Magic

I believe in magic.

Today, I walked past the ocean and ventured into the woods. The earth was damp from the tears Mother Nature shed the night before, leaving behind a sodden pathway and the most invigorating scent. And as I walked, I noticed the raindrops hanging off the withered leaves and bare branches. They sparkled in the sunshine, reminding me of the white lights we adorn our trees with, and I stopped to take notice.

It's easy not to notice. Easy to keep walking. Have headphones in and our eyes on our shoes. It's easy to pass the magic right on by.

No one has to tell winter to come. No one has to tell the season to change. The cycle continues no matter what. It turns and the warmth leaves as the cold rushes in. The year goes by. Leaves fall, only to grow again when spring returns.

This is magic.

To smell a new day. To hear the birds playing in the underbrush. To see the life of fungi poking up among the decay of Fall and to hold leaves bigger than our heads in our hands. To exist and be a part of something out of our control, something that will continue no matter what we do or say.

Magic is all around me.

The Death In Rural Living

Up until I moved to Vancouver Island I'd only seen roadkill. Not a ton of it. A chipmunk here. A cat there. On the rare occasion a deer when I headed into the mountains to see my parents. These days, I see something dread pretty much every day. The more rural my living becomes, the higher the death count. As an animal lover and vegan, all this decay and loss of life is unsettling. Yes, I understand it's all the circle of life and death is ultimately the end result for all of us, but I don't like seeing it.

Today, Dixon tried to roll in a dead octopus but didn't manage to get into it. I pulled him away just in time and continued to drag him across the rocks and halfway down the beach before he realized he didn't stink like rottenness. He looked so happy. Just this big pitbull grin on his gorgeous face, thrilled to be alive and able to roll in dead things. Does anyone actually know why dogs feel the need to do this?

The dead octopus isn't the first time Dixon and I have ran into a dead animal. There was the dead fish he actually managed to roll in and let me reassure you, the bath that came afterwards was met with far less enthusiasm. And once when we were hiking up to Elk Falls there was a deer at the side of the road, also dead, and he tried to roll in that, but he missed.

Still, the dead things keep piling up.

In the last year I've seen a dead beaver, a decapitated sea lion, raccoons and possums, one smooshed badger, a handful of deer, crows, an octopus, fish, crabs, one cat, a rabbit, squirrels, crickets galore, a bunch of mice and a mole. At least I think it was a mole. Sometimes it's hard to identify the creatures I come across. Insert a disturbed sad face here.

I suppose in some ways I'm not cut out for living so close to nature. While I love exploring and touching trees and wading through water, I'm not really a fan of all this death and dying business.
On the other hand, this sort of scenery means I will never move away.

Morning And Night

So, I have decided to get out of the house more. I find there are a lot of excuses as to why I can't, especially on work days. In the end, those are all bullshit. The harsh language only shows the seriousness of the statement. If I leave it up to myself, I will come up with reasons why I can't get out and breathe the fresh air.

As of July 1st, there have been no excuses. Yes, it's only July 3rd, but that's three days and we don't sniff at successes. We celebrate them. Because there is enough negativity and a little positive thinking goes a long way. In fact, it might just get me out of bed tomorrow morning.

They say routine kills you. I mean, I don't know who they is, but one of them is Paulo Coelho. He's responsible for the quote pictured below.

And it isn't that I disagree with him. No, I think adventuring and exploration, of mind, body and nature, is important. But I also think routine can help you out of a rut. If something is truly important and you make a habit of doing it, then maybe it transcends routine. Maybe then it becomes living.

I've decided to make reacquainting myself with the world part of my routine. Twice a day. Morning and night. 7AM and 7PM. I will be out in the world, breathing the air and moving my limbs. Right now, this is almost a chore. Don't look at my like I am lazy. It takes energy to tie those sneakers up. But I feel the benefits already. This is a nice way to start and end my day. It gives me time to gear up and down.

Okay, so this is routine right now. But I suspect by the end of the month, it won't be routine. It will be something I look forward to. Something I love. Moments I cherish because I am alone and reconnecting with Mother Nature. Eventually, I will only have one routine and it will be this:

Camping 101

Just got home from camping and I have never been so dirty. That's not true. I've been far dirtier. But that first shower after collecting three days of camp filth feels divine. As does sleeping in a bed again. We went away for the Sidekick's birthday. He's now another year older, but I suspect none the wiser. He said he feels twenty-nine. I tried not to laugh in his face.

While we were away, I got to thinking about the proper way to camp, what is and isn't camping to me, and the etiquette of being out in the wilderness. Here are some of the observations I made.

1. When an RV is involved it isn't camping. This is what the city girls call glamping but to me it's a bit on the excessive side, kind of like you're missing the entire point of the activity. On top of that, it's sort of rude, especially when you set up shop across from a couple with a tent and they have to listen to your generator kicking in every couple minutes or your smoke detector going off. Like, seriously? A smoke detector! Part of the fun of camping is second guessing whether you doused your fire enough and silently wondering if you're going to perish in your tent that night.

2. Showering is cheating. The whole point of going camping is to connect with your inner beast and become one with the wild. Walking to a shower and using such items as body wash, razors and a loofa sponge are against the rules. Now, washing up in a lake or creek is perfectly acceptable. That icy splash of water on your face is most invigorating.

3. Heat comes from a campfire. There are no other exceptions, unless we are talking bodily warmth. Huddling close to the fire to keep warm is a key ingredient to a successful adventure into the woods, as is practically burning your legs off because you insist on sitting a foot away from the eight log fire.

4. Wet wood doesn't make the best fire. Cedar kindling rules!

5. Always pack a rain jacket. Who wouldn't pack a rain jacket? (glances over at the Sidekick)

6. The weather reports are wrong. I am actually a firm believer that all meteorologists are liars and that weather predicting is about as trust worthy as witchcraft.

7. Camping calories don't count. It's okay to survive on potato chips and hot dogs for three days. No one is going to think less of you. In fact, you might become a hero in the eyes of people you tell.

8. Don't cheap out on a tent. From past experience, a leaky tent is literally one of the worst things in the world. Just because that eight person tent is a hundred dollars at Wal-Mart doesn't mean you should buy it. Pay attention to the words 'water resistant' - it is basically saying if it drizzles you will be fine. You want a waterproof fly. The tent we just got kept us perfectly dry and it wasn't too expensive.

9. Dogs are awesome, but don't just let them run around the campground. This is my problem with off leash dogs. Not all dogs are friendly and, while your dog might be the sweetest four legged creature ever to grace planet Earth, it is an animal with instincts. Keep your dog leashed or tethered, for their own protection and other animals' as well. Everyone in our campground kept their dog under control until the last day when two families showed up and just let their dogs roam free. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. As you know, Dixon is a pitbull. We have had two dogs run up to us off leash and start trouble with him. He's not an aggressive dog, but these bad interactions with uncontrolled dogs are terrible experiences we both hate having. On top of that, they are unnecessary.

10. Keep it clean. Camping is messy business, sure, but you should treat your surroundings with respect. Dispose of your garbage, keep the site tidy, and leave it in better condition than you arrived. We left our fire poker 2000 behind for the next visitors to use.

Okay, now it is picture time!

Comfy in the tent. 

Morton Lake

 

Mohun Lake 

A man and his dog

Andrew Lake (thought the sky looked cool in this one)

Being a good boy at the lake

Morton Lake

Camping abode (tent)

All bundled up

He's ready to go home

Sidekick and his fire poker

A rare picture of the Sidekick and I

Wildflowers

Today is going to be all about flowers and pictures, mostly pictures of flowers. The world is blooming and this morning I took notice. After an hour and a half of walking and thinking to myself, "Wow, look at all these flowers" I decided to start taking pictures of every flower I passed that wasn't in someone's yard.

Yes, we live in troubling times, but there is beauty as well. All around us. If we just take the time to notice. Isn't that the key, though? Taking time to notice. Sometimes it looks like we are all so busy that we don't have a free moment to see the pretty things in life. And without the pretty things life can be so drab.

Anyhow, here are the flowers I saw on my way home:

Why I Don't Smoke The Weed

If I have said it once, I have said it a thousand times - I have never partaken in the drugs, any of them, not even the marijuana, which British Columbia (if not the whole of Canada) is known for. BC Bud? Yeah, that's a real noteworthy thing over here, apparently. Colour me surprised! Although it does kind of make sense because everyone and their grandmother loves to indulge in the green around these parts.

Now, the reason for my abstaining isn't because I am a stuck up bitch who thinks she's better than everyone else and doesn't want to stoop to the level of those people who are so clearly beneath me. Actually, yes, someone did once accuse me of that, even though I don't think I am better than anyone else, except those I am obviously better than. Just kidding. I am the Queen of ill-timed jokes. I wish there was a jokey font. I guess comic sans might be.

Anyhow, the truth is, I was afraid to try drugs. When I was eleven, my older brother got into some bad stuff. I won't share details, because it isn't really anyone's business but his own. The details don't matter, anyway, what did matter is that I loved him. I saw the way his life was heading and, while there were more bad decisions than buying ciggies, getting drunk, and smoking a spliff, that's where it seemed to begin, at least that's how I saw it in my preteen mind. So, I decided I didn't want to go down the path he went, I didn't want to be removed from my home, or put into foster care, or go to juvenile detention.

Sure, as I grew older, I realized his was the worst case scenario. Well, at least one of them, there was always death, which scared me more. People find it surprising I didn't succumb to peer pressure in high school. Yes, it was offered, and yeah, I spent many a night with drunk and stoned kids. From alcohol swiped from parents liquor cabinets to marijuana and from LSD to cocaine and ecstasy, I was around it all. It wasn't as if I wasn't subjected to it. I was, but it never interested me, and honestly I didn't WANT to do it. There was plenty of remarks, a copious amount of assumptions, and a fair amount of peer pressure, never really from my good friends, but I was a determined little girl.

And then I reached my twenties and, despite the rough times and sad times and trying to find myself times, I always figured it was a silly time to start. It was as if I missed the getting high boat. It seemed weird for me to suddenly give it a try after over two decades of living.

So why do I not indulge now?

Because I don't need it. I am weird enough on my own. This world constantly wows me. And to be perfectly honest, I have an odd tendency to sound like I'm stoned without actually being under the influence. "Look at the sky, it's amaaaaaaazing. Can you believe it? It's just breath taking." Insert far out smile here. No, really. Do you remember the double rainbow video? How that guy lost his mind over the double rainbow? Well, that's pretty much me whenever I see something semi-amazing in nature.

For example, tonight I cut open a tomato, which seems like a fairly uninspiring task. Except, I was in awe, because the seeds inside had sprouted. This literally had me grinning from ear-to-ear. I actually sought out the Sidekick to show him. He wasn't as amazed by it, though. Still, it made my night. And that is why I don't smoke the weed now. Because my world is pretty magnificent without it.

And don't go thinking I am one of those people who tell others not to burn one down. Heavens no, partake, indulge, light one up. It just isn't for me, it never has been and, here's the thing, it never will be. Never. Oh, also, please don't call me straight-edge, while that is an accurate label for what I am, I have always hated the term. Mostly because it makes me sound like a scenester kid, which isn't the case. I am too old to be a scenester or hipster, or whatever the kids are calling it these days. Now, where'd I put my cardigan and glasses?

The Gratitude Booklet

I live in a beautiful village where nice things happen all the time. This makes me supremely lucky, and it's something I am grateful for every single day of my life. Not all people live in such a magnificent part of the world, where they can be in the mountains and at the beach in the same day. Where they can drink water from their tap and know their neighbours' names.

Some people might want examples of nice things that happen in my village. Well, every Wednesday we put out our garbage and recycling and someone always puts our cans inside our property. It's a small thing, lifting our empty cans over the fence, but it tucks them out of the way so they don't go rolling down the street if it's too windy, and it means we can access our parking without being inconvenienced by getting out of the truck to move them. We don't know who does this, but every week, without fail, they do. Another example, during winter someone shovelled the walkway to our gate more than a handful of times. Again, we don't know who did this, but it's one of those gestures that makes this place a great spot to live.

But the sweetness of this town, extends beyond our neighbours. It't the rest of the population too. Chalked messages of love show up around town and are washed away the next time it rains. The community Facebook posts notices about found keys and cellphones, or about injured animals seen on the trails in the forest along with warnings to keep dogs leashed in those areas.

Today, I found yet another amazing thing to add to the 'why I love where I live' list. The little book of gratitude. There's a trail in the forest call the Missing Link trail and it actually goes up to this peak where a wooden bench has been built for people to sit. Here you can look out over the town and, I swear, the air is freshest up there.

When I reached the top this morning, I noticed a little plastic baggie stuffed into the back board of the bench. Upon inspection, I noticed it was a booklet and pen.

In fact, it was the gratitude booklet. A book where people had taken the time to pause a moment and consider what they were grateful for in life.

Out of curiosity, I read through what other people were grateful for. A lot of them were simply ecstatic over being a live, on the trails, running, riding, being healthy and touching the sky. It's a small thing this book, but as I read through it, it changed my morning. It took away the morning annoyances and really made me focus on breathing. I was there, on top of the world, free and alive.

All the posts made me happy, but this one took the cake: 

Ride fast, just a bit of advice from 'N'. How truly fantastic. I hope his dad knows how important he is.

Dropped The Ball

I totally meant to write a post earlier. Unfortunately, I didn't and it is now 11 at night. Oops.

So, because I dropped the ball, I have decided to share with you pictures from my walk/hike/run/jog today.

What can I say? I live in a beautiful place.

Water Droplets

For some reason, I was fascinated by the water droplets in my garden this morning. So, I took some pictures and am sharing. Just because, it's nature and it's the beginning of a new week. And things are beautiful.