anymore. But this is just a note to let anyone who stumbles across this page know that it will shortly be resurrected, as I am back in the prairies in a matter of days!Behold, I am in the Outer Hebrides, lashed by wind and cold rain. (well not right now because I'm in the public library in Stornoway). I have only a few days to make my way all the way down to London

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-7212800688814156632008-04-30T09:52:00.003-05:002010-10-26T11:23:43.387-05:00

No, I haven't been kidnapped and buried in a Turkish cistern.In fact, since my last post, I spent a month or so in a refugee camp in Ethiopia, visiting my sister and her family. Now I'm in wonderful Istanbul, soon to be heading to Amsterdam. This trip is really getting away from me! I may post a better description of each country (with exciting pictures) once I get home, or excerpts from my

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-4129492549892453562008-03-07T04:58:00.003-06:002010-10-26T11:25:02.764-05:00

What My Mind Does in Pokhara By MyselfI get tired so early here. I could go to sleep at 7:00 pm. The mountain air makes me sleepy, I think. Traveling makes my stomach feel funny. My English skills decay. Why can't I learn every language? If you an speak a language someone else can't, it gives you power over that person. Mostly if there's two people who can speak it though. They can talk

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-5590141906868738482008-03-05T04:32:00.004-06:002010-10-26T11:25:46.944-05:00

INDIA AND NEPALthe exquisite Taj Mahal, deservedly a wonder of the worldview of Kathmandu, prayer flags everywhere you lookthe hike to the World Peace Pagoda, PokharaI'll be in Ethiopia in ten days - Thailand seems like a distant memory of some lovely vacation - India and Nepal have been harder work! Ripped off by rickshaw drivers in Delhi, singing along with my sikh driver to Hindi pop songs,

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-10665020734023429882008-02-08T01:29:00.001-06:002010-10-26T11:26:30.333-05:00

The night bazarreMe at Huay Tung Thao, a lovely lake northwest of Chiang Mai - you can't really tell but I'm on a mat of reeds and bamboo right over the waterone of the many lovely views at Huay Tung Thaofood for the gods/ancestors quickly becomes food for ants . . .

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-10213207880334134912008-02-03T21:05:00.001-06:002010-10-26T11:27:15.070-05:00

a templemy beach hut!my birthday partynew friendsgirls at the Flower Festival

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-77553154853619688432008-02-03T20:43:00.000-06:002008-02-03T21:22:13.598-06:00

Thailand, SuckersFor those of you not on my emailing list, you're missing out. But I thought I'd throw you a bone anyway and let you know I am alive and kicking in Chiang Mai, Thailand. After nearly losing my mind (or, indeed losing a large chunk of it, actually) on the ridiculous flights to Bangkok, I somehow found my way to the south east island of Ko Phangan where I spent the better part of

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-67634732371186555792008-01-15T19:20:00.000-06:002008-01-15T19:29:48.821-06:00

Do Not Touch Any Doubtful ThingThese are words truly to take to heart. I will take this handy slogan with me on my travels.Due to unforeseen circumstances (namely, of procrastination and a hurriedly approaching but largely unorganized/unplanned five month trip), the previous post will not be continued. Really the title says it all anyway. To sum up: we had a jolly-good, balaclava-clad, hooting

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-77099552074787142502008-01-09T09:37:00.000-06:002008-01-09T10:07:42.093-06:00

The Christmas We Almost Fell Through the Ice in a Homemade SledIt was a splendid Christmas and New Year's. 2008 is such a warm and welcoming number. Not to mention it's dashingly streamlined. My siblings and I invented several new ways to go sledding. My oldest brother (Garth) both created "glut-skiing" and gave it that delightful name. This sport involves an old pair of wooden water skis,

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-51036683072963619942007-12-24T15:19:00.000-06:002007-12-24T15:41:56.472-06:00

See How the Grass is Clothed in WhiteGatherings, geography, lists and lists, dates and times. The longest flight I've ever been on was seven hours. In a few weeks I'll be breaking that personal record with a whopping twelve and a half hour flight from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Will I go insane? Stay tuned for that information. Pray for me in my hour of need, pray that a magical seatmate will

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-21100736835969693432007-12-10T20:37:00.000-06:002007-12-10T20:46:26.825-06:00

Scandinavian Book of SongsLars and the Real Girl was a beautiful movie. I saw it last night and then spent all day today writing songs. I wrote five songs, at least demos anyway. They don't have anything to do with the movie on the surface, but the emotion is there, I suppose.One of them is called Baldir and the White Fox. It's actually just a short story set to music. Then there's one about

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-53494313235797210292007-11-30T08:40:00.000-06:002007-11-30T09:14:49.910-06:00

Transit of Venus Before I begin writing about this opera, I wish to stress the fact that this was the very first opera I have attended - I am no qualified critic or opera snob. With that in mind, I was not analyzing every musical technique, or the strength of the themes, or even the language. It was all wide-eyed innocence and wonder. So if you were there, and you thought the orchestra

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-68033410972124436262007-11-12T16:11:00.000-06:002007-11-12T16:51:36.997-06:00

The lack of snow has enabled me to experience autumn in a leisurely fashion. And where better to embrace the spirit of fall but down in the old Scratching River reserve of my childhood? I wandered my parents' yard searching for the last of the flowers and examining seed pods and dying things. Bare limbs knocked together, dried leaves clacked on their shrunken stems, and the wind hissed through

Keiranoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-234396778679823242007-11-01T22:42:00.000-05:002007-11-01T22:56:36.550-05:00

RENAISSANCE VOICES PRESENTS: Wolcum Yole!An evening of choral music, including Britten's wonderful Ceremony of Carols with harp, to usher in the season.Friday November 30Saturday December 1Young United Church, 222 Furby St. 8 PMAs always, we'll warm you up with mulled wine or cider. Cafe seating. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20, $10 for students, available at McNally Robinson

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-23338582045977500712007-10-30T23:21:00.000-05:002007-10-30T23:40:44.806-05:00

Ah, who shall soothe these feverish children?Lest you think my life is all about dolls now, I will put your mind to rest. This week it is all about music. I am singing Ralph Vaughan Williams' Sea Symphony with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra this weekend. (Not just me, of course, but with the Philharmonic choir and several of my Renaissance Voices choir mates as well as a few free agents).

Keiranoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-2055354956137180892007-10-30T22:48:00.000-05:002007-10-30T23:20:19.835-05:00

This is Gwyn. She aspires to princesshood.Strange face With your eyes So pale and sincereUnderneath you know well You have nothing to fearFor the dreams that came To you when so youngTold of a life Where spring is sprung(Nick Drake, from Cello Song)

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-83112970911097727862007-10-27T00:50:00.000-05:002007-10-27T15:12:04.855-05:00

Without further ado, may I introduce you, my readers, to my most recent creations:. . . Judge Bates: first name, Norman. His good eye is occasionally used for hypnotism.Judge Bates and his new pal, Captain Saint-John (pronounced "Sin-jinn" as the character in Jane Eyre) a.k.a. "Diamond Jinn"I haven't finished their wardrobes yet but people kept pestering me for pictures, so here they are.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-58979540038447697042007-10-23T13:58:00.000-05:002007-10-23T14:02:23.301-05:00

"I Wouldn't Hurt a Fly"I am proud to announce the completion of my first doll - Judge Bates. I need to figure out how to make him a nice set of judges robes and finish his wig and then I will unleash him upon the world. Some will scream. Some will be delighted. Stay tuned for a picture of him in a matter of days . . .

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-56563285420626102002007-10-19T00:15:00.000-05:002007-10-19T00:28:10.225-05:00

Dreamy Nightmare Happy Time Dolls . . .. . . is possibly the name of the collection of knitted dolls I am currently working on. Alright - I confess I have only just begun my first doll. I have almost two completed sides of what currently appears to be flayed skin. But once it is stuffed and equipped with appendages, hair, and facial features, it will most certainly be a delightful creature.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-88987613566465711252007-10-10T22:52:00.001-05:002007-10-10T23:07:08.414-05:00

Entire worlds of creatures stroll across our skin, squat in our mouths, and surf through our canals of blood. The cosmos! These bacteria communicate with each other and with other species of bacteria - it's absurd. Right under our noses (literally!), millions of them, and we can't even hear them. It's like having tiny little pets that you can't see, hear, and don't have to take for walks. If

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-46429161643978415692007-10-05T16:37:00.000-05:002007-10-05T16:58:24.089-05:00

The United States of Von RiesenlandMy first piece of knitting (knitwork?) was an interesting mess. It looked sort of like a flag for the made up country of the title, which is me. Some parts looked neat and made sense, but there were wonky places where threads warped - I missed a stitch or two, creating interesting windows to look through (they seemed like holes but they were windows). Some of

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-42765804253163608872007-09-29T23:43:00.001-05:002007-09-30T00:01:32.663-05:00

Tin Foil: This Century's Aphrodisiac?The other day as I was driving, I noticed the car in front of me was all covered in tin foil. How odd, I thought. The stoplight turned red and I as I stopped behind them, I saw the driver and passenger lean to the middle and kiss quickly and sweetly - an affectionate peck - and then lean back to their respective places. I only saw their silhouettes, and it

Keiranoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-26399360327223045232007-09-25T08:39:00.000-05:002007-09-26T00:00:48.059-05:00

Poem for a Bicycle Thiefjoyit wasfreedom it wasair on my cheeksthe eyes of neighboursdarkit wassneakyit wasa low down thingfor you to do(o you poor bicycle thief)it wascash parts for youwhile for meit was childhood memoriessqueaky brakesmismatched gear shiftsi can buy another bikecan you buy some dignity?enjoy your dough sicko* I formally apologize to anyone anticipating the mushroom pictures.

Keiranoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-86080216239814416872007-09-23T14:37:00.000-05:002007-09-23T14:42:47.629-05:00

Oh what a feeling / when we're dancing on the ceilingLately, for who knows what reason, 80s music has been making me very happy. Is it the absurd lyrics (eg: kiss my sassafrass), the driving bass and drums, synthetic keyboard stylings? Perhaps it is all these things, and the mental image this music calls to mind: the big hair, the neon makeup, the bizarre clothing.For my next post I will try to

Keiranoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-33068758439742139322007-09-20T08:35:00.000-05:002007-09-20T08:38:38.361-05:00

Time may change me . . . but I can't change timeI am back in Winnipeg, for those of you who didn't know, and I have access to high speed internet (yay!) but not on my own computer yet (boo!) hence no frequent posting. By next week it should be up and running and once again I will regularly delight you all with thoughts and tall tales and medium sized ones.And if you live nearby me I can bike to

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-58257200874999720982007-09-11T17:19:00.000-05:002007-09-11T18:50:57.744-05:00

Noah's ark came to my house one dayI love old, often weird, toys. Anything with a lot of character, something you don't see at every store today. The following are some examples of what I mean:This rather alarmed looking dog was handcrafted by my Auntie "JoJo" and I found her today, to my great delight, as I was rummaging through a closet. (The dog, not my aunt, that is. Stupid pronouns).Here

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-27160497154747211252007-09-01T13:20:00.000-05:002007-09-01T13:46:47.536-05:00

Monkeys in my heart / are rattling their cagesAutumn is deliciously melancholy, and it is just around the bend of the wind and wrestling amidst the roots of the poplars.I have picked many apples this week. I am an apple-picker. They were surprisingly un-wormy, and the birds pecked at a few, but I just cut around the brown nibbled spots. There were little black beetles here and there. On one

Keiranoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30750377.post-86955647615041948112007-08-20T13:15:00.000-05:002007-08-20T14:17:44.579-05:00

Wigging OutI'm thinking I may make a permanent changeI had to live under the same roof as this guy for many yearsZach wasn't so keen on a makeoverMy adorable niece, sans wig

Keiranoreply@blogger.com4