The Weather with Connor

and temperatures around normal. There was the occasional above normal day, which is expected to continue into the week of the 15th under sunny skies. This will cause the area to become dry, maybe dry enough for counties to start introducing fire bans as a precaution.

who ‘owned’ them. Breaking free took centuries, and the effects still show up in systemic racism today.

Ladies and Gentlemen/ Sir and Madam: This is a very respectful way to address someone, and it is still very useable if you know someone’s gender identity for sure. But, if you called someone who doesn’t identify with either gender sir or madam, this can be really offensive. Sharing your own pronouns when you introduce yourself (Hi, my name’s Zara! My pronouns are they/them, what are yours?) before calling someone sir or madam can keep those offences from happening. Same with addressing a room full of people. Saying ladies and gentlemen can be hurtful for someone who doesn’t identify with either binary gender. You could say something like “Good afternoon folks/everyone/ friends.” If you are unsure about what honorific to use for a person who doesn’t identify with either of the binary genders, using Mx. (as in Mx. Jones pronounced mix) is probably a safe bet. Asking someone what honorific they prefer is still a good thing to do though! Why shouldn’t we use these terms anyway? Using terms like the ones outlined above can have unintentional consequences. People who are in marginalized communities face a lot of discrimination. A big part of that discrimination are the things people say and do that they are unaware of. Things such as using these terms, or not taking the time to learn someone’s pronouns.

Suicide rates for marginalized communities are higher, and a lot of people see folks from marginalized communities as threatening. Not being able to be your authentic self in public makes life a lot harder. Using words that don't have the risk of offending people is doing your part in helping to make the world a more accepting place, and make people feel safe around you. People in marginalized communities deserve just as much respect as someone who isn’t in one.

Zara Zrudlo is a homeschooled, fourteen year old resident of Kemtpville. They love writing, art, acting, reading and anything to do with music. Ever since they were little they’ve cared a lot about activism and social justice, and hoped to make a difference in the world. Zara has written two and a half novels, and ran a newspaper for their friends and family for three years. They love hanging out with their dogs and chickens and spending time imagining having dinner with various book characters.

Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another week of The Weather with Connor. This week, I thought I'd do more of a longer range forecast and a little bit of a recap rather than talk about a specific topic. So, let's get started.

First of all, the first half of May was generally well below normal temperaturewise. It was also cloudy for days and days, as it rained for 6 days in a row in Eastern Ontario. This caused flooding in rivers, basements, and farm fields. Rivers have still not fully recovered from that rain event and are still above normal water levels.

The middle of May was better, as we got into a prolonged period of sunny skies

The later portion of May, aside from a couple random days, looks like it will be below normal temperaturewise. There will also be a couple of rainier days during the later portion of May, but it likely won't end up being enough for what we'll actually need at the time.

The rest of May is also terrible for me as a storm chaser. There are no opportunities for the rest of May, aside from chasing little showers if I wanted to. This will end up being the quietest May for chasing of my entire chasing life.

There will be no derechos this May, and no tornadoes either. We are all good in that regard. I will have to wait until June to get my first chase under my belt, which is astoundingly late in the season. Usually, my first chase actually comes in late April or early May, not June.

With a quiet May like this, you can only hope the rest of the summer isn't filled with bad storms to compensate for May. This area has been through a lot with storms in recent history, so it'd be nice if something bad didn't happen.

In short, May is and will continue to be quiet and dry.

While I wait for my first chase, I can finally start getting my new chase vehicle prepared with everything it needs. It was actually sitting in the shop for two months getting some important things repaired, but the parts got delayed and it took two months for them to get to the dealership. Anyway, things inside and outside the vehicle will start to get installed for the upcoming season. I'll reveal the vehicle on my Facebook page whenever everything gets done.

Also, my annual announcement: I'll be going out to Western Canada for my 3rd annual Chasecation. From June 24th to July 10th, I'll be away from my stomping grounds of Eastern Ontario, and going to my secondary stomping grounds of the Alberta Foothills (or Saskatchewan/Manitoba, wherever the storms are).

Tid bit musings

by Elva Patterson Rutters RSSW

Mention of the coronation and monarchy elicits a multitude of responses. Certainly the King managed to scale back the celebration in response to tough challenging economic times while honoring the right to facilitate the celebration of another step in history. Some are quick to determine that the monarchy needs to be abolished here in Canada. What results would there be for our country?

Certainly the key weekend of celebrating the Queen's birthday on the long weekend in May, would mean we also abolish that event, leaving no reason to celebrate anything. Or perhaps we now commemorate a new date for the King's birthday? With the absence of the Monarchy, it would be fitting to not note either birthdays. Consequently, we would negate a long weekend break, or time and half pay for working. Are you prepared for that possibility?

Being part of the Monarchy, provides an element of military allegiance with other Commonwealth countries. Are we prepared to go solo in political unrest? The role of the governor-general which minimizes the scrutiny of the prime minister's accountability in accordance with the reigning King/Queen, would then be void and null. Our faith in positive influence loses another layer of provision for the people when we go independent.

Pomp and ceremony allows us to celebrate and commemorate the momentous events in history. Your decision to choose must reflect a choice that is taken with seriousness and a full understanding of consequences. Perhaps you can proudly say "God save the King" while recognizing no plan is without caveats and downfalls, but for now it is the best we have!!!