We've yet to see in real-time-real-life, but it does appear as though Ottawa Public Health has finally got its act together, as is said in the vernacular. Judging from this morning's newspaper and radio news, in any event. Alerting the public that as of 15 March, reservations for vaccination appointments for those 80 and over can be accommodated. And despite some fumbles perhaps the 80-somethings in this area will finally be vaccinated against COVID. Now that a good number of those in that age bracket with compromised health conditions severe enough to have them living in long-term care or retirement homes surrendered to the novel coronavirus, constituting the largest death demographic in the country.

Now the epidemic seems to be feeding on a younger group, those aged from 15 to 35, so consequently there are fewer hospitalizations and fewer deaths occurring. Not that it would be any picnic for those in younger age groups since some among them will suffer severe effects, including prolonged symptoms despite having overcome the SARS-CoV-2 viruses' two-week holiday rumbling about their inner organs after abandoning their respiratory systems .

Today marked the first day that those in our age group could make appointments for inoculation. It would be for Pfizer or Moderna, since the two others approved by Health Canada, AstraZeneca-Oxford and Johnson & Johnson haven't been approved for use in the elderly due to insufficient data in the elder age group. The efficacy of the first two appears higher than that of the latter, so perhaps that's just as well.

After breakfast this morning I decided we'd register online. I began with my husband's health card information to qualify for registration. In the age section the questionnaire wanted yy/mm/dd. So I inputted 370211. Then I realized that the software's automatic hyphenation was askew; clearly it wanted the year in full. So I erased my previous input and replaced it with 1937/02/11 and finished the questionnaire.

That resulted in a complete blank at the top of  which was the legend "tampered with". It rejected the registration application on the basis of my having replaced one of the inputs. Damn, I thought. Then I proceeded to re-apply, but it already had my numbers in my previous submission, and wouldn't accept a second. Once more that ominous "tampered with" appeared. So much for that.

My husband got on the telephone, using the number given and was put through a listen-to of all kinds of advice. Then the line rendered a busy signal, and finally it was hung up at the opposite end. Hours later he tried again, and this time a half-hour wait rendered success; a voice at the other end. My husband registered us both and we were given appointments. The first dose just over a week hence, the second at the beginning of July. The 4th, in fact, just when the Americans will be sweeping up and completing the last of their total population vaccinations.

What we realized looking at our health cards was that my husband's card had expired this week. When he called Service Ontario they informed him they had not bothered sending out reminders to anyone this year. He would have to turn up at the storefront Service Ontario office to obtain a new card. So off he went to present himself. They only permit entry to two people at a time. Fortunately, there was only one other person and the staff quickly accommodated them both.

The rest of the day went well. We went out with patient Jackie and Jillie for a jaunt through the ravine. It was -14C when we came down for breakfast this morning. The wind less harsh than the last few days, but at that temperature, chilling enough. But there was full sun ablaze in a wide blue sky, and by the time we ventured out the temperature had risen to  -6, sunny and light wind. 

We were late getting out, still accustoming ourselves to the time change. But it was beyond pleasant, the snow-packed trails icy, giving our cleats a good grip nonetheless. We saw a few others out but not many. Those who were there were clearly enjoying the atmosphere, the landscape and the opportunity, just as we were doing. Their dogs included, since the whole point of the exercise is just that: Dog+Exercise. And the fallout is a bonus for the people the dogs bring along with them: People=Exercise.