Saturday, February 10, 2018

ROBBLOG #697 Helmut Law- He Sucks and Other Stories

 
I have finally found something I don't particularly like or agree with on this Island of mine.
 
In order to ride one's bicycle, one must wear a helmet.
WTF?
Yup, it's Provincial Law here from the late 90's. You are required to plop a "dorky plastic hat" on your head if you want to ride a trail or street. Back in Ontario of course, we had the choice to fall from our bike and have a resultant head injury and brain damage.
In Ontario we had the right to lay in a hospital bed drooling while wearing an adult diaper because we are incontinent.
 
It was and is the "Ontario Way".
The Universe blesses Kathleen and those Liberals before her. I expect it was the Liberals who proposed and made this "do as you please" statute a part of Ontario law.
 
Back in old home we had the right to choose to have one's hair blow in the wind or to have it scrunched up under a stupid, made-in-china, hat that while it may protect the head, it doesn't do a damn thing when it comes to the protection of arms, legs, spinal column, nose, cheeks, fingers, hands, the "manly bits" or feet.
 
So, I am to feel uncomfortable to appease some British Columbian MPP who believes he/she did their best to keep me from getting a brain injury while taxpayers pay exorbitant amounts to keep me in diapers?
Poppycock and crappy doodle.
 
Anyhoo, I have ordered a helmet for myself and The Mister which will arrive in a few weeks from amazon.ca. The helmets look like a cross between a cap and a riding hat one might wear while on horseback. In the meantime, no bike riding.
 
Brain-protecting Helmet
HELMET LAW SUCKS! (apologies to anyone named "Helmut Law")
 
It's a $100 fine to go bare-headed and if you get caught and ticketed and don't pay up- as apparently many people in BC do not do because they also don't agree with the law, you'll have difficulty renewing your licence because ICBC takes over and says No!
 
ICBC by the way, is the ridiculous, provincially run, insurance company that is 1.3 billion dollars in debt this year which the NDP/Green Party coalition government intends to prop up to the tune of 1 billion dollars leaving a .3 billion dollar shortfall.
I don't even know how much point three billion is but I am sure I don't have that much in my bank account.
 
A final helmet point. If it's against the law to go without a helmet on a bike ride, is it against the law to go commando whilst riding the pathways and streets? I mean a tumble and the "boys" can cause a boy to scream like a two year old.
 
The weather has taken a turn towards spring here in the Cowichan. A few 14c and 12c days with lovely sunshine. Trees along the trails are budding and there's a distinct green wash as you look into the woods. Of course there are already green plants and bushes that are here year round. The grass is getting longer and in a week or so the lawn mower will be out.
The Mister tells me he has the battery pack plugged in already!
 
I have my artificial spring bouquet in the red cast-iron planter out front at Palm Villa. It's the same arrangement I used on the verandah back at Pine Tree House only unlike back in "old home", I have the spring bouquet out now. In February no less! Back east it was always out in April and certainly around Easter if Easter fell in April and not March or wherever in hell Easter falls!
 
It looks quite nice and the yellow of the lillies and the purple of the delphiniums match the colours in the real pot of primulas sitting on a table between the Muskoka Chairs. 
How nice.
Pine Tree House Brugmansia
Yesterday, I ordered a Brugmansia (Angel's Trumpet) from a nursery in Crofton. It will be yellow like the plant we left behind in Orillia. That will be ready for pick up in May. From the same nursery "Island Passions", I also ordered a 3 foot palm. This nursery has crossed two varieties of palms and come up with one very hardy specimen. Only a dozen or so are available every year. We pick ours up in mid-March.
 
I can hardly wait.