Do Nothing Which is of No Use

| September 20, 2025

“Musashi quite wisely said, ‘Do nothing which is of no use,’ and with that in mind, I prefer a return to first principles — the safety of an enterprise MUST have no bearing on the worthiness of its pursuit. Only upon the manner of its execution. Even then, this will be governed on a sliding scale […]

De Woodz iz Cloze

| August 10, 2025

On 5 August 2025, the Government of Nova Scotia proclaimed: “… a restricted travel zone in any area of the woods upon which no person shall enter for the purpose of travelling, camping, fishing or picnicking, or any other purpose, without a valid travel permit issued by the Minister, a conservation officer or other person […]

T’ick o’ Fog (Part 1)

| January 8, 2025

2025 blew in over the shore with its own version of the vapours, alleging worldwide envelopment in mystery obscurants portending doom, and offering me an invitation, if not an outright demand, to give the situation a sniff of my own. At first, I was inspired to recall the intro to this episode of Get Smart […]

Midwinter Story Time With LFM

| December 29, 2024

In thanks to all those who have noticed my absence of late and felt motivated either to take up arms in proclaiming their disquiet, or clutch them tight to suffer in silence, I offer this brief walk in yesterday’s woods and my promise that you will find yourselves back to being tired of me soon […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — Day 1: No Apologies

| October 1, 2024

Welcome back to our fireside, goode and weary Pilgrim, and this 15th Season of Dark Sentiments. Here, by the grim and unflinching Watchstone, we can take our ease, speak freely, and match observations with the utterances of those who would proclaim laws to have it otherwise. We don’t cater to weakness here, nor do we […]

Dark Sentiments Season 15 — The Trailer

| September 28, 2024

In these waning hours of September, the last few lengthening nights before the onset of that most blessed month of October, launch of the 15th Season of Dark Sentiments is breathing down our necks. Eleven year old #1 Son Viktor is a young Man of many skills, and no small amount of self-propelled motivation to […]

In Ferro Veritas — And Don’t You Forget It

| June 23, 2024

For those of you who don’t recognize the Latin phrase in today’s title, I will point you to my explanatory article A Bit About In Ferro Veritas which was published here more than a decade ago as part of a series that you can peruse by clicking here. Let that stand as an introduction to […]

Dark Sentiments Season 14 — Day 7: Bad Behaviour is Known By Its Outcomes, Even If Not Its Perpetrator (Part 1 of 2)

| October 7, 2023

“To be Truly prepared to Live in the world is to understand and accept complete exposure to it in all its manifestations. No species in Nature, and you may be surprised to learn this includes our own, is naturally predisposed to ‘master’ the elements, nor holds entitlement to live apart from them. Rather, to Thrive […]

Dark Sentiments Season 14 — Day 1: Welcome to the End of the World As We Know It

| October 1, 2023

Welcome back oh weary Pilgrim to another season of Dark Sentiments where everything dark is darker yet! As you’ve clearly passed alive, if not unscathed, through the travails that for brevity I will refer to as “since last time”, you have earned your place at the fire we’ve stoked yet again to warm you through […]

Dancing With First Principles

| February 20, 2023

As has been made more than amply clear here lo these many years, I have been studying the Nature and use of the Blade, from chisels to axes, pen knives to sabres, scythes to ploughshares, épées to corkscrews; learning, teaching, and writing about it for a very big part of my nearly three score and […]