Kayak school, that is! Last Saturday I partook in Basic Kayak Skills – a Paddle Canada course taught by the talented and friendly instructor Caroline Ross of Crosscurrents Kayak. Although I’ve been using a kayak for almost a decade, I’ve never had formal instruction in how to use one properly. In my former life in Ontario kayaking only in the flat waters of lakes and the Speed River, I could get away with this. But now, with so much ocean coastline to explore (and a brand new sea kayak), I decided it was time to get serious about improving my skills assuming I actually have any and my safety.
We started the day with on-shore instruction about the kayak itself and then it was time to head into our boats to learn and practice basic kayak strokes.
Practicing my reverse stroke. This and all subsequent photos taken by Caroline. Working on a pivot turn. Notice the laser focus 😁
After lunch came instruction on how to make a controlled wet exit. Caroline led us through each of the actions we’d have to perform upside down and under water in order to let our companions know we were fine and going to free ourselves from our boats using the controlled wet exit process. I declined the profferred goggles and nose plugs, figuring if I capsized one day I wouldn’t be wearing them at the time so best to experience what that would be like.
Practicing the steps I will need to complete underwater in order to exit my boat.Over I go!
And wouldn’t you know it – I got water up my nose and came up sputtering and coughing, but hey! I came UP!
The next item on the day’s agenda was to learn and practice the Assisted T Rescue. Something strange happened to me while Caroline was teaching this part – I began to panic. All I could see in my mind was a flashback to the Broken Islands Lodge: watching 2 young staff struggling (and failing) to get back into their kayaks from deep water while they practiced. Never mind that they weren’t doing what we were going to attempt – my mind was racing with thoughts like: I’ll never be able to get back in the boat; if those young people couldn’t do it, how could I possible do it?; I’m going to hold up the whole class; how do I get out of this?!?!?! Those of you who know me know I don’t panic easily, if at all. I was free-falling (in my mind) and I didn’t know how to get out of this spiral of negative thinking.
Thankfully, both Caroline and my rescue partner were so supportive and encouraging that I didn’t head back to shore in defeat retreat like I desperately wanted to, and instead successfully completed both parts of the rescue TWICE!
Playing the part of the “swimmer”. Hanging onto Jane’s boat in koala pose, while she empties the water out of my boat.Attempting (successfully I might add 😊) my first heel hook re-entry, while Jane braces my kayak. This was the part I was most freaked out worried about. All the way in and getting ready to turn around and re-seat myself.Putting the spray skirt back on. Jane continues to brace until I am ready to accept my paddle back. What a feeling of relief and empowerment! Woohoo, I DID IT!!!My turn to rescue Byron. I approach his boat.I ask Byron if he is OK and let him know I have his boat and can accept his paddle (after which he can flip the boat over for me).Byron is in koala pose on my boat and I can now empty his boat by raising it over mine and turning it upside down.In the process of emptying his boat.Bracing his boat as Byron is using the heel hook to re-enter.
I’m so happy that I was able to successfully complete this course and can’t thank my instructor Caroline and the rest of the participants enough. The instruction and support I received made all the difference and helped me to get past my sudden-onset bout of panic.
Now I’m excited to go for my Paddle Canada Level 1 Certification in 2024!
Have you ever been overcome with panicked thoughts, like I was? What did you do to get past it?
As mentioned previously, Joanne and I were invited to partake in a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip by Jude. This happened the first weekend in August and we had a blast! Other than us 3 (who knew each other through blogging and are now fast friends), there were 5 others on the trip – all friends of Jude, who knew her from her academic life. Those folks, and our two fabulous guides made a contingent of 10 kayakers on this adventure.
Our two amazing guides from Majestic Ocean Kayaking: Jeff and the aptly named Marina! Learned so much from them. 💕
Captain Gary dropped us, the kayaks and all of our gear off at Moon Snail Beach on Dodd Island.
Moon snail on its namesake beach.We each received a laminated map of the area, to carry with us while kayaking. X marks the spot we were dropped off (and later picked up) at Moon Snail Beach on Dodds Island. In the upper right (under Crawford Lake) is the location of the Broken Islands Lodge. Broken line indicates Captain Gary picking us up at the lodge and depositing us on Moon Snail Beach for our last day of kayaking.Joanne and I in all of our kayaking gear (including spray skirt). I think Jude took this picture of us. One of our first stops, at the tiniest of the Tiny Islands. That’s Marina (L) and Joanne (R) in the shot. Joanne in her trusty boat (with Jude in the background).Eventually we made it to our cozy, comfy lodge for the next 2 nights. Where we were amply fed and watered. Our boats in the foreground, awaiting tomorrow’s adventure.Apres kayak. View from my Muskoka chair.A young black bear came to forage at the lodge’s beach every morning.Our mornings started out calm and foggy.But soon enough, the fog lifted to reveal stunning views.We took many breaks, allowing us to explore different islands and their beaches.Jude and Joanne (and one of Jude’s friends) relaxing during one of our lunch breaks on yet another island.Guide Jeff made sure we made it to Willis Island, to experience a giant cedar tree growing there. Jude in front of it. I used panorama mode to try to capture the whole tree (and Joanne) in this shot. I think I took this shot just before we headed into the roughest waters experienced yet, on this trip. On the last day. Some of our group were quite shook up by this experience (especially the newbies). Guide Jeff had said it was nothing we couldn’t handle, so I felt quite safe and enjoyed being tossed on the waves. Was I too stupid to be scared?
I used my happy-birthday-to-me new GoPro camera to take some video and GoPro made me a short highlight reel. Yay!!! The clouds and fog started rolling in on the afternoon of the last day, and it was perfect timing to load the kayaks (and ourselves) back on the boat and head “home”: to Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet.
And I wasn’t home too many days before this happened. Many thanks to our guide Jeff for giving me great advice on what type of sea kayak to look into.
Meet “Libelle” (lee bell uh). Dutch word for dragonfly.
I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride on this fabulous adventure of mine (and Joanne’s and Jude’s). It was challenging and thrilling and contemplative and awe-inspiring and, and, and….it was a wonderful experience that I feel so grateful and privileged to have been a part of.
It all started last January, when Jude casually mentioned in a Zoom call that she was booking a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip in the Broken Islands for August with some friends and would I like to join their party? WOULD I?!? Is the Pope Catholic? Do bears poop in the woods? And most importantly: is it OK if I ask Joanne if she wants to join us?
The answer to all of the above was a resounding YES! (And a resounding HELL YES! came from Joanne as well 🤭.) Who immediately started researching flights to the island.
We had to be at Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet the night before, to get sized for our wetsuits and lifejackets so that meant booking an overnight stay in town.
Actually, we could not find a hotel, resort, AirBnB etc., that would allow us to book only one night so we had no other choice but to book for 3 nights at the Black Rock Resort. As one does.
It was quite the hardship 😉, but we screwed up our courage and made the best of it (including starting our visit with a trip to the Drift Spa, visiting the Ucluelet Aquarium, noshing at the iconic Tacofino, AND enjoying the most delightful restaurant meal I’ve ever experienced at Pluvio). Making lemonade out of lemons, ya know? 😜
Morning view from our balconyFull moon view from the balcony (right before I scared Joanne to death as she independently decided to ALSO step out on the balcony at 2 am 😂).We brought provisions to sustain us.We explored the local trails…View from the Wild Pacific Trail as the fog was lifting.Joanne snapped this beauty from the side of the road in Ucluelet.We visited the beaches.
We made friends with the locals:
And then (in a heartbeat, or so it seemed), our time at the resort was over…and we were departing for the Broken Islands.
All of our group’s gear on the tarp, waiting to be loaded onto the boat.
Some of you may have surmised from Bowser’s complaining recent posts on ye olde blogge that I have been away on a holiday. Yes! For the first time since the pandemic started in 2020, I left Canada once again for Barbados. But first I spent a lovely bunch of days with my friend Joanne in Ontario. Who graciously lent me full use of her closet and laundry facilities so that I could travel with only carry-on luggage despite needing to dress for full-on winter as well as full-on summer temps.
My whole world is in these bags for the next 3 weeks.
Of course we hiked!
How I have missed this view! 😉Two colourful rascals, together again!Good adviceWhere our feet are was definitely where we were!
One of many exciting things (to me, anyways) we did while I was at Joanne’s was drop into her local library to get me a Toronto Public Library membership. I’ve been wanting one for years, ever since I saw what my Barbados buddy (CJ) could borrow online.
Wheeeeeeeee! Best $120 ever spent.
As a non-resident of Toronto, I had to pay (gladly) yet also appear in person in order to get my card. Which makes no sense to me…why couldn’t I just subscribe online since I am paying for the privilege anyways???? Why do I have to show up and prove where I live?!?! Just SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. Hopefully now that I have the card I can renew online since the volume and access to digital items far surpasses what my local library has on offer.
All too soon my time with Joanne was over and I headed out to meet up with CJ, to catch yet another plane, this time to Barbados!
View from our patio. Our room was on the pool deck level of our hotel this year.There is nothing like that first icy cold Banks beer. Taken at Mama Mia’s, the delightful Italian restaurant across from our hotel.Sunset on our first night.I immediately fell back into my Barbados routine of sunrise and sunset walks on the beach.The full moon at 550am.Moon behind the clouds on another early morning walk.Sunrise with palms.Sunset with palms.
New this time: a decrepit, abandoned hotel along the boardwalk had been taken down and the property cleared for redevelopment. The privacy fence along the property has been turned into a beautiful, beachside outdoor art gallery. Which provided me with inspiration and additional food for my soul every morning.
Sign explaining the galleryApproaching the gallery
Unfortunately, one week into our two week stay CJ needed to fly back home due to a medical emergency involving a family member. I offered to fly home with her but she wouldn’t hear of it. (Thankfully the crisis passed and the patient was successfully discharged from hospital after CJ returned. Still, CJ was glad she cut her vacation short to be in attendance and provide support.)
This left me on my own for the 2nd week of the vacation. I kept myself busy with snorkeling, beach walking, exploring, and plenty of people-watching!
Wading into the ocean daily to swim and snorkel.Walked to Pebble Beach early one morning to see the racehorses take their sea bath, as I do every trip.I chatted up the friendly visitors to our catio patio.
Another visitor to the patio:
Whistling frogs – not native to Barbados. Who knew?This little guy was about an inch long.
And just when I thought the whistle frogs couldn’t be any tinier, this guy showed up:
That’s my index finger for size comparison.Here’s the same frog, with an ant in the frame too. The white spots on his back and legs are grains of sand.
After seeing this guy, I was very careful to watch where I walked, lest I accidentally step on one of these frogs (who look a lot like tiny pieces of debris!).
I had a very good second week. Except for all the rudeness I witnessed from hotel guests directed at hotel staff. I don’t remember so many people being so rude and such whiny ass entitled complainers from previous visits. Perplexing, to say the least. You’re on vacation, people! CHILLAX.
Readers who have traveled since the pandemic: have you noticed the same thing? I let it suck a lot of the joy out of me (my bad). I can’t even imagine how the hotel staff put up with this shit. These workers all deserve instant sainthood.
At one point I was able to actually intervene on behalf of a manager being treated abominably by a guest. I knew she couldn’t say anything but I certainly could AND DID. I told the man he was being rude and asked him where his manners went, and he slunk off. I was kinda proud of myself because I am usually slow to react when these things happen around me, due to shock and surprise.
I was primed this time by all the rudeness I had been witnessing I guess, and when he barged into our conversation to make his stupid remarks about the manager’s long braids (Is your hair real? Is it a wig? If I tug on it, will I pull it off your head?) I let him have it. Definitely not sorry about it, either.
Here’s a couple more pretty beach pics to take the bad taste of that guest away…
Colourful sunrisePerfect sunset
Overall, it really was a wonderful 3 weeks! Two days of plane travel back to back (and 4 time zones) on the way back home proved to be quite exhausting though. I haven’t been that tired for a long, long time. So tired that I noticed my thinking was impaired enough to make me afraid to drive my car for my first couple of days at home.
It was great to go away and also great to come back home, even if I traded the warm sands of Barbados for this:
Walking with Bowser after a late February snowfall on Vancouver Island (and more predicted on the way!!!).
Have you resumed travelling abroad? Have you seen people who have apparently forgotten decent behaviour and manners like those I encountered on this trip? Let me know in the Comments please!
It ain’t easy being the family matriarch, I have realized. When my mother passed in 2015 I took on the role (willingly, I might add) of being the keeper of my parents’ photo albums, slides, and home movies. I had always meant to go through all of this media methodically and judiciously, at some point. To carefully – and with as much information as possible – get them into a digital format, so as to preserve them for sharing with my siblings as well as future generations. I had planned this to be a nice, leisurely retirement project.
I suppose you may have guessed by now that I had to box up all of the photo albums, slide boxes, and reels of film and haul them along with me, to my new home on Vancouver Island. Because – despite being retired for almost 6 months prior to my move – I had yet to begin the process. Oh, how wonderful it would have been to just have all of this stuff whittled down to a couple of photo boxes, some DVDs, and a home on the cloud somewhere! Alas, I had to sacrifice the shelf in the spare room closet of my new space for all of this stuff. That remained untouched as I approach my second anniversary here…until just this past week.
So what finally kicked my lazy ass into gear spurred me to action, you may well ask? Another move, of course! This summer I will be moving to a new abode, after my daughter and son-in-law take possession of the property that they have signed a deal to purchase. They are currently living in the home I will be moving into, which is on the property they are purchasing from their landlords. They will be moving into the landlord’s home (right next to where they are living now), and I’ll be moving into their space. We’ll be together on the same 1/2 acre property, but in completely separate dwellings.
This new dwelling-to-be of mine is even smaller than the apartment I’m living in now and quite dated, but I am looking forward to the challenge of updating it and making it work for me. To have a yard (and future garden!) and the potential to have a dog again (!!!), as well as being even closer to family…well, these are things that fill me with anticipatory joy, even though it will be a summer filled with packing/unpacking and renovation work. I’m looking forward to updating Ye Olde Blogge with all the Befores and Afters!
OK, back to the Photo Project: I’ll be damned if I am going to haul these photo albums to my new place, I have decided. This past week I finally dove into it. I have set myself a restriction of only 1 photo album (two if they are not too big – emotionally OR physically-speaking) per day. This work is hard let me tell you…so many memories are being revived as I go through the pages of the albums, and not all of them are good. And if they are good memories, for the most part the persons in the photos are long gone…and that brings up a renewed sense of grief and loss.
But – I am putting on my big girl pants everyday, and gettin’ to it! Yay me! So far I have managed to condense this:
This week’s albums – now all emptied
To this:
That’s more like it.
I did start out with some of the easier albums – the ones full of pictures of the various cruises my parents went on. Plenty of bad shots of scenery (neither of my parents could take a picture worth a damn) and other cruise guests they met onboard. Meaningless except to my parents, both of whom have left this world…thus easy to ruthlessly cull. One album was full of pictures of my first wedding…I managed to get through that in one go and kept most of the shots. I was so young and delusional back then….sigh.
I can’t rest on my laurels though, because I still have all of this to contend with:
Left half of the photo shelf
And this:
So many boxes and albums that they couldn’t all fit into one photo!
Phase 2 of this project will be digitizing as much as possible. I’ve been looking into my technological options, and so far this appears to have the most favourable reviews online (and not just on Amazon):
A contender?
In the past I’ve used an app on my phone (Photoscan, by Google) to take the odd snap of an old photo and digitize it…but it would be incredibly tedious to do so for all the photos I have in my possession. I need a better solution. The Epson might be it, but I want to ask you – Dear Readers – for your advice. Have you digitized your old photos? What worked and what didn’t? What was your strategy or what would you do differently if you had a do-over? Please do share if you can, in the Comments.
Yesterday was one for the books! (My personal history books, I mean 🙂 ) My sister and Donna and her husband had arrived in Campbell River, BC the day before in order to be on time for our early morning Homalco Tour’s Great Bears of Bute adventure. (You might remember we were in Campbell River earlier this year…so of course part of the agenda for THIS trip was to revisit our favourite Indigenous woman-led businesses there and to stock up, which we happily did!)
On the dock at 7 am, a bit bleary-eyed and raring ready for adventure! L – R: my sister, me, Donna and Richard.
We eagerly boarded the beautiful Klohoy (Homalco word for chum salmon), a comfortable aluminum boat with 2 seats per person on the tour (1 in the indoor heated cabin with onboard loo, 1 on the viewing deck). After a brief safety lesson (including being instructed to wear our masks at all times), we were off on the 2 hour journey to Bute Inlet!
Words and pictures cannot begin to describe the beautiful views we encountered at every step of the day’s adventures.
We weren’t too far into the trip to the mainland when Captain Flavian noticed whale blow. Which meant of course we had to stop to investigate.
Humpback whale blow – photo by DonnaNot the greatest photo of 2 humpback whales. For better shots of these magnificent mammals, please go to an older post, here.
After enjoying the whales for about 15 minutes, we continued on to an inlet where Captain Flavian had grown up, to learn some of the more recent (last 200 years) history of the Homalco people. Our guide Holly also tried to teach us some words in the Homalco language.
From Donna’s notes, here are the English translations from top to bottom: 1. The language of our people (4 tribes); 2. Grizzly Bear; 3. Chum salmon (name of our boat); 4. Whale; 5. Seal; 6. Sea Lion; 7. Eagle; 8. RavenHolly and Flavian.
Holly told us to notice that the waters of the inlet were the most beautiful colour, due to glacial sediment from the rivers that feed it. And that the boat’s colour scheme had come from the colour of the water. See for yourself!
Orford Bay, Bute InletA pretty good match, don’t you think?Orford Bay welcome signWell, actually I am kinda hoping there are lots of bears in the area 🙂
After docking, we made our way to the cultural centre to get a safety briefing from our bear guides: JJ and Ian. Basic takeaway: Listen to your guides! When they say “back on the bus”, this means NOW, not 2 more photos first! On the bus, JJ also regaled us with stories involving bear spray…er…misadventures from his childhood, and cultural stories of what the Homalco learned from observing grizzly bears.
At our first stop, a bear ambled into view even before we were all able to get off the bus. And there were bears at every stop thereafter. Holly mentioned she has yet to be “skunked” on any bear adventures she has hosted. Please check out my Instagram for the many videos I posted of this adventure!
Of course the bears were there for one thing only: to fatten up on the many chum salmon in the stream! Unfortunately the fish – although plentiful and easy to spot – were very hard to photograph through the running water.
Where there are bears, there are also many birds (including bald eagles – no good photos to share, unfortunately) – also there for the salmon…both for the eggs in the river and to clean up the fish who had already died on their journey to spawn.
Everybody’s gotta eat!My sister and I are beaming, under our masks. Taken while visiting one of two specially constructed bear viewing platforms.Donna, my sister and I in front of the bear sign. We asked and were granted permission from our guides to move to the sign for a photo. The Homalco word for grizzly bear is pronounced “howgas”. (I hope I am not butchering the language too badly.)
After 3 hours of being awestruck in the presence of the magnificent grizzlies, we were as hungry as the bears themselves.
Eating our delicious boxed lunches in the world’s most beautiful outdoor “restaurant”.
Once back on the boat for the journey back to Campbell River, even more wildlife was spotted.
Harbour seals sunning on a log in Orford Bay.Orca! My first sighting!!!! This male is T11A, and you can read more about him and wild transient orcas here.Steller sea lions having a bit of a bro fest.Adult males can weigh up to 2500 pounds.The stunning views just never stopped on this trip.
After over 8 hours on the water and the mainland of British Columbia, it was time to head back to the dock in Campbell River, and from there back to home in Nanaimo.
Today I received the following (excerpted, from the email) from Homalco Tours:
Thank you for joining us on a recent tour from Campbell River. We sincerely hope that you enjoyed yourself!
By travelling with us, you are contributing to the growth and preservation of Homalco First Nation culture, Indigenous employment, and to the restoration of wild salmon populations in Bute Inlet. “I:mote” means “it is good” and is the word for gratitude in the Homalco language. We extend that gratitude to you.
I don’t think there is a big enough word for me to express my gratitude to the Homalco people for providing me the opportunity to partake of this adventure on their land. IT IS and WAS GOOD.
Last weekend I headed out to Tofino, to stay at Green Point Campground at Pacific Rim National Park. My friend and blogging buddy, Donna, had booked a site and let me know there was at least one other site available, and would I be interested in joining them? WOULD I???? In a hot minute, I had my site booked too. Then, in the most incredible coincidence imaginable, another friend and blogging buddy Erica/Erika let us know that she and her husband were staying there too. And their site turned out to be the one RIGHT BESIDE MINE. If we had tried to scheme and plan and pull this off, it would be next to impossible as this campsite is harder to get into than it was to score tickets to The Tragically Hip’s final show.
My home for 3 nightsHammock set up, with Erica and Chuck’s campsite in the background. Note kindly left on the picnic table by Erica, letting me know they were down on the beach. Tent interior. Due to the campsite’s BARE policy, all food had to be locked up in your vehicle or a food locker (provided every few campsites). I decided not to hook my car up to the tent, and instead use it as my food locker. So my memory foam bed ended up in the tent instead of the back of my car, due to space considerations. View from “indoors”
After meeting Donna and Richard at Tacofino for lunch, and setting up and settling in at camp, it was time to hit the beach!
We found Chuck and Erica!The sky, sand, and water combo was stunning.
The next day was a bit drizzly and Donna and I went into Ucluelet to check out the downtown and the Ucluelet Aquarium. Amazing place!
Mr. Giant Pacific Octopus put on quite the show for us.We also stopped at a delicious local bakery (Zoe’s, to fuel up for our next adventure), that had this sign posted outside. Cute Schitt’s Creek reference!And here’s why. Within seconds of us vacating this area, they descended upon it. Looking for crumbs.
Speaking of birds stealing your food: Donna, Richard and I had to defend ourselves from some very aggressive sparrows outside of Rhino Coffee, in Tofino. I had my doughnut in my hand ($4 for a doughnut??? But man, it was good!), turned my head for one second and felt something pulling at my treat. It was an asshole sparrow, grabbing a chunk of doughnut in midflight, and then retreating a few feet away to gobble it down enjoy it.
You can bet I kept my eye on these cheeky assholes Steller’s Jays, once back at the campsite.The evening ended over at Chuck and Erica’s for one of our delicious, communal camp meals.
The next day was spent beach walking and exploring.
Donna, the intrepid beach walking buddy.Remains of a tree, washed up on shore.There are always surfers to be found on Tofino beaches. Year round. Donna and I played around with taking simultaneous selfies. Like a simultaneous orgasm, but waaay less work. 😉We eventually met up with everybody else and went off to explore the rocks exposed by low tide.Nature is a talented gardener. Gorgeousness.
Ever since I was a little girl reading picture books, I have been captivated by the idea of walking the shore and exploring tidal pools in search of marine life. But in my land-locked former home, there was no opportunity…until this trip! At almost 62 years of age, I finally got to live my childhood dream.
Giant Green AnemoneRed sea stars and goose barnacles and clams and mussels (and probably a whole buncha other things too).
After returning to camp for another delicious communal meal (Chuck’s homecooked BBQ ribs were amazing!), it was back down to the beach for another sunset.
Filled with peace, gratitude and wonder in heart and soul…
Sadly the next day it was time to go home. It was another gorgeous day, and the drive home was filled with spectacular views, like this one.
Kennedy Lake reflection. What a beautiful island I live on!Colour me windblown, wind burnt, and completely happy with this adventure!
This was my home last weekend. Donna and Richard’s vehicle and set-up are behind me. My living room.My cozy bedroom.Miracle BeachMy stand-up board, “Nauti”…in kayak mode.My first time, kayaking in the ocean.My camp coffee makerIt makes damn fine coffee.Donna and I split up the meal duties. This was breakfast the morning I was in charge: baked oatmeal and crispy bacon. Made only AFTER watching the sunrise on the beach, of course!And what a wonderful sunrise it was. After breakfast it was time to go back to the beach, for a beautiful walk. Sand dollars (living and dead) can be found all over the beach. RIP, Sand Dollar. Time was carved out for a visit to Hammockville. Trying out one of my homemade fire starters.It worked very well. This was the start of a beautiful fire. The morning we left was cloudy but dawn was still gorgeous.These assholes sea lions woke me up with their barking at 4 am. A deer couple came down to the shore to check out the assholes sea lions too.Mergansers also wondering what the assholes sea lions are barking about.Asshole sea lions aside, it was a fabulous weekend at Miracle Beach Provincial Park. I’ll be back!
Barn cat taking shelter under the sheep milking stand
One of the nice things about working in a leadership position is you sometimes get to choose and build your team. And every once in a while you get someone applying for a position that you know immediately not only has the potential to be a great fit, but also a great friend. And so you hire her!
Jeanette and I met back in the early 00’s (I think?) when I was working at a large lab in Kitchener. She was instrumental in helping me implement the quality management system at that place. This transplant from South Africa with the no-nonsense attitude and the easy laugh made this tough job much more bearable. Even after we both went our separate ways to other careers, we still managed to keep in touch – mostly through social media but occasionally with an IRL meetup.
When last I saw Jeanette, she and her family were living in a beautiful backsplit in Kitchener, and she was working as a Six-Sigma Black Belt for a very large corporation, and baking and decorating gorgeous cakes in her “spare” time. Impressive!
Then, a few years back I noticed a change in her Facebook posts…it looked like she had moved and become a…farmer? I knew her corporation has closed the large local plant where Jeanette was based out of, but she was sent all over the country to work and seldom there, so I didn’t think much of it. Little did I know that Jeanette has used that closure as a decision point to springboard into a new life that was better in tune with her and her husband’s values. Thus, Red Maple Homestead was born. I was and am impressed – she is actually living my hippy-dippy dream, in harmony and alignment (my WOTY!) with nature and the land, and in the process of creating a bio-diverse, sustainable homestead.
In addition to keeping various farm animals and also bees, Jeanette grows and cans a lot of her family’s food. She estimates she has enough food stored in her pantry to keep them going for at least 2 years. If the apocalypse happens, I know whose doorstep I will be landing on. 😉
We had been making plans for a couple of years now, to have me come up to the farm but they had never worked out. Now here I was freshly retired, with much more time to coordinate a visit. So this past Monday (a gorgeous sunny day for a change), I hopped in the car and headed north to Jeanette’s – about an hour and half drive from my door.
We had a great catch-up, and fell back into our friendship at her bright and sunny kitchen table like the years apart never happened. After lunch it was time to tour the farm.
First up, one of 2 flocks of chickens at the homestead. These lovely birds are out and about, enjoying the nice weather along with Jeanette and me and the wool sheep and the dogs. The beautiful Phoebe, who provides some of the wool for Jeanette’s spinning and weaving. I think she is an Icelandic sheep but don’t quote me on this. 🙂Jeanette, giving some sheep the LOVE. Two of these ladies are quite pregnant but decided to hang on to their babies instead of giving me some lambs to photograph, much to our consternation. Next visit!Fuzzy, a newly “de-fuzzed” Angora rabbit whose additional job is to be a baby daddy to more of the same. A real sweetheart and oh-so soft.Cute little quail. I could watch and listen to these guys all day.Some of the other flock, enticed outside of the coop by some grains.
After meeting all of Jeanette’s “employees” and a walk around the property where we discussed future plans for the homestead, it was back inside for a slice of pie and a tour of her passion project – spinning and weaving!
A single raw fleece, from one of the “employees”. 🙂 Not from a wool sheep, but from a meat sheep – also can be spun into yarn. Close up of the springy fleece. Wool is such an amazing natural fibre.Jeanette handwashed a little piece of the raw wool, to show me its potential. Beautiful and so soft!Bats of washed and carded wool, reading for spinning. Is that some of Phoebe’s wool I see?One of several spinning wheels in Jeanette’s large, warm and welcoming family/craft room.Full bobbins of newly spun yarn.Skein of merino yarn spun by Jeanette. Not from her sheep though – apparently merino sheep don’t do well in our cold winters.Two of Jeanette’s 4 looms. She also has 2 knitting machines. Truly a passion!The other 2 looms. Besides wool rugs, there are also cotton tea towels and other textile projects on the looms for Jeanette and now her daughter to work on. (Clearly the weaving bug is contagious – hehehe!)A sampler Jeanette made in a weaving course she took. Look at the variety of patterns that can be created. I don’t think one could ever get bored.
By the end of this lovely tour and primer on spinning and weaving of yarn, I was itching to pick up my needles and get to work on some of my own wool stash, back at home. Of course, I think we could all predict this was gonna happen:
My haul from Red Maple Homestead, including a skein of Jeanette’s beautiful hand-dyed wool yarn for a future project!
What a wonderful day spent in the company of my friend! I’m looking so forward to coming back post-Barbados, and before I leave for the west coast. Jeanette and I have already made plans for my return visit, including a trip to some local businesses such as the Mennonite bakery down the road. Yes!
This trip checked so many boxes for me: meeting up with and supporting a friend, crafting, cute animals, beautiful countryside, and sustainability. And the chance to support an artisan and small business whose values align (that word, again!) with mine. Why did it take me so long to get up to Red Maple Homestead?!?!
Learn from my poor example and be sure to make the time to support your friends and small businesses and….
When I was a young teenager, yoga was nothing like it is now. I mean, the poses were the same but that’s about it. Yoga was this freaky foreign exotic “thing” that hippies did and no one else really knew anything about it. Yogurt (yoga/yogurt – work with me, people) was like that too. Unless you had immigrant parents like I did, and then it was something that was always in your fridge much to your friends’ disgust. Don’t even get me started on kale – another staple at my house and none of my friends’ during the 1970s. I was eating kale and yogurt decades before they were cool.If I don’t live to be 100, I’ll be pissed. But I digress…
When I was a young teenager, I saw a hand-lettered sign outside a church that offered free yoga in the basement. I don’t know how I knew what yoga even was as there was no internet in those days and I lived in a small, conservative southern Ontario town. How did people learn anything back then? I was THERE, back then, and even I can’t figure it out now! I probably read about it or saw it on the news as I was very into counter-culture from a young age and trying desperately to catch onto the tail-end of hippie-dom – I felt cheated by being born just a tad too late to partake in the full glory of it all. Anywho…there I go again, digressing...me and a couple of friends did end up going to the church basement to check out the yoga class being offered.
So, let me set the scene. There is a group of us in this dingy church basement – people are in a variety of outfits. Some of us are in exercise “leotards” – plain black with tights. Some of us are in t-shirts and shorts or sweatpants. We are all shoeless. I forget what the teacher was wearing or anything else about them – I think the teacher was female and youngish but don’t quote me.
Exercise wear – pre-Aerobics trend
There are no yoga mats. We are on the bare floor. There are no yoga blocks, yoga towels, yoga bands, yoga water bottles. No yoga clothes or gear…you get the picture. The instructor leads us through an hour of poses (asanas). There is a shavasana meditation at the end. Mind-blowing! Then we go home. There is no expectation of money changing hands for either party. As I recall, back then it was JUST. NOT. DONE. Yoga instruction was supposed to be freely given. No one taught yoga for the dollahz. There was no yoga “industry” as yet. It was just this weird kind of spiritual-y exercise that almost no one knew about (in my little corner of the world, that is) and I loved it.
A few months later my mom gifted me a little paperback yoga instruction book, written by an Indian lady and on every page was a picture of her (in her leotard) in a new pose with accompanying text on what it did for your body and your health. I used to have the book next to me on the floor of our family room as I tried to enact the asanas on my own, after the church basement yoga sessions had ended. I think by this time there was also a yoga show on American public television, but our house got 2 channels pre-cable so I only found out about it years later.
Then “Aerobics” hit, and I found a new love. I even participated in aerobi-thons, jumping around for hours to raise money for some cause or another. Ahh, the 80s! Scrunchies and leg warmers and neon and slouch-socks. Good times, good times. And leotards that were high-cut and anything but plain black.
I had a standing date with this lady almost every day when my kids were wee and still napping. One of Kathy Smith’s many videos was always cued up in my VCR. I credit aerobics with keeping me some semblance of sane during the demanding early years of motherhood.
I think yoga started being an “industry” around the 90s…I was busy with 2 little kids then on top of working, so most of the late 80s to mid 90s is a bit of a blur to me. But when I could raise my head up again, I noticed there were yoga classes being offered at the community centre and after-hours in school gyms and I started going to these. Still no yoga mats; we used exercise mats instead. No yoga clothes, but our aerobics gear worked well for this. And, it was no longer free. But pretty reasonable, as yet.
I think around 2010-ish our little village got an actual yoga studio – I had been taking classes at the rec centre with this instructor and he had become so popular that it was the next logical step for him to have his own place. Now the classes were getting crowded and pricey – not that I begrudge Mike the money – the studio was/is beautiful and the instruction was/is first-rate. But I couldn’t afford the time or $$ to go more than once per week, and his class schedule and mine didn’t always work out.
I still signed up for yoga sessions from time to time with some very good instructors at my local rec centre, but once a week just wasn’t enough for me and I dreamed of being able to develop a regular and more frequent practice. I bought many yoga DVDs to do at home but they didn’t quite satisfy – either the instruction was lacking or the poses felt rushed or it was beyond my current level. And the background music usually sucked. “When I retire”, I would say, “then I will be able to do more yoga, somehow and somewhere.”
So here I am retired for almost a full month and I am happy to report that I have been successful in starting a regular yoga practice – at home! And boy, do I need it! I have a long way to go to regaining my former state of flexibility, if that is even possible.
Maybe by the time I am 101 years old like yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch I will be able to perform at least some of her moves. I can dream, can’t I? Is that a bath mat???
I’m so happy that I’ve found my dream instructor, on YouTube – believe it or not! Adriene Mishler as a yoga instructor is absolutely top notch, in my opinion. Yoga with Adriene is a popular website and channel (6 million subscribers, including moi!) with loads of free yoga videos of varying lengths and levels. For me, Yoga with Adriene is like stepping back in time to the early 70s, when yoga was free and yoga teachers seemed to be on a holy mission just to get yoga “out there” to the North American masses.
I’ve started with her beginner videos – going back to the basics with a beginner’s (yet again!) mind – as I begin treating my formerly desk-bound self to some full body stretching and mindful posing.
I’ve made it a lovely ritual – this daily yoga practice of mine – I light candles, put a heavenly scent in my diffuser, and (thanks to my daughter’s recommendation) I cue up DJ Taz Rashid on Ye Olde Spotify, to be the background accompaniment to Adriene’s calming and knowledgeable instruction as I prepare to meet myself on the mat.
And always, afterwards: a lovely bit of shavasana at the end of it all.
