Untouched Wilderness

Desires dictate our Priorities.
Priorities shape our Choices.
And Choices determine our Actions!

Elder Dallin H. Oakes' belief ~

If you're on the right path, it will always be uphill.

Strange, is it not we live in a prosperous city bordering a Great Lake, yet, a few kilometres north of us is lush country of treed valleys...rolling hills and streams...a nature park...and a big blue sky?

“The dream of untouched wilderness ~ where animals roam at will, has been a cherished ideal of nature-lovers as long as I can remember,”stated Alanna Mitchell. “Many environmental campaigns are based on the idea that we must preserve many pristine tracts of land as possible ~ for the sake of bio-diversity ~ keeping out the roads and the loggers and the hunters.

It seems intuitive that wildlife will thrive in places where humans cannot go. The flip-side feels correct too ~ as humans carve up the remaining patches of landscape, animals may suffer greatly.
It's been a sore point for 40 years as studies from around the world on fragmented habitats.

An international team of scientists, led by Matthew Betts of Oregon, reviewed 73 sets of data from all over the world ~ representing more than 4,000 forest-dwelling animal species. They focused on forests because 70% of the Earth's remaining forest is within one kilometre of the forest's edge.

The scientist team, looking at all the data, stated: “Species that have endured the vast disruptions many millennia have evolved to withstand further disturbances.

Those include the ones humans now inflict such as logging...hunting...and burning...

as well as natural catastrophes from the past such as hurricanes, glaciation and wild fires.
All those calamities lead to 'life on the edge.' It is a test of resilience.

Species that can't adapt to life under changeable conditions, die out. Those that can, live on!

In higher latitudes, such as Canada, where fragmentation is not as damaging because the species have dealt with it for millennia, the conservation focus should be on preserving 'old-growth-forests'.

Because it's happening so fast, climate change could strip some species of the resilience they have developed over the millennia ...pushing them to a new edge of survival.

Even, the most severely tested animals may not be able
to withstand what humans have unleashed on the planet.

Forests and Our Future

Canadians have a rare chance to help the entire planet by promoting healthy forests at home.
Here's where we are now ~ and what needs to happen.

Where We Are Now: Canada's vast wilderness represents a quarter of the world's wild land. It teems with animal and plant life. Resource extraction...insect infestations and forest fires ~ exacerbated by the climate crisis ~ actually means the boreal forest actually contributes to Canada's carbon footprint.

What Needs to Happen: A healthy boreal forest mitigates climate change, by acting as a carbon sponge.
Canadians need to prioritize the health of the forests with policies and regulations that preserve and restore vast regions of healthy forest...support the health of native animals and plants...and promote adaption to 'an already-changed climate'.

Soil: The thousands-of-years old permafrost that underlays 40 percent of Canada's boreal forest is part of a vast system stretching through the Arctic. That region is warming faster than any other place on Earth. Scientists believe melting permafrost could release 1.7 trillion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere. The ground under the other 60 percent also sequesters ancient deep carbon.

Trees: You can't see a forest without them ~ but these Canadian icons fall by the thousands to invaders
like the pine beetle and threats like resource extraction,,.land clearing for construction...and forest fires.
Healthy mature trees are essential to supporting a forest eco-system that can store carbon.

Weather: Size matters: research has found that larger, uninterrupted areas of forest are: more resilient they are to extreme weather. Something as simple as a road can throw an eco-system into chaos.
Policies that promote...and actively manage big untouched wilderness preserves can make a huge difference ~ even if some forests must be used more actively by humans.

(The foregoing gleaned from a 2-page colour spread in Wildlife magazine)

Writer: Merle Baird-Kerr...June 18, 2020

To respond: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Father's Day Esteem

Liza Minnelli commented: My Mother gave me drive,
but my father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see the future.

Steve Martin observed that a father carries pictures where his money used to be.

In a large yard, playing with his son, Dad kneels on the ground with a football between him and his son who eagerly awaits his Dad to toss him the football...illustrated by a news photo.

Dad's little girl is sitting on his lap...trying to tie her shoe.Euripedes concluded: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter!

Fathers Day Recollection

Being a busy farmer, he had little time to spend with my sister and me.There was always the Sunday Drive following Sunday morning's church service. We'd go for a country drive, following which he'd park at home ~ Mom in the front seat ~ my sister and I in the back seat. This was HIS TIME to chat or lecture us on the principles of family respect, love, understanding and principles of life.

In the far distance from our farm, freight trains, a couple times daily, tooted at cross-roads, often pulling a dozen or more freight cars; our Dad, highly intrigued by them, I'm certain he'd have loved to be a train engineer. What interested my sister and me were the occasional Trans Canada airplanes that flew overhead across Canada from the east coast to Vancouver. My yearning was to become a flight Stewardess to see our country from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans.

Of course, duing the week, farming was a family business: both in home...the fields with growing crops ...and care of our farm animals. It was many years later that I realized and valued the 'family times together.' Sundays was family day ...frequently with dinner guests.

The best holiday ever, was when he sold the farm ~ and with cash in pocket, he purchased a 2-door red Studebaker! Off we drove from our Southern Ontario farmstead to Vancouver, British Columbia. As lovers of airplanes, frequently we parked at airport fencing to observe planes landing and taking off

into the vast blue sky to faraway destinations.

Mother was terrified when Dad drove through the Rocky Mountains.:
Roads, though paved, clung to cliffsides;
and the deep valleys on her side, were frightening;

Arriving in Vancouver, Dad drove ocean-side to the Pacific's cool blue waters. Huriedly, he parked the Stude on the beach...rolled up his pant legs...and dashed into the cool rolling waves! Mom, my sister and I smiled and laughed at his exuberance! His life-long dream just became realized.
This 3-week holiday was the best ever of family togetherness!
Today, this fabulous ocean-front is known as Kitsilano Beach .

Our parents, protective of us, had strict regulations. utilizing discipline under which they were raised.Our activities were monitored and regulated to keep us on the straight and narrow path of life.

When company arrived, sitting and chatting on the front porch, our father would frequently say when referring to us, I'll soon have to sit on this porch with my shotgun!

Celebrating Father's Day While 'Social Distancing'

To say that Covid-19 changed life as we know it, would be an understatement.
Social Distancing may have become the new normal. People are finding creative ways to celebrate special occasions. Here are some special ways to celebrate the day:

Zoom, Skype and Face Time provide invaluable opportunities to speak and connect
face-to-face when personal gatherings are not possible.

Deliver Gifts: Take a few cues from the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. Leave the gifts outside the house. For added fun, hide the gifts and provide scavenger hunt clues.

Dine Out at Home: If dining out was something you typically do on Father's Day, replicate the experience at home. Try to recreate Dad's favourite meal from the restaurant he loves ~ or see if the restaurant offers curb-side pickup. Transform the Dining Table into a restaurant table...or take the meal outdoors for some al fresco fun. Let the kids serve as the wait staff.

Spend Time Together: One of the silver linings of social distancing is the opportunity for family members who reside under one roof to have more uninterrupted time together. Chances of having the kids nearby...and sharing some stories...and laughs together...will be a perfect way for Dad to enjoy Father's Day! With some creative thinking, Dads across the county can still enjoy their special day.

The foregoing are excerpts from a Hamilton Spectator recent posting.

Pope John X111 observed:

It is easier for for a father to have children ~ than for children to have a father.

Wishing Happy Father's Day and all Grandfathers on June 21, 2020.

The foregoing assembled by Merle Baird-Kerr June 15, 2020
To respond: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Senior Quandaries

Age has its advantages.
A cartoon features an elderly woman in gaudy dress...

an old fashioned hat holding her wind-blown hair in place...

wearing laced up old-fashioned shoes.

Sitting lonely on a bench siding a treed park, she comments to a passer-by:

Age has its advantages...too bad,
I don't remember what they are!
And the dog with pointy ears sitting at her feet looks bored and useless.

With menopause comes skill: it's called multi-tasking:

you can laugh, cough, sneeze, pass gas and pee ~ all at the same time.

Reflecting on her past life, recalls Day 5 of Home School:one of the little bastards called in a 'bomb threat.'

Would you believe it?
Border Patrol just seized 2 tons of toilet paper hidden in cocaine!

Confusion Plus !!!

Couple in their 90 s, are both having problems remembering things. During a check-up, the doctor tells them that they are physically okay....but they might want to start writing things down to help them remember .Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up from his chair...asking his wife, “Want anything while I'm in the kitchen?”

Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?

Sure!

Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?

No! I can remember it while in the kitchen.

Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too Maybe you should write it down,

so as not to forget it?

He says, “I don't need to write it down...I can remember that. You want a bowl of ice cream with strawberries.” I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that...write it down.

Irritated, he responds, I don't need to write it down. I can remember it!

Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream ~ I got it, for goodness sake!!!

Then he toddles into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, the old man returns from the kitchen
and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment:

Where's my toast?

* * * * * * *

Florida Supermarkets are arranging special early morning hours
to let people 60 or older shop. The other 10 people in the state are thrilled

to have the store to themselves, the rest of the day.

On the Brink of Marriage

A senior citizen said to his 80-year old buddy:

So, I hear you're getting married.

Yep!

Do I know her?

Nope!

This woman ~ is she good looking?

Not really.

Is she a good cook?

Nay, she can't cook too well.

Does she have lots of money?

Nope! Poor as a church mouse.

Well, then, is she good in bed?I don't know!

Why in the world do you want to marry her, then?

Because she can still drive!

Hearing Aid

A man, talking to his neighbour: I just bought a new hearing aid, costing me $4,000.

It's 'state of the art' and it's perfect.

Really, answered the neighbour...What kind is it?

Twelve thirty.

Morris, an 82-year-old man, went to the doctor to get a physical. A few days later, the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple days later,

the doctor spoke to Morris, You're really doing great, aren't you?

Morris replied, “Just doin' what you said, Doc: Get a hot mama and be cheerful.

The doctor said, “I didn't say that...I said:

“You've got a heart murmur ~ be careful.”

Disarranged Mind
An elderly couple had dinner at another couple's house
and after eating, the wives left the table and went into the kitchen.

The two gentlemen were talking, and one said, Last night we went out to a new restaurant.
And it was really great. I recommend it very highly.

The other man asked, What is the name of that restaurant?

The first man thought...and thought...and finally said,What's the name of that flower you give to someone you love?

You know, the one that's red and has thorns?

Do you mean a rose? Yes! That's the one, replied the man.
He then turned towards the kitchen...and yelled,
Rose! What's the name of that restaurant we went to last night?

Assembled by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 3, 2020

Comments always welcome: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

63 Years Ago

Several years ago, when driving from my mother's family home in Norwich,
my son questioned as we travelled country roads:

“Looking at today's modern vehicles...I wonder what I'll be driving 60 years from now!”

A few days ago he forwarded to me:

Comments Made in the Year 1957

“I'll tell you one thing: If things keep going the way they are...
it's going to be impossible to buy a week's groceries for $20.

“I'm afraid to send my kids to the movies any more. Ever since they let Clark Gable got by with saying 'damn' in Gone With the Wind...it seems every new movie has either hell or damn in it.

“Have you seen the new cars coming out next year? It won't be long before $5000 will only buy a used one!

“If cigarettes keep going up in price, I'm going to quit! A quarter a pack is ridiculous!

“Did you hear the Post Office is thinking about charging a dime just to mail a letter?

“If they raise the minimum wage to $1, nobody will be able to hire outside help at the store. If they think I'll pay 50 cents for a haircut, forget it!”

“When I first started driving, who would have thought gas would some day cost 29 cents a gallon. Guess we'd be better off leaving the car in the garage.

“Kids today are impossible. Those ducktail haircuts make it impossible to stay groomed. Next thing you know ~ boys will be wearing their hair as long as the girls do.

“I read the other day where some scientist thinks it's possible to put a man on the moon by the end of the century. They even have some fellows they call astronauts preparing for it down in Texas.

“Did you see some baseball player just signed a contract for $75,000 a year just to play baseball?
It wouldn't surprise me if some day, they'll be making more than the president!

“I never thought I'd see the day all our kitchen appliances would be electric.
They are even making electric typewriters now.

“It's too bad things are so tough nowadays.

I see where a few married women are having to work to make ends meet.

“It won't be long before young couples are going to have to hire someone
to watch their kids so they can both work!

“Marriage doesn't mean a thing anymore: those Hollywood stars seem to be getting divorced at the drop of a hat.

“I'm just afraid the Volkswagen car is going to open the door to a whole lot of foreign business.

“Thank Goodness: I won't live to see the day when the Government takes half of our income in taxes. I sometimes wonder if we are electing the best people to congress.

“The 'drive-in-restaurant is convenient in nice weather, but I seriously doubt they will ever catch on.

“There is no sense going to Lincoln or Omaha anymore for the weekend. It costs nearly $15 a night to stay in a hotel.

“No one can afford to be sick anymore; $35 a day in the hospital
is too rich for my blood!

* * * * * *

The human mind is not satisfied with observing and studying

any natural occurrence alone...but takes pleasure in connecting every natural fact with what has gone before it...and what's to come after it. (Unknown author)

John Tyndale states:
We cannot, without prejudice to humanity ~ separate the present from the past.

Picture a wave in the ocean as you see it:
Measure its height ~ the way sunlight refracts when it passes through: it is there ~ and you can See it...and you Know what it is...It's a Wave...and then it crashes on the shore...and it is gone!
But the Water is still there!

(The wave was just a different way for the water to be exposed for a few moments.)
Explanation by author, Chidi Anagonye.

Assembled by Merle Baird-Kerr...May30, 2020
Comments welcome: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca

Strawberry Shortcake

In the nearby side pasture adjacent to our farm home, Mother planted two long rows of strawberries with hopes that in May or June, following the development of green berries, they would ripen into luscious red fruits ready to be picked. Yearly, my sister and I were responsible to pick these berries. 'Twas not an easy task: donning knee caps which Mother had made for us; we had to crawl along the rows each side...and with a boxed crate (holding either 4 or 6 quart boxes), select and pick these wonderful red berries. As previously informing you, our farm, siding a fast flowing creek, was often rife with slithering garter snakes, of which I had inbred fear. My sister, and I would pick one row at a time.. and she on one side ahead of me and I on the other side. And when our crates were full we carried them to Mom in her busy kitchen. Her favourite recipe, by far, was her creation of short cake ...a dessert beyond measure...perfectly adapted to be enjoyed with strawberries ...blueberries.... peaches...apricots or pears, selected from our fruit orchard. In a lush season, Mom made plenty of strawberry jam, which we enjoyed year long.

They are called strawberries because over winter and early spring, straw is placed along the rows of berry plants, protecting them from the season cold.

There was incentive for my sister and me. Our father built a fruit stand, which during the fruit seasons, any access fruit Mother did not need ,we were allowed to sell roadside along Hwy. 53. A great big sign advertised: FRUIT: for SALE!. Most enjoyable this was, for Eileen and me: The monies earned were ours to keep! Being a busy highway, she and I invented an automobile game: With pads of paper,we tracked licence plates, observing 'out of province' travel.....colours of vehicles...description of plates. Our greatest pleasure was not only the taste and production of various fruits...it was the joy of assisting family...and joy of a bit of monetary payment!

Messages from Plants

If you really want to eat - keep climbing.
The fruits are on the top of the tree.

Stretch your hands ~ and keep stretching them:

Success is on the top.
Keep going, advised Israelmore Ayvivor.

Plants are more courageous than almost all human beings...
an orange tree would rather die than produce lemons.
Whereas, instead of dying, the average person would rather be someone they are not.
(Mokokoma Mokhonoana)

What is happening to me happens to all fruits that grow ripe. It is the honey in my veins that make my blood thrive ...and my soul quieter, confessed Friedrich Nietzsche.

Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 1, 2020
Opinions welcome: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca