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The River Took the Ball

The River Took the Ball (But Gave Me a Good Day Anyway) Apparently I’m a landlord now — to bees. I discovered this when I noticed a steady parade of them marching in and out from under my deck like they were clocking in for a shift. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. And somewhere down there, I’m pretty sure there’s a queen living her best life. The problem? There’s concrete under the deck, so I can’t just poke around and see what’s going on. And I’m not about to evict them with force. Bees are important, and I’m not trying to be the villain in their tiny bee‑drama. So now I’m in research mode, trying to figure out how to get them out safely without tearing up half my backyard. It’s going to be a process — but hey, at least it’ll make for an interesting blog entry. A Day at the River (and the Ball That Got Away) The dog and I have our little routine down at the river bottom. It’s our quiet place — just the two of us, a chair, a brush, and a ball. Most days we sit right in the w...

Warm Wednesday at the River

A dropped ball, a clean riverbank, a quiet car ride, and a dog grinning her way through the heat. A Warm Wednesday at the River I walked down to the river this afternoon, ball in hand — or so I thought. Turns out I dropped it back at the park entrance while picking up dog dirt. That’s the kind of distraction the river has on me; once I’m headed toward the water, everything else fades out. Someone had left a pair of socks on the riverbank, so I tossed them in the garbage on my way through, trying to keep the place a little cleaner. Dad joined me for about an hour, and we tossed the ball once I finally realized I’d lost it and grabbed another. Dixie got her turns too, splashing in and out of the water, absolutely thrilled. She had that big dog‑grin going, brown eyes shining straight into the camera like she knew she was having a perfect day. It hit 28°C today, warm enough that the coulee felt like the right place to be. Dixie was a surprisingly good car rider — not a single bark on...

A Solo Walk and the Things That Surface

A slow walk alone, noticing birds, turtles, willows, and the quiet thoughts that rise when the leash stays at home. A Walk Down to the Crow Without Dixie Today I walked down to the Crow by myself — no dog tugging the leash, no black shadow pacing beside me. Just me, my thoughts, and the space around me. It felt different, quieter in a way I don’t always let myself sit with. The river was doing its usual thing, sending ripples across the surface like it was breathing slow. I watched a poplar on the far bank sway like it was waving at me. Blackbirds in every shade and pattern flicked through the reeds, robins hopped around like they owned the place, and yes — even turtles showed up for the moment. I sat on the land ties that hold the path together, letting the stillness settle in. Ants crawled over the wood, busy with whatever ants are always busy with. A robin flew overhead and dropped a little mid‑air gift — nature’s sense of humor, I guess. From where I sat, I could see the willo...

Walking with Purpose: Celebrating Love, Leadership, and a Major Milestone

https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2026/05/23/strides-of-hope-walk-raises-awareness-for-schizophrenia/ Since Facebook doesn't allow newspaper articles share I'm sharing it through my blog... face book seems to allow this to happen.... You can see me with the tilly hat 👒 on... Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the **Strides of Hope Walk** in Lethbridge, hosted by the **Schizophrenia Society of Alberta**. It was an incredible, community-driven event dedicated to raising vital awareness, breaking down stigmas, and providing support for those affected by schizophrenia. But for me, this event hit incredibly close to home for another reason: **my wonderful wife.** A Proud Partner Moment Supporting my wife in her career is deeply important to me, and watching her work with the Society has been nothing short of inspiring. Leading up to the walk, I know she was feeling the pressure. She was quite nervous about the day—wanting everything to go perfectly for a ...

Dixie’s Mountain‑River Adventure

A cold dip, warm company, and a simple day well spent The drive out to visit my in‑laws didn’t start perfectly — Kim headed out before me and was a little upset that I wasn’t driving with her. But by the time we all got together, the mood had shifted and the day settled into something good. The dog definitely won the day with an extra‑long walk, tail up and happy the whole time. I didn’t track the distance, but it didn’t matter; it was one of those walks where the company and the moment mattered more than the numbers. In the end, it turned into a simple, solid visit that felt worth the effort. Dixie got her big moment at the river today — the second she saw the water, she pulled straight down the bank like it was calling her by name. She jumped right in and even dunked her whole head under, completely fearless. The mountain river was definitely cold for late May, but she didn’t care; if anything, it cooled her right down and made her even happier. She stayed in for a decent stret...

Trades it's an opinion 🤢🤮

🤢🤮 🤢🤮 What’s my opinion of the trades, for every sixth retiring trades people 2 are replacing them that’s how proficient and efficient trades have gotten. they have a endless pool of youth to pick out of is…. Not everyone are going to be tradespeople…. Actually most are jobs that are growing in America are in services, hospitality, retail. They are poorly paid in an era of knowledge. how about lifting minimum wage? And let me tell you there is an underlying problem of to many men getting hurt in the trades and just disappear with no one asking where or when or what happen, I know Nigel Shenton 5% of the population make min wage, those are entry level jobs, if you are a grown adult making min wage, the problem is you. Dwayne Ball, you’re suggesting I should reset to minimum wage or entry-level apprentice pay for four years just to "earn" a livable wage? You’re essentially saying I should do the hardest physical labor for a quarter of the pay just to exist in a working ...

Child labor Republicans

Child labor and Republicans wanting to raise birth rates Whereas raising social security or prosperity security In education or maternity leave or higher wages, birth control or reproductive Rights bring middle class has not increased the birth rate Just got to look at the foreign influence that's trying to break up North America and America To look like South America The only benefit is to the corporate identity robbing the public using as much State bureaucracy moral servants, destitution makes the worst come out of people... You know what child labor looks like in Bolivia that's landlocked with a lot of oil A new car has a $10,000 tax added on to it so cars don't depreciate Think of a used vehicle, not depreciating and a $10,000 tax on every vehicle being imported into Alberta would cost... Gets pretty perverted and disgusting very quickly For child labor and destitution does..... An Epstein culture that Danielle Smith is covering Trump and E...

I heard it was a compliment to redo your work in education

Parents want there kids to learn to read, to write, to do math.... They don't want them to become social justice warriors -Danielle Smith I heard it was a compliment to rewrite essays and tests That means the teacher wants the best out of you Same with a bad score It's a badge to learn and try harder Stop making excuses That's the critical thinking skill. Is it to rewrite your essay and do it again and again and again? I call BS Bees don't tell flies. Stop eating s*** Saying I'm hearing you say students can't think critically over this..... And if they're told that they got a bad score, they're a bad person Perhaps maybe that's set up to fail syndrome? Pissant semantics. How about misinformation? And fractured information theory Ambiguity is the leaders most toxic tool. How is this helping the Premier cuts the funding for schools And then project it as woke theory that's actually damaging All...

Selling confidence. Well that's refreshing

Coca-Cola selling confidence and friends and family and outings. They're not selling you a sugary beverage. That's cool. And iced or a refreshment? The government is selling confidence and friends and outings??? With morale officers as constituents, saying things don't exist when there right there Oh that's refreshing, and cool!!! BS is hazardous to our health Bees don't tell flies. Stop eating s*** More Americans are coming. Trying to say to Alberta that they're native and here for Canada to work but then wanting us Alberta to go to the United States It's a complete oxymoron look Now they have data breaches and bracketing a prejudice for the swing voter and programmed responses to indoctrinate the swing voter who has a 6th grade reading level and doesn't understand financials managements that have a grade 11 or 12 reading level And they're programmed; Responses are going to be on impulse and distraction for a programmed response #NDP #UCP Mi...

usually like to get into the weeds on here

I don’t usually like to get into the weeds on here, but there comes a point where staying silent feels like an abdication of responsibility. The "prosperity" we’re told we have is being hollowed out, and it’s a failed policy being used to justify even worse ideas. I’m seeing a massive shift in the landscape: the modern "Conservative" movement has abandoned its roots, leaving a vacuum where common-sense stability used to be. If we don't have security at the base of our lives, we lose the ability to engage in the things that make us human—reading, art, and community. We’re being bracketed by prejudice and data breaches while the people in charge control the narrative. It’s time to wake up. The labels are lying to you. It's projections where in, that going to make debt insolvency a decades problem in Alberta Prompts to get the written post above is below 👇 I've been engaging in political talk on Facebook Mostly cuz I'm surprised like I read a hund...

Let’s talk about the math they aren’t showing you

Let’s talk about the math they aren’t showing you. 🧮 There’s a lot of noise about "devaluing currency" (like the Finland/Euro debate) or "competitive markets," but look at the ground reality in Canada. In Quebec, corporate flight was real, and the housing correction was the only thing that balanced it out. Now, look at Alberta: we have doctors warning that private care will cannibalize the public system, yet the push for "for-profit" continues. The math doesn't add up: Private Insurance is a Trap: In the States, care is a legal and financial waiting game. Unless you are in the top wealth bracket, you aren't "buying care," you're buying a delay. Investment Mismatch: Every global bank is pivoting away from oil, yet our public dollars are being used to consolidate a sector that is being outpaced by tech at a ratio of 80 to 1. The Bottom Line: Growth in our economy right now is tied to birth rates and immigration, not these massive cor...

We aren't the customers; we’re the harvest.

Headline: We aren't the customers; we’re the harvest. We’ve traded a room full of VHS tapes, Walkmans, and secretaries for a sleek rectangle in our pockets. We call it "efficiency," but it’s a false dichotomy. This device isn't just a tool; it’s a surveillance hub that predicts our impulses before we even feel them. Orwell warned of a boot stamping on a human face, but Postman saw the truth: we are being amused to death. We’ve become commodities for Wall Street narratives—our data, our behavior, and our very character are sold for pennies to the highest bidder. We talk about the "Cognitive Elite" and debate IQ vs. Poverty (The Bell Curve trap), but the algorithm has already filtered us out. It rewards the top 5% while the rest are trapped in a digital caste system where "truth" is whatever the medium decides pays best. Is democracy even real if the system is designed to ask our opinion only after it has already programmed our response? #Surveilla...

The current political landscape

The current political landscape feels like a manufactured dilemma driven by misinformation and a lack of financial literacy. We are witnessing one of the largest transfers of wealth from the younger generation to the top 1%, yet many swing voters—lacking the 11th or 12th-grade reading level required to understand complex finance—continue to blame the federal government for issues like minimum wage, which are clearly provincial responsibilities. Conservatism today seems to prioritize low wages and cheap housing to benefit corporations, leaving those under 30 in a state of "passive citizenship" and debt insolvency. As Jacques Ellul noted, propaganda isn't just about lies; it's about how the truth is manipulated. We need a return to order, higher minimum wages, and robust social programs to rebuild the middle class. It’s time to stop the "bootlicking" of separatist ideologies and start focusing on the actual economic levers that lift a population out of despe...

Is Canada being set up for a fire sale? 📉

Is Canada being set up for a fire sale? 📉 Between the RCMP's warnings about election readiness and the rise of AI-powered deepfakes, we are facing a massive wave of foreign interference. I’ve been reviewing some literature on how propaganda works in the digital age (check out the snippets in the photos). The pattern is clear: foreign entities (primarily US-based interests) use bot networks to masquerade as 'native' citizens. They exploit our internal divisions to ensure that if/when the US faces a major collapse, they can pivot and profit off Canadian resources. AI makes this 'bracketing of prejudice' easier than ever. Thoughts? The source above writing is a prompt of the written response below 👇 Put this again if the RCMP is saying we're not ready for the data Breaches And bracketing of prejudice In this next election cuz of AI And I can do some photos from some book review I wrote and kept put it through ai and in five minutes have a pinch of influence ...