Saturday 31 October 2015

Hallowe'en 2015

My kids, long ago!
Both of them are now parents!
Many people ask us, how do you get through each day, living with cancer?
We do this by living in the present moment. We live mindfully, enjoying every day. I just saw a couple of interviews with a former professional curler, Colleen Jones –who faced bacterial meningitis and has written a book about it, and has come to the same conclusions that we have.

Frosty's outfit
Hubby tells me that while he reads newspapers: Ottawa, regional and those online; we don't fret over the things we cannot change. We love discussing and debating and putting the world to rights.
We find things that interest us. My blog, for example, even though hubby doesn't read it, I like to write it. I know two of my three adult children read it to find out what we are up to! I've made a lot of virtual friends, and have met a few in person. Walkies with cats. Lunch out.

We don't mind the cold or snow, as some do, and complain bitterly. We were eyeing a new snowblower Friday. With a 100m drive-way you just have to have the right tools and the right clothes! We love the changes in weather. October is a fun month with Thanksgiving and
Hallowe'en.

Friday, I asked hubby to take me out for some drive-by shootings. I've been watching a building being built, new and film when it is finished! But, also, the Hallowe'en decorations. They are fun. After school, a few of the blow-up ones were inflated. I am not a good enough photographer to do them at night. I love the pumpkins, mostly. The deflated 'decorations' hubby says look like jellied aliens.

What I love about an old city, like Perth (1816), are the really old buildings lend themselves to the old, creepy haunted house look! With their old, big porches, there is lots of space for creativity. The rural homes have as much fun using up lawn space!

Friday 30 October 2015

Ghost bikes will have a time limit in Ottawa

June incident on highway #7

UPDATE: This journalist has it wrong. In any situation, a bicyclist will lose with a vehicle. Rider must be vigilant and nothing will protect them except this. Seriously, bikes and trucks collide. People are hit by cars doors. You can't legislate this, and only a cyclist can practice self-defense.

The city’s transportation and planning staff seem not to notice that roadside memorials to people killed in traffic are meant to point accusing fingers at them.

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I'm so happy! They are ubiquitous, especially with no rules. The city of Ottawa has a new plan for limiting the ghost bikes we drive-by all the time. This is what lobbying will do! A limit of 90 days.
This is a great idea. I think it so sad that people will only think of a loved one in the place where they died. There is so much more to grief and grieving, and many opportunities to navigate your way through a healthy grieving process. Hospice groups offer group and individual support.
It's a driving distraction, it crowds the sidewalk, and won't prevent another garbage truck from killing a person on a bike. Seriously.

I read about it on my Twitter feed.
BTW
Twitter is having some issues, since they've leveled off with new users, and they are finding it hard to earn a profit!


"The notion that this is creating a heightened risk for an accident, I think, is unfounded."

Friends and family who erected and maintain roadside memorials marking the tragic deaths of loved ones say a proposed three-month limit on such tributes is unreasonable.
CBC.CA

Paint party!

The pumpkins I both painted and used window crayons on, even though we don't get any kids here Trick-or-treating! I'll harvest them for seeds, which I'll toast in the oven!

PPF meme

Thursday 29 October 2015

Daisy, Annie, bears

Trying to think of a clever post. We've had pouring rain all day.
She has both feet on my foot!
One must look back!

Thankfully, we had great weather Monday, and Daisy and I had a moment in the back yard! Hubby came home after groceries and Daisy didn't budge. She had two paws on my foot! He came over and fetched the camera.

Buster has been evil, chasing his sisters and we are trying to figure out what to do. Some become aggressive around age 3 or 4.

I spent some time organizing, after my morning blog, reading the paper and working out.
I cleaned out the linen cupboard. I've been avoiding it. There is no end to the excitement around here!

 Night time has been quiet, too. Annabelle admires herself on the computer. She was watching the horses on TV, then the ball game, while Daisy sleeps at my feet, her paws rest on my shoulder. I was showing Annabelle her photos.

You can see how hubby is getting better at taking photos!
Annie likes TV and movies!


I think the geese, we saw hundreds of them in Carleton Place, must be confused. We were in Carleton Place, and they were taking flight.

Yesterday was 8 C., and this morning, what with the storm, formerly-known-as-Patricia, hauling some balmy temperatures to us in the north, this morning was a balmy 15 C. and humid.


On a trip to Carleton Place, you can
see the geese in flight. They are restless!

My iMovie won't work properly. I'm not finding great videos on the Trailcam, but our trips around the county have been fun. I'm endlessly frustrated. It's a lack of 'working memory' issue. I dumped a bunch of files. Saved in the cloud. I came across these videos.
The first is from June, from the Trailcam. The second was from May, a couple of years ago.


Bear in the meadow from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
My trailcam is set up down the hill, in the meadow. There has been some action! It seemed to go in circles!

This is from TWO YEARS AGO! Where does the time go?

Backyard bear from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
We had just sat down to dinner. I'm glad all of the cats were in, as they tend to charge the deer and chase the turkeys. I don't know WHAT they would do if they saw a bear. Buster was in the Muskoka room watching.