Tag: summer

Heat dome! Some thoughts – hot and not – and the usual ramblings midyear year (i.e. the June 2025 edition of my not-a-newsletter newsletter)

The first half of 2025 is done, and if you’re living in Central Canada, you’ve just suffered through some face melting heat caused by a heat dome. That was a new experience for me. I’ve suffered heat waves, but not a heat dome. It’s a new way of suffering. Fortunately it did not last long, and cooler temps have brought some relief.

Once the main focus of this newsletter was the pandemic and COVID, because for the previous 5 years that was the thing that most preoccupied people. While COVID is still around, it has diminished to the point that the flu is deadlier than it in some parts of the world.

In the last year the thing that mostly preoccupies the world are the actions of the second Trump administration. I suspect that this will also be the thing that preoccupies this this newsletter for the next few years.

Trump 2.0

Tariffs were pretty high on the agenda for Trump’s second term in office. I think he dreamed he could eliminate income taxes and replace them with tariffs. (Never mind that tariffs are just another form of tax, which everyone but Trump seems to know). Turns out, it’s not that easy to get rid of income taxes. And while trying to switch over to a tariff based form of revenue, you get things like shipments freezing up just like in the bad old days of the pandemic. Does any of Trump’s tariffs make any sense? Some try to explain away his actions, but the constant changing of tariff rates on various places seems like madness to many.

When Trump hasn’t been applying tariffs on everyone including penguins and seals, he has been out seeking revenge.  It’s pretty common knowledge that Trump has a revenge list.  For those on the list, it will be interesting to see who he attacks over the term of his administration. I suspect he’ll get to most of them. Of those already attacked, many are struggling to respond. The ones that did respond by caving to Trump are losing in other ways.

It’s not only individuals that Trump is after. It’s also institutions, such as U.S. universities. While his administration has gone after a number of schools, Harvard has been hit especially hard, as you can see here. Why Harvard? Perhaps because they are fighting back, unlike Columbia University, which quickly threw in the towel.

He’s even taking his fight to the Justice system itself. Some are wondering if the Supreme Court would stop him. Short answer is nope, it didn’t, although they are pushing back ever so slightly. While the SCOTUS is giving Trump a pass, judges in lower courts are struggling to provide some sense of justice despite this onslaught from Trump attorneys in the Justice Department.

As for other attacks, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention his wrongful deporting of individuals to other countries, the wrongful arrests of citizens by ICE, and the sending of marines to Los Angeles.  Honestly it’s too much to cover, but that’s the point.

It’s not all tariffs and attacks, mind you. For instance, he’s found time to redo parts of the White House. Much has been written about his weird Oval Office decoration (this is the guy who keeps a fake Renoir painting in his New York Home). Not surprising, the new look doesn’t even seem to be expensive, just cheap and gaudy.

What else? He picked up a free plane from Qatar, just one of many corrupt acts. He also got his wish of having a military parade on his birthday. In the end, many thought it was a failure. What does not seem to have been a failure were the No Kings protests that happened at the same time.

Musk

Speaking of failure, Elon Musk has slunk off from Washington, black eye and all. Like so many others, Musk learned that Trump will use you and then be done with you. There was some initial speculation that he was not really leaving, but that seems unfounded. (It didn’t help him that he got into literal fights with other members of Trump cabinet, which likely explains these leaks about his weird beavoir and drug misuse).

Musk really believed he and DOGE boys would find 2 trillion dollars in savings as they slashed and burned through much of the administration in Washington. Instead he cost the US government massive amounts of revenue, largely due to IRS cuts. And while DOGE was a failure in itself — some are already calling it over — Trump’s spending bill undermined any savings DOGE might have achieved. (For those interested, check out this DOGE tracker for more info.)

Elon Musk leaves behind a legacy of disease, starvation and death during his short time in Washington. Hope it was worth it for him.

The Pope

While all that was happening, Pope Francis died this Easter Monday. After a relatively short conclave, an American was chosen as the next pope, Leo XIV.

Needless to say, this lead to a slew of news stories, such as  how the new pope came up with his name and how the Cardinals were watching the movie “Conclave” for guidance. Of course while Trump was at the funeral he drew attention for the way he dressed and his supposed desire to be Pope. Whatever. Unlike Trump and Musk, Pope Francis left a good legacy and tried to live a good life, as seen here.

Canada

One weird counter-effect Trump has had on the world is damaging political parties that are aligned in some way to him. This happened in Canada, with Mark Carney and the Liberals surging from behind to win the recent Federal election. (Results here.) It helped that Carney’s Liberals won big in Toronto, despite Conservatives flipping key 905 seats.

Carney has since paid a visit to Trump and it seemed to go well, but one never knows what will happen at any given week in the White House. Meanwhile Carney has also been courting other world leaders like King Charles and members of the G7, no doubt as a way of dealing with our neighbor down south.

In other news

Are things still terrible in the Middle East? Of course. If anything, things are only getting worse. Ukraine? Yes. Is crypto making a comeback? Sadly I think so.

Are we in for a wave of disease and suffering due to people like RFK, Jr? It’s likely. Mind you, measles is surging in Alberta. Foolishness like this doesn’t help.

Michelin, which has been to Toronto a few times, has now expanded their Canadian presence by going to Montreal and Quebec and reporting back on all the goodness that part of the country has to offer.

Finally

The great Brian Wilson of Beach Boys fame passed away recently. I’ve always loved his song, “God Only Knows”, and here he is with an abundance of new and not so new musicians to perform it with him for the BBC:

As always, thanks for reading the June 2025 edition of my not-a-newsletter newsletter! Enjoy your summer.

 

Japan has 72 microseasons and why having more than 4 seasons is a good thing

lilacs
Right now lilac season is starting in Toronto. Shouldn’t that be a true season in it’s own right?

When you think of it, it makes sense that we have more than four seasons. Heck according to this piece, Japan has 72 microseasons. Meanwhile in Canada, we often joke about having many microseasons, too, and they go like this:

  1. WINTER (brutal cold)
  2. fool’s spring (don’t get used to it)
  3. second winter / bleak midwinter (oh well)
  4. spring of deceptions (is spring here? As if!)
  5. third winter (snowdrop flower season, snow melts fast, weird snowfalls in April)
  6. pollen season (lilac season, tulip season)
  7. SPRING (cool but green)
  8. Nice summer (perfect weather)
  9. SUMMER (brutal heat)
  10. false fall (where’s the sweaters?)
  11. second summer (that’s better)
  12. AUTUMN (leaves turn color and fall)
  13. Lovely holiday winter (not too cold)

I think we could easily get new names for all those seasons not capitalized.

Kurt Vonnegut took a stab at this and came up with six seasons: the original four plus two more, Locking and Unlocking. I think that is an improvement on the original four, but that’s just a start.

One good reason to have more seasons is that they remind you to appreciate the changes in the world around you. Another good reason is that it breaks down the seasons that can be difficult (winter for many, summer for me) and helps you get through them. Whatever the reason, having seasons based on the climate and less on solistices and equinoxes makes more sense.

I hope we get more seasons in Canada. For now we will have to stick with the four official ones and the many unofficial ones. Now go and enjoy the lilacs.

 

 

It’s ok to hate August and love February (and vice versa. Or neither)

It’s ok to hate August and love February (and vice versa. Or neither.)

If you live in the northern hemisphere and you say you hate February, many people will get it. It’s a month of darkness and cold, they will say, of course you hate it.

Not all will agree. For many others love the middle of winter. They love doing winter activities. They love snow. They love staying indoors and being cozy and warm.

However, if you say you hate August, many people will not get it. They will ask you what’s not to like about warmth and sunlight? They love doing summer activities. They love BBQs, going to the beach, being outside. How could you not love that?

But like February, August is a month of extreme temperatures. And for those of us who don’t do well in high heat and humidity, it’s a brutal month to get through. Especially if you can’t go to the beach or the pool, or if you don’t like being outside so much. Or if you have to be inside and don’t have AC. For people of that group, August is easy to dislike.

I am no fan of either February or August. I prefer more moderate temperatures of September and June. But to each their own. Not everybody has to like what you like, and that is especially true of the weather.

I am glad for the folks who love July and August. As for me, I am patiently waiting for September and October.

There are three good suits you can wear in the summer, and linen is the best (ignore The Guardian)

There are three good suits you can wear in the summer: cotton, linen and seersucker.

Seersucker is lightweight and doesn’t wrinkle easily, but it tends to be limited in terms of colour options. (The one on the left in the photo above looks good though). If you have to wear suits in the hotter months, having a seersucker suit will help you get through them.

Cotton is also lightweight and can come in a wider range of colours than seerksucker.  However cotton wrinkles. Alot. Really it is a dry cleaners dream. It looks great well pressed, but after a few minutes it looks wrinkled and disheveled.

That’s why I like linen: it looks great pressed, and it looks great wrinkled. Plus it comes in lots of colours and cuts. Hands down it is the best looking of the three types of summer suits and it has been for some time. I had a black linen suit from Hugo Boss and even in the heat I could wear it and feel comfortable.

That’s why you should ignore the Guardian when it talks about how the loose linen suit became retirement wear. They use Boris Johnson wearing linen as an example of why (younger) men should not. I mean, please. The other comparison point is Brad Pitt who wisely decided to promote his new film in the hotter months by suiting up in linen. A smart choice. (Also note the style of Pitt: draw string pants, loose necklines, casual shoes….all good looks to steal.)

It would be a shame if men, especially young men, gave up wearing linen suits. They are extremely versatile in terms of cuts, colours and styles. They are supremely comfortable. You can wear them to a wedding and you can wear them to a show. You can wear them in the city and you can wear them in the country.

Need more convincing? See the site Man of Many, which has good tips on wearing a linen suit. Stay cool, stay stylish, get linen.

The New York Times says you should replace your baseball hat with a bucket hat. They are wrong :)


The New York Times thinks men should replace their baseball cap with a bucket hat. I say, No.

First off, a baseball cap can look stylish if worn the right way, even with a nice summer suit. But if you insist on switching it up, you CAN go with a bucket hat, sure. I mean, they are very trendy right now. In his latest film, even Brad Pitt’s character wears one.

And that’s one of the problems with them. For young men, bucket hats look great. But as you start pushing into your late 20s or more, you look like an old guy trying to look like a young guy. That’s never a good thing.

The other problem with bucket hats is a practical one: the brim is often too narrow. It doesn’t provide any shade for your eyes or protection of the sun. Other than hiding a bald spot, all it does is make your head hot. Who needs that?

What you do need is a good straw hat. A straw hat works in any situation. You can wear it to the beach, you can wear it to a fancy restaurant. It provides coverage from the sun. It’s lightweight. It breathes. It comes in all shapes and sizes. It never goes out of style.

So toss the baseball cap, skip the bucket hat, and get a good straw hat. Or several. They don’t even cost much. This Straw Hat from H&M costs 12 bucks. And looks great.

 

Gardening: not just a summer activity. Read this to see what I mean

Sure, summer is a great time to garden: that goes without saying. If you are still wanting to do more gardening after summer winds down, here are two links you may want to read:

Gardening is great for many reasons, not just producing things to eat and display. If you find that to be true, don’t limit yourself to one season: try to do it year round.

(Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash )

 

Enjoyable parts of Toronto: kayaking


Ok, I guess it is Toronto week on the old blog. Since it’s summer, here’s a good piece on where you can kayak in Toronto: Guide To Kayaking Toronto: Where To Paddle And When To Go. It sounds like fun, and a perfect activity for the summer months.

Don’t know how to kayak, you say? No worries, I have you covered. Read this: How to Finally Start Kayaking (and Why I’m Glad I Did)

(Photo by Pete Nowicki on Unsplash)

Piquette: your new summer quaffable drink


I remember when rose used to be a hard sell in Ontario. It took years before people started drinking it in the summer.

Now people adopt new approaches to wine as fast as they can. In the last few years I’ve seen cremants, orange wines and pet nats all become hugely successful. (Though you wouldn’t know it at the LCBO).  The latest thing to catch my fancy are piquettes. This write up of them in Toronto Life describes them better than I can. As they say, piquette is a …

…low-alcohol wine is made by fermenting the pomace—leftover skins and dregs of the winemaking process—and diluting it with water. What results is a wine lover’s answer to summer-y spiked seltzers. It’s zippy, sessionable, slightly bubbly and certainly affordable—you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bottle over $20. Traditionally, piquette was reserved for farmhands and winemakers to sip while working the fields, when wine may have been easier to come by than clean drinking water. And it’s low enough in alcohol (typically, 5-9 per cent ABV) to not impact productivity. “Vineyard work is very tough, physical work, and your body gets sore and full of aches and pains,” says Mike Traynor, of Prince Edward County’s Traynor Vineyard. “Piquette takes that edge off without putting you out.”  There’s also a huge sustainability appeal to piquette. Once nothing more than compost, discarded wine skins can be a thirst-quenching source of revenue. “This actually allows me to bring down the prices on a lot of my wines because I’m getting a better yield from the grapes,” Traynor says.

A few additional thoughts:

  • piquettes are fun, but the taste of them vary widely. If you get an apple cider or a glass of sauvignon blanc, you know what to expect. With piquettes, I have not found that to be the case. The taste of one brand of piquette can be very different from another. They are like pet nats in that way.
  • I can see why winemakers like them: they can squeeze another product out of their harvest. Good for them.
  • I can’t see piquettes reaching a large audience like pinot grigio or moscato did. They will have to compete with beer and cider, which already have a huge part of the summer beverage market. But I am a bad predictor, so who knows.
  • a bottle of piquette can also be good at the end of the evening if you have a big group over for a dinner party. Try it sometime.
  • I’ve had a few piquettes now and I really like the one from Leaning Post. Indeed I like much of the wine from them. Good people, great wine.
  • The wine pictured above is from Leaning Post. It has a great punk rock vibe to it, which perfectly describes a piquette.

S.A.D. – not just for winter


If you think Seasonal Affective Disorder is something that only affects people in winter, read this. In some ways, it can be worse in the summer. People think: you should be happy with all the nice weather. There’s all kinds of sunlight too, they might add. But people can struggle in the dog days as much as any other time….I know I do. I find August as difficult as February. The reasons are different, but the challenges are similar.

If you find your mood goes poorly in the summer, read that piece.

(Photo by Joshua Earle on Unsplash )

17 books to get you through the pandemic, or the summer, or even the weekend


I saved this at the start of the pandemic for a time when I could freely buy books again. Now is that time, in Canada. I think this is a fine list, full of old and new books: 17 books to get you through the pandemic – Free Candie

Summer is a great time to read. Try and do that. If you get stuck, I find sticking to short/funny/light books can help.

And ready the Free Candie blog. It’s great.

(Image from a link to the blog post)

Summer is overrated

I have always thought that myself. And now I find out that I am not alone. As this article below says, “Most people welcome long summer days. And then there are the haters, who loathe the unending light that doesn’t give way to night until it’s almost time for bed.” I would not say I am a hater; I’ve become reconciled to it. And early summer can be pleasant. But the most extreme days of summer are no more welcome to me than the extreme days of winter. Both extreme days are to be endured more than enjoyed.

If you too are not in love with summer, you might enjoy this: www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/summer-means-a-parade-of-long-sunny-days-and-its-actually-the-worst/2019/06/23/27868ac6-92a1-11e9-b570-6416efdc0803_story.html

New ideas for summer wine drinkers

For those of you looking to branch out beyond whites, roses, and heavy reds (for BBQ), here’s a good list: Chilled Red Wines to Drink All Summer – Bon Appétit.

Beaujolais is the obvious choice for Gamay, but lots of new world producers make wine with that grape. For Carignan, you may have to look around: if you can find a place that stocks a good selection of French wine, look in the Midi section. Also check out the Spanish wine section. The challenge there is it can sometimes (often times?) be blended with heavier reds. Ask the staff for help if you want something lighter. As for Zweigelt, the challenge there is finding it at all. If you can, get some.

If you want to know more about carignan, check out this from Winefolly.com:

Summerlicious 2018: the deals

I am a fan of Summerlicious (and Winterlicious) in Toronto: it’s a festival of sorts for people who like fine dining . It’s debatable if you are getting a deal on the meals, though I would argue that you are. If you lean the other way, then read this: 10 best deals for Summerlicious 2018 – NOW Magazine. By going to one or more of these 10 places, you’ll dine in a good restaurant and get a good deal as well.

On August Blues 

If you feel yourself out of sorts or not your best in the month of August, you are not alone.  August can trigger bad emotional responses in us for a number of reasons, whether we love the summer or hate it. To see what I mean, see this: August Blues Are Like Sunday Blues, But for a Full Month — Science of Us.

I would add for some, August can be the most extreme month in terms of weather (just like February) and that can make it difficult to deal with too. If you find yourself struggling at this time of the year, cut yourself some slack and prepare yourself for the true start of the new year: September. (A much nicer month than August for many reasons).

You like food! I like food! Here’s some food links to chew on. :)

The web and food are made for each other. There are countless links to recipes, essays, reviews and photos of food. Out of all that, here is a small handful I found interesting over the last few months of surfing around. I hope you find one or two or even all of them interesting. Enjoy!

BBQ 101: three good tips from Bon Appétit

I find it easy to forget to how to barbeque, since months go by without doing any of it. I am trying to get back into it and get better. If you are in the same position, Bon Appétit has some good advice for both of us, including

 

Notes for Parents on Summer Day Camps in Toronto

My kids spent many years going to summer camps in Toronto. If you have to or want to send your kids to summer camps, you might find these notes useful.

The first two things you need to do: 1) get out a calendar and 2) determine your budget. Do this in February. Really! When you get out a calendar, you will likely see that the kids have 9 weeks off in the summer (for some reason I used to think there were only 8 weeks off for the kids). Next, get a budget, because you will need to account for camp costs as well as transportation costs and extra costs like if you have to pick your kids up late. When you have a calendar and a budget, your camp options will come into clearer focus. Also, you can start thinking about other things happening in the summer, like vacations, visits from family, work assignments, and other things that will affect you.

As far as organizations offering camps, the cheapest camps by far – by far! – are the ones run out of community centers from the City of Toronto. They also fill up really fast. By March, if I recall. Book those first.

North Toronto Soccer had relatively lower costs than most camps. Great if your kid loves soccer. Note: ask how much time the kids spend outside. That can be a very tough camp in the middle of summer. (Not just NT but any outdoor camp.)

My kids liked the film camp at NFB, and it was indoors and so good during some weather, but one year was enough. Also, doing it with kids under 10 was better.

If your kid loves to do art, the AGO camps are great. If you are thinking of becoming a member and signing up, do both: members used to get a break on camp costs.

Harbourfront had some of the most interesting camps. DD loved them, but DS did not. Also, Harbourfront has buses that take your kids to and from camp from various locations around the city. Saves time, costs money. Can be a lifesaver.

Hockey camps are the most expensive, some going for $600 a week. UCC had relatively cheaper ones, but they fill up really fast too. UCC has lots of good camps, and they are in line with camps at places like AGO and NFB, but the hockey ones always filled up right away. Sign up for those first! Also there were hockey camps at Larry Grossman arena that were good and not as expensive.

Another benefit of hockey camps: the kids spend alot of time in not hot facility. Great experience during the hot days of summer.

To save some money, put your kids in camps with long weekends. That one day can save 20-50 bucks

To save more money, take time off and spend time with your kids. Note: this may not be cheap, either. If you plan to take a week off and plan to take your kid to a different venue every day, you will see it will add up. If you want to do this to save money, your goal should be to find activities you both like that aren’t too expensive, be it going to the Islands, having picnics, bike rides, kite building and flying, etc.

Don’t be too dazzled by camp promises. You might think: wow, my kid will learn SO much at this camp. They will learn things. And they will likely have fun. But think of camp as really good babysitting/daycare. Camps are mostly run by teens, and alot of camp time is getting kids to and from locations, feeding them, tracking them, etc. My son hated that. Also some councillors are really great, others are just there to do the minimum. One week my son went to a hockey camp and loved it because the councillors were great. He went to the same camp a few weeks later and didn’t because the councilllors had changed.

See if you and your kid’s friends can go to the same camp. Talk to other parents and try to make this happen, especially if your kid is not extroverted. Camp can be stressful for introverted kids: having old friends can help. Some kids thrive on camps and love them. Others can’t wait to be old enough not to go.

Try to pick up your kids on time. Once camps are done, usually around 4, the councillors will likely round the kids up in one place and more or less have them sit around until you get there. It is super boring, and it will likely make it harder for you to send your kid to such camps in the future.

My kids were done with camp by about 11. I know there were camps that go well into the late teens, but that wasn’t for mine. Likewise, overnight camp was not really an option for mine. Yours may be different.

Keep receipts for all camps. Keep them in one spot. You should be able to get a significant tax break from them, assuming you are paying taxes.

17 great, short novels for people like me who struggle to finish larger volumes

If like me you want to read better but find yourself struggling to get through massive books that you tend not to finish, this post is for you. Rachel Grate has put together a list of 17 great books that cover a range of old and new, very well known and some less well know. What’s on the list?

  1. ‘The Awakening’ by Kate Chopin
  2. ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles’ by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  3. ‘Night’ by Elie Wiesel
  4. ‘Passing’ by Nella Larson
  5. ‘Candide’ by Voltaire
  6. ‘The Member of the Wedding’ by Carson McCullers
  7. ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell
  8. ‘Autobiography of Red’ by Anne Carson
  9. ‘Invisible Cities’ by Italo Calvino
  10. ‘The Buddha in the Attic’ by Julie Otsuka
  11. ‘The Old Man and the Sea’ by Ernest Hemingway
  12. ‘The House on Mango Street’ by Sandra Cisneros
  13. ‘The King’ by Donald Barthelme
  14. ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka
  15. ‘Notes from Underground’ by Fyodor Dostoevsky
  16. ‘Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?’ by Lorrie Moore
  17. ‘The Sense of an Ending’ by Julian Barnes

 As you can see, a great range. I highly recommend you go to the post and read why they are recommended. Then head to your local bookstore and grab a handful. 

One of my favourite books is ‘Invisible Cities’: I highly recommend it.