2025 July

The Lab

 True North Strong and Free

Due to the dysfunctional antics of our neighbours to the south, this year’s Canada Day celebrations were the most patriotic I’ve ever witnessed. Canadians are coming together more than ever. Our culture is front and centre around the world and the world is behind us. 

Update: July 13

The Mrs. and I took a weekend trip three hours into rural Ontario to visit some friends. The weather was great and the atmosphere was so relaxing. I always feel blessed to have been born and raised here.

Update: July 22

Ozzy Osbourne died today. Sad to see him go, but what an incredible run he had. RIP.

To quote Ringo Starr; “Peace and Love”.

Nudge

2025 June

 

Holy-carp, what took you so long! 

Hello June, we’ve all been waiting for you. This past April and May 2025, were honestly the lousiest spring months in recent memory. So cold and rainy that we didn’t have the opportunity to be outside much or start any gardening. 

Return here for in the month of June for possible updates.

Update: June 23rd 

The last two days have thrust us into a humid heatwave, reaching a record high of 45c with little chance of rain. Overnight temperatures will be close to 30c. Hydration and AC are a must. 

Update: June 30th 

This year our Canada Day weekend is a bit messed up as July 1st falls on a Tuesday. A majority of people have to work today, unless they take the day off or get the day off from a kind employer. So 🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day 🇨🇦 to you all! ❤️

Stay safe and limit your exposure to the news.

Nudge

2025 May

 

Photo by Steven J. Nagy 2025

The Return of Colour

Spring is my favourite season because it always signals a renewal for my spirit. Winter in Ontario is always just a little too long, visually too bleak and painfully bitter cold towards the end. It keeps us indoors far too often, to the point of inducing claustrophobia.

Then a day in May arrives when the sky is blue, the wind is warm and colour returns to the world around you. Even though you obviously know it will happen, the burst of colours can still happily surprise you. Me anyway.

Our springtime is usually very short, often feeling like it’s only the month of May. April is often very cold,  then June is heatwave time. So, every year I try to experience our spring, feel its new spirit fill the world with beautiful scents and colours.

Do you have a spring season where you live? 

LIKE and SUBSCRIBE to LIFE 

Nudge

2025 February

 

I Need Colour!

I woke up early to a pristine think blanket of snow outside. I love this silent looking world outside my window. Then a large plow truck thundered past my driveway. Uugh!

Still, to me winter happily equals no mosquitoes, which is the main reason I don’t hate winter. The main thing I dislike about winter is the days of greyish colourless world. 

I can feel that I’m entering the dreaded S.A.D. segment of winter, which for me is usually from now to mid April. My soul aches for the colourful workd to return.

Slay The Space Dragon

 

Slay The Space Dragon by Voltsmyth 

Inspiration be damned. 

What will I do? What can I do? What should I do? 

My own internal struggle isn’t just an artistic one, it is a desperate struggle for the existence of my damaged soul within a confusing, fragile new life beyond cancer. 

What can I do? What should I do? What will I do? 

For me family comes first, which is why I’m still here. However, since winning that battle (for now), I’m now faced with a new, deeply personal question; what do I do next? 

Perhaps, it is because I found a love for art and music when I was very young, that it became a new focus in my mind. During my recovery, without provocation the first skills that re-emerged where those very skills. Even before I could trust myself to handle boiling a kettle, or climbing in and out of a bath, I found the empowering nature of digital art and music on my iPad. 

Like my new pandemic-puppy, this incredible digital device brought me immense cathartic enjoyment, and greatly boosted my confidence and a new sense of identity. Whoosh, that’s heavy!

Art and music therapy has for years been proven to help people heal and improve their lives. I knew this, but no one signed me up for an art therapy course, my soul decided on its own, that the most important choice I could make is to welcome (without judgement) the music and art as it would come to me. I am very grateful, thankful and pleased that it did.

This brings me to how I discovered my new electronic identity, Voltsmyth. This project gives me a joint outlet for both art and music that feed off each other. Engaging in this project (for what it is) presents me with challenges and problem solving opportunities. Penning this very blog is an eye-straining arduous process, fraught with spelling and grammatical mistakes (I have no hope of learning a new language, as I can barely use this one). No one is pushing this agenda or production schedule on me, so I have incurred none of the usual negativity and self-imposed pressure associated with that.  

Thankfully, I have a wild imagination, bizarre concepts continue to flood my mind. Since there is no physical or financial risk involved, and literally no expectations of me, I have thankfully found a stress-free digital playground, where I can focus on my personal love of creativity, on my new uncharted path.

Voltsmyth cosmic-electronica music is available on Bandcamp, streaming services and YouTube. 

Gratefully,
Nudge

Fire Season!

 

Smoke Halo Sunrise, 6am Jun 7, 2023, Ontario, Canada

Smoke Halo Sunrise 

We live nowhere near the 160 forest fires burning in northern Quebec and Ontario, yet the air currents are funnelling the smoke our way. I’m 57 and I have never experienced this before. Our son lives in British Columbia and has had to endure smoke filled air for the last two summers, now we directly understand his concerns. 

Anyone with respiratory issues is being advised to stay indoors. Even though I don’t have a respiratory concern, I can smell the smoke and feel the poor air quality. 

I hope the weather cooperates and helps the firefighters extinguish these fires. I feel horrible for the wildlife. 

Nudge 

Kick The Winter Blues

 

A Gift A Colour From The Universe

This happens to me more and more every year. I never thought about how long our Ontario winters lasted. Suddenly, for some reason it seems to matter. I’m tired of being cold, tired of looking a world devoid of colour. 

Then this morning Mrs Nudge and I woke early to witness this beautiful, but fleeting window full of colour. Such a soul enriching moment that has lasted with me all morning. Sharing the image with friends is also a feel good activity. 

Be kind and stay humble,

Nudge

Wiarton Willie Was Wrong

 

My First Retraction: So much for the early Spring.

Wiarton Willie was very wrong. We received a huge dump of snow amid freezing temperatures last night. We won’t see nice weather again for at least three days. 

(cue sad music)

Oh well,  I’m Canadian, I can take it.

Feeling very humble

Nudge

Spring Tease

 

The Underdog Groundhog’s Prediction 

Now that we are a few weeks past Groundhog Day, how is Wiarton Willie’s early Spring prediction holding up? 

This reporter notes from his own first hand knowledge that the only groundhog to predict an early Canadian Spring, may be holding true. We’ve been very fortunate over the last week to be hovering above the freezing mark most days, but still diving down into the frigid zone over night. 

Overall, the 2022-2023 Ontario winter season has been a good one, with few -30 days and only moderate snow. However, this reporter’s dog wishes for warmer weather, sooner than later.

For Humble Initiative News, this is Nudge sending you warm weather wishes and blue sky dreams. 

As all good Canadians do.

 Welcome To The Great White North, eh.

Sorry for the cold weather today, but if you dress in layers, yous guys will be just fine.

We’ve been hit with our first real cold-snap of 2023. Temps dropping below -20c this week, only to rise up past 5c next week. It’s nothing new for folks growing up in Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦, but there will be the complainers and non-believers out there. It’s February, so…yeah, it’s cold.

Stay humble, stay cool, as all good Canadians do.

Nudge