SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

 POST # 436

"Who knows what 2020 will hold in store?"

I wrote those words exactly one year ago today, and I certainly couldn't have anticipated then, just how 2020 would turn out.  At this time last year, I had a full house sitting calendar booked up for the entire year of 2020 and beyond, and then come March my calendar became a blank slate due to Covid.  So much for making plans.

So as the sign above states, "Should I be worried?"  Well, no.  Worry never solved any problem that I am aware of, so I will just continue to live the moments as they present themselves, and try to appreciate the fact that for an old fart, I still am able to enjoy each day.  Things could always be worse.

Who knows what 2021 will hold in store?  I guess we are all about to find out soon enough.  In the meantime, I'll keep posting a blog four times per month, and just try and be an observer of life.  All of the big issues are certainly out of my control, however I can still watch the play unfold as it will do without any assistance on my behalf.

 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE BUDGET INN PATRICIA HOTEL Est. 1913 ( A HISTORY)

 POST # 435

On the corner of East Hastings and Dunlevy sits one of Vancouver's hidden treasures, The Patricia Hotel.  The hotel's foundation has resided here in the heart of Strathcona - the city's first neighbourhood - since 1910.  Originally designed as a doctor's office, construction began in 1910, but the owner passed away before completion - as did the intentions for the building.  Shortly thereafter, the building was converted into The Patricia Hotel, which opened in 1913 with a total of 180 rooms and a communal bathroom on each of its five floors.

Much of the hotel's history spawns from its pub which opened in 1914.  Although currently known as Pat's Pub and Brewhouse, it originally opened as The Patricia Cafe.  When alcohol prohibition came into effect in 1917, the hotel like many others in the city converted its bar into a cabaret which featured live music & dancing.  In an attempt to recover lost alcohol sales through a cover charge, The Patricia Cabaret's manager recruited some of the most influential jazz musicians of the time to form the venue's house band.  Most notable of these was Oscar Holden, Ada "Bricktop" Smith and Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton who lived upstairs in The Patricia Hotel while he played in the Cabaret downstairs.

Oscar Holden stayed on at the Patricia Hotel for quite a few years, leading the ten piece orchestra that went on to make the Patricia Cabaret one of the finest cabarets in all of Canada.  Eventually Jelly Roll Morton left the Patricia to tour down the coast before landing back in Vancouver several years later.  Ada "Bricktop" Smith moved on to Harlem, where she helped get Duke Ellington his first major gig, before she landed in Paris and opened her own club, "Chea Bricktop".  John Steinbeck got thrown out of her club, Cole Porter wrote "Miss Otis Regrets" for her, T.S. Elliot wrote a poem about her and F. Scott Fitzgerald has said his biggest claim to fame was that he discovered Bricktop before Cole Porter did.  Before all that though, Bricktop was famous for her voice and was singing at the Patricia.

To this day the Pub's original wood floor and exposed brick walls serve as a reminder of the rich history captured within during those early years as well as in the years since.

Beneath the main floor of The Patricia Hotel exists an expansive basement thick with its own history.  In addition to housing a boxing ring that played host to many big ticket matches right up until the 1950's, the basement's showers and change rooms were used by both soccer and baseball teams who played in Oppenheimer Park as well as by migrant workers who worked night shift in nearby Japantown and Chinatown.

The Patricia Hotel has had only a few owners throughout the course of its expansive lifetime.  The current owner took over in 1984, closing the hotel shortly after for extensive renovations that fitted each room with a private washroom.  As such, many of the hotel's smaller rooms have maintained the historic style of separate vanity and shower facility.  The owner also preserved the historic style in the common areas of the hotel including the high-ceilinged lobby, the lobby's lacquered wood steps and the detail in the wood runners of the upstairs hallways.

 

 

For the history buffs.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED

POST # 434

 

                                                             RUFUS

The other day I was looking back through my blog posts in search of something in particular.  I never found what I was looking for, however I did come across something that I had written many years ago.  In light of everything that is going on these days, I was again reminded that it is easy to lose sight of what many of us take for granted on a day to day basis.

What I wrote was, "As long as I have food in my belly, and a roof over my head, I really don't have anything to complain about."
 

So here I sit on a cold, grey day, in my warm hotel room, having just finished eating a late breakfast and I am reminded of the words that I wrote years ago.  If I need another reminder of my extreme good fortune, I receive it each day when I walk out the front door of the hotel and head down East Hastings street.  Hundreds upon hundreds of homeless people somehow manage to get through yet another day out there.  Rufus, featured above, no doubt has a more comfortable life than any of the folks living outdoors on East Hastings.

It's so easy to take for granted most of the privileges that we have, and then complain about our own lot in life.  I am as guilty of this as the next person, so it was good to come across my words from years past, so that I can once again re-learn not to take anything for granted. Like for instance, this tree on a sunny day.

 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MY DAILY WALK

 POST # 433

With the aid of my new boots, mentioned in my last post, I decided to add a few photos I have collected during my recent daily walks.  I encountered these characters a few days ago, while walking along Sunset Beach. The 2020 version of the three amigos.  They were helping to put smiles on plenty of faces as they continued their journey along the beach.

In rather stark contrast to the three amigos, there is a lone gentleman tucked in behind the large umbrella.  He is an interesting character to be sure.  This photo was taken only a few minutes walk from where the marina is that I used to live on board my sailboat.  What's interesting to me is that he has been roaming around this same neck of the woods for the better part of fifteen years.  He dresses all in black, and as you can see, everything he owns is also black.  The only thing that has changed in all the years is that he seems to have acquired more stuff.  He appears healthy and robust.  I wonder what his story is?  Maybe one day I will stop, and engage him in a conversation, if he allows me to do that.

There are plenty of other people to see along my daily journey, however it's not only people that catch my eye.  Have a look at this wonderful creation that nature has provided.

There is something quite precious, and maybe a bit awe inspiring to stand at the foot of a large cedar tree, and gaze upwards.  Large cedars like this one are few and far between, and I wonder how this one managed to escape being chopped down so many years ago?  I walk past it every day, and I always stop for a few moments to enjoy being in its presence.  If you want to feel humble try doing this every once in a while. 

There are plenty of different walks to go on, however I seem to have settled into one in particular, which takes me about an hour and twenty minutes.  This walk comes to a conclusion back at the beach where the three amigos were found the other day.  This past week has been sunny, so I have tried to time my walk to get to the beach prior to sunset.  

This photo was taken at 4pm, a couple of days ago, and it was the last I have seen of the sun since that time.  It's hard to believe that the location is a beach in Canada in December.  It could just as easily have been taken on a beach in the tropics.  

 In spite of the cloud and drizzle outside, it's time again to put on my walking boots, and head out the door.  My daily walk is a joyful exercise, no matter what the weather is like.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

"NEW" BOOTS AND A FEW THOUGHTS OF MOM AND DAD

 POST # 432

 

 

 

It was time.  The Thoughtful Wanderer needed some "new" walking boots in order to continue my wandering nature.  As luck would have it, they showed up just recently.

A little bit of history first.  My last pair of walking boots, which I still have, but are now destined for the boot graveyard, appeared probably about five or maybe six years ago.  I had wandered into one of my favourite Vancouver thrift stores on fourth avenue, and there they were.  Priced at only $16.00, I couldn't pass them up.  That turned out to be a wise purchase, and they have served me well over the ensuing years.  I was going to make a trip to that same thrift store, but my friend Congo Bob informed me that it no longer exists.  As the Big Lebowski would say, "that's a bummer, dude."  

So recently I was walking down Granville street and came across another thrift store that I had shopped at before.  I popped in to have a look around.  I wasn't there to shop for boots, but somehow I found myself staring at this lovely pair.  They looked as though they had never been worn before.  According to the Mountain Equipment Co-op website (MEC), these sell for about $300.00+ new.  I picked them up for just $30.00.  How could I say no to a bargain like this one?

As with any "new" pair of footwear, it takes a while to break them in, and so for the past couple of weeks, that is exactly what I have been doing.  I don't wear them everyday, but each time that I do, they are becoming more and more comfortable.

Yesterday, I walked past the same thrift store in my "new" boots, en route to Granville Island.  Seeing as it wasn't raining for a change, I decided to walk over the Granville Street bridge, instead of taking the ferry.

Stopping briefly at the apex of the bridge, I took this photo, looking down at what used to be my former work place, where I skippered an Aquabus ferry many years ago.  According to the dates on the plaque, this bridge was already being used, a year prior to me coming on the world scene.  I think that we are both looking a bit tired at this stage in the game, however it is a sobering thought to contemplate that the bridge will probably still be here long after I am gone.

As I have been writing today's post, I can't help but think of both my mom and my dad.  Wait, what do either of them have to do with today's subject?  That's easy for me to answer.  I will be forever grateful to my mom because of the many years that she volunteered at a thrift store, which in turn has instilled in me a lifelong interest in shopping at them.  It doesn't matter what thrift store that I go to, it always makes me think of mom.  And as far as dad goes?  I'm quite sure that my frugal nature stems from him, and also, today's date always reminds me of dad, as it would have been his birthday.

 

grateful for every breath,

 

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer (in "new" boots)

 

HOW MANY DAYS SINCE ?

 POST # 431

 

 

One of the windows that I keep open on my computer is the "How many days since..." window. As has been mentioned before on this blog, I try to live my life these days as if I only have three more days to live. See here:http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2019/12/three-more-days.html

  Of course, none of us know what our end date will be, but by focusing on this short time span, it helps me to pay even more attention to each moment of the day, realizing just how precious life is.

This past week, I hit the milestone of 24,000 days, on Monday, November 16th.  Measured in days, I've had a long run indeed.  If I use my dad's lifespan as a guide to go by, then I am getting close to the end.  Including his last day, he got to spend 24,605 days, here on the planet earth.  Yikes!!!  As of today (24,005), I am only 600 days away from tying dad's record.  That would put the date at July, 13th, 2022, which seems rather close to me, if I think of it in years, however if I focus on how many days, then it feels much, much longer.  It's one big guessing game to be sure.

I also discovered this week that it takes at least 24,000 days to grow a pair... of antlers that is.

These appeared earlier in the week , as I was walking along the beach.  I do love getting out for a daily walk, not because I have to, but rather because I like to.

And continuing on with this theme of "how many days", it has now been precisely 8,036 days since this event took place.

On a recent trip to my storage locker, I was looking through some old photos, and I came across this one.  In that group is one lone Canadian.  This was taken on my wedding day, on November 21st, 1998.  The location was a place called Cumberland House, in Lorne, Victoria, Australia.

The other memorable event that happened on this day, back in 1978 was my trip to Antarctica, which I wrote about here:http://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2018/11/forty-years-and-counting.html

Unfortunately, I haven't got any printed photos of that journey.  I was using slide film back then.  One of the photos I took on that flight was looking down at Mount Erebus, a volcano on Ross Island, the same volcano, that one year and one week later on November 28th, 1979, would be the mountain that the Air New Zealand flight would crash into, killing all onboard.  I doubt that any of the people on that flight would have thought that it would be their last day alive. 

It's looking like it's going to be a rather nice day out there today, so it's time for my morning cup of coffee, followed by my daily walk. 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

A FEW WORDS ON ACCEPTANCE

 POST # 430

MY CURRENT "FRIDGE"

It's good to just go with the flow, roll with the  punches, or in a word, ACCEPT what presents itself to you, as your life progresses along to its inevitable death.  At least, that's my opinion for what it is worth.  There is no end to the amount of issues that an individual could take on board, and get all twisted into a knot about, and for what?  The vast percentage of these issues, one has absolutely no control over.  As I continue to age, I have become more and more just an observer of life.  This has helped me immensely.  If for no other reason, it makes each day that much more enjoyable.  Who wouldn't want that?

A very small example is illustrated with the above photo of my "fridge" here at the hotel that is my current home.  This bargain basement room has everything I need to be comfortable, but it doesn't have a fridge.  I say, no problem.  However, I can open the window, and place anything that needs to stay cool out there on the roof top, and it works fine.  I ACCEPT that this is the situation, and in a very small way, it is a creative solution to a very small problem.

Here is another example.  Since arriving here in Vancouver, I have been shopping for a certain item, and so far, my search has been unsuccessful.  There have been a couple of times just in the past week, when I honestly thought that I could make the purchase, but for one reason or another, it didn't happen.  I could have moped around and become depressed or upset, but it certainly wouldn't have changed the situation one iota.  However, because I choose to accept what happens, these little disappointments just roll off of me, like water off of a duck's back as the old saying goes.

One more example, and then that is probably enough for today's post.  I mentioned this near the end of post # 428.  This thing which I have been doing very successfully now full-time for just over nine years, this house/pet sitting lifestyle, now appears for all intents and purposes to be coming to a close.  Even though there may be the occasional opportunity every now and again, I suspect that things will never get back to normal on this front.  And that's OK with me because once again, I choose to ACCEPT this fact.  My life is now starting to move in a different direction, and if I had a dollar for every time that that has happened in my life, I would be a rich man indeed.  Scratch that.  I am extremely rich, but I don't measure my wealth in $$$.  Perhaps that is one of the reasons that my journey has been such a joy to experience.  Who really knows?

This could be another way of looking at the word, acceptance.

And finally for today, one final photo that my dear friend Mary sent me this past week.  Here it is.

Now, I would like to think that this is Dora-dog accepting the fact that her favourite Canadian hasn't been around for quite some time, but the truth is that apparently she had such a good run at the "squirrel park" that she has decided to have a really well-deserved nap.  No doubt, she's dreaming of future squirrels to chase.

grateful for every breath,

 

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THANK YOU TO THE YUKON AND ITS WONDERFUL PEOPLE

 POST # 429

 

In sub-zero temperature, the Air North flight unglued itself from the airport runway, to begin its journey southward to Vancouver.

And just like that,  I once again became physically disconnected from the Yukon Territory, a place that just over twenty years ago I would have never thought about visiting, but which now is such a memorable part of my continuing adventure through this journey called life.

This is my fourth departure from the territory, and just like the three previous times I do wonder if it will be my last?  Mind you, I seem to have formed the habit of returning to places that I expect never to return to, so the Yukon is still on my future list.

The majority of my time up North was spent out in the woods at my friend's farm, however I did have the opportunity to spend a few days in Dawson and the surrounding area.  Having not been here for almost five years, I was amazed at just how many people I bumped into that I still know, and who still remember me.  Working all of those years as a cashier at the Dawson City General Store was probably the best place to meet locals. It most certainly a better place to cultivate a friendship, than being the local dog catcher.  At least on that job, I made many new four-legged friends.

I decided to compile a list of names of people I ran into, so in no particular order here they are:

John, Mark, June, Kyler, Sopac, Bob, Louie, Troy, David, Leslie, Rose, Chris, Rian, Paula, Eldo, Karen, Amy, Nick, Jonathan, Lesley, Jude, Akio, Suzanne, Anna, Brent, Carol, Brenda, Joyce, Jannis, Terry, Myrna, Paula, Jennifer(born same day and year as me), Bridget, Dan, Laurie, Kim, Tina, Janice, Shelley, Riley, Chris, Catherine, Caveman Bill, Bill, and another Bill,  Laurie(2), Janet(who adopted Snowball), Maria, Marg, Lambert, Steve, Judith, Martin, Joanne, Micken, and no doubt some others that I forgot to write down at the time.

I'd like to take a moment to thank all of them for spending a few brief moments in order to exchange  some stories.  This meant a great deal to me. In addition to the names listed above, there are some others who deserve extra special thanks. I'm quite sure that they know who they are, but if not, special thanks goes to John, Kim, Eldo, Karen, Jannice, Terry, Rose, and Gary. 

Lastly I want to thank the Mather family, for giving me the opportunity to work for them starting way back in September 2000.  They took a chance on hiring a total stranger, and because of that, they provided more to me than they will ever know.

 

KYLER, SOPAC, JUNE and MARK

After a rather bumpy approach to Vancouver, we landed on the morning of November 3rd, 2020.  Like some other dates, this one sticks in my head.  It is the birthday of my high school friend, Mark. He was the friend who happened to be watching a Qantas airways commercial with me, back in 1975, which became the genesis of the idea to visit Australia, two years later.  Apparently, November 3rd of this year had some significance south of the border.  Perhaps the USA was also celebrating my friend Mark's birthday.  Whatever happened four days ago in the US, was so far down my list of important things to think about, that it barely even registered, and by writing this last sentence, I've already given it way too much attention. 

Thank you to all of the people in the Yukon, that helped to make my six week visit another treasured memory.  The Dawson community is without any doubt, one of the most unique and friendly places, here on planet Earth.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

FINAL POST FROM THE YUKON (I THINK)

 POST # 428

 

 In anticipation of the arrival home of my friends, the three boneheads wait patiently.  The truth is that they are just waiting for a treat from the house/pet sitter.  And of course, they will get their treat, because how could I say no to those eyes staring back at me?

And so it is, that yet another house/pet sit is coming to and end.  As is always the case, I do get rather attached to the critters that I am caring for, and Oz, Dash, and Maizie are no exception.  As soon as John and Kim arrive home, I'm sure that these three will forget that I was ever here.  I won't soon forget them. They have been a real treat to look after.

It wasn't that long ago, that I thought I would never have an opportunity to return to the Yukon, and I will be forever grateful to John and Kim for allowing me this chance to come up North. 

It has been wonderful to be here as the season changed, and the water turned to ice as the temperature dipped to minus 20C.  However, today it has warmed right up, and there was a snowfall warning in effect (October 26th).  It snowed all morning and well into the afternoon.  I'm glad that I had the chance to experience one good snowfall prior to my departure.

 

 Here is a closer look at one of the steps, with the yardstick to measure that amount.

And here are three other photos that I like. The round piece of ice got caught up in that little eddy in the river, and it has been there for three days at this point, spinning around and around.

 

Magical ice crystals.

Leaving the property and heading back to Dawson.

So there we go.  My final post from the Yukon.  At least I think it is.  Mind you, I have had such a wonderful time here, I do wonder if it is truly my last visit?   By the time my next blog post is due on November 7th, I expect to be back in Vancouver, at least for a while.  I have zero house sits pending for the remainder of 2020, and I suppose that could be a bad thing,  however I don't see it that way.  I guess I can just look at it as an open ended holiday, and I really can't complain about that.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

 

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

 POST # 427

 

THE BIG HOUSE (MAIN CABIN)

Small is beautiful, is the title of a book by E.F. Schumacher.  I read it probably about fifteen years ago and it came to mind during this past week.  Why?  Because some of the night time low temperatures crossed over the minus 20 degree C mark, and now that I am living in the main cabin, there is a lot more space that gets to cool off each night.  In the smaller cabin, it was still warm when I crawled out of bed.  So, small is beautiful, as far as cabin size is concerned on these chilly Yukon mornings.  The wood stove is hungrier, and my morning "meditation" at the outhouse is much more stimulating than it was during the warmer temperatures.

The lack of cloud cover that allows the temperature to drop, provides a couple of benefits to help compensate for the colder temperatures.  First, for a star gazer like me, it provides an absolutely magnificent view of the night sky.  At this latitude, Polaris (North Star) is very high above the horizon, and in addition, because I am far away from any artificial light sources, it's easy to actually see the Milky Way galaxy of which our solar system and planet are just a very small part.  The second advantage to the lack of clouds, is that the days are clear and sunny, in spite of the cold.  One comes to appreciate that big ball in the sky to a greater extent here in the Yukon, than back down south.

The creek directly out front of my cabin is now frozen solid, and the Klondike river is well on its way to getting there.  Each day I take a walk to the Klondike with the boneheads in order to survey the change in the river.  My friends are planning to return on October 26th, however their arrival may be dictated by the condition of the river.  It could be that there is too much ice to allow a canoe to cross, but at the same time, the ice may not be thick enough to walk upon.  John has lived here for thirty-four years so I imagine that he has seen it all before, and will know exactly what to do.

It's been another wonderful week here in wonderland, so I think I'll end this post with a selection of photos that I took in recent days.  Here they are.

MY WATER SOURCE

 

MY "HAPPY" HEAT SOURCE
 

 

CLASSIC HOMEMADE CHAIR
 

TWO MOOSE JUST ACROSS THE CREEK FROM THE CABIN

BIGFOOT???

THIS MORNING'S SUNRISE

ICE ON THE KLONDIKE THIS MORNING

Time now to take the boneheads out for their second walk of the day.  It's a balmy minus 17C, so we may as well take advantage of this heat wave.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Fix one glitch and another appears.  As mentioned before, I solved the glitch on the new blogger platform, but now I have a new problem.  The portable device (Kindle Fire) that I usually write my blog on, won't allow me to log in.  WTF???  It's been working fine for years, and now it doesn't.  I guess I will have to do some more learning.  The reason I could write this post is because I am using the house computer here at the cabin, however by next week, I probably won't be here.  If there isn't a post on Oct. 28th, it will be due to technical problems with the Kindle.

FULL DISCLOSURE

POST # 426

 

MAIZIE (LEFT), OZ (TOP) & DASH (RIGHT)

 O.K.  Full disclosure about being alone here,  which I wrote about last week.  It is true that I am the only human animal on this property, however I am not the ONLY animal.

I have these three wonderful boneheads to keep me company each and every day.  They are very low maintenance, so my duties are light.

Oz is the oldest, and he's the boss.  Dash is the lead "squirreler", and she was also the first one to come over and hang out with me at the other cabin, soon after I arrived.  And Maizie, well she just seems to be happy to go along with whatever the other two are up to at any given moment.  They are all unique, and they are all a joy to be around each and every day.

A typical day for the four of us usually begins around 8a.m., although I'm quite sure that they would be happy to sleep in even later than that.  Once they're fed, it's time to head outdoors, so that they can relieve themselves, and at the same time, sniff around for any new squirrels.  If there is such a place as dog heaven, this must be the place.

While they're outside, I get coffee going, and then join them outside for a stroll around the property.  The temperature has now dropped, and we were walking around in the snow this morning.  With the cooler temperature, Oz doesn't like to be out there too long, so I return to the cabin with him and let the other two head off on their morning squirrel hunt.  Of course, they are never successful, in spite of all of their barking.  The chosen squirrel sits up in the tree, looking down in amusement at the critters below.

There always seems to be some little project outside to keep me entertained for a while, even if it is only the daily task of splitting more wood for the stove.  It's something that I really enjoy doing, so I don't consider it work.

When the sun is shining, I make the journey to the solar panel, and rotate it in order to get the maximum charge for the batteries which supply my power.  When it's not shining, then I fire up the generator to accomplish the same task.  Lately, it's been more generator than solar panel. And soon I will lose additional solar energy, even on sunny days because there is a hill immediately south of the property that will block the sun from even reaching the solar panel.  Instant power whenever we want it, is a luxury that most take for granted in our modern world.  Out here, I am very frugal with the amount of power that I use.

The days are just flying by, and maybe it's because I have so much fun with the boneheads, or maybe it's because I am at 64+ degrees North latitude, and the days are getting rather short at this time of year.  All the more reason to appreciate each day as it presents itself.

The evening arrives, and it's doggie dinner time, and then human dinner time.  The poor things are tuckered out from all of the squirrel chasing, so it's time to relax. Their day is done.

Oz and Dash will remain camped out on the couch, but Maizie will soon find it too hot in the house, and she will retire to the deck outside.  With the boneheads settled for the evening, the human can now relax, do some reading, check the fire one last time, and then head upstairs to bed.  

Another day spent.  Another day enjoyed.  Another precious day.

Oz, being the boss, gets the final say for today.

SNORING OZ
 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: I fixed the glitch with the new version of blogger, so everything is back to normal.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALONE

POST # 425

JOHN AND KIM DEPART When contemplating the title for today's post, the most appropriate word to describe my current situation is the word, alone. Many years ago, back in the mid-nineties I read a book with this exact title. The author, Richard Byrd wrote this book which described his adventure of living alone in a shelter carved out of the ice, high on the Antarctic plateau. My purpose for reading it and many other Antarctic related books at the time, was in preparation for my proposed expedition to a place called Cape Adare, located on the Antarctic coast, due South of New Zealand. Cape Adare was the first place that humans stayed over winter on the continent, back in 1898. My plan was to go there in 1998, and spend an entire year there alone. Unfortunately the expedition had to be cancelled, and I have to admit that it took quite a number of years to get over that. Fast forward to the year 2020, and I finally get my opportunity to be alone, not for a year, but for about three weeks. Because I am separated from "civilization" due to the fact that I would need to make two separate crossings of the Klondike river to get to the highway, I decided soon after my arrival that once my friends had departed, I would stay put. John and Kim left on Saturday, October 3rd and it didn't take very long for me to settle into a comfortable routine. I credit this to the fact that I lived in my little cabin I named "Snug" about a ten minute drive along the highway from here, heading towards Dawson back in the early 2000's. Without that "bush" experience, I doubt that I would feel as comfortable as I do right now. And what's not to like? My top three criteria for a great house/pet sit are: 1- Peace and quiet 2- Rural location 3- One or more dogs This place gets three gold stars. My guess is that my time here will go by way too fast, so I am trying my best to appreciate my good fortune. grateful for every breath, Paul The Thoughtful Wanderer PS: For whatever reason, this updated version of blogger doesn't compose the text into paragraphs, as I had written it. Perhaps it's a glitch in the program or more likely the fact that I am somewhat of a techno-luddite. I'll continue to work at it, and see if I can improve things for future posts. PPS: A quote from Richard Byrd: “It occurred to me then that half the confusion in the world comes from not knowing how little we need.”

WORKING HARD

POST # 424

Bucking wood, splitting wood, stacking wood, making kindling, weeding, cutting grass, picking apples, hauling water, preparing trees for winter, and probably a few other things that I've already forgotten, is what has kept me busy this past week. By the end of each day I am knackered as the Aussies would say. It has been exhausting at times, but I'm glad that I have been able to help my friends get all of their chores completed, so that they can soon depart on their vacation.

As can been seen from the above photo, they have an extensive property, and this is only a small portion of the forty acres. Lots of land, and lots of work. I am amazed at just how hard John and Kim work, each and every day. They certainly have earned a holiday, in my opinion. By the time that I return to my cabin for the evening, I'm pretty tuckered out, but I feel satisfied with my effort.

grateful for every breath, Paul The Thoughtful Wanderer

BACK TO THE YUKON

POST # 423

MY CURRENT ABODE With limited Wi-Fi, coupled with the fact that Blogger, the platform I have been using to write on since 2011, has "upgraded" so that I have to re-learn it, I will be amazed and delighted if this post makes it to print. With all of that said, let's get started. After my extended stay in Vancouver, I boarded an Air North plane, and flew to Whitehorse, arriving back on Yukon territory on September 15th. I was greeted by my former brother-in-law, Pat, and we had a very pleasant visit over beer and a pizza. The time went by too fast, and soon I was bedded down for the night. Up early the next day, and back to the airport for my flight to Dawson. I met friends, Jannice and Myrna prior to boarding, and soon we were on our way. The flight to Dawson is about an hour, and on our final approach we flew over Bear Creek, and I recognized a few houses. The plane touched down around 9:30am. John was there to meet me, but prior to going back to his property, we drove to town, to do some shopping. I decided to go into the office at my former place of employment, The Dawson City General Store. That was a surprise for my former boss Mark, his son Kyler, and Bob the butcher. We had a pleasant visit and planned to catch up before I leave the Yukon. John and I departed for his property which is located across the Klondike river from Rock Creek. Rock Creek is about a half hour drive from Dawson, followed by two separate canoe voyages across the swiftly moving Klondike river. The first trip is to an island mid-stream, followed by the final float to the property. With John in command, I felt totally at ease. I'm not sure how confident I would be doing the journey on my own, however, that may be necessary at some point. Paddling a canoe in a river is way different to sailing a boat on the ocean, so my previous experience in that regard is of little help. We arrived at the property, to be greeted by John's partner, Kim accompanied by their three dogs, Oz, Dash and Maizie. At present, I am living in a separate cabin from the main house, and I would expect to be here until they go on their vacation. Then it's into the big house with the three boneheads, mentioned above. I feel totally comfortable in this cabin which is large compared to what "Snug" was. It has a great woodstove, and is only a short 46-step walking distance to the outdoor toilet. Who could ask for more? There has been plenty of work to do outside right now, so I have been helping out, however I have to admit that this ageing body isn't used to it. Still it is good for the soul. On Saturday, we went to town to set up on Front street at the farmer's market. It wasn't long before I was visiting with many old friends, and I had a wonderful time. Having worked at the General Store for so many years, I got to know most of the locals. So with the exception of the black flies that have been making a feast out of this non-local, It has been a memorable time so far. grateful for every breath, Paul The Thoughtful Wanderer

END OF QUARANTINE, SMOKE, AND DAWSON HERE I COME

 POST # 422

My 14-day mandatory quarantine ended four days ago, so I am now officially free to go about my business.  Because I don't own a cell phone, I had to provide an email address when I arrived at the airport in order for the "authorities" to be able to check up on me on day four, day eight, and day eleven in order to confirm that I was staying where I said I would be.  So what happened on those three days?  Crickets!!!  I never received any emails, which leads me to conclude that I and any other arriving traveller could just exit the airport and be on their merry old way.  So much for mandatory quarantine.

Now that I am free to move around as I please, thick smoke from wildfires across the border has enveloped Vancouver, so moving around isn't as enjoyable as it could be.  However, I still like to do my daily walk in spite of the haze. I'm fact, a couple of days ago, I took the Seabus across to the North shore.  I was curious to see what the Vancouver skyline looked like from that point of view.  Here it is:

And this is what it looks like on video:

I also spent time at my favourite beach in the West End.  More smoke, and the resident crows to keep me entertained.

Today is the third consecutive day with thick smoke. Apparently, at some point during this period, Vancouver had the worst air quality in the world.  Whether that is true or not is debatable.  All I know is that it is very bad, but at least I won't have to put up with it for much longer.  Why is that?  Because tomorrow afternoon I will be flying back to the Yukon.  Friends in Dawson City need me to housesit for them for a little while.  I arrive in Whitehorse tomorrow evening, stay over at a local hotel, and fly on to Dawson the next morning.

These friends live out in the bush, so I am not exactly sure what kind of internet connection will be available, but rest assured, as long as I can connect, there will be a blog post next Monday.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ROOM 211

 POST #421

 

Today is the eleventh day of my fourteen day mandatory quarantine.  So far, so good.

I certainly didn't expect that I would have a room with a window, and also have the ability to go out and buy groceries every now and again.  Simple things have become way more precious than before.

Normally, I may want to complain that I don't have a proper keyboard to write these words, and instead I'm forced to use my opposing thumbs, but now I am just grateful to have this Kindle device, and an internet connection.  When I watch the younger generations type on their smartphones, I am amazed at just how fast they go.  I'll never be that good.

Room 211 has everything I could want including a shower and toilet, a sink that also serves as my "laundromat", a firm bed, a fan to keep me cool, and of course, that wonderful window.  I am very content here.

In one respect, I feel like I'm back in India, as the majority of people staying at this hotel, are students from India.  Apparently they are stuck here until their classes resume, and who knows when/if that will ever happen?

I have stayed here at the Hotel Patricia, on other occasions in the past.  It has been here since 1913.  The staff are very friendly and helpful.  One of the people at the front desk is an Aussie from Melbourne, so we can relate on that front.  We both agree that we are happy to be here at the moment, instead of Melbourne.

This is the older part of Vancouver, and the years have taken their toll, on both the landscape and the poor souls who live here. Literally hundreds of people spend every night out on the street, and yet just one block from my hotel there is a huge abandoned building, that could be fixed up and used as a shelter.  As a visitor, I sit here and wonder why that hasn't happened?

If there is anyone out there who might be feeling hard done by, in light of our current world situation, they would only need to spend some time here in East Vancouver, to come to the realization that they don't have much to complain about, and neither do I.

I will continue to appreciate just how fortunate I am, here in room 211, even though I occasionally feel like this poor goat, that I came across while riding my bicycle back to Auckland, on a very rainy morning, decades ago.

 

 

MY ROOM WITH A VIEW

SUNSET

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer