The New Normal: Expect the Unexpected

Yes, it is May the 1st today,  yet it is not warm by any stretch of the wishful imagination.   Cold and windy, steady as she goes.   Here in NW Ontario the sky is bright, but still tending to be overcast after yesterday's rain.   The sun will come out eventually.  We hope. 

Somehow it seemed gratifying yesterday to get rain instead of  snow.  Much better. We got the shoveling kind  ungraciously bestowed upon us a couple of days ago.  Complaining?

No, not really, -- but...but........C'mon,  a couple of inches of snow wasn't that bad, but it's supposed to be spring, isn't it? My crocuses are in bloom, after all.  Beautiful, too, down there in the snow. 

Regardless, our luck of the draw  here  seems a lot better than the treatment  Mother Nature has been bestowing upon other areas of North America. Vast areas of Manitoba are flooding, farmer's fields are lakes, literally,  basements full of water, and the water isn't even crested yet --with more to come.
I'm feeling lucky and blessed at this point, -- but  I'm guessing we, too,  have to expect the unexpected,  as the new normal.

Internationally,  with radiation still spewing from Fukushima,  a disaster of proportions  that perhaps now exceeds that of Chernobyl, the end of that disaster is nowhere  in sight.   Who would think that an earthquake coupled with a mere tsunami  could eventually endanger the whole of Japan  and other countries as well ?  The nuclear didn't think so.     Expect the unexpected,  it's not a matter of IF disasters will happen, but when. 

In the Southern US, over 340 fatalities--and still counting, with many people missing -- have been caused by perhaps the worst tornado season on record.  Total destruction, a swath of damage that looks a lot like the aftermath of the tsunami in Japan.
Still,  a tornado or two,  perchance a dozen, or three dozen ---but 130 or more in one day?
Isn't that just a bit overdone, Mother Nature?   
Heavily populated areas were hit badly.  Expect the unexpected. 

At Incoming Bytes, our hearts go out to the families of those lost in these terrible tragedies. May they find comfort in their faith.

In Canada, our unwanted  election is May 2nd .   It was a pretty dull campaign, a real yawner, and  the  Harper Conservatives were expecting to garner a majority government.  Guess what. "Were "  is the key word.

Surprise, surprise.  Jack Layton's  New Democratic Party has surged past the Liberals in the last few official polls --  not only moving into 2nd place  to threaten the Conservative majority, but  perhaps .....the unthinkable, could they end up in 1st place?

Maybe  there is some  historical stuff coming up tomorrow.     Surprise, people,-- just  expect the  unexpected.

South of the border again,  Donald Trump, yes, that smiling Donald,  the one and only  Donald --seems to be running for the Presidency of the United States?  Why not, isn't politics a reality show anyway?  
 Maybe he'll bring a whole roster of  "apprentices" to the White House, cute little Presidential trainees. ...I wonder.
If an ex-actor can be successful  president,  why can't  a successful entrepreneurial showman be President?  The Terminator  got to be governor, didn't he? Anything is possible.
  The Donald knows how to fire people. " You're fired" he says, pointing his finger at the unlucky outgoing soul.   Sighs of relief all around the table.  Gary Busey, was the latest statistic,  he was apparently too likeable but just a bit crazy and not a Leader, so  no apprenticeship at the White House for him, --but think about it, a White House with  glitz and spangles and "you're fired! "  ---and big hair.     
Barack, better expect the Unexpected there too.  Maybe it will snow. 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.