Blog posts by Peter DeHaan, many of which are in his book Woodpecker Wars.
I recently renewed my passport, which required an updated photo. I went to my local Walgreens to take care of this and complete my renewal application as quickly as possible. I placed my toes on the line, looked into the camera, and put on my best smile. The technician scowled. “You’re not supposed to smile […]
My Christmas wish for you is a joyous time of celebration with family and friends. May your day be loaded with laughter and love. May your table be filled with food and surrounded by fun. May you give gifts well and receive them even better. May you take a moment to thank the one whose […]
Last night while mowing my lawn, I saw three frogs in my yard. In 24 years of living here and mowing the grass, this was a first. Where did the frogs come from? I know the biological answer and the evolutionary answer and the creation answer, but those are the wrong answers to my question. […]
I’ve blogged about squirrels in my yard, which I see on a daily basis and rabbits in my yard, which I see almost as often. This is not the case with raccoons. I’ve never seen a raccoon near my house, at least not until a couple weeks ago. I was outside as dawn was peaking forth, setting the lawn […]
“Can we have a garden?” My bride’s question caught me off guard. We’ve not had a garden for 25 years, not since we moved house. “No!” was my emphatic reply. I wasn’t about to dig up the lawn for a garden; plus our rapidly expanding maple trees provided too much shade for there to be […]
I’ve worked at home for over twenty years. With a home office, it’s critical to have a professional, work-like environment. This is especially true when you are on a phone call (or video call). There can be no household noises, such as blaring TVs or radios, crying children, barking dogs, or talking spouses. These sounds […]
one child policy
Yesterday was the first day of spring—and the temperature hit a record-breaking 86 F. The average high for this time of year is 48. That’s an astounding in 38-degree difference. And today, the high temps pushed 90. Interestingly, the average high temperature for us in three months, the first day of summer, is only 84 […]
I’ve never been a fan of our twice-annual time change, in and out of daylight savings time. My perspective is to pick a time and stick with it. This is in part because of the hassle of resetting clocks, but also because it takes my body about a week to fully adjust. I also struggle […]
Technically, the first day of spring will not be for a couple more weeks (this year on March 20—unless you live south of the Equator, then you have a much longer wait). However, the seasons seldom line up with the calendar. For me, the best sign of spring is when I see a robin for […]