For the past three weeks, there has been more than one siege.

The original one persists, although there are hopeful signs of change in declining hospitalizations. Public health officials are talking about there finally being a “wall of immunity,” between vaccinated people and those unvaccinated who have had the virus. Tomorrow, in Ontario restaurants go to full capacity, and on March 1 large venues will also go to full capacity. Mask mandates are still here, but the vaccine passport will no longer be required. I really do not have an issue with this, particularly because, as has been noted, the vaccine passport covers only the initial two doses. Masking is probably the best bet for keeping transmission down now.

At the same time, we’re living in a country that has invoked its Emergencies act to clear out the stubborn hardliners still besieging Ottawa. The blockade at the Ambassador bridge was broken up a couple of days ago, and other border blockades are also falling apart, but it looks like it’s going to take more to dislodge the Ottawa crowd. Tonight there is news of banks closing accounts for those involved (including those who have funded them). Ottawa’s beleaguered police chief, largely seen as ineffectual, has resigned, with the OPP and RCMP now directing operations. It looks like various areas in the capital (and possibly elsewhere) will be designated as “no go zones” for vehicles, at least for awhile.

Apparently, south of the border Faux News and the usual suspects are having a collective cow about Canada “declaring martial law.” I shudder to think of what would have been happening had #45 still been in charge. How would it have been to have the president of your closest ally and trading partner cheering on the insurrectionists?

Meanwhile, individual citizens continue to prank the protesters with a song about 18 gay cowboys, taking on the sobriquet of Ram Ranch Resistance. It does feel like the tide is finally starting to shift. I have plans to be in Ottawa towards the end of March, and while the folks we’ll be seeing are in the suburbs, we wanted to go a couple of days early to visit a museum or two and do some of the other things we usually enjoy in the city. Fingers crossed.

The other hot debate is about whether Russia will invade Ukraine. That has been on my mind as I finished my Chernobyl radiation fallout distribution map embroidery, which I have christened “ChNPP Rose”:

Onwards to the next Cat of Brutalism, before returning to Shostakovich.

The Olympics? Meh. I haven’t watched a single event yet. I’ve been saying “yay” every time Canada wins something, but I haven’t really been arsed to really care much.