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.