Not fog but snow

 

As the snow storm approached London yesterday, it appeared that fog obscured the view from Lookout Court. It wasn't fog; it was snow. The white, blurry dots are snow.

A little early for minding eggs

We may be two thirds of the way through April but it can still snow in southwestern Ontario. The little robin built a nest in a lilac tree and is now is patiently sitting on her clutch of robin-blue eggs. Unexpectedly, it began snowing this evening. The little Robin is now dripping wet from the falling snow. Will the little Robin make it through the coming night? Will her eggs survive? Only time will tell.

Dramatic clouds add visual excitement everywhere

 

The clouds yesterday were so dramatic, so visually powerful, I just had to park my car and get a shot. These were not thunder storm clouds, these were not even rain clouds, at least they didn't pose any immediate threat. They were simply visually impressive as they moved quickly across the sky above the city. 

It came as no surprise when I was awakened hours later, well past midnight, by house rumbling thunder and bright flashes of lightning. 

Walks without worry are back.

 

The Ontario premier has loosened the strict shutdown rules announced just days ago. Originally, folk were being told that all residents must remain at home at all times, with exceptions of certain listed essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services or to go to work. 

Neighbourhood walks, either sold or taken with another who is in one's "bubble", were allowed but there was a lot of confusion surrounding the strict shutdown regulations. Some of the confusion has dissipated. The rules were attacked by many health professionals as needlessly strict. For instance, closing playgrounds does little to slow the spread of covid-19 but it does prevent children from getting much needed exercise.

And so today one could see many more Londoners out strolling about their neighbourhoods and children sharing playground equipment. Social distancing was being practised everywhere and some folk were even wearing masks despite being outdoors. Everyone was glad to see the originals rules relaxed.

Ontario going into its third covid-19 total shutdown

 

Saturday night and the neighbourhood public school is bathed in darkness. Come Monday little will change. The sun will be shining but the school will remain dark as the premier of the province has announced the third province-wide covid-19 shutdown. All schools in Ontario are again closed and students will again be learning online.

In Ontario the number of covid-19 cases is climbing along with the associated deaths. Throughout the southern part of the province, hospital ICUs (intensive care units) are operating at near capacity. Elective surgeries and non-urgent hospital procedures are being ramped down.

People are showing signs of battle fatigue as the fight against the covid-19 virus is now in its second year. Canada, caught without any of its own facilities to produce vaccine, is at the mercy of other, vaccine-production-capable countries. And mercy is in short supply globally and vaccine is in short supply in Canada.

During covid-19 computers supply social interaction

These two girls are in the same "family bubble." But with covid-19, social interaction is limited. Getting too close and not wearing a mask are both verboten. Even going to school, where kids interact with other kids, is an iffy proposition despite social distancing of desks and constant mask wearing.

These two little girls are cooperating to overcome a small computer problem in order to log on to a program called Roblox. Roblox is where these two interact with others. Roblox is not a computer game but a platform— a platform where games, developed by others, are posted and played. The Roblox website boasts its users have published over 20 million games on the platform.

If you are still puzzled. Let me supply a link: Why is everyone talking about Roblox? (There's a good chance you didn't know they were.) While children of my era rode bikes, flew kites and played soccer together, a lof of kids today are playing with other children's avatars on an electronic playing field.

This is not to say kids today aren't out doing all the real stuff, it is just to say that this time is now being shared with virtual reality games.

A formal garden look

 Some folk put so much effort into the care of their front lawn that the result has the air of a formal garden. Sadly, this is not the look that I have achieved despite all my hard work.