Hi everyone! It’s been another interesting week up here in the Nation’s Capital. For one thing, we were under a blanket of polluted air for a few days, something I don’t recall ever happening here before. You see, there were some forest fires raging to the West of us, so whenever the wind blew in the wrong direction it smelled as though we were camping in our kitchen. No matter where you went, it smelled like a campfire, which in itself was not so bad, but the fact that the air quality was so bad the provincial government recommended we stay indoors for two full days. Our kids had to look outside their classroom windows at the play structures in the school yard and pine for the good old days of last week when they could breathe outside. It was a very surreal couple of days. I like watching tv shows and movies about post-apocalyptic wastelands, so waking up to a hazy-looking, off-colour sky, and being told to mask up again (N95 masks to boot, not the fun “Big Lebowski” and “Scooby Doo” cloth masks we wore for the better part of two years) just felt weird. Thankfully, things are a bit better now, but the fires are still burning in some areas, and I just hope things get back to normal soon before too much damage is done.

Now that I’ve bored you enough with personal details, let’s get to this week’s update. I’ve added a new article from the very early days of the NHL Seals. Game three of their history, to be exact, a 2-2 draw versus the L.A. Kings. It wasn’t a pretty game for the Seals, who were described as being “stiffer than steel,” but a point was a point, and they all count in the standings. The Seals were playing pretty well at this point entering the game a perfect 2-0, but after this third straight game without a loss, the season (and the team’s future) would go downhill and fast. I call it a transition game between the very brief period when the Seals were winners, and the extremely long period when they were known as the NHL most lovable losers. Things would truly never be the same after this game. You can read all about it right here.

On a closing note, I’d like to remind you, in case you’ve forgotten, that I will be appearing at the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair, next Saturday, June 17. The event, basically a great place to meet with local writers (both authors and poets) and to buy their work, will take place from 11am-5pm in room 203 of the Jack Purcell Community Centre (on Elgin St. at 320 Jack Purcell Lane). If you’re in the Ottawa area that day, you should come by.

Until next time, stay gold!