Romancing our way

Feb 5, 2016 | Building Project

Maggie and I are engaged! Really. We’re engaged in a house building project. It’ll likely consume my best physical energies for the next few years, but every step of the way will be a collaborative affair – a love-in between Maggie and my affections for...

Refugees

Jan 17, 2016 | Essays

how often we have passed you by so sure of the road ahead only to have you wake us to have us move along the first arrived in twenty four with family, muscle and word the next were keen to mark the world they turned to face the wind reckless thus we set our course...

How to Birth a Farmer

Mar 17, 2015 | Essays

due to the enormity of the task and the elusiveness of its beginning our denial can be excused for how are we to nurture even one to be a farmer when so many are leaving behind their once great and all-consuming calling it is a spiritual thing that sparks in a farmer...

Of Wolves and Worms

Jan 17, 2013 | Essays

– for Manitoba Gardener. We had seen plenty of evidence during the day to suggest there were wolves in the area. Just after moonrise we left the warming shack behind and crunched our way back along the trail as quietly as we could. Eight grade eleven students, their...

More ‘J’ness

Nov 17, 2012 | Essays

Written for Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Café CBC Radio program. Dear Stewart. Our kids are going their own ways these days, but wherever we are, we all know that when we tune in to the Vinyl Café we’ll be listening together – like we have nearly every Sunday for the past...

Shaking Off Distractions

Aug 17, 2010 | Essays

 Shaking Off Distractions – Letter to Manitoba Co-operator Would you agree – that the best environmentalist is the land owner who knows the value of maintaining a good measure of ‘wild’ on the farm, is part of a supportive family and community and gets enough...

Remote

Jul 17, 2010 | Essays

Just hand me the remote Dad, and we’ll start over. – for Geez magazine but wasn’t printed. “What does it matter? We’re screwed no matter what!” “Ouch. Sounds a bit bleak.” “Well I didn’t make this mess.” “Ya, I could point to my parents and they to theirs. Don’t you...

Guardian Farmers

Nov 17, 2009 | Essays

– defenders of a way of life. Written for Small Farmer’s Journal The story is getting out that Michael, a local farmer, left his farm and family to join the Rural Life Defence Force (RLDF). And because the story is public now I expect its OK for me to let you in on...

Opa’s Door

Mar 17, 2009 | Essays

his lunch tray half eaten set out to one side and Oma’s name removed routinely from the other greets us with roger whittaker’s o come all ye faithful in decibels that defy yet unannounced determined to belong we push into his loneliness setting free a blast of o this...

About the Land

Nov 17, 2008 | Essays

– for Geez Magazine, Winter 2008 So how do we live lives of honour when the land we inhabit has been stolen? Most moments of most days I can ignore the question. I’ve never pointed a gun forcing anyone to vacate their home. It wasn’t my grandparents who delivered...