We're fortunate to be far removed from the stress and tension blanketing the inner core of this capital city. Our mostly phlegmatic, accepting-of-authority fellow citizens have had enough of the Truckers' Convoy for Freedom. Freedom from mandated inoculations against COVID, freedom from mask-wearing, and distancing and closures and lockdowns. Which doesn't come with a scripted freedom from infection, hospitalization, time spent in an intensive care unit, nor death, unfortunately.

The medical community's belief in the latter being forestalled by the former based on their professional, scientific expertise and experience doesn't count for much in the minds of the citizenry fed up to the teeth by confusing orders that often seem to contradict each other. It seems that for the demographic working to deliver much-needed and depended-upon food products derived abroad got fed up themselves, with the dissatisfaction of authorities at their 90 percent vaccination rate, warning the unvaccinated of consequences to be taken, such as employment loss.

It's safe to say that a large portion of the Canadian population was in sympathy with the truckers' anger and determination to deliver a message to politicians when they first announced their intention to lead a convoy of trucks to Parliament Hill to express their attitude on the issues directly to government by converging from all points of the compass with the message that they meant to stay until all mandates were revoked and the current prime minister removed from office.

Although many Canadians would sincerely appreciate that last demand being met, they won't support it happening at the insistence of a convoy of dissatisfied citizens upending the democratic process. Even downtown residents being held hostage to the truckers' presence, blocking off whole communities from freely moving about, harassing and intimidating residents, would draw the line just about there.

Finally, police have moved in to remove the food preparation and diesel fuel storage shacks hastily erected by the protesters, and have made arrests where warranted by illegal actions, so things are beginning to move along not quite in the favour of a prolonged siege amplified by law-breaking events. All that is happening in the city, and we in the suburbs are watching and waiting.

 

And while we're doing that, going about our normal routines, upended as they have been by the presence of the global pandemic. February 7  turned into yet another beautiful winter day, only this time with clear skies, a high afternoon temperature of-2C, some wind and the forecast of more to continue for the balance of the week.

 

This was not a day to be wasted by not heading out to the ravine. And because access to the ravine has a great many points throughout the community into the forest that threads its way through the greater area, many other people were out as well, to share the beautiful weather and the resources of an urban forest.

 

We came across any number of dogs we're familiar with who have long since become friends of Jackie's and Jillie's. And we also saw quite a few newcomers to the forest trails, puppies guiding their humans about here and there. There was one tiny Yorkie, five months old whose assertive curiosity was a sight to behold. The little fellow was half the size of Jackie and Jillie, but curious and unafraid of their presence, happy to see everyone, and eager for playtime.

 

From the sublime to the ridiculous in contrast, there was a huge black mastiff we'd never before seen, nor his human. The dog was curious and friendly, his human companion, neither. The sun glanced fiercely through the forest, lighting tracks on the dense snow cover of the forest floor. Another few days of this kind of weather? I think we could manage to welcome it.

 

And if authorities at every level manage to take control from all of the protest groups supporting or just tagging along with the truckers' convoys popping up all over the country perhaps government, particularly the federal government, will digest the message that their performance has been far, far less than competent in the opinion of the electorate.