It is December and time for a calendar - I took some of these pictures last year on this day. For me, December is the start of winter weather - even the start of winter. I seem to be weather-based in my idea of seasons. December should be the start - it is magical with the landscape's transformation and holiday lights, decorations, mythical and religious stories, themes and colours. All of the senses are delighted in December.
Many people weigh in that December is their favourite month - Google has determined this with how it interprets the search "december favourite month". The case seems to be that many people seem to think their favourite month is based on it being their birth month.
That seems perfect given the latest story of birth - Barbados is now a republic. While it did happen November 30th, I am sure December will be a celebration month. While Prince Charles was there to denounce slavery and give it its place as a sin of the past, he is wondering what the price is going to be in reparation demands and negotiations.
They now have a ceremonial President as head of state and a Prime Minister who is the head of government. The last Governor-General is now the President. The country is a republic within the Commonwealth. How will that work I ask?
Maybe ask Mauritius as it became a republic in 1992. It has had turbulent political times since, but then it didn't enjoy good times before becoming a republic. The UK split off the Chagos Archipelago and other islands from Mauritian territory to form the British Indian Ocean Territory, expelling the local population. I wonder if the UK has obeyed the International Court of Justice decision in 2017 and in 2019 ordering the UK to return the Islands. This circumstance makes me realize that colonialism is still with us.
It isn't surprising that Barbados has been on the republic journey a long time - commissions in 1979 and 1996, and then a planned referendum in 2008 that didn't happen. A proposal in 2015 was made by the Prime Minister that the country would move towards a republic. By 2020 there was a two-thirds majority in both houses of Parliament, so the vote went through.
And here we are, in what will be the favourite month for Barbados, with their new "Celebrity Queen" Rihanna.
The final picture is a second place winner in the Betterphoto contest. These pretty Cyclamen were at the Niagara Falls Botanical Garden.
