For those of you who were asking........

Here are the quotes on my office wall at the moment (not in order of importance):

"A man who limits his interests limits his life." Vincent Price

"We will either find a way or make one." Hannibal (the one who crossed the mountains, not the one who eats people)

"My goal is to become the person my dog thinks I am."

"Perseverance is not about talent or time. It is about finishing." And, "perseverance doesn't come into play until a person is tired."

"Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land, but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." Bible

"Language reveals the man. Speak, that I may see thee." Ben Jonson (circa 1500a.d.)

I won't add the poem, the Hagar cartoon, or the Snoopy and Woodstock, altho' these too are very, very wise words. Gotta go now. The dog is whining!

Does anyone really care about our national parks? Does anyone think when they chuck crap out the window of the car? Will anyone sign my petition, if I send it to the prime minister? (Of Canada, I mean. Okay, I know the British PM will get more action, but we have to start at the bottom of the totem pole.) This new petition proposes the BANNNING (and if necessary, the transport) OF DISPOSABLE DIAPERS IN NATIONAL PARKS. What happens is, when persons with infants come to park gates, they are required to surrender all disposable diapers in their possession. If they have no cloth diapers on hand, the park ranger will exchange a portion of the disposables for an appropriate amount of cloth nappies, depending on the expected length of stay within said park. When leaving the park, infants may return the dirty cloth diapers for cleansing or composting, depending on the severity of condition. Of the nappies, not the babies. If possible (in accordance with the distance of transport) the previously deposited disposables will be returned. No disposable diapers will be available for sale anywhere within park boundaries. Cloth diapers will be offered for sale at reasonable prices, as well as diaper exchange services, where infants may exchange soiled nappies for clean. Infants and related caregivers residing within the park as citizens will be required to use only cloth diapers as well. (Unless they are potty trained.) Park employees will receive significantly discounted fees at the diaper exchange service. Not only will this procedure clean up extremely vile and potentially dangerous (to man and beast) littered diapers, it will decrease by tons the amount dumped (excuse the pun) in ...dumpsters. And landfills. Employment will be created via the formation of diaper exchange services. Diaper rash will significantly decrease, while ducks and jellyfish will have the opportunity to NOT fill their guts with plastic bits and silica pellets. When the petition is published, please add your name to the list of supporters.

Just Do It

Dear friends, I am about to give you a garden tip of paramount importance! (Is that a double invective?) For 2009, whether you enjoy eating them or not, PLANT PARSNIPS. Last week, here on the Cold Windy Water, I pried out a huge parsnip from the icy bed. Today, I harvested the entire crop, because the poor things were trying to reproduce! (After all, they're in bed.) Let me impress upon your garden psyche a most indelible imprint: The wonderfully satisfactory swelling of emotion as one pulls a fresh, eatable product from one's own garden in April.... I have found no match in my personal historical archive of gardening emotions. (Notice the word "archive" has the word "chive" within? Mmm...) As I mentioned to my daughter, the feeling is akin to the sprouting of Spring radishes, the uprooting and munching of same, except the Parsnip Pleasure is measurably more marvellous. And upon that most excellent phraseful of alliteration, I leave you for today. Plant Parsnips and be Pleasantly Uplifted. Next April.