PLACE OF HARMONY

POST # 104

Ramsay, a man I knew when I lived in Vancouver was also a sailboat owner. This fact caused us to strike up a conversation one day about the location of his boat. He told me that it was in a place called Sointula which I had never heard about.



So the other day, I was looking through the book collection at my current housesit here in Maple Bay and I saw one titled, "Sointula" and if it hadn't been for that conversation with Ramsay, I would have never plucked it from the shelf. I'm glad I did though, as I am enjoying the read.

And it looks like a beautiful place as shown in the images below, but I wonder just how many days are like this? Sointula is located on Malcolm Island which is a small island wedged between the very northern part of Vancouver Island and the mainland. My guess is that it has a high percentage of rainy and or cloudy days throughout the year. Sointula is the Finnish name for "Place of Harmony." Apparently a group of Finns paddled here from Nanaimo in 1901.

Back here at the ranch in Maple Bay, my four legged friends have been working at perfecting yoga poses. First, we have yogi Abby in the "dog at rest" pose:

Followed by yogi Bill in the slightly more complex "turkey leg" pose:

WARNING:DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

Perhaps Abby and Bill will inspire me to take up yoga at some point in the future, however I'm not too sure about that. Abby's moves look doable, but that turkey leg manoeuvre makes my back hurt.

Today marks the end of week two here in Maple Bay, two-thirds of the way through, and the three of us have settled into a comfortable routine. Abby and I have been getting in plenty of walks and Bill plenty of sleeps and I expect that to continue for our final week together. It isn't Sointula, but it most certainly is a place of harmony.

Now, let's get back to that book, eh?

Happy Trails

Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS. Of course I always think of mom today as it would have been her 98th birthday.

A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE

POST # 103

Caption: "OK Paul, what should we do now?"

As the old saying goes, every picture is worth a thousand words, so I guess I won't have to write too many of them today.

After only a week, Bill the furball, and Abby the bonehead, have come to the conclusion, that the house sitter isn't such a bad guy to have around after all, and so most days we can all be found in the same room together enjoying each others company. These two are wonderful company and the week has gone by in a flash.

Where we are in Maple Bay is about 7km outside of the town of Duncan, where I need to go in order to get more supplies, however, there has been plenty to graze on in the refrigerator up to now, so I've just stayed put. The location is super quiet, and I do like that aspect, and there are some good trails around to take Abby for a walk, so I have no complaints, and by the looks on Bill and Abby's faces, neither do they. Of course, Bill doesn't join us on the walk as you would expect. He's happy to keep guard over the house while we are gone, however my guess is that as a guard cat, he doesn't do a very good job, as most of the time he spends sleeping. That's what cats do. He has some favourite places to sleep, but the other day I gave him an additional option. He was lying in the bay window in the living room just as I was heading to bed, so I picked him up and placed him on the bed. "Hmmmmm, this looks like a comfie place to spend some time", he seemed to imply by the purring sound, and before long he was curled up and snoozing away. Abby on the other hand has been content to sleep in the owner's room, even though I've tried to have her come into my room by putting her blanket in there. So far it hasn't worked, and she seems to be happy where she is.

All things considered, it's a very easy and relaxed housesit and I am grateful that the owner accepted my offer to do it.

IN OTHER NEWS:

This blog wouldn't be complete as far as I am concerned, if I didn't at least mention THE POLAR VORTEX which has been in the news of late. It was the result of a meandering jet stream which brought frigid Arctic air way down south, and put much of Canada and the USA in a deep freeze condition. Of course, the ever dwindling crowd of climate change deniers had a field day because how could we be having global warming if it's so freaking cold outside. They don't understand, or don't want to understand the science behind the conditions. In addition to the frigid air dropping way down south, warm air was pushed north, which has the effect of increasing the warming in the Arctic, which only helps to exacerbate the situation. This feedback loop is now well in place, and will no doubt strengthen as time passes. That's enough said for now on that topic, otherwise I may lose the remainder of my dwindling audience.


Back here in Maple Bay, the three of us are pondering our options for the day ahead. Abby and I will be going for a walk or two, and Bill will be sleeping of course. I may also take the bus into town to pick up some supplies. When I return, I imagine that I will have the two of them staring at me like in the photo, wondering, "What should we do now, Paul?"


Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PAUL'S MISSING

POST # 102

Well, I'm not really missing, but today I will be in transit from one housesit to the next. This morning I say goodbye to Vancouver yet again, and travel to a new venue, Maple Bay on Vancouver Island. This will be my first housesit at Maple Bay and I am looking forward to a relaxed time there.

Because of my travel, I will leave this posting short, however if I do have another opportunity before the day's end, I will update this, once I am settled in.

Happy Trails,

Fluffy Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer



UPDATE

ABBY

BILL








It's now evening here in Maple Bay, and if every picture tells a story then these two tell us that Abby the dog is still not quite sure about the house sitter, and Bill the cat has already taken full advantage of the new guy in the house by jumping up on the counter, which I found out soon after the photo was taken, was a no-no. Damn cats always trying to get one up on you. Just kidding. Bill's a wonderful fur ball.

The setting is very quiet and peaceful and I know it will be an enjoyable three weeks. Abby has a big back yard to play in and Bill can come and go as he pleases, so my tasks will be light.


Happy Trails,

Fluffy Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THAT'S A WRAP (WELL, ALMOST)

POST # 101

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE THOUGHTFUL WANDERER SCORES A CENTURY

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



POST # 100


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE CURRENT EASE OF TRAVEL

POST #99

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE MUD HUT RE-REVISITED

POST # 98

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Trails

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer