good neighbours

I am always amazed by the good people in cottage country. Whether it is a major snow dump for people too disabled to shovel, personal trauma; fires, sudden deaths, surgeries in far-off city centres, people in Muskoka give generously of their time, dollars and energy. In truth, many of us have personal and private issues that hit us harder during this season. In Ontario Victim Services can help guide you to finding help from the right places. People are on edge, with economic worries and the pressure of the season to deliver a postcard Christmas of joy and happiness.

There are many places to seek help.
There are many places that need your help.

Ontario Hunger Report 2008: The Leading Edge of the Storm. says that 314,258 people visited food banks in Ontario in March, 2008. Food banks are seeking perishable foods. Food costs have increased, a greater need has been seen in this current economic crisis. Those using food banks have been the working poor. The Ministry has promised to increase the minimum wage currently is is $8.75 per hour for those over age 18, and $8.20 per hour for teenage part-timers. By March 31, 2009, minimum wage is increasing to $9.50 an hour, a year later, 2010 it will rise to $10.25. Up here in Muskoka many have seasonal works, and students are employed summers. It is difficult to manage at this rate.

Women in crisis in shelters will find this a terribly difficult time of year. To empower them, our local shelter has asked for monetary donations, i.e., gift cards, so that mothers can be empowered to buy clothes or gifts for their children. They are the ones that know their kids best and can prioritize their needs.

Check in on neighbours frequently but do not risk your health by doing more than you can physically or emotionally manage. My husband, in trying to lift my late father, put out two disks and will likely never recover. Our parent's generation, having lived through The Depression, are reluctant to pay for services. There is a fear that finances will not last. I firmly believe, however, that it is well worth the cost to ensure that ADL, or IADL needs are being met. Meals on Wheels is an option for those who are housebound.

Reach out this season.

Christmas Gifts

This morning on CBC Radio, a Canadian author and illustrator were highlighted during a 'recommendation for kid's books' bit. They mentioned that the author & illustrator are from Muskoka! Great plug. I was so excited as we visited them in August, 2008. Such a lovely venue.

Zelda and Esmerelda
A Childrens Fairy book!
Writen by Susan Elizabeth Ross
~ Illustrated by BONNIE BEWS

Bonnie and Elizabeth did a great job. We bought the book for our granddaughter when we attended their book launch. (My signed copy stays here for visits!) I love children's books, form my years teaching. I usually began a lesson with a picture book that applied to the theme we were exploring. It seems to work.

When I visited my kids last week I admired the author & illustrator's artistic talent and skills. My daughter had bought some prints in August and had them framed. She put them in the babies room. I can research anything, but have refrained from much more artsy endeavours. I so admire the story and artwork.

I took notes for my book launch! Fairies popped popcorn and presented dressed the part! I don't think fairies in costume would work, but I am sure I can think of something.

It is a bit snowy this month. We anticipate rain and 7+ degree C. temperatures. We must have a metre of snow on the ground. I don't think we'll have many visitors this month. Perhaps when folks return to Muskoka I will do a book signing!

snow, snow, snow

Oh my! We have had a dump of snow. If I could get it to you, Travis, I would! I drove home after visiting family in Ottawa, fortunately between storms. The snow sits on the Precambrian rock like layers of icing. Our railings are weighed down with the delicate crystals. Toronto, an hour and half drive to the south, had freezing rain and snow. We are too far north for that.

The lakes are covered in a thin layer of ice, with much snow on top. Back in the day, they used to cut huge blocks of ice out of the lakes for summer refrigeration. I cannot imagine! Lots of people seem to write about Muskoka's 'good old days'. A book I have yet to read, Browning Island: Lake Muskoka, speaks of the good old days of logging, tourism and agriculture. In My Life quotes a few people who were there is those days. They would store the ice in the ice house, covered with sawdust and pile them 6 to 8 feet high.

We had 43 cm (17") of snow in November, and currently 85 cm (34") in December. It is - 10 (14 F) this morning, but should warm up to a balmy -5 Celsius. I won't know until later, though, as I cannot find the plate-sized thermometer under the snow. Today the sun shines, and it is warmer, the snow blankets the earth and maintains temperatures for freezing plants.

The cats are really upset. Yesterday two of the cats ventured out, shaking each paw with the horrible cold and wetness. They come in, having navigated their way through the snow to go under the cottage to hunt mice. Sady, our tabby, insists on going out, 40 minutes in the cold. Oliver, the black cat, is hiding in a paper bag. Too upset to even look outside! Mitz has a perpetual scowl, she had kittenhood emotional issues we cannot address. She fears the other cats, despite being larger, and will not stand up for herself. We still love her! All three are cats from the Humane Society.

I keep digging the bird feeders out, as the poor critters cannot find the bird seed. I guess I ought to go out and do some more!

White Ribbon Campaign

It is a shame that the political debacle, and protests for or against prorogation, prempted the dreaded anniversary of the December 6th massacre at Ecole Polytechnique. I wrote about it in 1992, under my married name. I wrote about this issue before in this blog, but it requires a reprisal.

What I think we can conclude is that these husbands, lovers and boyfriends are not obviously sick and violent to others. At least, that is what Mr. Vallée concludes. The violence is specific and targets the women, who have little defense. The men go on-line and in chat rooms share information about how not to leave marks. They work at not revealing their anger except in the intimate relationships in their lives. They are angry with life, their failures, their jobs, or lack thereof, and take it out on defenseless women who lack the wherewithal to defend themselves.
Another statistic: a woman is dead, her husband charged with murder.

It is time to step up.

Not my town - just visiting

My Town Monday has been a lesson for me. I began looking through old photos. We took a weekend trip to Washington, D.C., and Alexandria, back in the days when we were gainfully employed, had near-by cat sitters, and could afford the energy to travel! I resurrected these old photos to travel down memory lane. Plus it is nice to see green grass in photos! We have -15 Celsius (5 F) degree temperatures in Muskoka. Brrrrrr.



The sheer immensity of the Washington, and the age of Alexandria , impressed me. (Nan does it justice here in a novel) but 400 years old...

Our little town was established in the late 1800s, but was part of Native history. (See Raisin Wine -James Bartleman, for a good read on a near-by town of Port Carling! The History of Muskoka is much more recent.)


Since many MTM folks are American, I will not present a history lesson, but simply a tribute to the sights. The full set of photos, including the adorable pandas, and the moving Vietnam Memorial with its sculptures, are here. The Museums are phenomenal. The outdoor art superb.

winter weather

With a big dump of snow in Muskoka (30 cm = nearly a foot) of snow, the cats are reluctant to even trod on the deck. The birds flit back and forth from tree to feeder. Hungry and trying to keep warm. We have nuthatches, chickadees, blue jays, lots of woodpeckers. The mysterious pileated woodpecker I spotted one morning. Fearless, it ignores this lowly human in its quest fo food. It bashes its brains out searching for bugs in our old pine tree.


The mergansers continue to fish. I feel so cold watching them dive. Occasionally they pop up with a sunfish in their beaks.

The dozen or so ducks visit. They will sit on the rock, ankle (do they have ankles?) deep in water.

As I drive the roads, I can see through bare trees to lakes previously hidden from view. The smaller lakes, and wee bays are covered in a thin layer of ice, topped with snow. The lake water temperature remains at a constant 4 degrees Celsius. This is why the lake freezes and thaws as the wind whips up and shatters the ice on most days. Eventually, however, it will freeze over. The nights have been increasingly colder, down to double-digits, again. I think we have had lake effect snow for 2 - 3 weeks on a daily basis!

Stray Animals

Fallow Deer Reserve has been having some difficulties. You cannot legislate consideration, decency, compassion and good sense. Vandals and pranks are worse. The stories of animal abuse and puppy mills break my heart. Our cats were bought in big box stores, from Humane Society outlets within the stores. It is an excellent practice with subsidized spaying and neutering.

I read with interest Travis' story about his neighbour's dog. I can identify with neighbours who cannot take responsibility for their animals.
I have a similar story - and a solution. But another story first.

I recall the night the neighbour's horses got out on the road. There was an accident as a compact car hit them, and the (female!) OPP officer was terrific as she dealt with the family. I was furious as the mom sent a kid over to get me to help her. She was a nurse, and her physician husband was away that evening. The (female!) emergency veterinarian was terrific, too. The blood on the beast was horrible as the impact ripped off a flap of skin the size of a dinner plate. What a ridiculously preventable accident. The driver of the car was shaken but the horses were fine. Likely, one of their 5 children, who weren't the most responsible of kids, had left the paddock door open.

Their dogs, who ran loose a lot, came over to our property. I had repeatedly taken one dog back to their house, on a rope, suggesting they keep it tied up. I warned them that the next time I would take it to the pound.

It happened again, of course. I took the dog to the Humane Society where they had to pay $200 to get it out of hock!

The wasn't the last time, however. The last straw was when the dog knocked my son down and stole the ice cream cone he had earned as a treat. I was so upset. I took the animal back and this time the bill at the shelter was doubled. The Humane Society explained this to me, sort of an escalating fee. Mistakes can happen, but this was stupidity (the active pursuit of ignorance).

These were city folks living on a hobby farm with no clue as to life in the country with animals. I was grateful to move away from them. The father lost his licence to practice, due to abusing female patients. Glad it is over!

man-in-the-street 'news'

My concern is this:
Much media spends too much time asking for viewer feedback, and not enough time talking to experts and finding out opinions and information from these people. If viewers have questions, then that is fair enough, but to go on and on based on their personal opinions IS NOT NEWS. They are opinions. If I wanted to hear man-in-the-street opinions I would listen to talk radio shows.

TV media spend much more time on how people feel about stories, than reporting news and information. They (and I mean reporters) harass victims and neighbours of victims, to figure out what they feel, and to cast either disparaging comments about the alleged perpetrators of crimes. THIS IS NOT NEWS.

I want to listen and read about information, data, events and not what pundits THINK will happen, what they THINK the budget will contain, what the THINK the outcome will be of a trial, a vote in parliament or a police investigation. Regarding the proposed coalition government: I want to know the Governor General's options, the impact, and the options of the Prime Minister, but please don't ask everybody and her brother what they think. At this point they don't have a vote! I prefer to read or listen to those the media have chosen to print an editorial. I believe it will not contain misinformation, while it will be biased, I can judge that for myself.

Please, please: report the news, find information on the topic, tell me what is happening on town and city streets, Ontario, Canada and the world. But don't explore the Neverneverland of 'What Ifs', opinions and false and intolerant citizens. Find people you know who have the background, the research, the knowledge skills and expertise to interpret and understand what is going on in Canada.

Fort Erie - Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes a picture is worth more than words.

winter driving

Winter driving can be an iffy proposition. Sudden snow squall can hamper even the careful driver. I have blogged elsewhere about senior drivers, who have become the most at-risk group.

There are some things to remember specifically in winter. The Ministry of Transportation provides some tips:


Transport Canada warns of those in intersections being the most at risk. Current stats, in the recent Ontario move to more severly curtail teen drivers, reveals statistics that demonstrate seniors are more risky than newbie teen drivers:

• 6.4 % of fatal accidents caused by those less than 20 years of age
  
• 7.3 % caused by those over age 65 (with fewer km traveled).

• With 16 - 19 yr. olds have accident rates of 2.47 per 10,000
• Adults over the age of 65: 2.9 per 10,000

Drivers make 8 - 12 decisions every km, with only seconds to respond in some cases. The wise driver practices defensive driving habits. We know that speeding kills. We know that almost one in five drivers age 16 - 24 were speeding at the time of a crash. Also, while total deaths are down, attributed to Ontario graduated licencing rules, more pedestrians and motorcyclists are dying.

Please be careful out there. Drive according to road conditions. Let those more inclined to speed to pass you. There is no sense stressing out both you and the guy tailgaiting you in his determination, and self-importance, to get to his destination before you do. If you spot someone driving erratically report them to the police. You could prevent a fatality.