Many people have a passion for fishing. My stepfather was one of them. French Canadian, his English was rough but serviceable. I’d hear him whistling as he gathered his gear—poles, bucket, lures, bait, his baseball cap, and fishing vest. Oh yes, and a flask of his favorite whiskey. Happy for a day out on the canoe, skiff, or small motorboat.

There’s a shrub in my backyard that produced prolific blossoms this year. I counted eighty. At one point, the bush was so full of pink blossoms that it started to bow. I wondered if I needed to put a stake in the ground and tie some of the branches. But when I touched the shrub, the older flowers, the ones

One definition of beautiful is ‘pleasing the senses, possessing qualities that give great pleasure or satisfaction to see, hear, smell, or think about’. Lovely. Gorgeous. Charming. Stunning. Striking. Superb. I could use all those adjectives to describe my most recent journey to New Zealand. The country has been named the most beautiful country in the world. It’s no wonder, and