On the Home Front

Well, the good news is that more Ottawans have power, as well as Ontarians. We're down to 12,000 without power, from an Ontario high of 277,000. 

Grampa, Caitlin and Isabelle went to our local market Saturday morning. They had some breakfast and brought home some supplies. 

The big news is the kids went home yesterday. Come hell or high water they wanted to be their own home in their own beds. They'd been checking their neighbourhood Facebook page, and residents nearby to their house were reporting that they had power, they were hopeful. When they arrived home, Caitlin texted me that they had power AND hot water! What a blessed relief.  YIPPEE!!!

It was the kids' 17th anniversary, and they went out to dinner after doing groceries.  What a fine end to the week for them.

I had a haircut, and came home to do cleanup and laundry. It was a beautiful day. I managed to get some outdoor chores done in the sunshine, including hanging clothes outdoors. We've had two days of rain. 

The cherry tomato plants is coming along! I watered them, filled the fountain, and enjoyed the sunshine.

My fuschia plant fell off the soffat onto the ground. I had just put more earth in it, it seemed to have compacted. I rehung it on another hook, topped up the soil, and hoped for the best. I like its new placement, it is in the middle of the picture window. The hummingbirds visit it.

We've had a lot of rain, and they are like jewels, these blossoms. I realized there are two different types of species in the planter. I actually went outside with my reading glasses on, this time, in order to get a better image. 

They are so pretty. If I had Anvilcloud's skills I'd fiddle around with this image, but I lack patience these days!

 Ontario Election

We've a provincial election. We went into town, Monday, May 21st, for the early voting. The actual voting day is June 2nd. I worry, as we've some whacko fringe parties represented on the ballot. They are represented by this person in this truck. 

This is the last weekend of the election period. Our former premier has been absent from the issues around the Ottawa power outages, he's too busy campaigning. He was absent from the Trucker Convoy on Parliament Hill, as well. He is all about cutting corners, putting in a new highway Toronto does not need, across environmentally significant lands. He cancelled LTC inspections. He cancelled 750 energy farm contracts, wind farms, at great expense in penalties costing Windsor $2.5 Billion in an LG factory contract. He failed thousands who died of dehydration in long-term care (LTC) during March 2020, from COVID, accounting for 69% of all COVID deaths. Then he extended the licences of the very worst LTC home chains, his buddies. He's doubled the waiting list for children to get help with autism. Routine lab tests are now costing individuals, including cancer screening ($86).

Thankfully. We've too many local candidates. Happily, the fringe right have split into separate parties, and won't get many votes.  We've local candidates for the main parties:  NDP, PC, Liberal and Greens. Canada doesn't have 'incumbents' per se, as the previous government is no longer in power after the writs are drawn up and signed. Once parliament was dissolved, we start the slate clean. 

Then there are these folks: Chelsea Hillier (Populist Ontario), Craig Timothy Massey Rogers (Independent), Marcin Lewandowski (New Blue Party of Ontario), Thomas Mulder (Ontario Party). 

We cast our votes electronically, this was the day that power came up in town! And headed home. This is what happened when we stopped in order to turn left on the highway into our driveway. It amazes me that people cannot wait 10 seconds while there is a break in traffic. One day they will take out our mailbox in their anxiety to get to where they are going.

Well, another sunny day. Here is Big Bear, video #2 from May 25th. He was there at 7, 7:24, and 10 p.m.!

Bear May 25 #2 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.