George Conway's take on tarriffs

This is for Joseph Brian to read, and so we can discuss it. Sometimes I post things just for him! Feel free to watch or read the synopsis.  

Our Prime Minister Carney is getting all sorts of questions on what is going on between our two governments. In an article, he is quoted as saying,

Carney told Quebec’s TVA that Trump has made clear in private that, “in effect,” he wants Canada to have a “relationship of dependence on the United States, and I don’t accept that.”

This is a circular, but sound take on Canada/US relations. Conway has been watching what our Prime Minister is doing!

If you have a half hour...

 

 19,299 views 17 Dec 2025 #Trump #Canada #TradeWar Trump declared victory over Canada, imposed tariffs, and his base cheered. The headlines declared American strength. The theatrics dominated news cycles. And everyone thought they witnessed Trump winning another confrontation. But while Trump was celebrating his apparent triumph, Canada was executing one of the most sophisticated strategic victories in modern economic history—and Trump NEVER EVEN REALIZED he was being comprehensively outmaneuvered.

🔥 THE BRUTAL TRUTH: Trump played a short-term theatrical game for headlines and applause. Canada played a long-term strategic game for actual economic power. While Trump celebrated "winning," Canada was: 

•  Diversifying trade to eliminate American leverage 
• Building domestic industries to replace American imports 
• Attracting international investment from partners seeking stability 
• Positioning as the reliable North American alternative to American chaos

Crumbly Acres in snow

We've a bit of a melt. The snow cover shrunk. I figured I'd best show our friends in the snow. I took a walk down to the frog pond. There is a melt in the middle. People best stay off rivers and lakes. We're back to the deep freeze after rain today and tomorrow. Yikes. I can't use the snowblower on that! We may have a skating rink on the driveway. 

The fawn rediscovered the pumpkin, attacked by the raccoons, who are now sleeping. They've been frozen.

The snow looks lovely!

   

 

There is an impact on driving. (Get it?!) Joe witnessed someone who was in an incident. You feel so badly for them. People seem to be very busy, and for me this would be such a challenge to manage. 

 

I don't know if I like this or not! Poor little elf legs!

Coyote in snow

 

 

 The deer in snow

 

We are enjoying the celebration of light indoors. My indoor stylist has been fine tuning his design.

🚑 🚔 I think of the First Responders

😼 We arrived home from Ottawa, the roads were now cleared. I guess the cats didn't miss us much. I thought they looked sweet and innocent when I saw them in the office. 

The trailcam reveals the action.

I took a walk on the day we had sunshine! The cedar corridor is a lovely spot. The 2nd photo shows a deer bed. They scrape the snow out and settle in. 

Sometimes they bed down in our backyard. This is a fawn in Feb., 2019.

🚑 🚔 I think of the First Responders, out there in the cold doing their best to rescue people, and get them help or to hospital. We laud them. What a calling it is. The storm on Saturday was awful for driving.

On the way home from Ottawa there was a car incident. A car went into the railing📹. 

🎣 On the way into Ottawa, we spotted people ice fishing. It's a bit worrisome as there were two separate ice fishing incidents in Ontario. One man died in Latchford, the other man rescued. Another incident, in South Frontenac on Dog Lake a pair were rescued.

   

Death on Roadway Black Ice

It was a terrible weekend for incidents. When we were in Ottawa, I had a text that our power was out at home. Later we found out what it was.

 

It was a very sad incident. Matthew Bigras was in his truck was taking his 4-wheeler home. He skidded on black ice on highway #7 and hit a stationary police SUV cruiser. (This was the afternoon we drove into Ottawa.) I took Perth Rd. #10 into the city, and I am happy I did. The police officer went to hospital. On a post, a mother spoke of losing her infant in a similar situation on highway 7. Photo by Dennis Papa on FB.

The son, Michael, was airlifted to CHEO in Ottawa, but did not survive. He was ejected through the windshield. The mother donated his organs to others in need. "Michael will have the walk of life to the surgery room. He  is saving 5 beautiful souls, 4 adults & 1 child." The family invited family and friends to walk the halls when life support was turned off to honour the child.

The mother is doing a Go Fund Me in order to bury him. The father (Matt) won't be able to work for a while.  Chastity Tharp, the mother wrote:

"xxx Matt is stable however he has a broken leg, a crushed pelvis and a punctured spleen. As for Sharon they have brought her to Kingston Hospital and I haven’t gotten any updates."

Ornge helicopter whisked him into the Children's Hospital.

Hold your family close in your ❤️ heart.

Crumbly Acres in snow

Thank you for your kind comments on our trip to Ottawa and Caitlin's concert. It was nostalgic. Life changes so much over the years. It sure brought me back.

 That was a fast weekend. It's good to be busy and out of the house! It's good to be home, as well. 

I threw out peanuts for #75, our rehabbed release squirrel. We released him in May. I am not sure he is using his nest box.

He is a hoot. He grabbed one peanut where I tossed them, and ran back to the horse chestnut tree. Then he buried it in the snow at the base of the trees. He repeated that. Then went up the tree, across to the evergreen, and buried it in the snow under that tree. Again, rinse and repeat! 

Along came his buddy. Honestly, the only the way I can tell them apart is where they go when they are done feeding. This one goes towards the driveway. 

75 went back to the chestnut tree and took out a couple of peanuts he'd buried and ate them. He dropped one whilst eating, and then joined buddy under the bird feeder.

The cardinals are a bright spot of colour.

I don't know if I like the photo of him eating better than his thoughtful pose!

We still have a starling hanging about. 

Their colours are lovely, changing with breeding season.

In May, 2012, I spotted a juvenile European Starling on the gravel near the mailbox. I had help identifying it, as juvenile birds can be such a challenge to ID.

The deer have returned. I love the snow on its face. They've a thick coat that insulates them. 

The one in the foreground has hurt her back left leg. We'll see how she does. 

I've noticed #75 going up and down the trees, finding the bird seed the blue jays have cached in the tree.

   

 Prior to our big snowfall, the fisher and coyote were doing inspections of Barry Beaver's lodge. There was no sign of them after the snow.

 

Trip to Ottawa

 What a weekend! Caitlin, my eldest, had a concert. 

We packed up, gave the cats extra rations. I did the litter box. Joseph Brian isn't a fan of snow. I drove. I took a secondary road, as I thought there'd be less pressure to go 20 km over the limit.

We made it to Ottawa an hour early (12:30 for a 2 pm concert.). (Better than an hour late!) I drove around, and Joe suggested a coffee shop. In we went. We scarfed down lunch, and off we went. Here I am in the big city. I actually wore lipstick! 

Caitlin texted and offered to have JL drive us in, to save a parking space. Ottawa side streets were awful. I was glad to have a chauffeur. We arrived and had a half hour to wait.

It is a beautiful church (BCUS). This church community survived the Great Fire of the 1870. I wrote about said fire in a blog post, following the evidence of it still remaining.

I don't remember the last time I was in a church! 

There was an emcee and she said we were welcome to take photos, but please don't stand up. If we do, she promised, we would have to come onstage and sing a song. "YES!" I called out, raising my clenched fist in a salute, my camera in hand! There were giggles. I've sung in professional choirs over the years, done church solos, etc. 

First up were the juniors! I noticed that for their first song, all scarves were done up the same. By that last piece, their lovingly tied scarves were askew. They were cute.

There is a teen choir, and an adult choir, as well. There are about 120 people in the choir. I used to sing in the Ottawa Choral Society, which had 150 members, but we sang in bigger venues! They were cozy.

We broke for intermission. JL, Aster, Caitlin and Joseph Brian.

Some choir members, including Caitlin, will be travelling to the Baltics in June for concerts. They are fundraising! JL bought us some brownies for dessert. 

It takes awhile for them all to process in. Fond memories for me! The excitement, suspense, hoping for a great concert.

It's a large choir, especially during the combined choir pieces.

JL cleaned off the car, and we made our way home.

Safely home, we had chile and corn muffins, which Caitlin had made in her spare time. 😝

Caitlin showed us her Christmas sweater. It's a thing. I used to have great holiday sweaters, since the little kids loved seeing them at school. Since menopause I am too hot!

I left a trailcam going in the house to see what the cats were up to. I haven't processed that yet. Last time I did that they caught a mouse, which Nutmeg proudly showed to the camera! 

Videos

 

For copyright reasons, I have a couple of snippets: Choir, snippet 1

   

 Choir, snippet 2. I love the fake beard the woman behind Caitlin wore.