Earth Hour - 1 year after the power-eating ice storm

 52 weeks after "The Ice Storm" and 4+ days without electricity, I wondered what I would see "this evening", Saturday, March 28, 2026?

 I calibrated my camera clock against a time signal from "Heavens-Above.com

The gibbous Moon was high above to brighten the sky - and also serve as a time piece:

 Note the shadows in the lower portion - not a full Moon in eclipse.

 

Let us walk around the building, starting at the West end:

 The left, North-west edge has 3 lighted openings. And the front:

 

The foyer is the brightest and then there are a dozen or so room lights. However, note the silver-blue hue to the building on the right edge. That is caused by lighting up the side stairs:

 I found this so blinding, so glaring that I only managed a couple of the stairs before having to grab the handrail. Solar lights at step level would have been much safer. And if I had wanted to mug anyone this would have been an ideal place to do so. 

 

Next the East side:

 You can see the glare from the lighting around doors - not safe places to be standing search for a key. I did find the motion detectors worked fairly well. However, nobody was alerted to challenge me - so I expect they might not have been a deterrent.

 

And now the North face/Eiger nord Wand:

I think this side is far worse than the opposite south side.

 

I was especially struck by what appear to be a string of lights:

 

- maybe Christmas lights?

So what to make of this: 100 hours with no power last year - equals out the energy wastage this year? Or status quo?

Earth Hour is not about saving energy . it is about being aware of where the energy is going. When I did a demonstration in Montreal about 10 years ago, I think the actual savings was just a couple of percent. The value might appear in a blog I posted at the time.

More to the point is to realize that this building is situated in the Lake Simcoe-Lake Couchiching flood plain. This are will flood soon. Are we

really insured about flood damage? Cars trapped in the garage? People trapped by the weight of water preventing doors from opening and allowing an escape? I don't know. A few years ago the corner of Atherley and Queen Street was under more than 30cm of water following a sudden rain shower and some blocked? drains. #12 bypass and West Street was subject to greater flooding one August day about 10 years ago. That created a very large traffic jam.

I feel we have been granted some time to remedy the problems - are we doing so?

 

WOB 

Lambs and Lions: Beware the Ides of March

 Et tu, Brute - Vocative case, Grade 10, 1958

March entered as: lamb/lion?

Last night the "wool" flew

white-out and aurora alert

Wool on fair ways

Bah, bah, 70 cm deep

Again - again often an

hours-long thunderstorm.

 Between 3 and 4AM we heard

the roar of the lion after a flash of  lightning.

Now I cannot see:

Hearing Life?

On his blindness ?

 

WOB

Terminal ie., keyboard thoughts on March

 Allons Enfants de la patrie

 Not a tree? March Fern!

 Else extinction awaits

 If you do not walk.

WOB
 

Two heads are better than one

 I have often visited the osprey nest that is visited each Spring by a pair of eagles. Some visits are good ones and I see a visitor. Some visits I meet the farmers who live and breath nature and tell me of their encounters. Spring after Spring. 

 

But this year has been different.  There have been repeated reports,

And I have seen an eagle on the tree:

 

 Well? Nothing.

 

 Maybe too close or anxious? Back off?

 

 Days past and then Dorothy and Donald phoned: the "Eagle" has landed again. And off I went to see.

 

 And there they were! Maybe the will stay this year?

 

All the best,

WOB 

Eclipse Memories

 Savour the good weather,

Enjoy what you are given

The Moon rose! Clearly!

Looking East  at 6:30PM I was actually surprised at how clear the sky was.

 So, up at 4AM, down to the lounge,

(The conductor's notes?)

 It has started.

 So has coffee and Timbits!

 Then it was over.

 

I checked again Tuesday evening:

 And one can see some craters entering shadows in the upper right.

Then the weather changed. That is the way it is -

March eclipse: Blood Moon

Starry trails into the leafless 

Never to return

     WOB 

June Memories

 Pink clouds looking West;

 

 

Memories - Fair Isle - Sea  pinks

 

 

March peace And Spring Lambs 

 

WOB