Drought

When we bought the little house in the city there was a great deal of carpeting in the house. The carpet in the back bedroom was thick with mould, the colour of the carpet buried beneath years of growth. The kitchen cupboards were lined with carpet, carpet soaked many times over with mouse urine and covered with mouse faeces. The finished family room in the basement boasted a carpet that was damp and odiferous. Our first projects were to put a new roof on the house and to fill a dumpster with the material from a gutted basement and spoiled building materials such as the disgusting carpets. The carpet in this picture was overlooked and remains intact, a reminder of our first months of ownership.

What is going on?!? I was let go from my full time job on June 22, and have only had a few days to rest since. I’ve been working hard to fill in while other people go on holiday. I don’t mind having the work, but I really, really, really do not want to hear about the wonderful time people are having on holiday while I work in their stead. Luckily, our paths do not usually cross, so I need seldom think about what I am missing.

The work is hard physical labour. I have now acclimatized to the exertion required, adjusted to my supervisor’s “this is how we do it here” approach and can comfortably get through a day of work.

Of course, I’ll be filling in for someone else, somewhere else, the next time I go into work, so I’ll have to adjust to a new “this is how we do it here”. Fortunately, the physical aspect of the job does not change, so I’ve been assimilated on that front.

There is a drought here. On my drive to work there are small segments of the landscape that are completely dead, trees and vegetation, where the soil is spread thinly over the Canadian Shield. There is a fire ban, no campfires, no fireworks; the danger of a forest fire is real and would result in tremendous property damage, as the properties here range from modest to extravagantly palatial, there is a lot of conspicuous wealth here.

So we are waiting for rain, as are many areas in North America. It was cloudy yesterday afternoon, but it did not “feel” like rain, nor did it rain. One of the forty foot tall maple trees in the front yard is beginning to turn colour, the leaves are looking more yellow than green. Not a good sign.

It has been very hot. A good night’s sleep is crucial to surviving a heat wave, so we have focused our cooling resource where it does the most good, in the bedroom at night. We have used the window air conditioner for three nights this past month. Other summer’s we haven’t used it at all.

Facebook continues to be puzzling. It does assure me that my friends are still alive and well. It does allow the sharing of interests and notification of events. On the other hand, it does not provide real human interaction. It is not a complete social wasteland, but it lacks . I am still reading, but increasingly commenting or posting leaves a sour aftertaste, and being unable to attend events becomes a trial at times.

My personal projects have been on hold for so long that I can not remember where to start again! This is unfortunate, because my projects have seen me through some very tough and lonely times. I have a few days without work right now, so I will choose a project and dive in again, anywhere, to get my bearings and continue on the journey.

I awoke early this morning, opened the windows wide and let the cool air flow through the house. Attila slept peacefully. However, Mist decided that we were both needed to complete her social circle. She jumped onto the bed and yowled loudly into Attila’s ear, until he rose and escorted her to the door. He is sleeping again now, with the door closed. Mist is sulking downstairs somewhere. She will be back up the stairs as soon as she hears Attila’s footsteps!

We had thought to drive to Toronto today to visit the Royal Ontario Museum, but decided against it. A day of rest is in order. One wonders, as well, that Toronto has changed so much, with all the shootings. Attila feels it is the politicians who are gutting the city’s vitality, and that the gang related shootings are a symptom of cutbacks to family and children’s services, leaving youth at loose ends that are being tied by “market forces”. A good leader is hard to come by. I doubt anyone who genuinely desired the good of the people would want the job.

Worldly Distractions

Weather

28 °C
Condition: Sunny
Pressure: 101.7 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: 28.2°C
Dewpoint: 12.6°C
Humidity: 38 %
Wind: W 17 km/h

Quote

“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
e e cummings
1894 – 1962