Monday, 8 June 2020

What're you at?

Black Lives Matter

I am reading, listening, to the horror stories, as we must bear this testimony in Canada, as well.  CBC News: "Protests across the country have given voice to the belief that there is an anti-black, anti-Indigenous bias that has poisoned police forces from coast to coast to coast.

Why are police using guns and tasers to deal with individuals on a consistent basis? I had non-violent crisis intervention training when I was teaching violent students in Parry Sound. In the UK, police don't commonly carry weapons. These violent police officers must stop assuming that every person is armed and dangerous.

As a privileged white woman, I must bear witness. This cannot be ignored. After our local MPP's stupid tweet, there was an peaceful protest outside his office:

‘Racist, offensive and disgusting’: Protesters call for MPP Randy Hillier's resignation in Carleton Place



COVID–19
Ontario is reporting about 300 new cases a day. Most of these are in and around Toronto. Lanark County is doing pretty well. I know people were amazed that our dumps are open. This is why. We're in good shape here, all told. 


JB managed to get a COVID–19 test, as Ontario testing has now opened up to anyone who feels they should have a test. It took four phone calls, but I snagged it for him. He has a cough, and wants our GP to check out a sore throat. 

The next project is to get his quarterly PSA test prior to his quarterly injection/cancer treatment. I tried online. It did NOT go well. I tried 5 times. 
 

This was an interesting study. Men are more likely to get COVID, they think, but this is what JB is on!



Olga's comment, after our disaster Saturday, nails it:
"But the stretch of dithering panic -- oh, yeah, I know!"

It all sets me off. 
What has helped me is the change in weather, until the last few days!
It's been cold, with a polar vortex coming through. The rest of the week should be better. 

I noticed that the poor milkweed fold up their leaves in the cold of the night. 


Otherwise, we are ready for the monarchs who are working their way up the continent. Journey North reported one from a citizen in our area, Lanark County, around June 4th. 


The critters are out and about. The song birds are missing my feeder, but I had to take it down, with two or three bears in the area, as well as the rascally raccoons. The chipmunks are escaping Nutmeg. 


I was happy to get out and garden. I was happy to have any motivation at all. As I weeded, a great flock of geese flew north! There are always some later ones, headed to the far north.


The phoebe babies are a couple of days old, now. JB held the mirror for me and we grabbed a photo. They should fledge in 15 days. We'll watch for that! In the meantime, we are avoiding the basement door area for now. It's been cold, as I said, so the poor little things need to grow some feathers.


Our patio door screen is ripped. Poor Nutmeg banged into it as I opened the glass door. In the recent warmth, she didn't realize the screen was there. I'm going to switch out the basement screen, once the phoebes have fledged. (Non-mental note!) 

Things are unfolding as they should. I hope you are taking care of yourselves. It's not easy.

10 comments:

Christine said...

Good for JB with those meds in a way!

Tom said...

...keep on keeping on.

DUTA said...

Good suggestion: policemen should not carry guns; they should specialize ib non-violent crisis intervention.

Anvilcloud said...

I have also see that bald men can get it worse than other men. But who knows if that is true? So much information and misinformation.

We've been in the 400s for a few days, but I see we're at 243 today, which I guess is actually yesterday.

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
As it ticked over, I had a sense that 2020 was going to be a catalyst year... of course, I was thinking in personal terms - but man oh man... YAM xx

Nancy J said...

Down here the tight restrictions have given us no new cases for over 15 days. We are now in level 1, life as normal apart from border control, everyone has to go into isolation or quarantine for 14 days. Haircuts, libraries, funerals, weddings, travel within NZ , no spacing or social distancing, it will all seem so odd for a good while.So glad you persevered./persisted, was adamant for the test for JB, we should all be able to have one, without many symptoms. Even one is a good reason. Take care, that cold snap will soon pass.

Ontario Wanderer said...

I am always amazed at how much you can write and post everyday. I struggle to get the little bit that I do done at the end of the day when I am usually struggling to get to bed at the time I want to go. Perhaps I should work more on my time management skills? I used to be better when I worked and had less "free" time.

Jeanna said...

I think that's why so many people are turning to nature and growing things. The news is grim, but there are little buds of hope and good news. Take care.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Nature, in whatever way we each experience it, seems to keep many of us bloggers from going completely around the bend in these sad (and frightening) times. Things must change.

Red said...

Society needs to make some major changes. I'm not hopeful that the changes will be made.