Two Friday Flowers

Giant Blue Cohosh

Caulophylle géant

(Caulophyllum gigantism)

Butterbur

Pétasite du japon

(Petasites japonicus)

Two Bloodroot Photos

Sunday, April 21

RBG Arboretum

Tuesday, April 23

Rural Brant County

Bloodroot

Sanguinaire du Canada

(Sanguinaria canadensis)

Sunday Flowers

            Some of the wild flowers found on the wilderness trails of the Royal Botanical Garden's Arboretum on Sunday, April 21 are as follows:

Narrow-leaved Spring Beauty

Clayton de Virginie

(Claytonia virginica)

Closer look at the Spring Beauty

Sharp-lobed Hepatica

Hépatique à lobes aigus

(Hepatica acutiloba)

Early Saxifrage

Saxifrage de Virginie

(Micranthes virginiensis)

This if from Monday, April 22nd in rural Brant County.

Willow species

Espèces de Saule

(Salix sp.)

More Greens

Leaf bud from a Hawthorn Tree

Aubépine

(Crataegus sp.)

Leaf bud on an Apple Tree

Pommier

(Malus sp.)

New Herb Robert Leaves

Géranium de Robert

(Geranium robertianum)

New Leaves of a Red-seeded Dandelion

Pissenlit à Graines Rouges

(Taraxicum erythrospermum)

The Leaves are Coming . . .

Leaves are opening up to greet the spring rains.

Lilac species

Lilas espèce

(Syringa sp)

Black Raspberry

Framboisier Noir

(Rubus occidentalis)

Honeysuckle species

Chèvrefeuille espèce

Lonicera sp

European Larch

Mélèze d'Europe

(Larix decidua)

Sweet Viburnum aka Nannyberry

Viorne flexible

(Viburnum lentago)

Hearing Problems ?

            

            Had someone asked me, six months ago, if I had a hearing problem I would have said, “Yes, because so many sounds are too loud.” I always go to the side of the exercise room away from the speakers and, in some classes, I put in my swimming ear plugs to deaden the noise a bit. I do most of my birding by ear rather than by sight as I hear and recognize many bird calls. The spring frog songs almost hurt my ears with their volume. I have no difficulty hearing most conversations . . . if there is not a crowd around. 

            OK, so there is that little problem. One of the reasons that I took early retirement over 20 years ago now was because I was having more and more problems hearing individual children in the classroom over the general buzz of classroom noise. Currently it seems to me that Fleur-Ange is harder and harder for me to understand and my boss at one of my part time volunteer jobs also seems to mumble a lot. I can hear both of them but often cannot understand what they are saying. Then there is my computer driven French lessons where I often have no clue what the speaker is saying in French even though when I see the words written I have no difficulty understanding meaning.

            I went to an audiologist and had a hearing test done. It appears that I need hearing aids.

            So it appears that I cannot hear sounds with high pitches unless very loud with the greatest loss being in my left ear. (The X’s on the chart.)

            I now have new hearing aids. Some changes that I have noticed include the following:

I can now hear and understand most of what Fleur-Ange says to me;

The French sounds on my computer lessons are much sharper;

The dog’s nails make loud scratching sounds on the floor;

Pouring water into a glass makes a loud sound now;

I can hear the fabric of my socks as they slide onto my feet;

My raincoat and rain pants are really noisy when I put them on and walk;

Music has much clearer sounds;

The microwave makes a high static like sound that I have never heard before;

The American Woodcocks that I have not been hearing are now calling every morning;

The computer mouse makes a scratching sound as it moves on the desk;

Movement of paper or plastic makes a much louder sound now;

All sounds seem to be a bit more crisp and clear.

(My bank account has taken a rather large loss. Hoping for insurance help soon.)

            Overall the experience is much like that I had 70 years ago when I got my first eyeglasses and discovered that one could see pebbles on the ground, rocks in the pasture, and leaves on trees without moving closer to them. There is a whole new world out there to be discovered and enjoyed . . . or be annoyed about.

            I have not been to the gym yet with my new ears. Wondering what that will be like . . . .

Hamilton's Around-the-Bay 30 k Race

Waiting to Start

Barb, Coach Ron, Coachette Wendy, Donna, Steve

Dave & Anita

Fleur-Ange & niece Heather

Heather on the way to start line

Start line in far distance from pedestrian overpass

Race starting . . . 

Here come the leaders

All the men and women that would finish
in the top 5 were in front

A closer look at women who finished in top 5

For 5 minutes the crowd of runners was this thick

Heather at beginning of the race

Donna about to go under the pedestrian bridge.

(I am the dark figure on the bridge.)

First to finish just seconds from new record

Daniel Kemoi - 1:32:57

2nd - Panuel Mkungo 1:34:08

3rd - Dylan Wykes 1:35:04

4th - Haron Sirma 1:35:54

5th - Jean Marie Vianney Uwajeneza 1:39:38

First Female to Finish

Mengistu Emebet 1:45:57

2nd Female - Dayna Pidhoresky 1:49:03

3rd Female - Salome Nyirarukundo 1:50:03

4th Female - Rachel Hannah 1:51:43

5th Woman - Krista Duchene 1:56:29

First of the Road Rebel Runners to finish

Anita Bosagri-Chevarie and Dave Schoenfeld

3:07:40

Heather Kingsley almost at end - finished 3:11:20

Heather in recovery mode

Fleur-Ange took all photos of top finishers,

 of Heather at start and finish, and of Donna on the street.

Dean took photos of Road Rebel Runners

and photos from the pedestrian bridge.