The Sidewalk Rule

The sidewalk rule is an etiquette practice that originated in medieval times, where men would walk on the street side to protect women from waste and other hazards. This practice demonstrated chivalry and protection, forming part of a broader code of honor that guided social interactions. It was considered a man’s duty to protect his companion while walking, reflecting the expectations of the time and the law surrounding pedestrian safety.

The concept dates back to medieval chivalrous behavior, where protective actions towards women were expected from knights and gentlemen. Knights were guided by a code of honor that emphasized loyalty, bravery, and generosity, which evolved into a course of social norms for courteous behavior in a world where chivalry mattered. Sidewalk Rule Defined - The Accident Network Law Group

On our daily hobbles, I simply must walk on the street side of the sidewalk even when that results in Sue walking on my cane side, which can be a tiny bit awkward at times. However, neither of us can deal with me on the inside as in the photo.

My mother and I once encountered my beloved grade 5 teacher and her beau walking toward us. He was on the inside. My mother was scandalized, thus irrevocably searing the sidewalk rule into my young brain.  She couldn’t have been much more troubled had she witnessed a mugging  

I don't know if The Sidewalk Rule fell out of favour for some time, but if so, it is making a comeback.

The sidewalk rule has gained traction on social media ... as a test of chivalry in relationships and as part of a traditional course of dating etiquette. The rule suggests that a man should walk closest to the street when walking with a woman, positioning himself as a protector from oncoming traffic and other hazards. This simple act of chivalry has gained significant attention and sparked discussions about pedestrian safety, relationships, and etiquette.

The trend has been viewed millions of times, with many users sharing their own experiences and opinions on the matter. Women often praise men who follow this rule, viewing it as a test of a partner’s care ... Despite its seemingly simple nature, the sidewalk rule has raised important questions about the role of protection in relationships and the broader implications for pedestrian safety. Sidewalk Rule Defined - The Accident Network Law Group

Good intentions aside, winter conditions often shrink the sidewalks, making them too narrow to proceed side by side, so I am left to walk the respectful 6 paces behind my noble beauty.

Tough walking conditions

Funny Walking

Me on a typical morning when Sue

makes me go on a typical walk.

Speaking of walking . . . 

Not about walking, but I'm in a mood now.

Happy Monday. Have a good week. 

Sue has come in and told me that I should repost our Silly Walking video from COVID days. 

Icicles and Me

The temperature is beginning to rise, at least sometimes. After dropping over to Nick's to watch a tennis match, I went walking with Sue, who required something with red for her daily photo, it being Valentine’s Day. As you know by now, I have a red coat. I also have a red cap.

Wie tried various poses, but I am not a good model. I am told that I have a good smile, but I find it difficult to fake it. I guess I find it difficult to a fake anything. I like this photo, but Sue favoured the second pose for her post.

The two downtown old mansions both sported impressive icicles.

Happy Sunday and week to all.

Valentine's Day Breakfast

As you know, we tend to celebrate special days with breakfast out although, sometimes, we opt for lunch. You may also recall that we usually go out either before or after the special day, particularly if it's a special day for all, such as Mother's Day. This time we drove a little outside of town to Generations Inn on Mississippi Lake, which is part of Mississippi River before the river passes through our town, just to the north or east.

Whatever its history Generations Inn is a restaurant, particularly for boaters in season.

We were the only customers on a late Wednesday morning, but we had confidence that the absence of diners did not portend negatively against a positive culinary experience on a bleak, midweek winter's day, and we were not disappointed.

The main dining area is on the glassed-in porch.

A fireplace make it very comfortable.

We were not disappointed with the food. In fact, I've never had a breakfast quite like it.

Of course, it was very pricey, but it was worth it, and I am glad that we did it once. Maybe we will return someday for a fish 'n chip lunch or supper.

From the dining room, we see the very white snow on the lake beyond the trees. As we have mentioned in previous posts, here the Mississippi River widens into what we call Mississippi Lake. If you squint, you may see two ice huts out there. If you can't, I have zoomed in and enlarged that portion from the second photo in the third image.

A section of the same photo as above but enlarged somewhat to aid the viewer to, hopefully, see the
two ice fishing huts. One is somewhat obscured by the bush, but the vague shape is present.
The other is just to the left of the bush and is partly red, and if you look very closely,
you might see two people way out there by the red hut.

Now for Susie and Johnny looking pleased with themselves.

It’s a Toque

It's a toque, or occasionally tuque, but most definitely not a wool hat, beanie, or toboggan. I don't care where you are from, you must immediately, henceforth and forthwith, use the proper, Canadian, appellation.

For one thing, this is a toboggan.

And this may be a beanie, a non-serious piece of headgear

That aside, I really want to tell you that I sometimes wear a toque in bed. Well, not really in bed but in chair on a cold night. I don't wear it to go to sleep exactly, but I leave it by the side of my chair and sometimes grab it in the middle of the night because we let our house get quite cold, and I have a lot of bare scalp up there. Those who have a nice head of hair probably don't appreciate just how well it insulates your head.

When I settle in my chair on a cold winter's night, I decide between donning my hoodie or engaging my heated throw. When I opt for the heating, assuming I remember, I place my toque by the side of my chair just in case my head gets chilly while the rest of me is comfy cozy. Come 4 or 5 o'clock when the house is at its coldest, I may reach blindly for the toque.

That is what this silly, old Canucklehead has to do in his silly, elder years, and yes, that is how I sleep, or try to, non-horizontally in my recliner. I think it is the ledges (arms) on which I can use to prop my legs that make it better for me than a flat bed  

Not a Gutter

On the light side of life, I don't know a gentler way to tell Americans this, but . . .

When I posted this on FB, I had an old blog friend, whose first language is not English, ask how we would pronounce it. She speculated eaves as in leaves and trough as in tough but with an r added. I wrote yes but then added that trough would be pronounced more like trawf, as in raw and straw. 

Her name is Iona, but she hasn’t blogged for a long time, so probably none of you know her, but I’m mentioning her just in case she might be a former blog acquaintance of yours. 

By the way, we do know what a gutter is, and some people do, indeed, have their minds in them, but eavestrough seems to be the favoured word by most Canadians.

Showering With a Friend Or . . .

. . .  fiend? Whatever the case, I recently enjoyed showering with a being who looked something like …

⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️

She was fairly near the faucet when I turned on the shower. I was prepared for either eventuality, whether she were to be swept down the drain or if she were to escape that watery fate. I was hoping for the latter outcome, and by golly, she made it to the outer shower curtain, protected from the thundering hot stream beyond the barrier of the inner curtain.

I was wondering if she would continue hang around the bathroom or depart to obscure, hidden recesses, but by next shower, she had apparently chosen the latter option. Good for her.

I am not sure if I would have felt as sanguine about sharing the tub with a large, fat, hairy arachnid, but I was willing to accommodate a daddy long-legs, even if it were a mommy.

The Pholcidae are a family of araneomorph spiders. The family contains more than 2,000 individual species of pholcids, including those commonly known as cellar spider, daddy long-legs spider, carpenter spider, daddy long-legger, vibrating spider, gyrating spider, long daddy, and angel spider. The family, first described by Carl Ludwig Koch in 1850, is divided into 94 genera. (Wikipedia)

I don't like killing things and often will try to take insects outside in summer, but she wouldn't not have survived in February, so I let things take their course. I don't like killing mosquitoes or houseflies either, but I do it: not gladly but out of what I deem to be a necessity.