Hot Spot!
The wave of heat has been with us for two days and we are delighted with it. Welcome heat. Welcome wave. It’s a particularly good combination because at night the temperate falls and it’s not unbearable.
Or it may be the case that we are simply defrosting from the past six months of chilly puddling and therefore cannot gain any actual sense of the temperature because we’ve been so frozen. Who would actually know at this point what’s unbearably hot as we’ve become fluent in unbearably overcast.
Yesterday (Sunday) it was scorching at 4pm. I gave thanks and scorched along with it.
My only concern now is that of thunderstorms and what they lead to — the dreadful forest fires.
Sources tell me there was an hour long discussion on BC Almanac on the weather today. I am ashamed to say I missed it. Such is the nature of my present life my weather forecasting or weather watching has been derailed.
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Under the weather
Oh glory, oh grief how we are challenged by our current weather! It is so ridiculously dark outside today and grim that I must insist to myself there’s something unbeknownst to discover from it. It’s like a set of bricks on the eyelids from indoors, just misery inducing.
To wit, in the spirit of Our Woman, I shall not be sunk and shall up and out into it rather than remain surly in retreat.
I have daily reports of similar weather elsewhere. I was only remarking yesterday to a correspondent on the incredible power of the weather to do our heads in. I maintain tho’ it needs to be embraced, even tho’ I am not a great example of such today.
Washing retrieval wind
I noted a sharp wind ouside just now when I pulled in the washing off the line. I was surprised at the chill in it and checked the weather station which claims an 8 degrees. But there was something enlivening in it after a particularly draining day. An encore quality. The reward for carrying on. Must remember to dip out and take note of night weathers and temperatures, they can be so satisfying.
Little Tokyo in the Industrial Playground
Great night at the Little Tokyo in the Industrial Playground opening at the Firehall Arts Centre — Go see Jeremy Isao Speier’s installation, it looks amazing in that space. Thanks to everyone for the discourse on the Rolf Knight extracts I read. I really enjoyed thinking about our city’s industrial playgrounds and their eradication. I hope some kind of collaborative essay series may emerge out of our discussion.
Now it’s time to cook a frozen curry.
Adventures in sledge hockey
The wail for the coach Peggy to plod onto the ice and help me get back up. You needed longer arms for the task than I possess. However eventually I figured out a method with feet. So much fun this sport!
Week 47 flu strains
Here’s the flu report for week 47 (this week): the Perth flu strain is whipping it this week. (Why are the strains thus named I wonder?)
Since the start of the season, the National Microbiology Laboratory (NML) has antigenically characterized 12 influenza viruses (seven A/H3N2 and five B). All seven A/H3N2 viruses (from BC, AB & ON) are antigenically related to A/Perth/16/2009. Three of the influenza B viruses characterized (from AB & QC) are antigenically related to the vaccine strain B/Brisbane/60/2008 (Victoria lineage). The other two influenza B viruses (from BC) are antigenically related to the reference virus B/Wisconsin/01/2010-like, which belongs to the Yamagata lineage
source: Flu Watch
Well I have been waiting on this Weds the 16th for the promised temperature plunge and yes, the radar has delivered. It was cold indeed today. Especially this morning then around lunch the temp climbed and the rains fell.
Tonight’s overnight low however is a balmy 6 degrees, considerably higher than what was forecast 14 days ago, which was -2. Still a very vague chance of flurries on Friday (wha?!) and a bit of dip again on Saturday, but we seem trapped between two systems right now and weather cannot quite make up her mind.
This week we had some beautiful days after that storm blew through. Cold yes, but oh so sunny and blue.
Punk reply
Here’s the link to Bloodied But Unbowed where you can, courtesy of the Knowledge Network, watch this documentary on Vancouver’s early punk history.
My curiosity was piqued by the woman sat on the bonnet of her car who described wanton verbal abuse and physical assaults in response to looking like or appearing to be a punk. I’ve been asking friends about this, since it’s hard to reconcile these descriptions with city life at present. It’s often difficult to get anyone to respond to you in some parts of the city. Good morning or hello seems to put the fear of God and instant eye-aversion from people passing…
As one friend put it “There was a time when a haircut meant something…”
That is not to suggest a return to the habit of people getting verbally abused and bashed in for having a particular haircut, music taste and tight black jeans or being sprinkled with safety pins. More to observe a contrast in conduct and examine where or how that has been recorded.
I think this may be our most middling Autumnal day. The leaves are droopy with despair.
They remain on the turn. They’re at the halfway point now so you can look at a long line of them and see the beginning, middle, and end of the leaves colour changes. I had never noticed before how the timing can differ between them.