Our (Canada) shared border with Europe is a small one but it does exist on a small island off of Greenland in the Nares Strait known as Hans Island and lies between Nunavut's Ellesmere Island and the north of Greenland (Hans Island is part of the Kingdom of Denmark). I think the future is not that far off when travel between Canada to Greenland to Iceland to Ireland/UK and thence to Europe mainland will exist on a personal basis in a much bigger way than it does presently but we need to know how to manage the traffic in the skies for sure that will come one of these days (and we will all need to be equipped with radar for such trips!). As a traveling route it has existed from the Viking days so likely earlier as well. We share a great deal in common with Europe/British Isles in our desire to protect the earth. To maintain the good of the land well into the future for the descendants of the peoples living today; our First Nations people can lead the way on that I firmly believe. It is a good aim to point ourselves towards although I am not averse to pipelines to cart the precious oil where it needs to be in order to provide the best benefit to the Canadian people. But we do not forget our neighbours to the south either as they have been our best friends for 200+ years and before that the First Peoples traded far and wide north to south as we still do. But times have forced a new look at that pattern and we must increase our trade back and forth west and east through the provinces and territories in order to protect our country economically. Who best to bring us to that change in our economic pace so that we create a protective bond around us to prevent recession created by surprising tariff threats and tariff enactments (according to our Free Trade Agreement currently in place with Mexico and the United States which doesn't permit tariff, interesting as there has been one on softwood lumber for a while now!)? The cost to our businesses has been enormous already and primarily it is just talking causing fluctuations in the Stock Exchanges. It is a strange world we have entered and one wonders what does God think?
Yesterday (not surprisingly actually) Mark Carney became the Leader of the Liberal Party and Presumptive Prime Minister of Canada except he does not yet have a seat in Parliament although that is soon remedied but in essence he is the leader of the Liberal Party which represents the governing party in Parliament although does need the support of one of the other three parties in order to pass bills. His background is extremely impressive as Governor of the Bank of Canada and then Governor of the Bank of England. His knowledge of commerce very extensive on a world basis. We will see how this goes. One thing is for sure; this is not the time to lower taxes the government will need every dime for the work ahead; it is extensive. But no more glossy gifts for votes; we need to support the Canadian economy - the nuts and bolts of that.
First and foremost we like being Canada, we like the Westminster Model of governance where we the people set the pace for the individuals who govern us and when our satisfaction with any member of governance changes do find that we change it. The members of the governance commits their dedication to us; to our future and the best future for Canada. Once in power any party is/should be committed to the future of Canada and how we can best procure that. That is the principle and personal attacks on individuals/parties is not really tolerated by the many and can cost the election for those pedaling such ideas - we tend to vote with our feet. We want policy; ideas on how to improve whatever needs improving and do not care to have the attack ads which are meaningless against one person because no one person is the government and trying to bring a government down by berating one member is annoying. Lets see what everyone can come up with and then a decision can be made. On one day I may say that I am definitely voting for one party but how the words flow can change that. My days of being a conservative for the sake of being conservative disappeared back in 2013; I am Canadian and go with the wind.
Yesterday I did not make it to Church; the day was incredibly busy but I shall try to make time today (perhaps a rest break from cleaning) to attend today. The dogs are taking up a great deal of time although I shall always look back on our two plus weeks adventure as an exciting time in my life. The little one snuggled up to me sitting on the couch yesterday evening and the larger one close by so that she could touch me if she wanted to. They are comfortable with me and I with them. They are soul mates to each other which is really excellent. But I like to concentrate on my Church service and that doesn't work well with two dogs wanting my attention.
But I did spend some time intermittently on the matches as I continue to draw them out. Some very interesting ones with my Blake line in England (sharing my great great grandparents John Blake and Ann (Farmer) Blake). John had died about fourteen years before my grandfather was born so he did not know him but his grandmother lived next door and he knew her very well. Like a lot of the women who married into this line of Blake she was not from the local area although personally had grown up in Andover but her family was from Wiltshire and his stories of Stonehenge and other such ancient structures were very detailed and he did go to see it a number of times. I remember my visit to Stonehenge in 2008 when you could still go up and touch the stones and be near them. There is a huge feeling of being in the presence of antiquity when you are close up to them that you miss a little with the modern style of walking around on a closed path but I managed to be at both styles and probably now just going around gives one the same effect since you can not readily experience the other except on special occasions. But the millions instead of thousands and thousands of visitors that now come to Stonehenge necessitated a protective barrier so that Stonehenge is protected from the effect of a million feet so close to it.
But I digress, I continued with the matches extracting new ones that I am not part of as my genetic complement is quite different from that of my siblings (not on every chromosome but overall the picture of me is different from the picture of the other four tested). The other outlier was my next to oldest brother as he is as different from them as he is from me. Surprising really but that is the value in testing siblings (and being able to create a phased set of chromsomes for one's grandparents/great grandparents). The other three are very alike actually so I am working on one of them and will do my second oldest brother's account as well in this pattern following the matches from largest to the smallest that I will view (must have a match of 21 cM in one length). I was going to stick with 25 as I generally have been doing and do pass over some less than 25 but 21 is the magic number that I use to actually look at it.
Basement all cleaned yesterday and it was a thorough cleaning as spring approaches. Found a few spiders (outside I leave them alone but inside not a good place to be). The main floor today and surprisingly not that much hair accumulation from the larger dog and none from the curly haired dog - they must keep their hair through the winter although the curly haired dog does not shed.
Soon breakfast time. I have managed to keep up with my Latin and French (and a little German) these past two weeks on Duolingo. What a great way to keep in touch with a language that you are not using on a daily basis.
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