A part of what I do to engage in our democracy is to vote. Tomorrow’s local government election presents a problem for me, however. Prior to this, I have usually had a clear idea of what I would be doing when I went to the polling booth…which candidate I would be voting for or if I would be intentionally spoiling my ballot. The polls open in a few hours and I still haven’t made a decision.
Up until quite recently, I didn’t know who the candidates were in my division. There weren’t any cards or flyers dropped in my letter box. I couldn’t find the names on the various party online sites. Eventually it was a newspaper article online that I found that briefed me on who the two candidates were. And now I have seen a few posters up in the area. Both are new candidates and I still really know very little about either and since I have always voted across party lines, the candidates’ party affiliation isn’t enough to claim my vote.
So I am not sure what I will be doing tomorrow.
Are you voting?
Local government elections usually get a lower turnout than general elections. In the last four local government elections, the turnout was: 34.73% (2012); 37.94% (2007); 40.09% (2003) and 34.96% (1998). I doubt that it will be much different tomorrow.
Electoral Commission of Jamaica: Parish Council Election Results
But it is when the plants are in full bloom, that the effect is most striking!
In our garden, they begin to bloom in late November, but it isn’t until December that they reach their peak. And it wouldn’t be this time of year without them!
Tomorrow there will be a supermoon in the sky and the best views might be tomorrow morning. But perhaps there will be clouds covering the moon; perhaps there will be rain. So, I climbed the steep spiral staircase onto the roof tonight and sat and looked at the moon. She was beautiful. I know it is unscientific to anthropomorphise (or personify?), but so be it. She was beautiful. I took some photographs. The roofing gravel pressed into my elbows and arms, as I lay flat, adjusting the camera on its tiny tripod. They say we humans have landed on her surface, have walked around on moondust. You wouldn’t know it from this far away. The last time the moon was this close to Earth was in 1948 and the next time will be in 2034. I wasn’t here for the last one and who knows if I will be around for the next? Goodnight, moon!
Right Steps & Poui Trees 