When a friend of mine was evacuated from his home and town due to wildfire, I asked him if he had taken all his important legal papers, identification, and medical files with him. He told me that he had not. He had simply left quickly. My … Read more

My daughter's dog, Pepper, is an escape artist. If there is a way to get outside of the yard, she will discover it — something which she did recently. Twice in two days she escaped the fence. I was charged with the task of finding out … Read more

When Minnie, our miniature donkey, arrived, we were excited to meet the new member of our livestock family. Within a short time, however, we realized that something was wrong with her feet. Her hooves all pointed slightly upward, instead … Read more

My youngest grandchild was busy working on a craft while I was writing. Suddenly, she was standing at my elbow asking this question as she showed me her accomplishment: "Are you impressed with me, Grammy?" I was indeed impressed with her … Read more

One of my hobbies is paper quilling. This involves taking thin strips of coloured paper and rolling them around a spool into a tight circle. After the finished circle is removed from the spool, the coils can be released to the size … Read more

Bonnie and Kayley were at it again. What they were talking about I don't know, but I could hear them plainly, and it was plainly getting on my nerves. My two collies have their own language. All collies, it seems are talkers. When I speak … Read more

Sophie, my retriever cross, had started panting during our walks, so I took her to see our veterinarian. After a thorough examination, the vet deduced that it was most likely a touch of arthritis, due to Sophie's age. She also remarked … Read more

I began training my retriever cross, Sophie, to be a helper from the time she was a pup. We often hiked the trails together in our mountain home and I felt that it was important that she could help me if I were to trip and fall or have an … Read more

The last of the green grapes had been in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. I decided that it was time to eat them up or throw them out — something that I am loathe to do — and I scolded myself for not enjoying them sooner. Taking … Read more

I had been waiting for summer. Now that it had come, I was longing for respite from its sizzling heat. Thus I dug out dusty fans, then strategically positioned them to avail myself of their cooling breeze. What relief those whirling … Read more

My Irish Setter decided that eating bees was a good thing to do. As we had a swarm of them around our porch, she set to her task with a vengeance. An hour later, her hugely swollen face revealed the evidence of her folly. Benadryl brought … Read more

We were shopping in the city when the call came. Seven-year-old Ade had fallen on the school playground and needed to go to the hospital. As we travelled to the school, my daughter, Mary, and I discussed the best thing to do, as our van … Read more

There are a number of renovation television shows which I really enjoy. I find it both fascinating and awesome to see how a good contractor can transform a poorly functioning home into something totally different so that it works for the … Read more

In 2023, wildfires burned out of control in many parts of Canada. One such fire near the town of Fort Nelson in northern British Columbia destroyed thousands of forested acres. As winter arrived, the fires disappeared from view; they went … Read more

I suppose that we have all had dreams concerning what we wanted to do when we grew up. Years ago, I was in a meeting when amidst our time of discussion, one person asked the group, "What did you want to be when you grew up?" As we each … Read more

My granddaughters were off school, which meant that they were in my care. As I had much to do, I asked them to find something to do quietly while I finished my chores. As I went about cleaning and vacuuming, I was pleased to see that … Read more

My dog, Sophie, has always been a grumbler. She was born that way. She grumbles with low rumbling sounds if she feels that the other dogs are infringing on her territory or are having a good time playing in the yard while she is lying on … Read more

Agnes is very old for a goat. Yet, she has done a wonderful job acting as foster mom to our five adopted goat kids. I have very much enjoyed watching her mothering skills and how the kids have responded by trusting her and obeying. As of … Read more

Ruby is an Irish Setter. Setters are tall dogs with long legs. At five months of age, some days, Ruby's long legs cause her a great deal of trouble. She careens around corners, ending up on her side with four lanky legs flying out in … Read more

When we moved last spring, one of our priorities was the construction of a hay barn on our new property: a place where feed for our livestock could be kept dry while also allowing fresh air to circulate. Hay that is not protected and does … Read more

I have a dog run. This is a fenced area where the dogs can be outside to attend to their personal needs anytime they want. The area is thickly layered with gravel, making cleanup and disinfecting easy. The gravel, however, gets depleted; … Read more

While my three-legged foster cat, Caesar, was learning to walk again after the amputation of a hind leg, I put a fence across my hallway so that he could move about in safety and not be harassed by my dogs. Caesar was afraid of the dogs, … Read more

My veterinarian works in conjunction with the SPCA, and a concerned neighbour took Caesar, a stray cat, to the clinic. His right hind leg was broken and sported a huge, open, badly infected wound, which ultimately required the amputation … Read more

Not long ago, while my granddaughter and I were shopping, Ade excitedly pointed out the seed displays. From the time that she was old enough to walk, she had always helped me to plant the vegetable seeds in our gardens and greenhouse. … Read more

My granddaughters love to play hide-and-go-seek. They will spend hours at it, if I am willing to play with them. When it is my turn to seek them out, I discover their hiding spots quickly. When it is my turn to hide, however, it often … Read more

Years ago, my aunt, my grandmother — known as Nan — and I were walking across the hospital parking lot after visiting my grandfather, who was recovering from surgery. It was dark and icy. As we approached our vehicle, I went ahead of … Read more

Having eight dogs requires a lot of regular upkeep to ensure that my little house is always neat, tidy, and clean. I therefore wipe down my floors and vacuum each day. It may sound like a lot, but in reality, it takes me only twenty to … Read more

During the colder months of the year, the minute our goats hear me outside in the morning, they begin crying out very loudly for their hay ration. Mmmmaaaaaaaaa echoes round and round the dark barnyard until their breakfast hits their … Read more

While visiting the veterinarian recently, the receptionist asked me if I would like to see the cat house. I am not really a cat person, but my daughter is, and I knew that she would be interested in what they had to show me. The cat … Read more

Listening to my grandchild takes practice and intentional listening. At four, she is still unable to pronounce a number of letters correctly. This issue makes various words difficult to grasp, as the sound that she is seeking to make … Read more

Earl Grey came to me as a three-month-old kitten. I am not much of a cat person, but there was something special about Earl. My granddaughters called him "Jungle Cat", since he ran like a gazelle and climbed anything and everything. He … Read more

One Christmas, my brother and I received a new game: Monopoly®. We played that game with our best friend, Michael, for many, many years thereafter. It was a game which I found uninteresting and a real bore. In fact, I still do. Back … Read more

We had just finished trimming the goats' hooves and removing burrs from their coats when I noticed that my horse Frank had a large burr in his tail. As I took the shears to cut it free, I realized that it wasn't just one burr; his whole … Read more