We had our first snowfall a couple of days ago, but it soon turned to rain. Nothing left to take pictures of. The next morning I woke to the foggy,foggy, dew. Fog always casts such an interesting light on everything, and the moisture in the air makes the leaves and rocks glisten. I find it very pretty as well as rather soothing and calming, and look forward to a few more days of this effect, as the difference in the water temperature and the air temperature creates more fog.

Fog diffuses the light waves and sends them off in different directions so everything looks fuzzy. It creates a softened vision of the environment around us. It also deadens the sound, and the resulting effect is comforting (unless you have to drive through it!).

But for some people, fog has become extremely important in their daily survival. In Nepal, for example, a system has been constructed that captures the moisture from fog. People use it for their daily water in areas where water is scarce or unavailable. There are also projects in South and Central America, Namibia and Israel among others, that are co-ordinated by "Fog Quest", a Canadian company.

The International Development Research Centre in Ottawa, Canada has an article listing benefits of the innovative water collection systems that are being put into place around the globe. It's an idea/process that has been researched over the last couple of decades, and though we don't hear much about it in the mainstream news media, there is progress being made. The lives of people in water-scarce areas are being improved.

I think it's an interesting idea that we could take advantage of for 'off-grid' living as well in certain areas. And in this country, with our regular snowfall in winter, I don't see why we couldn't investigate in that direction for 'off-grid' water sources, particularly for irrigating food for our own personal consumption. It wouldn't create enough to live off all year, but it could be perhaps used to augment other supplies, or kept in storage until the dry season and then put to use. Similar to reservoirs for city usage, but on a much smaller scale. One wouldn't really be stealing it from the earth and upsetting the balance, but merely directing it to a specific area of cultivation at a time when it was needed. It is something to think about. And I do believe we need to put more attention to how much water we consume, and how we use it.

Sooo much is wasted. I mean - really - do you have to wash down your driveway with your drinking water? When I drive past someone doing that I get the urge to get out and slap the guy ..... and I am not an aggressive person by nature. But there are some things that just seem ridiculous, wasteful and show a total disconnect from the world we live in. We are slowly draining our reserves while the population numbers are exploding, and to top it all off we have climate change effects and global warming to add in to the mix. No - you can't fix it all by yourself, but you can do your little bit, which in the end will be a cost saving advantage to you and a major advantage to the earth.

There is a very interesting and informative article in "National Geographic" on the state of the water supply  with comments and predictions of how it will affect the future. It's called "Drying of the West" and deals with the watersheds around Los Angeles and surrounding areas but is indicative of other areas as well. It's well worth a read.

If you want to learn about or donate to fog collection systems around the world, search out
http://www.fogquest.org/projects.shtml

OR

http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-26965-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html#Introduction

for what the International Development Research Centre in Ottawa is involved in.  We take our water so for granted, we don't acknowledge that there is a very limited supply because we see it everywhere. This may not be the case if we do not take the time to understand the cycles and respect them in our usage.

The muted colours of fall on the Similkameen River. It's a damp day and I am soaking up the moisture and loving it. I breathe easier.

Rain and fog also make the surface of the stones wet and glisten in the light. It's the best possible time to go rock collecting because all the interesting ones stand  out when they are wet (it also means you don't have to lick the rocks to find out what they really look like).  ; )  I like that speckled black one in the middle the best.... well, I like them all, but that one caught my attention right away and nudged my curiosity about things - like what it is made of, how it formed that way, and where it came from. Is there more rock like it somewhere up the river? I get the urge to go searching.

Water is such an important aspect of life on this planet. Everything needs it - water and air are the basics that keep the planet functioning.

Had to make a trip in to Penticton yesterday and stopped at the beach on a whim to catch some wave action. I love taking photos of the sun through waves and patterns of bubbles at the shore. Could watch the play of shadows on the sand for hours.

Because it was a windy day and the sun was shining, the kite surfers came out. I am sure they have a communication system between them because on a day like this, there are always surfers. On the 22nd of October, the weather is bright and sunny, but the water is cold, cold, cold, and they are decked out in protective suits, head to toe, so they don't freeze! Really only recognizable by the kites they fly to anyone but their close friends.

About half a dozen of them were out at one point -never all in the same place at the same time. I can imagine the exhilaration they feel out there, flying across the water on the wind. With the sun catching their kites, and the spray kicked up by the boards, they make a good show.

Especially when they catch a wave and jump - seeming to hang in the air forever! It takes a definite connection with nature to be able to sense the wind in the kite and the wave beneath your feet and co-ordinate it into an extended flight across the water. Fascinating to watch. I am always mesmerized watching them, and it is hard to quit. Hard to stop taking pictures too - between the waves and the kiters, came away with loads of them on the camera!! Could have stayed watching them for as long as they were out there, but unfortunately, I had other things on my list to do before I went home.

As it was, I returned home in twilight fading to darkness, focusing intently on the roadside watching for deer. Five of them crossed in front of me at one point, but I managed to pick out their moving silhouettes against the background and came to a stop until they were all safely across - heading for the river. By the time I arrived home the night sky sparkled with millions of stars. It was an impromptu trip, necessitated by strange noises emanating from my laptop (!!!!), but because I followed my intuition and made an extra stop, in the end it was a fantastic day and the challenge of the laptop problems dwindled in importance. It became a non-issue. Still something I have to deal with, but it didn't overshadow everything and make yesterday "THE DAY MY LAPTOP BROKE DOWN". Instead, it was the day I got to watch the waves and the kiters!

Part of the view at Bromley Rock campsite. The swimming hole.

Occasionally I take a trip to another town not far away - a little over an hour's drive - to catch up with friends and do some shopping for items that are not available locally. So I was thinking, on this last trip, that perhaps I should do a few blogs about the places I drive through on my way there. There are a few little villages that have some interesting things about them, and lots of pretty country in between.

One of my first favourite places along the way is a government campsite. There is an overnight area, but also a day area where you can picnic and swim or launch your tubes and rafts for a slow drift down the river in summer. In the time right after high water there are often kayakers running the river as well. There are no big rapids, but the boulders in the river make it an interesting ride.  It's called Bromley Rock and is a favourite day spot for locals and visitors in the heat of summer. The mountain brings shade earlier here than some other spots on the hot afternoons so it is sought out as a place to cool down.  This photo was taken early morning on a quiet day in spring when the water is still too cold for swimming and the breeze too chilly for picnicking - so it is deserted and quiet. Peaceful. I love to just bring a coffee and relax here, searching out the really neat patterns of tree trunks, well worn over the years by spring run-off high water marks into interesting designs.

This is a traditional First Nations fishing area.There are still fish in the river, and one often sees fishermen up and down the stream looking for the hiding spots so they can pan fry a fresh one for dinner (although the rainbow trout are catch and release now). The smell of wood smoke always starts the juices flowing and the memories flashing back when I drive past in the summer time. I recall many camping trips to fishing lakes when we would do exactly that. Spend a peaceful day fishing and a quiet evening under the stars enjoying the catch of the day along with pan-fried potatoes and some fresh organic tomatoes picked up at a fruit stand along the way. Fresh fruit of the month for desert of course!

There is also gold in this river, although most of it is found further upstream. But I would expect that there would be some here too, hiding in the depths of the sands washed down every year with the run-off. But it will stay hiding here as there are regulations against using the necessary equipment to get at it, in the river. And that is good. Don't want anyone disturbing this beautiful spot.

More information on camping at Bromley Rock is available on the campsite page for BC Parks.

The boulders in the river make it an interesting ride for kayakers just after the high water has settled into a good strong flow without the dangers.

One of the sets of tree roots that I find amusing. I see a face in there - the spirit of an old Douglas Fir that has hung on to the edge of the river for many, many years. These roots have been washed and worn by high water each spring and show some character!

If you have read any of my other pages anywhere, you may recognize the tree grouping. It is the view outside my window and it never ceases to attract my eye. I have no idea why, but I love those trees. They are ever changing through the seasons and I am drawn to them. I would love to paint them, but they speak out for oils and it has been many years since I have worked with oil paint. Maybe one day I will summon the courage to try.

There was another light dusting of snow last night. The clouds are low, there is fog off the river adding to it, and the patterns of the trees are dark, lacy silhouettes - like delicate coral branches against a grey-light ocean where distance is distorted and the world seems very small and comforting. It is the kind of day where you feel like maybe, just maybe, you can handle it if you just keep taking one step at a time. The sounds are muffled, the light is subdued, not harsh and blinding, and the world is soft and white with its new coating of powdery snowflakes - and if you move just as softly and quietly yourself, perhaps you can sneak into a spot on the next rung without too much clamour and 'to-do' about it. Just slowly slide past all your internal critics and find a comfortable spot on the next level to roost for a while until you are ready to move on.

The sun is trying its best to burn through the layering of cloud, and has created a light halo around the tops of the trees - a glowing aura - and with its warmth, more fog rises from the cold water of the river. There have been icy chunks flowing down lately from higher up in the mountains where the cold snap we had froze most everything that it touched. With the rise in temperature, some of the ice has broken away to drift on its way to the ocean gradually diminishing its chunkiness as it flows into warmer climes.

Today is a day for confining myself to the snug comfort of my lair and getting busy. Time to put my house in order and create something new. I have rearranged my furniture and things hanging on my walls, I have sorted and organized, I have made it a comfy place to be, now is the time to create. To sow the seeds and tend them so when spring comes I will be ready to bring them out into the light of day and let them grow. Take advantage of the soft comfort nature brings and let a few of my own icy chunks of resistance diminish with the warmth.

..... after I shovel the snow from the sidewalk of course!

Miracle Beach, Oyster River, Vancouver Island B.C.

This is where you will find me often - at the water's edge.

What do you do when you are feeling out of sync with the world? When you are feeling upset, frustrated or hurt do you have a particular routine you follow to get out of the funk? Do you have a special place you go?

I am usually at the water's edge - somewhere. Doesn't matter if it is stream, river, lake, ocean or pond - that is where I go. Water seems to have such a life to it - continuous activity around it - it is sustenance to life itself in so many forms, and seems to sustain me as well. Not just in being able to drink it, but a soulful sustenance.

If you are watching a stream or river, there is always activity that changes. Leaves fall in and get swept away - caught in eddies to swirl around in pointless circles for a while, then suddenly for no apparent reason are cast free to float further down the path to the lake. Small birds land on a rock for a drink, or hop down in to bathe, sometimes with a partner standing watch for enemies. Then there are dippers that get right in and hunt for their meal. Ducks and swans float along, sleek muskrats or otters are winding their way along checking out anything that interests them. Eagles sit with their trained eye focused, their body alert, waiting for the next meal. Or, turtles just soaking up the sun on a log. There is always something going on. There is a world outside of me.

This activity takes my mind away from the humdrum of my own life - from any upsets or exasperations. The rhythmical lapping of waves soothes my soul. The opportunity to focus on things of interest outside of myself is what helps to bring my challenges into perspective. No matter whether water is of any importance to you, there needs to be some 'thing' or 'place' that means something. Find that place, that routine, and make it a part of your existence on a regular basis. It lifts you up to see a different view of your own life. Connect with something outside of yourself.

From the Depths of my Soul

I am not exactly sure what it is about me and water, but every time I get near it, I breathe again. I do my best thinking beside the water. Some of the happiest memories I have include it. It is part of me - literally and spiritually.

Several years ago standing at the edge of the ocean on a blustery day there was this feeling that overcame me. I was  in a special place. Between the sea and the sky and the shore I stood alone. The waves were crashing in; the seagulls were crying out;  there were children and dogs running, laughing, barking; and then there was me. Just me touching the sea, the shore, the sky…and something much bigger than any and all of it touching me. 

Our life (in a general way) is spent either on the earth, in/on the water, or in the air. Here I was at the edge of all three spaces, connected to something I could not see, hear or touch. But I certainly felt it, and the feeling was awesome! It was a feeling that lifted me to a completely different level of existence. Oh, I don't mean I had an epiphany and ran out and hugged a tree, but I did spend a good part of that day musing about what the heck had happened and why and how! I still can't answer those questions, but I can still bring that feeling back just by thinking about it. I find that truly and awesomely amazing! And because it was such an impressive feeling, I find myself pulled in the direction of repeating it.  Not in an obsessive way, but looking over what I do in a day, I realize that the search for repeated connections with that feeling is what leads me forward in my work and my daily living.

Nature has always intrigued me; caused me to stop and investigate. Watching birds relate to each other, bugs go about their busy days, and gusts of wind rippling across the waters amuses me and causes me to take a quiet moment away from the busy world. But from that moment on, I realized that I was a part of nature just as much as the rocks and the trees, and it was a part of me. The earth was a continuation of my solid framework; the waves lapped at my feet and their water was my water; the wind blew through me rather than around me.  It changed me. That moment has influenced how I live my life, how I approach my work, and how I make my decisions.

We like to believe that it is the big things in life that change us. The catastrophes. And yes, I will grant you, they do. They test our character to the limits. They try our patience. Some of them drag us in to the depths of despair and we wonder if we have what it takes to survive it all. But it is frequently the tiny things that go completely unnoticed by others that have the most profound impact on our lives and how we make our decisions.

So it will be these tiny things that form the basis of my writings here. And by tiny, I don't exactly mean ' extremely small' - I mean that they aren't things that we put high on the scale of what we have to do today. They are just things that "happen" somehow during the course of our day.

Please, feel free to comment, I would love to hear from you -