Posts by mheff
Doug The Dog
As I was saying in my last post, we had a dog. A big, goofy Irish Setter. We called him Doug. Abstract Art In May of 1978, my sister Mary decided Dad needed a companion but instead of a cute little puppy she brought home a Tasmanian Devil. I had never before seen a creature…
Read MoreThe Legend Of Orm Part 5
Epiphany I open doors for claustrophobia I wear glasses for myopia But triskaidekaphobia Won’t let me be No More Pencils, No More Books I quit school twice in 1972. The first time was in February. I was in grade twelve. Champing at the bit to put my plan in motion, I had been thinking it…
Read MoreThe Legend of Orm Part 4
Existential Angst If The Dog Hadn’t Stopped To Have A Crap, He Would’ve Caught The Rabbit That was one of Dad’s more philosophical aphorisms. He considered the game of “WHAT IF….” to be ridiculous. He was all for learning from life’s experiences, but in his opinion, wasting precious time obsessing over ‘what might have been’…
Read MoreThe Legend of Orm Part 3
CHANGES My Father chose an excellent place for us to live. We backed onto a densely wooded area with a stream running at the rear of our lot. There was wildlife galore and off to the left, an abandoned orchard. Later the first summer, we discovered that we could eat the tasty Macintosh apples, although…
Read MoreThe Legend of Orm Part 2
Family Life — Music Vs. Kids We are the children of Frances and Ormiston Heffernan. In the order in which we were born, we are Patrick 1952, Michael 1953, Mary 1960, and Jane 1962. I could easily write a hundred pages about my remarkable family. If I’m alive and kicking for a few more years,…
Read MoreThe Legend of Orm Part 1
A SINGULAR MAN Named after an officer who fought in the Great War, Ormiston was born November 28, 1923. He became known as Ormie and later simply Orm. What an unusual man he was—I mean that in a good way. He was intelligent with a quick sense of humor and the ability to “do a…
Read MoreWe’re In The Year 2025
Happy New Year I’ve talked before about New Year’s Resolutions. My favourite one is that old saying, variously attributed to Socrates, Oscar Wilde, Benjamin Franklin, Voltaire, and Mark Twain: Moderation in all things, including moderation Okay, so who did, in fact, say it? To begin with, let’s rule out Socrates. Those old Greeks were a…
Read MoreSeason’s Greetings
Hey Everbody It’s 11:45 PM Christmas Eve. I haven’t got enough time to write one of my usual long winded missives but I thought I’d at least send off a quick festive note. There’s a little bit of snow on the ground, the hedge by my front porch is lit with 125 multi-coloured lights, there’s…
Read MoreThe Bright Red Mud
The Road To Anne Land It’s magnificent—truly awesome. Usually, when I’ve been media-hyped to death about some “have-to-see” thing, I’m less than inspired by the reality. Not this time. What an absolutely stunning marvel of engineering it is; all eight breathtaking miles of it. Of course, I’m talking about the Trans Canada Highway connection between…
Read MoreOnce, When I Was In Moncton….Never Mind
Moncton Casino The two-hour and forty-five-minute drive from Halifax to Moncton was uneventful. This was a travel day only. The Casino was supplying us with rooms for two nights in its adjoining hotel. Barry rode with me, and we took it easy. No rush. Rick T-Bird Haynes, as usual, was way ahead of us. Discussions…
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