11-65 (5/3/24) -- Chasing Contrails

Bright sun and blue sky filled the sky today.. I was drawn to the multitude of jet contrails in the sky. They lasted for a long time. Many were heading in the same direction so were somewhat parallel while a few traversed across the many. It was fun to just watch them especially when new ones were being made as I watched. It reminded me of the times when there were no contrails for a long time due to the pandemic. 

My day was not unlike the contrails. There were technology issues that   with Meta down for part of the day and then the bank machine refusing to accept my PIN. However, many other things worked smoothly. Most were in parallel like the contrails but a few went in other directions. The early day absence of Meta platforms created a few tense moments. It logged me out and asked me to login, but wouldn't accept my password. It asked me to make a new one, but couldn't process that change. I did this twice and then stopped. Later in the day, the whole thing magically reappeared, so it was clear that it wasn't just my account that had been absent. The bank machine was messing with me, too, today. It refused to acknowledge my PIN -- twice. I couldn't tell if there was someone in the bank at the later afternoon hour, due to the lower sun angle. I tried the door and it was open, so I went old school and did my business with a teller. I had a good meeting with some positive things to work on for the next meeting. I was able to make an appointment with someone who has been very difficult to pin down. Today it worked well. I had to call a business to ask that they send me the information that had been promised a month ago and a week ago. I also asked that they stop calling and emailing me about my lack of returning information, when the forms needed had not been sent by them. So -- a cross contrail in the group that are moving forward. 

A song about the sky came to mind today, when strangers mentioned it as we passed on the street. It has a bouncy feel to it, much as did most of my day. Keep safe. Enjoy!  

Mr. Blue Sky -- Electric Light Orchestra

11-64 (4/3/24) -- Sunshine Effect

We had sunshine with us for most of the day today. I drove to the mall to pick up a few things I ran out of over the weekend. Once I got home, I realized I'd forgotten one item. Maybe I'll get it tomorrow when I'm out for an appointment. I found it frustrating to forget to put something important on the grocery list and even more frustrating to not recall the need for the item while at the store. I needed eight cans of furry friend food. There were only four cans on the shelf at one store and three at the other. The preferred flavour seems to be enjoyed by may others of his kind <sigh>  I will order a case online, but needed some to keep things going while we wait for delivery. 

It was nice to get out in the sun for a while, even with the colder feeling temperature. It lifts one's spirit. The equinox is two weeks away, so spring will officially be here then -- meteorological spring happens on the first day of March -- just to confuse us all. 

Pocketful of Sunshine -- Natasha Bedingfield

11-58 (27/2/24) -- Nearness of Spring

Bright sunshine with melting of icy patches occurred during the day -- for now. The latest forecast report outlines a major rain event followed by a flash freeze. Sound familiar? That is what happened last week and now a similar system will bring the same challenges of melting snow, pouring rain and then everything freezing solid. The roads have some patches with major ice berms. Even the bus got stuck yesterday at the entrance to the highway. So very concerning. Today was warm and felt a lot like a spring day. It is on the way and the major spikes in temperature and storms indicate the seasonal changes are beginning. 

I went out for one 'must have' item and made two stops at the mall. Then went to the car dealership to get wheels retorqed and wiper blades replaced. I filled the car with gas and then stopped to check two stores for things I've been looking for. One was available and one was not. Not a bad average. I made one last errand stop on Main street. I had planned just to do the two mall visits, but the roads were clear or just a bit wet, so I went further afield. The day felt positive for getting these things done. 

A silly song seemed to fit the idea of spring being in the offing. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Spring Fever -- Elvis Presley

11-59 (28/2/24) -- Weather Changes

The morning had some sunshine and blue sky. By the time I got my boots and coat on, the sky was filled with clouds. This has been the pattern for the past month or more. I try not to take it personally, but getting out into the sun is an unrealized goal most often. Later in the afternoon, the blue sky returned followed again by the clouds. The latter will hang around for a day or two as we are under a rainfall warning. Winds will increase, too. The rain will be followed by a flash freeze -- a nasty weather pattern that we could do without. 

On the upside, the temperature felt like spring and the wind had a decided March feel to it. I can't fully explain that, but it reminds me of Spring days in March. It must be from a combination of the the feel and sound of the wind, smell of the air  and quality of light. The feeling carries a lot of nostalgia going back to childhood and playing outside during the Easter break at school. I get just a fleeting glimpse of all of the above sensations, but it happens every year when seasonal changes begin. 

An uplifting piece of music fit my thoughts of approaching spring. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Vivaldi -- Spring 

11-63 (3/3/24) -- Time and Words

Grey clouds returned today. Temperatures warmed a bit. Some sun should appear during the week, but there will be days with bits of precipitation of one sore or another -- or even a mixture. 

Often, I have pondered the nature of time and the power of words  in this blog. Today, I listened to a poet perform one of her works. In it, she explained the concept of time as folding in on itself. The power of words and language were noted, too. This performance was on late night television -- of all places -- with a classical music accompaniment. It soothed, informed and gave hope. The performance is shared here today, as it not only was interesting to here, but leaves us with many things to reflect upon. Keep safe.  Enjoy!  

"What we Carry" (poem) by Amanda Gorman accompanied by Jan Vogler with a Bach Suite 

11-62 (2/3/24) -- Spring Paperwork

The temperatures rose above freezing during the day after being rather chilly overnight. We will get less cooling for a few days and both sunny and cloudy days. I was going to go for a walk, but got tied up inside with laundry and dealing with household files. It is that time of year again, when the paperwork for tax season sits front and centre. I had to search a few boxes for the current files. In the process, I did empty two larger file boxes and left three boxes half empty. I broke down the empty boxes so I can get them out with recycling this week. I also found the household file expandable folders, so spent some time adding new documents to those files. 

I guess that work is progress, albeit small in the grand scheme of things. It is positive movement, though. I share a familiar song performed by a different artist for interest. Keep safe. Enjoy! 

Taxman -- John Bonamassa

11-61 (1/3/24) -- Cold

Bright sun today made up for the wicked winds and major rain of the past 48 hours. Areas close by flooded -- a longstanding drainage problem. Nothing like that present in our streets thankfully. The downside of the day was the temperature. It fell precipitously yesterday from a high of 12C to -15C (or colder) this morning. The high today was -7C or -8C.  Cold, but with less wind so not a biting. The coming 7 to 19 days will be above zero during the day and often overnight, too. Melting should be less major with lesser flood risk. 

I was listening to some music while doing some household tasks. I heard a song that I hadn't encountered for some time. The message of the chorus lyrics is one to keep in mind every day. It made me smile. Hope it can do the same for you. Keep safe. Enjoy!

Shower the People -- James Taylor