The End of June 2021

End to end beach dogs- our alpha female is in the lead

The year is half over already, and time rushes at "triple speed" compared to my childhood perception of time.  At this stage of life, I have stopped looking far ahead and try to get as much out of each day as possible. Time is too precious to waste! 

We spent a lovely day at a one of the rare Ontario beaches that allow dogs to roam freely. This dog beach was at Port Burwell Provincial Park on Lake Erie, and it was stunningly beautiful. All Ontario Provincial Parks are offering free day use during the 2021 season from Monday to Thursday, which was an unexpected bonus. In spite of the hot temperatures, the water was very cold, but the dogs in their fur coats did not mind at all. 

A severe line of thunder storms came through our area yesterday causing considerable damage from strong winds. This tree on our block was completely uprooted giving everyone in the neighbourhood a chance to view Middle Earth. People were drawn to the gaping hole, left by a tree with roots too shallow to withstand the wind and wet ground. There are all kinds of life lessons in this picture.

If you didn't see Middle Earth in the last picture, you can see Fairies and Gnomes in our newly constructed Fairy Gardens. We have fun playing with the figures when we FaceTime our three year old granddaughter. She insists that all the "Berries" and Gnomes meet at the blue house for a dancing party. One of the gardens will eventually make its way to her home. The unpainted houses cost $4 at Dollarama and Canadian Tire sold the little figurines at a fraction of the cost of fairies and gnomes at Michaels. 

On the way to and from the beach, we passed a farm where alpacas, llamas, ponies, and goats were spending the day together in a field. These young alpacas played together with great energy, like all young creatures do. I didn't notice that the farm was open to the public, but perhaps it will allow visitors when the pandemic is over. Thankfully the shoulders on the highway were wide and it was safe to stop for pictures. 

June is not the best month for birding, but this male Yellow Warbler stayed still long enough for a photo. They are our most commonly seen warbler, and I love their song and inquisitive nature. Many warblers remain in the forest canopy and are hard to see from the ground, but Yellow Warblers are often seen at eye level.

My happiest story of the month is the progress of a post-COVID patient who has been in hospital for five months now. After their first outing, when family were able to come and visit in the hospital driveway, the patient made great progress. This week they walked for the first time since admission, and plans are underway for rehabilitation to continue at home. The isolation that COVID patients face during a long hospitalization is very demoralizing. It becomes hard for them to envision life again in the community, especially when they have lost so much strength and function. The joy on this patient's face during the first walk made me so grateful for the opportunity to work at the hospital during the pandemic. 

I end with a quote from an author I discovered this month.

“Joy does not simply happen to us. 

We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” 

Henri Nouwen