today's Facts and Arguments

First - good news from France. My French neighbour Monique arrived at my door yesterday - she couldn't bear to watch the returns alone, afraid of a showdown between Le Pen and the far left Melanchon. But it looks like moderate Macron will take it away in two weeks. Let us pray. The fact that a crypto-fascist is running in second place is scary enough, but it has happened before, with her father. Now, as long as the French equivalent of the FBI don't get involved in bringing Macron down and propping Le Pen up ... Apparently the Russians already were and presumably still will be involved in the French campaign. What can be done to stop their worldwide rampage?

Listening right now to Kerry Clare being interviewed on CBC by Shelagh Rogers, about being a blogger: "creating your persona is an exciting thing." I wonder what my persona is here. Cheery adventuress, sentimental, indulgent glamma, self-referential writer obsessed with her own navel.

In fact, I am wondering - again - why I do this. My readership has dropped precipitously over the past year, according to Google analytics. Am I more boring than before? Or is there just much more to read out there? Any thoughts? Should I pack it in? Enough navel-gazing, girlchik, move right along?

However.

A former student, a sublime writer called Mary Jane McPhee, has a gorgeous essay in the Globe today: "When all-natural was all there was." Highly recommended.

So, packing again today for tomorrow's departure, two weeks out west. Taking rainboots this time, but otherwise, mostly the same stuff I took to Europe. A beautiful if cold sunny day here, raining, natch, in Vancouver.  I have a cold and therefore the energy of a sloth, but somehow, I'll get out the door. Onward, for now.