POST # 65
Even though most people accept that the Spring Equinox arrives on or about the 21st of the month (except my Australian friends who for some reason think that the seasons change on the first), it actually arrived at 4:02am yesterday March 20th here on the west coast of North America. "Spring has sprung" as the old saying goes, and with that, the temperature will continue to warm as the earth proceeds on its never ending journey around the sun.
I couldn't think of a better excuse to go for a bike ride, and so after getting a few other things out of the way yesterday morning, which included a follow up visit to the doctor to have a look at the recent x-rays of my leg, I returned home, had a quick snack, let the cats that wanted in, in, and the ones that wanted out, out, and headed to the garage to get the bike and start out on my journey.
Now I would be hard pressed to think of anything that makes me as happy as I am when I am riding a bicycle. Yes, there are a few things, but hey, this is a family blog, right? A well functioning bike, a sunny day, an open road and who could ask for more? Well, maybe a tail wind but I'll get to that in a moment.
Riding these days is especially rewarding, mainly because I can. After breaking my leg last year, and hearing from the surgeon, that I might have to have my right foot amputated, I am particularly grateful to still have the opportunity to enjoy an activity which gives me so much pleasure. The bike has been my friend for many decades now, and I have been fortunate to travel some extended distances on two wheels, and even though there have been times, when the weather isn't co-operating and the riding is difficult, on balance, this activity is very rewarding to me on many levels. Not only is it a wonderful way to get a LONG look at the passing scenery, it's a great form of exercise as well. I get an overwhelming sense of freedom when I am riding.
So it was with this feeling yesterday, that I headed out on my journey. My plan was to travel west into the teeth of an incredibly strong wind, so that I would have the advantage of a tail wind on my return journey home. There was an actual wind warning in effect for here in Victoria yesterday, and there may have been wind gusts up to 100kph. Lots of fun. In spite of the occasional rain shower, I was more than happy to give my body a good work out on the bike.
Now what do you need, really, to ride a bike? Yes, you need the actual machine itself and you need a healthy enough body to operate the machine, and of course your body has to have some fuel in it to provide the energy to the muscles in order to spin the sprockets and transfer energy to the wheels so that you can produce a force to carry you along. Yes, you need all of that, but you need another essential component and if it isn't present, your bike ride and for that matter, everything else comes to a grinding halt. Everything Paul? Yes, everything. The planes don't fly, the cars don't drive, and the cats don't eat. Come on Paul, what on earth could be so important that it would cause all those things to happen?
I was pondering this question yesterday, as I stood along the coastline and felt the force of the wind in my face during a break in my ride. Prior to my break, I had had to breathe quite heavily to suck in enough oxygen to provide the energy to move forward against the wind and this got me to thinking about this component of life that we all take for granted, that being, oxygen. Without it, everything comes to a halt. Now of course, we take oxygen for granted just like we take gravity for granted. They've always been there and always will be. But according to the facts that are now coming out in ever greater quantity, this thing called oxygen is beginning to look like it will be going the same direction as the dinosaurs. In other words, extinct. Say what? That couldn't be possible. However, according to a scientific paper written by Malcolm Light, a specialist in earth sciences written in February 2012, this is the likely future we face. He says, extinction of all life on earth by mid century and to be more specific, 2031 in the northern hemisphere and 2047 in the southern hemisphere. See below:
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Global Extinction within one Human Lifetime as a Result of a Spreading Atmospheric Arctic Methane Heat wave and Surface Firestorm
Abstract
Although the sudden high rate Arctic methane increase at Svalbard in late 2010 data set applies to only a short time interval, similar sudden methane concentration peaks also occur at Barrow point and the effects of a major methane build-up has been observed using all the major scientific observation systems. Giant fountains/torches/plumes of methane entering the atmosphere up to 1 km across have been seen on the East Siberian Shelf. This methane eruption data is so consistent and aerially extensive that when combined with methane gas warming potentials, Permian extinction event temperatures and methane lifetime data it paints a frightening picture of the beginning of the now uncontrollable global warming induced destabilization of the subsea Arctic methane hydrates on the shelf and slope which started in late 2010. This process of methane release will accelerate exponentially, release huge quantities of methane into the atmosphere and lead to the demise of all life on earth before the middle of this century.
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To be specific, the methane, along with other feedback loops that are now well underway will cause the temperature to increase to such an extent, that the oceans will become dead zones, and because half of our oxygen is produced by phytoplankton in the ocean, that's a problem. The other half of the oxygen is produced by plants on land and with the increase in the temperature, the plants will wither away and that will probably take care of the rest of the oxygen. So, no more bike riding.
Now of course, this seems to be a major predicament, or a sticky wicket if you wanted to use a cricket term. But the evidence is there for anyone with the inclination to search it out. Some truths are harder to swallow than others.
On the plus side of things, it does help me to focus on what is, and what isn't important going forward. In other words, it helps to simplify even more, my already simplistic lifestyle.
So this is what I was thinking about yesterday, while taking a well earned break on my bike ride along the coast. Feeling rested, I continued my journey back home with a magnificent tailwind to push me along. The trip back was an almost effortless affair.
I arrived home to be greeted by James, Essie, Gaffer and Sally, the four other occupants of my current housesit here in Victoria. The cats that were in, when I left, were doing what cats do best, that is, having an afternoon nap when I arrived home. It seemed like a good thing to do, and having enjoyed some exercise, I decided that I too had earned the right to have a little cat nap of my own for a while, and maybe dream about my next bike ride.
Happy Trails and bike rides,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
POST # 64
Four pairs of cats eyes gaze at this stranger in their home. James, Essie, Gaffer and Sally complete the team of furballs here on a quiet street in Victoria, where only a few hours ago, I arrived after a quick overnight in Vancouver, which was preceded by an extended bus ride from Grand Forks.
These cats are new to me, and maybe it will take a few days for us to settle in with each other, but we'll see how that goes. At this early stage they all seem to be quite friendly but it could be that it's just getting close to dinner time because as soon as I get anywhere near the room where their dishes are located, they come a running. "Don't worry you cats, I haven't forgotten about you yet, but I need to get a few other things done first, if you don't mind." Like type up this blog for instance.
I heard today that it is international pi day, as in the number pi, 3.14159 etc. and so forth. I also heard that we have now calculated pi to ten trillion digits after the decimal place and even after all those numbers, the sequence still doesn't repeat. So the odds of it ever repeating are very small indeed. However, that wasn't the reason for selecting today's title. Here at the "cat house" I have four cats and they all have extra toes. Now every now and again I have seen a cat with extra toes, but what are the odds that all four cats in the same household would have them? My guess is that it would be pretty slim, especially in light of the fact that they aren't all related. I guess with all these extra claws walking around the place I should be concerned about scratches, however these guys and girls all seem to be pretty mellow and I think we will all get along just fine for the rest of the month of March.
It's been a long couple of days for the Thoughtful Wanderer, and I am looking forward to a rather early night tonight. The house rule here is that the master bedroom is kept as a cat free zone, and even though I am used to and even prefer having a cat or two (or four as the case may be) to cuddle up to during the night, I also like to stick with the rules that the owners have in place. So tonight, they will all be on one side of the bedroom door, and the housesitter will be on the other side. I feel confident that there will be ample time to curl up together here in the living room, or upstairs or the kitchen or wherever, so all should be well.
And if this rain continues, I will be spending more time indoors as a result, so the cats and I will have plenty of time to bond.
The house is located very close to the ocean, and as Spring is right around the corner, I am looking forward to plenty of walking and bike riding so that I can continue to increase the strength in my right leg. Even though I am becoming less and less of a city dweller these days, as far as cities go, Victoria isn't too bad, at least for now that is.
The day is yet young, however after a short sleep last night and the accumulated travel over the past two days, I think I'll keep this on the short side for today. My new feline friends are back to giving me "the look" and so I guess I should take the hint and get their dinners ready. After that, we can all settle in for our first evening together and for this cat, it's going to be an early one indeed.
Time to catch up to a few emails and maybe get in a quick ride before the sun goes down. The odds of that happening are very good.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Four pairs of cats eyes gaze at this stranger in their home. James, Essie, Gaffer and Sally complete the team of furballs here on a quiet street in Victoria, where only a few hours ago, I arrived after a quick overnight in Vancouver, which was preceded by an extended bus ride from Grand Forks.
These cats are new to me, and maybe it will take a few days for us to settle in with each other, but we'll see how that goes. At this early stage they all seem to be quite friendly but it could be that it's just getting close to dinner time because as soon as I get anywhere near the room where their dishes are located, they come a running. "Don't worry you cats, I haven't forgotten about you yet, but I need to get a few other things done first, if you don't mind." Like type up this blog for instance.
I heard today that it is international pi day, as in the number pi, 3.14159 etc. and so forth. I also heard that we have now calculated pi to ten trillion digits after the decimal place and even after all those numbers, the sequence still doesn't repeat. So the odds of it ever repeating are very small indeed. However, that wasn't the reason for selecting today's title. Here at the "cat house" I have four cats and they all have extra toes. Now every now and again I have seen a cat with extra toes, but what are the odds that all four cats in the same household would have them? My guess is that it would be pretty slim, especially in light of the fact that they aren't all related. I guess with all these extra claws walking around the place I should be concerned about scratches, however these guys and girls all seem to be pretty mellow and I think we will all get along just fine for the rest of the month of March.
It's been a long couple of days for the Thoughtful Wanderer, and I am looking forward to a rather early night tonight. The house rule here is that the master bedroom is kept as a cat free zone, and even though I am used to and even prefer having a cat or two (or four as the case may be) to cuddle up to during the night, I also like to stick with the rules that the owners have in place. So tonight, they will all be on one side of the bedroom door, and the housesitter will be on the other side. I feel confident that there will be ample time to curl up together here in the living room, or upstairs or the kitchen or wherever, so all should be well.
And if this rain continues, I will be spending more time indoors as a result, so the cats and I will have plenty of time to bond.
The house is located very close to the ocean, and as Spring is right around the corner, I am looking forward to plenty of walking and bike riding so that I can continue to increase the strength in my right leg. Even though I am becoming less and less of a city dweller these days, as far as cities go, Victoria isn't too bad, at least for now that is.
The day is yet young, however after a short sleep last night and the accumulated travel over the past two days, I think I'll keep this on the short side for today. My new feline friends are back to giving me "the look" and so I guess I should take the hint and get their dinners ready. After that, we can all settle in for our first evening together and for this cat, it's going to be an early one indeed.
Time to catch up to a few emails and maybe get in a quick ride before the sun goes down. The odds of that happening are very good.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Saturday, March 9, 2013
FACING MY FEARS
POST # 63
It's over with. Bob the cat is sacked out on the couch, and Sadie the dog is doing the same, but on the floor. Sadie's pooped. And the Thoughtful Wanderer is happy. But let's go back a couple of hours and take it from there shall we?
I was awake very early this morning, and the crescent moon was hovering low in the east prior to the sunrise. The sky was perfectly clear, and this was the first day since arriving in Grand Forks back on February 25th, that this was the case. I took it as a good omen. You see, today was the day that I was scheduled to go back over to the house-sit on the Granby River, located about ten kilometers north of the town of Grand Forks. Bev and Brian, the owners, had decided to take a three day vacation to the States, and as their former housesitter was in town, it was a good opportunity for them to take a break, and for me, to go re-visit the place where just over a year ago, I fell and broke my leg.
Brian arrived early to collect me, and soon after, we arrived at their place, had a brief visit, before they headed out on their adventure, and me on mine. My adventure? Well, ever since I tumbled down the hill last year, I had wondered if I would get the opportunity to re-climb it and conquer my fears. Today that chance presented itself. Sadie was up for it, and I thought I was too.
That is, until we stood at the base of the hill and looked up. How long we stood there, I am not exactly sure, and I let fear take control of me many times while I thought about the ascent. Finally I asked Sadie if she was up to it, and because I didn't receive a negative response from her, I took my first tentative steps up.
We would climb a few feet, and stop, and the mistake I made early was to look back down the hill, and wonder if I would be able to go down once I got higher. What to do? Continue up, or call it a day right now and just head back to the safety and comfort of the house? Well, maybe just a few more feet up won't be that bad, so I continued to climb. Occasionally I would throw the ball back down the mountain so that Sadie could get some more exercise, and I could pause for a rest and try and decide if I should continue or not. It was a constant mental effort to concentrate on the task at hand, and try not to think back to last years' fall. At times I was winning this mental battle, and at other times, the thought of me climbing further made me weak at the knees. Still I continued on. Somehow, with Sadie there to talk to and be with, it seemed to make my journey somewhat less daunting.
About half way up now, and I managed to find a good rock to sit on for a few moments in the sun. Speaking of rocks, as I looked over the rocky landscape, I really couldn't help but wonder how on earth I managed to survive falling and only getting a broken leg last year. This was the first chance to have an up close and personal look at this hillside. Last year, it was just a blur as I bounced over this same rocky ground, to end up in a heap at the bottom. Feeling rested now, and seeing that we were now around half way up, it made sense to try going a few steps farther. Up and up Sadie and I climbed until we got to the section near the top where the angle changes dramatically and becomes significantly steeper. But now we were close to the top, and at this point I certainly wasn't going to stop.
The angle being so steep, I took extra care to make sure that each foot was planted firmly on the ground before going higher. A fall from here, would no doubt result in a few more broken bones, or worse. THAT WOULD BE BAD. My world at this point became very small and extremely focused. I was only concentrating on each hand hold and foot hold. A little bit higher now, and our goal is in sight.
Some loose rock underfoot reminded me that danger was always hovering in the background, and even though I could see the top, I must continue to just focus on each step. At this point, Sadie was already hanging out on the top, probably wondering what was taking me so long.
Finally around 11:30am on Saturday March 9, 2013 I sat down on the big flat rock that just over one year ago, I sat on just prior to my fall. So many memories both good and bad flooded into my mind, but the overall feeling was one of extreme happiness because I had faced this fear and managed to overcome it. Sadie was just sitting there wondering where her ball ended up.
Try as I might to re-construct the exact trajectory of my journey to the bottom last year, it was difficult to see just exactly how it all happened. I guess I will probably never know, but it doesn't really matter. However, just looking back down the mountain side at all the rocks, tree stumps and other nasty obstructions, I still find it hard to fathom how on earth I only broke my leg in five places.
So here we were, at the top, Sadie and I, and for a while we just sat there and enjoyed the view. And I really did enjoy the view but of course our job wasn't yet complete. Plenty of climbers have successfully climbed various peaks only to come to grief on the journey back down. I was certainly aware of this fact, and I knew that I had to remain extremely vigilant until we had made it safely back to the house.
I decided to down climb on the north side of the slope which I knew from last year was not as steep as what we had just climbed up. My one concern was the extent of the snow on that side, but it proved to be minimal and ever so slowly I picked my way back down to the safety of the house. Sadie was there waiting for me.
So as I stated at the beginning, it's over with now. Whether I ever get another chance to climb this hill again I don't know and I really don't care. What I set out to do has now been done, and life can move on for the Thoughtful Wanderer.
One final note. Of course the above journey could have all been made up in my head and typed out on the screen with no actual proof that it was ever accomplished. Thankfully my dear friend Mary, loaned me her ipod, so I have ample record in both still shots and video of this morning's journey. Now if I can figure out how to download some of these onto the blog, then it will be proof positive. Keep checking back to see if I have been successful with this endeavor.
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My fall began near the tree at the centre of the photo at the top of the slope.
Next week, it's off to Victoria where four cats await my arrival, just in time for spring.
happy trails (and hill climbs)
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
It's over with. Bob the cat is sacked out on the couch, and Sadie the dog is doing the same, but on the floor. Sadie's pooped. And the Thoughtful Wanderer is happy. But let's go back a couple of hours and take it from there shall we?
I was awake very early this morning, and the crescent moon was hovering low in the east prior to the sunrise. The sky was perfectly clear, and this was the first day since arriving in Grand Forks back on February 25th, that this was the case. I took it as a good omen. You see, today was the day that I was scheduled to go back over to the house-sit on the Granby River, located about ten kilometers north of the town of Grand Forks. Bev and Brian, the owners, had decided to take a three day vacation to the States, and as their former housesitter was in town, it was a good opportunity for them to take a break, and for me, to go re-visit the place where just over a year ago, I fell and broke my leg.
Brian arrived early to collect me, and soon after, we arrived at their place, had a brief visit, before they headed out on their adventure, and me on mine. My adventure? Well, ever since I tumbled down the hill last year, I had wondered if I would get the opportunity to re-climb it and conquer my fears. Today that chance presented itself. Sadie was up for it, and I thought I was too.
That is, until we stood at the base of the hill and looked up. How long we stood there, I am not exactly sure, and I let fear take control of me many times while I thought about the ascent. Finally I asked Sadie if she was up to it, and because I didn't receive a negative response from her, I took my first tentative steps up.
We would climb a few feet, and stop, and the mistake I made early was to look back down the hill, and wonder if I would be able to go down once I got higher. What to do? Continue up, or call it a day right now and just head back to the safety and comfort of the house? Well, maybe just a few more feet up won't be that bad, so I continued to climb. Occasionally I would throw the ball back down the mountain so that Sadie could get some more exercise, and I could pause for a rest and try and decide if I should continue or not. It was a constant mental effort to concentrate on the task at hand, and try not to think back to last years' fall. At times I was winning this mental battle, and at other times, the thought of me climbing further made me weak at the knees. Still I continued on. Somehow, with Sadie there to talk to and be with, it seemed to make my journey somewhat less daunting.
About half way up now, and I managed to find a good rock to sit on for a few moments in the sun. Speaking of rocks, as I looked over the rocky landscape, I really couldn't help but wonder how on earth I managed to survive falling and only getting a broken leg last year. This was the first chance to have an up close and personal look at this hillside. Last year, it was just a blur as I bounced over this same rocky ground, to end up in a heap at the bottom. Feeling rested now, and seeing that we were now around half way up, it made sense to try going a few steps farther. Up and up Sadie and I climbed until we got to the section near the top where the angle changes dramatically and becomes significantly steeper. But now we were close to the top, and at this point I certainly wasn't going to stop.
The angle being so steep, I took extra care to make sure that each foot was planted firmly on the ground before going higher. A fall from here, would no doubt result in a few more broken bones, or worse. THAT WOULD BE BAD. My world at this point became very small and extremely focused. I was only concentrating on each hand hold and foot hold. A little bit higher now, and our goal is in sight.
Some loose rock underfoot reminded me that danger was always hovering in the background, and even though I could see the top, I must continue to just focus on each step. At this point, Sadie was already hanging out on the top, probably wondering what was taking me so long.
Finally around 11:30am on Saturday March 9, 2013 I sat down on the big flat rock that just over one year ago, I sat on just prior to my fall. So many memories both good and bad flooded into my mind, but the overall feeling was one of extreme happiness because I had faced this fear and managed to overcome it. Sadie was just sitting there wondering where her ball ended up.
Try as I might to re-construct the exact trajectory of my journey to the bottom last year, it was difficult to see just exactly how it all happened. I guess I will probably never know, but it doesn't really matter. However, just looking back down the mountain side at all the rocks, tree stumps and other nasty obstructions, I still find it hard to fathom how on earth I only broke my leg in five places.
So here we were, at the top, Sadie and I, and for a while we just sat there and enjoyed the view. And I really did enjoy the view but of course our job wasn't yet complete. Plenty of climbers have successfully climbed various peaks only to come to grief on the journey back down. I was certainly aware of this fact, and I knew that I had to remain extremely vigilant until we had made it safely back to the house.
I decided to down climb on the north side of the slope which I knew from last year was not as steep as what we had just climbed up. My one concern was the extent of the snow on that side, but it proved to be minimal and ever so slowly I picked my way back down to the safety of the house. Sadie was there waiting for me.
So as I stated at the beginning, it's over with now. Whether I ever get another chance to climb this hill again I don't know and I really don't care. What I set out to do has now been done, and life can move on for the Thoughtful Wanderer.
One final note. Of course the above journey could have all been made up in my head and typed out on the screen with no actual proof that it was ever accomplished. Thankfully my dear friend Mary, loaned me her ipod, so I have ample record in both still shots and video of this morning's journey. Now if I can figure out how to download some of these onto the blog, then it will be proof positive. Keep checking back to see if I have been successful with this endeavor.
Next week, it's off to Victoria where four cats await my arrival, just in time for spring.
happy trails (and hill climbs)
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Thursday, March 7, 2013
DELAYED POST
Due to my limited time at a library computer here in Grand Forks, I will be writing my post this coming weekend, when I will be back housesitting at the same place where I broke my leg last year. Should be fun.
More to follow,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
More to follow,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Thursday, February 28, 2013
PAUL'S PETLESS PANORAMA PALACE
POST # 62
This post will be short and sweet, well short in any event. The reason? I am currently sitting at a public computer terminal in the Grand Forks library and the time limit is only one hour. So right up front I am going to apologize for any spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors, because I don't know if I'll have time to do my standard three or four edits. I may be able to extend my time, but it all depends on how many people show up.
It's the morning of February 28th, the last day of the month and here I am for the second time in a year visiting Grand Forks. I arrived a few days ago after a long journey from Washington, and the worst part of it was not being able to stay at the Vancouver bus terminal from 2am to 6am while in transit. Thankfully there was a 24hour place to hang out in during that time, so at least I was out of the weather.
When I arrived in Grand Forks, I was greeted by Dorothy who is the mother of my friend Tim, who lives in Calgary. I am currently staying at Dorothy's place, which is the above named "Paul's Petless Panorama Palace" as it is located on Panorama Drive and has a commanding view overlooking the valley below. Although I am petless ( a petsitter's holiday) there are a variety of song birds, pheasants and a multitude of deer roaming around in the yard, so they more than make up for the pet free zone.
Dorothy has recently sold her house and has moved into a senior care facility in town, and I am here to help her with anything that she needs done for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday I drove her to Trail to visit another son named David, and afterwards I popped into the Trail hospital, which is the place that I was at last year having my two leg operations. I have to say that I had mixed emotions walking through the front doors, but all in all, I am glad that I went. I was hoping to run into some of the staff who helped me last year, in order to thank them again, however there were no familiar faces to be seen. Still it was a worthwhile visit, and I think Dorothy enjoyed the drive and of course the time to spend with David.
I have also had the opportunity, thanks to Dorothy, to be able to dine with her and others at the Silver Kettle which is where she now lives. It's a wonderful chance to spend time with seniors, and hear some of their tales of the past. I even listened to one of our dinner mates tell a story from back in 1941 in which someone she knew had an accident in which his leg was broken in three places. Back then things were different, and the poor soul had to have a large portion of his leg amputated due to the onset of gangrene. He ended up with a wooden stump to finish out life on. I count myself fortunate by comparison. I'll be looking forward to sharing a few more dinners with my new found friends, during my time here in the Forks, and I imagine that there will be more interesting tales told in the future.
The anniversary date of my big tumble down the hill is rapidly approaching and I have been invited up to visit my hill this coming Sunday, which is a day short of the anniversary date, but it's close enough. It will be good to have a visit with the owners Bev and Brian, and of course all of their pets, including Sadie, Bob, Blueberry and Mr. Bumples. No doubt I will have more to say about that visit in a future blog.
I'm looking at the clock on the computer and it's ticking away rapidly, so I had better do at least a quick proof read to try and discover any glaring errors, prior to posting this entry.
OK, it looks pretty good for now, so I will post away. If I happen to get more time later today to add a few more thoughts I will, and if not, I'll be back here on March 7th to continue with the next news.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
This post will be short and sweet, well short in any event. The reason? I am currently sitting at a public computer terminal in the Grand Forks library and the time limit is only one hour. So right up front I am going to apologize for any spelling mistakes and/or grammatical errors, because I don't know if I'll have time to do my standard three or four edits. I may be able to extend my time, but it all depends on how many people show up.
It's the morning of February 28th, the last day of the month and here I am for the second time in a year visiting Grand Forks. I arrived a few days ago after a long journey from Washington, and the worst part of it was not being able to stay at the Vancouver bus terminal from 2am to 6am while in transit. Thankfully there was a 24hour place to hang out in during that time, so at least I was out of the weather.
When I arrived in Grand Forks, I was greeted by Dorothy who is the mother of my friend Tim, who lives in Calgary. I am currently staying at Dorothy's place, which is the above named "Paul's Petless Panorama Palace" as it is located on Panorama Drive and has a commanding view overlooking the valley below. Although I am petless ( a petsitter's holiday) there are a variety of song birds, pheasants and a multitude of deer roaming around in the yard, so they more than make up for the pet free zone.
Dorothy has recently sold her house and has moved into a senior care facility in town, and I am here to help her with anything that she needs done for the next couple of weeks. Yesterday I drove her to Trail to visit another son named David, and afterwards I popped into the Trail hospital, which is the place that I was at last year having my two leg operations. I have to say that I had mixed emotions walking through the front doors, but all in all, I am glad that I went. I was hoping to run into some of the staff who helped me last year, in order to thank them again, however there were no familiar faces to be seen. Still it was a worthwhile visit, and I think Dorothy enjoyed the drive and of course the time to spend with David.
I have also had the opportunity, thanks to Dorothy, to be able to dine with her and others at the Silver Kettle which is where she now lives. It's a wonderful chance to spend time with seniors, and hear some of their tales of the past. I even listened to one of our dinner mates tell a story from back in 1941 in which someone she knew had an accident in which his leg was broken in three places. Back then things were different, and the poor soul had to have a large portion of his leg amputated due to the onset of gangrene. He ended up with a wooden stump to finish out life on. I count myself fortunate by comparison. I'll be looking forward to sharing a few more dinners with my new found friends, during my time here in the Forks, and I imagine that there will be more interesting tales told in the future.
The anniversary date of my big tumble down the hill is rapidly approaching and I have been invited up to visit my hill this coming Sunday, which is a day short of the anniversary date, but it's close enough. It will be good to have a visit with the owners Bev and Brian, and of course all of their pets, including Sadie, Bob, Blueberry and Mr. Bumples. No doubt I will have more to say about that visit in a future blog.
I'm looking at the clock on the computer and it's ticking away rapidly, so I had better do at least a quick proof read to try and discover any glaring errors, prior to posting this entry.
OK, it looks pretty good for now, so I will post away. If I happen to get more time later today to add a few more thoughts I will, and if not, I'll be back here on March 7th to continue with the next news.
Happy trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Thursday, February 21, 2013
CONEHEAD BONEHEAD AND OTHER STUFF
POST # 61
TIKA IS BUMMED OUT. For some time now, prior to my arrival, she has had a sore on her right front paw which hasn't been able to heal because she keeps licking it. Of course most animals do this so there is nothing out of the ordinary there. The problem though, is that as a result, the sore remains. So yesterday after a trip to the vet, she is now sporting the infamous cone on her head, and THAT'S why she's bummed out. I guess it makes a fashion statement of some sort, but she doesn't think she needs it. Tika is such a good looking dog, how could a cone on her head ever improve her looks? She knows this, I know this, but obviously someone forgot to relate this to the vet. POOR TIKA. That is what I have been saying to her since she arrived home yesterday afternoon. Normally she spends the bulk of her time outdoors, and this makes sense, as she has such a thick coat of hair, she appreciates the cooler temperature outside.
However yesterday, she wanted to come in during the day, so I obliged. Because of the cone, she had trouble navigating from a to b and so I gently helped her along until she found a place in the hallway that she was happy with. And that's where she remained for a few hours, laying down on her side, with a look on her face that seemed to say, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Eventually, it was dinner time for her and I prepared her dish as I always do twice a day. I was curious to see how well she would be able to eat in her new condition, and things started out ok at first. I placed the bowl on the floor and her cone head enveloped it a moment later. I heard the munching of food, and it all seemed to be going well, but then Tika decided to crouch down, which is her preferred way to eat. The problem with that position though, was that the cone was now blocking her from getting her mouth in the bowl. There was only one solution, and a moment later I was down on my knees, holding up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could continue her meal. It's the closest I've ever come to sharing a meal with a dog, and it reminded me of the scene from a movie from a long time ago called "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" where the main character played by Nick Nolte is showing the upscale dog how to eat. Thankfully I didn't have to go to that extreme, as Tika has a very good appetite and she had the bowl licked clean in no time at all.
Later I was back in the house reading, and I could hear a different sound out on the back porch, a sound I hadn't heard before. When I checked, it was Tika trying to drink out of her water bowl, and she was trying to accomplish this from the same prone position as she was in when eating, and of course it wasn't working. So it was the dog sitter to the rescue again, to hold up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could have a good long drink before settling down for the night. One final duty before the evening was over was to apply a cream to the sore spot on her paw to help it heal. She seemed to be resigned to her fate, and didn't pull her paw away as I gently rubbed the cream into the sore.
Tomorrow, Tika will be moving to a new location so this will be the last time I get to take care of her. That fact makes me sad, but I am thankful that I have had the chance to be her care giver twice now. After I finish writing today's blog, I will be spending as much time as possible with Tika, because by lunch time tomorrow she will be gone. Life in some respects is just a series of hellos and goodbyes and even though it's difficult to say goodbye, I made up my mind years ago, due to the adventurous life that I have led which has resulted in me meeting more people (and animals) than I could have ever imagined if I had stayed in one place, that I would rather say hello and goodbye, than to have never said hello in the first place. This simple philosophy has helped ease some of the pain of all the goodbyes that have occurred along life's journey so far. The memory of Tika will be with me forever, and that makes me smile.
Moving right along. Late this coming Sunday I will be boarding another Greyhound bus for a trip to my next destination along the housesitting path. My destination? Grand Forks B.C. for the second time in a year. In fact I will be arriving there almost a year to the day of my prior trip. This time I will be at a new house, and I will be without internet or phone, so I am not sure how often I will be able to check my email and I may not get the opportunity to write a blog on February 28th or March 7th but if I can, I will. Last year on March 7th I was unable to write, because at the time I was flat on my back in a hospital in Trail BC waiting for my first leg operation. I'll do my best this year, to try and not get myself into the same predicament. Also, while I am in Grand Forks, I may be doing a short housesit at the same place I was last year, but that isn't confirmed yet. This would be an opportunity to go have a look at the hill I tumbled down, and that should bring back a few memories. I am looking forward to going back to Grand Forks for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it will be a chance to say thank you again to all the people there who helped me out last year while I was recovering from my broken leg.
And finally, here is a painting from the past which I came across the other day on the internet. I think it sums up the reaction I get from most people when they hear about some of the things that I speak about these days. That's me on the far right of the painting, speaking about the future.
A quote from my friend Guy McPherson seems appropriate here. "Knowing culture will lead us astray, we nonetheless invite scorn when we seek the truth beneath the cultural current of the main stream." (From "Walking Away From Empire")
For now though, I will remain as much as possible in the present moment, and enjoy the day with my cone-headed four-legged friend Tika.
The clouds are lifting somewhat, and it might be a good time to go for a walk with my cone-head bone-head and breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the day for what it holds in store. After all, every day is a precious gift.
Until next time then,
Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
TIKA IS BUMMED OUT. For some time now, prior to my arrival, she has had a sore on her right front paw which hasn't been able to heal because she keeps licking it. Of course most animals do this so there is nothing out of the ordinary there. The problem though, is that as a result, the sore remains. So yesterday after a trip to the vet, she is now sporting the infamous cone on her head, and THAT'S why she's bummed out. I guess it makes a fashion statement of some sort, but she doesn't think she needs it. Tika is such a good looking dog, how could a cone on her head ever improve her looks? She knows this, I know this, but obviously someone forgot to relate this to the vet. POOR TIKA. That is what I have been saying to her since she arrived home yesterday afternoon. Normally she spends the bulk of her time outdoors, and this makes sense, as she has such a thick coat of hair, she appreciates the cooler temperature outside.
However yesterday, she wanted to come in during the day, so I obliged. Because of the cone, she had trouble navigating from a to b and so I gently helped her along until she found a place in the hallway that she was happy with. And that's where she remained for a few hours, laying down on her side, with a look on her face that seemed to say, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Eventually, it was dinner time for her and I prepared her dish as I always do twice a day. I was curious to see how well she would be able to eat in her new condition, and things started out ok at first. I placed the bowl on the floor and her cone head enveloped it a moment later. I heard the munching of food, and it all seemed to be going well, but then Tika decided to crouch down, which is her preferred way to eat. The problem with that position though, was that the cone was now blocking her from getting her mouth in the bowl. There was only one solution, and a moment later I was down on my knees, holding up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could continue her meal. It's the closest I've ever come to sharing a meal with a dog, and it reminded me of the scene from a movie from a long time ago called "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" where the main character played by Nick Nolte is showing the upscale dog how to eat. Thankfully I didn't have to go to that extreme, as Tika has a very good appetite and she had the bowl licked clean in no time at all.
Later I was back in the house reading, and I could hear a different sound out on the back porch, a sound I hadn't heard before. When I checked, it was Tika trying to drink out of her water bowl, and she was trying to accomplish this from the same prone position as she was in when eating, and of course it wasn't working. So it was the dog sitter to the rescue again, to hold up the bowl to her mouth, so that she could have a good long drink before settling down for the night. One final duty before the evening was over was to apply a cream to the sore spot on her paw to help it heal. She seemed to be resigned to her fate, and didn't pull her paw away as I gently rubbed the cream into the sore.
Tomorrow, Tika will be moving to a new location so this will be the last time I get to take care of her. That fact makes me sad, but I am thankful that I have had the chance to be her care giver twice now. After I finish writing today's blog, I will be spending as much time as possible with Tika, because by lunch time tomorrow she will be gone. Life in some respects is just a series of hellos and goodbyes and even though it's difficult to say goodbye, I made up my mind years ago, due to the adventurous life that I have led which has resulted in me meeting more people (and animals) than I could have ever imagined if I had stayed in one place, that I would rather say hello and goodbye, than to have never said hello in the first place. This simple philosophy has helped ease some of the pain of all the goodbyes that have occurred along life's journey so far. The memory of Tika will be with me forever, and that makes me smile.
Moving right along. Late this coming Sunday I will be boarding another Greyhound bus for a trip to my next destination along the housesitting path. My destination? Grand Forks B.C. for the second time in a year. In fact I will be arriving there almost a year to the day of my prior trip. This time I will be at a new house, and I will be without internet or phone, so I am not sure how often I will be able to check my email and I may not get the opportunity to write a blog on February 28th or March 7th but if I can, I will. Last year on March 7th I was unable to write, because at the time I was flat on my back in a hospital in Trail BC waiting for my first leg operation. I'll do my best this year, to try and not get myself into the same predicament. Also, while I am in Grand Forks, I may be doing a short housesit at the same place I was last year, but that isn't confirmed yet. This would be an opportunity to go have a look at the hill I tumbled down, and that should bring back a few memories. I am looking forward to going back to Grand Forks for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it will be a chance to say thank you again to all the people there who helped me out last year while I was recovering from my broken leg.
And finally, here is a painting from the past which I came across the other day on the internet. I think it sums up the reaction I get from most people when they hear about some of the things that I speak about these days. That's me on the far right of the painting, speaking about the future.
A quote from my friend Guy McPherson seems appropriate here. "Knowing culture will lead us astray, we nonetheless invite scorn when we seek the truth beneath the cultural current of the main stream." (From "Walking Away From Empire")
For now though, I will remain as much as possible in the present moment, and enjoy the day with my cone-headed four-legged friend Tika.
The clouds are lifting somewhat, and it might be a good time to go for a walk with my cone-head bone-head and breathe in some fresh air and enjoy the day for what it holds in store. After all, every day is a precious gift.
Until next time then,
Happy Trails,
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Thursday, February 14, 2013
GOATS AND HEADING NORTH AGAIN
POST # 60
Last week, Bella the goat had her babies taken away. It was a sad day for both Bella and her kids, and Bella spent the entire day bleating away to any of the humans present, in the hope that maybe someone could help her solve the mystery of her kids' disappearance. But no amount of bleating was going to change the situation.
She had only just had the kids, two days prior, and had barely settled in to her mothering role. However, a decision had been made to hand over the kids to another human to raise and that is why Bella found herself in this new situation. Plenty of people raise goats in order to collect the milk to drink and/or to make cheese. And the property I was on was no different. One thing I didn't know until then, and I imagine many people don't know, is that in order for the goat to keep producing milk, she has to have a new batch of kids each year. Of course there is only so much feed to go around and so we are either overrun by goats, or some other measures have to be used to keep the goat population in check. In some respects goats are no different than humans, however we as a species haven't been very good at keeping our own population in check and now the earth is trying to support over seven billion of us, and the natural world just can't keep up.
Last week I had the opportunity to go visit some friends out at their rural property in southwestern New Mexico, an off-grid property where Bella, her "sister" Lily, and a collection of ducks, chickens, a goose, three dogs and five humans live. It's a beautiful setting along the river, and they are fully self-contained. I had met Guy as a result of contacting him via email late last year, and I have mentioned his blog from time to time. I had just finished up my housesit responsibilities in Yuma, and seeing that I was relatively close to New Mexico, it was an ideal time to go for a visit and I'm very glad that I did. Perhaps later this year I will have another opportunity to go visit, however we'll have to see how the year pans out. It was an eye-opening education for me and it was a chance to make new friends. I am glad that I made the effort.
After my journey to New Mexico, I drove back to Yuma for one more night where I had been housesitting, for one final opportunity to visit friends there, including my new dog friend, Watson, who has been my companion since mid December. He was quite the character, my own personal snoring machine, and I miss him now that I have moved on to my new location, however I don't think that I have seen the last of Mr. Watson.
Saturday, February 9th dawned a typically sunny day again in Yuma and before long I was out at the airport awaiting my short flight to Phoenix, and from there on to Seattle. This was the first chance to go through airport security in the USA and I was curious to see whether or not my metal leg would set the alarms ringing, but I breezed through without incident. The flight to Phoenix was only thirty minutes and as we descended into Phoenix airport, I was again struck by this sprawl of suburbia in the desert. The southwestern part of the US is only going to get hotter as time passes, and I imagine that a place such as Phoenix, or even Yuma for that matter will struggle with issues surrounding the delivery of water etc.. I had a short stop there, and then connected to my flight to Seattle. My original ticket had me returning to Vancouver, however as I didn't have a housesit lined up there, and because I had the chance to return to a housesit that I had done last year in Everett, Washington, I made the decision to stay in the USA for a couple weeks longer than previously planned. On our final approach to SeaTac airport, the cloud base below the aircraft was as solid as can be, however we passed by Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, with their peaks sticking up above the clouds. Since that flight though, I now had to get accustomed to grey cloud-filled days, after having a weather "holiday" down south where one could expect a sunny day, day in and day out.
So I am back with Tika the dog, a huge Malamute and she seems particularly huge after getting used to little Watson, who is about as big as Tika's head. I keep calling Tika, Watson by mistake and she gives me the look wondering who the hell am I talking about. Perhaps by the time I leave here, I'll be saying her name correctly.
I'll have one more chance to write a blog for this month in Everett before heading back across the border for my next location. It's wonderful to be settled back here in a familiar location, with a happy dog to keep me company and I am looking forward to spending another week or so with Tika, as we will have another chance to bond together. In the meantime, I wonder if Bella has stopped her bleating and accepted her lot?
The adventure continues.
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
Last week, Bella the goat had her babies taken away. It was a sad day for both Bella and her kids, and Bella spent the entire day bleating away to any of the humans present, in the hope that maybe someone could help her solve the mystery of her kids' disappearance. But no amount of bleating was going to change the situation.
She had only just had the kids, two days prior, and had barely settled in to her mothering role. However, a decision had been made to hand over the kids to another human to raise and that is why Bella found herself in this new situation. Plenty of people raise goats in order to collect the milk to drink and/or to make cheese. And the property I was on was no different. One thing I didn't know until then, and I imagine many people don't know, is that in order for the goat to keep producing milk, she has to have a new batch of kids each year. Of course there is only so much feed to go around and so we are either overrun by goats, or some other measures have to be used to keep the goat population in check. In some respects goats are no different than humans, however we as a species haven't been very good at keeping our own population in check and now the earth is trying to support over seven billion of us, and the natural world just can't keep up.
Last week I had the opportunity to go visit some friends out at their rural property in southwestern New Mexico, an off-grid property where Bella, her "sister" Lily, and a collection of ducks, chickens, a goose, three dogs and five humans live. It's a beautiful setting along the river, and they are fully self-contained. I had met Guy as a result of contacting him via email late last year, and I have mentioned his blog from time to time. I had just finished up my housesit responsibilities in Yuma, and seeing that I was relatively close to New Mexico, it was an ideal time to go for a visit and I'm very glad that I did. Perhaps later this year I will have another opportunity to go visit, however we'll have to see how the year pans out. It was an eye-opening education for me and it was a chance to make new friends. I am glad that I made the effort.
After my journey to New Mexico, I drove back to Yuma for one more night where I had been housesitting, for one final opportunity to visit friends there, including my new dog friend, Watson, who has been my companion since mid December. He was quite the character, my own personal snoring machine, and I miss him now that I have moved on to my new location, however I don't think that I have seen the last of Mr. Watson.
Saturday, February 9th dawned a typically sunny day again in Yuma and before long I was out at the airport awaiting my short flight to Phoenix, and from there on to Seattle. This was the first chance to go through airport security in the USA and I was curious to see whether or not my metal leg would set the alarms ringing, but I breezed through without incident. The flight to Phoenix was only thirty minutes and as we descended into Phoenix airport, I was again struck by this sprawl of suburbia in the desert. The southwestern part of the US is only going to get hotter as time passes, and I imagine that a place such as Phoenix, or even Yuma for that matter will struggle with issues surrounding the delivery of water etc.. I had a short stop there, and then connected to my flight to Seattle. My original ticket had me returning to Vancouver, however as I didn't have a housesit lined up there, and because I had the chance to return to a housesit that I had done last year in Everett, Washington, I made the decision to stay in the USA for a couple weeks longer than previously planned. On our final approach to SeaTac airport, the cloud base below the aircraft was as solid as can be, however we passed by Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker, with their peaks sticking up above the clouds. Since that flight though, I now had to get accustomed to grey cloud-filled days, after having a weather "holiday" down south where one could expect a sunny day, day in and day out.
So I am back with Tika the dog, a huge Malamute and she seems particularly huge after getting used to little Watson, who is about as big as Tika's head. I keep calling Tika, Watson by mistake and she gives me the look wondering who the hell am I talking about. Perhaps by the time I leave here, I'll be saying her name correctly.
I'll have one more chance to write a blog for this month in Everett before heading back across the border for my next location. It's wonderful to be settled back here in a familiar location, with a happy dog to keep me company and I am looking forward to spending another week or so with Tika, as we will have another chance to bond together. In the meantime, I wonder if Bella has stopped her bleating and accepted her lot?
The adventure continues.
Paul
The Thoughtful Wanderer
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