Some geographical considerations

Welcome to my home.

I live in Victoria, on the southmost tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. And before you jump to weather-related conclusions, let me say that it is snowdrop and cherry blossom time here in Victoria, and that on the pond across the road from my little cottage the geese have picked up their activities again. There were six swans this morning on the far end of the pond--a good day for swan-watching--and an assortment of mallards, buffleheads and canvasbacks. I think I saw the bald eagle causing trouble, but it might've been one of the neighborhood turkey vultures. Yesterday there were about five dozen robins in the sopping wet horse paddock at the end of the property, pecking at the ground like chickens. There are, sadly, no chickens on the property. (I like chickens--they make good financial sense, you give them used teabags and they give you eggs, plus my friend Matthew--of theoloblog fame--has once deemed me the Queen of Chickens based on the way the chickens in his backyard behaved towards me, which i thought at first were attempts to eat my toes but apparently this is the highest form of chicken worship.)

Very soon I will put on my boots and put rubber sole to drenched ground and go walk the fields round about the pond and beyond, for there is some sunshine out there today and friends, we get cruelly little sunshine here this time of year. But as someone once said to me, hey, rain may be depressing but at least you don't have to shovel it, and out of respect for my parents who are labouring under the yoke of Montreal winter and will not see a cherry blossom for many a month, I will not complain.

I will finish my toast with strawberry jam.

This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and get on with it.