Until two nights ago, it had literally been months since I had experienced any rain. And during that period of time I have been wandering around the Pacific North West, which is a rainforest. Hmmm, something doesn't seem quite right.
In fact, since my return from Belize in mid April, I can't recall any rain, and if there was some, it certainly wasn't much to talk about. Of course, for those of us who have been following the news with regards to abrupt climate change, this abnormal condition seems to make perfect sense, when one looks at the causes.
On a recent (in and out) quick trip to Vancouver, I wandered down to one of my old favourite haunts, English Bay (pictured above). Moments after this photo was taken, the sun disappeared into the smoke haze which is the result of all of the forest fires in the province. Even this seagull friend of mine had to look away.
Fires and floods seem to be the order of the day now, and for anyone interested, there is a youtube site that chronicles these events every few days all around the world. The site is called Climate and Extreme Weather News, the latest of which was just posted. Watching any of these videos is enough to convince even the most hardened sceptic, that things aren't quite right on planet earth these days. The best question to ask yourself after watching one of these videos is, "Does this look normal?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvjC40q-cj0
Getting back to the title of today's blog, here is a photo of where I am staying at the moment. As you can see, it is looking almost desert like. The grass crunches underfoot. Even the poor deer are struggling to find enough to eat.
In spite of the conditions, I continue to appreciate the moments as they present themselves. I came across a quote in a book I just read for the second time, called "Alone" by Richard Byrd during his winter stay in Antarctica back in 1934. The quote reads as follows:
"those who survive with a measure of happiness are those who can live profoundly off their intellectual resources, as hibernating animals live off their fat."
I think that sums up my mental state.
living a life of simple acceptance,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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