I use to work in the High Tech Sector in the Ottawa area .. but for over a decade now I've been retired!
This has meant that Marion and I get to cycle in the spring, summer and fall and ski in the winter! I also have time to work on various projects. Yes, I often 're-invent' the wheel .. but I'm allowed to do that since I'm retired and I enjoy learning new tools and figuring out how to write code for that special requirement I keep running into!
When I first retired, I thought I'd run a little company writing code for a Document Management System I called NOAH⇗. I soon realized I did not want to be on-call supporting my product so I made it open-source. Funny - not many takers - but I had fun coding this and made a few sales!
Now days I find myself researching cycling trips, assisting people with websites and setting up computers for a few senior friends and family. Yes, Linux is my choice and the computer at Unitarian House just runs and runs with just the odd update for printers or browsers.
I also enjoy working on our family tree database and I work with others to maintain the Lochaber Bay Cemetery⇗ where many of my ancestors are buried on the MacLachlan side.
This website is constructed for a 'minimalist' - using straight HTML and CSS (style sheets) with just a little JavaScript to toggle the menubar style for small screens. Over the years HTML and CSS have matured to the point where a basic knowledge of the two can give you a very clean and functional design.
BUT then came AI and bots: ..so I had to reconsider how I presented these pages and add some php scripting and hooks for password screening and abuse monitoring. Such is the new world we live in. But the 'html' only idea still works and remains my archiving option.
Harold (hb at nordicwind dot ca)
photos by Harold Blount - Copyright © 2007-2025
hb at nordicwind dot ca
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