The water in Springbank Park may be a bit on the dirty side but it does often remain open for most of the winter months here in London, Ontario. When faced with the decision to fly south or stay put in London, some mallards opt for calling London home. Some years, when it is colder than usual, some of the non-migrating mallards may wish they had flown south.
Children five and older are now being vaccinated in Ontario, Canada. This little girl, 8, is being signed in at the vaccination station in London, Ontario, by her grandmother. Children must have an appointment made a few days in advance. On arrival they are signed in, registered, placed in a waiting line, given a shot and then left to rest for fifteen minutes before signing out and leaving the building. Approximately one hundred children are working through the system from entry to exit at any one time.
For those of us who have never been in a room with a hundred children gathered together to be vaccinated, the big surprise is the quietness. Most of the time, one could hear the proverbial pin drop. In the forty-five minutes it took to get the vaccination process completed, this little girl only heard two kids causing a fuss. For the most part, the children were all quite relaxed.
One of the medical staff said the biggest problems were caused by concerned parents.
Small, community parades keep costs in check by encouraging the participation of businesses located in the area. Sometimes the entries are not a great fit for the event but these entries do add colour and extend the parade length.
The banana walking the route was there thanks to the local No Frills grocery store. No Frills is the name of the discount grocery store chain owned by the Loblaw Companies.
One never knows who or what one will see walking in the Hyde Park Christmas Parade. One surprise this year was an Imperial Stormtrooper.
One could be forgiven for thinking the white armoured galactic soldier, wearing a jaunty white top hat and carrying an extra large candy cane, might break into dance at any moment.
This stormtrooper carried a definite Fred Astaire air. Clearly this soldier was trying his best to get onto Santa's good side.
Hmmm. I wonder what the stormtrooper asked Santa to bring him. And did the soldier claim to have been a good little "white hat"?
London, Ontario, has two annual Christmas parades. The main one, the big one, the held in the core and it is held at night. The other is held in the suburbs and ends in what was once the village of Hyde Park. The Hyde Park Christmas Parade, as it is called, still has the feel of a small, community event. There are not just floats and marching bands, and of course Santa himself, but there are a lot of parents with small children walking in the parade. The kids seem to love it and I'm sure it gives them wonderful memories to treasure for a lifetime.
