Maggie in a Time Capsule

Another grey and wet day. The snow is retreating, quickly where the trees have been removed from the landscape, and not so quickly where the tress still live in their natural numbers.

The township is grating the gravel roads today, the plough operator steering his way between the snow banks; a sure sign of spring!

The car went in yesterday for one of its last warranty inspections. I sat at the dealership, in the waiting room, after a long drive. The appointment was for late afternoon, my down time. If I ever do fall asleep during the day it is between 3:30 and 4:30. That is the time my brain just stops. No persuasion is strong enough to persuade it to carry on. To prevent sleep at this point in the day, I must keep myself very busy with busy work. So there I sat at the car dealership, hoping that I would stay awake until the car was actually serviced and I could begin my journey home.

It was very loud in there. Sound echoed. Business was conducted. People wandered around amongst the new vehicles, chatting to each other, opening and closing display car doors. In the distance I could hear the noises from the garage, clatter, clang, bang. It was not so very hard to stay awake after all.

Ah, thirty minutes and we were done; then the drive home.

A few hours later I was home safe and sound. Attila spent the evening out chopping wood for our fire the next morning and beyond, supper dishes waited by the sink, and all seemed well with the world. How lucky we are, we have it all really: shelter, food, health, and safety.

Just how “safe” we are is in question, in my mind. I think of the unfortunate residents of Mayflower, Arkansas, who have experienced an Exxon pipeline oil leak, and I wonder if the corporate world will devour what we hold dear, as the oil devoured their lives, their shelter, gardens, health and safety. It is happening to others in the USA and in Canada; it can happen anywhere.

A few weeks ago I enthusiastically put some sunflower seeds out on the deck. Then it snowed, and snowed, and snowed, and snowed. Monday the last of the snow on the deck melted away, leaving the seeds exposed once more. Sitting near the window, I was treated to a visit from a fat, self-satisfied looking Bluejay. I moved, he flew away.

Yesterday morning he returned. I stood perfectly still and watched him as he selected a few choice seeds. He did not stay very long, but flew off to the south east, into the trees. A few hours later he arrived back for another little snack. Then he flew off again, in the same direction as before. I think our deck is now on his “route”. It is a safe place for the birds, as the only predators that can reach them on the deck must approach from above.

Mist loves to sit at the window overlooking the deck, surveying her domain and wishing for freedom. It is too dangerous for her out there though. There are owls that would carry her away, fishers that would make short work of her, coyotes that would find her tasty, and who knows what else. No Mist, you are staying in here with me, where I can keep an eye on you.

I’ve been listening to Theology, a Sinead O’Connor creation. I don’t have to agree with everything she writes, to like and appreciate that she writes it, and that she uses her talent to sing it. She may be as close to an “egoless” performer as is humanly possible, and maybe that is why she has been accused of being “bat-shit crazy”. Certainly her history of partners and domestic choices have been “erratic,” but she doesn’t come close to rivalling the “buck wild” behaviour of her male counterparts. And of course, what a voice. How very fortunate she is to have been granted that beautiful voice. I listened to the interview she did with Gay Byrne, and I was impressed by her, really impressed.

I received a message this morning from aday.org alerting me that:
“A time capsule containing the results of the biggest photographic documentation project ever attempted in a single day was sealed inside the Falu Copper Mine .
The capsule is now being stored in an 18th-century mine tunnel, accessible for visitors to the over 1300-year-old mine, part of the Falun World Heritage Site.”

That’s me then, four photos under my pseudo name “Maggie Turner” have gone to ground. I spent a few hours this morning looking at all the photos contributed by Canadians. It impressed me that we Canadians seem to love our cats and dogs and kids, a lot!

aday.org in the Falun Copper Mine

I haven’t looked at the book, and doubt that my photos would end up there, as there is nothing outstanding or spectacular about me or my photos. What I liked most about the project was that most of the contributors were ordinary people, doing ordinary things. And that is really what life is like in Canada. Not too much here is larger than life, except the landscape.

Worldly Distractions

Weather

3 °C
Condition: Mist
Pressure: 101.9 kPa
Visibility: 5 km
Temperature: 2.8°C
Dewpoint: 2.7°C
Humidity: 99 %
Wind: SW 4 km/h

Quote

“Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.”
Jimi Hendrix