28August2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
Last week I stopped traffic. It was a somewhat nostalgic moment. As a high school student in Winnipeg, I couldn’t walk along Grant Avenue without being accosted every few blocks by young men proffering rides in their automobiles. I would huffily decline and push on, annoyed but secretly flattered. Read the rest of this entry »
26May2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
He was a beat-up, feral tomcat, teeth worn to stubs, with testosterone-inflated jowls and scrawny, caved-in sides.
Our first encounter was not promising. A week after our arrival at our new island home, my husband finally let Pussicle and GoldiPuss out to explore our property. Within minutes, we heard the furious howls of a cat fight next door; then our cats disappeared. Four hours later, a bedraggled Pussicle returned, wounded, soon to become infected, necessitating an expensive course of antibiotics. Our beloved GoldiPuss is still missing after almost three years.
26May2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
Itchy scalp? Dandruff? If you’re Canadian, you inevitably turn to Head & Shoulders shampoo, touted in its ads as the cure for both, and for soft, shiny hair.
20May2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
Or how I learned to love nettles
The first summer on our Pacific Northwest island, my husband, while jogging, inadvertently brushed a patch of Urtica dioica, commonly known as stinging nettle. Two years later, the scabs on his calf have still not completely healed. Consequently, I’ve kept a wary distance from these poisonous plants despite their reputed medicinal and culinary properties.
Until now, that is. Read the rest of this entry »
5May2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
You’re not alone!
Some people love peacocks; others hate them — and we inevitably hear all about it.
A sample of some recent queries: Read the rest of this entry »
5May2008
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
Some tips to keep peacocks away.
During the past few years, we’ve become increasingly fascinated by the peacocks who have taken up residence in our one-acre yard. We’ve seen them mourn for days over a flock member, killed by a careless motorist. We’ve observed them closely through two moulting seasons, as they lay in our yard, forlorn and lethargic, their plumage spread out on the lawn to dry after a rainstorm. They peer into our windows and peck at them to get our attention. They clomp like elephants on our roof, and sometimes fall off their high perches with a “THUMP” during the night. They can fly, but not far. Their flying style is sprinter-like, with bursts of energy that quickly peter out, no doubt due to their size, which is why they fly from level to level, using our house and garage roofs as jumping off points to the surrounding cedars. Yes, they are dirty and noisy, but we’ve begun to appreciate their amusing, if annoying personalities. We are learning to adapt. Read the rest of this entry »
26September2007
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
My husband, Doug, just returned from the Gabriola Island Recycling Organization (GIRO) clutching his latest prize – a child’s keyboard synthesizer so sophisticated that I could play it myself without feeling foolish. The price: $1! Read the rest of this entry »
26September2007
Posted by Morri under: Tidings from Gabriola Island.
Decadence. Indolence. Luxury. That’s what our peacocks, trailing long multi-coloured tails, tinged with gold, exude. If you’ve ever wanted to impress your friends, now’s your chance to own a flock of your own. Come, take ours. For free!
