It's really difficult for most people to fathom the moral degradation of a world leader who makes a depraved decision to mount a military attack against another nation, a neighbouring country with which it has had a long association. It is even more difficult to understand how his decision could carry millions of his country's citizens to support that invasion. All the more so when there are so many Ukrainians domiciled in Russia. Even absent that fact, that Russians and Ukrainians, people of an ethnic Slavic union, should tolerate that level of disunity amongst themselves. 

While most of the world condemns Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine, creating utter chaos in the deaths of thousands of innocent people, destroying cities, reducing life to a scrabble for existence in the shortage of security and life-sustaining supplies, the man responds what conflict? Merely a 'special operation' to clear fascists and Nazis out of Ukraine, when by his very actions he demonstrates himself to be a fascist free of any moral underpinnings.

 

And here we are, living comfortable lives of security in a country known for its amiability and receptiveness to the presence of people from all over the world finding new lives as Canadians, escaping poverty, political instability, oppression, gang warfare and conflict. In most of Europe and North America and elsewhere in the civilized world people are free to live their lives without government trampling on their human rights. We are singularly fortunate. 

It is no easy matter for a population to rise in anger and disgust and rejection of corrupt, dangerous governments eager to sow international discord and to have the blood of innocent people on their hands. Particularly in a country that has always known a level of instability surrounding ideology and poverty. One despairs that the world at large will ever be peaceful, fair in judgement and equal opportunities to all its peoples.

 

We look at the news, one more tragedy to add to the oeuvre of humanity's misjudgements and manipulation for advantage one over the other. A sense of hopelessness descends and one becomes tired of knowing of and looking in at these human failures. The only remedy to facing reality is to deplore what occurs and get on with our lives, although thoughts of concern and offense at what is happening simmer in the background.

 

Our concerns are small and routine; that, above all, we remain healthy and get on with life. Taking each day as it comes and appreciating what it offers. Making the most of our surroundings and circumstances that we can in full appreciation of our good fortune. Yesterday afternoon Irving brought out his trusty old bread-making machine that he hasn't used in years. There was a time when he would bake bread regularly, experimenting with various kinds, and just enjoying doing it. I'd offer to bake bread for him in the conventional way by raising and kneading dough by hand, but he wanted to enjoy bread-making himself.

 

So yesterday he looked at his collection of recipe books and chose a simple French bread. It's all entirely mechanical and to him a bit of a miracle. I busied myself instead making dinner; spaghetti and meatballs accompanied by honeyed carrot coins. That satisfies both of us, and Jackie and Jillie as well.  As darkness fell last night, freezing rain began falling. Which turned at some point during the night to plain rain and continued on into the early afternoon when the sun made a brief presence

 

When I had finished all the laundry and Irving had spent several hours in his workshop with his latest stained glass production, we assured Jackie and Jillie that we would be able, after all, to get out for a hike through the soggy, icy ravine. And so we did. And unlike most of this week where we saw a paltry few others on the trails, and some days no one at all, there were a good number of dogs who sped their way over to us, led by Jackie and Jillie's usual full-throated announcements of their barking presence.

Despite the rain and the elevated temperature that pushed all the way up to 5C, the trails remain icy. We were a ble to get fairly good grips on the ice thanks to our cleats, but in some areas where the trails were glossy with ice, Jackie and Jillie, through they try to evade really slippery areas were doing a fair amount of slipping themselves. The sun was out for a short period while we were negotiating the trails, but soon left for the day.

 

Still, it was milder and the sight of the ravine's hillsides clearing themselves of snow is encouraging. We've seen a number of flocks of geese on their return migration, honking in a triumph of 'We're back!' in the past few days. Robins, cardinals and chickadees have been beside themselves with joy at the approach of spring, treating us with their bright and melodious spring songs.