Sunday 31 July 2022

The Pope's visit to Canada; Indigenous responses vary

 I wanted to comment on the Pope's visit to Canada. As a White Settler, I believe in Truth and Reconciliation. I also believe in Reparation. I do not think the Pope did that. Many Catholic Indigenous people have been happy with his visit, others not so much. There is so much more to be done. 

I think this Cree woman spoke for many, with tears and emotions clearly reflected on her face (CTV): Her name is Si Pih Ko and she is a true Ogichidaa Kwe (Facebook).

In fact, she didn't sing O Canada. She sang a powerful song to those who enacted the 'Doctrine of Discovery', giving them permission to steal Indigenous lands.

Simon Bird interpretation:
our father

keep our land that is pure and clean
our land that is pure/clean, it is true/it is the truth
I am grateful standing here 
you should know better than to be granting/sharing something
we are the royalty
we were sovereign/we made our own laws
there cannot be another law brought here
that is not the great/true law
great leaders were selected
so we can make our own laws/to be sovereign
That’s it/thank you

Her words: “‘You are hereby served the spoken law, we the daughters of the great spirit and our tribal sovereign members can not be forced into law or treaty that is now the great law. We have appointed chiefs on our territories, govern yourselves accordingly,’ and then I turned my back on him and said ‘hiy hiy’ and I shook it off.
There was an interesting CBC show: CBC Radio's The House: TRC calls to action — what's next?, hosted by CBC journalist Niigaan Sinclair (Anishinaabe, and assistant prof at uManitoba). He interviewed his father, Murray Sinclair, who was the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) chair. 

All I can do is bear witness to the pain and the wrongs. I hope we can do the things that need to be done. And what needs to be done? Cindy Blackstock has long advocated for the people, First Nations, Innuit, Metis. She states what must be done in reparations. I leave you with this:

Saturday 30 July 2022

Saturday's Critters

 People are so kind to say they are fans of my critter posts. It lifts me up. I have fun watching our critters. The challenge is to film them. It keeps me sharp and gives me some goals.

I emerged from the meadow, rising up the path, to find a lovely bird. I must admit I was slightly disappointed it was 'just' a young robin with speckles on its breast, but in the grand scheme of things I cannot be disappointed. I know I am privileged to live here.

robin from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

In the forest, finally a couple of critters, Butch and a coyote. They've been hiding out from the bugs.

Coyote and Butch from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Chad coyote had to 'powder his nose' in front of the camera, as usual!

coyote from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Butch was in the meadow, as well.

Butch raccoon from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The fawn slipped across the camera's field of vision!

fawn from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Someone was sniffing, I think the doe!

sniffer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Also, the flying critters: lots of bees and bugs frequent ther Viper's Bugloss.

Bugloss insects from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

The monarch

monarch butterfly from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Visit Eileen's Saturday's Critters  for more critters.

Saturday's Critters # 450


Friday 29 July 2022

I am spoiled!

 That was quite a day, Wednesday. I had had a bad day, the stress was getting to me. So much bad news, stuff going on here [Our eavestrough replacement], and I needed to depressurize. JB suggested lunch out, and I concurred. 

Off we went to Carleton Place to visit Boulton House. There was a barrier. We had to turn around. Gillian GPS wasn't as helpful as we thought, navigating the streets. We laughed, Plan B. Who knew?! 


The streets are under repair, as well as the bridge. You know the saying, only three seasons: bugs, snow and/or construction.

Once we sat, it was a lovely day to be out and I tried to relax. This is my happy place, sitting on a patio in summer. You can see the pub across the river. It's a bit too chummy for us right now. This place has a larger patio. 
Drinks ensued. A virgin ceasar to celebrate summer and my usual vino blanco. I accidentally wrecked my new haircut, as my bangs were driving me nuts, hanging in my eyes. I cannot texturize it the way Jamie can. At least I can see!

He looks fierce, doesn't he? He is my personal assistant, my grocery shopper, errand doer, dishwasher, and my rock. We take care of each other these days. He had a deconstructed burger, since he cannot have dairy or yeast. They always offer a gluten-free bun or vegan bun! I had scallops with pesto tagliatelle.
There was much action at the bridge. Good to see hard-working people gainfully employed to maintain infrastructure. You want your bridges to have a good foundation!

There was action on the dam. It didn't look all that safe to me. 

Carleton Place swimmers from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


This struck me as a dear home. 
We drove home on the scenic route, via Tennyson Rd.


It's a nice community, but the homes are a bit too close for our tastes. Many are complaining about whackadoodles using the lakes as Nascar tracks, fireworks, and noisy cigarette boats driving too fast. There are many incidents on the lakes. 

Our travelers are home!

I was watching their flight details with baited breath. Their Amsterdam flight was an hour late leaving, which meant they wouldn't make their YYZ Toronto to YOW Ottawa flight (#458). Caitlin was wonderful and texted me to keep us in the loop! They made it through customs quite quickly. I noticed that 458 was still there, according to FlightAware. They got there and the gate was closed. Their seats had been sold, but they could see it on the tarmac! 

Our four intrepid travelers were automatically booked on a flight leaving after midnight (00:38)! There was another YOW flight (#460) meant to leave at 17:40, but delayed to 18:40. They got booked on that one. Next it was delayed to 19:05, and again that was changed to have them leave at 20:05. There was another later that night, but they were booked on 460. The airline booked them on #460, and our kids arrived safely in Ottawa after the one hour flight. All is well. 

There are so many delays, due to many factors. Airlines reopened too soon, without sufficient staff from baggage handlers, to all other staff. The airlines laid off a lot of people who need new security checks, etc., some found jobs elsewhere. Employees are still falling ill with COVID, too. Numbers are up everywhere. 

Farewell to Amsterdam!


 They left Ottawa July 5th and went to  => 🛫 Toronto => 🛫New York City => 🛫Istanbul => Athens ⛴ => Heraklion => 🚘Chania => 🛩 back to Athens => 🛩 Istanbul => 🛫Amsterdam => 🛫Toronto => 🛫Ottawa. Home July 28th. We'll have the girls the second week of August. I don't know if we need to dream up some exciting activities, or if they'll be glad to chill out. We sure couldn't top their travels!

Thursday 28 July 2022

Cinnamon, Fred, the bat

I had a bad day Wednesday. The fight to get the eaves fixed properly is wearing me thin [Our eavestrough replacement]. I remember when we had the new toilet installed, it took 6 tries to get it to stop leaking. Next time we use a real plumber. 

This thing ain't over: 😷COVID-19 We've gone from 4 in hospital July 14th, to 12 reported yesterday. Not a lot, but it is a trend upwards. 

Anyway, JB did chores in town, happily masked. He brought me home a rose! Cinnamon inspected it!


During the day, I spotted Cinnamon sitting on the pile of gravel. That was curious. I found a hole where Fred the groundhog must have dug a home. I videotaped Fred on Sunday, but I haven't seen him since. I'll keep an eye out!

Sad news, the pond pump died. I ordered a new one, after some research. I don't think they need it, they are pretty hardy goldfish, but all I can do is wait for the delivery. Percy seems fine, and there is a goodly amount of water. I'll hope for rain, and hope that the eaves works this time. The water drains from the gutter into the water barrel and into the goldfish pond. Cross your fingers for me!


First Monarch caterpillar of the season!

Serendipity... I took the camera out, with the zoom lens to try and photograph the cedar waxwings on the serviceberry bush. By the time I hooked the camera up on the unipod, and got out there, they were gone. 

What I spotted were caterpillars on the Austrian pine tree. I bought a pair of these, on sale, in the early years here. They haven't exactly thrived, but they are growing slowly. I shall have to research them. They don't seem to have denuded it at all. I'll watch them.

Bat in the Belfry

 That was a really good example of bad sleep hygiene. We had watch the last episode of Murder en provence, and had wound down for the night. We'd had a quiet day, aside from having the chimney cleaned, I had a new library book to read and I'd plowed through 100 pages of my new book, which JB had fetched for me earlier in the day.

Bedtime, with the TV just turned off, I looked up and spotted a bat flying around the living room. Grabbing the butterfly net, I tried to grab it, but it was too fast for me. JB suggested we just open the back door, as it was trying to fly out there, but I didn't want to let the cats out. Batty flew around the kitchen, up and down the hall. It was so stressed. They come in in summer sometimes, through the chimney trying to get back out.

Happily, not for the bat, Cinnamon whacked it out of the air and it lay upside down, in shock. "What the heck?" chittering at us all. I netted it, and it kept on chittering at me complaining loudly. JB guarded the door from the cats, and I let it go outside. It was dark, and it happily flew off. Whew. I went to bed to read, and try to settle into sleep mode. It was tough! 

It wasn't our first bat, and won't be the last. 

Traveling Home!

As I write this, the kids are sitting in the Amsterdam airport waiting for their flight back to Toronto. It will be at least an hour late leaving, and they are waiting patiently in the lounge. They will probably miss their flight from Toronto back to Ottawa, but there are lots of flights on that route.

Wednesday 27 July 2022

Clouds, critters, Amsterdam

We've had some wonderful days. It's been hot in the daytime, around 27 C., but for the last few days it cools and I throw my windows open overnight. Tuesday morning it was 14 C. and it was so pleasant for sleeping. 

🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤 🌤

The clouds were amazing last Thursday, July 21.


Wicked nightmare

This is where we used to live in Ottawa. We lived in 113, and the retired high school teacher was in 115 on the right. I don't even remember her name, but she had the corner lot, with a large wedge-shaped garden she lived in in summer. She must be gone now, as she retired from teaching in 1981 when we lived on Craig Henry Dr. 


We never really got along. We had a kitten we'd adopted who liked jumping over her fence and going after her birds. It was the cutest little kitten, with a manx tail. I just couldn't juggle parenting, and the stress of watching the kitten. We had to take her to the Humane Society.

The nightmare was bizarre. We had moved in with this former neighbour. Anyway, there is NO way she would have let us stay in her home with her. It was so bizarre.
From there the dream went south, as I recall looking out the window and seeing someone hanging there. I looked up again and there were two dead bodies. Do you think I am watching or reading too many murder-mysteries? Currently, we are watching Murder en provence, as Unforgotten was a bit too much for me. 

Critters


The trailcams have been pretty quiet. This is the time of year when the bucks are growing their antlers. This is from 2019, as the video (below) showed little of the buck. 


I looked out the front window, and there was our doe. I figured the fawn was somewhere nearby, and walked along the driveway. She was staring at the grasses, and he spooked and ran.

doe and buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


Speaking of nightmares... I had to prop up my hibiscus and tiger lily after the eavestrough dudes came back to fix the gutters. The Yucca plant has bloomed, I'll have to put some more dirt around it where they whacked it with their ladders.

My rose gives me peace. They knocked over the first bud in June. It's finally found the energy to blossom. The work had to be done, I know, but flower season is so short.

Intrepid Travelers

The kids are enjoying Amsterdam. 

Boat tours are a must, I am sure! 

Look at these homes, they aren't vertical! Caitlin said they are the famous dancing houses!