A personal research project turned into so much more than I bargained for. — A little over a century ago, the First World War came to a close. Each year since Canadians, along with people in other Commonwealth countries, gather to remember, but now after so many decades what about the men of The Great War do we actually know? …

If you want to be prepared to survive when the grid goes down — Modern life has one critical flaw. Electricity is a fundamental prerequisite for almost everything we need and use daily. What would you do if access to electrical power was suddenly removed? As our climate changes and natural disasters become more frequent than they already are, being without electricity will become…

And is it a Good Option for Your Winter Storm Kit? — I recently got a chance to test out and review the Jackery 1500 Solar Generator along with four of the Jackery SolarSaga 100 panels. My goal was to determine whether or not this was a good option for backup power, especially during the upcoming winter storm season.

My thoughts on this stoic flower — At least as far back as the Napoleonic Wars, Poppies have been growing on and around the graves of soldiers. However, it was the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ which led to the practice of wearing them as a symbol of remembrance. …

Never say, “At least it can’t get worse,” — The cabin appeared abandoned, but after watching the building for a quarter of the day, he still was not sure. No smoke from the chimney, no vehicles, no muddy boots outside the door. These days that was not unusual, those who remain are masters of concealment. The sun would set…

Starting with the pillows — My wife for far too many years endured shiftwork as a registered nurse. As she had our children, she took on an increasing volume of night shifts which helped with arranging childcare. Pulling back to back night shifts while pregnant, and chasing after a very active three-year-old, is enough to…

You can say a lot with a single word — History is a potpourri of famous one-liners, far too many to list here, but there is little doubt that some of the greatest episodes of badassery come from single-word answers given to very serious ultimatums. When I sat down to write this, two examples jumped out and demanded to be…

Don’t call me middle-aged — I’m a little over a month away from forty. The problem is that my male brain still thinks that I’m twenty. My body, on the other hand, is not afraid to remind me of how old it is. This story is not some rant about how getting old sucks, and…

The Dutch know a thing or two about how bad things can be. — I’m sick and tired of the complaints about how bad 2020 was because they are often coming from those who sat at home watching Netflix, drinking far too much, and spending way too much time in their own echo chambers. …