Polar bears, climate change, and the right to be cold

I love the last picture re climate change and weather, a little humour goes a long way in a crisis and there is no doubt we are in a crisis.

Robby Robin's Journey

Today, February 27, is International Polar Bear Day, and since polar bears are my very favourite wild animals (along with tigers, whose special day is in July), celebrate them I will! (I acknowledge that today is also National Cupcake Day, but I’ll leave that celebration to others.)

My husband and I (and my brother and SIL) were privileged beyond all measure to have been able to spend some quality time with polar bears in their natural habitat back in August 2015. We were on a National Geographic ship in the Canadian High Arctic, having spent hours at the ship railings with our binoculars, trying to spot just one elusive polar bear on the expanse of sea ice off in the distance. It’s the Arctic version of looking for elusive wildlife in the savannahs in Africa. Patience is indeed a virtue.  We had given up for the afternoon and were heading…

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The Balloons are Coming! The Balloons are Coming!

Love the humor.

Aging Capriciously

I was up in the Casa Grande mountains this morning where I do either a morning run or a morning hike.  Suddenly, I looked up and saw a large object overhead.  With further perusal, I realized that it was a balloon.  Now I have seen many balloons over the mountains in the past twelve years, but this one was different.  It was large and round like so many are but this one was painted with red, white and blue stripes like an American flag.  Why I wondered would anyone paint a balloon with red, white, and blue stripes?

I was well aware that a Chinese surveillance balloon had been spotted over Montana and today another one was spotted over South America.  It has been in the news for the last two days about every hour.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that if the Chinese wanted…

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You can become a caregiver at any age; you don’t necessarily know when or for whom

Thoughtful advice.

Robby Robin's Journey

I know, not the cheeriest of topics, is it?!  But, to put it in perspective, it’s not about war, famine, climate catastrophes, oppression, discrimination, misogyny, or new geopolitical standoffs.  See, not so bad after all, is it?

My husband and I happen to have been among those fortunate enough to live to the status of seriously senior citizens.  And we and our friends have, for the most part, been able to provide care for our partners – and/or our friends – when that role has been required.  Caregiving may be needed on a temporary basis when someone undergoes surgery (as, say, for joint replacement surgery 😉 ), or may be needed on an ongoing basis when dementia hits your partner or a friend.  Or a debilitating disease or injury that leaves the patient unable to care for him or herself.

There are many scenarios, and these situations are most decidedly…

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