Seeing Ukraine colours everywhere

 London city hall was illuminated the other night in the country colours of Ukraine: blue and bright yellow. A dessert emporium downtown is selling cupcakes and other confections decorated with blue and bright yellow icing. The money raised is going to a Ukraine relief fund. 

I find I am seeing the blue and yellow colours that say Ukraine everywhere. Parking my car I noticed blue and yellow fabric hanging on the garage wall; it was a kite. Tomorrow that kite will be moved. At present, those colours bring tears to my eyes and sorrow to my heart.

Memories of snowfolk past

This winter has not been a great one for snowfolk. There has been adequate snow but it has not been packing snow. It has been too cold.

I'm disappointed. If given a chance, people can get oh-so-imaginative when making a snowperson. I saw this snow creation a few years ago. I thought it was quite memorable.

Solitude No. Two

The theme yesterday was solitude. In looking through my files, I was surprised at how many images could be interpreted as illustrating solitude. This lady sitting on the park bench seems to be enjoying being alone--at least as far as being with other people is concerned. 

Maybe she is not interacting with other people but she is interacting with a flock of geese. And the birds she is feeding are not the more common Canada geese. This hungry pair resemble a Eurasian species.

Solitude: the theme of the day for March

It is known as the North Shore. Tourists seeking solitude need look no further. This shot shows a woman gazing over the waters of the North Channel above Manitoulin Island and Lake Huron.

It is not the Rideau Canal

 

Ottawa has the best skating venue in Ontario and possibly in Canada: the Rideau Canal. People travel hundreds of miles to skate with their families on the frozen canal.

But London, Ontario, may have potentially the second best place to take a family skating. The city constructed a 250-metre, 10,000 sq. ft. skating trail loop in Storybook Gardens inside Springbank Park.

It may be big but it is no Rideau Canal. It's small size and COVID-19 restrictions have made reservations necessary. Cost is another downside to the London trail. While the canal is free, it can cost a small family $20 or more to skate on the London trail. (File images)

Brilliant, imaginative and functional

 

To successfully beat the COVID-19 pandemic it is being fought on many fronts. One front, and an unlikely one, is the boot rental area at the local ski hill. Only a few skiers at a time are allowed entry, they are given a pair of boots and then their regular footwear is taken and stored in the numbered compartment which had held the ski boots they are now wearing. 

The storage area for all the footwear left by the renters is now closed. Signs saying "Please do not use!!!", block the footwear storage compartments.

To return the boots, the skier goes to a table outside the rental building, the number on their rental boots is noted and their regular footwear is brought to them. The skiers change into their street wear outside in a sheltered area and then leave the rental boots for the staff.

This COVID-19 fighting method encourages social distancing, minimizes indoor contact between skiers and staff, and is actually more efficient than the method used in the past.

Turn off the news of adults and destruction, to focus on a child building stuff

Now and then over the past few months, I've toured Ukraine using Google Street Views. My memories of what I found haunt me as the Russians mount an offensive with the apparent aim of taking over the whole country and leaving untold destruction in their wake.

Needing to turn from the televised images of needless, uncalled for destruction, I went in search of my youngest granddaughter. She was busy making an elephant, a frog, a gramophone and more using the Lego brought by Santa. 

It was a beautiful sight.