Ghost # 10 (the last one)

   The last ghost is not downtown but in a park. I was waiting to take a photo until I started riding by ghost # 10. A few nights ago I went by Doris and Mickey.

Doris holding Mickey

     Doris and Mickey are not just a local story but a national story. Doris Forbes and her family lived close to a nearby creek. In the 1930's they found a lost beaver kit and took it home. The beaver kit took to the family and Mickey lived with the Forbes family all his life. He lived in the house like any other pet and went into they yard as he pleased. They had a supply of water for him and found lots for him to eat. Mickey was a tourist attraction.

    Red Deer also had a very prolific writer, Kerry Wood,  who wrote on natural history. Kerry Wood wrote the story of Mickey and the beaver. In the early 1950's a school anthology was put together for gr. 4 or 5 to teach the reading program. In other words the story was included in a "reader" that was used across Canada. So the story of Mickey and Doris was well known all across Canada. Mickey the Beaver was one of my favorite stories and I read it many times when I had finished my work.

     When I took these pictures the other night I continued riding. 3 km further a beaver ran across the trail in front of me. By the time I realized what was happening, stopped my bike, got the camera out, the beaver was gone! So it was almost another good part to the story.

    The statue is located quite close to the area where Doris Forbes lived. 

Be-Bop

    Sometimes I need a little help with my appreciation of art. Here's an example.

This is Be-bop

Be-bop was done by Richard Tosczak 

This is a playful piece with movement that goes one way and then another.

     
      This is welded steel and is to indicate strong fluid motion.(I read the book!) 

       It is an attractive piece and if you look at it for a few minutes you will definitely start thinking.

      I hope you enjoy this piece.

Lilac Time

    Late May and early June can be a peak season for lush fresh green growth. Along with that goes the top of the season for blooms.

Lilacs just coming into bloom

Another pair of beauties.

       When I bought my house in 1970 , there was a straggly little lilac on one corner very close to the house. Even I could tell that a shrub this close to the house wouldn't work. I contemplated throwing it away. I moved it and it has thrived. It has a very dark color and you see very few this shade. 

     The lilac is about 12 ft high so I've been trying to trim it back so the whole bush looks a little rough.

     Since this lilac is right beside the side walk, over the years I have noticed pieces disappear when it's in bloom. I don't mind if someone takes a bouquet. One day one of my neighbors came with her plant shears and told me how much she liked my lilac and could she get a bouquet. Sure! Help yourself. Then she admitted that she had taken bouquets before. She came for quite a few years and got a bouquet. I don't think she's been here for a couple of years so I'm going to have to cut a bouquet and take them to her.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: The Epitomy of Hypocrisy

    Our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper has a history of actions that are scrapes. He gets very close to the unacceptable, unethical and sleazy politics. In other words he goes from scandal to scandal. When he's nailed with these behaviors he stonewalls and shape shifts his and others performances for long enough that the controversy dies down and he's off the hook.

    There was skulduggery conducted by Harper's party in the last election where they used robo calls to tell people that their voting places had been changed so the other guys didn't get their votes out. Of course, Harper denies this even though a judge ruled yesterday that the list the robo caller used came from Harper's party. 

    Harper has used attack ads. He thinks nothing of taking words from different contexts and putting them together so that it makes the other guy look like something else. These ads have been incredibly mean and most inaccurate. 

    The latest incident involves expense accounts by some senators Harper appointed. The Senators have double charged for their living allowances. The one senator owned up and made a big show of paying the money back. Now we find out that the said senator got all the money from the Prime Minister's office. This doesn't smell right. It sounds like the Senator was paid by the govt. so he could pay off his expense account that was over billed to the tune of $90000 . Now nobody is talking. Questions are not being answered. Harper give has smile , smirk and walks away.

   Harper has made crime and punishment a big part of his platform. Harper is great on telling us how he cuts our taxes. I would hope that a hypocrite like Harper finds himself in some of his new jails. It's rather ironic that Harper's senators are paying themselves double out of out tax dollars. 

    So Harper has not done what he says. He has not kept his promises. He is not listening to the people just some of the people and then he doesn't hear very well at that.

    Now I'm ordinarily not a ranter. I'm a fairly mellow fellow. It takes quite a bit to upset me. So I hope that you will work with me on this rant. Harper has upset me by his unnecessary inappropriate behavior.

Spring Bird Count

    On May 18 I did my spring bird count in the area I was assigned. I was happy because I found 20 species and three other species I could not identify. It was  a warm, clear day with very little wind. 

   Now don't expect bird pictures. My point and shoot is not up to bird photos. I did get some decent shots of the area I counted in.

   The area I do is a heavily wooded ravine with old growth forest. Most of the trees are spruce. It's a beautiful area.

Forest entry. You've seen this when it was snowy.

Early blue violet

The bike trail through the forest.

The first Buffalo bean

An overview of the forest

Shale trail

Luckily I saw a reflection

     I see I didn't set the time on my camera so this is a few days from now. I don't know how that's going to work. 
  
   I hope you liked my bird counting trip. 

Mental Health

    Mental health has a long and sorry past. Some things are better today and some things are probably worse. We have some medications that work to some extent. We have better diagnoses. Much has been learned about mental health. Treatment centers have all but disappeared. There are few treatment facilities and little funding. There has been some improvement in public perception of mental illness but it still has a long way to go.

    Why am I on this topic? Today I met a man on the bike trail. I could hear loud talking from more than 200 m away. I couldn't even tell who was talking. Then I thought he must be talking on a cell phone. No. He was talking to himself in a very loud voice about a number of unrelated topics. He was raving about having to pay money for a book to find Jesus. I thought he would stop talking when he got to me. He kept on talking and went by me as if I wasn't there. It was a sad sight. I wondered why he was on his own. Obviously he was off his meds. I'm sure he would frighten some people while others may harass him. 

    I taught about 4000 students in this community. A young man who was easily in the top 100 brightest of all students I taught is unemployed and on disability. It's sad to think of how much this fellow could have achieved if schizophrenia had not disabled him.

    Many people do not want to take their medications. I take a mediation for  seizures. It is also used to treat schizophrenia and bi polar disorder. It's not a pleasant medication to take as it has side effects. I get depressed from time to time. I also have problems with balance. I also think that my thinking gets fuzzy at times. So I understand that people do not want to take medication. 

    There are some support groups for mental health but not enough.

   We are also far under diagnosed in the mental health field. We had kids who were lashing out at things around them. Many suffered anxiety but it was never diagnosed or treated. So parents teachers and other kids received abuse that was very unpleasant to deal with. For many of these kids , if they had been diagnosed and treated , they would have been much happier and more successful. Many adults suffer from depression and do not realize it or won't admit it. 

    There is treatment for most mental health issues. Community support is crucial in bringing about better mental health. 

     One of our readers and commenters is going through a few bumps in the road. He has recognized and admitted a problem. He has begun treatment to regain good mental health. It's not easy when you think that some of the world turns against you and that you had some responsibility for that problem. He's working to regain good mental health. I wish him success.  

    

A Fine Looking Bench

A bench surrounded by stylized elevators.

  
      When I was photographing one of the statues, I noticed this bench. It's in front of the local museum. since this area is agricultural area we have a lot of grain produced. At one time every little town had several grain elevators to handle the grain the farmers produced. Grain elevators were very tall structures so the the grain could be lifted to the top and then channeled into bins or box cars. Today all the grain elevators are gone except for a few that have been kept for historical purposes.

     This would be a good project for Far Side at Far Side of Fifty.

     This bench is surrounded by five stylized grain elevators. It's a nice place to sit and think about how things were done.