The end of 'The West Commences'

For the past few days I've been thinking about sitting in the sunroom and writing my blog but I have not done it. Finally today I realized why. The west is no longer commencing. I have lived in Vernon for ten years, Jay, May and the girls have lived here, with me and in their own house, friends and family have visited me and I've made new friends. I'm here. 

Since the beginning of Covid, that's over a year ago now, I have been Kakaoing with Jay every evening and keeping in touch with distant family and friends in other virtual ways more than I did before this virus forced us into bubbles of various sizes, shapes and capacities to stretch. I started the blog to keep in touch and I'm doing that now more than I did when we could literally touch. I also wanted to create some kind of concrete proof that I was here. When you are alone after years of being with another it's a bit like being a helium balloon adrift with no string or anchor to keep you from blowing away, as Joni Mitchell said. There's no longer anyone there you can count on to confirm that things really happened. By writing down bits of my life I seemed to be anchoring them, making them real and maybe even meaningful. But I've lived in Vernon for over ten years now. I have real friends. I have a life. And my distant family and friends seem almost closer now that everyone is really separated by the virus and at the same time virtually united by it. 

I have not touched another person since March 14, 2020. That's hard to believe. And yet I can't say I really even mind that. I was never one to hug people in greeting. But I have wanted to put my arms around someone once in a while: if I see Jay on a Kakao video or a friend I haven't seen in a long time either virtually or in real life. The expression 'virtual reality' used to seem laughably oxymoronic to me, but in the last year it has become a fairly accurate way of describing much of my life. But as I do real things like: walk, bike, kayak, have dinner (outside except with Mo and John and MIriam and Bill) with real people almost once a day, my life goes on in a way I cannot complain about at all. And the virtual connections with Jay and distant family and friends are almost as good as the real thing. The operative word of course is almost. I'm too old for virtual reality to ever be able to create a whole world for me, but in this time of Covid it has augmented what would have otherwise been a bleak time of no touch and few contacts. 

The first rose of summer 2021

Nature carries on into the real world of 2021 in Gardom Lake

Indigenous humour lives on. This sign which I saw when biking through the First Nations Reserve near Enderby reminded me of Ron Noganosh. 

The sky is blue

The sun is dappling every surface in the sun room where I'm now relaxing. 

The washing machine toiled away at the laundry while I stretched and crunched through physiotherapy exercises and some new isometric exercises that Jay suggested I try after I told him that I had not been able to do a push up the other day. My legs are strong but my arms ain't. However, I should be able to do a few push ups, at least from the knees. 

Jay's image of me lifting weights 

I hung the laundry on the line outside for the first time in 2021.

Albert and Caroline bought and installed that line for me when they stayed here a few years ago. I have enjoyed using it ever since. Fortunately the the horse chestnut tree is almost fully in leaf so I don't think my new back neighbour, her son and male friend were able to see me. I hope not because I was wearing my pyjamas. I still jsometimes forget that I have neighbours who might see me when I'm out in the yard. I've never been a quick study. Anyway, one of the things that I like about living on this street is the contact I have with young neighbours and their children who visit me and play with some of Jay's old toys. So maybe I'm just doing my part by being the elder ( I prefer that to old lady) who entertains them in her turn by wandering around the yard in whatever she happens to be wearing. 

My laundry. It's a long way from meeting the standards that Miche told me the women of Hull were held to when she was young. 

Since I bought my inflatable kayak about six years ago, I have always launched it in May in the Gorge near Terry and Barbara's.  Sadly, Barbara is no longer with us. I miss her. Terry and I have kept in touch through email, and he invited me to visit and stay in the flat this May, which I was going to do until Bonnie Henry lowered the boom. BC residents are not allowed to leave their health district unless absolutely necessary until the end of May. The police are enforcing the mandate with stops on major routes between health regions. The one that would get me is at Boston Bar on the Coquihalla. So l will be inflating the kayak for the first time in 2021 on the shores of Swan Lake tomorrow. Since I bought it, four women I know have bought them. We plan to try different lakes in the area this summer. 

Llamas we biked by the other day