Sub-ordinates

Before: the massive water infrastructure installation site in the Allan Gardens: what's left of the big hole that sat behind hoardings for almost four years.

After: Same site, resodded. 

Some of my readers may be aware of the agreement reached by First Ministers early in February in Vancouver to work together on Clean Growth and Climate Change. 

This is what's called a "Pan-Canadian" effort, because the term "national" offends the tender sensibilities of Quebec.

This is also the first time in a decade that federal officials have had to put on their "away" uniforms and play with the provinces. They have been told to play nice. But, like the big, awkward new kid who doesn't know his own strength, the federal team can't help itself but wreak a little havoc.

As always, these are confidential matters, so it's time to take a trip to the land of the Yessir Yessir Highway and our friend the Ruler and her Advisors.

*****

The Ruler of a small but pleasant realm found herself with some time on her hands. She hadn't seen the Henchman in days, nor any messengers with demands from her bosses of the second-through-fifth powers, and she finally, after many months, had gotten through all her paperwork.

She decided she'd go for a walk.

On her stroll, she passed close to the old stone wall that separated her realm from that of another Power.  Rumour held that the Power was terrible. Fully fifteen times the size of any kingdom, the Power was supposed to wield awesome magic that had, long ago, thrown the whole world as it was known then into a vast conflagration unleashing destruction and pestilence everywhere.

But, thought the Ruler, as she passed her hand absently over the moss-grown, smooth old rocks of the ancient wall, that was long ago. No one had seen or heard anything of the Power for as long as she had been Ruler. These were old wives' tales.

She felt a stone in her shoe and leaned on the old wall for balance while she fished it out.

Ever so slightly, the part of the wall the Ruler rested her hand on moved. She thought the rock was just loose from the crumbling that comes with the passage of time.

She thought different when she saw the whole wall fall away on both sides for as far as the eye could see. For the first time in living memory, the vast and terrible Power lay revealed before her.

What the Ruler saw made her knees tremble. 

There were legions of Advisors, ranks upon ranks of them, in numbers beyond counting. And each Advisor held a template. 

Some Advisors looked upon the Ruler and said, "You must fill in this template by Tuesday." 

And others said, "We must hold twenty-four teleconferences this week to fill in this template." 

And still others said, "We must meet with stakeholders to discuss what else can go in this template."  

And still others said, "We must meet face to face to fill in this template." 

And still others said, "We must form sub-groups and sub-sub groups and sub-sub-sub groups to fill in this template."

Overwhelmed by the sight and ruckus of the jabbering Advisors of the unseen-until-just-now Power, the Ruler covered her eyes and ears to give herself the opportunity to think. An idea came to her.

She raised her hands to the multitude in the internationally-recognized sign of "could you please shut up for just one second."

The horde of Advisors, trained in the international sign language, felt silent en masse.

Shouting as loud as she could so the whole giant crowd could hear her, she asked "Can you tell me why we must fill in these templates?" 

The baffled Advisors turned their gaze away from the Ruler and started to argue fiercely among themselves.

Half-running, half-hobbling, the stone still lodged in her shoe, the Ruler beat a hasty retreat. She'd bought herself some time, but the hordes would soon turn their attention back to her, and she would have to be ready.

To be continued ...

********

Lucky Dog Update

Pictured below is Pico, rescued from life in a puppy mill by our good friends Angie and Keith. You can see that Pico has adjusted to her new situation, and is now tied for sixth on the list of the top ten luckiest dogs in the world. Occupying sixth place with Pico, but not pictured here, is Slim, Angie and Keith's rescued Chi-weenie (half chihuahua, half mini-dachshund). 

Thanks for reading!

Have a great week!

Karen