 On September 5th, 2026, my family and I went to visit Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, Ontario. For those not familiar with this museum, it is a living history experience set in the 1860’s with historic buildings of the time including homes, buildings of worship, schools, working mills, workshops, and Inns that bring 19th-century rural Ontario back to life. I last visited Upper Canada Village with the elementary school I attended when I was eleven years old in 1971 . . . yes, I’m that old and could probably fit into the setting if it wasn’t for my defiant activist spirit. 😉 What brought me to Upper Canada Village on that particular day were the horses (Horse lovers’ weekend) which gave the old village an air of permanence and life. But it was the Ojibwe Spirit Horse, which I had never heard of, that truly captured my attention; and so, I planned a day trip to see them. And I wasn’t disappointed, when I met them. The Ojibwe Spirit Horse is a rare and critically endangered breed of horse with fewer than 200 individuals remaining worldwide. They faced near-extinction by the late 1970s due to government culls, and it is said, by European settlers who viewed the roaming animals as a nuisance as they grazed in their fields and gardens. However, the Federal and Provincial governments in Canada’s past had been notorious for destroying the indigenous communities, including their connection to the land and spirit, so we must not forget what drives government from behind the scenes. Money and power. Thank goodness for the five Indigenous men from Lac La Croix and Bois Forte who rescued the last remaining four mares under the cover of darkness, where they trailed them across a frozen lake to safety in Minnesota. Since then, the Spirit Horse has been brought back from near extinction, thanks to several ranches and stables in Canada such as Mādahòkì Farm in Ontario and Sage Hill Stables in Manitoba which host and breed these sacred animals to help restore their bloodline and share Indigenous culture. Using modern techniques, they researched DNA and horse bloodlines to find the best match to keep the Spirit Horse from extinction. These horses are smaller, stockier, and furrier than most horses, which feature thick manes, fuzzy ears, and extra nose flaps to survive cold winters. Many have the prehistoric tiger striping on their legs which is a camouflage feature that originates in the Pleistocene Epoch from areas with dense forest. The Pleistocene Epoch lasted from 2.6 million to 11,600 years ago and is more commonly known as the Ice Age. Where do horses originate from? Modern horses originally evolved in North America over 55 million years ago before migrating to Eurasia, while modern domestication traces back to the Western Eurasian steppes. The evolutionary origin of the horse is from North America. The earliest horse ancestors, such as the tiny, multi-toed Hyracotherium or Eohippus, first evolved and spent the majority of their evolutionary history on North American grasslands. Millions of years later, ancestors of the modern genus Equus crossed the Bering Land Bridge into Siberia, spreading across Asia, Europe, and North Africa. The extinction of the early horses in North America, as stated by academia, is that they completely died out in North America around 10,000 to 12,900 years ago during the Ice Age, leaving only the Eurasian populations which were later reintroduced to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries. However, the Ojibwe Spirit Horse presents a tantalizing thought with its mystery and indigenous relationship that deserves to be entertained as their evolutionary uniqueness suggests. i.e. tiger striping on the legs, fuzzy ears and extra nose flaps for the cold. Ojibwe Elders say that the Spirit Horse has lived in harmony with Indigenous communities since time immemorial. So, is it possible that when the ice age ended and the ice sheet disappeared, humans, birds, animals AND the spirit horse moved north as grasslands and forests replaced the once ice-covered land? An intriguing thought because in the modern age, called the Holocene Epoch, these horses once roamed wild and free through the northern forests of Ontario, and were considered spirit animals by the local indigenous communities. Spirit Horses are known for being intelligent, gentle, empathic, and sturdy, making them ideal for companionship and equine-assisted therapy, something I discovered when I connected with them for the first time on Saturday, September 5th. There is a connection when you stroke them, when you reach out with your thoughts and look them in the eyes. Consciousness is in all living beings and so when I asked this magnificent creature in my thoughts for a picture and to share their story, she walked towards the middle of the pen, neighed loudly and then posed for me. There is magic when you connect…   Anyone that reads this post, please share the story of the Ojibwe Spirit Horse and the links below to the Mādahòkì Farm in Ontario and Sage Hill Stables in Manitoba who have been fundamental in reviving their species. Let us all be a witness to the Spirit Horse story and to the miracle that began when five brave Indigenous men from Lac La Croix and Bois Forte helped save the only Canadian indigenous species of horse from extinction. Both the Mādahòkì Farm in Ontario and Sage Hill Stables in Manitoba should be commended and supported by Canadians for their perseverance and dedication in saving this very important breed of horse; one which has the magic of connection.
Today, there is recognition by the Canadian Federal and provincial governments as well as several prominent institutions and mediums but it is my hope that the Spirit Horse becomes a household word in Canada and a national treasure. Let’s make that happen. Links: Mādahòkì Farm (Ontario) Sage Hill Stables (Manitoba)
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 I may come off as a crazy old man to some, but I’m really not. All the things I’ve said and done; they’re all with me still, here on my shoulders. . . . I carry the path with me. That long way through the woods, has taken me through some of the deepest darkest places of the jungle. If not for that conscious little voice inside warning me . . . Even though the journey felt, at times, like a thick weighty obsidian fog, or that I couldn’t see what was coming at me from all the passing shadows, the voice inside was like a steady beacon reassuring me that I am not alone. Until one day, you see, there was this light upon me when I came to the forest edge. Consciousness expanded then . . . It warmed my face and went deep inside, like the sunshine greeting of old friends. It welcomed me home. . . . And I could finally see what was in front of me for the first time in my life. I was no longer lost in the jungle but at the edge of the forest. The journey was near its end. I found my way out. Not by any map of knowledge but by that little conscious voice inside that kept encouraging me to move forward. My eyes opened . . . The nurses descended on the room. They told me, “Don’t try to speak” as they removed the tubes from my throat. The blips of the heart monitor were in monotoned rhythm and steadfast behind the three nurses and doctor attending me. The IV infusion held reality, and dripped away seconds of time as I drew my first deep breath, “I made it!” ---------------------- About this prose: I felt the need to write something today as it’s been one year to the day since I woke up after having open heart surgery (quadruple bypass operation August 1st, 2025). I’m in great shape, one full year after the surgery. The weight scale at the gym said I’m now 189 lbs. (I like that scale!) I’m almost in peek shape through diet and exercise but also with a strong dose of determination. But the present aside, there are moments that stay with you in life, and I do believe waking up after heart surgery is one that will stay with me for the rest of my life. For my vision has become clearer and more focused despite all the economic and personal setbacks that have accumulated over the year. My mind is so much more focused, that my second novel, Secrets of the Emerald Tablet is now in the production layout phase after a proof read was completed. That means my book is on schedule to be released in September 2026. 😊 So, with a difficult year behind me . . . I’m happy to say that I’ve come out of the woods more determined than ever and I’m already writing the third book of the series. 😉 The goal for the third book is a 2027 release.   Hi everyone! It has been quite the bumpy road for me this past year, but along the way to a full recovery, I’ve managed to put my feet back on the ground and finish writing my second novel. 😊 Secrets of the Emerald Tablet, book two of the New Horizons series; the sequel to The Shard of Asclepius, is now complete and in process of becoming a reality. The book was submitted to Friesen Press at the end of April 2026 and has now completed the evaluation process and gone straight into the professional edit cue. I’ve already started the production stage of the book and completed the design for the initial front and back cover. So, I thought I’d share that with you in this post, including a little bit about the book. Secrets of the Emerald Tablet Secrets of the Emerald Tablet is a gripping supernatural action thriller and adventure through secret societies, ancient history, advanced technology, and the battle for humanity's future. With the old alliance rekindled between the Order of Hermes and the Order of Thoth, they begin their plans to rebuild the foundations of a highly advanced lost civilization while also sending Montrealer, David Collins to Alexandria Egypt to help unravel the secrets of the ancient artifact he holds. However, a powerful nemesis to David emerges in Colonel Cedric Marshall who is relentless in his pursuit to acquire the ancient artifact for the Collective: a dystopian organization that runs the world. The chase is on and David once again finds himself plunged into a flight for his life while discovering his new abilities under the sands of Egypt. An intriguing action-packed thriller in the New Horizons series; the sequel to The Shard of Asclepius. The book will be in the following categories: FIC030000 FICTION / Thrillers / Suspense FIC002000 FICTION / Action & Adventure FIC024000 FICTION / Occult & Supernatural The book is a Supernatural Mystery Thriller with Secret Societies, loaded with action and adventure. The story falls into the same genres as books by Dan Brown and James Rollins. I have to say, in all honesty, that I’m quite ecstatic about this second book. So much so, that after completing, Secrets of the Emerald Tablet, I also corrected the internal errors missed in the first book, The Shard of Asclepius, and changed the back cover to better reflect the story and its early achievements. The new version will be available in about a month; just in time for the release of Secrets of the Emerald Tablet, which is planned for a September 2026 release. Here is what the new back cover of, The Shard of Asclepius, looks like with its revised blurb on the story.  Of course, I’ve already started planning the third book and have a series of side stories on characters planned for the future. It’s quite an exciting time for me, especially after recovering from the hurdles experienced after open heart surgery last August 2025. I have to say, that right now, I feel GREAT!
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