CuriousByNature

Lynx are beautiful but elusive. I've never seen one in the wild despite hiking in all different seasons. Surprisingly, even those animals listed as being of least concern are not always abundant. I think the population of lynx in Canada is somewhere around 10,000. I would expect the population of coyotes to be many more times that figure, since they have also adapted to urban life. Cities like Toronto and Vancouver have several thousand coyotes in their environs, and even in the downtown cores. Which is surprising since the real estate prices in either city is ridiculous, and I don't know how the average coyote can manage it.

The newest season just started last night on CBC here in Canada... Matt Lucas has lost a significant amount of weight, apparently because his father and grandfather both died in their 50s and he wants to stop that cycle if he can. Hopefully he has many more years ahead.

I've had gator at a Cajun restaurant. Tail meat cubed and coated in cornmeal and deep fried. The meat didnt have much flavour, but the spicy sauce may have overpowered it. It was very dense flesh and pretty chewy - I imagine there isn't much fat to tenderize it even if it's braised for hours and hours.

Or Lagavulin in my case!

I'm beginning to think it is more stressful visiting this thread than walking the streets of Rio after sundown... LOL

No need for fragile glasses or breakable bottles when you have boxed wine and a straw

Wow - I've never heard that before. One more good reason to hit the gym!

There's a little quinine in tonic water. But based on what you've written, I suppose I can no longer use 'malaria-prevention' as a reason to drink multiple Gin and Tonics every weekend? At least I get a bit of Vitamin C from the lime, so now I'll just tell myself I'm keeping scurvy at bay.

Parts of Europe may hit 49C (120F) this coming week, potentially setting records for the continent. I think it's Sicily and Sardinia that are supposed to be up in that range of temps, but also very hot through the rest of Italy, Greece and parts of Croatia/Bosnia.

Unless I'm wrong, it sounds like he enjoyed it. He notes that he will repeat, so I'm assuming it was good.

It would only be rude if they knew the wine was upstairs and Escher had built your staircase

Is that actually a photo of the hotel elevator?

I think it would definitely cross boundaries and violate human rights.

You shouldn't have stopped for that goose. We need fewer Canada geese in this world - they are awful - hahaha

Three on the left side as well. I once had a Cocker Spaniel with 6 nipples, though in her case that was 2 fewer than normal.

Woodwork?

I use credit cards frequently for the ease of use and not having to carry cash all the time, but I also pay my balance in full each month which has given me a good credit score. That said, I did not apply for a credit card until I had a steady, full time job because I saw members of my own family get into significant credit card debt by only paying the minimum monthly payment each month. For some of them the issue started at university. I'm not sure if this is still the case or if this happens in the USA, but in Canada at that time, university students were able to obtain credit cards with a $500 limit even if they did not have a job. It was almost like giving candy to a baby - many people I know went crazy with their spending and learned to think of credit cards as cash in the bank - which it obviously isn't. And that same attitude existed once they finished school, found an entry level job, and then had their credit limit increased regularly. It was a dangerous spiral for those without much self control or discipline. I think credit cards serve an important purpose and should not be banned outright, but stricter guidelines would likely help a lot of people. Unfortunately, in North America at least, credit card companies make huge profits that they will never give up - even though these profits often come from preying on people's inability or unwillingness to be financially responsible. It's a sad situation in my opinion.

Charming

Clever name... 'Ram me hard'...

Now Johansson? Maybe he discovered that he has Scandinavian ancestry...

This assumes that lived-experience counts more than assumptions and rumours, which we've seen is unfortunately not the case for some posters on the forum...

For my mother we placed an obituary that was about 15-20 lines long, with a photo, in the Saturday edition of a major Canadian paper. I think the cost was about $700. In parts of Canada, like Vancouver, $10,000 won't even cover the cost of a burial plot, unfortunately. My cousin who passed away in Vancouver had his casket placed in the wall of of the cemetery mausoleum, and I believe his wife paid close to $50,000 - but I think that included a place beside him for when her time comes. Still, probably the most expensive real estate in the city per square foot. I think it was George Burns who said "I can't afford to die. It would cost too much money", or something to that effect.

I HOPE I am consistent in how I treat people - whether these are people I know or people who are complete strangers that I will never meet in person. Therefore I don't think there is much difference in how I interact in person versus online. But I don't have much in the way of social media, so I am also ignorant of some of the 'best practices' for online interaction. Admittedly there have been times when I have had to restrain myself from posting angrily or with cruelty, and I need to remind myself to remove the plank from my own eye before I judge the speck of dust in someone else's. Self-checking tends to take up a lot of my time... hahaha.

I had to fly out to Vancouver for a couple of days earlier this week to help with some family things, and the weather was beautiful. Sunny and mid-20s (upper 70s F) with a slight breeze. Few, if any bugs. It is hard to beat a good Vancouver summer - but I still cannot see myself moving there again because the cost of living is way too high for what you get, in my opinion.

Sadly, I would be able to .... *sigh*