Fires 2021

Remember how Australia and the Southern US got some pretty mean wildfires last year? Well, it's Canada's turn. We got fires in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwest Ontario. Apparently we're at a "Level 5" on preparedness, which is the highest level and indicates that we don't have the resources to appropriately manage the situation. This is the worst season for wildfires that Canada has seen in 70 years, and we can't ask for support from the US because they're having a tough wildfire season too, and each nation needs all its resources.

That being said, this hasn't effected my life much, unless this relentless heat wave that has been going on for weeks has something to do with it. We did notice that the moon was looking red before the usual season when that happens, and apparently that's a result of the fires.

I'll be honest, I kind of thought that Canada was pretty safe from natural disaster, at least for awhile. We're a colder region, so even if things get warmer, it should get worse faster for places closer to the equator. Here in Ontario, we're inland, so we don't get earthquakes or tsunamis. If a hurricane lands on our coast, it's dulled down to maybe a slightly heavier than usual storm and its origin is considered a fun fact. We get the occasional tornado. My hometown Guelph had a weird string of draughts that never got an explanation, but they've returned to normal.

I can't think of a place on the planet that I'd feel more safe. In fact, Canada got ranked as the best country in the world this year, so far as quality of life.

U.S. News Releases 2021 Best Countries Rankings | Best Countries | US News

I heard this right around the time the Indigenous children were found under the residential schools. Very weird sensation to be alerted to these two perspectives at the same time.

I wouldn't take those statistics as an objective truth anyway. All I'm saying is that climate-wise, I feel pretty safe. But its hard not to link the current wildfires with the ones that have been going on around the globe these past couple of years. I feel like it's creeping up on us.

Speaking of fires, I forgot to mention an experience I had in last years' post on the subject. In that update, I talked about the increase in home fires post-COVID and the three Wal Marts getting burned down. I hope regular flame-based updates don't need to become a tradition.

Anyway, I was at Lee-Anne's parents place, and I was telling Lee-Anne's mom that I refused to learn how to deep fry food. Best case scenario, it's bad for my diet, worst case scenario, I burn down my home. I told her that everyone I know whose started a fire in their house did it while they were deep frying something (which is true).

As we're talking, we hear sirens. We go outside and there's a fire next door, due to a deep frying incident.

So I'd suddenly decided to talk about deep fry fires, right as one was starting up next door. I'm psychic, yo.

If you tried to read my Civilization V runthrough but found you couldn't because the sentences were running over the borders, I've fixed the formatting: The Gryphon's Perch: Let's Play: Civilization V (lairofthegryphon.blogspot.com)

Do you remember when Doug Ford made a cheesecake recipe video during the early stages of the pandemic? I tried making it. Recipe and review on my food blog: The Premier's Cheesecake (gryphood.blogspot.com)

I made a painting of a beluga whale on my gallery blog: Gryphon's Gallery: Beluga (gryphonsgallery.blogspot.com)