Eskişehir, Türkiye Sunday 21 April 2024 “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” (John Muir) Above: John Muir John Muir (21 April 1838 – 1914), also known as “John of the Mountains” and “Father of the National Parks“, was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, environmental philosopher, botanist, zoologist, glaciologist, and early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States. His… Continue reading Just a little Muir
Category: Writing
An unknown country
Eskişehir, Türkiye 20 April 2024 “What sort of diary should I like mine to be? Something loose knot and yet not slovenly, so elastic that it will embrace anything, solemn, slight or beautiful that comes into my mind. I should like it to resemble some deep old desk or capacious hold-all, in which one flings… Continue reading An unknown country
Voices carry
Eskişehir, Türkiye Tuesday 16 April 2024 Above: A spectrogram (0-5000 Hz) of the sentence “It’s all Greek to me.” spoken by a female voice World Voice Day (WVD) is a worldwide annual event that takes place on 16 April devoted to the celebration of the phenomenon of voice. The aim is to demonstrate the enormous importance of… Continue reading Voices carry
Rites of passage
Eskişehir, Türkiye Thursday 4 April 2024 “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. From the table drawer he took out a penholder, a bottle of ink, and a thick, quarto-sized blank book with a red back and a marbled cover. It was a peculiarly beautiful book. Its smooth… Continue reading Rites of passage
Canada Slim and the Last Battle
Eskisehir, Switzerland, Sunday 19 September 2021 As the dates below will show, this blog (The Chronicles of Canada Slim) (one of two) has suffered from neglect. I offer only one explanation: I have been….distracted. The purpose of The Chronicles of Canada Slim is to capture in writing my adventures prior to the calendar year. Generally,… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Last Battle
Canada Slim and the Author’s Apartment 3: The Diplomat
Landschlacht, Switzerland, Tuesday 8 September 2020 It must be difficult for followers of this first of two blogs to remain faithful and patient with the Chronicles of Canada Slim as they are not as often written as those of Building Everest. To those who are new to the Chronicles, these posts are… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Author’s Apartment 3: The Diplomat
Canada Slim and the Invention of the Clear Day
Landschlacht, Switzerland, Monday 6 July 2020 Let there be no doubt: My souvenir book loves Porto. Above from the top left corner clockwise: Clérigos Church and Tower; Avenida dos Aliados; Casa da Música concert hall; Ribeira district; Avenida da Boavista business hub; Luiz I bridge and Porto from Vila Nova de Gaia “The… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Invention of the Clear Day
Canada Slim and the Harry Potter Fado
Landschlacht, Switzerland, Friday 11 October 2019 As you read what follows…. Download a fado piece. Portugal’s most famous musical form, fado (Portuguese for “fate“) is urban music, of night and bars, of a yearning that is beautiful and melancholic, accompanied by guitarra and viola. Above: Fado, José Malhoa (1910) To the south, fado… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Harry Potter Fado
Canada Slim and the Elastic Novice
Landschlacht, Switzerland, Tuesday 17 September 2019 Damn that man! One man’s writings has had and continue to have a major effect on my life and this has been reflected in my travels and I have already spoken of the man previously in this blog. Above: Charles Dickens, New York, 1867 (Please see Canada… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Elastic Novice
Canada Slim and the Author’s Apartment 1: Learning
Landschlacht, Switzerland, Thursday 13 June 2019 In everyone’s life there are marker moments that separate who you were from who you are, as significant to the individual as BC and AD are to the Western calendar. I have had my share of such moments in my own life. Some are as obvious as scar tissue… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Author’s Apartment 1: Learning