Soggy weather has at least one good thing about it. The dry days look really, really good! Jean, danced to the tune of a blue sky yesterday, and so did I. The little rivers of water under my socks during Monday's bike commute were not missed on Tuesday.
I rushed out to get a couple of pictures during my lunch break. No rain cover needed for my camera! My captures weren't earth shatteringly unusual or fantastic, but they made me happy.
A crow,
and a Canadian Goose.
The goose turned, came to the water's edge, and stood on one foot. I waited, wanting to get an open-winged shot, but it outstayed me. When I left, it was still on that same foot. I wonder if it was finding the water temperature a bit cool. 
One cormorant mingled with the seagulls on the only log that has been left in the area where the seals used to congregate. I'm not sure why the other logs and platforms have been removed, but am hoping it's a temporary thing. I miss the seal. The pylons are gone, too. Only the one that housed the osprey nest has been left standing. I hope the ospreys won't be put off by the changed look of the area, and will still move back into their summer residence.
I took a couple of moments to admire the flowers along the path back to school. Midway through November, and still blooming! I've been in BC for ten years, but that continues to amaze me. 
The seagulls seem happy, rain or shine.
As I entered the school cafeteria, the quote of the day caught my eye. "Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony." Mahatma Gandhi. Mm, yes, but happiness is a good weather day, too.
We have a house system at my school. The four houses are named after Martin Luther King,
Nelson Mandela,
Mahatma Gandhi,
and Pierre Eliot Trudeau.
For the past two days, my students and I have been looking into the life of Jane Goodall. There has been talk, recently, about the fact that none of our houses are named after a female role role model. Several excellent suggestions were made, but it just now occurs to me that Jane Goodall could be another possible candidate for that honor. Her Roots and Shoots program tries to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment. What do you think?
The forecast for this morning isn't looking great. Hold off, Mr. Weather Man, please, for another hour or so. Just one more dry ride. Just one more.
I love the names of the houses at your school but agree that it would be nice to have women recognized as well! Which house do you belong to? I am glad that you are not quite so wet!!! Phyllis
ReplyDeleteYour pictures and commentary bring me great pleasure, but today I am even more pleased to see that your school has recognized the gender imbalance in its house names and is considering correcting this (what else would you expect this feminist and retired professor of Gender Studies to say??? LOL)
ReplyDeleteI think Jane Goodall is worthy of consideration, as are many others. Naturally, Mother Teresa comes to mind, and the eleven other women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - the first in 1905 (Baroness Bertha von Suttner), the most recent in 2004 (Wangari Maathai). Or, looking at Canadian women who have effected positive change of a national and even global nature, there is Nellie McClung.
Perhaps your school will make a student project of researching famous women who effected positive change in the areas of human rights and peace, and then share their stories and vote on their choice? It would be a great way to introduce them to the lives of some amazing women and come up with a new (or dare I suggest TWO) house name(s).
Thanks, Phyllis:)
ReplyDeleteI am in the Mandela house. Staff and students are presently divided into four groups and assigned houses.
Jean, I'm glad you enjoy the blog. Yours is a source of great interest and pleasure for me. (I'm hoping Bill and I may get to meet you on the weekend at Hearts on Noses. I e-mailed Janice but am not certain she received it. We will turn up regardless, as I feel certain there must be a few ways that we can be of some help.)
Great suggestions for a strategy to choose a female house leader (or two). Lots to think about, and it will take time, but I believe the gender imbalance will eventually be corrected.
Carol, I've emailed you with info for the weekend (Janice's internet service has been sporadic with the storms). However, friends tell me my emails seem to end up marked "spam" , so if you didn't receive it, check your junk mail.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to meeting you and Bill this weekend.
A great Blog, CC, and a very nice series of pictures illustrating it. You have become an exceptional photographer of crows, but you still don't do so well with Pierre Elliot Trudeau.
ReplyDeleteWith respect to Houses: I favour the House of Emily Pauline Johnson. She was far ahead of her time in many respects, and we have a monument to remind of us her down near Siwash Rock, and quite a large number of remarkable paintings in the galleries across the country.
Cheers, Shiprock
Thanks, Shiprock. You're right that I didn't really do Pierre justice. But then again, I guess I can blame Todd Claydon, the artist:) Interesting that the day after I did that post, his son Justin was interviewed by George Stroumboulopoulos on "The Hour."
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestion of Emily P. Johnson. You inspired me to spend some time getting to know more about her. Fascinating woman. I think there will be discussion, research, and then a vote next semester to elect one or possibly two women as house leaders. I suspect the criteria may have to do with the extent to which the world was made a better place. It will be interesting to see how art/writing is perceived, in its ability to "make a positive change in the world."
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