So, what would you call this item?

Looking it up, I find several choices: singlet, tank top, sleeveless undershirt. And sadly, I also still find the unacceptable 'wife-beater'. 

The term apparently came about as the result of a case of domestic violence that dates back to 1947, which means it has been around far too long. Last I heard (though I don't patronize them) Amazon was still using this ugly terminology to describe sleeveless undershirts. 

Especially today, the first day of an extended observance that seeks the Elimination of Violence Against Women seems like a day to call a singlet a singlet (or one of the other terms that don't seem to extol violence).  

We here in Canada will also be observing this theme on December 6th, the date we remember the mass murder of 14 brilliant women at the Ecole Polytechnique. 

It's not even four o'clock and it's just about dark here. Dark times indeed when women are harmed -- or even killed -- pretty much simply because they're women. 

Towards agreement??

Canada Post workers have been without a reasonable settlement to their contract for over a year now. Last December their strategy was meant to make their point by disrupting the delivery of Christmas cards and parcels. But the trouble was, that ploy didn't work. 

It caused plenty of inconvenience to people outside of Canada who wanted to send gifts and greetings to friends here, but Canadians mostly took to using alternate delivery services, like UPS or Purolator. Besides, it gave us a good excuse to quit or at least cut back on the number of cards we sent. 

Finally, it's beginning to look like some sort of arrangement, satisfactory to both sides of the bargaining table, might be in the works. It all sounds pretty tentative, but I like to think that both sides are reaching out, seeking a meaningful and lasting resolution--sort of like the way the flag in front of our local post office seems to be reaching to grab hold of the little tree out front. 

Now, if only some kind of agreement could be reached that would see the end of the terrible war in Ukraine. And not a list of demands assembled by the Russians, a plan that would see Ukrainians worse than before Russia invaded there, nearly four years ago. 

Reaching for an agreement, I'm hoping, one that will mean a lasting peace. 

Reflecting

So. What to say. Hard to know. 

Did it end with a bang or a whimper.

Still feels like heartbreak. It certainly felt like more than 'just a game', especially the way the whole country seemed so united behind our team. 

Maybe the 'extra hour' of sleep will help. 

Back to bed. 

What's the collective noun for...

...a group of jays?

We don't have the same blue jays out here in the west. But we do have our own gorgeous (and friendly) blue bird, Steller's Jay. The one in the photo seemed to be the 'guardian' of our recent campsite along the Similkameen River. 

But back to my question: the collective noun for these birds. One site suggests such a group is called a band, a party, or a scold. 

I'm not crazy about any of those. And considering today's the first game of the World Series, I'm thinking a group of Jays oughta be called a TEAM. 

Go, Jays!

Harvest of good fortune

Our garden is small, but both of us do our best to preserve some of the bounty. 

During the summer I froze berries and apples. Many of these were gifts from friends whose big harvests can be overwhelming. I also spent quite a few days making jams and jellies, while the Dear Man looked after the quince -- always the most prolifice of the fruits in the yard -- making juice, and also drying and freezing slices for later in winter. 

Not all of our fruit trees are as bounteous as the quince; this year, we got exactly five peaches and only a single plum. Lots of berries though, but I wasn't counting. 

The leaves in the photo are basil, a herb I use pretty often. There's lots of pesto base in the freezer; the leaves on the little heat source are drying (weirdly, they take longer than even apple slices to dry) and I'll use them to season sauces. 

But the point of all this is today's celebration of bounty -- Thanksgiving Day -- a day of gratitude. 

Last kick at the can

Sometimes a spur-of-the-moment escape can be a real treat. Fires had kept us from camping enough this summer, but luckily enough rain had fallen to calm those down -- not completely, but enough to make it safe to venture into the parkland. 

Just a few days, but the perk of being offline, especially without news to contend with...ahhh. 

The campsite in Manning Park was right beside the river. Our only real companion was a Steller's Jay who insisted on hoping for snacks. 

Mornings were time for exploring trails. Sunny afternoons meant lazy times for reading. 

A great way to charge up the batteries for the rest of the year. 

The last flower of summer

And so much more to mark this last day of September, as today is the day we observe Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada. 

It's only over the past decade that much in the way of Truth has come out. 

Still plenty to go when it comes to Reconciliation, but I believe that many of us are trying to learn. 

I liked that this last little flower had the good sense to be wearing its own orange shirt.