for Allan, September 8, 2022 — Aging is a fiction, a figment, a fragment, mentally at least, our bodies declining slowly to ground, grinding, while who we are continues, grows, becoming who we will be. You are not who you were or wanted, the past a whisper hung in air, expectations merely fictions of your mind, signs, unrecognized by the future you, already and not yet, now.

It was fucking Donner and Blitzen who caused all my problems, those tough-guy assholes. But with those pansy names, it was pretty obvious to me that Prancer and Dancer and Vixen and Cupid weren’t exactly football player types, though they were able to pass. That’s all anybody wanted; it was…

From chaos to calm — Autumn in Almonte is truly something to look forward to. We moved to this beautiful small town just west of Ottawa a couple of years ago. It is picturesquely built on the banks of the mighty Mississippi (no relation to the US river), replete with several sets of waterfalls. The…

A Story Without Words — As editors of SNAPSHOTS, we’ve been delighted by the amazing talent of our contributors. Week after week we receive submissions with truly extraordinary photos accompanied by fascinating narratives. Now we have a challenge for you completely different from anything else we’ve ever done before. We’d like you to tell us…

He stands naked in front of a large antique mirror the carved frame, gilded and glistening, a remnant from the glory days of the czars. He is looking down at the reflection of his cock. It is thick and powerful, a sword, a loaded gun. He smiles at his bold audacity. Little Vlad, all five feet six of him, puffs himself up, imagining he is Napoleon. He will take Europe as his own. But he is mistaken. It is but a circus mirror, and his dick is nothing more than average; a wannabe Hitler, water gun in hand.

And for Welsh speakers—Dydd Gwyl Dewi Hapus! — It’s March 1st! I’ve done some research about my namesake, and here’s what I’ve learned about St David, the patron saint of Wales. Turns out he was a bit of a loon. Of course, you can’t judge a medieval saint by today’s standards, but even his faithful biographer seemed to…

Surprises sneak up on you when you’re out and about — As I was taking our lovely dog Molesley for his early morning walk one day, I was stopped dead in my tracks. In the parking lot outside our local pub was a big potato all by its lonesome self. Apparently it jumped outside the kitchen door before it could be…

Oh look—Spring! Today in the Ottawa area (Canada's capital) we we are supposed to have a high of 14 degrees Celius (that's about 57 Farenheit), making us ache for the day when the snow will completely disappear, daffodils will rise, and birds (even hummingbirds) will eventually appear. Sadly, it will be only 6 tomorrow and minus 1 the next day. It's good to see from your pics that Spring is on its way north. Thanks!

Fantastic pics! I am having city envy—how I'd love to live where you do. St John (the Unfinished) the Divine is one of my favourite churches in the world. To be honest, I've never even thought of naming trees before, but I will start. Today!