On April Fool’s Day

Serendipitously, I noticed in Orion magazine, besides the article on David Quammen, that there was an article on a conversation between Tim DeChristopher and Wendell Berry, To Live and Love with a Dying World. DeChristopher is a Climate Activist, Berry is a writer and poet.

From their conversation, I took away Berry’s concern about machine civilization and the role of the state.

“Live so far as you can in opposition. You’ve got to live and love. You’ve got to find the answers in your heart”

And a couple of short poems.

“O when the world’s at peace and every man is free
Then will I go down unto my love.
O and I may go down several times before that.”

“Something better, something better!
Everybody’s talking about something better!
The important thing is to feel good
And be proud of what you got, don’t matter if it ain’t nothin’ but a log pen.”

After my last blog, I asked Andrew for a current photograph from Iqaluit. In the background, you can see the roof of the arena. You can also see that there are not many people around. Social isolation.

For several weeks, I have been burning materials from the hedgerows. Every day, I would check the burn ban website, to see whether burning was permitted between 2 pm and 8 am. Then I noticed in the SaltWire-Spectator that someone was charged for ignoring the burn restrictions in the Village of Lawrencetown. Unbeknown to me, the Minister of Lands and Forests had put out a no-burn order until May.
To free up the Fire Departments in this time of crisis. Oh well, no rush!

Earlier in the week, I contacted Brent Hall at Esri Canada. My interest was the impact of COVID-19 on teaching GIS in the universities. Brent observed that this pandemic will change the relationship between education and online learning. This caused me to reflect on Wendell Berry’s comment about ‘machine civilization’.

Postscript

Listening to The Jerry Cans CD, Nunavuttitut , to remind us of life in Iqaluit. Feels good!
And received our first email from grandson, Fraser Root-Maher, he deserves a special mention too. I hope he will become a blogger.

Acknowledgements

Andrew Maher for the new photograph. Brent Hall, Director, Education and Research at Esri Canada for his perspective on COVID-19 and Education. Edward Wedler for his graphics contribution. Heather for her long-distance walking, in the rain.

References

Orion Magazine. March 2, 2020. To Live and Love with a Dying World.Tim DeChristopher and Wendell Berry.
Nova Scotia Burn Restriction web site.
The Jerry Cans. CD Nunavuttitut.