Making It Up As I Go Along #278

MONDAY...
— Work is nice. Claudette, Kiyomi, Michelle and me in AFIS. We eat outside... and go for a walk at break.
— After work, I go to Karl’s and we walk over to our favourite pub for a bit to eat and a drink. I love walking around the city late. We leave the pub near 1:30 and the walk along Bank Street at this time of night is quite nice.
— I now know how far my neighbourhood walks go. I drove the route when I go home tonight... 6.2 km is the basic walk. So when I lengthen it out a bit, it’s up near 7 km.

TUESDAY...
— Work is okay. We get Greek for supper.
— Hour and a half walk tonight... two rabbits on the route. But my head isn’t into the music on the ol’ MP3 tonight. So it’s less enjoyable than normal.

WEDNESDAY...
— Another hour plus walk after work tonight. Four rabbits on the route. And some woman walking her dogs!
— Work is alright. Me and four women in AFIS (Anne-Marie, Kiyomi, Claudette, Michelle). It leaves me having to deal with some questions a guy gets asked when cornered by the ladies. All in good fun.

THURSDAY...
— Chip Wagon for supper... work is fine but I’m tired tonight so it goes pretty long.
— Not lots of energy tonight so I cut the walk to about half of the normal... although I’m still out there for about 40 minutes. And a record... six rabbits. Plus one mouse that ran at me.

FRIDAY...
— Quiet night at work. Just three of us (Claudette, Kiyomi and I) in AFIS.
— No walk tonight. Been a little less energetic over the last two days, so I figure it’s time to take a break. Back at it tomorrow is the plan.

SATURDAY...
— Quiet day. On the phone a bit... watch a movie or two... watch some baseball on TV.


Every Week is Shark Week
Windows are fish bowls. At times, depending the danger level of what your looking at, they’re shark cages. Either way, a window makes a fine observation point.

As I write, I glance out my living room ‘fish bowl’ to see the disgusting neighbour in his leave-nothing-to-the-imagination cut off jeans as he plays handyman in his garage. No finer example of the benefits of winter can be found. I’d love to see this guy in pants and a parka.

But it’s the fish bowl... or shark cage... that is AFIS which is most on my mind today. AFIS is the main room where I work. It’s big enough for eight people and has one whole wall of windows... looking out to the outside world in the vicinity of our building’s main entrance.

Much can be seen from the AFIS window. People come and go throughout the day. You get to see all types of different personalities. Co-workers... or those who work on different floors... they’re all here. And it’s all interesting. Some walk by, look in at you, and smile and wave. There are even perfect strangers who are friendly enough to do this. Then there are others... people I’ve known for years... and they may look in at you while they pass, but they’ll stare a hole through you as if you’re some rare and slightly repulsive species of fish (cause sometimes we AFIS people are looking at the fish tank of the outside world... and sometimes we’re the fish)... too interesting to look away... too disgusting to look at with a smile. Then there are those who vary with each passing. Maybe they’ll look in and smile warmly... maybe they’ll stare coldly... or maybe they’ll pass on by, not wanting to be tempted by viewing what lies within.

There are people of all shapes and sizes. Some walk slowly by. They appear to be unwell... not much longer for this world. A bag gets dragged behind them, dangling only a few inches above the ground. It would be too much effort to shoulder the thing. Others wheel their way past. Maybe on roller blades as they’re heading home for the day... maybe in a chair as they stand out for their physical limitations.

After a while, you get to know who will pass at particular times in the day. Just before 4:00 each afternoon, a woman, in her twenties walks out with her father. She’s pleasant looking enough with a summery hair cut and an air of class. But what most stands out for her is the fact that she has no hands. In fact, most in AFIS simply call her “The girl with no hands.” It’s not said teasingly, or even with pity. It’s just that she doesn’t work in our section and nobody actually knows her name. But I admit, I look at her with a degree of fascination. I wonder about her limitations with no hands. I’d guess she was born that way. So I think about how limited someone would be if they are unable to miss something they never had.

I did once feel bad for this girl. On one of the first occasions that she passed our window, one of my co-workers looked out, saw her deformity, and screamed with the surprise of it all. It made me think of how many stares and uncomfortable glances this girl must have to face.

I’ve looked out at a man who slowly ambles past our windows. He’s often dressed in camouflage and looks straight ahead with an unmoving expression. And I’ve often found myself wondering what my reaction would be if, on one of his ambles to work, I happen to see an assault rifle under his arm.

My main thought hasn’t been to run out and warn my friends and co-workers. It’s been to wait for him to enter the building, and then to take my chair and smash the fish bowl. I’d escape into the deep blue sea of the real world... while he shoots up his inner one.

Of course, this is just imagination. I’ve since actually dealt with this man. He’s a bit unusual but he’s harmless enough. Just a big, quiet guy. I’d guess, not too many weapons ordain his home.

Later in the evening, our fish tank viewing takes on a new light. The passing people drop away from a steady stream to a slight trickle. The human species is only a day time occupant of our office ‘reef’. The evening brings squirrels, sea gulls, ground hogs and the occasional skunk. They mill about, looking for scraps left behind by the daytime inhabitants. Apple cores, nectarine pits, bits of potato chips... whatever may lie around on the ground will be fought over by the animals of the evening.

We observe the territorial battle between sea gulls. Where a young one, still partially grey in colour, is chased off and bullied by an aggressive white one.

The gulls are actually most viewed at supper time, when some of us leave the AFIS world and venture out to eat in their world. At that point, the white gull scampers close, eyes us closely, and occasionally screams for a bit of bread or a french fry. Once he got a piece of pizza crust that was too large. It jutted out of his throat, making the gull’s neck to appear deformed. We all expected the bird to drop dead... but he just gagged the crust down and wobbled after the young grey gull that ventured too close during the swallow.

The squirrels are the most enjoyable watch. We occasionally will leave apple cores and other bits of food along the rim of the garbage container which sits just outside of AFIS. And the squirrels will leap and bound to the garbage, stand on top of the rim as they nibble on the goodies left for them, and then venture down into the containers, looking for any morsels left uneaten through the day.

And that’s our world really. We aren’t so different from that which we see on the Discovery Network. Sometimes we’re observing from the confines of a shark cage... sometimes we venture out charting new waters. And sometimes... more often than we realize... we’re simply fish in a bowl, being watched or ignored by passers by.

Making It Up As I Go Along #277

MONDAY...
— Quiet night at work. Atlas, Jonathan Christy, Sue White and me in AFIS. And Sue leaves at supper time.
— I’m still not back to 100%. I am really tired part way through work and feel drained by the time I’m home. So with that, I won’t go for a walk tonight. I did an hour last night and would like to go out tonight... but I’m afraid I’m going to make myself sick again.

TUESDAY...
— Better night. I do an hour walk after work, so the energy is up. Out earlier than usual though and this means more cars/people and, for the first time, no rabbits.

WEDNESDAY...
— Chip Wagon with Devin for supper tonight. We get visited by a baby skunk there. It wanders out of the bushes and comes within four or five feet of me in it’s wanderings. Cute little fella. No after work walk as the rain hits just before I was to go.

THURSDAY...
— Hike for an hour and a half with Karl before work. At work, we’re given an extended supper break to wish Devin good luck in going to certification. We head to Montana’s and the steak is pretty good.
— Some dick has stolen my recycling box... again. It’s angering because this box is clearly marked but was still taken. It’s also tempting to blame the person living at 2250 Bois Vert. Their box is left on the corner all stuffed with garbage that wasn’t supposed to be in it in the first place. So I’m thinking they decided to take my empty box and leave the stuffed box of garbage for someone else to deal with. Morons are plentiful in the world.

FRIDAY...
— Not a bad night at work. A few of us get Chinese food for supper.
— Very rainy day today. Pretty constant from early this morning until about 3:00. Probably the rainiest day of the summer.
— Just cloudy tonight... so I do an hour and a half walk.

SATURDAY...
— Nice sunny day... so it’s out playing the mini golf for the first time in years. Follow that up with a drink on a patio. Pretty relaxing, nice day.


What Were You Thinking?
People and logic... sometimes the two don’t come together. This week, there are several examples of this chasm.

Recycling...

A wonderful concept that’s made to be about as easy as it can be for adults to partake in. They have even sent out cardboard cheat sheets for us, telling people what they can and can’t throw into the plastic or cardboard recycling bins. One of the things not to be recycled in this way is plastic grocery bags. It’s stated clearly.

So with recycling comes the morons. And one guy who dumps a mountain of plastic bags in his bin. Hoping to sneak it past the collectors I guess. Too bad there’s no cover on the bins and this bags are all put on top.

Normally, you’d ignore such things. If people want to be dumb, let them. But the problem is, I get directly affected by this one. Coming home late from evening shift, I can only hope that the address which is clearly written on my bin keeps it on the corner waiting for me. And when I come home, there is one bin waiting... but it’s full of grocery bags and has a different address posted to it. I feel like going to this person’s house, banging on the door, and tossing the plastic bags over their sleepy head. And I’m betting I know where my bin is... grocery bag boy was too desperate to dispose of the clutter and the grabbing of an empty bin was too much a temptation. Sometimes, the lack of logic enables people to do the weirdest things.

The War on Terror...

I recently heard someone say that the invasion of Iraq is justified now, not because of weapons of mass destruction... and not because of bringing freedom to an oppressed people. No, now it’s justified because Al Qaida is in Iraq. The problem with the logic is that it is well known this terrorist group was not in Iraq until after the US lead invasion. Yet now it’s presence justifies what went on before it?

Going by this logic, America will be justified to invade Canada... smoke screen the reason for a year or so... and then, after Al Qaida grabs a foothold within Canada (a likely response to fight back against invaders) America could say “See! Invading Canada was right... Al Qaida is there!” It is the modern day the Chicken and the Egg scenario... only in this case, everyone knows you won’t get the chicken without the egg. And the US “farmer”, who doesn’t want any chickens, decides to bring in an incubator, and lay a fertile egg in there just to see what happens.

Fashion...

My neighbour. I noticed this earlier this week. I looked out the window and saw a tight orange top and home done, cut off jeans that left little to the imagination. You can’t help but take a second glance when you see this. But here in lies the problem... cause the second glance shows you... this is a man!

I was forced into a repulsed stare of horror. Those jean shorts are so short that the white pocket liners are seen sticking out on his thighs, a good inch or two below the denim. Just writing about it brings back a cold sweat of panic.

My hope was to never see this neighbour again. Definitely not in those shorts anyway. It was just too much to take. But today, another horrible thing. On a bright and sunny afternoon, the neighbour decided to wash his van. And, by God, it gets worse. Back come the jean shorts... but this time without the orange shirt. Has he no shame? For the first time in my life, I’d rather see a man naked than with a pair of shorts on. At least naked, he’d pull off some sort of natural look. This is just horrifying though. A skinny white guy spraying down his caravan with these rags draping his loins like some sort of urban Tarzan. I stared in fear... unable to look away. I was just waiting to see him begin to grind his chest into the soapy windows of his van. I tell you, insanity was mere moments away from me.


Wendy’s...

Advertising can work. It’s been proven that people will go out an buy something that they see on television. But advertising can work against you as well. I refused to buy Charmin toilet paper after they made men look like idiots in their commercial. Those adds where the man is at the grocery store, staring dumbfounded at a wall of toilet paper. He’s unable to decide what to buy... so he gets out the cell phone and is talked through the procedure by his wife. It’s like one of those movies where a pilot sits on the radio at the tower, explaining to the flight attendant how to land the plane. But it’s TOILET PAPER! Any company with so little respect for a man’s intelligence can get by without this man’s money.

Well Wendy’s is insulting both men and women these days. It saddens me to see because, out of the fast food places, I generally feel okay about Wendy’s. Once or twice a month with a Spicy Chicken burger or a taco salad is okay in my books. But now comes the Baconator. Half a pound of beef topped with six strips of bacon. Sounds both tempting and frightening all at the same time. But, thanks to Wendy’s advertising for the vegetarian nightmare, my mind is made up.

A bunch of women’s bodies are topped with men’s heads... and they’re standing around the street, screaming in hysterics. It’s the next coming of the Beatles. The breasted man-girls can barely contain themselves. And then, clomping out like a monster from a Japanese movie, comes a giant guy in a Wendy’s red wig. With great seriousness, he points to the great billboard behind him and, like the most dramatic segment of a call to arms from the “300" movie, he yells “BACON!” The man-girls are bursting at the seams. They scream even more so and begin running towards the billboard. Bacon is here... and again, as in “300"... “tonight, we dine in hell”.

Making It Up As I Go Along #276

MONDAY...
— Fairly normal Monday. Melissa and I go for Taco salads at Wendy’s for supper.

TUESDAY...
— Slowish night at work. Melissa and I walk with the sandpiper family at break... that’s a bit unexpected.

WEDNESDAY...
— A nuts walk after work tonight. I’m going for a while with no rabbits to be seen. I think that my string of three straight walks with three rabbits per night encountered is over. And then I see one... he runs across a driveway and into the territory of another... that one chases the first and then a third jumps out from behind a bush. The three rabbits are chasing each other around the lawns and streets in front of me. Then the first one takes off ahead of me, stopping in a driveway to sit. When it looks over at me still coming, it leaps straight up in the air (about a foot) and then plops back down where it was sitting. From there, the rabbit takes off further up the road... sees me coming and then runs towards me, veering off to the side by the time it’s fifteen feet away... finally getting away. Insane! The streak does come to an end on this walk though... a fourth rabbit appears ten minutes later. So four rabbits in an hour and a half walk.

THURSDAY...
— Home with a sick day. Just feeling wiped out today with a headache. I sleep for an hour around supper time.
— Why is it, in sports, they can never say a player simply has the flu or a cold. Is it too wimpy to be said to have a cold? It’s now always “he will not play due to flu-like symptoms.” Maybe sports doctors are so bad that they can’t even be sure. Or maybe flu-like symptoms is code for “out drinking too much last night.”

FRIDAY...
— Off work again today. Still tired and with a headache. I’ve heard several people at work with similar symptoms. So a pretty quiet day around the house.

SATURDAY...
— Around the house again. Generally feeling better but fall asleep on the couch a couple of times and fall into deep, groggy sleeps when this happens.


Dream Aquariums
So what do you write about when you’re entering your fourth day of being locked up. The biggest thing that has happened to me this week is another bout of the rabbits. And I don’t want to get into that again so soon after writing about them. E-mail spam? The titles of such e-mails explaining how I can get closer to that partner that I never knew I had. Phone spam? When people call you up out of the blue and try to spin it like you’re applying to get something from them.

These are the things I’ve dealt most with since waking up on Thursday morning. I now know who’s been calling and not leaving messages on my machine. It isn’t some long lost friend... it’s Roger’s Cable trying to get me to take their phone service.

Yeah, all the world is becoming a commercial. You can watch TV and get bombarded with it, but you can also turn the TV off and it’s still there. Internet sites with advertizing along the side, top and bottom (TSN’s website is starting to take on the look of a NASCAR vehicle). E-mails, and telephone calls... all out there trying to convince me to give my money to someone else. Or, as they’ll say it... my “Hard earned money”. That’s the thing about perfect strangers who are looking for your cash, they’re convinced that you are a hard worker. In this world of people trying to get by, doing as little as possible... they’re trying to convince you that they know how hard you work. They don’t know if I live alone, if I’m married, or if I have kids... but they know I work hard.

So I’ve been sitting around getting bombarded with advertising. I have gotten away from some of this by reading... and sleeping. But when you have sickness that makes you tired with a headache most of the time, reading’s not going to go too far. So that leaves sleep.

And being sick causes some pretty wacky dreams. One day... I think it was Saturday afternoon... I dreamt that I had a fish tank once again.

Now here’s the thing. I once had a fish tank and it was supposed to make you feel all peaceful and serene. There were times that this happened... but that tank, it would knock you down! I had fish getting sick and I’d have to remove them from the population and try to treat them in a bowl. When that didn’t work... it never worked... I’d do the humane thing. I once read that to put a fish out of it’s misery, you put it in a sandwich bag of water and chuck it into the freezer. So that was me... closing the freezer door and taking a final look at flippy the neon as I knew he’d be going to a better place.

Note: No, I didn’t name any neon fish “flippy”... this is story telling. But I did freeze more than one of my poor little pets.

So back to my dream. In my dream, like in real life those years before, I was sick of maintaining the fish tank. So in that dream, I made a decision. No more changing the water... no more changing filter inserts. I wasn’t even going to feed them anymore. There were two or three little fish remaining (the rest all having gone to that big ol’ freezer in the kitchen... beats me if there’s a fish heaven) and I was going to wait them out... death would come soon enough.

But, in dream world, it’s a funny thing that happens. The fish live... and live some more. And the next thing I know, where once there were three stragglers waiting to die, now there are five... and eight... and before I know it, I have a colony of fish. An abandoned aquarium that looks like a coral reef. I’ve got fish in there that I never saw before, let alone bought. It’s like when nature takes over an abandoned industrial site. They just found their way to my aquarium.

In fact, in dream world fish tank, I even had one fish that looked very much like a sheep. Well, more than a sheep, it looked like a big piece of cauliflower with fins... but if you have a living piece of cauliflower, of course you’d say it’s a sheep fish. And of course, the sheep fish was a bottom dwelling fish, grazing on the bits of stuff between the rocks.

It got to a point when I couldn’t take my eyes off of this fish tank. I’m loving it again... it’s bringing me peace and tranquility and there’s nothing I have to do. Some fish die, but in death, they allow the others to survive. Others are born. A perfect ecosystem there in my kitchen. I’m not sure why a fish tank belongs in a kitchen... perhaps it’s the relative closeness of the freezer (just in case).

And just as I’m really getting into the aquarium, a distant noise gets closer... ever closer... a voice, loud and annoying...

I awake. Gone is the tank of life. Gone is the grazing sheep fish. I role my head to the side and see my TV blaring an infomercial. There’s some loud mouthed, bearded man... why he’s yelling I do not know. He’s not angry... he’s not far away... he does have a microphone. But yell he does. Perhaps some marketing study showed that a loud voice convinces you to make a purchase. Either way, I suddenly have a craving to get a new mega-super juicer. Because it’s obvious... all food tastes better... in juice form.

more pics of BC

Time to show some more of BC.

Picture #1... the view from my sister's back window.

Picture #2... A beach in Castlegar.

Picture #3... Rossland.

Making It Up As I Go Along #275

MONDAY...
— Quiet day around the house. Some milk and juice are bought (grocery stores are closed for the Canada Day weekend so it’s a corner store for the bare minimum).

TUESDAY...
— Back to work. It’s an alright night. Supper with Kiyomi and Claudette... a second late night walk in two nights as well. Lots of rabbits in the neighbourhood. I’ve seen three each night.

WEDNESDAY...
— Go to the dentist for a filling. That’s a pain... in more ways than one. It’s about midnight before the ache goes away.
— Work is okay. Learning the new system some tonight. It seems okay but day after day of it in the future may get monotonous.

THURSDAY...
— Okay evening at work... not much out of the ordinary.
— Hour and a bit walk again tonight. Three rabbits seen for the third time in three walks.

FRIDAY...
— Okay evening at work. We go to the chip wagon for supper and there’s a new rule in our office... twice a week, we can take a half hour to do physical activity. So Josee, Kiyomi, Claudette, Mark and I take the time to walk around our compound in the evening.
— After work, I meet up with Linda and we have a bite to eat and some drinks while we catch up.

SATURDAY...
— Busy day. Off to Kemptville and North Gower for some house looking and getting to know the towns. Kemptville is nice actually.
— After that, I meet Melissa for a movie at the Mayfair. A good one too... Away From Her.


The Rabbits of Avalon

Two straight months of evening shift allows me to live a more natural life. That is to say, I no longer have to worry about bedtime. I can go out and be in the world when I most want to... late.

So back are the late night neighbourhood walks. And it’s at this time that the world is seen in a different light.

In the day, you wander around with cars screeching... many thumping a base on it’s stereo system so loudly that it echos in your chest.

Kids run the land... scurrying about and yelling. And dogs are walked, pulling masters along like sled dogs looking for a patch of snow.

At night, it all changes. Dogs are curled up on the beds of the kids... and the base thumping cars may still drift by in pimp-looking-for-his-woman fashion, but they aren’t as regular in their pimpin’.

At night, others come out. Rabbits run the lawns. They patrol neighbourhoods, nibbling on chemically treated grass. A passing walker, like myself, brings one of two reactions for the bunnies. Either they freeze where they sit, hoping that my lack of aggression is a sign of their success in blending into the shadows. Or they sprint ahead, leaving me startled with a white tail skirting through the grass.

This second option often brings difficulties for the rabbits. They sprint some twenty feet ahead but then have to bound off once again when I catch up to them. It never occurs to a rabbit to simply take off in another direction. Rabbits... the blonde bimbo’s of the animal world.

Another couple share the night. A cat and mouse scurry along the roadway. The cat sees me and stops the chase, sitting on the asphalt and watching me come. He’s sheepish, as if he’s just been caught. The thing is, it didn’t look like the cat was wanting to eat the mouse. They seemed to be sharing play time. Perhaps it’s human assumptions that has cats and mice as mortal enemies. Their cover has been blown and the cat sits in a fashion of one caught red handed, putting hands in pockets and whistling a nervous tune.

The assuming human would believe that the mouse has run for cover... thankful of the interruption. But I think it’s just sitting off in the grass, waiting for me to pass so it can join it’s feline friend once again.

The one problem with nighttime walking is a fear of the neighbourhood pond. I dare not walk there late at night because I’m concerned about startling a skunk around a corner... or crushing half a dozen frogs who overtake the pathway when the sun goes down.

Skunks are actually my biggest concern in Ontario. I live alone and have no trusted neighbour. What would I do if I get sprayed? I hear a shower only makes matters worse. Tomato sauce? Perhaps I should keep a large supply on hand. Encase it in glass, only to be smashed open on that dreaded day when the fumes of Pepe are all over me.

And those frogs... they’re everywhere. I’ve had to manoeuver quickly on past occasions. The frogs will be sitting there on the pavement and actually have hopped at my feet when I’ve gotten close. Perhaps they’re the NASCAR drivers of the animal kingdom... drive straight at a crash and it’ll be gone when you get there. Or perhaps they’re the true blondes of the wild... leaving the rabbits a touch more respect than was originally given.

Whatever the case, nighttime walking is the thing to do. The ordinary is all tucked away and sleeping. Nighttime is when the world takes on a different light.

Making It Up As I Go Along #274

Just the rundown of the last few weeks today. A story to come with next Sunday's update...

MONDAY (June 11)...
— Sort of like Tuesday with work. I worked yesterday too. Okay day at work... in a bit early... Tina is back from maternity leave... go to chip wagon for supper with Janice, Shawn, Devin and Leslie.
— A late night walk is done for the first time in probably six months. I need to get back into it. About an hour and twenty minutes with the MP3 player. Saw a couple of rabbits in the neighbourhood too.

TUESDAY (June 12)...
— Okay day at work. Janice, Laura, Karen, Leslie, Sheila and I all go for supper. It’s meant for our team in wishing Karen and Laura good luck in their new jobs... but Leslie and Sheila come anyway.

WEDNESDAY (June 13)...
— Work three hours and then it’s off to the airport for mom and dad. This brings to an end my working with Laura and Karen. Laura goes to day shift for Thursday and Friday and then she’s off to another floor and another job. Karen is off Friday and then she’s gone to the other job too. And I end up not going to work Thursday, so no more Karen and me on Wednesday too. It’ll be weird not being around them. I’ve worked with them for a couple of years and been friends with Laura for much of that time.
— After getting mom and dad, get a few groceries and have supper.

THURSDAY (June 14)...
— Go to the National Archives in the morning. We’re there longer than I thought we’d be and by the time we get home, I should be at work. So we decide to do some family stuff and I call in to take the night off work. We go to the Glebe (a nice neighbourhood in Ottawa), have supper in a pub there and walk around the area. It would be a different life in this city living in an area like that.

FRIDAY (June 15)...
— New blinds for the house... I work while the folks clean my place. Nice of them to do... it’s not that I don’t appreciate it... but I’d have been happier leaving the car for them to go do something in Ottawa rather than use them for slave labour.

SATURDAY (June 16)...
— Up early and fly to BC. Two movies on the flight... Wild Hogs is... forgettable. Astronaut Farmer is good.
— White Spot burger in Vancouver airport.
— BBQ and easy going times with the full family in Castlegar.

SUNDAY (June 17)...
— Father’s Day... go for a walk with Edena, Dad and Claire... drive around a bit with mom and dad (downtown Castlegar and Robson)... supper with everyone in Trail. We have traditional Italian and it’s quite good.

MONDAY (June 18)...
— Off to Nelson with mom and dad for some shopping and lunch.
— It’s weird to look out at 9:00 PM and still see blue sky when I know that most of the people that I spend most of my time with are asleep in bed.

TUESDAY (June 19)...
— Rossland in the morning with mom and dad. Nice little ski resort town.
— Duff has a presentation in the afternoon. So we take that in for some cultural education.
— Supper at Castlegar golf course while the two girls have lessons.

WEDNESDAY (June 20)...
— Back to Trail with mom and dad. Check out the museum and sports hall of memories there... Trail is well known for sports. Two World Championship hockey teams came from Trail to play for Canada (one in the 30s and one in the 60s). And many athletes are from Trail (Ray Ferraro, Karen Lee Gartner, Jason Bay to name a few).
— Lunch along the Columbia River at a nice beach. Rest of the day is around the house and going for a walk.
— Flies are eating me this summer. It started in Ottawa and BC flies are keeping it up. I likely have over 20 bites on my arms and legs right now.

THURSDAY (June 21)...
— Some sight seeing with the parents and Duff... we get Edena from work to have lunch.
— Golf with Duff in the afternoon/evening. I do as well as I could hope for a first round of the year... and we watch an eagle grab a fish out of one of the course ponds.

FRIDAY (June 22)...
— Mom and dad’s 45th anniversary. We do some stuff around Castlegar and have Chinese take out for supper.
— I’m sick of my gut. More ice cream and pop on the vacation hasn’t helped but lots of walking is helping to keep the balance. I just need to keep the activity while ditching the junk when I get back to Ottawa.

SATURDAY (June 23)...
— Drive to Kelowna with mom, dad and Fraser. Edena, Duff and Claire will follow in the late afternoon. We see three or four deer on the way there, walk around the city a bit, and have supper at the local White Spot.

SUNDAY (June 24)...
— Some Kelowna time with the whole family... shopping and a winery.
— Edena and her family go back to Castlegar while mom, dad and I go to Salmon Arm and Revelstoke for an extra trip. It’s sort of a rainy/cloudy day but the scenery is good and times are fine. I really like Revelstoke too. It’s a small town and quite sleepy this time of year... but snow capped mountains surround us and there’s something nice about so little going on.

MONDAY (June 25)...
— Busy day, a little shopping at Revelstoke and then we’re gone in the late morning. Lots of spurts of rain come down off the mountains and we visit Nacusp, New Denver and Silverton. Take lots of pictures and it’s back to Castlegar for supper with Edena, Duff and Claire (Fraser is off on a school trip). Nacusp is another great small town and New Denver reminds us of the harm Canada did to its Japanese citizens during the second world war.

TUESDAY (June 26)...
— Castlegar day. Dad and I go for a walk... mom picks us up and we go have lunch while Edena joins us for a coffee. Supper is at the golf course again while the girls have their lessons.
— Edena’s family is all sick now and I fear getting it, and sinus issues, just before flying out on Saturday.

WEDNESDAY (June 27)...
— Walk in the morning with Duff and dad. We go along the shore of the Columbia and around the local college where Duff works.
— I buy more clothes today. Lots of money spent on clothes during this vacation.
— Evening around the house... much of it looking at the pictures of our trip so far on mom’s computer.

THURSDAY (June 28)...
— Lots of driving. Kaslo, Balfour, a ferry across to Kootenay Bay and Crawford Bay. The brooms for the Harry Potter movie are actually made here. Pretty amazing looking brooms too... who’d guess?
— Kaslo was nice and lunch there was good... the ferry ride was fine too. The only disappointment of the trip does happen today though. Heading back to Kootenay Bay for the return ferry, we see an amazing view of the Kokanee Glacier across Kootenay Lake. My last time in the BC interior, I flew over this glacier in a small plane. But our view of the glacier here is out of nowhere while we drive and there’s no good place to stop for a picture.
— A movie with the family at night. A Simple Curve was actually filmed around the New Denver area and it’s quite good too.

FRIDAY (June 29)...
— Last day of the vacation. We spend much of the day in Nelson where we have a family lunch and do some art shopping. I’m stuck on that missed shot of the Kokanee Glacier and, if there was anything nearly as majestic as that view, either in photograph or painting, I’d probably buy it. But Nelson seems unimpressed by the glacier... the artisan town has nothing to offer me in this mission.
— Edena and I head to Trail after that. Some groceries and I get a Smoke Eater (the name of the hockey team) t-shirt.

SATURDAY (June 30)...
— Fly day... we leave Castlegar in the morning... have a very quick turn around in Vancouver... and head for Toronto. See the Good German (movie) on this flight... it’s good.
— Three hours in Toronto give mom, dad and I supper. In the two weeks, mom and I are the only two of the seven to not get a cold... although dad’s not too bad today.
— Back in my place in Ottawa just after midnight. It was a good trip... I can’t say seeing the Ontario landscape below the plane was a wonderful thing. I’ll miss the mountains.

BC time

BC is here and gone for me. Many pictures were taken and I'll add more to the blog over the coming weeks. Here are the first group.

1... The beach at Trail.

2... A view of the mountains from a rest stop.

3... View from a closed ski hill. 23 degrees where we stood, snowing in the mountain.

4... The view from Edena and Duff's kitchen window with clouds crossing the mountains.