Author Archives: John Swinburn

The dictionary might define thunder as follows: A loud, explosive, resounding noise produced by the violent expansion of air heated by a lightning discharge. I have a different idea about thunder. It is a mystical, magical, wondrous CRACK!, followed by … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I wanted to express my frustrations with the world around me by writing a scathing rebuke of humankind.  But I just could not force myself to the keyboard. Instead, I did as I sometimes do when my emotions are … Continue reading →

If the universe treated me with the respect I deserve, it would permit me to return to a place I have never visited and again become a person I never was. The universe would allow me to escape to Abbotsford, … Continue reading →

Responsible members of any society have an obligation to pay attention to what is going on around them. They have an obligation to protest injustice and to warn others when they see or hear or otherwise learn about dangers that … Continue reading →

Last night’s storms shredded leaves and tore branches from trees. Leaves and twigs and broken limbs litter the streets this morning. The forest floor outside my window, normally a sea of brown leaves, is speckled with green leaves and sprigs, … Continue reading →

I quote from a post I wrote five years ago; my opinions have not changed: Memorial Day is dedicated to the men and women who lost their lives in defense of the USA, it is not a celebratory welcoming of … Continue reading →

Yesterday’s muted grey milieu proved the perfect atmosphere for working outside the confines of the walls of the house. The cloud cover remained for most of the morning and into mid-afternoon, sheltering me from the sun’s brutal rays while I … Continue reading →

Even on this drab morning, when the sky is a muted, muddy grey, the sounds of birds singing lifts my spirits. When I awoke, much later than normal at around 6, darkness had already been washed from the sky, leaving … Continue reading →

It’s only 6:30, yet I am three hours into my Saturday. The gods of heaven and earth, at war earlier in the day, woke me from a troubled sleep during which I emptied a pistol into a substitute teacher who … Continue reading →

Indistinct shapes in almost total darkness. That’s what I saw last night as I watched episode number two of the second season of Ozark.  One of the main characters, Wendy, was driving a car with another character, Buddy, as a … Continue reading →

I remember seeing Leon Redbone perform at a little club/venue in Houston, Texas many years ago. Though I’ve not been to a lot of concerts (and this was a very, very small venue, not really a concert hall), this one … Continue reading →

An odd mixture of resolve and surrender seems to have taken hold of my psyche this morning. This unusual alloy, I suspect, has the potential of lasting for an eternity, acquiescing to the force of every hot wind in its … Continue reading →

Today is Saturday, a day promising warmth, extreme humidity, and the likelihood of rain and, quite possibly, thunderstorms. Not a day for sunbathing. This day began, for me, a couple of hours ago while I was in that semi-conscious state … Continue reading →

Yesterday, I read the Wisconsin Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the State’s “Safer at Home” order. I read both the majority opinion and the concurring and dissenting opinions made by individual justices. Among the dissenting comments (which, by the way, … Continue reading →

The letter Z was removed from the Icelandic alphabet in 1974. What the…?!  No, really, the Icelandic alphabet no longer includes the letter Z. People who learned to read and write before 1974 still use it, according to the Guide … Continue reading →

Yesterday afternoon, I was standing on the back deck, taking in the spectacular sky, the glorious sounds of song birds, and the sheer magnificence of the afternoon, when I heard a rustling in the leaves behind the house. I walked … Continue reading →

I heard this and read the words this morning. It is incredibly moving. The words were written by Herman Hesse. They are read here by Natascha McElhone. I encountered this when reading a recent post from Brainpickings and I owe … Continue reading →