THAT'S A WRAP (WELL, ALMOST)

POST # 101

I always take a few moments at the end of each year to look back on it, and also look ahead to the next one. This year will be no different, and in just a few days time, I'll find a quiet corner to settle into, and spend some time in thoughtful silence.

I guess it's just human nature, this looking back, and looking ahead, and I suppose there can be some benefits derived from the process. If there is a problem at all, it's that we as humans probably don't spend enough time in the present moment, the only moment we have. I am as guilty as the next person, but I do try to at least be aware of the fact, and bring myself back to the NOW.

Just yesterday in fact, I found myself thinking back to the year 1996. This came about because I was reading a story of expedition leader Greg Mortimer on board the ship Akademik Shokalskiy which is currently stuck in pack ice off the coast of Antarctica. Greg was one of the key people assisting me back then in my effort to spend an entire year alone at a place called Cape Adare in Antarctica. The project never happened, and at the time, it was a great disappointment to me. Nowadays, it doesn't seem very important in the greater scheme of things. I was happy to see that Greg is still doing something that he loves.

Greg onboard the Akademik Shokalskiy. Photo credit: Alok Jha The Guardian Newspaper

I guess the other thought that came to mind, as I was reading about the Antarctic story, was the fact that I sure have met some interesting people along my journey through life, and I have learned something from each and every one of them. Meeting new people has always been very easy for me, and I have no idea where that skill comes from. Perhaps it's like most other things, the more you do of it, the better you get. Who knows? It has allowed me to take a broad view of life and I like that fact. As my journey proceeds, I continue to meet new people and I suppose this will be the case for me right up until the end, and that's perfectly fine with me. The rewards have far outweighed the costs.

So much for looking back. In a few days it will be 2014 and I can sit here now, and try to plan out what I might want in order to have a good year, whatever that might mean. But to a certain extent, it is out of my control and I understand that, however it's always fun to at least think about what life might hold in store.

I suspect I will be following closely the subjects I have written about in past blog entries, much to the chagrin of the family and friends who have had to be on the receiving end of my thoughts. Hey, but no one ever said that being a modern day Cassandra was ever going to be easy. I accept that. At least it keeps life interesting, and who knows, it may even influence a few people along the way. A line from a Bruce Cockburn song comes to mind- "got to kick at the darkness 'till it screams daylight."

I am going to attempt to get more from each moment as time presses on, however, writing this goal, and doing it are two entirely different things. Being aware of the fact that the mind has a tendency to drift forward and back is half the battle, and each time I find myself doing so, I will come back to the moment.

And the moment now is being influenced by Jackson and Peach, wanting some attention and wanting a walk. I'm not sure what critter was roaming around in the back yard last night, but it sure has these two itching to get back outside and bark up a storm, as they patrol their territory. My guess is that it was a cat sneaking around in the dead of night.

That's probably enough writing for this morning, so I'll leash up the baby boneheads and head out for a stroll. It will be good for all of us, step by step, moment by moment, sniffing, peeing, and thinking. In case there is any confusion, I will be the one doing the thinking. After all, the blog is called the Thoughtful Wanderer, not the Sniffing, Peeing Wanderer. Perhaps my readership would go up if I changed the name though. Hmmmmmm!!!!!!!


Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE THOUGHTFUL WANDERER SCORES A CENTURY

JACKSON AND PEACH CHECK OUT THE SNOW ON DEC. 20, 2013 in VANCOUVER



POST # 100


Way back in October 2011 when I began to write this blog, I don't think that I ever really expected to reach the century mark of 100 entries, but as of today, this is now the case. It's humbling to realize that my blog, a collection of digital ones and zeros on a computer screen has now made it to its hundredth birthday, and that I won't even come close to that mark. Oh well, such is the plight of a human living on planet earth in the year 2013.

I spent some time going through all my posts prior to writing this one, just to have another look at where I've been over the past more than two years and I found it quite remarkable. In round numbers, I have travelled almost 37,000 kilometers (about 23,000 miles). In fact, those numbers are as the crow flies. If the actually road distances were calculated, it's probably closer to 40,000 kilometers (just under 25,000 miles) which is pretty darn close to the earth's circumference at the equator. Wow!! And yet, I've spent this entire time in only three countries, Canada, USA, and Mexico. It appears that the "wanderer" part of "The Thoughtful Wanderer" is alive and well, at least for now.

My travels have taken me to over twenty different house/pet sitting assignments, some of which I returned to more than once. British Columbia, Alberta, and the Yukon in Canada, Washington, Oregon, California, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Hawaii in the USA and Baja in Mexico, round out the list of locations visited. It's been quite an experience to have taken part in and certainly not boring, in spite of the fact that one of the places visited was Boring, Oregon. All along the way, my computerized journal has kept track of it, and I am grateful for that.

Of course, I have met some wonderful animals along the way, including some of the human variety, and that, more than anything else, has made the journey more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. Without naming names, the human animals which have made an impression will know who they are, and as far as the four legged critters go, it would be extremely difficult for me to single out just one or two. Let's just say that they have all been a real treat to care for and it's been fun to do. In alphabetical order, they are as follows:
Blueberry, Bob, Breaker, Dusty, Einstein, Essie, Felix, Gaffer, Jackson, Jake, James, Jill, Lamington, Maggie, Marley, Mr. Bumples, Myrtle, Ollie, Oscar, Otto, Peach, Peugeot, Pillow, Polly, Roxie, Sadie, Sally, Shadow, Skidder, Snoop, Sophie, Tai, Tika, Trouble, and finally Watson. In addition to the above dog and cat list, I also cared for six chickens and two birds whose names escape me at this time.

Now I am back in Vancouver for a spell caring for Jackson and Peach again which is always plenty of fun. Yesterday morning when we awoke, there was a huge dump of snow on the ground, which surprized all three of us. In just a few short hours from now, it will be officially the first day of winter, so the snow arrived just slightly ahead of schedule. Tonight, up in Dawson City, there will be plenty of partying going on. It's always a big deal up there, this winter solstice thing because the locals can now look forward to the days getting longer. Having spent many long nights living up there at this time of year, I can totally understand the cause for celebration.

The snow stopped falling late yesterday, however today there is still plenty of it remaining on the ground and I suspect that will be the case for the next little while. Jackson and Peach with their short legs, and me with a wonky leg, have to be extra careful on our walks now, but so far, so good. The owners managed to escape to Hawaii just in the nick of time, and after sending them a video clip of the dogs in the snow yesterday, I'm quite sure that they are glad that they left when they did.

The baby boneheads are giving me the look, as in, "get away from the computer and come and play with us for a while," so I'll use that as my excuse to end this prattle, and go have some fun with Jackson and Peach.

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE CURRENT EASE OF TRAVEL

POST #99

The movie, "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles" comes to mind when I think of where I have recently been and where I now find myself yet again. All three of these forms of transport are taken totally for granted in our current industrial civilization. We move from place to place, without giving much thought as to just how amazing it really is to be able to cover such vast distances with very little effort and in a minimal amount of time.

Take for instance my recent travels. Since November 21st, I have wandered from Vancouver B.C., to Everett Washington via train. From there, a journey by car took me to Bend Oregon and back to Everett. Another short car journey followed, to Seattle airport, in order to board an airplane that deposited me in San Francisco for three hours. A subsequent plane ride allowed me to be in Tucson Arizona. The total time required to get all the way from Seattle Washington to Tucson Arizona, was around four hours. INCREDIBLE! The distance between the two is around 1700 miles,(over 2700 kms) a couple of hundred miles less than that when you fly.

Departing Tucson, the next form of transport was via Greyhound bus (perhaps the above movie title should be revised to include this transport option as well) followed once more by a journey in an automobile. My return trip here to Vancouver was basically the same, but in reverse, with the exception of the Greyhound ride.

All of the above was only possible (at least for now) with the use of fossil fuels. When I arrived on the scene way back in 1955, fossil fuels had already been in use for a very long time so of course these types of travel options all seem very normal. Just yesterday I was at the airport here, and I had the pleasure of spending time with my sister Gerry, which is a rather rare event these days. It's not because we don't get along, far from it. The reason is, she lives in Edmonton and I don't and so the geographic distance is the limiting factor. During our conversation yesterday, the topic of a family reunion of sorts came up. But with the five remaining members of the family spread around between two countries, the odds of that happening aren't that great, in my opinion, in spite of the above mentioned travel options. We all have our separate lives now, and those lives get lived out in a variety of locations. It's rather ironic really. Fossil fuels allow us to move around relatively easily, but it's these same fossil fuels that have helped to separate us. A hundred years ago, we would all probably have been living in the same town or city, and we would have had plenty of interactions with our extended family and friends. But that isn't the world we live in. Tomorrow, another sister, Rosie, will be travelling with her husband and daughter, all the way from northern British Columbia to the distant country of India. Their journey will take them through Vancouver, and a city in Europe prior to their arrival at their destination. It will be over 9000 miles each way,(over 14000 kms) and they will accomplish this journey in a matter of mere hours, not days or weeks. AMAZING!

But this is now. This is 2013, and in spite of all the talk or should I call it hype that one hears about many countries wanting to become energy independent, the fact is, we have all been tapping into a limited fuel source for many, many decades now, and the time has long since past where the cheap, and easy to get to fossil fuels were available. Now we live in a world of offshore oil rigs, tar sands, and fracking, none of which will make for energy independence, and all of which are helping to seal our fate regarding climate change. In fact, I would say that our fate is already sealed, what with the now, TWENTY EIGHT self reinforcing feedback loops that are currently in play with regards to the climate, but that's maybe a topic for a future post. For up to date information on this subject, a mouse click over to my friend Guy's website NATURE BATS LAST at guymcpherson.com will provide the reader with all the latest news. Guy revises his "Climate-change Summary and Update" on a very regular basis. It wasn't that long ago when there was only ONE feedback loop, so we've come along way, and it ain't pretty.

In the meantime, the travel options mentioned will continue to be available, until of course they can't. That will be a very tough pill for many folks to swallow, and my guess is that it will cause plenty of friction between people and nations. Aside from the relative luxury of air travel, the majority of people are going to be extremely put out, if they can't hop into their four wheeled personal conveyance and go where they choose, when they choose to. That's when the fecal matter will begin to interact with the rotating air convenience, and how that all pans out remains to be seen. And yet, in my travels around, I only see, more cars, more traffic jams, more smog, more airplanes, and more airport and road expansions. More, more, more. Infinite growth on a finite planet is IMPOSSIBLE. It will be a harsh transition.

For now, The Thoughtful Wanderer will still have the ability to move from place to place to care for a variety of animals. But it won't be too long, I suspect, when my wandering will be confined to a very small geographic area. Perhaps my trusty bicycle, and my hop a long walk, will be sufficient modes of transport.

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE MUD HUT RE-REVISITED

POST # 98

This is my third visit to the Mud Hut here in southwestern New Mexico. I arrived yesterday after the long journey from Seattle via San Francisco and Tucson. A few airport benches along the way helped to round out my trip.

My friend Guy, met me at the Greyhound station in Lordsburg and we arrived safe and sound in late afternoon. I am very happy to be back here because with each passing day, the moments spent seem more and more precious than the last. I suspect that this may be my last trip to the Mud Hut but I don't know that for sure. However, I continue to be amazed that our industrial way of life continues to limp along. I can't help but think that things may all fall into a heap in 2014, but somehow the powers that be, manage to find enough duct tape and wire to keep things running.

So I am here now to spend time with like minded souls and enjoy the moments while we can. Since my last trip here, there are now three goats and two dogs instead of the reverse back in May. In addition there are two turkeys. Actually, they were here before but were only days old at the time. Now they are huge.

I'm not sure what's in store for the weekend but I'm just happy to be here one more time. Guy and I drive back to Tucson on Monday and I'll be heading back north soon after to mind the baby boneheads, Jackson and Peach one more time. That's always fun.

That's all for now. I have more words to write but writing on an iPod is much slower than a laptop so let's call it a day shall we? Apologies for any errors or omissions.

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE LONE CANUCK

POST # 97

Today, I will be the lone Canuck, sharing American Thanksgiving with others, here in Bend Oregon.

And if dad were alive, he would have been 97 years old today.

Plenty of other thoughts roaming around in my mind, but I think that for now, I will just leave them there.


Happy Trails

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

WANDERING AGAIN

POST # 96

For reasons that have been stated in an earlier post, November 21st has been a significant day in this wandering life of mine. And today I will be wandering once again. Destination, Washington State for a break from all of this stressful house sitting. A guy needs to take a break every now and again. Shadow the cat, my companion for the past two weeks has been a real treat though, and I'll be a bit sad to have to say goodbye to him. Perhaps I'll see him again next year at this time.

However, when I think about a whole entire year ahead, I can't help but wonder just what things will be like by then. If Fukushima doesn't finish us all off, then there's always climate change, which by all accounts that I follow appears to be picking up pace, and even as that happens, the climate bureaucrats sit in Warsaw Poland this week discussing the matter. I reviewed a video clip this past week from the climate summit in Rio way back in 1992, at which David Suzuki's daughter had some choice words to say to the delagates all that long time ago. She was just 12 years old then. It made me cry, just to watch it. Fast forward to 2013, and nothing has been done, and that tells me all I need to know on that front. The big difference now though, is that the climate has taken charge, and so all of the bureaucrats can talk until they're blue in the face, and it won't make a hill of beans worth of difference. They've been doing it now for over 20 years, talk, talk, talk. They'll probably be at it next year. I wonder how many self reinforcing feedback loops will be in the system by then?

OK, so I've got that off of my chest, for this week at least but I'm sure that I'm not done with the topic. All I can do is to keep spreading the message for those who care to dig a bit deeper and look at the facts.

In the meantime I will continue to put one foot in front of the other and face each day, knowing that it's all that I have. Precious moments, one after another. In spite of it all, there is still time for laughter and joy. And time to wander.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS. If you want to watch the speech by Severn Suzuki, just google Severn Suzuki at Earth Summit 1992 and that should work. Have some tissues ready just in case.

PLATO

POST # 95

Due to a glitch on my home computer, I have come to the library and only have a short time to write for today, so I thought that a quote from Plato would be in order.


THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO SEE BEYOND THE SHADOWS AND LIES OF THEIR CULTURE WILL NEVER BE UNDERSTOOD, LET ALONE BELIEVED BY THE MASSES.

PLATO
BORN 427 BC
DIED 347 BC


He hit the nail on the head all those years ago.


Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

SHADOW REVISITED

POST # 94

Sometime around 4am this morning I heard voices, but then I drifted back to sleep. My sleep was interrupted around 6:30am to the sound of "Meeeeoooowwwww". It was Shadow the big black cat letting me know that it was time for breakfast, don't ya know. "Chill out Shadow, it's way too early for that." Thankfully he took my advice and allowed me to enjoy a couple more hours of beauty rest prior to getting up this morning.

After an extended vacation in Hawaii, I am now back to "work" taking care of another pet. This is round two with Shadow, having been here exactly a year ago, and it should be a very easy house sit. I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks, while the owners relax in Mexico for their annual holiday.

Wow, another entire year has gone by. They sure do pass quickly these days. Last year I was hobbling around with a cane, and this year I'm down to a pronounced limp, so I'm thankful for that.

Try as I might, I am finding it difficult to get Fukushima off of my mind these days. The latest news, is that TEPCO has decided to delay the removal of the fuel rods from reactor number 4. For how long, I'm not sure. Either way though, the situation looks rather precarious. Removing them is going to be dicey, and leaving them where they are isn't much better. In the past week, even David Suzuki put in his two cents worth, when speaking to an audience at the University of Alberta in Edmonton at the end of October. See below.

David Suzuki at the University of Alberta, October 30, 2013 (At 2:45 in): Fukushima is the most terrifying situation I can imagine. You ask, what can we do? First of all you have got a government that is in total collusion with Tepco, they’re lying through their teeth. […] The fourth one has been so badly damaged that the fear is if there’s another quake of a 7 or above that that building will go, and then all hell breaks loose. And the probability of a 7 or above quake in the next 3 years is over 95%. […] They don’t know what to do. We need to get a group of international experts to go in with complete freedom to do what they suggest. Right now the Japanese government has too much pride to admit that. I’ve seen a paper which says that if in fact the fourth plant goes under an earthquake and those rods are exposed, it’s bye-bye Japan, and everybody on the West Coast of North America should evacuate. Now if that isn’t terrifying, I don’t know what is.

Any way you slice it, things are getting very "iffy" over there in Japan, and so I prefer to keep up to date with what's going on. All of a sudden, Vancouver isn't looking like the best place to live after all. Events will continue to unfold and decisions will need to be made accordingly.

In the meantime, I am going to enjoy my time with Shadow. Sometimes I think it would be easier to just be a cat.


Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

WAITING

POST # 93
Waiting for November. In a few days they will begin the task of moving 1565 MOX fuel rods
at Fukushima.
What the result will be is anyone's guess.

Happy Trails
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

TWO YEARS ON and THE PACIFIC OCEAN

POST # 92

Exactly two years ago today, The Thoughtful Wanderer began. At that time I was in Lake Oswego Oregon caring for a cat named Jill. Since then, I have travelled far and wide and during that time I have had the pleasure to take care of plenty of wonderful animals, and in addition to that I have met some very interesting people as well.

The journey continues. Yesterday I came across an article that I found difficult to read due to its content. As someone who has had the opportunity to spend time out in the open ocean, reading this article made me very sad indeed. I've included the link for anyone who wishes to read it.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1848433/the-ocean-is-broken/?cs=12

The title of the article is "The Ocean Is Broken" and I think it is well worth the time to read.

Surrounded as I currently am by the same ocean mentioned in the above article, it feels like being in an oasis in the desert. Even the vastness of the Pacific is no match it seems for industrial civilization. And yet, the industrial machine continues to grind on and on. At some point, this civilization will come to an end as all do, however I wonder how much of our living planet will be left at that point.

And we call ourselves the wise ape. I'm not so sure about that any longer.

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

FUKUSHIMA UPDATE

POST # 91

Try as I might, to get the subject of Fukushima off my mind these days, so far at least, I have been unsuccessful at this task.

The latest update has a few added twists. Up until just recently it was reported that beginning next month, TEPCO would begin the process of moving the highly radioactive fuel rods from the cooling pool which is perched precariously atop Reactor #4. As I have mentioned in a previous blog, this has never been attempted before, and due to the damage sustained during the initial accident, the task is fraught with uncertainties. But now it is being reported that the company may just decide to put this job into the too hard basket, leave the fuel rods where they now are, and hope for the best.

Japan is a land that is subject to numerous earthquakes, so the odds of another one happening are very high and it appears that it won't take much of a shake to bring the whole cooling pool crashing to the ground. To put it bluntly, this would be catastrophic. As I write this entry, Tropical Cyclone Wipha is currently tracking towards Fukushima with an anticipated arrival date in two days.

A spokesperson from the nuclear industry has recently stated that if even just one of the many hundreds of fuel rods was to ignite, the amount of radiation it could release would be enough to kill almost 2.9 billion people in a matter of a few weeks. So one would think with such a serious situation at hand, that experts from around the world would find it in their best interest to help out, however as time passes, it looks like Japan is on it's own. So much for helping a neighbor in need.

What can I personally do? Well, aside from writing this blog and talking to people, I'm not really sure what else I can do. Besides, this is information that most would like to pretend doesn't really exist.

Perhaps in the not too distant future, we are all going to learn what is REALLY important in our lives. That is a good thing.

A kiss, a touch of a hand, fresh air to breath, a warm sunny day, and all the other simple pleasures that make a life worth living.

That's enough for today.

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PRIORITIES

POST # 90
Cost of US military budget- $530 Billion
Cost of Iraq and Afghanistan wars- $4-6 Trillion

Listening to Coqui frogs at night- PRICELESS!

For everything else ( or so it seems) there is:

NO MONEY

Happy trails

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

UMI KUMALUA

POST # 89

Upon arrival in Hawaii one tends to notice a similarity to the words used. After some quick research I discovered that there are only twelve letters used in total. The seven consonants, p,k,h,l,m,n and w, and the five vowels, a,e,i,o and u.

The title of today's blog is the Hawaiian word for twelve.

Tropical fruit, geckos, and coqui frogs, as well as warm breezes and peace and tranquility are my impressions so far.

I am thankful for small joys these days.

Mahalo nui

Happy trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

http://youtu.be/mlCiDEXuxxA

DO YOU REMEMBER ?

POST # 88

The opening line in the embedded video is "Do you remember, the 21st night of September?"

My memory of this coming night, will be one of hanging out at Vancouver international airport in preparation for my upcoming journey, tomorrow morning early, to the big island of Hawaii. It will be an all day affair, traveling first to Denver, then Honolulu and finally Kona on the big island.

And as the sun sets on September 21st, it will mark the end of the summer season for 2013 as the first day of Autumn begins tomorrow. The way things are shaping up around the world, it looks like it will be an Autumn to remember for sure. Fukushima comes to mind. In spite of the lack of reporting on that topic, the ongoing disaster there continues to unfold. Perhaps I can re-visit that topic again in late December as the season changes once more.

My thoughts right now are wandering off in a multitude of directions, and so instead of trying to concentrate on extending the words in this latest entry, I think I'll just leave it short and sweet. Meanwhile, The Thoughtful Wanderer will allow his thoughts to continue wandering wherever they may go.

Enjoy Earth, Wind and Fire. Thankfully for now at least, we still have music.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING

POST # 87

Earlier this week, I believe it was Monday, news came to the world that Tokyo has been chosen as the venue for the 2020 Olympic games. These days, I don't have any interest in the Olympics, and the only reason I mention them is because of the location.

Couple this with the fact that Japan has suffered the worst nuclear meltdown in history, with quite a few knowledgable people suggesting that at some point in the future, Tokyo may have to be evacuated. Now of course you won't get this in the mainstream media, but the information is out there for anyone willing to take the time to look.

Of course, by choosing Tokyo, it helps to give the appearance at least on the surface that everything in Japan is A-OK and nothing could be further from the truth. Conditions at Fukushima continue to deteriorate, and so far at least it seems that no one has a handle on coming up with a fix for this mess.

I can imagine that the talking heads in the press will continue to gloss over the nuclear situation in favour of promotion of the 2020 Olympics until possibly a time may come when an evacuation is necessary. How will they spin the story then? How about this? We need to move all these people in order to make room for a large Olympic village and for all of the people who want to visit Tokyo. Absurd as that sounds, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

We now live in a world where there seems to be two realities, the one in which all is well, business as usual, and everyone lives happily ever after, and the other where things aren't quite as good as they seem on the surface. I can understand how humans would want to believe in the former view, however by doing so we have neglected to "look under the carpet" as it were and find some of the nasty things hidden there. Perhaps if we would have done some looking way back when, we might not have found ourselves in this situation in the first place. But it's much too late for that now.

I will watch with interest how this story unfolds, both stories that is. My guess is that the "official" good news story will continue to dominate the airwaves, at least until we perhaps see scores of individuals booking one-way flights to anywhere away from Japan. That hasn't happened yet, and it may not happen at all, but if it does, the talking heads will have to be extremely creative in crafting a story line that the public will accept.

_________________________________________________________________

AND IN OTHER NEWS CLOSER TO HOME


So my final days are winding down here on Vancouver island and by early next week I'll be back on the mainland for at least a while. The time here has been very relaxed and peaceful, and somehow I even managed to co-exist with two teenage boys. It's a big house and we seem to have been able to do our own thing with no conflict, so I am happy about that.
Perhaps in the future I can add teenage boys to my list of "pets" however if the truth be known, I sill prefer the four legged kind.

Happy trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

LAMI BON AMI, THE CAT FROM OZ AND THE WANDERING FURBALL

POST # 86

Now, I have come to know plenty of dogs in all my travels, however the dog here called Lami has certainly become a good friend (bon ami) since my arrival last month. I could call her "glue" dog or "24hr" dog and both titles would suite just as well. She is constantly by my side and she has been a wonderful companion. I can see now why the owner thinks so highly of Lami. I will certainly miss her company when I leave here later this month.

The cat from Oz which goes by the name of Polly is somewhat like Lami in the fact that she is usually in the same vacinity as I am. This goes for bedtime as well, and even though I sleep in a very large bed, Polly snuggles up to my right side, and Lami on the left, so that I am the human "meat" in the pet sandwich. It took a couple of nights to get used to this but we all seem to have found our spots and the night passes uneventfully.

The third member of the four legged tribe is Peugeot the cat. Peugeot could also be called Wanderer or MIA cat as he pops in every now and again. I'm not quite sure where he gets to and sometimes he's gone for a day or two, and then, poof, he appears and the bed becomes even more crowded than before.

Together, they make an interesting group of critters, and it's been a joy to get to know them all, over these last couple of weeks. I am quite sure I will miss them after I leave, however I know there are more animals right around the corner to keep me amused.

The area here in North Saanich is very rural and extremely peaceful, and I do like that aspect of it. It's only a few kilometers from Sidney, so any supplies that I may require are close at hand.

Having just done a proof read of this latest blog, I would have to come to the conclusion that it is certainly one of the least interesting blogs I have composed, however, sometimes my brain isn't as creative as I would like it to be, or else it is somewhat pre-occupied with other things at the moment and I think it's the latter, that is the case today. Perhaps next week will be different.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

POLLY, PEUGEOT AND LAMINGTON

POST # 85

After a travel day yesterday across the water from Anacortes to Sidney B.C. I have arrived at my current housesit here in North Saanich. This time I am in charge of three, four legged friends. Polly the aussie cat, that likes to stay close by, Peugeot the younger more adventurous of the felines and finally Lamington the mutt, or as I like to say, bonehead who at this early stage of the housesit looks likely to be a real treat and lots of fun. So it's two furballs and one bonehead for the next three weeks. I won't be lonely.

The owner, Ann, just left this morning for a trip to Portugal and I only arrived back from the airport a few minutes ago after dropping her off. The area I am situated in is quite rural, mostly one acre properties, so there is plenty of greenery to enjoy and the peace and quiet are most welcome.

Today will be a day to settle in, and get to know the pets as well as the area. I did manage to find my way back to the house from the airport so that is a good start. Later I will probably head out for my standard bike ride, that is, if the weather co-operates. It's looking rather foggy and grey out there at the moment, but we'll see how the day goes.

A trip into town later today to get a few supplies might be on my list of things to do. Sidney is the closest place, and is only about fifteen minutes away at the most. I will try to limit my visits to town, so that I can enjoy this country living as much as possible.

Back in September.

Happy Trails

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

MOUNT SHASTA

POST # 84


This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to spend time with my friend Guy Mcpherson, and a host of others at a venue in Mt. Shasta, California. The purpose of the get together was to watch Mike Sosebee’s film, “Somewhere in New Mexico Before the End of Time", which is a documentary that discusses the future we are facing as a result of climate change and fossil fuel depletion. Throughout the documentary, Guy explains to the audience, just where we are at and where things are headed, including the prospect of near term human extinction and the message is a difficult one to swallow, for many folks.

After the film was over we sat around and had a discussion about it and listened to input from the people in the audience. The concept of near term human extinction can be quite a slap in the face to many people when they are confronted with it, and the reaction can vary from one individual to another. What I saw that night, was still a great amount of non-acceptance of this possibility, and I suppose that is a normal reaction for many people.

Personally, I have accepted that this is where we are heading, and as each day passes, I become more convinced of it. Long ago I reached the acceptance phase regarding this subject matter, and I am comfortable with it. However, I understand that for many people, it is quite hard to accept, in light of how important we think our lives are.
It’s a difficult pill to swallow, to think that you are going on with your life, making plans, having children, studying hard to achieve some particular goal, etc. etc, only to be confronted with the idea of near term human extinction. They didn’t tell you about that in grade school now, did they?

Ah, but life is always full of surprises and some are good, and some are bad. As I heard someone say many years ago, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you deal with it that counts.” I guess that holds true here,
but I think that many people are having(going to have) trouble dealing with the future that is looking more and more like it will be a rather short one.

If that wasn’t enough news to round out an evening, the topic of Fukushima came up as well, and from what I have heard, things are looking pretty grim over there. Nothing like a little nuclear meltdown to add some more spice to the concept of near term human extinction. Perhaps I would have been wiser to stay living in the southern hemisphere after all, and I guess that before the end of this year, I’ll know the answer to that question. Between now and then they are going to attempt to try to move the multitude of highly radioactive spent fuel rods out of the precarious location that they are now in, to a safer place. It’s an operation that has never been attempted before and if it is unsuccessful, then the results could be catastrophic for many people around the world, in the northern hemisphere especially. It wasn’t an evening for the faint of heart.

In spite of the news, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to be there and meet some like minded individuals. They’re hard to come by when discussing these sorts of topics. And on a lighter note, it was interesting to spend a few hours in Mt. Shasta village, as it seemed to me like I had time travelled back to the ’60’s. I spent some time at a cafe called “Yaks” on the main street prior to the film, and the music was Crosby, Stills and Nash, Neil Young and all the other greats from that time period. It was both strange and enjoyable at the same time.

I had the opportunity to meet Mike Sosebee, the film's producer/director, for the first time, and of course I had the chance to spend a few precious moments with Guy Mcpherson. He’s a very busy man, yet he always seems to have more than enough time to just have a chat. For that I am grateful. And I count myself very fortunate to count him as a friend.

Happy trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

SEARCHING FOR A WIFI CONNECTION

POST #83

I was riding around the other day on my bike searching for a wifi connection and I ended up at a McDonald's restaurant of all places. It's not a place that I normally would go to.

The reason I was there was that I wanted to listen to a podcast in which my friend Mike Ruppert was interviewing my friend Guy Mcpherson. The podcast URL address is written below. For some reason, I couldn't link it directly to my blog, so for those interested, the url will need to be typed in.

http://lifeboathour.podbean.com/2013/08/11/lifeboat-hour-guy-mcpherson-081113/

Listening to this interview, while watching the people at the restaurant gobbling down their big macs and fries, was a strange contrast.

Happy trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

SISTERS JUDYROSIEGERRYLYNN

POST # 82

During a recent visit to Vancouver by my sister Rosie and her husband Keith, the subject of loneliness came up.

My chosen lifestyle of wandering around house/pet sitting these days, prompted Rosie to ask, "Don't you ever get lonely?" My response was that I couldn't really think of a time in my life when I ever felt lonely**. This got me to thinking of just why that might be the case, and for what it is worth, here is my take on the subject.

Fortunately for me by the time I was born, there were already four older sisters inhabiting the house that I grew up in. Now, even though I was unaware of all the attention I must have been given in those early years, I think it helped to form a foundation of feeling secure in the world around me.

(Mom and sisters with Paul still "in the oven")

I grew up in a very loving environment, and when one feels loved, it's difficult in my humble opinion, to feel lonely. That feeling of being loved has carried right through to the present day, and I am grateful for that.

Even though we all live in different parts of the world these days, which results in infrequent communication, it's comforting to know that they are there.

And it keeps the loneliness at bay. Thanks sisters.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful (but never lonely) Wanderer

**Upon re-reading this short essay, I would only clarify that when it comes to spreading the message of climate change which I often talk about here, then I feel quite alone. But other than that, loneliness is not an issue for me due to the reasons stated above.


And one final thought...
I did have a moment of terror back in 2003 when I thought that the sailboat I was on in the middle of the Indian Ocean, was holed, and was going down. It was dark, I was alone in my cabin, and in that moment, I have to admit, I felt very, very, alone.

GRUNTLED JACKSON AND HIS TOE JACKPOT

POST # 81

When I awoke this morning, I was all set to write about the cyclone that is currently happening over the Arctic Ocean which I think is worth writing about, however for those of my readers who want more information (very few???) they can go to arctic-news.blogspot.com and get all the information they desire including an article by Paul Beckwith titled, "The Great Arctic Flush" dated July 21st 2013.

However...

A conversation with my sister and brother in law changed my mind, so here we go then.

Rosie and Keith have been visiting me here at my housesit thanks to the generosity of the owners. They departed an hour or so ago, and if I could get inside the brain of Jackson the dog, I imagine that he is feeling somewhat disgruntled at the moment.
Perhaps the title should have read, "The Previously Gruntled Jackson and His Toe Jackpot" but I digress.

As the owners know, and as anyone who has had the opportunity to spend time with Jackson also knows, he has a habit of licking any human's toes that may become available from time to time. During the summer months, the odds are pretty good that any human within sniffing distance may just have bare feet. And this was the case the other morning.

Keith was sitting at the kitchen table, checking some things out on the internet. From his sitting position, his feet were not visible due to the table obstructing his view. From where I was standing however, I could see that Jackson the toe licker, was settled in nicely under the table and out of Keith's view, and was licking the toes on Keith's left foot, like they were either the tastiest toes he'd ever had the pleasure to lick or they were the last toes on the planet. Whatever it was, Jackson looked extremely GRUNTLED. This continued for some time and I was amazed at how Keith put up with it. Finally I made some comment about Keith's tolerance or whatever, and it was at that point that I realized that Keith had been totally unaware that Jackson was even there slurping on breakfast toes.

Due to a stroke many years ago, Keith has no feeling in his left foot which is terribly unfortunate for Keith, but it was like hitting the toe jackpot for little Jackson. We all had a good laugh about it, and Jackson probably wondered what all the commotion was about. It was good that we noticed when we did or Keith might have discovered a few toe nails or toes, missing by the time he left here.

But now the magic foot is gone, and with it so are Jackson's dreams of unlimited toe licking until his tongue falls off or finally gives up from exhaustion. And thankfully for Keith, he left with all his toes intact.

While all this toe licking was taking place, Peach was content to just find a warm spot in the sun to have a snooze and ponder the fact that her brother has this weird toe fetish, which she doesn't share.

Jackson, on the other hand will be left to wonder if it was all just a dream, or did he really finally come across the toe jackpot. It was like licking an ice cream cone in which the ice cream never diminishes over time. Now wouldn't that be something.


Happy trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE PURRING MACHINE

POST #80

I received an email this week from one of my housesit clients, to let me know that one of their pets, Bob, had finally come to the end of his life. Bob is "the purring machine" pictured on this blog.

Now, I have come to know quite a few cats on my housesit adventures, and they are all unique in their own special way. Bob's claim to fame from at least my point of view was the strength of his purring ability. All you had to do was just look at him from across the room and he'd start up his "motor" and slowly walk his way toward you, purring all the way. He walked slowly because he was old, and probably had a bit of arthritis in his legs. If I happened to be lying on the couch at the time (which I was doing a lot of those days) I would have to lean over and pick him up, as his jumping ability was pretty well non existent by then. Once I had him placed on my lap, he would turn on the drooling pump and soon there was a wet patch located somewhere on me.

I had the opportunity to meet Bob and the other cast of critters, Sadie, Blueberry, and Mr. Bumples, during my housesit in March/April 2012 in Grand Forks. As is well known by now to the few readers of this blog, that is when and where I had my tumble down the mountain. During this period, as mentioned above, I spent many, many hours at a time lying on the couch in the living room, and Bob was always there, nestled in on my lap or chest, purring and drooling up a storm. He became quite a comfort to me during that period, and I am thankful for his presence. It was easy to focus on him, and forget about my leg.

Apparently he died back in early June, however since I don't really do the Facebook thing anymore, I only found out this week. I am sure the owners were sad about his death, but they had him as a pet for a very long time, so they would have had plenty of purr/drool sessions with him I'm sure. And, they still have the other three to keep them company for now.

In the final analysis, all we can really take with us in the end is our memories. One of mine will be of the cat named Bob from Grand Forks, aka " the purring machine." My life is a little bit richer because of the time I got to spend with him.

Happy Trails (Bob)

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Today marks two years of being registered with the Housecarers service, and it's been a fun journey so far.

WAITING FOR A MIRACLE

POST # 79


While riding my bike yesterday on my way to my current housesit, I went past a car with a bumper sticker which read,"Whatever can go right, will go right. EXPECT A MIRACLE."

So that's all it takes then is it? Just expect a miracle and everything will be right with the world. Sounds pretty easy really. I suppose all we need to do now is get the word out to all the scientists who are giving us accurate data regarding the climate and tell them that hey, forget about all the graphs and measurements, forget about all the carbon and methane in the atmosphere, forget about the fact that the Arctic ice sheet may be totally gone by as early as this September and forget about the sixteen self reinforcing feedback loops that are now taking place, and throw all that out and just order up a miracle or two or three. Problem solved. We can all go back to business as usual and let the magic of a miracle save the day.

Well, I don't buy the miracle thing, but I imagine that there are plenty of folks who do because it seems to be an easy answer to a predicament that gets worse with each passing day. Life goes on.

Arriving at my housesit, I was greeted by my two little canine buddies, Jackson and Peach. As far as I know, they aren't subjected to miracles of any shape or form, although my arrival may have seemed like a miracle to them. The time interval between the departure of the owners, and the arrival of the house sitter is their form of limbo. "Who's going to feed us, if no one shows up?" They always appear happy to see me when I arrive.

After settling in and spending time with the baby boneheads, I headed out for a bike ride. One of the things that I notice more frequently now, is the amount of trees that are turning brown, even though autumn is a long way off. In the past month or so, I have been from California to Canada, and this business with the trees is everywhere one cares to look. It's just another indication that things are changing. All one has to do is take the time to observe, and the signs are all around.

I'll be here for the next month, and I look forward to the time spent with Jackson and Peach. Plenty of walks will be good for all of us and by the end of each day I imagine that the three of us will feel very gruntled.

Thinking back on the bumper sticker I saw yesterday, perhaps it would have been better to have used the Bruce Cockburn phrase, "Waiting for a Miracle" as I think we will all be waiting, waiting, waiting, for the miracle that never comes.

Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful (Gruntled) Wanderer

AUSTRALIAN USA

POST # 78


If someone would have plunked me down in the area I have just recently visited, I could have sworn that I was travelling somewhere in the Australian outback. One thing that made me think this, was the proliferation of *gum trees, and the other was the extreme heat.

However I was nowhere near Australia. I was in California, of all places, on the continuing journey with my friend Mary, after delivering her piano to Bend, Oregon.

Our trip from Bend took us past the spectacular Mount Shasta which towers some fourteen thousand plus feet above sea level. From there we headed south through the town of Weed, and eventually we decided to spend a night at Redding, CA. On the journey south, the temperature in Redding was 113 degrees F ( 45 degrees C) and when we passed through Redding again on our return north, the temperature hit 115 degrees F ( 46 degrees C ) with a hot westerly wind blowing.

Everywhere we travelled in southern Oregon, and northern California, the landscape looked extremely parched. This is the condition for much of the southern USA and the wildfires have been taking their toll as the days of summer roll on.

Mary and I spent a couple of days with a relative of hers in the Portola Valley which is about forty miles or so south of San Francisco. Driving through San Francisco was interesting to say the least. I am glad that I don’t live in such a populated area as that, and it was pleasant to arrive at our destination, which is a very rural area that again reminded me of Australia.

Eventually we made it back here to the Pacific Northwest and the temperature was lower by 45 degrees F. This was a big relief.

Soon, I will be back in Vancouver to take care of my dog friends, Jackson and Peach, and so that is where my next blog entry will take place.

Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

*http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/history/la-as-subject/who-eucalyptized-southern-california.html

"BEND"ING A PIANO TO OREGON

POST # 77

Yesterday I helped my housesitter friend Mary, transport a piano to the town of Bend in Oregon. She drove the U-haul truck with the piano, and I followed along in her car. The journey started off extremely wet along the interstate in Washington, however once we had crossed over the Columbia river into Oregon, the skies cleared and the heat arrived.

We expect to be here for a couple of days before heading south again to around the San Jose area of California to visit a friend of Mary's. From there it will be the long journey back north to Washington.

The heat here in Bend is beginning to increase and I had heard that it could reach a high of 110F over the weekend which is apparently hotter than normal for this area. How come I am not surprised anymore by news like that? There will be plenty of locals floating down the river in the next few days, trying to stay as cool as possible.

It has been an interesting journey so far and my mind continues to expand with the new sights that I see. The only uninteresting place along the way is a town we passed yesterday with the name of BORING OREGON. It must be very uninteresting with a name like that.

This week's blog will be short, as there are plenty of other things to keep me busy for now, and I imagine by the time July 7th's blog rolls around, there will be more news to talk about by then.

LIKE THE HEAT!

Happy trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ALBERTA FLOODING

POST # 76


In recent years, it seems that hardly any time at all goes by before there is news of some place somewhere being inundated by floodwaters. Yesterday it was my hometown of Calgary that was in the crosshairs along with the surrounding area of Canmore and Banff. I had thought that I was going to write about the first day of summer on this June 21st blog entry, but after reading and seeing some of the footage yesterday about the floods it seemed more appropriate to get this on the record.

As I write these words, I have yet to be connected to the internet so I don’t know the latest, however from some of the video clips I saw yesterday, I can only imagine what certain areas in and around Calgary are like today as well as the town of Canmore, where friends have a home very close to Cougar Creek which was running wild only 24 hours ago.

Just recently the flooding in Germany was in the news, and before that I have images in my mind of other places in Europe and elsewhere where flooding has become an issue. The floods are becoming more widespread, more frequent and certainly more intense.

Of course this begins to make sense when it is tied to the knowledge of the changes taking place on the planet due to climate change. The melting of the ice cap in the Arctic, which could in fact be ice free as early as this September, has caused the temperature difference between the pole and the mid latitudes to decrease. One major side effect of this decrease is the effect it has on the polar jet stream. The wave of the jet stream has not only become more amplified in a north/south axis, but it has also slowed as well. This change allows a particular weather pattern to persist longer than it might have in the past. So in the case of what is going on in Alberta at the moment, the wet warm air mass can be stationary for quite some time and this increases the volume of precipitation resulting in the current flooding. In addition to that, if the air mass is warm, along with the rain, the spring ice melt can exacerbate the situation, and the combination of the two appears to be getting the upper hand on the infrastructure which is in place and which was probably not designed to handle such conditions.

So this week it’s Alberta, but who knows where the next flood zone will occur? One thing appears fairly certain at this point. There will be more flood events like this and one of the primary causes appears to be this jet stream condition which only continues to show signs of change due to Arctic ice loss. Once the ice is completely gone, which looks now to be a certainty, if not this year, then very soon after, the extreme weather events which caused this flooding and other flooding around the world will become even more unpredictable as time passes.

And just this past week I read an article which was suggesting that, and I quote, “It’s time to put an end to this global warming hoax”. The article was from a Canadian news service. Of course there was no mention at all about Arctic ice melting. It would be difficult to write an article about the global warming hoax and mention the ice melting in the Arctic in the same breath. I find it almost laughable that this disinformation continues to be printed, but I guess as long as there are people to read it, or cannot make the connection between the two, the propaganda will no doubt continue. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the day when all the ice is completely gone and still there will be someone somewhere writing about “the global warming hoax”.

____________________________________________________________________

And something totally unrelated. Savanna the dog died a couple of days ago. She was a wonderful old dog, and I am grateful to have known her and spent some time with her recently. Her immediate human family will be sad because she is gone however they will have had almost 17 years of memories to carry with them from now on.


Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

CHANGING TACK

POST # 75

I looked up the word “tack” in the dictionary the other day and there are a variety of definitions. One relates to sailing and is “the act of changing the course of the vessel by turning the bow into and through the wind”.
A second definition is “a course of action or policy”.

Changing the course of action is the one that caught my eye.

Recently I was reminded yet again that the topic of climate change is at the very least a difficult subject, and one that many people do not want to discuss, kind of like religion and politics. I found myself bringing the topic up again recently and the reaction that I received is what I have now come to expect, so it doesn’t really surprise me any longer. People will listen only to a certain point and then it’s time to change the subject or have the subject changed for you. At least I have become better over the years at recognizing when that time has come.

So I decided on a new tack. From now on, I will refer anyone who is interested to my friend Guy Mcpherson’s website which is called “Nature Bats Last” and can be found at guymcpherson.com and let Guy do the talking. He has managed to put together a very comprehensive package of scientific facts which spell out the situation very clearly for anyone who is willing to at least hear the message. What they do with the information is entirely up to them. This reminds me of a conversation I had years ago with one of my Aquabus colleagues, and at the time she asked me why I would want to trouble myself with this topic. I remember pointing across the water to a condo and saying to her, that if I was standing at the bottom of it, and a huge chunk of concrete had let go from the top of the condo and was falling at a rapid rate towards me, I would want to know that, in order to get out of the way.

I will continue to pass this information on for as long as I am possible and the reason for doing so is encapsulated in the words of author Arundhati Roy- “The trouble is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out”.

So I will continue to speak out, even if it is only to refer people to the information so that they are aware. I understand that doing so has caused some friction over time with various people, and some friends have even fallen by the wayside. That makes me sad. In spite of that, I feel that the information regarding this topic is important and so I will try and share it with whomever wants to listen.

I suppose some would think that because of the dire subject matter, that I would be spending my days in a haze of depression. This in fact is not the case and I would go as far to say that it’s precisely because of the message, that I seem to get even more pleasure out of each day that I have to spend.

Another reason to change tack is that I understand completely that when I am telling any story (in this case the story of climate change) I tend to let my emotions get involved and at times, get quite worked up about it. Referring people simply to the facts on Guy’s website keeps the message clear and concise and takes the emotion out of it.
It’s kind of like that old line on the TV series “Dragnet” in which the main character, the detective (Joe Friday??) use to say, “Just the facts ma’am”. That’s how I view Guy’s website, it’s just the facts.

Life is truly an amazing thing and something to be appreciated even when it throws in a few curveballs now and again. And climate change is one helluva curveball.


Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer (or as I was recently referred to as “ The Happy Doomer”)

LIMBO LAND

POST # 74

According to the dictionary I am referencing, two of the four definitions for the word limbo are:

1- a region on the border of hell or heaven, serving as the abode after death of unbaptized infants.

2- an intermediate, transitional or midway state of place.


The first reference is from Roman Catholic theology, a doctrine that I let settle into the dustbin of my history a very very long time ago.
The second definition is much more appropriate in my case, as this is what happens to a house/pet sitter when a housesit that was booked, had to cancel due to illness. So my limbo is the space between the last housesit and the next one, whenever and wherever that may be.

It is a holiday from pet responsibilities, and even though I love the animals that I have had the opportunity to care for, it is nice every once and a while to be pet free. In the land of petsitter limbo I am free to roam around at will and explore new opportunities for places to rest my bones at the end of the day. Some places are more comfortable than others, but I take it all in stride, and just let the journey unfold as it will.

This limbo land allows me to ponder life, even more than I usually do. How long this particular period will last is still up for debate, however I know that at some point, it will end, and that I will be back in the petsitting seat again, ready to take on the next critter or critters that are in my future.

By the time my next blog post rolls around, the landscape which surrounds me could be completely different.

The adventure continues.

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BABY BOOMERS AND INFRASTRUCTURE

POST # 73



As time goes by and the cohort of humans that is commonly referred to as the baby boomers continue to age, our “infrastructure” ages along with us. Joints not working properly, aches and pains, memory loss, are all part of the aging process of our human infrastructure. After all, nothing lasts forever.

This past week, some other infrastructure that was “born” in 1955, the same year that I was, finally gave up the ghost. A bridge near the city of Mount Vernon here in Washington State, collapsed into the Skagit River. This particular bridge was located on Interstate 5 which is the main highway that runs from the Canadian border in British Columbia to the Mexican border.

The cause of the collapse was apparently due to a truck driven by a fellow Albertan transporting an oversized load south. According to reports, some part of the truck contacted one of the girders of the bridge’s structure. The resulting impact caused an entire section of the bridge to fall unceremoniously into the river. Amazingly, only the truck and two other cars ended up in the drink, and only a few minor injuries were suffered by a small number of people.

The accident happened around 7pm in the evening and the next day, my friend, Mary and I were travelling on the interstate south of said accident. At the time we had no idea at all about what had taken place less than twenty four hours earlier. Our return journey that day showed us just how much we take for granted believing that everything is going to work as we expect it to work, - forever. The traffic jam caused by the re-routing of traffic around the affected area, was a sight to behold. Lucky for us, we were moving in a direction opposite of the main jam, otherwise we might still be sitting there.

If one were to look at the entire country as a whole, this bridge was really just an insignificant structure compared to others scattered around the countryside. And yet, all it took was a small impact from a single truck, to cause chaos far and wide. The fact that it happened just prior to the long weekend helped to put a “spanner in the works” as they say in Australia, for quite a few individuals, who had planned to be using interstate 5 to get to wherever they were going that weekend.

This latest failure of infrastructure made me think back a few years to when I was still living in Vancouver, and there was an electrical malfunction that caused the entire downtown area to be without power for four days. During those four days, I happened to have a customer aboard my Aquabus ferry, whom had recently retired from B.C. Hydro, the power provider for the province. I’ll never forget what he told me that day. He said, “Vancouver-ites better get used to this happening from time to time because ALL OF THIS ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD.”

The point of all this is to say, that it really doesn’t matter whether we are talking about bridges, electrical grids, roads, subways, atomic power plants or whatever one wants to look at. All of it is getting as creaky and brittle as our aging baby boomer bodies. Most of it was constructed when the energy used to build it was cheap and plentiful, and at a time when it seemed that most municipalities were flush with money to continue to build and upgrade the systems. That was then and this is now. As time continues to pass, we will likely see more of, not less of these occurences. Having recently driven through Portland, Oregon, with all of its many bridges, I can only imagine what the folks living there must be thinking now. And plenty of those bridges are much much higher above the ground, than the bridge over the Skagit River. I certainly wouldn’t like to be on one of them when it fails. At that point, you would be hoping that you had purchased the latest car that could morph into an airplane and land safely. Somehow, I don’t think the technology party will be around long enough to see flying cars.

Thankfully, my own personal baby boomer infrastructure seems to be holding up so far in spite of the metal supports added to my right leg. And thankfully we weren’t travelling along Interstate 5 last week when the bridge came tumbling down like Humpty Dumpty. Sometimes it feels like life is like a game of Russian Roulette and at some point, one might find oneself in the wrong place at the wrong time. But until that time, I will continue to be thankful for each breath, and each precious day ahead.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

Bob Marley and Trains, Planes and Automobiles

POST #72


The Bob Marley song "Three Little Birds" came to mind early this morning just after I awoke due to some chirping birds outside my window. It has to be one of the most pleasant sounds to wake up to.

However, last night around 11pm and for the first time that I can ever recall, there were some birds chirping in the trees outside under the cover of darkness. At the same time as that was going on, fighter jets were flying past, creating a very disturbing noise. The sound coming from the birds was almost like a cry for help, and I commented to my friend Mary about whether there might be a connection between the two things.

As I am currently in between housesits, my dear friend Mary has offered me shelter here at a place called Shelter Bay. Shelter Bay sits right across the water from Whidbey Island upon which sits Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. On a daily basis, a multitude of fighter aircraft use this base for training. And sometimes,like last night for instance, they practice night operations and this was probably why my bird friends were feeling so stressed. I commented to Mary that for us, the sound was just an annoyance but to people in other parts of the world, the same sound would make a person feel fearful. From my point of view, the roar of the jets brings up a combination of anger, disgust and sadness.

According to some, the US consumes around 20 million barrels per DAY of oil and it has been suggested that approximately half of that amount is used just to keep the military machine functioning. Even though the justification for all of this military infrastructure is under the guise of bringing "freedom and democracy" to the world, the real reason is to continue to try and secure more oil resources to keep things running. Since I've been on the planet, the military machine has only gotten bigger which means of course that even more energy is required. It seems to me that this can't possibly end well in the long run. Many people around here, when they hear the jets fly past will say "that's the sound of freedom" however I am more inclined to agree with my friend Guy who says "it sounds like oppression to me."

And speaking of my friend Guy who writes at a website called "Nature Bats Last", I have just returned from my second visit to his place which he calls the mud hut, in southern New Mexico. I had a wonderful three plus days there during which time we had plenty to talk about. On my return journey to Washington state, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to visit with Mike Ruppert in Colorado. Mike is another person I've been learning from in recent years having read a couple of his books and viewing the movie "Collapse" back in 2009. Both he and his friend Doug made me feel very welcome, and I was grateful for the chance to spend time at their place.

The past week to ten days has seen me moving around using a combination of trains, planes and automobiles but now I will be settled in here at Shelter Bay courtesy of my friend Mary, prior to heading back to Canada in early June to begin my next housesit.

That Bob Marley song from back in the '70's which I mentioned at the beginning of this post has as part of the lyrics "baby don't worry about a thing,cause every little thing's gonna be alright". I wonder, if Bob were still alive today and heard the sounds of those birds last night, whether he would have written those same lyrics in 2013?

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE MUD HUT

POST # 71

Hi from the mud hut somewhere in New Mexico. My friend Guy has allowed me the use of his computer, so I wanted to send a few words to say that I am having/have had a wonderful few days here, with plenty of thoughtful discussions combined with time spent walking the goats Bella and Lillian, as well as collecting eggs from all the chickens on the property.

Tomorrow, I depart to Colorado for an overnight visit, and then fly out of Denver on May 16th to return to Washington, via Eugene Oregon. The thoughtful wanderer is doing plenty of thinking and plenty of wandering in this past week and it will be good to settle in one place for a while after this trip is complete.

Not sure if I'll be near a computer on May 21st, but if so I will add the next update.

One final note. My time spent here at the mud hut has been very relaxing and Guy has been a wonderful host. How he manages to do this and get all his work done, I will never know, but I am happy to be on the receiving end of his kindness, generosity and good humour. It's been a laugh a minute since I arrived.

Until next time.
Happy Trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

FAREWELL FURBALLS-HELLO MUD HUT

POST # 70


Felix, Oscar and Sophie don't know it yet, but tomorrow I'll be saying farewell to them again. My time on Orcas is coming to a close, and a very relaxed time it has been.

Of course I will miss their company, as they are some of the nicest cats I've ever had the pleasure to spend time with. I am going to miss how Sophie likes to stir things up with the other two from time to time. Having her around keeps those two old guys on their toes (claws?). It's been fun to watch them, and I have had more than my share of laughter as a result. I had another big laugh just before I started this blog, when Sophie came bolting through the cat door straight down the hallway. One second she wasn't in the house and the next thing I know is there is this noise and then a blur of fur racing down the hall. She must have been frightened by something, and she managed to scare the other two cats and me because of her dramatic entrance.

I've kept a pretty low profile while here this time, just being content with spending time with the cats, a daily bike ride of course, and enjoying time down at the beach. I haven't had much interaction with other humans but that's ok for a change of pace. One never has to go very far to find other people if one choses to do so, even here on quiet Orcas island.

Tomorrow I head out for my second journey to the mud hut (see post 60) in New Mexico, to visit friends. It will be a quick trip and I wasn't really sure if I could make it happen or not, but everything has fallen into place, so it seems, and so I'll be flying to Denver from Seattle, then renting a car and driving south to New Mexico. According to google maps, the journey is about 11 hours or thereabouts so I plan to find a rest stop along the way and snooze overnight in the car.

My time at the mud hut will be approximately 3 or 4 days, so it seems like a long way to go for such a short visit, but at the same time it seems important that I do go. I'm looking forward to my time there, as it will be an opportunity for thoughtful conversation which is something that I find very rewarding. I imagine at this time of year there will be some agrarian tasks to participate in compared to when I was there in February, and that participation will also be another learning experience which I look forward to.

At this point I am not sure when the next blog entry will be as I may or may not be close to a computer. I'll just have to see how the rest of the month pans out.

Time now to spend some more precious moments with the kitty kats, before I get out into the warmth of the day and take a ride to the beach for the last time on this trip to lovely Orcas.

Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

EXPO 88 AND NATURE BATTING LAST

POST # 69



My goodness, where does the time go? There are plenty of days that go by when I have this question pop into my head and yesterday was just one of those days. One of the online newspapers that I check in on occasionally is a paper from Brisbane, Australia. Yesterday the headline read something along the lines "25 years since Expo 88." Instantly I was transported back in time to the year 1988.

I was there, and in fact I even worked at Expo 88. As I sat here on Orcas, I found it difficult to relate to the fact that 25 years had gone by since that time. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, after all. If one is fortunate enough to still be alive in their late 50's then of course it's easy to reflect back in time in decades rather than just years. If I look at myself in the mirror, I don't feel like I've aged that much, but fortunately for me, I don't have any photos here with me from back then. If I did, then I would certainly see the changes.

Yes, there have been plenty of changes, as the years have gone by, some of them difficult, but for the most part, life has been a walk in the park as the old idiom goes. Nowadays, even though I still like to plan for the future, I am much more focused on the present moments in my little life. I appreciate the fact that I am still here for one thing. Yes, like most people around my age, there are the standard aches and pains, but that's pretty insignificant, really. I try to not complain, but every once and a while I find that I do. I guess it's all part of being human.

My appreciation of the present is a result of many factors, but the main one is the fact that I am very convinced now, that humans, as just one of the many species on the planet, have a limited time span, primarily due to the changes that are taking place regarding the climate. Industrial civilization has brought us all to this place, and it is what it is. We were born into this set of living arrangements so it all seems quite normal. Perhaps as a culture we could have changed our direction a few decades ago, however it appears now that we have started some positive feedbacks into motion on the climate front, so now climate change looks to be unstoppable. We are left to deal with the consequences. It's going to be an interesting ride from here.

And there are plenty of us now, to go on this ride. All of human history up to the year I was born produced around 2.78 billion souls, and in the short 58 years that I have been wandering on this rock in space, the number has increased over two and a half times to around 7 billion. Ah, the exponential curve, it will always come back to bite you in the long run.

Moving right along, I don't follow professional sports these days, however yesterday I recalled the first professional baseball game that I ever watched live. It was back in Anaheim California in the mid 1980's, a game between the Angels, (the home team) and the Detroit Tigers. The game was memorable because the Tigers early on got to a lead of 6-2 and the score remained like that right until the bottom of the ninth inning. The Angels had two out, and the batter up had two strikes against him. In spite of these odds, the Angels kept getting another score in and eventually won the game 7-6. I only bring this up now to show that the home team bats last. Putting this into context with humans and nature, we humans are Detroit, and nature the Angels, and in spite of the fact that we managed to get way out in front early on, nature is now at bat to complete the game. Pass the peanuts and beer and let's see how things work out shall we?

Back here at the ranch, Oscar, Felix, and Sophie, have had their late breakfast and they've all settled in for the morning nap. The sun is back, after taking the day off yesterday, and I will take advantage of the day and get out and breathe the fresh island air and be thankful for my blessings. Each moment is precious.


Happy trails,

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

LOAFING AND DIGGING CLAMS

POST # 68


There is a beach called Crescent beach which I travel past most days on my daily bike ride. It sits at the head of East Sound, the large body of water that divides Orcas Island from East to West.

According to a book titled "Magic Islands", back in the 1860's and '70's "the shoreline at Crescent Beach was white with the tents of mainland people who had come over to the island to get away from it all." It goes on to say that "even before this, the Indians used to come here from all up and down the coast to loaf, fish, dig clams, and enjoy life."

This past week there has been some very low tides and this has allowed the digging for clams tradition to continue. For my part, I was happy to sit down in the sand propped up by a large piece of driftwood, and just "loaf" and enjoy life, while watching the others dig for clams. Not far from Crescent Beach is the town of Eastsound. Along the foreshore amongst other buildings sits a church, and according to the same book, the original pastor and his wife survived their first years here by just living off clams. Things have changed since then. In fact I haven't eaten even one clam since I arrived, and my guess is, that I probably won't by the time I leave next month.

Even though I haven't enjoyed any clams, I certainly can lay claim to the fact that I have been enjoying my fair share of "loafing" as each day melts into the next. I am going to pass the buck and blame it on the cats. The three of them like to spend a large portion of their days lounging around the house. In fact that is what they are doing right this moment. I'm tempted to go join them, but I had best get at least a few more words in before I do so. As I mentioned in last week's blog, after breakfast, the furballs like to find their favourite spots to curl up in and go into sleep mode. It's such a hard life.

Partly because it would be so easy to just be here with the cats all day and hang out, I make the effort to get out for a bike ride. There are some days, when the weather is looking a bit dodgy, that I am reluctant to venture out, but once I do, the effort is always worth it. It's a simple pleasure, and it makes me happy. What more could one ask?

As of this date I am roughly half way through my stay here on Orcas, and like other visits, I find it a very relaxing place to spend time. The cats are a big part of that. Of course with little Sophie the kitten around, it keeps the other two cats and me more active than before she was here. We seem to have a good time together.

Depending on what the weather looks like this coming week, I may decide to take a ferry over to Lopez or Shaw Island and go for a bike ride, but we'll see. Perhaps it might be easier and just as relaxing to stick with the routine here, and do my daily ride past Crescent Beach. Who knows, with the right tide, and a little more motivation, I might even go digging for some clams.

Happy Trails
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE ODD COUPLE'S EVEN ODDER

POST # 67

Before, that is, the last time I was housesitting here on Orcas Island, I only had the "odd couple" aka Oscar and Felix to care for. The odd couple, but an even number of cats. But now things have changed. Now the odd couple is truly odd, with a third cat on the scene. Her name is Sophie.

Sophie arrived here from the animal shelter a while back. She's still just a kitten and that being so, she has the energy and curiosity of a kitten. Because she is small and young, Oscar and Felix appear to have adjusted to this new addition to the house, and I haven't seen any conflict since I arrived here about a week ago. Of course there is the usual cat wrestling that takes place, but Oscar and Felix were doing that with each other before Sophie arrived. The only difference that I see now, is that instead of it being Oscar vs Felix, it's now either Oscar vs Sophie, or Felix vs Sophie. I have yet to see a cat rumble involving all three of them, but hey, I'm here for a while longer so it may still happen.

The Sophie addition has made the housesitter, that would be me, have to adjust to a new feeding routine for the cats. It used to be pretty easy and straight forward with only the other two, but with Sophie now on board, I have to squirrel her away in a separate room for meal time (as per the owner's request) otherwise she somehow manages to get to the food before Oscar or Felix do. She doesn't seem to be intimidated at all in spite of the fact the two male cats both outweigh her by at least double. So the challenge is to get Sophie into the separate room with the food, without Oscar or Felix following us there. Actually, Oscar seems content to wait by his dish, but Felix usually runs into the room with Sophie, me and the food. We play this little game of back and forth until I can manage to separate Felix and Sophie, and from there on in, my problem is solved. I'm getting better at it as each day passes.

Life here back on Orcas (my fourth visit) is comfortable and serene, and I have no real complaints to speak of other than a few nagging aches and pains, which I think I mentioned in my previous blog. That aside, it's very relaxing to be hanging out here with the cats, and getting in a daily bike ride if the weather allows. Somehow the days just race on by in spite of the fact that I have a very open schedule.

It's still morning as I write these words, and after an earlier shower, the air is fresh, and the sun is beginning to shine on the surrounding countryside. My three furballs have now found their respective places to curl up and have their post breakfast nap. I guess eating takes a lot of energy out of them. So while my odd couple plus one take a break in the action, I think I'll take this opportunity to get outside and enjoy what's left of the morning.

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

??????????

POST # 66


Writer's block. That's what is going through my head this morning. There is plenty to write about but for some reason or another I just can't seem to get my brain around the idea today. So I think I'll keep this short and to the point.

My days here in Victoria are coming to and end this weekend, and I will be shipping out on Sunday. In some ways it feels like I just got here, as this housesit has gone by quite rapidly, in my mind at least.

Essie, Gaffer, James and Sally the cats have been wonderful company and very easy to care for. It's been purr heaven as opposed to pure heaven since I arrived here on March 14th and like always when I leave a housesit, I will miss the critters that I have been spending time with.

The area of Victoria that I have been living in is Oak Bay, and the street I am on is extremely quiet so it has felt somewhat country like as a result. The most prevalent sound outside is of birds chirping. Even as I write these words, it's the only sound I hear, aside from a purring cat sitting next to me.

Even though I have had the use of a vehicle while here, it has for the most part sat in the driveway, and I have chosen my preferred form of transport, the bicycle to get around on. Somehow, life for me seems pretty good, as long as there is a bicycle to ride and I have made a point of getting out for a spin every day that I have been here. It makes me happy, and the weather has even co-operated. Only once, did a big grey cloud catch up to me before I got home and manage to dump at least some of its precipitation upon my head.

Another thing that has been on my mind since even before I arrived here was that I have been troubled with some aches and pains that started a while back and it would be nice to put it down to the fact that I am just getting older, however I decided to make a trip to the doctor and have a bunch of tests done, the results of which all came back negative. In fact, according to the test results, I am actually quite healthy. Hmmmm!! Maybe it's all in my head? In any event I will continue to cruise through the days ahead and see what the future brings.


And finally, just to note that I may or may not be near a computer to complete my next blog which is scheduled for April 7th, but only time will tell. Perhaps by then, I will be able to muster up a few more words than I have done today.

Happy trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

CYCLING IN SPRINGTIME

POST # 65


Even though most people accept that the Spring Equinox arrives on or about the 21st of the month (except my Australian friends who for some reason think that the seasons change on the first), it actually arrived at 4:02am yesterday March 20th here on the west coast of North America. "Spring has sprung" as the old saying goes, and with that, the temperature will continue to warm as the earth proceeds on its never ending journey around the sun.

I couldn't think of a better excuse to go for a bike ride, and so after getting a few other things out of the way yesterday morning, which included a follow up visit to the doctor to have a look at the recent x-rays of my leg, I returned home, had a quick snack, let the cats that wanted in, in, and the ones that wanted out, out, and headed to the garage to get the bike and start out on my journey.

Now I would be hard pressed to think of anything that makes me as happy as I am when I am riding a bicycle. Yes, there are a few things, but hey, this is a family blog, right? A well functioning bike, a sunny day, an open road and who could ask for more? Well, maybe a tail wind but I'll get to that in a moment.

Riding these days is especially rewarding, mainly because I can. After breaking my leg last year, and hearing from the surgeon, that I might have to have my right foot amputated, I am particularly grateful to still have the opportunity to enjoy an activity which gives me so much pleasure. The bike has been my friend for many decades now, and I have been fortunate to travel some extended distances on two wheels, and even though there have been times, when the weather isn't co-operating and the riding is difficult, on balance, this activity is very rewarding to me on many levels. Not only is it a wonderful way to get a LONG look at the passing scenery, it's a great form of exercise as well. I get an overwhelming sense of freedom when I am riding.

So it was with this feeling yesterday, that I headed out on my journey. My plan was to travel west into the teeth of an incredibly strong wind, so that I would have the advantage of a tail wind on my return journey home. There was an actual wind warning in effect for here in Victoria yesterday, and there may have been wind gusts up to 100kph. Lots of fun. In spite of the occasional rain shower, I was more than happy to give my body a good work out on the bike.

Now what do you need, really, to ride a bike? Yes, you need the actual machine itself and you need a healthy enough body to operate the machine, and of course your body has to have some fuel in it to provide the energy to the muscles in order to spin the sprockets and transfer energy to the wheels so that you can produce a force to carry you along. Yes, you need all of that, but you need another essential component and if it isn't present, your bike ride and for that matter, everything else comes to a grinding halt. Everything Paul? Yes, everything. The planes don't fly, the cars don't drive, and the cats don't eat. Come on Paul, what on earth could be so important that it would cause all those things to happen?

I was pondering this question yesterday, as I stood along the coastline and felt the force of the wind in my face during a break in my ride. Prior to my break, I had had to breathe quite heavily to suck in enough oxygen to provide the energy to move forward against the wind and this got me to thinking about this component of life that we all take for granted, that being, oxygen. Without it, everything comes to a halt. Now of course, we take oxygen for granted just like we take gravity for granted. They've always been there and always will be. But according to the facts that are now coming out in ever greater quantity, this thing called oxygen is beginning to look like it will be going the same direction as the dinosaurs. In other words, extinct. Say what? That couldn't be possible. However, according to a scientific paper written by Malcolm Light, a specialist in earth sciences written in February 2012, this is the likely future we face. He says, extinction of all life on earth by mid century and to be more specific, 2031 in the northern hemisphere and 2047 in the southern hemisphere. See below:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Global Extinction within one Human Lifetime as a Result of a Spreading Atmospheric Arctic Methane Heat wave and Surface Firestorm

Abstract

Although the sudden high rate Arctic methane increase at Svalbard in late 2010 data set applies to only a short time interval, similar sudden methane concentration peaks also occur at Barrow point and the effects of a major methane build-up has been observed using all the major scientific observation systems. Giant fountains/torches/plumes of methane entering the atmosphere up to 1 km across have been seen on the East Siberian Shelf. This methane eruption data is so consistent and aerially extensive that when combined with methane gas warming potentials, Permian extinction event temperatures and methane lifetime data it paints a frightening picture of the beginning of the now uncontrollable global warming induced destabilization of the subsea Arctic methane hydrates on the shelf and slope which started in late 2010. This process of methane release will accelerate exponentially, release huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere and lead to the demise of all life on earth before the middle of this century.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


To be specific, the methane, along with other feedback loops that are now well underway will cause the temperature to increase to such an extent, that the oceans will become dead zones, and because half of our oxygen is produced by phytoplankton in the ocean, that's a problem. The other half of the oxygen is produced by plants on land and with the increase in the temperature, the plants will wither away and that will probably take care of the rest of the oxygen. So, no more bike riding.



Now of course, this seems to be a major predicament, or a sticky wicket if you wanted to use a cricket term. But the evidence is there for anyone with the inclination to search it out. Some truths are harder to swallow than others.

On the plus side of things, it does help me to focus on what is, and what isn't important going forward. In other words, it helps to simplify even more, my already simplistic lifestyle.

So this is what I was thinking about yesterday, while taking a well earned break on my bike ride along the coast. Feeling rested, I continued my journey back home with a magnificent tailwind to push me along. The trip back was an almost effortless affair.

I arrived home to be greeted by James, Essie, Gaffer and Sally, the four other occupants of my current housesit here in Victoria. The cats that were in, when I left, were doing what cats do best, that is, having an afternoon nap when I arrived home. It seemed like a good thing to do, and having enjoyed some exercise, I decided that I too had earned the right to have a little cat nap of my own for a while, and maybe dream about my next bike ride.

Happy Trails and bike rides,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer