Alison Wright is my hero. We met as I was nervously running through safety checks on my buoyancy control device, waist deep in the Red Sea, moments before a 150′ dive to a scuttled freighter off the southwest coast of Jordan. I was scared shitless. Alison tapped my shoulder and asked to by my dive buddy. It was the first time we’d talked more than hello, day three into a press trip of the Hashemite Kingdom. She was representing National Geographic. I was on a stealth assignment for the Ottawa Citizen. She said I looked like I knew what I was doing. My OCD-inspired safety check had obviously attracted her.…

Popcorn should always be served in a round-bottomed bowl. Preferably also made of stainless steel. When screwing red cedar decking to the floor joists, compensate for slight warping by using a 2×4 as a winch between the last board and the crossbeam. Don’t worry about drainage; cedar shrinks as it dries. The elderberry is ripe in Ottawa, hard on the heels of hazelnut. Something is released in the back of my head at 6k into a run, especially at night. It’s a good thing. Simon reacts to school with anger. Jasper with sadness. I understand the latter, and can deal with the former. It took 3 years of weekly therapy…

This was going to be the “summer of whimsey.” I declared it such to my sister-in-law JD while out buying a string of Buddhist prayer flags to adorn the cabin. But if circumstances dictate decree, in retrospect the past few weeks are off to a good start as the “summer of squirrel wars” or “summer chipper.” Walden was great. Today’s my first day back after a month away, two weeks spent at the cabin with the boys. We discovered new birds, including an American Woodcock with an elongated beak and a tinny peent call. We cut a path through the woods and chipped a third of an acre of brush…

I’m spending Canada Day in America. It’s July 1 and I’m in the heart of Washington, DC, just a few blocks from the White House. In a few hours I’ll be at the United Nations Environment Program headquarters here to meet Executive Director Achiem Steiner to get his photo with a Porchlight bulb — and to secure a deal to work together to give UNEP a grassroots angle to their global work. Cool, eh? It’s an old tradition of mine to buy a new shirt and tie for big new events. This was fine when they were rare occasions. My closet would be full if I’d kept it up over…

Hi Folks If you’re a regular reader of this web site it’s about time you were rewarded. Thanks for dropping by! Gas prices, the rising loonie and my lack of attention to my rental site have resulted in a shortage of bookings at Walden Cabin in PEI this summer, so my good friend Elizabeth suggested I post something here. Please help. If you refer someone to me who books a week at Walden, I’ll pay you $50. And, well, you’ll also get that good karma. Consider a week for yourself! Long outdoor showers. Walks in the woods. The edge of crisp PEI evenings cut by the warmth of a gentle…

I’m proud of this. It’s a good summary of a fun day.

I have a New Idea. But it’s too early to talk about it in detail here. Let’s just say that it brings together my past, my present and my future into one project. Or, at least that’s what I think tonight. I could change my mind by morning. One thing I do know and can share is that I truly believe I have the best job in Canada. And maybe in the US too. We launched Project Porchlight in Vermont this past week and, after kicking off the BC campaign at Mile 0 of the Alaska Highway in BC a week before, I can honestly say that there is universal…

Here’s a tip: Never try to take an organic wild blueberry spelt crust pie home on your electric bike. First of all, it’s not worth the $9. And chances are the young woman in tie-dye with dreds behind the counter will give you a used grocery bag with holes (when you ask sheepishly for that unholy item to take home your righteous tart). I’m enjoying my bread-free journey to a healthier me, but there are some things that will never change: blueberry is unkind to library books lulu lemon sweats. And bikes and pies don’t mix.

Sometimes I get serious here. So I’ll spare you the mouse update except to say that the thing that was clogging the drain in the wash basin this weekend wasn’t lint. As I write I’m listening to Ideas on CBC Radio. Tonight’s program features Ray Kurzweil, an inventor and futurist being called “the rightful heir to Thomas Edison.” So of course my ears perked up. I do a lot of Edison bashing. What got my attention was his confident assertion that solar power will supply all of humanity’s energy needs in 20 years. It’s the first time in months I’ve heard a positive perspective on the future. I’d like to…

Suzy’s in the pre-week of the Raw Diet. Meaning, she is cutting back on certain things like meat and processed stuff. The idea is to eat better and lose weight. I’ve never had a problem with girth; if anything, I shy away from shorts because of my “chicken legs” (as my sister used to call them). I’m heavier now that I’ve ever been, but that’s 157lb. I was a svelte 145 when I got married (in 1999). But I’ve been feeling kinda blah lately, so I thought I would join Suzy’s journey by giving up something, to see what happens. I decided to give up beer and bread. Beer makes…

It’s harder than it sounds. When I bought the 10-acre clearcut in 1994, I just wanted some land. Then I thought I would just build a little shack to “get out of the rain.” Then I consulted an architect. And buried power lines underground. And added a clawfoot tub. Then an outdoor shower. This year it’s screening in the porch and adding LED outdoor lights. What does Simplify really mean? Life without convenience sucks. But discipline and hardship are essential to happiness. I really believe that. So where’s the balance? These days I long to spend time in the woods. The first few days I’m at Walden among my trees…

I’ve decided to take three days off this week. Wed-Friday. Since this option occurred to me this morning, I’ve been positively giddy. Now I can do stuff that’s fallen behind, way behind. Here’s a quick list: Sort socks. I just keep buying more when I need clean pairs. The result is two laundry basket-fuls of almost-matching black socks. The worst part is that the kind that is most numerous also includes several with a hole in the toe that is only visible when you put them on. Trial and error and trial again! Fix the toilet. We have two at home. Due to a leak in the tank of the…

I’m happier when I write here. It’s weird. So I’m going to try to do it more. ’cause I want to be happy. or -ier. Or is it more happy. Frack. Today I swept out the carport shed. Lots of mouse turd. Puddy sniffed at me with greater attention when I came in. Gross. Jasper and I went to Zellers last night and stocked up on Sens hats and shirts in anticipation of tomorrow night’s game (we have nosebleed seats). Baseball hats with hockey logos. After we got home and all tried on the hats Suzy told me Maria from Simon’s daycare called to report lice. Nice. So between the…

It’s time to refocus. I’ve been quite preoccupied by the Project over the past two years. And now it’s time to restore some balance. The tipping point was just reached today when it occurred to me that just last week I’d come within 10km of Walden (the real, original one) in MA, and it didn’t occur to me to exit the I90 for a look-see. I’d rented a car for the 2-hour trip between Springfield and Boston and I just drove right by Concord at 70MPH singing along at the top of my lungs to 80s tunes to sap the stress. For years I’ve been looking forward to a chance…

It’s sunny today. The snow has dropped by about 18″, enough now to reveal the top of the forsythia bushes on the south side of the house. We can see the Christmas lights again from the road. The back yard is another matter; I’m sure there’s a patio set out there. I’m kind of hoping someone’s stolen it. Funk. I should go outside, but I feel greasy and unmotivated. I’m taking vitamin D when I should be sitting in the sun. The chairs are buried. Usually when I feel this way I cheer myself up by getting rid of stuff. There’s also a toilet to fix. I could do that.…