Nature's calming ways

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Yes, we are moving forward in our Covid19 healing process.

Do you remember when there were more things we couldn't than could do?

On those dark days, I found that nature provided unparalleled calm and sweetness. When that sense of suffocation seeped in, I meandered through my neighbourhood streets, on foot or on my bicycle, always returning home with renewed strength and hope for better days ahead.

I hope you too found solace in your familiar surroundings, those spring buds bursting from every branch, and the expansive blue sky above.

Cat in the window

What's more interesting than watching your cat?

Watching your cat watching his world.

There is something magical about their total mindfulness. Even when they make those funny sounds when they see birds, their focus remains laser sharp.

I wish I could have their concentration. 

Fishing in the time of Covid19

Like many Stevestonites, exploring the village on foot has become my daily routine since the lock-down was introduced in March 2020.

While exploring the waterfront on April 11, I came upon a group of fishermen on the public pier and was struck by how well distanced apart they stood.

Not being an angler myself, I wasn't sure whether this was normal or a new Covid 19 best practice they had embraced to keep everyone safe and healthy.

 

How amazing that a disease that emerged from China late last year had reached our shores and upended every aspect of our lives;and even more awesome was our collective effort to contain and defeat it.

Yes, we all celebrate our health care workers for a job well done, but I think our success in BC was also built on the effort and compliance of everyday people like you and me. We all should be recognized for our part in flattening the curve. 

So, to all of you out there - good job!

Covid19 and your furry friend

Please release me!

The newly adopted Covid19 veterinary office protocol dictates no pet owners are allowed in the treatment room and waiting area. 

They are instructed to deposit their pets in the treatment room, grab their carriers, and return to their cars until pickup time.

Our cat made a valiant attempt to escape and frantically thrust his paws under the door in a dramatic plea for help.

A picture is worth a thousand tears, don't you think.

 Summer solstice 2020 - Vancouver, Canada

If raindrops fall on leaves and the forest floor, does anyone hear?

The first day of summer 2020 brought rain to Vancouver, BC, Canada. The temperature was mild and the air was sweet with the promise of better days ahead. Can we start dreaming about the end of the Covid19 pandemic and finally embracing our family and friends? I can't wait, can you?

Music: Prelude no.20 by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)
Source: http://chriszabriskie.com/preludes/
artist:http://chriszabriskie.com/

The Covid19 scream

How are you faring in our lock-down world?

Although institutions, businesses, and services have opened their doors  - albeit a small degree at a time  - and our collective hearts are lifting  bit by bit - there remain limitations  that constantly remind us that life is still not as it should be.

But still, we are grateful for what has been restored.

However, I remember when the lock-down was first introduced, there were so many don'ts that I felt an overwhelming sense of suffocation. Especially in the evening.

It was then that I thought, Okay, one day down and how many more to go? What will tomorrow bring? More of the same? The future stretched out like a desolate road leading to nothingness. Of course, social isolation made the burden even harder to bear.

With the gradual lifting of the Covid19 lock-down, we can all breathe a little easier. One lesson I have learned is how resilient the human spirit is. So kudos to you and me for a job well done.

Older but still lovable (cat)

Roi sunning himself in his backyard

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Do you have an older cat? Does it need assistance to remain healthy and happy?

Our sweet Roi, all 17 years and 6.9 kg of him, definitely belongs to this camp. As he reclines on his nest made of soft towels atop a heating pad (set to low), you can see the folds of furry skin hanging from his frame like heavy velour drapes. He looks like himself, just deflated, as though someone had let some of the air out of his body.

He settles on his bed with care, extending one front paw, then the other, before gingerly lowering the rest of his body with dignity and calmness. Pouncing on anything is no longer in his repertoire and birds in the backyard do not stir up his hunting instinct. 

Once in a great while, we see flickers of his younger, more active and mischievous self. But they appear less often - and last in mere nanoseconds. We are grateful for them, and all the wonderful years he had blessed us with his gentle presence. Never a claw unsheathed. Never a hiss through his mouth. Just sweetness and patience. How did we get so lucky!