tim irvin

A spirit bear standing in a waterfall

An Ordinary Day With Spirit Bears?

It was the first day of our spirit bear trip this fall, and we were walking up a small creek in the Great Bear Rainforest. Sunlight filtered through the lichens and mosses dangling from the tree branches; salmon splashed in the stream. This creek is one of the best places on Earth to see a Kermode, or spirit, bear. The only problem was nobody had seen one here this year…

green heron

Max Finkelstein and the Talmud of Paddling

I was out jogging in the Ottawa arboretum this afternoon, when I spotted a green heron standing on a log in a small pond trying to eat a frog. I don’t see green herons very frequently, and this one was much more concerned with the frog than with me, so I was able to watch the action at close range. It was a nice surprise since my legs were feeling quite heavy and I was happy for a break from running.

While I stood there a couple dogs came by followed by a guy with his arm in a sling. I pointed out the heron and we fell into conversation. As it turned out, this guy was Max Finkelstein noted canoeist and writer…

Lusk falls in winter in Gatineau Park, Quebec

Shocking, white and wondrous

Many of us in Ottawa are getting edgy, hoping we’ll get snow soon. Without it, I daresay, there will be little to do this winter for those of us who spend our time on the ski trails of Gatineau park, skating on the Rideau canal, kite skiing or playing outdoor hockey. Winter without snow around here would be tiresome in the extreme.

So, I went hiking yesterday reluctantly, but discovered something surprising…

Why we share stories

Recently my old friend Leeyann, whom I had not seen for 10 years, got in touch with me through my website. Besides being a wonderful person, she is a mom these days. It turns out that her two year old son, Thomas, was quite taken with some of the photos on my website, and Leeyann asked if I could send her some prints to hang in his bedroom. I was tickled happy by this idea…