Road Block? – the choice of direction is yours

NOTE: This post contains slideshows and if you are reading it on your phone, it is best viewed direct from the SITE, rather than in the READER.

All photos taken on our 40 km (25 mile) bike ride on September 5, 2021.

Labour Day! The last long weekend of the summer/first long weekend of the fall and we could not ask for better weather. From Friday to Monday, temperatures will range from +22 to +25 C (72-77 F). As hours of daylight get shorter, our outdoor time (cycling, hiking, gardening or just doing nothing) is getting more and more precious.

Meanwhile, Covid cases are on the upswing as the anti-vaxers and vaccine hesitant get even more determined not to get the shot. Enter our illustrious, long absent leader on September 3/21, to do the right errr, something. As usual, he was a day late (6 weeks) and a dollar short. Instead of rewarding those who have been vaccinated, he elected to reward the unvaccinated, as an enticement to get the shot. Psssst, if you get the shot, we’ll slip you $100. Well, don’t the 3,000,000 Albertans who already did the right thing feel stupid for rushing in too soon? Masks are back in for indoor spaces (about time – we never stopped wearing ours), liquor sales are curtailed after 10:00 PM and indoor gatherings have a “suggested” limitation of 2 families not exceeding 10 people from cohort families. All this, as cases, hospitalizations and ICU admissions increase, causing delays in other hospital procedures, including my long delayed follow up colonoscopy.

Oh, and yes, even though the party in power does not approve of vaccine passports or their use in Alberta, they will be providing a printable proof of vaccination card and perhaps a QR code sometime…..soon….I hope. More and more establishments see that the only way to stave off further shutdowns is to limit access to those who provide proof of vaccination or a clean current Covid test result. In the interim, a few continue to protest, some even blocking access to the Vancouver General Hospital, where health care staff and chemo patients were hassled and roughed up as they struggled to get to their job and appointments. As well, a stabbing victim died when his ambulance could not reach the ambulance bay. I guess empathy and common sense are just not very common any more.

It is like the feature photo (also below). When we are presented with restrictions or barriers, we have the right to choose which direction we go, but we also must accept the consequences of that choice and we must realize our rights are only our rights until they infringe on the rights of others. I just hope we all choose wisely.

When oh when will they ever get this road back open…?

With all this stuff spinning, we once again set off for a rural ride and managed to take our minds off the Covid issues and the upcoming elections for a little while. It was just what we needed to restore our Zen.

The day was glorious and even though the winds were often in our faces, making our way over the roads was easy, once we got past the rider’s block.

At the barrier, we opted to turn left, as usual and see what was happening out in the country

Harvest is fully under way. These farmers were likely waiting for the morning dew to dry off, before starting back up.

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Further along, some farmers had swathed their canola, others were doing their second hay cut and still others had already turned the soil over for the fall.

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Approaching Airport Road, we had choices to make and opted to ride a bit further South to see what was happening on our favourite Prairie Pothole

Before proceeding, we watched a red-tailed hawk sitting on guard in a tree and another soaring, looking for dinner.

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This prairie pothole was the largest along our route and still had plenty of water and birds in it, including a Solitary Sandpiper. I had heard a call that I thought was a Killdeer, but found out it was this sandpiper. Other potholes were so dry, even the stink was gone.

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Blue sky and puffy clouds hung above us

This old cattle shed is hanging on

You may recall this pothole from my Pothole series. This is the one that was all covered in algae. Not much left now and no birds.

At one corner, we were met by stares from these curious bovines.

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More crops in various phases of harvest and blue sky above it all.

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Back at the barrier, we opted to go play on the yellow line. It was a pleasure riding along this smooth stretch of road with no cars on it.

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Along the way, we passed fields where canola had been or was being swathed. Beaumont’s church on the hill stood tall above it all.

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Here is a scene you do not see everyday in this part of the world

A new calf and mama looked at us in amazement.

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One last prairie sky look

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