POST # 244
The title of today's blog is not to be confused with the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life", although it is related.
I recently finished reading a book with this title, by author, Stephen Jay Gould, a paleontologist.
One of the main themes of the book is one of contingency.
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/contingency?s=t
The book explores how humans came to evolve. It's a fascinating read, as it explains how if the tape of evolution could be replayed, the odds are high that we may never have come into existence at all. Now that really is something to think about.
In the movie we see how the future changes when the character George Bailey is shown by his guardian angel Clarence, how many things changed in the future as a result of him not being born. Contingency.
In the book, we are shown how a certain fossil* that existed around 570 million years ago, could be our ancestor, and if it wouldn't have existed, we may not even be here. Contingency.
Reading this book certainly helps to put the trials and tribulations of daily life into perspective.
We exist. Let's just try to enjoy the ride for as long as we can.
*Pikaia was a primitive creature that lacked a well-defined head and averaged about 1 1⁄2 inches (3.8 cm) in length. It is closely related to the ancestor of all vertebrates; as such, it receives otherwise-inordinate attention among the multitude of animal fossils found in the famous Burgess Shale in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
THOUGHTFUL: showing consideration for others; occupied with or given to thought; contemplative; meditative. WANDERER: moving from place to place without a fixed plan; or having no permanent residence; nomadic.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
THE HUMAN WHISPERER
POST # 243
Look into my eyes, Thoughtful Wanderer(TF) . I have you "furrmly" in my control. Unbeknown to you, I have been working on controlling your thoughts from the day you arrived here. Because you are a mere human, and I am a superior furball you really don't stand a chance in this mental chess game.
One of your main weaknesses which is true of all members of your species, is that you lack the ability to stay focused on the present moment. This lack of focus causes you to be mentally inferior to the rest of the animal kingdom. My species, and that other species that barks way too much, have really managed to take almost complete control over you. And the best part as far as I am concerned, is that you are totally oblivious to this fact. I will add one small caveat. Of all the humans that I have known, you alone do seem to have the occasional moment of clarity, and when that happens, you are then living like I do, in the present moment. During those moments I realize that you are on equal grounds with me, and I have to work harder to get you back under my control. I've found that the art of purring seems to solve my problem. Once I start that, your big brain wanders right off again, and you are mine, all mine.
You like to think that you are the boss. How well is that working out for you, TF? Have you even noticed that it is you who follows me around? It is you who sits down on my couch in order to be close to me. It is you who has fallen for the idea that I've earned another treat. You're such a push-over, and there are times when I think that it's almost unfair that I take advantage of you in the way that I do. But hey, what's a superior species to do, than to take advantage of lesser ones? The best part as far as I am concerned is that you think that you are the one in control. Ha, ha, ha!!!!
I plan on continuing with this mind control over you TF, right up to and including the last day of your house sit. Just watch how fast the treats begin to disappear from the treat jar. It's all part of my master plan. My ultimate goal is to have you come back at some point in the future, because in spite of the fact that you do occasionally spend time in the present moment, in my furball opinion, you really have a long way to go to match my mental capacity.
If you need any further proof TF, just take note of the photo below. You don't stand a chance.
I am so good at this, that I only need one eye open in order to keep you under my spell.
Purringly yours,
Piper
(The human whisperer)
Look into my eyes, Thoughtful Wanderer(TF) . I have you "furrmly" in my control. Unbeknown to you, I have been working on controlling your thoughts from the day you arrived here. Because you are a mere human, and I am a superior furball you really don't stand a chance in this mental chess game.
One of your main weaknesses which is true of all members of your species, is that you lack the ability to stay focused on the present moment. This lack of focus causes you to be mentally inferior to the rest of the animal kingdom. My species, and that other species that barks way too much, have really managed to take almost complete control over you. And the best part as far as I am concerned, is that you are totally oblivious to this fact. I will add one small caveat. Of all the humans that I have known, you alone do seem to have the occasional moment of clarity, and when that happens, you are then living like I do, in the present moment. During those moments I realize that you are on equal grounds with me, and I have to work harder to get you back under my control. I've found that the art of purring seems to solve my problem. Once I start that, your big brain wanders right off again, and you are mine, all mine.
You like to think that you are the boss. How well is that working out for you, TF? Have you even noticed that it is you who follows me around? It is you who sits down on my couch in order to be close to me. It is you who has fallen for the idea that I've earned another treat. You're such a push-over, and there are times when I think that it's almost unfair that I take advantage of you in the way that I do. But hey, what's a superior species to do, than to take advantage of lesser ones? The best part as far as I am concerned is that you think that you are the one in control. Ha, ha, ha!!!!
I plan on continuing with this mind control over you TF, right up to and including the last day of your house sit. Just watch how fast the treats begin to disappear from the treat jar. It's all part of my master plan. My ultimate goal is to have you come back at some point in the future, because in spite of the fact that you do occasionally spend time in the present moment, in my furball opinion, you really have a long way to go to match my mental capacity.
If you need any further proof TF, just take note of the photo below. You don't stand a chance.
Purringly yours,
Piper
(The human whisperer)
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
I AM FURBALL
POST # 242
I EAT
I SLEEP
I PURR
I PURR
I CONTROL HUMANS
I AM
FURBALL
living a life of profound acceptance, (which includes furballs)
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
PEARL HARBOR and HUMMINGBIRDS
POST #241
The other day as I was standing in line at the grocery store checkout, I happened to notice the cover on the latest issue of Time magazine. There was one of those iconic images of a ship under attack at Pearl Harbor, 75 years ago, today. The "old" Paul, pre-2005 would have looked at that image and maybe thought about the story that we have all been told about how the Japanese planned a sneak attack, which resulted in the USA entering WW2, along with many other countries, Canada included.
We now know that the US government knew all along that the Japanese were coming, and let the attack happen. I won't bother to go into how we know, except to say that as a result of the FOIA (freedom of information act), plenty of archive material has been analyzed which proves this to be true. Of course, like many other touchy subjects, this is just another example of the TRUTH being carefully edited out of the story. Prior to this event, apparently 80% of the American population had no desire to enter the war. But the day after it happened, they were lining up to join in the fight. I guess the propaganda worked. For readers who might like to do some research, the book mentioned in this link is a place to start, but there are plenty of resources available via the click of a computer mouse. (https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2005/12/07/day-of-deceit/)
Aside from the magazine cover, and the date reminding me of this event, it just goes to show how long a myth can endure. Recently we have been inundated with reports of "fake" news, suggesting that only the mainstream media (MSM) can be trusted to supply us with the truth. I would argue that the MSM is probably the last place to look for truth, and it almost doesn't matter what the subject is that is being discussed.
Of course this is just one example, of a government lying to its citizens in order to get into war. But the list is long, and it has been going on for decades. Thankfully now, we have the ability to research information that was never possible before. I wonder how few, if any wars would have been started if the leaders of the countries contemplating war had to place themselves on the front lines? My guess is that it would be a very peaceful world if that were the case.
______________________________________________________________________________
But believe it or not, Pearl Harbor wasn't the only thing I was going to write about today. I wanted to also mention the first snow of the season, at least for The Thoughtful Wanderer, that is. The snow was coming down yesterday morning, and because I tend to try and be in the moment as much as possible these days, I stood outside, gazed up at the sky, and was entranced by the falling snowflakes. This is what it looked like.
I was wondering how all the little hummingbirds were coping with the change of weather, so I went outside again, this time to the back of the house to see what's what. As luck (or good timing) would have it, one of these exquisite little creatures flew up to the feeder to have a quick drink, look at me as if to say "good morning" and then rapidly zoom away. I love these birds. They always put a smile on my face.
So in spite of all that "fake" news out there, it's comforting to know that you can still finding something that is real. Just look at nature.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
FLYING TO AUSTRALIA
(This photo was taken back in late 2014. It has nothing to do with the subject matter of this blog, but it is a nice photo flying over a cloud covered Pacific Ocean)
The other day as I was standing in line at the grocery store checkout, I happened to notice the cover on the latest issue of Time magazine. There was one of those iconic images of a ship under attack at Pearl Harbor, 75 years ago, today. The "old" Paul, pre-2005 would have looked at that image and maybe thought about the story that we have all been told about how the Japanese planned a sneak attack, which resulted in the USA entering WW2, along with many other countries, Canada included.
We now know that the US government knew all along that the Japanese were coming, and let the attack happen. I won't bother to go into how we know, except to say that as a result of the FOIA (freedom of information act), plenty of archive material has been analyzed which proves this to be true. Of course, like many other touchy subjects, this is just another example of the TRUTH being carefully edited out of the story. Prior to this event, apparently 80% of the American population had no desire to enter the war. But the day after it happened, they were lining up to join in the fight. I guess the propaganda worked. For readers who might like to do some research, the book mentioned in this link is a place to start, but there are plenty of resources available via the click of a computer mouse. (https://www.antiwar.com/blog/2005/12/07/day-of-deceit/)
Aside from the magazine cover, and the date reminding me of this event, it just goes to show how long a myth can endure. Recently we have been inundated with reports of "fake" news, suggesting that only the mainstream media (MSM) can be trusted to supply us with the truth. I would argue that the MSM is probably the last place to look for truth, and it almost doesn't matter what the subject is that is being discussed.
Of course this is just one example, of a government lying to its citizens in order to get into war. But the list is long, and it has been going on for decades. Thankfully now, we have the ability to research information that was never possible before. I wonder how few, if any wars would have been started if the leaders of the countries contemplating war had to place themselves on the front lines? My guess is that it would be a very peaceful world if that were the case.
______________________________________________________________________________
But believe it or not, Pearl Harbor wasn't the only thing I was going to write about today. I wanted to also mention the first snow of the season, at least for The Thoughtful Wanderer, that is. The snow was coming down yesterday morning, and because I tend to try and be in the moment as much as possible these days, I stood outside, gazed up at the sky, and was entranced by the falling snowflakes. This is what it looked like.
I was wondering how all the little hummingbirds were coping with the change of weather, so I went outside again, this time to the back of the house to see what's what. As luck (or good timing) would have it, one of these exquisite little creatures flew up to the feeder to have a quick drink, look at me as if to say "good morning" and then rapidly zoom away. I love these birds. They always put a smile on my face.
So in spite of all that "fake" news out there, it's comforting to know that you can still finding something that is real. Just look at nature.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Monday, November 28, 2016
SUPER MOON AND MY NEW BIKE
POST # 240
A couple of weeks ago on November 14th, there was a super moon. Yoda was too busy talking about the election, so he missed it. But I didn't. Here's a blurry photo.
A couple of weeks ago on November 14th, there was a super moon. Yoda was too busy talking about the election, so he missed it. But I didn't. Here's a blurry photo.
The last time that it was this close to the earth was on January 26th, 1948. Back then, I didn't exist. The next time it will be this close will be on November 25th, 2034. At that time, I don't expect to exist. So I am grateful to have had the opportunity to see this celestial event, at least once. Timing is everything.
Here is a link to info on the super moon.
It's just another reminder of how precious time is. That being the case, I like to spend some of that time riding my "new" bike. I picked it up for only $75USD, which is about a squillion dollars Canadian, but it was worth the price.
The frame is too large for me, but by sliding the seat as far forward as possible, it helps to compensate for the oversized frame. After a few rides, I have now adapted to it, and I am very happy to spend at least an hour per day in the saddle.
Not much else to report for today.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Monday, November 21, 2016
TRUTHS and LIES
POST #239
Yoda here. It's been fun to put in my two barks worth recently, but it's now time to turn this operation back over to it's creator, The Thoughtful Wanderer. Take it away, Paul.
Yoda here. It's been fun to put in my two barks worth recently, but it's now time to turn this operation back over to it's creator, The Thoughtful Wanderer. Take it away, Paul.
Thanks, Yoda.
In a sea of lies, which seems to be the order of the day now, it's good to know that there are still some verifiable truths in the world. These truths help to put life into perspective. Like for instance, the law of gravity. It's not something you can vote for, and it also doesn't matter one iota whether you believe in it or not. IT JUST IS. You may want to jump up and down and say that it's not fair. You may want to start a movement against gravity. Gravity might make you sad, or angry or depressed. But the bottom line is that on this planet, gravity is just part of the deal. Best to accept it. Here is another truth.
The Laws of Thermodynamics:
It makes no difference what the colour of your skin is, what country you live in, how rich or poor financially you are, or even whether or not you are a homo sapien. The laws of thermodynamics have an impact on everything on the planet, and in fact the entire universe. I was reminded of this recently when looking at some information* about the condition of the sea ice in the Arctic. Here it is, late November, and the Arctic ice extent is decreasing. It should be doing the opposite at this time of the year. See. Good old thermodynamics at play. The planet continues to heat up, and the ice continues to melt. So simple, yet the effects will be profound.
Back in the day, say about a century ago, the Arctic ice looked like this:
Ahhh, the good old days. If this gentleman was up there now, he might be better off with a boat.
Getting back to the topic of lies. The COP 22 (the 22nd Conference of the Parties) wound up last week in **Marrakesh, Morocco. I imagine there were some doozies spun during the conference, all wrapped around the main idea of "green economic growth" or something along those lines. The laws of thermodynamics could care less. Perhaps the conference would have been more appropriately named, ***Catch- 22, because it doesn't matter at this point, what humans do or don't do. It looks like we're done.
**(I find it interesting that the conference was convened in such a remote location. Out of sight, out of mind maybe?)
*** Catch 22 quotes:
“[They] agreed that it was neither possible nor necessary to educate people who never questioned anything.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to. Yossarian was moved very deeply by the absolute simplicity of this clause of Catch-22 and let out a respectful whistle.
"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
"That's some catch, that Catch-22," he observed.
"It's the best there is," Doc Daneeka agreed.”
― Joseph Heller, Catch-22
So while Yoda continues to enjoy his daily walks, I'll continue to enjoy whatever precious moments are left. And I'm going to spend the next few moments listening to Crosby, Stills and Nash.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Monday, November 14, 2016
MEET THE NEW BOSS...
POST # 238
Yoda here again. I checked with Paul and he said that I could put in my two barks worth this week, now that all that damn election stuff is over. I'll keep this brief, and use a few links to illustrate my view.
First up are the lyrics from an old song by "The Who", "Won't get Fooled Again"
https://play.google.com/music/preview/Ttteougld766bqxzafzlkzijjyq?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics
Plenty of food for thought in that song, but personally, I like the final two lines which sum up what just took place in my opinion:
"MEET THE NEW BOSS
SAME AS THE OLD BOSS"
Of course we could say that Donald Trump is the new boss, however I like to take a broader view than just some silly old election in the USA. I suggest that the old boss has been, and still is, industrial civilization, and the new boss will just be more of the same, until life on the planet is well and truly obliterated. The following video by Steve Cutts, pardon the pun, "cuts" to the chase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGMYdalClU
What just took place last week in the USA, may seem significant to many people, and there has been plenty of gnashing of teeth since then, however Carl Sagan said it best a long time ago when he called Earth a pale blue dot in order to illustrate just how insignificant we all are in the greater scheme of things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmP4Xzt0rN4
OK, I promise. Now that I have all of that out of my canine system, I'll go back to doing what I do, and leave the blog to Paul next week. I'm off to eat a dog biscuit, go for a walk, and poop out any leftover election angst, and while I'm doing that, why don't you turn up the volume on your computer speakers, and listen to that great old rock and roll tune by "The Who".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYMD_W_r3Fg
Dreaming of endless dog biscuits and walks,
Yoda
The Thoughtful Wanderer's bonehead friend.
Yoda here again. I checked with Paul and he said that I could put in my two barks worth this week, now that all that damn election stuff is over. I'll keep this brief, and use a few links to illustrate my view.
First up are the lyrics from an old song by "The Who", "Won't get Fooled Again"
https://play.google.com/music/preview/Ttteougld766bqxzafzlkzijjyq?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-lyrics
Plenty of food for thought in that song, but personally, I like the final two lines which sum up what just took place in my opinion:
"MEET THE NEW BOSS
SAME AS THE OLD BOSS"
Of course we could say that Donald Trump is the new boss, however I like to take a broader view than just some silly old election in the USA. I suggest that the old boss has been, and still is, industrial civilization, and the new boss will just be more of the same, until life on the planet is well and truly obliterated. The following video by Steve Cutts, pardon the pun, "cuts" to the chase.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGMYdalClU
What just took place last week in the USA, may seem significant to many people, and there has been plenty of gnashing of teeth since then, however Carl Sagan said it best a long time ago when he called Earth a pale blue dot in order to illustrate just how insignificant we all are in the greater scheme of things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmP4Xzt0rN4
OK, I promise. Now that I have all of that out of my canine system, I'll go back to doing what I do, and leave the blog to Paul next week. I'm off to eat a dog biscuit, go for a walk, and poop out any leftover election angst, and while I'm doing that, why don't you turn up the volume on your computer speakers, and listen to that great old rock and roll tune by "The Who".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYMD_W_r3Fg
Dreaming of endless dog biscuits and walks,
Yoda
The Thoughtful Wanderer's bonehead friend.
Monday, November 7, 2016
YODA SAYS...
POST # 237
Hello,
My name is Yoda, the blood shot, blue eyed, Boston Terrier, with a black dot on my head. My normally clear blue eyes are blood shot for a reason. I've been keeping tabs on all of this crazy American election stuff for quite a while now, and I have to tell you that no matter what happens tomorrow, I think I might have to consider heading north to Canada, to get out of the mayhem that is bound to follow, post election.
From what I can understand given my limited canine cognitive ability, it appears that there are plenty of humans in the USA that are going to be extremely angry if their candidate isn't chosen for President on November 8th. And one of the reasons that they might be angry is that nowadays, with electronic voting machines, it has been shown that the vote can be manipulated, so that the "chosen" candidate comes through with a victory. The 2006 documentary, "Hacking Democracy" did a good job of telling this story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy .
What does a "chosen" candidate look like? Well, like Barack Obama for instance. I read a story recently that really says it all when it comes down to who runs the show here. It was proven (via a leaked memo) that a senior executive at Citigroup sent a memo to the future Obama administration, with suggestions of who would be the appropriate people to put in various positions in the administration. Hmmm!!! That seems a bit strange. A bank executive telling the incoming government who should be heading various departments? But the real strange part of it was the memo was dated in October of 2008, which was prior to the election. I know, I'm only a Boston Terrier, but that even seems odd to me. It was almost as if the outcome of the election was already known, prior to election night. Well if that doesn't tell you who really controls things here, then I don't know what does? Here's a hint: follow the money. I suppose if it can be done in 2008, there's no reason that the same thing couldn't happen in 2016. Here is a link to the article: http://wallstreetonparade.com/2016/10/wikileaks-citigroup-exec-gave-obama-recommendation-of-hillary-for-state-eric-holder-for-doj/
In any event, it will all be over by tomorrow night, ( unless for some reason(s) the election is suspended???), and then I can get back to doing the things that a dog likes to do, like going for afternoon walks, chasing sticks, playing with my owner, enjoying the occasional dog treat, and just being happy to exist. After all, there are plenty of wonderful sights to enjoy in and around this area, like the view of the sunrise over Lake Louise the other day.
Plus, even though it's now very late in the season, my friend Paul, the petsitter happened to find some additional apples from a local tree. Personally, I don't find them as tasty as a dog biscuit, but Paul seems to like them. Humans sure are strange creatures.
I guess that's about all I have to say for this blog, and I'd like to thank Paul for letting me weigh in on the upcoming election. Next week, Paul will be back writing, however I may ask him if I can put in my two barks worth, post election, once we know the outcome. In the meantime, I'm going to try and let my blood shot eyes begin to recover.
Dreaming of walks and dog biscuits,
Yoda,
The Thoughtful Wanderer's bonehead friend.
My name is Yoda, the blood shot, blue eyed, Boston Terrier, with a black dot on my head. My normally clear blue eyes are blood shot for a reason. I've been keeping tabs on all of this crazy American election stuff for quite a while now, and I have to tell you that no matter what happens tomorrow, I think I might have to consider heading north to Canada, to get out of the mayhem that is bound to follow, post election.
From what I can understand given my limited canine cognitive ability, it appears that there are plenty of humans in the USA that are going to be extremely angry if their candidate isn't chosen for President on November 8th. And one of the reasons that they might be angry is that nowadays, with electronic voting machines, it has been shown that the vote can be manipulated, so that the "chosen" candidate comes through with a victory. The 2006 documentary, "Hacking Democracy" did a good job of telling this story. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacking_Democracy .
What does a "chosen" candidate look like? Well, like Barack Obama for instance. I read a story recently that really says it all when it comes down to who runs the show here. It was proven (via a leaked memo) that a senior executive at Citigroup sent a memo to the future Obama administration, with suggestions of who would be the appropriate people to put in various positions in the administration. Hmmm!!! That seems a bit strange. A bank executive telling the incoming government who should be heading various departments? But the real strange part of it was the memo was dated in October of 2008, which was prior to the election. I know, I'm only a Boston Terrier, but that even seems odd to me. It was almost as if the outcome of the election was already known, prior to election night. Well if that doesn't tell you who really controls things here, then I don't know what does? Here's a hint: follow the money. I suppose if it can be done in 2008, there's no reason that the same thing couldn't happen in 2016. Here is a link to the article: http://wallstreetonparade.com/2016/10/wikileaks-citigroup-exec-gave-obama-recommendation-of-hillary-for-state-eric-holder-for-doj/
In any event, it will all be over by tomorrow night, ( unless for some reason(s) the election is suspended???), and then I can get back to doing the things that a dog likes to do, like going for afternoon walks, chasing sticks, playing with my owner, enjoying the occasional dog treat, and just being happy to exist. After all, there are plenty of wonderful sights to enjoy in and around this area, like the view of the sunrise over Lake Louise the other day.
Plus, even though it's now very late in the season, my friend Paul, the petsitter happened to find some additional apples from a local tree. Personally, I don't find them as tasty as a dog biscuit, but Paul seems to like them. Humans sure are strange creatures.
I guess that's about all I have to say for this blog, and I'd like to thank Paul for letting me weigh in on the upcoming election. Next week, Paul will be back writing, however I may ask him if I can put in my two barks worth, post election, once we know the outcome. In the meantime, I'm going to try and let my blood shot eyes begin to recover.
Dreaming of walks and dog biscuits,
Yoda,
The Thoughtful Wanderer's bonehead friend.
Friday, October 28, 2016
RAMBLINGS PLUS A BONUS PODCAST AS WELL
POST # 236
The above photo could be an example of what happens to very old bike riding pet sitters and their canine friends. I really can't be sure, but this scene which I captured on my daily bike ride, makes me chuckle every day when I pass by. It's that time of year again and I'm reminded of when I last went out "trick or treating" in my old home town of Calgary. My guess is that it would have been 1965. Accompanied by my best friend, Victor, we decided to try just one more city block of houses, in order to add to our already abundant hall of goodies in our pillow cases. In order to accomplish this, we took a short cut down a dark alley. As we walked down the alley, a large (compared to us) shadowy figure approached us, slowly at first. He then began to run towards us. We both froze, not knowing what to expect next. Moments later he ran past us, but not before reaching out his arm and grabbing my pillow case and disappearing into the darkness. It all happened so fast, we couldn't believe it. Victor still had all of his goodies, and I lost all of mine. He tried his best to console me, as I cried all the way home. Of course I couldn't know this at the time, but by wanting to get even more goodies of which we already had more than enough, perhaps I had just learned a lesson about being too greedy?
Moving right along to another adventure, or at least a date that reminds me of the beginnings of another one. Today is one of those dates. The year was 2002, and I was living up in the Yukon at the time. I decided to call my friend, David Jones in Melbourne, Australia to wish him a happy birthday, and during the conversation, I asked, "What's new?' He told me that he was having a sailboat built in Durban, South Africa, and by early in the new year, he wanted to sail it back to Australia. He asked me right then and there if I would like to come along as part of the crew? I accepted his offer, and in 2003, David, myself and one other friend, Anthony sailed from Durban to Perth. The journey lasted 43 days, from March 6th to April 17th and it had a bit of everything thrown in. More than once on that trip, I thought that it would be my last day on the planet, and yet here I am over 13 years later, still kicking around. Amazing. And seeing as it is that date yet again, I'd better make sure to contact David today to wish him a happy birthday.
In addition to my daily bike ride, I have taken to doing a brisk afternoon walk as well around a small lake nearby. It's certainly not to the scale of the Lake Louise that I remember from back in Alberta, however it's an enjoyable way to spend about 40 minutes, doing a lap around it.
Some days I even meet a few canines along the way, and thankfully they all still have a covering on their bones, unlike the one in the photo at the start of this post.
On one of my walks I happened to come across these magnificent specimens.
MAGICAL??? MUSHROOMS
And now, on to the podcast which I mentioned in the title of this blog. Through my extremely good fortune, I had the opportunity to be the guest on a podcast recently, courtesy of Deb Ozarko and Deb Gleason. For those who can spare some of their precious time, the podcast is linked below.
The entire podcast runs for 1 hour and 40 minutes, so if you feel so inclined, sit back, grab your favourite beverage and listen in.
Finally, for this last post of the month, I've managed to dig up an old photo from the year 2000. A comment from someone named Steve Tober from last week's blog inspired me to add this. I had a look at his blog, and there were many photos from the mountains around Calgary. So Steve, if you happen to be reading this, here's a picture from way back when. Enjoy.
L-R Don, Me, Daryl
Tim took the photo and on the back, he wrote:
"July 22, 2000 The three (of 4) wise guys-having just summited 3 (of 4).
Paul hoisting his dad's 5lb. silver flask on Mt. Cornwall (9800') a mere two minutes before the lightning strike and Don and Daryl disappear but Tim offers Paul the lightning rod and all turns out well in the end. Didn't even leave anything on the summit."
I'm quite sure that the lightning strike mentioned above was the closest that I've ever been to getting "vapourized" by mother nature. What a way to go. At least it would have been quick. The funny part was that after the lightning struck, we all wanted to get flatter to the ground than the other three, just in case another bolt was on the way. Like Tim said, it all worked out well in the end, but we all had to check our underwear later. :-)
Wait. Just one more thing. I took a stroll up a small mountain near here the other day. It was a beautiful day for an autumn walk, as I crunched my way to the top.
OK, I think I'm almost done, except to say that I heard through the grapevine that something ?? could happen over the next few days in this country that might be quite disruptive, to put it mildly. Who knows? But with the craziness over the upcoming election here, anything is possible. All the more reason to enjoy each moment.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Friday, October 21, 2016
THE THOUGHTFUL WANDERER TURNS FIVE TODAY
POST # 235
Today, The Thoughtful Wanderer turns five which means that I have been doing this house/pet sitting gig full time now for just over five years. I departed Vancouver on October 1st, 2011 and wandered off to Orcas Island in Washington state and I've been wandering ever since then. What a life. And what fun it has been. Along the way I have been extremely fortunate to get to know some wonderful two-legged as well as four-legged animals.
I decided to look back through some of the blog posts and include them here. There are five in total, all with the same date as today, with only the year changing each time.
LAKE OSWEGO, OREGON
The very first post was written when I was in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I fell into this housesit as a result of my housesit on Orcas Island. Cathy, whom I was housesitting for on Orcas was renting at the time. The landlords came up to visit from Lake Oswego, and when they arrived, I happened to be out in the garden, weeding. No doubt I scored a few points with them, so they offered me a housesit at their place later in the month, and they even covered the cost of my transport.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2011/10/thoughtful-wanderer-begins.html
ORCAS ISLAND, WASHINGTON STATE
Fast forward exactly one year, and I found myself settled in back on Orcas Island. Something that I wrote back then, still holds true, and I've included it below.
"This year of housesitting has also allowed me to live the simple life that I find so attractive and stress free. If I have said this once I have said it a thousand times,
"as long as I have a roof over my head and a full belly, I really don't have anything to complain about." I still feel that way, maybe even more so in light of the events of the past year. Now, I am simply happy to just have another day to spend, and so it is extremely easy for me to wake up every day with a smile, knowing that I am alive and that I have another opportunity with the day ahead to just breathe the air and enjoy my life for as long as it will last."
For those who want to read the entire entry it is included here, and the comment above "in light of the events of the past year" refers to my potentially fatal fall down a mountainside on March 4th, 2012.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-blogiversary-paul.html
THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
I do get around. Even though I had been to Hawaii a few times, this was my first and so far only visit to the big island. I was a guest of my friend, Mary and I was only meant to be here for a couple of weeks, but my follow up housesit which was going to be back in British Columbia, fell through, so I stayed here for about six weeks total. The blog entry is short, and I included in it a link to an article about the ocean. Back then, I didn't know how to attach a link properly, so I have put it here as well.
The blog post:
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2013/10/two-years-on-and-pacific-ocean.html
The link to the article about the Pacific Ocean, and it describes a solo sailor's voyage. Being a sailor, I can highly recommend reading it, in spite of the fact that the author explains the sad state of the oceans, in this case, the Pacific.
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1848433/the-ocean-is-broken/?cs=12
BEND, OREGON
The blog anniversary for 2014 was spent with my friend Mary (mentioned above) at her new location in Bend Oregon. I was in between housesits, which provided me with the opportunity to spend time with her.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2014/10/nepal-blizzard-and-genoa-floods.html
DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Well to be exact, I was just west of the town of Duncan out on a small acreage. This was a wonderful place to be. It was election time in Canada and I think I wrote some pretty good words about how useless elections are. That's my humble opinion of course. Now here we are a year later, and in the USA where I am currently sitting, it's all about the Presidential election. I could just change the names of the politicians, and copy and paste the words from last year's blog and it would fit quite well.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2015/10/another-pointless-election-that-avoids.html
********************************************************************************
Naturally I think that it's worthwhile to re-read all of the above posts, however I am biased in that regard. I leave it up to the reader to decide. I suspect that the content of some of my blogs has turned away some of my readers, but that's ok, and it is of course their choice. After all, there are only so many hours in the day, and others may find that they have more important things to do.
So now what? Another 5 more years of blogging in front of me? I rather doubt it, but I can't be sure. It's not that I don't enjoy doing this four times/month, but I do wonder whether or not I'll be around to complete the task. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to believe that this blog will be going for many years into the future, and that I will be happily typing away at the keyboard until I'm very old and very gray or bald, whichever comes first. However, I can think of a few things that might interrupt this little blog ritual of mine. Let's see:
-habitat loss due to abrupt climate change
-chaos resulting from energy depletion, therefore no food at the grocery store
-WW111 (and this one would be nuclear) because of the crazies in Washington DC.
-heart attack
-unexpected accident
No doubt the list could be made much longer, but the length of it doesn't matter all that much. Death can come at any time, which is all the more reason to try and squeeze as much life as one can out of each moment. It's actually a good thing to think about one's own death because it makes life all that much sweeter, and what could be wrong with that? So these days I appreciate everything even that much more than I ever used to. And I mean appreciate everything. The fresh air to breathe, watching a hummingbird in flight, the light shining on a tree leaf, clean water to drink, everything. So it's a conundrum. The more one contemplates death, the more alive one feels, and for me at least, the happier I feel as each day arrives. Try it sometime.
I was reminded recently of the fifth item on the list above, that being an unexpected accident. In this case it was a plane crash which caught my attention. It made the news primarily because one of the occupants of the aircraft was the former Premier of Alberta. However, one of the other occupants was a person by the name of Sheldon Reid. A very long time ago I played ice hockey with a Sheldon Reid in Calgary, my home town. Of course I don't know for sure if this was the same person, but his age was about the same, so it is possible. The point of the story is that all four people on this aircraft wouldn't have thought that October 13th, 2016 was going to be their last day. One never knows, really.
Now I suspect that some of my readers might think that I am being morbid, but I don't happen to subscribe to that point of view. Life guarantees death. That's all you really need to understand, and if you can come to grips with that fact, then appreciating the precious moments that we all have, whether they last only until I finish typing this sentence, or for decades into the future, seem all that much more precious indeed.
As far as today goes, well, so far so good. I have a little mental check list that I go through, and if I can put a √ by each of the seven items on the list, then the odds are pretty good that I will get through today.
Here is the list:
1-clean air to breath
2-clean water to drink
3-food to eat
4-body temperature not too hot
5-body temperature not too cold
6-not critically injured
7-not critically ill
Of the seven items, it's really only the last one on the list which is somewhat of a wildcard. Your heart could stop beating at any moment, and that's not something that you can anticipate. I do what I can to minimize this by doing regular exercise and trying to eat properly, but hey, there's no guarantee that doing those two things is going to extend how many heart beats that are left. However, my current resting heart rate is around 47bpm so that's pretty healthy.
Well, I've rambled on a bit on this blog, so it's time to wind things up. I think I'll finish off, the way I began, with a nice photo. This was taken a couple of days ago down at the lakefront near where I am currently housesitting. This was the first I had seen the sun for many, many days and I was happy to be there at that moment to enjoy the scene.
A MAGNIFICENT APPROACH TO MY CURRENT HOUSESIT
Today, The Thoughtful Wanderer turns five which means that I have been doing this house/pet sitting gig full time now for just over five years. I departed Vancouver on October 1st, 2011 and wandered off to Orcas Island in Washington state and I've been wandering ever since then. What a life. And what fun it has been. Along the way I have been extremely fortunate to get to know some wonderful two-legged as well as four-legged animals.
I decided to look back through some of the blog posts and include them here. There are five in total, all with the same date as today, with only the year changing each time.
LAKE OSWEGO, OREGON
The very first post was written when I was in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I fell into this housesit as a result of my housesit on Orcas Island. Cathy, whom I was housesitting for on Orcas was renting at the time. The landlords came up to visit from Lake Oswego, and when they arrived, I happened to be out in the garden, weeding. No doubt I scored a few points with them, so they offered me a housesit at their place later in the month, and they even covered the cost of my transport.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2011/10/thoughtful-wanderer-begins.html
ORCAS ISLAND, WASHINGTON STATE
Fast forward exactly one year, and I found myself settled in back on Orcas Island. Something that I wrote back then, still holds true, and I've included it below.
"This year of housesitting has also allowed me to live the simple life that I find so attractive and stress free. If I have said this once I have said it a thousand times,
"as long as I have a roof over my head and a full belly, I really don't have anything to complain about." I still feel that way, maybe even more so in light of the events of the past year. Now, I am simply happy to just have another day to spend, and so it is extremely easy for me to wake up every day with a smile, knowing that I am alive and that I have another opportunity with the day ahead to just breathe the air and enjoy my life for as long as it will last."
For those who want to read the entire entry it is included here, and the comment above "in light of the events of the past year" refers to my potentially fatal fall down a mountainside on March 4th, 2012.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2012/10/happy-blogiversary-paul.html
THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII
I do get around. Even though I had been to Hawaii a few times, this was my first and so far only visit to the big island. I was a guest of my friend, Mary and I was only meant to be here for a couple of weeks, but my follow up housesit which was going to be back in British Columbia, fell through, so I stayed here for about six weeks total. The blog entry is short, and I included in it a link to an article about the ocean. Back then, I didn't know how to attach a link properly, so I have put it here as well.
The blog post:
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2013/10/two-years-on-and-pacific-ocean.html
The link to the article about the Pacific Ocean, and it describes a solo sailor's voyage. Being a sailor, I can highly recommend reading it, in spite of the fact that the author explains the sad state of the oceans, in this case, the Pacific.
http://www.theherald.com.au/story/1848433/the-ocean-is-broken/?cs=12
BEND, OREGON
The blog anniversary for 2014 was spent with my friend Mary (mentioned above) at her new location in Bend Oregon. I was in between housesits, which provided me with the opportunity to spend time with her.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2014/10/nepal-blizzard-and-genoa-floods.html
DUNCAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Well to be exact, I was just west of the town of Duncan out on a small acreage. This was a wonderful place to be. It was election time in Canada and I think I wrote some pretty good words about how useless elections are. That's my humble opinion of course. Now here we are a year later, and in the USA where I am currently sitting, it's all about the Presidential election. I could just change the names of the politicians, and copy and paste the words from last year's blog and it would fit quite well.
http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2015/10/another-pointless-election-that-avoids.html
********************************************************************************
Naturally I think that it's worthwhile to re-read all of the above posts, however I am biased in that regard. I leave it up to the reader to decide. I suspect that the content of some of my blogs has turned away some of my readers, but that's ok, and it is of course their choice. After all, there are only so many hours in the day, and others may find that they have more important things to do.
So now what? Another 5 more years of blogging in front of me? I rather doubt it, but I can't be sure. It's not that I don't enjoy doing this four times/month, but I do wonder whether or not I'll be around to complete the task. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to believe that this blog will be going for many years into the future, and that I will be happily typing away at the keyboard until I'm very old and very gray or bald, whichever comes first. However, I can think of a few things that might interrupt this little blog ritual of mine. Let's see:
-habitat loss due to abrupt climate change
-chaos resulting from energy depletion, therefore no food at the grocery store
-WW111 (and this one would be nuclear) because of the crazies in Washington DC.
-heart attack
-unexpected accident
No doubt the list could be made much longer, but the length of it doesn't matter all that much. Death can come at any time, which is all the more reason to try and squeeze as much life as one can out of each moment. It's actually a good thing to think about one's own death because it makes life all that much sweeter, and what could be wrong with that? So these days I appreciate everything even that much more than I ever used to. And I mean appreciate everything. The fresh air to breathe, watching a hummingbird in flight, the light shining on a tree leaf, clean water to drink, everything. So it's a conundrum. The more one contemplates death, the more alive one feels, and for me at least, the happier I feel as each day arrives. Try it sometime.
I was reminded recently of the fifth item on the list above, that being an unexpected accident. In this case it was a plane crash which caught my attention. It made the news primarily because one of the occupants of the aircraft was the former Premier of Alberta. However, one of the other occupants was a person by the name of Sheldon Reid. A very long time ago I played ice hockey with a Sheldon Reid in Calgary, my home town. Of course I don't know for sure if this was the same person, but his age was about the same, so it is possible. The point of the story is that all four people on this aircraft wouldn't have thought that October 13th, 2016 was going to be their last day. One never knows, really.
Now I suspect that some of my readers might think that I am being morbid, but I don't happen to subscribe to that point of view. Life guarantees death. That's all you really need to understand, and if you can come to grips with that fact, then appreciating the precious moments that we all have, whether they last only until I finish typing this sentence, or for decades into the future, seem all that much more precious indeed.
As far as today goes, well, so far so good. I have a little mental check list that I go through, and if I can put a √ by each of the seven items on the list, then the odds are pretty good that I will get through today.
Here is the list:
1-clean air to breath
2-clean water to drink
3-food to eat
4-body temperature not too hot
5-body temperature not too cold
6-not critically injured
7-not critically ill
Of the seven items, it's really only the last one on the list which is somewhat of a wildcard. Your heart could stop beating at any moment, and that's not something that you can anticipate. I do what I can to minimize this by doing regular exercise and trying to eat properly, but hey, there's no guarantee that doing those two things is going to extend how many heart beats that are left. However, my current resting heart rate is around 47bpm so that's pretty healthy.
Well, I've rambled on a bit on this blog, so it's time to wind things up. I think I'll finish off, the way I began, with a nice photo. This was taken a couple of days ago down at the lakefront near where I am currently housesitting. This was the first I had seen the sun for many, many days and I was happy to be there at that moment to enjoy the scene.
LAKE WHATCOM
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Friday, October 14, 2016
RAIN BOMBS, WIND GUSTS and a POWER OUTAGE AS WELL
POST # 234
Keeping my finger on the pulse.
And speaking of fireplaces, here is an old video of when I was housesitting in Grand Forks, which had a nice wood stove, and some extremely relaxed looking critters as well.
Now I better go and check to see if the ice cream in the freezer melted.
Keeping my finger on the pulse.
It's now just past 9pm on the west coast, and after more than six hours without power, I am finally getting a chance to write my blog for today. Better late than never.
Everything turned off just after one o'clock this afternoon, but I have a good book to read so it wasn't really a big deal. No doubt there were many in the neighbourhood who might have been somewhat more agitated with the situation, but after living for almost 5 years in my little shack in the Yukon without power OR running water, this little drama was a non event to me. Just go with the flow, and count my blessings.
A major storm system has arrived and things are expected to be windy and wet for the next day or two. I did manage to get out for my daily bike ride today but it had it's own little bit of excitement thrown in. A HUGE gust of wind swept across the road at one point, and in addition to knocking numerous garbage bins over, it almost took me out as well. I had to really lean into the wind in order to not get blown over. Fun stuff. It pays to be living in the moment.
The link below talks about the storm moving through, and there is a possibility of up to 2 FEET of rain in some areas. Welcome to the new normal. It's called a rain bomb. The atmosphere is so warm now, that it holds plenty of moisture, and when that moisture descends to the ground, look out.
All in all, it's been an interesting day, and it's shaping up to be a wet and windy weekend. I'm not sure if there will be any more power outages, but if there are, I'll just accept them as they come. At least I have a gas fireplace to keep me warm.
And speaking of fireplaces, here is an old video of when I was housesitting in Grand Forks, which had a nice wood stove, and some extremely relaxed looking critters as well.
Now I better go and check to see if the ice cream in the freezer melted.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Friday, October 7, 2016
DOLLARS VRS SECONDS and A COUPLE OF VIDEOS
POST # 233
You walk into your local convenience store to pick up a few items, and while there, you decide to have the clerk check the lottery ticket that you purchased a while ago. You know that the odds of you winning are infinitesimal. You also know that people do win every now and again. With your shopping complete, you amble up to the counter, pay for your items and have the cashier run your ticket through the lotto machine.
YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
She tells you that you have won. Not first prize, but one of the smaller prizes. The amount is $86,400. What luck!!! And what a fantastic start to your day. You thank her, grab your ticket and groceries and go bounding out of the store, extremely happy, even happier than you remember being decades ago when you finally completed your last day of school. It's shaping up to be a great day, and you start making all sorts of plans on how to get the most out of it, and enjoy your new found wealth.
Here is a second scenario. Same convenience store, same day, and the same amount of prize money, but this time, in order to collect, you have to make a big decision. You can only have the money if you agree to give up your life at midnight. Say what??? If you offered that option, I suspect that virtually everyone would decline the money, in order to save their life, and live another day.
The number is significant. It's the amount of seconds that we all have to "spend" each day. Given the choice between dollars and seconds, it seems rather obvious which is more valuable. So what's the point of this whole story anyhow, Thoughtful Wanderer?
That's a reasonable question to ask. The point is to help the reader appreciate just how precious each moment (second) really is. But it's a difficult task if you're human. Dogs, cats, birds and the myriad of other sentient beings that live on the planet spend their moments in the now, but humans probably spend more time in either the future or the past than in the present. I'm as guilty as the rest, however I do try to catch myself when I find that I am not concentrating on the current moment. Try it some time. Try focusing on being present for as long as you possibly can. You'll probably discover that it is a challenging, but highly worthwhile thing to do.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm settling in at my current housesit, and enjoying my daily routine. It's a pet-less sit again, however there are plenty of animals around and occasionally I even get to be up close and personal with one.
This is one of the neighbourhood furballs, and I was fortunate enough to have a few minutes to spend with it yesterday.
Aside from keeping an eye out for pets, and plenty of deer, I also like to get my daily ride in. Here in Sudden Valley, there is an excellent road to travel on which is low in traffic, and at the same time is a very good work out due to its roller coaster configuration. The other day I decided to duct tape my ipod onto the handlebars so that I could capture the thrill of going downhill. This isn't the entire video, however it gives the viewer some idea. Talk about having to be in the present moment. Especially with all of those deer lurking in the bushes.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
You walk into your local convenience store to pick up a few items, and while there, you decide to have the clerk check the lottery ticket that you purchased a while ago. You know that the odds of you winning are infinitesimal. You also know that people do win every now and again. With your shopping complete, you amble up to the counter, pay for your items and have the cashier run your ticket through the lotto machine.
YOU CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
She tells you that you have won. Not first prize, but one of the smaller prizes. The amount is $86,400. What luck!!! And what a fantastic start to your day. You thank her, grab your ticket and groceries and go bounding out of the store, extremely happy, even happier than you remember being decades ago when you finally completed your last day of school. It's shaping up to be a great day, and you start making all sorts of plans on how to get the most out of it, and enjoy your new found wealth.
Here is a second scenario. Same convenience store, same day, and the same amount of prize money, but this time, in order to collect, you have to make a big decision. You can only have the money if you agree to give up your life at midnight. Say what??? If you offered that option, I suspect that virtually everyone would decline the money, in order to save their life, and live another day.
The number is significant. It's the amount of seconds that we all have to "spend" each day. Given the choice between dollars and seconds, it seems rather obvious which is more valuable. So what's the point of this whole story anyhow, Thoughtful Wanderer?
That's a reasonable question to ask. The point is to help the reader appreciate just how precious each moment (second) really is. But it's a difficult task if you're human. Dogs, cats, birds and the myriad of other sentient beings that live on the planet spend their moments in the now, but humans probably spend more time in either the future or the past than in the present. I'm as guilty as the rest, however I do try to catch myself when I find that I am not concentrating on the current moment. Try it some time. Try focusing on being present for as long as you possibly can. You'll probably discover that it is a challenging, but highly worthwhile thing to do.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm settling in at my current housesit, and enjoying my daily routine. It's a pet-less sit again, however there are plenty of animals around and occasionally I even get to be up close and personal with one.
Aside from keeping an eye out for pets, and plenty of deer, I also like to get my daily ride in. Here in Sudden Valley, there is an excellent road to travel on which is low in traffic, and at the same time is a very good work out due to its roller coaster configuration. The other day I decided to duct tape my ipod onto the handlebars so that I could capture the thrill of going downhill. This isn't the entire video, however it gives the viewer some idea. Talk about having to be in the present moment. Especially with all of those deer lurking in the bushes.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
SOME FINAL PORT TOWNSEND THOUGHTS
POST # 232
My recent housesit in Port Townsend is now history, however there are a few memories that need to be recorded here, starting with, Bogachiel the Malamute.
My recent housesit in Port Townsend is now history, however there are a few memories that need to be recorded here, starting with, Bogachiel the Malamute.
I had the good fortune to meet Bogachiel out front of one of the shops at the marina in Port Townsend. With a face like this, it would have been virtually impossible for me to not stop and say hello. After spending almost an entire week with three furballs, it was a pleasant change to have some bonehead company for a while. Bogachiel was happy as well, because there was plenty of cat odour on me for him to sniff. He has an unusual name, so I asked the owners about it. There is a state park on the Olympic peninsula with this name, and according to them, Bogachiel means, "muddy when wet." No doubt, he lives up to his namesake during the rainy season, but he was looking pretty clean cut when I took this photo.
This last housesit had a nice view looking east, and I managed to capture this sunrise one morning.
Prior to running into Bogachiel, I peddled past the tall ship that I had seen last week, and decided to take another photo. The workers had removed the tarp and so I managed to get the whole ship in view. It's name is the "Lady Washington".
I had some visitors pass through town while I was there. Cathy and Jeanne are from Orcas Island, and they were doing a bike tour for a few days, so they stopped in at Port Townsend to say hello. We had a wonderful visit, with plenty of thoughtful conversation, which is hard to come by these days, and very much appreciated. I first met Cathy almost 5 years ago to the day (October 1st 2011) when I arrived on Orcas Island for the very first time in order to housesit her three furballs. This was my very first housesit after becoming intentionally homeless, as a result of selling my sailboat in Vancouver. My last night on the boat was September 30th of that year, and I headed out bright and early the next morning, bound for Orcas. I met Jeanne as a result of knowing Cathy.
Jeanne (L) and Cathy (R) at the Blue Moose Cafe which is located in the marina at Port Townsend. The cafe was right next door to the shop where I had met Bogachiel a few days earlier, but unfortunately he wasn't there on this day.
I also ran in to my friend Bill again, down on the waterfront, while he was out for his morning walk. Since last visiting with him, I had sent him a printed copy of the blog I wrote which featured Bill, and he was very appreciative of the fact that I had done that. We talked about that, and many other topics. He's a great guy to visit with. I decided to take a photo of the two of us and also do a video as well.
All in all, the past week in Port Townsend was time well spent as far as I am concerned. I spent time with three lovely furballs, and also had a chance to catch up with friends.
Now it's time to settle in at my new housesit in Bellingham.
I've got fresh rhubarb growing outside which is a nice treat to have every now and again.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
PORT TOWNSEND REBOUND WITH ADDED FURBALLS
POST # 231
If one were to pick a location on the west coast that you might find a tall ship being refitted, it would quite possibly be in Port Townsend, Washington. And Port Townsend is where I find myself again, furball sitting. It's just a whistle stop this time around compared to my recent three month housesit.
I'm here for only a week, but that is enough time to make three new furball friends. Make that four.
So here they are.
I'm here for only a week, but that is enough time to make three new furball friends. Make that four.
So here they are.
SQUINT
KIT
GREY JAY
They are typical furballs, each with their own very unique personalities. In the short time that I have been here, Grey Jay seems to have decided to be my best buddy. Perhaps this is due to the fact that on my first day here, he disappeared. Eventually he was discovered hiding in the wood box near the fireplace, after having been in there all day long. Now he wants to be as close as possible, which is ok by me.
Kit just likes to eat a lot and sleep in the sunbeams, and Squint is somewhat more independent than the other two.
As if I didn't have enough furballs to keep me company, I met this one outside this morning. He sure wanted to come in the front door, but that would likely have caused chaos, so we just sat out on the front step and had a visit. He's extremely friendly, even though you might not detect that from the look in his eyes.
Even though this property isn't quite as rural as my last place, and even though it is in town, I'm surrounded by greenery, and it's pretty quiet so that makes me happy. Here's a view out of the kitchen window at an abandoned shack which is next door.
If only the walls could talk. The place probably has an interesting history.
One of the advantages of being at this location is that I have been able to continue my daily bike ride, and much of the route is similar to the last time I was in Port Townsend. It's always a great way to start the day, and with the new route, there are new things to see, like this pretty flower,
and this old mansion on the hill overlooking the town.
You never know what you might see on a ride, and the following photo is just one example. It was actually taken last week in Sudden Valley, but I thought that I would include it here.
This sign reminds me of the woman a few years back who had phoned into a radio station in Fargo, North Dakota, complaining about the fact that "deer crossing" signs were placed on major roads. She thought that it would be safer for the deer, if the signs were on roads that weren't so busy. She actually believed that the deer would follow the instructions on the sign.
Here is the link to her phone call, and subsequent call, after she realized her stupidity.
Perhaps deer don't know where to cross roads, however this deer certainly knows how to jump a fence. I captured this moment, yesterday morning in my back yard.
I'll be here for the remainder of the week, and I should have enough time to pick a bunch more apples as there are apple trees everywhere, groaning under the weight of all the fruit.
Time now to finish off this tale, and what better way to do that then to have a photo of a tail. This particular tail belongs to Grey Jay, from earlier this morning, after she hopped up on the bed.
living a life of profound acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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