MARINE LIFE.  Scientists tell us that marine life is enjoying the quiet brought on by the pandemic. The humans’ shipping industry has slowed to a crawl, making the oceans a more quiet place so that the marine mammals can relax.…

Another rant.  After more than a month in the world of self-isolation and social distancing, I find myself sad, anxious and distracted by the existential nightmares coming alive while I’m awake. I make to-do lists and get through them. I…

Banff, Alberta.  I visited the Town of Banff in the snow and went to most any indoor place I could find.  There was a wonderful museum, the Buffalo Nations Luxton Museum.   One exhibit caught my attention and held it…

KGB terror Misinformation Instigating chaos Casting dispersions Annexation   Hammer and sickle Surveillance Informants Disappearances Gulag Torture   Former Soviet Block Grim faces Cold demeanors Drab colors Gray candy wrappers   USA Strong Nixon to Khrushchev Kennedy to Castro American…

Seated on her wooden rocking chair, she looked out the far window.  A wide, red spruce’s trunk dominated the view.  The squirrels screeched and posed like fluffy stuffed animals.  Next to the window was the mahogany staircase that she admired…