Bernie meme popular in London, Ontario

 

The globe-trotting Bernie meme has made its appearance in London, Ontario. I pulled this from my Facebook feed.

We can learn from Disney

 

 

Years ago the newspaper I worked for sent me to Disney World in Florida. I wondered how Disney kept the grounds so clean. I learned Disney World is designed in such a way that each area has a public and a non-public side. Think of a circle with the public inside the circle and the nitty gritty of the support systems for the grounds all around the outside of the circle.

Cities, London for sure, could learn from Disney. Too much of the ugly workings of the city are on display for all to see. It is not a pretty sight.

Nope. Canada doesn't have socialized medicine

 

Today my wife and I drove a life-long friend of hers to a small town to the southwest of London. She was having eye surgery and had decided to have an eye surgeon at the Anjema Eye Institute perform the operation.

Many Americans believe incorrectly that Canada has some left-wing-inspired medical health care system. Socialized medicine is the battle cry. One can forgive these Yanks as many Canadians also believe their system is socialism. Many would argue that both are wrong. The fee my wife's friend paid for the laser surgery was clear proof her operation was not part of a socialist plot. If anything, it was capitalism at its finest.

I'd say more but to tell the truth this story is too complicated for me to address here. But here is a link to an article written by a Canadian doctor: 
A Canadian Doctor Explains How Her Country's Single-Payer Health Care System Works

Like my wife's friend, I will soon need eye surgery and lens replacement because of a growing problem with cataracts. Unlike my wife's friend, I cannot afford to go outside the government plan seeking a superior solution.  (And my eye problems are not complicated by other serious eye problems.) Think of the government plan as similar to insurance and I will gladly accept the treatment my "insurance" covers and I'll see just fine.

Do we have any problems with our health care. Yes! That said, have you ever had a problem with an insurance company when it came to health care? I had a heart incident while visiting the States. The insurance company did its best to disqualify me by claiming my problem was a "pre-existing condition." I wasn't. It took about eight months to straighten the mess out. During that time, I was constantly harassed by collection agencies looking for the $35,000 that my treatment cost.

Trade between cities makes our world possible

 

In high school I learned about Greek city states. City states, except for possibly Singapore, are a feature from the past. Yet, trade between the world's thousands of cities is incredibly important today. Trade between cities may even be more important today than it was back then to those ancient Greeks.

I had these thoughts as I sat down to lunch with my wife and her childhood friend. Our meal was only possible thanks to trade between distant cities.Cauliflower from California, cheese from France and from Italy. So much of my lunch was not produced in London, nor in Ontario, nor in any part of Canada.

As a teen I worked in plastic factories making car parts. I  recall that one plastic injection machine I used was designed in and built in Italy. When my day making plastic steering wheels was done, I'd get in my Swedish car, the parts made in Europe but assembled in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and I'd drive home.

Winter driving can be a challenge

In two days I'll tell the whole story but today my wife and I had to drive to Stratford to pick-up a friend. The friend has to have eye surgery in two days in a town two full hours southwest of Stratford. Winter weather being so unpredictable, we made the pick-up today and now we only have an hour left to travel to get our friend to the somewhat distant hospital.

The weather was so unpredictable that it would have been dangerous to stop. Many drivers go too fast in bad winter conditions. The image today was shot some time ago but it is a good example of what we were up against.

Non native Yucca withstands winter well

I'm always amazed to see the bright green and yellow striped leaves of a yucca plant poking up above the snow each winter. Yuccas are not native to Ontario. No surprise there. These are tropical, or at the very least, sub-tropical plants.

 
Yet, transplanted to Ontario these hardy plants are known to survive winters in which the temperature drops to -30 degrees. At minus thirty no one cares whether its Fahrenheit or Centigrade. It is simply cold.

Heavy snow can damage the tall leaves and long periods of arctic-cold weather can damage the roots if the root system is too shallow.

With travel difficult, we turn to the Internet

We often hear how awful the Internet is. Spreads lies. Spreads hate. It is dangerous. I have found the Internet to be a wonderful place, filled with neat people who have the same interests as I. The City Daily Photo group is a good example of the positive side of the Internet.

I learned about the game Rubik's Race from a lady who lives in one of the former Russian satellites in eastern Europe. I thanked her for the tip. My granddaughters love the game and we play often.

I've enjoyed and shared photos with folk from all around the world and had interesting chats as well. All is not bleak. (By the way, I have found both Rubik's Race and Otrio to be two fun games.)

And today's photo showing me, a grandfather, playing Rubik's Race with his oldest granddaughter, Fiona, was taken by my youngest granddaughter, Isla. The seven-year-old didn't do too shabby  a job, eh?

The Michigan Central Station

This is the Michigan Central Station that once stood on the southeast corner of Clarence and Bathurst Streets in downtown London, Ontario. Built in 1887, it was demolished in 1937 after sitting idle for years. The last train left the station in early summer, 1915.

Like many attractive buildings that once dotted the London streetscape, it was designed by the famous Detroit architect F. H. Spier. Spier designed numerous buildings in London and throughout southwestern Ontario. Many of which, I understand, are now gone.

Getting out during the provincewide shutdown

 

In Canada we have provinces and not states as in the U.S. I live in the province of Ontario, Canada's largest province. Today Ontario is operating under a provincewide shutdown edict. But one thing folk can still do is get out and exercise if alone or with only those living in your personal bubble. An emergency has been declared as the province battles a very severe covid-19 outbreak.

Not your usual walking stick

Say walking stick and I think of a rather odd insect that looks a lot more like a walking stick, and by that I mean a stick that walks, rather than an insect. But today walking stick means something different. Maybe even a little more straight forward. Walking stick refers to a pole often used by seniors to assist them when walking.

I don't use a walking stick or pole. Maybe I should. The lightweight poles, it is claimed, take weight off the ankles, knees and hips. Using the poles activate the upper body muscles and help in keeping one's balance. I walk but I have taken a few falls. I have two bruised knees as a write this. My wife doesn't walk because she's taken a couple of bad falls. Maybe I should be reconsidering my resistance to walking sticks.

Electric cars are not coming; they are here!

 

Although I see a fair number of Teslas on the streets of London, Ontario, I am always surprised to see one. An electric powered car. Purely powered by a battery. No engine. None. Amazing. And the cost . . . wow! All that money and no engine and lots of sales. Who would have thought?

London once had a Ford Motor Company plant just outside town. I understand it was located there to save the company money on local taxes. A hundred years ago Ford may have pulled a similar stunt when it moved automobile production from Detroit to Highland Park.

Ford may return to the London area in the future. It is talking about building electric vehicles in Canada. I wonder if the Fords will be as slick in appearance as the Teslas.

The gone but not forgotten domed Service Centres

Today for a number of reasons, I'd like to simply post a link to an article I wrote some years ago for a digital newspaper. Click the link and be rewarded with an interesting story.

Celebrating the Doomed Domes of Woodstock Service Centre (Includes interview) (digitaljournal.com)

Living in a bubble

 

 

Skiing is on hold with the local hill is closed thanks to covid-19. And school work is being done from home using notebooks and pads. With few places to go, Londoners are finding ways to entertain themselves while remaining in their family bubble. In our home, it appears jigsaw puzzles are one answer.

St. Luke's in the Garden connected to Sir Adam Beck

 Many Londoners don't even realize the little St. Luke's in the Garden chapel exists. Situated well back from the road, the non denominational chapel was built in 1932 by the Women's Sanatorium Aid Society in memory of Sir Adam Beck and his wife Lady Beck.

To learn more about Beck, here is an excellent link: Sir Adam Beck.

The chapel sits on the CPRI grounds. CPRI was originally The Queen Alexandra Sanatorium, a facility for the treatment of people suffering from tuberculosis. It opened its doors on April 5, 1910. In April, 1949 it was renamed The Beck Memorial Sanatorium. It closed September 6, 1972 only to be renamed and repurposed as CPRI.

Today the chapel is a popular choice as a place to hold a wedding. It's a place to say one's wedding vows without having patina of religion hanging over the ceremony.

CPRI: Child and Parent Resource Institute

 

Located in the west end of London is a multi-building facility known as CPRI. It is big and hard to miss. It is  located on a major connecting road. And yet, I doubt many Londoners could tell you what CPRI stands for. Answer: Child and Parent Resource Institute.

CPRI provides short-term highly specialized and individualized consultations, assessments and treatments for children and families. And the help is not always all that short-term.The treatment is tailored to the parents' and the child's specific needs and goals. It is seen as an interdisciplinary service with teams composed of many different professionals working together.

I once knew a nurse who enjoyed caring for a child on weekend who lived in one of the buildings on the grounds of the CPRI complex. She loved that little girl. In writing this post I checked out the CPRI online site. It explains how the institute provides needed attention and care for children suffering from mutism, having mood and anxiety issues, autism and much more.

Today all eyes were on Washington

Today, all around the world, there was one story: the seige of the U.S. Capitol. President Trump spoke to his followers, worked them into a frenzy and off they marched to the U.S. Capitol building. They pushed past barriers, climbed walls and broke windows to gain entry to the building, possibly the figurative heart of democracy in the United States.

I'm Canadian. I live hundreds of miles distant from Washington, D.C. And yet, I don't feel all that removed from the disastrous actions of the day. If there is one thing following the posts of members of this group has confirmed for me, it is that the concerns, the interests, the stuff that brings people joy are universal. 

But there is a corollary: it is not just the good, the positive, that is universal. It is also the bad. What happened in Washington today is a warning to all of us. The Yanks are not unique. 

I was born shortly after the end of the Second World War. I had a good friend who wore embroidered leather shorts held up by shoulder straps. His family had fled Austria and moved to Canada. Another friend was Japanese. His family had fled the distant island at war's end. I liked both boys and wondered how their nations could be the cause of a world war. 

"There but for the grace of God go I," my mother said. Don't watch what is happening in the States with Donald Trump and feel smug. Take it as a warning. "There but for the grace of God go I."

Masks, hand sanitizer and tissues are now de rigeur

This was taken in my dentist's waiting room but the objects shown are found today almost everywhere. 

Enter a building and immediately one is asked to use the hand sanitizer. If you don't have a mask, you will be offered one and you must take it or be prepared to leave. No mask, no entry. 

And the tissue may be on display but one must try not to use one. Using a tissue raises concern in those around you. Use one and someone may appear from nowhere wielding a thermometer.

Dental check-ups are different today

Going for one's six month dental check-up and cleaning isn't the same as it was pre covid-19. When one arrives you cannot just walk in. The entry door is locked. Access is controlled.

Patients must call first. A staffer comes to open the door but before the patient gains complete entry to the office, questions must be answered and the patient's temperature taken. If the patient runs the gauntlet successfully, they are allowed entry into the waiting room where they wait, alone.

When the dental hygienist arrives the patient may have a difficult time recognizing what should be a familiar face. The put-the-patient-at-ease smile is hidden behind a dense, tight-fitting mask. Hygienists always wore masks but in the old days the mask didn't appear until the dental work was underway.

Other gear obscures the hygienist's face as well: special glasses and a large, clear face shield. And the patient has the option of wearing some pretty big, tight-fitting protective glasses as well. Clearly, this is a high risk activity.

Talking has always been difficult when one is in the dental chair. But now there is an air purifier roaring in the corner and the hum of a new whole-building ventilation system adds a constant background hum.

And the cost? It's up somewhat as someone has to pay for all the changes. (It should be noted that some of the changes are very good and will remain after covid-19 is beaten. Dental offices are high risk areas when it comes to bacterial contamination. Banishing the swirly-water sink may have been an action long overdue.)

Backyard Sled Jump

Some kids don't have to travel far to find something to do in the snow. This little boy lives in a suburban neighbourhood build on a small hill. His backyard in open, devoid of trees, and slopes up to meet the yard of the neighbour living above.

In the winter the little boy and his brother create a backyard sled run in their backyard. At the bottom, if there is adequate snow, they often build a ramp and a jump for their sleds. It looks like great fun but in an average year onlookers might say it also looks dangerous. Not this year. Covid-19 makes almost all activities safe in comparison if the activity keeps a kid distanced from the highly infection virus.

Missed a bullet, an icy bullet

 

An ice storm was forecast. Freezing rain followed by snow and dropping temperatures was expected. Power outages were a possibility. We missed a bullet, an icy bullet. The winter storm failed to materialize. And that was wonderful as the roads in my neighbourhood are still snow-dusted and slippery with frozen slush from the last winter blast.

My fave 2020 photo: a corona-19 safe Halloween

 

There were lots of questions surrounding Halloween. No one seemed to know if it would even happen. Would children want to go from home to home trick and treating? Would homeowners be willing to open their doors to costumed children?

The answer was not a resounding yes but it was mostly positive. Blue masks were worn on top of Halloween masks and social distancing was practised by all. Some homeowners put candy in a bag, stuck the bag on the end of something like a hockey stick and awarded the brave children while maintaining a safe distance.

Hopefully, 2021 will not be a repeat. Surely, we will all be vaccinated by fall.

The lockdown continues

No shopping. No dining. Even going to the park is frowned upon. But kids just gotta get outside and my youngest granddaughter did just that. She went sledding on the small slope across from our London home.

She had fun and I got tested. Now, I am sure I do not have osteoporosis. Despite my age, my bones are fine. The slope was damn slippery, and yes that is the correct use of the word damn. Down I went. Spread-eagled. A slow check of all my limbs revealed nothing amiss. No broken bones. I got a pass.

Immediately afterwards I got a hot chocolate. My granddaughter didn't think I should play any longer on the hill. I take too many risks. I could get hurt. She took me home.

How do you spell optimism? B-O-L-E-R M-T

 

How do you spell optimism? Me, I spell it B-o-l-e-r M-o-u-n-t-a-i-n. Why? The province is in the middle of an almost complete lockdown to check the soaring number of covid-19 cases and what is Boler Mountain doing? Making snow. Boler believes it will open soon and the staff is busy making snow in order to be ready for the anticipated crowds of mask-wearing skiers.

Yup. That's optimism.

Tracks in the snow confirm wildlife lives in the city

 

Huge expanses of unbroken snow don't last long in the city. And no it's not kids playing in the snow who are leaving the tracks. It's wildlife. Getting about in winter can be hard for small animals, especially when the snow is deep. So, the first animal to pass makes the path and the following critters deepen and widen the now preferred route.

Sadly, our natural world is shrinking. According to the BBC, "Wildlife populations have fallen by more than two-thirds in less than 50 years." The tracks, so common in the wild sections of the city, are signs of hope alerting us to the fact that we share our world.

A Blanket of Snow Keeps Burrows Warm

 

Under all that snow there's life. Lot's of life. Squirrels, rabbits possibly even a fox or two. And of course there are birds. All are protected from the harshest cold by the warm blanket of snow. It insulates and keeps the cold arctic wind at bay. It even provides clean water for the wintering wildlife.

How do we know for certain that there is life under the deep snow and sagging tree limbs? Footprints. Lots and lots of footprints left by little animals scampering here and scampering there.

Neighbours Sharing Culture and Cookies at Christmas

Canada is a land of immigrants. Even families like mine with supposedly deep family roots going back decades, even centuries, are relative newcomers, Unless you are an indigenous Canadian, you are a newbie.

At Christmas one of our neighbours, a lovely lady originally from Turkey, makes baklava and shares it with friends and relatives. This year she sent her daughter to our home with a plate of Turkish sweets.

Baklava is the sweet on the right. It is made from thin layers of phyllo pastry separated by coarsely chopped nuts in a thick syrup with a honey-base. I'm not sure what is on the left but it might be maamoul, a type of date-filled cookie. Our neighbour's version is coated with icing sugar and flaked coconut.

Is baklava a Turkish dessert? Today yes but it may have originated in Greece. At least, that is the story according to many Greeks. But keep digging and you will find claims piled on claims until, if you dig deep enough and go back far enough, you might find your search ending in Assyria in the 8th century B.C.

As for the maamoul, it may have originated with the Phoenicians although the Egyptians often take credit.

What can we learn from a plate of cookies? Well, that our world is place in flux. What you consider "your culture" may just be "something borrowed."

Covid moves turkey pick-up outdoors

 

The local turkey farm is not selling the number of turkeys it usually does at Christmas. With the provincial government asking folk not to meet at Christmas, the turkey farm had an unprecedented number of turkey order cancellations. 

My wife didn't cancel. The family running the turkey farm were appreciative. At pick-up we found the turkeys being held outside for pick-up. When my wife asked if her turkey could be halved as she no longer needed such a large turkey. 

Our turkey may not have been cancelled but our family Christmas dinner has been. The turkey was quickly halved at no charge: "Merry Christmas!"

Cold cameras lead to cool photos

 

I left my camera bag in the trunk of my car and I left my car outside. Oops! When the grandkids started decorating the Christmas tree I retrieved my camera to get some shots of the decorations. Oops again! Taken into the warm, somewhat humid home, the lens fogged up. 

But the images shot with the fogged lens were inspiring. I shot numerous pictures. I even carefully blew warm, moist breath on the lens to enhance the foggy quality. I shared the results with my granddaughters and actually accented the soft final images with photo software. The lesson? Go with the flow.

Creative at Christmas

 

The decorations are simple but imaginative. My wife was the first to remark on the creative Christmas look of a neighbour's twin garage doors. When my granddaughters also mentioned how cool the neighbour's house looked, it was time to get out the camera. As I took the photo, passing motorists honked their approval.

RM Sotheby's Auto Show

 

In just days it will be Christmas and then New Year's. It will be 2021. Or will it be 2020 take two? It doesn't seem like this year ever got off the ground. It was a bit of a non event. Car shows, like the RM Sotheby's show held annually outside Chatham, about an hour southwest of London, were cancelled. One word explains why: covid.

One word explains why 2021 will not be a repeat of this year: vaccine. Science to the rescue.

Once a force in the London, Ontario, business community

 

Supertest service stations were a fixture across southwestern Ontario when I was a boy but the company's reach went right across the province. Headquartered in London, it operated from 1923 to 1973. In 1971 it was aquired by BP Canada and after two years the name was dropped.

There are a number of Londoners with extensive collections of historical photos documenting London over the years. Today's image is from one of those collections.

Six days till Christmas and no snow

 

Six days till Christmas and there is almost no snow to be seen. Will it be a white Christmas? Maybe not. Snow is in the forecasts but so is warmish, for winter, weather. And come Wednesday it is supposed to be not only above freezing but rain is forecast. 

But, if we have to have a green Christmas, this might be the right year. Thanks to Covid-19 we may not have children for Christmas either. The number of ill folk is climbing in the province. Business are going into lock down, my wife had her hair appointment canceled.

If we get together at all at Christmas it will be a Christmas dominated by masks and social distancing.

Why just here? Why just this section of power line?

Yes, I know. It's an old, well-told story: why birds sit on power lines. I've been told the lines are slightly warmer than other surfaces in the winter. This warmth, from the passing electricity, makes the lines a favourite perch. 

But I have another question: why did the birds pick these three power lines. No bird perched on the wires to the other side of the wooden poles. Not a one.

 And if one looks about, one immediately notices that there are no birds, not a one, perched on any of surrounding lines -- and there are a lot!

Hoping for a summer like those remembered

 

The summer of 2020 will go down for our family as the non-summer summer. Lockdowns, closures, masks and distancing. Not the words one usually associates with summer. Heck, even the playgrounds were closed, wrapped in cautioning yellow tape. 

With a second vaccine now being given to Canadians eager to put an end to the pandemic, a better summer, a more traditional summer, a summer saturated with family fun is now waiting in the wings, ready to make its appearance.

Until then, we have our memories.

Building under construction collapses; 2 killed.

 

Last September I took a picture of a small, apartment building under construction. The elevator shafts were in and they appeared as concrete towers looking almost like giant works of sculptural art.

Sadly, today the construction has been put on hold. Why? A partial building collapse left two people dead and injured five others. An investigation is underway. According to The London Free Press, our local paper, a partner in apartment building that collapsed had lost his licence to build new homes for sale in London.

Elegant home; elegant seasonal decorations

 

Once can only see this home from the roadway and it is quite the distance from the roadway to the home. In other words, one doesn't get a detailed view of this place from the roadway. It does appear to be a fine, somewhat sprawling, home with a four car garage off to the side and possibly some residential space above the garage as well.

Its grey stone exterior gives it an elegant feel. Now, with the Christmas Season getting into full swing, elegant light-grey wire deer have made their appearance on the grounds around the home and garage. All so very, very classy.

Some of the best farmland in Canada

The farmland surrounding London is often some of the very best farmland in the entire country. But soon this land to the northwest of the city will be sprouting homes rather than crops. The soil is rich with good depth. And the growing season in the London area is almost the longest in the country. Yet the urban sprawl continues.

Who recalls the numbers racket? Irish Sweepstakes?

When I was a boy we often heard talk of the numbers racket. It was mob run we were told. According to the New York Times: About half of the wagered money was returned as prize money to the lucky players who “hit the number.”

When it came to lotteries, the big one was the Irish Sweepstakes. The state run lottery was played around the world but it derived more revenue from the United States than from any other country, and this despite all the tickets sold being illegally.

I haven't heard of the numbers racket in years. Perhaps it is still played in big cities, I don't know. The Irish Sweepstakes is gone. It was replaced decades ago by a lottery. I believe it was also replaced by legal competition. 

Governments around the world have made lotteries, once illegal, big money makers for the governments. I read that the mafia was more generous when it came to returning money to the players than the governments. From what I could determine online, this is often not true. Governments are fairly generous with their ill-gotten gains.

The Lotto 649 in Ontario starts at 5 Million. If there is no winner, the price grows with the unrewarded funds being returned to the pot. There are two draws a week. With the prize now at $25 million, it is clear there has not been a winner for sometime. Depending on how you feel like the big pots, you might have preferred the mob's game of chance. The numbers game had smaller prizes and far more winners.

Memories of the past and hope for the future

In previous years London has had two Santa Claus parades. A big one in the core held at night oddly enough and a smaller, somewhat more community-oriented one in a northwest suburb. We never took the grandkids downtown but we never missed the Hyde Park Santa Claus parade. Never. Well, not until this year.

Both parades were canceled: Covid-19. Our grandkids missed the small, suburban parade just a short walk from their home. Area kids were welcome to participate and many did. I had no idea that so many kids would join a marching bank if given a chance.

Banting Broncos is the name under which the students from the area high school, Banting Secondary School, complete. And the teens out marching most likely play their instruments at various sporting events held during the year at the school. I understand the students enjoy being given the chance to play at an event attended by more than just other students. The kids missed the opportunity this year.

The Christmas festival is but a memory this year

The annual seasonal celebration at my granddaughters' public school is but a memory this year. All too sad. The celebration was arranged in such a manner that every child could take part and they all did. It was a fun celebration that brought the school community together. The year Covid-19 has pushed the celebration off the calendar.

Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario

 

Morgans were once common in southwestern Ontario. In the '50s and into the '70s, these English roadsters were sold by a dealer in Windsor, Ontario, two hours from London. Then the government banned the little cars. The little sports cars did not meet the automobile regulations of the time and they still do meet the regulations today. Buying a new Morgan has been an impossible dream for the many decades now.

Car manufacturing has been important to Ontario and it put a lot of folk in the ranks of the middle class. With extra money to spend, it is not all that surprising that a car like the Morgan would find lots of buyers. Morgans were not cheap but they were affordable.

It was said that there were Morgans in Windsor on a per capita basis than in London, England. And the cars spilled out of Windsor into other communities in southern Ontario. London had its fair share. Even today there are a half dozen or so Morgans running about town each summer.

The green Morgan roadster shown was mine. I drove it for 45 years. It was a fine car. My wife and I drove it across the States twice, the last time in 2010. One often reads that English sports cars were unreliable. Not true. The cars were persnickety. With the right mechanic, a mechanic who understood the car's needs, these cars were very dependable. Heck, when I sold mine, it still had its original transmission, rear suspension, twin S.U. carburetors and more. It was a car that simply wouldn't die -- damn the regulations.

Waiting for the snow

Warm days and wet nights spells green grass. We are now waiting for the snow. Simple Christmas decorations can get lost in the visual clutter when the blanket of white snow is missing.

Salvation Army Village

It's called the Salvation Army Village. Once it had residents. Today it has offices.

The Salvation Army is a Christian church famous for its charity work. Its motto is "Giving Hope Today." Formed in 1865 in London, England, it came to Canada in 1882 and is still a going concern today.

According the the Salvation Army Internet page the Salvation Army London Village has a history going back to 1954. Originally it was a Children’s Village with six cottages providing accommodation for orphaned children. With the increasing use of foster care, the Village slowly changed its purpose.

With the closure of institutional facilities for people with developmental disabilities, in 1973 the Village began operating services dedicated to helping such children. This led to a Community Living program which was operated by the Village throughout London starting in 1989 and running for more than a decade.

Today the residents are gone. In the summer there may be day camps held on the grounds. The cottages on the circle are now offices used by various charitable organizations.

The wooden nativity scene on display at The Village today looks as if it has a long history. One doesn't see many like it in the city today. Although one gets the feeling that displays like this were quite common at one time. This display is a trip into the past.

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive?

Do apartment blocks have to be so massive? I wonder. When I was a boy we had two and three floor walk-ups here and there about the neighbourhood. These structures blended easily into the urban fabric. Plus, sometimes the apartments inside had floor plans reminiscent of a small home with large kitchens and two and three bedrooms.

In Paris most of the older apartment blocks are, I believe, no more than six floors. I understand that some city planners argue phenomenal urban density can be obtained by building rows of six floor apartment blocks similar to the ones in Paris rather that staggering tall apartment towers about the subdivision.

Personally, I am not against massive apartment buildings but I do wish the units inside offered floor space in keeping with the apparent size of the building.

Stink bugs shelter in homes for winter

Stink bugs are a common pest in London homes this winter. Many London homes, including ours, have a real infestation. Somehow the little bugs are working their way through the exterior walls and finding their way inside. In our case, the bugs are appearing in our kitchen, ugh, and our hallways.

Curious as to why, I googled the problem. I learned the reason I don't recall these pests from my youth is that these little critters are new to London. Called brown marmorated stink bugs, this invasive species is native to Asia. First discovered in the northeastern United States in the early 2000s, now, almost two decades later, they are in southwestern Ontario.

Apparently, they do no damage to one's home. They are only seeking a warm place to hang out until warm weather returns. They don't lay eggs or raise young indoors. Their presence is simply an an annoyance -- unless, one is not careful when grabbing one with a small bundle of bathroom tissue in order to flush it away. Crush the bug and you'll be sorry. Apparently these bugs are appropriately named.

Christmas shopper numbers down

 

The mall, one of London's oldest and largest, was not in the least bit busy the other night. No Christmas shopping crowds in sight. But lots of sign and symbols of the Covid-19 virus responsible for the shopping freeze that has seized so much of the world.

The vaccines cannot come too soon.

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