MARILYN CORNWELL: water feature

Monday, May 31, 2021

May 31 2021 - How Many Waves?

How many waves does it take to conclude a pandemic?

The Globe and Mail today covered the difference between 75% and 90% vaccination rates and a likely fourth wave. There doesn't seem to be a vaccinate 90% and get out of jail card. And there seems to be an ocean of pandemic waves. Who would guess that we shouldn't consider the Spanish Influenza three waves to be the definitive story?

I went looking for silly phrases associated with the Pandemic. I've selected these from cheapest.com HERE.

Mask hole - it applies to those folks — or, as Urban Dictionary so bluntly puts it, those "selfish idiots" — who refuse to wear a mask for any number of unenlightened reasons.

Covidiot - a lot like "maskhole" but less specific: A maskhole can be a covidiot, but so can the person who prematurely hoards grocery store supplies. Same for someone who insists on holding a large indoor gathering. And so on.

Moronavirus - It's the same virus as the one that starts with a "c," only this is what it's called when covidiots and maskholes test positive. Sometimes used by foreign media to describe what's happening with COVID-19 cases in the United States.

Fattening the Curve: What happens when you have a bunch of covidiots and maskholes catching the moronavirus.

The 'rona. It's something you'd use, say, after sneezing in front of your neighbors: "Don't worry! It's allergies, not the 'rona!"

And I conclude the story with this:

Coronapocalypse: A pandemic. Widespread civil unrest. Failing leaders. Covidiots and maskholes catching the moronavirus.

The mystery water feature at Longwood Gardens, a few years ago.

Purchase at:
FAA - marilyncornwellart.com
Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Friday, November 1, 2019

November's Witches and Big Blows

The month of November is the stormiest on the Great Lakes. The Witch of November is the name given to the strong winds that blow across the vast waters in Autumn. It came yesterday night for Halloween and it howled across the Grimsby landscape. The winds across the lakes can reach hurricane levels. This accounts for ships sinking in Lake Ontario in November. Waves of up to 30 feet have swamped and overturned ships in the biggest storms.

On the west coast the winds are known as Big Blows. They form as cyclonic windstorms. Cyclonic sounds ominous, doesn't it? These storms have caused bridges to fail as well as ships to sink. So many that it is named the graveyard of the Pacific. More than 2,000 vessels have sunk since 1800.

What made me think of this? Port Dover on Lake Erie is flooded at record levels. There's video of a truck driving through water that covers the normally long stretch of sandy beach. I don't think anyone is going to use the telephone booth stranded out there. You can see the video HERE. Something I notice is that it is typically a truck driving through the flood waters with its engine just above the water level.

It is normal for water levels oscillate back and forth in the lake - and one and a half feet is a typical level. But there this is something called isostatic rebound. What is this? Here's the answer from the International's Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board:

Overall, isostatic rebound, which is the process whereby the earth’s crust is slowly adjusting to the lack of the weight of the glaciers from the last ice age, affects the north shore as well as the south shore of Lake Ontario. In general, the west end of the lake is sinking relative to the outlet, the St Lawrence River. Isostatic rebound means slightly deeper water for the northwest shore (15 cm) and for the southeast shore (4 cm) for the same given water level compared to 100 years ago.

So on the water theme, here is the Folly Waterfalls at Villa Eyrie. I felt it was mismatched with the path in front and bistro table and chairs. However, the moody picture with just the building waterfall shows off its eccentric style which is most creative and interesting.