Good News Tuesday for Sept. 15, 2020: Firefighters, Canada’s Progress, Dog Rescue, Water from Air, and Music for Plants

Seeking Balance One Tuesday at a Time

California Legislature Passes Bill to Allow Ex-Inmates to Become Firefighters

California lawmakers passed a bill last month that would allow former inmates to pursue careers as firefighters after their incarcerations…….The bill gives nonviolent offenders who have spent time fighting fires the opportunity to have their records expunged so they can become firefighters….inmates are only paid between $2 – $5 a day, and an additional $1 per hour while fighting fires. (Source)

 The bill now heads to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom to be signed. 

Here’s more from Spectrum News.

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Canada Reported No New Covid Deaths

In Canada, deaths from COVID started to plateau after July. This article from CBS reports on a day of no new deaths and Canada’s progress in fighting the coronavirus. Good job, Canada!

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Oil Rig Worker Rescues Dog from Ocean

Vitisak Payalaw was first to spot a dog swimming 135 miles off the coast of Thailand. He and his coworkers rescued the exhausted dog who was later transported to a shelter. Vitiskak had to work ten more days on the rig, then went back to adopt the dog they named Boonrod. The Good News Network has the story with a sweet video.

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Water From Air

In Arizona, solar-powered hydropanels are getting water from the air for 15 Navajo households who previously had no basic access to water. According Zero Mass Water CEO who manages the demonstration project with Navajo Power and Public Benefit Corporation, “A standard, two-panel array, produces 4-10 liters of water each day…” Read more from The Good News Network.

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Music for Plants

When Spain lifted it’s state of emergency, they still weren’t ready for large gatherings, so a Barcelona opera house opened with a concert for plants. Over 2000 plants were brought in with each plant having its own seat to listen to a string quartet. After the concert, the plants were given in gratitude to health care workers.

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Have You Ever Really Hugged a Tree?

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is “spoke.”

We had not spoken in 39 years when my high school sweetheart called me in June of 2011. My heart was all atwitter. In our first phone conversation (the second time around) I spoke clearly the thing I wanted him to know:

“I’m a tree hugger,” I told him.

“I”m a tree hugger, too,” he replied.

Did he really hug trees? I doubted it. I’ll have to ask him that, if he’s ever really hugged a tree. He didn’t know then, that I’m more like a crazy tree lady. When I hug trees, they don’t want me to let go.

Of course he clearly loved dogs, which was even more important. He had three dogs and I had two, so we had quite a houseful when he moved in a year or so later.

Trees, dogs, plants…. just some of the things I love like crazy. But I have too many plants, and I really want to de-clutter. So today I’m giving away plants at my house. Spider plant babies, snake plants, maybe a peace lily, and cuttings. It’s hard to get rid of things, but I’m learning (from my parent’s house) that it also feels good to make space. Opens up possibilities.

Later today, I’ll join the “Grandmothers for Peace” at a table for the Earth Day celebration at the park. Maybe I’ll take a couple of spider plant babies with me. 🙂

Happy Earth Day weekend!

This is about 30% of my indoor plant population since I moved a bunch outside.

The Saturday Stream of Consciousness is brought to you by our host, Linda G. Hill. You can find more streams at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/04/20/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-21-18/

Here are the rules:

1.Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Give Poinsettias a Chance

There are always plenty of leftover poinsettias at my church after Christmas. The unclaimed soon start to drop their leaves,  perhaps longing for a more suitable climate. They are destined for the trash if someone doesn’t take pity on them. Maybe some of the claimed ones end up in the trash, too, though I can hope for better.

When I see a living, potted plant in the trash, I feel sad. Does anyone else feel this way? It’s because of this sadness that  I no longer contribute to the annual poinsettia purchase. I used to buy one to be listed in the bulletin in honor or memory of a loved one, but have decided there are other ways to honor and remember.

I’ve taken a few leftover poinsettias to shut ins and try to take the worst plants home before they end up in the trash. Some are too far gone and end up as compost. But if they can make it through the winter as house plants, they thrive outside in warmer months.

The poinsettia above is one I rescued in the winter of 2017. It was not a happy camper in my little house which runneth over with spider plants, philodendron, peace lilies, and the seven foot tall avocado tree I drag inside every winter. So, in the spring, I decided to give this poinsettia a chance in the natural world. It took root and thrived in a semi-sheltered spot. In November, it started to turn red (without the prescribed 12 hours of darkness.) Now, I’ve got an old shower curtain draped around it. If it makes it through the winter, I will be pleasantly surprised since we have three inches of snow on the ground today and temps in the teens later this week- a rarity in these parts.  But hydrangeas and lilies die off and come back in the spring, and I had a poinsettia come back several years ago after a mild winter with no cover, so maybe….. Either way, it had a good spring, summer, and fall.

Below is a potted poinsettia, which loved being outside for most of the year. You can barely see the speck of red on a bottom leaf.

For more information about poinsettias, visit:

https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/giftflowers/flowersandoccassions/poinsettias