Connect the Dots

Millarville, Alberta

If you are reading this, you are a dot.

Every time someone visits WellWaterBlog website, it creates a dot on this map. Multiple visits at the same location create larger, brighter dots. You are one of them.

You are a Dot, but not just a Dot. Your friendship matters.

Your dot is part of a worldwide social network; you read the same articles as people on the Canadian Prairies, in Johannesburg South Africa, Dublin Ireland, and Mountain View California. Your interpretation of each story blends with the understanding of others and creates an invisible, interconnecting web.

If the stories you read have a positive message, if they promote centric ideas, and challenge irrational thought, the collective effect of the dots will be greater harmony. Your dot makes a difference.

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This New Year’s Eve, Bear and I are reaching out to every dot on the map. We wish to convey our gratitude to each of you for being part of our community.

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. – Helen Keller

Please join Bear and me this New Year’s Eve as we attempt to …

… Connect the Dots.

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The author of the quote above is 96-year-old Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. She is an expert at connecting dots through her artwork.

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What I am serving tonight for New Year’s Eve fare is a dog’s breakfast of vignettes. They are compiled from story fragments left on the cutting room floor over the past year. I hope the narratives resonate with you as we continue our virtual, interconnected friendship.

First, let’s discuss the Elephant in the Room. Wasn’t 2025 a special year in politics! It seems like everyone on the planet chose polarity over political cohesion this year.

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In the spirit of connecting people from all political points of view this New Year’s Eve, I attempted to find something we can all agree on.

In my opinion, the best thing about politics in 2025 was …

…. Melania’s Hats!

Can we all agree that Melania has extraordinary taste in hats?

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Melania Trump isn’t the first First Lady to rock a hat. Jacqueline Kennedy’s brims didn’t provide as much shade as Melania’s, but Jackie also made hats look good.

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Bavarian Dot

If you take another look at the Geographic table of WellWater’s audience, you will notice that fourteen of the top fifteen locations are Canadian cities, principally western Canadian. This is not surprising, given where most of our friends and family live, but check out the #2 audience location.

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I have never been to Falkenstein, and I don’t know anyone who lives there, and yet WellWater has had 997 visitors from that municipality.

One or more people from Falkenstein obviously enjoy WellWaterBlog’s content, and I would very much like to connect with readers from that …

… Bavarian Dot.

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Mon Dieu!

Learning a second language is difficult, particularly if your teacher doesn’t speak the language you wish to learn.

When I was in Grade 9, our French teacher took maternity leave at the very end of the school term. Rather than try to find a replacement for only a few weeks, our Principal, Mr. Shirley, decided to fill in. Clifford Shirley was a farmer, a teacher, and a gregarious war vet, with a sound understanding of maths and science, but he didn’t speak a word of French.

With final exams on the horizon, Mr. Shirley was intent on tutoring us on words and phrases likely to be on the French test. One day in class, the principal asked me to stand up and recite the numbers 1 through 10. When I got to eight, I pronounced it like it is written, “huit” with an “h”.

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I passed my Grade 9 final exam and went on to study French through Grade 12. I never achieved oral fluency, but I can read the language with basic comprehension.

In 2025, I decided to improve my French language abilities. I stumbled upon the cartoon series Tin Tin on Facebook, written in French. I attempt to read the text bubble of each daily cartoon, to see if I can understand the words and catch the nuance of the humour.

When I get stuck, Google Translate is my new Clifford Shirley.

The Tin Tin cartoons hold my attention well. The French is not complex, and the humour is a bit raunchy.

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… Mon Dieu!

M2D2

A new Paton is being hatched! Marshall and Deanna are pregnant (mostly Deanna), with a March 2026 ETA! I am looking forward to getting into the “grandfather” business, but I am way behind my younger siblings. Collectively, my brothers and sister have 15 grandchildren! One of them is already a Chartered Accountant. I have a lot of catching up to do, but I plan on making up for lost time.

To get started, this child will need a name. Marshall and Deanna have probably already chosen names for him (yes, he already has a pronoun), but I have a few suggestions for them anyway.

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After that, we have Adrian, Russell, and Marshall. All solid, if somewhat antiquated names, none of which I will be recommending.

I was initially leaning toward having the name William somewhere in the mix for my grandson, but I am now inclined to choose something less conventional… I think the baby should be named Marshall, the Second – Deanna, the Second, abbreviated as …

 … M2D2

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Absolutely Not!

I read a few good books this year. “My Friends” by Fredrik Backman was notable. “Memory Wall” by Anthony Doerr is excellent, although I haven’t finished it yet.

Taylor and Riley gave me a book for my birthday, “The Tiger – A True Story of Vengeance and Survival,” by John Vaillant. The quote below will give you a sense of how the story unfolds…

“It would have been hard to imagine that Markov would earn the tragic distinction of being the only chauffeur in Russia – perhaps anywhere – ever to be eaten by a tiger.”

The Tiger is a literary adventure set in eastern Russia.

I also re-visited a book I read fifty years ago. “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck is an engaging tale of Wang Lung, a Chinese man, and his family, and their lifelong journey through poverty, prosperity, and social change in rural China. The book stuck with me all those years, and I wasn’t disappointed to re-read it.

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In the book, there is a mention of Bird’s Nest Soup. The Wang family is able to purchase the delicacy during their prosperous years.

Always up for a treat, I did some research on Bird’s Nest Soup to see if it is something the family might enjoy at our next Sunday dinner.

The nests (燕窝 in Chinese) are collected in great numbers, cooked, and reduced to a soft, gelatinous consistency similar to softened jelly. 

There are very few online culinary reviews for Bird’s Nest Soup, but I did find one on YouTube. “The Sushi Guy” gave a detailed description of where to find ingredients, how to prepare the soup, and what it tastes like. At the end of the video, the chef asks the audience this question…

“Would I recommend it? His answer, …

… “Absolutely Not.”

Roast Beef it is, next Sunday.

Money Well Spent

Back to politics. I want to talk about the President. Not that one, the next President of São Tomé e Príncipe.

When we were in Africa last winter, we met a man named Nilton De Sousa.

Nilton is an authority on the history, culture, and geography of his country, but it quickly became apparent that he is much more than that. As we toured the islands, with Nilton as our private guide, he educated us on the economy and politics of his country.

Everywhere we went, Nilton was recognized. He connects with local people using charm and humour. It became apparent that we were travelling with a politician more than a tour guide.

Once we got to know him better, I asked Nilton about his political aspirations. He spoke about the mismanagement and corruption of his country’s current leaders and described his vision for the economic advancement of his bitterly poor nation. Nilton didn’t come right out and say it, but he sounded like a man destined to run for political office.

Bear and I were quite taken by this remarkable man. When we parted, I encouraged Nilton to pursue his dream of building a better country. I asked him to keep in touch; I told him I wanted to hear from him when he decided to run for President.

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Two weeks ago, I received a WhatsApp communication from Nilton. He informed me that he has formed a new political party and that he intends to seek the Presidency.

As a first step, Nilton must earn the leadership of his District Council. Once established in that post, he can make a run for leadership of his country.

Nilton’s communication came with an anticipated request for funds to fuel his new political machine.

My domestic political alliances are currently in a state of reorientation. I am not supporting any Canadian political party right now, but my allegiance in São Tomé e Príncipe is clear. I sent Nilton de Sousa a significant contribution to fuel his political aspirations and consider it …

… Money Well Spent.

It feels good to have an African dot we can all connect to. I will keep you posted on Nilton’s ascent to power.

In a Bathtub with Pigs

Music was a mixed bag in 2025, so that is what you get this New Year’s Eve.

Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter is potentially the worst song of the year, accompanied by the most compelling video. Click on the chicken wearing a sidearm below to open the Country-Influenced, Bubblegum-Pop hit video, but turn the sound way, way down (maybe even off).

Watch for the guy dad-dancing out the car window, the manchild washing his face with a gas pump hose, and the elephant entering the café through a wall …

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Dirty Paws, by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men, has been around for a while but I just encountered it. The Indie-Folk tune is the opposite of Manchild, the lyrics are thoughtful, but the video is a repetitive black-and-white clip; a hairy monster carrying a banner across an Icelandic snowscape.

Click on the Snow Beast below; you can turn the sound Up and the brightness Down for this one.

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I enjoyed the Monster tune, but it is hard to beat Sabrina Carpenter …

… In a Bathtub with Pigs.

Armed, and Dangerous…

The Hopkins and Allen Arms Company went bankrupt in 1916.

I have had this 120-year-old double-barreled shotgun sitting in my gun safe for years. It has a firing pin issue, so I seldom use it. The gun only discharges every third or fourth time I pull the trigger.

If a Grizzly Bear was bearing down on me, I might have to reload twice before I could get a shot off. Chances of survival are less than 25% if the Hopkins shotgun is my only means of defence.

The Hopkins and Allen is a beautiful gun, if you are into such things, so it is a shame to have it sitting in a dark safe, unused. I have been meaning to get it fixed, but parts and gunsmiths willing to work on it are both hard to find. I don’t hunt, and Grizzly Bears aren’t an imminent threat, so my motivation to get the gun fixed has been low. Until Emma came along.

Emma is my latest daughter-in-law. She is an Australian ex-pat, a lover of life, and a keener in every imaginable undertaking. Last spring, for no reason other than an abundance of Joie de Vivre, Emma took a firearms safety course. She passed it and is licensed to own guns.

At Christmastime, I decided it was time to part with my old shotgun, and who better to have it than Emma. I still need to get it fixed, and there is bureaucratic transfer paperwork to be done, but once that happens, Emma will be ….

… Armed and Dangerous.

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Hopkins and Allan firearms were Jesse James’ preferred weapons.

Sensational!

It is important to use all five senses to get the most out of life. Here are some notable sensory experiences from 2025.

We have determined that Bird Spit Soup isn’t the way to go in the Taste category, but there were other notable Tastes that made 2025 memorable.

Aaron and Emma grew a garden this summer that consisted of only one plant – carrots.

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In the Sound grouping, the most wonderful and mysterious Sound experience occurred in January, when we were first-time visitors to Morocco. We arrived in Fez at sundown and made our way to a rooftop terrace to look out over the most exotic city I have ever visited. As we stepped onto the elevated tile patio, an enchanting Sound drifted from a nearby mosque, the Imam’s call to evening prayer.

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Touch can go either way. Tearing a hamstring muscle while attempting to waterski back in August was a sensation I would rather not repeat. At the other end of the Touch scale, my new truck has heated, massaging seats. When I sit my sore butt in that warm, undulating bucket seat, I almost forget how stupid it was to attempt a young man’s sport.

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Smells ranged from the odour of our resident skunk, Best Before, who lives under the barn and eats compost and expired food items we dispose of down there, to the fresh smell of the vegetable stall at the São Tomé street market. Truth is, I enjoyed both smells.

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A Frosty Morning, a Tropical Plant, a Gourmet Meal, Fado Music, and Camel Dung! 2025 was …

… Sensational!!

Thank you for riding along with Bear and I and our family this New Year’s Eve. Connecting our dots with yours has been a great pleasure, today and throughout the year.

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Grab a glass of your beverage of choice and join me for …

… A Promise

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In a world where Truth is Malleable, Intelligence is Artificial, and Reason is in Short Supply, I promise you a Safe Space at WellWaterBlog.

Artificiality in any form, Pseudoscience, Blind Faith, and Alternate Facts don’t have a place here; Reality prevails.

Limited though it may be, Intelligence will always be Natural.

You will never encounter any Advertising or Solicitations for Donations on this forum. Your Contact Information will not be shared, and your Algorithms will stay where they belong; with You.

The Objective is to make this Reality, the only one we have, Fun.

It’s …

… A Promise

It would be wonderful to connect to your dot.  Drop a note, or just the name of your town, in the Comments box below. 

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