April 29 - R Has Her Third Birthday At Heritage Acres, Where The Birthday Boy's Primary Role Is As Child-Whisperer

Happy birthday, Paul!
Now get on the train and ride
The kids need your calm

April 28 - Impressively Long Walk With Zac, Jordan, Banksy and Ollie Along The Panama Trail, With The Dogs Occasionally Bursting Into Fun Wrassling

Two dogs, three people
Hundreds of birds watch us pass
The rain cedes to us

April 27 - Elk Lake Is Almost As Cold As The Ocean, And Windy When The Weather Starts Turning And The Wisps Of Clouds Mark A Change Coming

Good grief, she's swimming
Later, we walk two dog friends
Bye, Ki. Hi, Ollie

April 26 - An Amazingly Hot Day Leads R And I To Gyro Park To Begin Our Summer Ritual

Neck-deep in the sea
My dear polar bear, chin blue
The sun will warm you

April 25 - The Day Begins At Sands Funeral Home, But Happily, Not In The Chapel

I speak on purpose
Do they like me? Most seem to
Best of all, I'm paid

April 24 - One Of Those Times When The Simple Thought Of Going To A Show On Cheap Tuesday Turns Into A Massive Coordination Effort For Four Adults And A Small Child

Hectic end of day
So many points to align
Paul's right: Sad movie

April 23 - My Valley Day In 16 Words

Dog walk. Air park. Lunch.
Driving range. Book store. Fit park.
Grab Pax. Drop boys. Leave.

April 22 - Gage Makes Butter Chicken

I could sit in sun
Or I could drive up-Island
I get in the car

April 21 - Note To Self: Bring Lots Of Anti-Histamines For This Sit

We meet three coon cats
The spicy one flirts with Paul
This gang rules the roost

April 20 - The Girl Is Braver Than She's Ready For, Though Her Rapid Trip Down The Pool's Giant Slide Initially Made Her Want To Go Home Immediately

Morning is for work
PM is for cracking up
As R whistles down

April 19 - Kass And I Play Old-Time Moms And Stand Around In The Sun As Our Kids Play

Hard face plant for R
We'll skip gym to hang with K
Girl's wild for Poncho

April 18 - I Am Finally Catching Up On All The Little Administrative Things That Have Been Hanging Over Me Undone For Years

Wills lawyer seems blind
His eyes inches from the page
Codicil to come

April 17 - A Flashback To The Good Old Magdelin-Cinecenta Days Finds Us At The Odeon Enjoying "Isle Of Dogs" With Zac And Max

Perfect movie night
Great flick, big lazy-boy seats
Grandson at our side

April 16 - And To Think I Took My Warm Winter Clothes To The Storage Locker Before Our Travels Because I Was So Sure The Cold Months Would Be Gone

Permit me this whine
about this season, spwinter
Feels like November

April 15 - Deadline Day Goes Better With Spotify's 'Music For Concentration' Playlist

A lost Sunday
I write for six long hours
My holiday fund

April 14 - My Oldest Friend And I Meet In Nanaimo For Hours Of Woodgrove Meandering And In-Store Chatter

Gayla spots red boots
Fave way to catch up, shopping
while not buying much

April 13- Finally, An Evening At The Packed Hermann's To See This Show I've Heard So Much About After A Full Day Of Kid Fun And Beacon Cable Rides

By day, sea creatures
By night, Tom Waits. Paul stays home
Putting R to bed

April 12 - The Vertical Swimmer Manages To Do Two Swims Across A Double Lane In The Big Pool

We ought to be gone
But once in the pool, you stay
Watching the tadpole

April 11 - The Rush Of A Successful National Announcement, Recognizing That You Really Have No Control Over Who Turns Up

Hello, media!
Delighted to have you here
Luck, I know. But still.

April 10 - And Of Course, I'm Dressed Head To Toe In Black, Walking A Black Dog

Must rethink this walk
No lights 'round the reservoir
Nobody but us

April 9 - Eight Hours Of Feeling Like It's Simply Not Possible To Get To Everything, Then Getting To It Anyway, Though I Hate My First Full Day Of Gypsy Status

An insane work day
The writing, the approvals
No place to call home

April 8 - The Downside Of Growing Comfortable With 30-Degree Days In Central America, Then Returning To Canada

Paul's back, and we're cold
People keep temps so low now
We're tropical birds

April 7 - Dog And I Hit The Streets And End Up On An Unintentionally Long Prowl To Mystic Vale And Then Over Mt. Tolmie

My hips are aching
Ambitious suburban stroll
Dog is fine with it

April 6 - Having Been Cautioned About This Small Terrier Mix Not Taking To Children, R Brings Along A Stuffed Dog That "Isn't Fond Of Adults." Also, Keely Has An End-Of-Chemo Party

They said the dog nipped
He follows R too closely
Biting at her heels

April 5 - Daytime With My Young And Lively Charge, Nighttime Curled Up In The Spare Room Of Total Strangers At Our Coming Housesit

R's kid aversion
appears to be breaking down
now that they can talk

April 4 - Striking How Many Times I've Been In Some Room At Swan's Lately Saying A Goodbye To The Latest Reporter To Leave/Retire/Get Laid Off

A TC farewell
They come fast and furious
It's that or be drowned

April 3 - In Which I Am Uprooted From All Routines At Home And Work, An Unsettling Feeling

Whoa, I'm here early
One last day in this office
Adrift from now on

April 2 - Chelle And I Go Shopping And I Break Out Of The Skechers Trap To Find Comfortable But Funky Footwear

Finally, fun shoes
I'm old, but I don't want feet
that make that too clear

April 1 - I Pull Together The Shots For The Parker Staycation Album While He Sleeps In The Car In The Parkade

Hi, Wal-Mart shoppers!
Photo kiosks are time sinks
Tempting me to spend

March 31 - Never Reward A Dog For Good Bathtime Behaviour By Taking Him Walking To The Witty's Lagoon Estuary

Parker gets a bath
Then he's mud to the belly
Smelling foul and dank

March 30 - R Is Happiest Outdoors All The Time, Like Me

Barefoot in cold sand
We shall will this spring to life
Beach, park, backyard bounce

March 29 - The Zoom Job Interview Day

New work comes our way
Good for income, less for time
Money always wins