a puzzle, and perplexity for you

And, the perplexity... is it only teachers, used to scanning a school yard or classroom for danger who look at these scenes and shudder?

I strolled into town to see what was going on, to take photos of our Bala Habitat Muskoka build.
On the way I spotted many folks at the falls.



I see people fishing.

And a family kayaking...
others fishing from boats,

or scooting around the bottom of the north falls.

In a previous post, I watched a dad take two young children and a puppy to paddle in the falls. Grandparents watched from above. You wonder at people visiting. It is no wonder that people drown here.

Geese are growing up

I've watched these geese care for their goslings all spring and summer.

They are getting bigger and bigger. Reduced from 4 parents and 11 goslings, nature takes its course. I watched them, as the cat spooked them. They flew ripping lightly over the water. They all are able to use their wings to move, if not fly! Giving them roots and wings, the adults have done well. It is wonderful seeing them grow to independence. They still travel in a group, which gives some protection, and propagation of the species as only one might be taken at a time by a lurking predator.

camera-critters.blogspot.com

Camera Critters is a fun meme if you like animals. This is edition #122.

Things I'll Miss

POETRY....
This is something I've gotten away from. I created poems for NaPoWro 2010 - not as faithfully as in 2009 (National Poetry Writing Month 2009). There is something to writing poems. The simple clarity of a succinct illumination of emotions, in a carefully chosen group of words. Giving language to your emotions, autobiography, is a proven psychological tool and a means by which we heal.
For me, moving away from Muskoka has been a difficult choice.

It is good for the brain to play with rhythm and metre. Juggling thoughts in written language.


ReadWritePoem has morphed into WeWritePoems.

Thursday Prompt #14: Make a list  Of course, I seldom do as I am told! My list ended up rhyming. And, although our new home for October has a wetland, and a river nearby, I will miss my daily venture down to the lake and frog pond.

Things I'll Miss

lake in the morning

geese on the shore

ducklings on water

peeping for more

frog pond in sunlight

bright sunfish below

tadpoles in summer

appendages grow

wind moving water
broadcasting weather

lightning clashes

huddle together

winter delightful
lake as it fractures
cat walkies o'er ice
docktails and sculptures

sledders and jetskiies
happily leaving
citiots partying
likely not grieving


cottage life changes
with power and motion
respect for others
an ancient notion


beauty restores me
summer winter spring
of all the seasons
fall colours I'll bring

memories linger

recalled tomorrow

grandchildren calling

love outweighs sorrow

On the road again...

Not really, but I have some fun photos I want to share. What a busy time driving across our province.

On our big drive across south eastern Ontario and back, I had fun spotting great vehicles and means of transportation. We covered so many kilometres, that it kept me busy.


There are a lot of vacationers on the roads. All hell bent on getting here or there. In a hurry!


We were driving south along Rama Road, enjoying the fact that the traffic was headed north and we were headed south. The cars were fun to watch.

I recall George Carlin's monologue on 'STUFF', how you go somewhere and you take your stuff, some stuff, not all your stuff.

When you take a bus or plane, you have carry-on. (At least that is the theory - some passengers take EVERYTHING on!)

When you travel by car you are less limited.

When you travel in a camper there are creative ways to bring your STUFF.

Don't you love it?

Bring mini transportation. What a great idea! Better than bikes for the adults.

But, then, there are others who have to bring a trailer. This person was going a long distance.



Apparently, Mexico-US-Canada. It is the Cole Choken Cancer Run. We spotted him in Kaladar, on July 17.

www.colechokencancerrun.com/

I'd never heard of him. I wish him well.
I still believe that I can do more by volunteering in person, sitting with someone, or driving them to appointments, than by raising money for such a cause.

I know where my time and energy goes: directly to a human being. There is so much to having direct services.

That is my preferences, especially with the Pink Ribbon, Inc. machine that has hijacked the cancer cause.

Choken provides on his website: "interviews with victims, survivors and current battlers."<

Not all my Hospice clients see themselves as victims. They see themselves as people who need someone. And we get so much back from helping another person.
But, back to my travels...

 Not all people can pack succinctly.
Perhaps, many cannot park succinctly! Not with this little hanger-on.
I loved the sight of this camper. Little car hanging on behind.
If you look closely, you can read the bumper sticker! 'Be patient with me. I'm pushing a big motorhome.'

Book Review: Heather Graham mysteries

Well, here it is. The month of July has zipped by. In between house hunting, blogging, taking photos, I have found some quiet moments to read. I prefer to select a female mystery writer and work through her books sequentially. I find most writers adapt and grow with time, and I find it interesting to read them as they mature. Some writers, for example, Nevada Barr, develop a character over time. I like these the best!

But another mystery writer, Heather Graham, has caught my attention. She develops interesting characters, incorporating mystery, murder, and paranormal events, throwing in a cupful of sex, and she entertains me! Currently, I am reading The Death Dealer. Last month I read Unhallowed Ground, and I quite liked it.

I an intrigued by the paranormal. I like this addition to the mystery novel. Sometimes Graham's ghosts are a little unrealistic, or, perhaps, too realistic, for me. According to the works I've read by various Mediums of note, generally the message are much more obscure, and the visions rather ephemeral and diaphanous. For many of us the Universe whispers in our ear, rather than showing us a fully developed, apparently 3-dimensional "I see dead people" type of apparitions. But fiction is a break for me, and this technique adds to the plot, provides some mystery, and is a bit of fun in the night. My experiences assure me that there is more to the Universe than we may know and I find such comforting.

To digress somewhat, and emphasize my point, while selecting my Dad's urn, I think he sent us a Rolo to confirm that it was the right urn. My Mom let me know that a particular painting in the cottage was the right one to take into Dad's new room in his retirement home. I arrived home, after discussing the issue with my brother, and found it knocked off of the wall, tilting precariously!

Back to Ms. Graham -  her books have some intriguing mysteries, just right for me right now. It's a nice sized paperback for travel, and a nice light mystery for vacation. On the road we popped into a book store, forgive my pet peeve, but I have a hard time figuring which book are sequential or trilogies, and which are stand alone. It would be a good idea for publishers to get their act together. It is important information! Some authors early works I won't touch; some must be read in order.

This book is a good read, with an unexpected (at least for me!) ending, as well as the incorporation of an historical figure, Edgar Allen Poe. Lots of fun.

There is enough sex to satisfy some, a little earlier than the Bodice Rippers I was used to in my early adulthood! The older novels used to wait until the last pages to rip off the bodice, so to speak. These chickies pop into bed with the light of their lives and soulmates by the middle of the book. I'm just sayin'!

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book review blogs @Barrie Summy

South March Highlands: Ottawa's Fragile Urban Wilderness

*Our* World Tuesday

House hunting in Eastern Ontario, we discovered housing developments that didn't look like typical suburban growth.

Some are spending more money, e.g., Dunrobin Shores west of Ottawa, and investing in 2 acres lots. It really changes the landscape. Unlike Toronto, you can drive an hour and find yourself in one of the greenspaces. This allows flora and fauna to continue on in their natural habitat.

In many urban centres people are taking up Guerilla Gardening! What a great idea. In my penultimate house I was creating more garden than grass on the front lawn. It is becoming more frequent.

The destruction of habitat is something happening all over the world. Here is a story from Kanata, now part of greater Ottawa in that great Harris amalgamation. (That is another blog post topic!)

Kanata forest development spurs public meeting

The South March Highlands, located in Ottawa, Canada, are home to hundreds of native species of life, including 18 recognised species-at-risk. The dense biodiversity of the area will soon be lost, marred by road construction and urban development.

No audit for South March development

www.ottawacitizen.com

Three major green spaces in E. Ontario

To speak out against the destruction of this ecologically precious region, send your opinions to the people listed at the end of the video, and join the Facebook group "I want to save the land North of Beaver Pond Park in Kanata, Ontario"!

Ontario drownings 2010

overloaded - no jackets?

OPP
03 Aug - Simcoe Day Holiday Weekend Results In 4 Deaths On OPP-patrolled Roads, Waterways And Trails
 
Drownings are a year-round problem in Ontario, with many lakes and waterways.

OPP could help prevent drownings: so says new chief

Sure! If the OPP could be a presence on every lake in Ontario... With thousands of OPP officers, and millions of tourists, this is impossible.

lifejacket a must

It comes down to the public taking responsibility for themselves and loved ones. There have been 57 drownings in the province this summer. Ed's photo is a perfect example of this lack of common sense!

This photo, below, of three boats on a small lake, Aug. 27/09, demonstrates the traffic on waterways.

You cannot predict what will happen, nor can you predict behaviour of others.

For more information...

Operator Competency Requirements

Age - Horsepower Restrictions

Safety Equipment Requirements

Alcohol and Boating

Shore-Line Speed Restrictions

Crazy boaters - loonies on the lake

Yes, they are crazy. And you can imagine that they drive this way on land, too! 



After logging two weeks driving across S. Ontario, we've seen it.  Imagine letting a youngster drive this machine. Even the fabulous new safe boating laws do nothing. 

The Safe Boater™ Training Course and Exam
- is a joke. 
"Any operator of a pleasure craft caught without proof of competency will receive the $250 fine - No Exceptions"

At this point, it depends upon whether you are caught. Many boaters either do not understand or some flaunt the law. OPP Marine crews cannot monitor all of the lakes. Many can pass these simple tests with eyes closed, and drive with the same regard for safety and the law: eyes closed. The rules do not apply to me!

Pleasure craft operator card licensing Age and Horsepower restrictions:

• Operators under the age of 12 and not directly supervised by an adult can operate a Pleasure Craft with no greater than 10 hp
• Operators 12 years of age and over, but under 16 years of age and not directly supervised by an adult can operate a Pleasure Craft with no greater than 40 hp
• Operators 16 years of age and over have no restrictions

I wouldn't be happy canoeing near him! Those in the canoe weren't wearing life jackets, and the power boats were quite evident.  

 I've seen what the dads do. Figure eights and donuts, around and around. 

There was much traffic on our lake this weekend. We'll see what the holiday death tolls amounts to in August.

July was not good on water or land. We lost 16 loved ones in water or on the highways on the July Canada Day long weekend.

Awfully fast machines amongst casual boaters

To date, we have had 163 road deaths in 2010, compared to 154 during the same period in 2009.
The OPP have been vigilant. Their Traffic Safety Program has been successful in reducing fatalities. 

Ontario Provincial Police | What We Do

Initiatives under the Provincial Traffic Safety Program address high-risk behaviours involving occupant restraint, impaired driving and aggressive driving. The majority of our fatalities involve these three factors. This approach ensures a unified methodology focused on reducing injuries and saving lives, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. All aspects of the Program will support the following six provincial and national traffic safety strategies:

• Spring Seat Belt Campaign
• Canada Road Safety Week
• Operation Corridor
• Operation Impact
• Fall Seat Belt Campaign
• Festive R.I.D.E. Program 

Even one needless deaths breaks the heart of many families. Defensive boating is a course many could take. Except you think it will never apply to you. Cindy Smith, of Education for the Driving Masses, recommends driving safety courses. These courses help you protect yourself from idiots and drunk  drivers. On the water, well, use your head and stay away from busy traffic areas. 

Everyone wearing life jackets!

"Take more lessons. Upgrade your skills with winter driver's training and collision-avoidance methods and take refresher courses so you can correct any bad habits you've acquired."


Another idea from: 'SafeDriver'  

If you're stopped in traffic and see another drivier approaching from behind you....move!
Even the OPP are not immune.  Close Call For Police in Port Carling
Moose FM CFBG 99.5  On July 26, Bracebridge OPP were conducting a speed enforcement program at the intersection of Medora St and Armstrong Point Rd in Port Carling when they had a close call. At 1:30 am, officers heard a crash and turned to see two vehicles careening towards them out of control.

Local man perishes in boat accident

GRAVENHURST — Police continue to investigate


July 28 

No charges stemming from Lake Muskoka accident

LAKE MUSKOKA
The accident involved a 21-foot Ocean Fisher with a 150 hp motor with one occupant, said police, and a 16-foot Peterborough boat with an 18 hp motor and two occupants.

Youngster driving: near waterskiers

PWC screams around

Another long weekend - be cautious

I worry. I know. But I'm a Gramma.
There are crazy people out there, and they don't care if they risk YOUR life!

And having driven from Muskoka to Perth, Merrickville, Kemtpville, Ottawa, Bells Corners, and many km across from Central to S.E. Ontario and back, I've seen the traffic.  Crazy people taking our lives.

A total of 16 people died during the Canada Day long weekend on the water and on land. I hope this long weekend is better.

Think she was on the phone?

Then tailgating.

Many of these guys are weaving in and out of traffic.

Important people

Bobbing and weaving - on the phone?

Or those who see nothing wrong with parking here and getting a paper out of the box. We were planning on turning right, but there was traffic coming. Too bad they are so old and weak they cannot park safely and walk across the road to get a paper! (Don't criticize the coffee, you'll be old and weak one day!)

Then there are those who park illegally!

These guys were right behind someone else who parked here, running their engines.

Pedestrian access ramp

I love the parking spaces for those with babies, or pregnant, or with disabilities.

This woman had to ask the car to move since they had parked in front of the ramp and she wanted to get her stroller up into the sidewalk at Chapters.

The people in the car were picking up a couple of passengers.


Be careful out there.
Remember somebody out there loves you or your victim.