Dree's Notes

Witnessing a horrific accident Monday night between 9:30 and 10 PM, on the pathway north of the Bow River between the Centre Street and Prince's Island Park bridges, brought home a strong message about the need for helmets and night lights when biking at night. By the time we got there, a small crowd was standing around two injured cyclists, young men in their 20s. One of the young men was eventually able to sit up, while the other was lying next to the path in a pool of blood from a head injury. Calgary EMS arrived quickly, and we hope the second young man survived the incident, but there has been nothing in the news. On that same night, between downtown Calgary and Edworthy Park, we saw many cyclists, including parents with young children, biking the pathways either without lighting on their bicycles, without helmets, or without either lighting or helmets. Some cyclists bike way too fast given the conditions. We had both helmets and lights, but were spooked by other travelers

Summer camp can be an amazing experience for kids, while the cost to parents can be significant. The following are some brief notes on our family's experiences with each... Royal City Soccer www.royalsoccer.com/alberta This was our boys' favorite summer camp. Each day begins with soccer-related activities, individual and group instruction, and some healthy competition. The afternoons end with swimming in an outdoor pool, weather permitting, or indoor games if there is rain. Memorable moments included a game where kids took on the instructors, awards for being a good sport, take-home soccer balls, free necklaces, free candy, and photos sent home with a final email. The instructors were excellent with children, and the other kids in the camp had great attitudes. Lots of varied activity kept kids busy and happy. Bonuses: early dropoff times, late pickup times, professional handling of paperwork. JunioTech Robotics www.juniotech.com We chose this camp for robotics a

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture, gardening, the environment, or ecology. If you love your food, you should also love the bees... not just the honeybee ( Apis Mellifera ), but wild pollinators that on a bee-for-bee basis, are even more efficient providers of 'ecosystem services.' For example, in northern Alberta where canola is farmed, it was found that peak agricultural efficiency was reached when about one-third of the land was comprised of unmanaged, intact ecosystems. Farmland is that much more productive when fully pollinated. Backyard gardening enthusiasts will learn about how cultivating species that bloom throughout the seasons benefit both domestic and wild bee populations. Suggestions are also given for providing much-needed habitat for wild pollinators, such as reserving areas of no-till. Pesticides and insecticides are, of course, to be eschewed. Organizations such as SumofUs are working to ban neonicotinoids, which ma

The view from the docks was priceless, and we enjoyed it every day in Nanaimo during spring break. My recommendations include: the Buccaneer's kitchenette as a base for daily explorations and the basic necessities, Javawocky for chai tea and chili, Troller's for fish and chips, Hub Cycle downtown for bike rentals, and a hike on Newcastle Island for restoring your soul. Of the five I just mentioned, the last two are complicated and require some explanation. When we visited, Hub Cycle was right next to a couple of downtown buildings that burned down. That meant a safety fence, and restricted sidewalk use. If you walk from the big casino towards the A&W downtown, straight through the Shaw Building parking lot, then take the stairs down on your right, you will descend into a street that you would not have otherwise guessed existed. In this alternate domain, there will be cool people who will gladly rent you a couple of wheels. Another thing you need to know about Nanai

How could the story of the worst mining disaster in US history be of interest to someone who is not American, living 100 years later? Because Michael Punke has done it again, making history come alive, and drawing plenty of comparisons between what happened then and events in our day. Big corporations lobbying the government and buying senators and judges... Thugs hired to take care of  an annoying union spokesperson... Epic survival strategies and stories of guys who made it out of a burning mine alive, as well as the tragedies of those who didn't... this book has it all.

Just read The Age Fix by Anthony Youn, MD, a plastic surgeon and a really helpful guy. Dr. Youn kindly provides information on low-cost DIY treatments such as masks and cleansers made from common kitchen items known to be good for your skin, such as apricots, honey, citrus, olive oil, and yogurt. He writes about lifestyle changes that are anti-aging, such as cutting out sugar, eating more produce, and getting sufficient exercise. No surprises here. What I was most interested, as a typical person in my 40s with thin skin due to my ethnicity, is what can I do about loosening skin and lines on my face? Dr. Youn explains the surgical brow lift , but doesn't promise that it will get rid of all those forehead lines. Not only that, but the surgeon peels your skin back and you will have a scar at your hairline. Are there less drastic options? Ultherapy (ultrasound) and Refirme (radio waves) are treatments that are said to tighten loose skin on the face and neck by non-invasively