What's It All About, eh?

Cape Breton evokes deep memories and strong emotions for me as well as a deep appreciation for the beauty of my adopted island. My hopes are that you too might find the photos evocative - maybe a view you've not enjoyed before, or an 'Oh I've been there', or if from away that you may be encouraged to visit this fair isle so that you might come to love and breathe Cape Breton as I do. One word about place names that I use - some are completely local usage while others are from maps of Cape Breton that I've purchased over the years. I frequently post travel and other photos that are of interest to me - and hopefully you.

On the right hand side bar find my take on Single Malt whiskey - from how to best enjoy this noble drink to reviews (in a most non-professional manner) of ones that I have tried and liked - or not. Also musings, mine and others, on life in general.

Photographs are roughly 98%+ my own and copy-righted. For the occasional photo that is borrowed, credit is given where possible - recently I have started posting unusual net photographs that seem unique. Feel free to borrow any of my photos for non-commercial use, otherwise contact me. Starting late in 2013 I have tried to be consistent in identifying my photographs using ©smck on all out of camera photos I personally captured - (I often do minor computer changes such as 'crop' or 'shadow' etc but usually nothing major), and using
©norvellhimself on all photos that I have played around with in case it might not be obvious. Lately I have dropped the ©smck and have watermarked them with the blog name.

COMMENTS are appreciated as feedback is the driving energy of blogging - And if you like this site please pass it along to a friend. Thanks!

NOTE: TO ENLARGE PHOTO, CLICK ON SAME - If using Firefox also click f11 - photos will fill the screen ...... ----------------------------------- ......TRANSLATION BUTTON AT TOP OF LEFT COLUMN!

Birds Today




04 December 2013

Merry Christmas and other greetings



I have to say that I like the Christmas season with its cheer and colour, the Carols that sound on the radio and in the stores, the decorating of the house and the lovely smell of a tree brought in from the cold, the friendly Merry Christmas from a stranger or a friend, the inundation of cards from people far and near, the surprise of a thoughtful gift on Christmas morning, the late night service at our church, the whole milieu of customs that I grew up with in a small town and those of the cities that I rarely got into.  I do not mind the saying of Holiday Greetings, or Happy Hanukah, or whatever the saying that might be given to me as a sharing of this time of the year.   I am thankful that you can be yourself whoever you are and enjoy this winter festival with an outpouring of love and sharing and acceptance.  For the Christ-in-Christmas among you, you have to remember that the season of the winter solstice has been celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere for thousands of years by innumerable races, cultures, and beliefs and that the early European Christians simply modified many of those celebrations into a Holy celebration of the birth of Christ.  No one knows when He was born for certain not even unto the year but most historians agree that it was somewhat around what today we call 4 BC.  There is no way to identify the season let alone the day.  Suffice unto itself is your faith and that faith should be the only concern.   If I do have any reservations of this celebration in our time it is in the madness of selling at all costs, in spending at all costs, in being overwhelmed by advertising for unending weeks, and in the lessening of the meaning of what we are enjoying by the sudden crash after the day itself – the influx of after-sales, of mark-downs as if there was no real value in that item except as a must-have for the must-moment and then it is worthless for another year.  Decorations down, trees down, gift wrap by the ton tossed into the garbage, gifts themselves being stowed away into some drawer or storage space and forgotten.  And this in turn is metaphor for believer. If you are a Christmas celebrant then remember that the Christmas season is from Christmas eve till some twelve days later – this is the meaning of Christmas for Christians, in the awareness of what that day signifies, being reflected upon and acted upon in some meaningful manner for more than an orgiastic twenty minutes or so of ripping open festooned gifts and thinking what junk is this.  Even the incrusted hearts (ahh Roger, Roger) of the non-believers seem to experience an uplifting sense of gladness from the basic goodness of this time of year and enjoy then at least a love of fellow man, and a giving of self to others for a real peace on earth.   Men can and have many times risen above the brutishness of the what’s-in-it-for-me approach to life that is particularly in fashion in today’s world and the Christmas Season reminds us of this in a visceral way every year even while we are being pummeled by the mundane.
 So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Season’s Greetings, or simply love and wishes for the best to you and all where ever you are and whatever you believe.
Stephen

The Morning News




04 December 2013
The wood stove is burning perfectly this morning - no visible particulate smoke at all.