Opinion

I recently returned from a short visit to Arizona where, despite the cold, I participated in an assortment of fun equine activities.

When a youngster shows an early talent for almost any sport, the early thought is playing that sport at the highest level. In the eyes of the parents, well most of them, the hopes go even further than that.

You may recall a recent column wondering why a couple of events were not listed on the town’s website. It was SummerFest and WinterFest that didn’t make the list and now we know why.

This week, I’m going to write about one of my heroes. Gaydon Willis. About six years ago, I used to get therapeutic massages from Gaydon which were very good and during one session she shared with me that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

What was sought in this case was a quick, economical (read cheap) south-of-the-border trip which would provide a break during a long winter. The quick was provided by a four-day, three-night excursion into a small Nevada town called West Wendover.

In his just-published book, a widely acclaimed author/lecturer sees hope for the world by a shift in educational priorities from information to imagination.

In three days, my wife Sue and I are heading over to Tanzania. As I packed, I thought about how this trip came about. In late August 2012, Sue and I went on a road trip to Edmonton, to visit our friends Leesha and Lau Mafuru and their baby Oasis.

Twenty-five years ago, I had hair, Alberta had a balanced budget and the Olympics were here. Everyone remembers the Olympics, but since we have so many new residents since 1988, I’d guess few would know the part Cochrane played.

Pope Benedict XVI announced this week that he will step down on Feb. 28 as head of the Roman Catholic Church. With this column I’d like to honour him for his bridge-building work among the world’s religions.

Photography used to be all about The Print.