next 2024/03 ― I tried to maintain a poker face to hang on to my dwindling stack of chips, but there was no way that I was going to bluff my way out of this one. This is the second time that my brother Ron gets a straight flush. There is not much you can […]
Skating on the Canal
next 2024/02 ― Raymond spends a lot of time around the Rideau Canal. In the summer, he walks or rides his bicycle on the trails by the canal. In the winter, the canal freezes over and becomes the world’s longest skating rink. That is when it is time for him to put on his skates.
Power Walk
next 2024/01 ― Raymond is doing his power walk in a Community Center. The cushy artificial turf is gentler on the old knees than the hard floors of Shopping Centers. In the summer, the walk will more likely be along the Rideau Canal or the Experimental Farm. Let’s hope this New Year’s resolution sticks.
Big Gun
next 2023/08 ― Raymond shot a Ruger 10/22 Tactical Rifle loaded with 10-round rotary magazines. When he asked if it was an assault weapon, the owner scoffed, “Do you have a racing car just because you put a racing stripe on a Mitsubishi?” Later, Raymond found out that this gun has been prohibited in Canada.
Star Gazing
next 2023/06 ― Venus and Mars came very close to each other in the moonless night sky. Being an inner planet, when visible at night, Venus is always at the horizon, never wandering too far from the hidden Sun. Through the telescope, Venus’ crescent shape glowed brightly, betraying the Sun by revealing its location. On […]
Pinned Knight
next 2022/10 ― Ray dusted off his vintage Sensory Chess Challenger 9 which he bought way back in the ’70s when he used to play a lot. Well, the machine still worked perfectly and it certainly was challenging. It pinned my knight and it even attacked my queen. I just wouldn’t have any of that!
Vroom! Vroom!
next 2022/07 ― Vroom is the sound that this 74 Plymouth ‘Cuda made when I stepped on the gas. This model is super cool and I must say, it really blew my hair back. My brother Yvon, the owner, insisted that it had a 360 V8, bored and stroked to a 410 with an aggressive […]
Bike Ride
next 2022/06 ― Raymond hopped on his bicycle and went for a ride. Usually, he follows the Rideau canal, locks the bike at the Rideau Center and goes for a walk around the Byward Market.
Getting the Swing of it
next 2022/05 ― I’m starting to get the swing of this retirement life. My new favorite hangout is in the backyard where there are recently laid patio stones, a new deck and this freshly-assembled four-seater swing set. Here I am resting with a beer in hand after watering the grass.
At the Piano
next 2022/03 ― As a child, I wanted to play the piano but I did not get that opportunity. Now, I started self-teaching from a book stored away in the piano bench. My dream is to learn Theme of Love Story and Beethoven’s Für Elise. If this works out, I might even add the violin […]