The Moon

Our Canadian culture embraces the moon. Think of all the songs that you know, that you are humming right now, about the moon. Think of the very first book you read, Good Night Moon, or the very first nursery rhyme: “The cow jumped over the moon,” the first love song you shared with your partner, Moon River, moon phases in indigenous culture, moon cakes from Japan, and moon boots. The moon cycles, new moon, full moon, are sources of inspiration for planting, harvesting, predicting weather patterns, and planning for babies. How many people, since time began, have stared up at the moon and wondered what it would be like to live there?

Since the 1700’s we, the people of the earth, have been trying to find out. Early studies of space shows that the first telescopic discovery of a planet, Uranus, was by a British guy, William Herschel, in 1781. The first mammals to survive a space flight were a pair of dogs, sent into orbit by the USSR in 1951. The first photograph of earth from orbit was by the USA in 1959.

Then things sped up and in 1961 both Yuri Gagarin USSR, and then Alan Sheppard USA, piloted space ships in orbit. During the 1960’s the USSR and the USA took turns achieving space goals. The USSR sent the first woman into space, and made the first soft landing on the moon. Then came that famous day that we all remember: July, 1969. Neil Armstrong spoke for all of us: One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind. Then he and his crew returned safely to earth.

Things in space seemed to grow quiet for a while. But while astronauts were taking a rest from space flight, experiments were going on. The first lunar rovers travelled around the moon’s surface, and the first space station was developed by the USSR. There were a number of attempts to study Mars, from orbit or on soft landing vehicles. There were flybys of Mercury and Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. Data was being gathered and studied.

In the 1980’s more attention was paid to astronauts in space. Several had long research stays on the space station, and returned safely. And in 1998 the first international space station was built and then assembled in space. In 2015 the first food, lettuce, was grown and eaten on the space station. This was a big step towards self-staining life in space.

Space travel hasn’t always been safe. Almost 200 astronauts have been killed due to space-related accidents. In 1967 3 US astronauts died during a pre-test. In 1986 the space shuttle Challenger heading to the International Space station, broke apart just after launch. It killed all 7 astronauts on board and was witnessed by millions of people on TV. Then in 2003 another shuttle, the Columbia, disintegrated during re-entry killing all 7 astronauts, and once again stunning TV audiences.

Nevertheless the excitement of space exploration still lures us. Once again it is the moon calling. And Canada is sending our 9th astronaut along for the ride. Marc Garneau was our first astronaut and he flew on 3 missions to a space station in the early 2000’s. The most famous so far is probably Christ Hadfield, who has served on several space missions including as the commander on the ISS (International Space Station). He is also well known for his social media presence and his books.

Tomorrow, if things go as planned, Jeremy Hansen will take his place among our Canadian heroes as he travels, with 3 other astronauts, on a new path – around the moon and back. Few people have seen the “dark side of the moon” and there will be opportunity for lots of tests, especially ones that will confirm whether the moon’s surface can support human life for an extended time. The next stop – Mars!

These days with our planet in turmoil, it’s comforting to think that maybe, just maybe, a future generation can escape to a new world where civilization can begin again. And do things right.

Sue

About Face

Do you recognize the old guy above? If not, then keep on reading.

Last weekend we decided to clear out our leftover food shopping from the holiday season. Our freezer was so stuffed that we couldn’t find anything. When I went hunting for that elusive bag of frozen shrimp and the chicken lasagna, I was almost upside down before I found them buried at the bottom. Our kids never say no to homecooked food at somebody else’s house. So we invited some of them for dinner.

Now that the menu was set, we also wanted to provide entertainment, especially for the kids. During the winter we send them to the toboggan hill, and in the summer months they go swimming at the local pool. As we all know, this is definitely not summer, and almost not winter. So what could they do to amuse themselves while the adults talked?

We had a brainwave. Agnes, our14-year-old grand daughter, had been at camp during the March Break – a camp for learning about special effects make-up. Now can you guess who that old guy is? Yes it’s Agnes, complete with make-up, a fake moustache, and a hoodie to cover up her long black curls.

Agnes agreed to bring her make-up kit with her and give us a demonstration. She arrived with her tools – several sizes of brushes, a scalpel, and some kind of clay used to make prostheses. The clay becomes an extra hunk of flesh to create a swollen part such as a broken nose or a growth. Then Agnes showed us at least a dozen shades of face colours and blood: fresh blood, day-old blood, dried up blood. The whole kit was kind of horrific.

Soon Gavin and his dad arrived. Gavin is also 14 and he and his cousin Agnes have been known to get into mischief. But Gavin wasn’t so sure about having make-up on his face. They reached a compromise: he was OK with having his hand made up to show the kind of bruises one might get from being in a fight, punching out his opponent, and winning! Agnes got out her tools and went to work.

Now what? They thought and thought. What if Agnes made up her face to look like she had been punched? She and Gavin would be a perfect pair! So she got out more tools. This time she included the clay, and the scalpel and even more blood. With the help of a mirror, she got to work on herself. And here is the result:

It was a perfect match. Gavin could be the bad guy and Agnes was the poor maiden. But what to do with their creation? Hmmm… They decided to text the photos to Gavin ‘s mom Sheila, who had been detained at work and could not join us for dinner. But could they possibly bend the truth a little? Could they say that this was a real fight? Could Agnes be in the hospital having stitches while Gavin was locked up at the police station?

Sheila wrote back within seconds. “Oh no! How could this happen?? Was Agnes’ nose broken? How would they get Gavin out of jail? How could the families ever reconcile after something like this?”

Gavin’s dad only allowed the suspense to linger a couple of minutes before he sent Sheila the “after” pictures.

Later on, when the laughter had died down, Agnes told us that she had met Shane Vieau at her make-up camp. Last Sunday he and his partner had won the Oscar for best make-up for the Canadian movie Frankenstein 2025. Shane had his Oscar with him when he visited the camp, and he let Agnes and her classmates touch it.

Now Agnes has her sights set on Hollywood. Maybe Gavin will decide to tag along.

Sue

Looking For Something Different

Last Friday, when we usually go somewhere to escape from Lucy the cleaning lady, Winter decided to come back.

How annoying for us! We had chosen a neighbourhood to explore on a walk that would take us to shops, historic sites, and a few restaurant choices for lunch. But snow and wind would spoil the fun. It’s hard to navigate icy sidewalks and look for addresses when you are wearing a long coat, with a scarf covering your face. We needed to find somewhere indoors to go.

Early Friday morning two VIJP tickets to the Home Show appeared in my inbox. We had gone last year and enjoyed it. I think I even wrote a blog post. But would there be something different this year to see and to write about? At least there was a free coat check so we could dress up appropriately for the winter, and then leave everything at the door.

We decided to take a chance. We rode the GO train for one stop and then found our first surprise – a ride in a shuttle to the Home Show entrance. As we walked in, attendants reached out to us with free boxes of a British tea that our family love, and a bag to put them in. After we checked our coats, Peter chose the route through the Enercare Centre. He turned right, to the aisles with (how did he know this?) all the free food samples. We tried fudge, nuts, cheeses, salamis, olives, crackers, and jams. There were at least 17 flavors of popcorn, from salty caramel to jalepeno and cheese. We definitely had our limit of sugar and salts for the week.

Next we wandered through the hut tubs, the lawn tractors, and the garden suites (aka move the grandparents into the backyard). We passed by the appliance area – stoves so big you could feed an army. None of these were of interest to us. We are trying to cut down entertaining, and we definitely don’t want to sleep in somebody else’s back yard. Where would Peter plant his squash?

Imagine how many people you could feed on one of these stoves…

In particular though, Peter was looking for somebody to give him some advice about roofing, and how to fix a spot where racoons had been chewing on the roof caps. We found a few roof company representatives wearing suits, who looked like they had never been on a roof, let alone repair one. Then we found Elton the roofer – jeans and a denim shirt, a pencil stuck in behind his ear, grammar rules long forgotten. This was our guy. Finally something we hoped we could use!

By then, we were getting hungry for real food. We found a booth selling chicken Caesar salads, and carried them to the VIP lounge where we ate in comfort, and found bathrooms too. Then we began wandering a bit aimlessly. We spotted some massage chairs and decided it was time for our afternoon nap. But the massage was too strong to be relaxing. We got squished instead.

Where did we really want to go next? Home! It took some searching, but we eventually located the exit where our coats were hanging. And outside the exit door, the shuttle was waiting.

On our way back to the Go train station we had a chance to look around the CNE Grounds. And here is where we found something different from our visit last year. BMO Field has added seating for about 17000 extra fans coming to the FIFA World Cup in June. It’s a big undertaking. We also saw extra tracks being added to the GO system, and a massive new parking lot, all ready to accommodate fans going to the soccer games. Our city will be a drawing card for many sports enthusiasts this summer. And that’s wonderful.

But what about afterwards? What is all this expensive infrastructure going to be used for later? You can bet that Doug Ford has a plan. We already know about the Spa and the Science Centre. Now we are getting wind of a new Convention Centre. All of these facilities are redundant. And some of them will be built directly into Lake Ontario. With landfill. Just think – In Iran the war over oil is soon going to become a war over water. And we are covering ours up.

As we watch Doug Ford taking over Our land, and now trying to cover up his actions by changing the FOI act, we’re seeing Ford act more and more like Donald Trump. We definitely need something different in our Provincial Parliament.

Sue

Yesterday

Actually it was last Wednesday, but it reminded me a lot of my past. And probably yours too.

A friend took me to a Beatles concert at Roy Thompson Hall. I got there early and sat down to wait. Soon I was chatting with another couple. The woman’s sister had been to see The Beatles in person at Maple Leaf gardens in 1964. I remember thinking at the time, that I was only in my teens and didn’t have that kind of money to spend on a ticket. I would wait and see them when they visited Toronto the next time. There was no next time. There was only TV and Ed Sullivan.

Last week’s concert involved 3 singers, a back-up drummer, and the entire Toronto Symphony Orchestra. My friend and I wondered how an orchestra; strings, brass, percussion wind instruments, would fit in with the Beatles music. The first number, Get Back, from 1970, told us all we needed to know. This was going to be a brilliant musical experience.

The next 2 pieces included graphics on the screen behind the orchestra. The songs; Ticket To Ride and Drive My Car, both from 1965, were accompanied by picture of the early Beatle:, John George Paul and Ringo, and sketches of the Volkswagen Beatle of the era. The audience clapped and hummed along. Admit it, dear reader, you are humming too.

We hummed and listened to songs we knew by heart, even those with seemingly meaningless lyrics. For example, I am the walrus, goo goo g’joob. Or I say hello, you say good bye, I say good bye, you say hello. These guys were on something powerful. How about Bang Bang Maxwell’s Silver Hammer – about a serial killer?

The first half of the show ended with Hey Jude, accompanied by the audience holding up their phone flashlights and swaying to and fro. By the end of the concert we had listened to 28 songs and we knew them all in their original form. But the back-up by the symphony orchestra was a melodic accompaniment, adding depth to the music. For one piece, Eleanor Rigby, the orchestra took over, giving the 3 singers a break. It was a truly impressive performance.

The concert seemed to be ending when the TSO left the stage. But it was not finished by any means. The 3 singers took centre stage and started in with the original arrangement of Twist and Shout. They folllowed that with I Love you, Yea yea yea, and I Saw her Standing There. By then we were All standing there, on our feet, clapping and singing along. The final song was one we all knew well: I Wanna Hold Your Hand! We sang the chorus by ourselves, an entire audience singing our hearts out, full of love for our past musical heroes.

On the weekend we were visiting with some of our adult kids, and the conversation turned to pop music. I brought up the subject of The Beatles, thinking I would get guffaws. “Only oldies go to those concerts” is what I expected. But instead the kids asked to see the program and scanned the list of the songs. I was surprised to learn that they too knew most of them. Then Peter, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, piped up. ” I remember going to that concert back in 1964! My brother took me.” He had a wide grin on his face.

The Beatles have music for every occasion. With the world in such turmoil these days, it’s not hard to start thinking about Paul McCartney’s song from 1965: Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh I believe in Yesterday. You know it – go ahead and sing.

Sue

A Walk In the Woods

This past weekend Donald J. Trump got the entire world involved in a war, without anybody’s permission and for no obvious reason. Iran does not have intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there is no plan for how to help the Iranian people move forward after the bombing stops. The underlying reasons could be several: his payback to Saudi Arabia for his new jet and other monetary obligations, an attempt to distract the public from the Epstein files, his hankering for the Nobel Peace Prize, or his anger with the Supreme Court over knocking down his tariff walls. Maybe it’s all of them, revealing an enfeebled old man wanting to ensure some sort of sick legacy.

To get away from the news on Sunday, Peter and I decided to take a walk we normally do in the summer. It meanders through the woods and along the Humber River. What is it like in the winter? I’ll show you:

Bundled up in heavy coats, mitts, tuques, and scarves, we walked through the neighbourhood to the path in the woods. The first thing we saw was this abandoned swing. Soon a little child will be smiling and screeching as he goes higher and higher.

It was a little icy so we held onto each other as we made our way down to the river. Attached to one of the trees was some advertising for a dental office. It seemed to be a strange place for clients to stop and read. Could the woods be full of hidden candies?

Then we walked past the Humber River Yacht Club, definitely closed for the winter:

Even the snowmobile had been deserted.

The dog park was empty too:

Peter decided to go the extra mile for you, dear readers. He stepped out onto the ice, while I held my breath, and my phone, ready to call 911:

The ice held, and the river, usually full of geese, was silent.

Then we trudged up the hill back to civilization.

We stopped to do some shopping on the way home, avoiding the inevitable CNN news feed for a little while longer.

Sue

Signs Of Spring

As new snow fell yesterday, I managed to get a picture of our oleander, which spends the winter inside, sprouting its first buds.

And another signs of spring: the Blue Jays are warming up at spring training camp in Dunedin, Florida. The crowds are thinner since far fewer Canadians are venturing to the USA. But the team is showing signs of success.

Peter and I are avid fans of this team. I grew up in a house where baseball was on TV every weekend. My dad had played in an amateur league in his twenties. As kids, my brother and I were glued to the television during the World Series, making 25-cent bets on the Yankees as they played the Dodgers for the coveted World Series title.

Peter and I began going to games on a regular basis when we moved to Toronto in 2018. We sometimes took family with us. I’ll never forget the look of astonishment in the eyes of our in-laws visiting from the Philippines when they first visited the Skydome, as it was called back then. It was almost overwhelming for them to see a stadium that held more than a few hundred people. Another memorable occasion was back in the early 20’s when the Jays played for a wild card spot in the Series and we managed to get tickets online. The stadium was alive with excitement.

For the past several years we have bought a 6-pack; 2 tickets to each of 6 games of our choice during the season. In the spring we would study the calendar, choosing one game for each of April through September. We would catch the GO train and walk a few blocks to the Roges Centre. Afterwards, depending on the weather, we would walk to the waterfront and have dinner. And once every summer we took my 2 adult kids and their partners, all baseball fans, to a game. It worked out perfectly for us.

Last season we watched almost every game, either from our beloved seats in section 230, (close to the third base line and in the shade), or from our living room couch. The Jays piled up win after win. Our last game at the Rogers Centre was early in September and the crowd exploded as the Jays came even closer to the playoffs. Then from our couch we saw the World Series begin, and end with a sadness so profound that we were almost in tears. Never mind, we thought. Next year we will WIN!

This year everything has changed. Our first clue was in the fall when we were invited to buy ticket packs; not 6-packs but 10-packs, one per person. This meant that Peter and I would have to buy 2 ten-packs, one each, for a total of 10 games. And the price for “our” seats in section 230 was almost $200 each, more than twice the price of last year. We called the box office and were told that there was a chance the 6-packs would return in January.

In January the 6-packs were nowhere in sight when the ticket sales were opened to the public. I rushed to the site, only to find that tickets were selling fast! Really Fast. I decided to hunt for the 6 seats for our family game first. I scrolled through the entire season and came up with only ONE game – March 29. The price was astronomical but I wanted to continue this tradition. So I paid.

Then I started looking for other games with 2 seats together in our beloved section 230. There was almost nothing left in any of the 200’s sections. With incredible patience I searched. After a couple of hours I found tickets to 4 games – spread out over the season, at exorbitant prices. What is our long-standing loyalty worth to this franchise? Nothing.

Nevertheless we will head down to Rogers Centre a few times, sing the OK Blue Jays, Let’s Play Ball song, do the wave, and keep on cheering. Go Jays!

Sue

Family Day Lunch

Our neighbours next door have 2 children; Hudson age 10 and Jade about to turn 7. We have gotten to know them through visits with their parents, and when they’re riding their scooters on the street. When I am walking Venus or Tobie, the kids always come over for a pat. They have a trampoline in their yard; their heads pop up over the fence when they are jumping. It has become a game. Pop up and say “Hi Sue” Pop up again and say “How are you?”

This past Family Day we were not doing anything with our family. So I asked the kids’ mother if Hudson and Jade would like to come over for lunch. Quite quickly she answered, “Yes They Would!” We sorted out the date – Sunday February 15, for lunch around 12. The day before the big event was Valentine’s Day. Both kids appeared at our door with home-made cards! pink and full of hearts in various sizes.

Suddenly the stakes for lunch went higher! How could we make it special? What should I cook?? After texts back and forth with the parents, we settled on spaghetti and meatballs with salad greens on the side. I bought a platter of fruit for dessert. Hudson and Jade arrived for lunch at 12:01, out of breath. Jade had on her Valentine’s Day skirt, all pink and fluffy. They settled onto the couch to watch some Olympics hockey while Peter and I dished up the lunch. It turns out that both kids play hockey a couple of times a week; Hudson on a team and Jade in a practice league. So far so good.

Lunch was served and we all sat down. Hudson dug into the spaghetti but Jade took one bite of the pasta and grabbed her water- in fact I hadn’t read the sauce label very closely and it turned out to be quite spicy. Oops! Fortunately Jade loved the salad, (with no dressing) and the meatballls, and Hudson had second helpings of the spaghetti. The conversation revolved around their classes at school and their friends around the neighbourhood. When we asked about the kids across the street, Hudson started to elaborate. “Well to be honest, I think that…” Jade jumped in. “Hudson! If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say it!” So much for gossip.

Then I offered them fruit and they both became distracted by something in the sun room. Apparently the fruit was not as enticing as my fitness weights. I have 2 pairs- 3 pounds and 1 pound. Hudson grabbed the 3’s and Jade took the 1’s.They performed some interesting feats of strength while telling us that their mom has “huge muscles. You should See them!!” Not wanting to get into too much family information, we moved to the living room where we played a new game they had brought: Play Nine- a golf game! Apparently Hudson plays golf in the summer.

We got through a few rounds of Play Nine and then switched to UNO, followed by Mexican Train. Then Jade asked if it was time for dessert. Since the fruit hadn’t been a success, I tried muffins, and cake. No interest. I couldn’t let this lunch end on a sour note. What could I do? Then Hudson came to the rescue. Did we have any chocolate? I wondered if someone in the neighbourhood had told him that Peter and I eat chocolate every night after dinner. Quickly I put our chocolate assortment on the table. They chose dark chocolate without nuts – healthy. Lunch was saved!

When their dad came to the door to pick them up, we told him they were welcome back any time. And we meant it.

Sue

This Trumps Everything

Over the last few days, Donald J Trump has been declared responsible for the largest measles outbreak in decades, has cast aside remarks that the DOJ is severely understaffed, requiring them to adopt the policy of “Ready, Fire, Aim.” He has put in motion a new law to suppress voter registration by requiring voters to produce either a passport or a birth certificate, although many citizens don’t have either. He has doubled the number of farmers’ bankruptcies, withheld 16 billion dollars in tunnel construction until an airport and train station are named after him, depicted President Obama and his wife Michelle as monkeys on his social media feed, and enlarged his ICE concentration camps. Last night he tried to steal our new Canadian bridge in Windsor.

Meanwhile, in a Civilized part of the world,… the 2026 Winter Olympics opened!

In Milano/ Cortina the country came alive in the opening ceremonies. The opening number featured the artistic talents of Italy, known for centuries as the epicentre of art and music. The scenes symbolized the theme of “armonia” – the unity or harmony of mountains, city, humanity, and nature. Ballet performers installed themselves in and around picture frames as a tribute to Beauty. Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli raised their voices in an acknowledgement to the masters of Italian opera. In another piece, three tubes of primary colours: red, yellow and blue, blended into a gorgeous and harmonious display of dancing.

During the Athletes’ Parade, competitors from 93 countries around the world assembled in 5 locations in Italy to show off their National attire and pride. From Livigno we saw freestyle skiers and bobsled athletes emerge through the golden ring. In Cortina, snowboarders, luge and skeleton participants walked proudly through the ring. Milan hosted speed skaters, figure skaters and ice hockey players. Predazzo hosted ski jumpers, and Tesero sent cross country skiers through the ring. Each of these entrances were perfectly timed, so that one followed another like clockwork.

The athletes gathered together at their various sites to watch two opening ceremonies, one in Milan and one in Cortina, as Italian flags, and then Olympic flags were raised, Italy’s national anthem was played, and the cauldrons were lit. Both of these ceremonies were held simultaneously as people across the globe cheered.

This impressive feat of exact timing was about modern technology. But it was also about “armonia.” Togetherness. More than 2,900 athletes, 12,000 performers, 6,000 security personnel and 2.1 Billion TV viewers joined in this event. Despite our differences, we celebrated our admiration for physical accomplishments, gathering together joyously to support one another in a world of peace and harmony.

How about that, Donald?

Sue

Puppies

The snow had cleared enough by Sunday that I was able to drive to a barely-shovelled parking lot near a subway station. Then subway service was being impeded by a huge crowds trying to get downtown to show support for the Iranian community. Despite these challenges, I carried on. I had puppies to visit!

My granddaughter Sophie had excitedly told me about a new sport – PuppyYoga! I had taken yoga classes when we lived in King City. I had heard about Hot Stone massage where hot stones were placed on your back to untie the knots. I had also read about Goat Yoga where baby goats climbed on your back to work out the kinks. But Puppy Yoga was a new one for me.

Sophie had gone with her mother in the fall. She enthused about lying on mats on the floor and trying to do yoga moves, as cute little golden retrievers climbed all over, snuggling into shoulders and tummies. So for Christmas I gave her an invitation to join me in an hour of Puppy Yoga. I found a “studio” near a subway stop where we could meet for our class, and a shawarma restaurant where we could have lunch afterwards. We were all set.

Our subway ride took us both longer than we had planned, due to the excessive crowds. We met at Yonge and Davisville and started walking. The sidewalks on our route were not in good shape: some cleared only a few inches wide, and some only stamped down into slippery grooves by earlier pedestrians. After half an hour we found the studio and all the other participants waiting for us.

We arranged ourselves on our mats and the yoga instructor began with some simple stretches. As she moved into more formal yoga poses, the puppies arrived: brown and white British Pugs, some big, some tiny, began wandering around on our mats and under our feet. Yoga was quickly forgotten as everyone sat or lay on the floor and began patting and snuggling amidst “oohs” and “aahs.”

The yoga instructor kindly told us that it was OK to take some moments with the puppies in between Warrior and Goddess poses. She understood that the wrinkly little sweeties were our first priority. She encouraged us to take photos as often as we wanted. A couple of families had come to celebrate a birthday. They got special opportunities for group photos, surrounded by puppies.

Sophie was in love. She coaxed the little guys closer by jingling puppy toys in their direction. Soon she had one sleeping on her shoulder. Then a staff member realized that Sophie was wearing a hoodie and this spot would make a perfect picture. I began thinking that maybe we could sneak one home in this perfect pouch.

Our hour was up all too soon and we said a reluctant good bye to the puppies. Sophie and I headed towards the shawarma restaurant. But our challenges were not over – this restaurant was take-out only, with no seating. We tried a Mexican spot nearby – also without seating. So we had to settle for Tim Horton’s. But our minds weren’t on the food anyway – we were still thinking about how those cute little puppies had made our day.

Sue

Snow Man

On Sunday, as the winds howled, and the snow fell for hours, I was stuck inside. l got thinking about a possible topic for today’s post. I almost felt duty-bound to write about the latest shocking murders in Minneapolis. Or maybe I should tell you how “our boys,” the Blue Jays, are taking us to the cleaners with sky-high ticket prices because of last year’s success. Or perhaps I’d give a little jab at any Canadian who dares to criticize Mark Carney’s brilliant speech in Davos.

Then yesterday I changed my mind and grabbed my camera instead. We all awoke to bright sunshine radiating off sparkling piles of snow and I thought “Wow. This is beautiful! How lucky we are to have the change of seasons.” (Of course we also have indoor heating, and warming shelters, lots of salt, ploughs working around the clock to keep us going, and Snow Days. But I digress).

By 9:00 am. our neighbours were all out shovelling – two mothers and a son clearing sidewalks in front of their house, an older man across the street making a space for his car to back out, three teen-agers going house to house looking for shovelling work, and the kids next door heading to the hill with their sleds. Everyone seemed filled with energy.

After his second coffee, Peter put on his warm coat, boots and gloves, and even his hat which has been the butt of many jokes. He went out the back door to get his shovel. But where was his shovel? It’s usually standing right beside the back door, within easy reach when needed. But it wasn’t there. Had Canadian Tire run out of shovels and forced someone to steal ours? But there were no tracks. Could a Russian drone have picked it up? Or… could it be buried in a snowbank?

Peter got the kitchen broom from the cupboard and began his search. He brushed off the top step. He brushed his way to the nearby window well, where he spied a bit of red plastic. He inched forward on his knees and reached down. And up came his shovel. After shovelling a pathway to the walk on the side of the house, he gathered up the compost from inside and went cross-country to the big compost bin outside.

By then Peter was exhausted. He came inside for lunch and a quick nap. But he couldn’t sleep. The driveway was calling him. So he went into the garage and found the snow-blower which his son Daniel had given him several winters ago. It was practically unused. After searching a while for a suitable extension cord, Peter plugged it in and got started. The little snowblower looked a bit anxious about the daunting piles of snow ahead of it, but it chugged forward and back throwing snow to the sides of the driveway. I could almost hear it saying “I think I can, I think I can.”

And together they did. In less than an hour the driveway was cleared, ready for the cars to take us out. The pathway to the front door was cleared, ready for the mailman to bring us more flyers. And Peter had finished his day as the Abominable Snowman.

Yesterday was an exhilarating break from our usual day to day routines and worries, as we gave in to nature’s power; and beauty.

Sue