SOMETHING ON THE IRRATIONAL

     Most of us have had the misfortune to run into some one who is irrational. Most of the time we have a sense that something isn't right and we come away with out damage. But there are times when an irrational event can turn serious and damage is done.

    What I'm trying to talk about is people who are irrational. We meet people who are a little irrational from time to time and then we meet others who are seriously disturbed most of the time.

     I am sometimes in contact with one person who continuously thinks that other people are always out to harm her. There's nothing you can do that will persuade her that people are not out to get her. 

    I am sometimes in contact with a guy who continuously makes a mountain out of a mole hill. The salt shaker tips over on the table and it's like a national disaster. 

   These people are an inconvenience. 

   Then there are others who get into more serious trouble. The schizophrenics can cause very serious problems . Many get shot when there is an alteration with police. 

   Some have no idea of reality. They have no idea how to deal with other people. They are not able to make reasonable judgements. 

   What made me think of this topic is Trump's behavior towards the recent election. He believes he won the election. He believes that somehow the election was stolen. He believes that there was massive fraud to influence the election results. He has made  many attempts to have the election results over turned. He has requested some very illegal actions when he asks a legislature to overturn election results.  He has requested that certain votes should not be counted and then the total votes would be in his favor.

    These actions are irrational. They do not line up with the reality. Unfortunately in this case  there does not seem to be any successful strategy to deal successfully with his irrationality.

    Watching what is going on is alarming and you wonder where  and when it will end.

SUNRISE ...SUNSET

     We quite often see great sunrises and sunsets if we're watching. At this time of year with the sun low in the sky we get some great sunrises. 

     One thing I liked about the Arctic were the great skies. For 6 weeks a year the sun didn't come above the horizon but that didn't stop us from getting some great skies.

    Okay, it took me a long time to say that the other day I had a beautiful sunrise and sunset on the same day.

                                        Sunrise

                                              Sunset

IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE WOODS TODAY...

      The area I photographed on the last post is called the Bower Woods. Mr. Bower gave it to the city for a park. The land had been used for cattle. Most of the trails were those that Mr. Bower made and used for his farming operation. When the city developed the park they put in one main trail that cut through the area. However all the other trails are still there.

      The other day the photos were from the north part of the park . Today's photos will be from the southern section.

     This is my favorite area to photograph. You've seen summer and winter photos before. There are always more good photos in this area.

WHOSE WOODS ARE THESE....

     These woods are about 700m (1/2 mile) from my house.  Yesterday was very mild so I went for a pleasant walk.

        I've always liked Robert Frost's poetry and especially this poem. I can sense the stillness in the woods as he stopped.

AGES AND STAGES

      I got thinking today about comparisons of my Grandpa, my Dad and myself. I was thinking that since I'm somehow in my eighties I could show Grandpa , Dad and me all in our eighties. I couldn't or don't know how to  get similar photos of each. 

      To start off I was the first grandson so here I am in Grandpa's arms...his first grandson. 

      Here's Grandpa in his early eighties.

    Here's Dad when we were celebrating his eightieth birthday. Dad's on the left by the way! Now two of his sons are in their eighties.

     And last , here's old Red when he's celebrating birthday number 81. 

      It was hard for me to get my head around the fact that we could be all compared in our eighties.  Grandpa was born in 1864, Dad 1912 and me 1939. That's 75 years apart.

BUSHWHACKING

     Bushwhacking is when you go off trails and make your way through the bush by going around or over anything in the way.  

     Today for birding we bushwhacked an area. It's hard going but you see some very different things. 

      We saw thousands of ducks on the river. Around every bend were hundreds of ducks. There were also many Canada geese and a few other species of duck mixed in with the mallards. The river is not frozen over but full of ice which is flowing along with the current.

      We did see and identify the following: blue jay, black-billed magpie, black-capped chickadee, boreal chickadee, bald eagle, Canada geese, gold eye, downy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch and a common raven. We also saw four mule deer.

      The weather was pleasant: sunny and about minus 3 C.

                 

HAY RIDE

      At this time of year people will be looking to have a treat and go for a hayride. Fine horses will pull the sled or wagon. Horses will have fancy harness with colored rings and bells. Off people go and there's no hay on the ride! I once saw a rig with hay bales and another rig with wooden benches. 

     It reminds me of the many hayrides I had as a child. Very few people will have experienced this or remember it. I think Maybe JB from Cottage Country Reflections might  remember these days.

     I was born in 1939. My Dad bought his little farm in 1935 in the middle of the depression. He had very little money to buy animals or equipment. However, at that time many farmers had gone broke and were leaving. They would have an auction sale and move. Now people going to the auction sales didn't have much money so many things didn't sell and were left. This is where my Dad got his stuff...on auction sales. This stuff was very old and in poor repair. He bought horses that were poor and old. 

    Farming at that time was labor intensive. Before the depression farmers always had hired men. Dad had to work by himself. 

    So getting and storing food for his animals went on for a long time. Grass was cut with a horse drawn mower that had a 5 foot blade. It took a long time to cut much grass. Then the hay was raked in rows. It could be put in small stacks at that time or hauled home.

                              The hay mower.

                                The hay rake

                              The old hay rack     

    So here come the hay rides. When I was big enough I arranged the hay on the rack while he loaded the hay. Then ride home to the yard to unload the hay. It was fun to lie in the hay. My brother and I probably threw hay at each other. On top of the hay was a good place to practice our wrestling technique. Somehow we never fell off the load of hay.

   In the cold of winter the hay ride was different. It was on a sleigh and sometimes very cold. We would run through the hay and bury ourselves in the hay. If it was cold we didn't notice it. 

   It was a lot of hard work for Dad and some fun for us kids but it was a realistic hay ride.