Near misses

Last week we had an unexpected snowfall. Snow was forecast for "higher elevations", which doesn't usually mean us, and when I left for work it was damp but not cold. Then I get a call saying "It's snowing here, and the highway is getting dicey." So I headed home while I still could and planned on working the rest of the day from there.

When I got home, we were without power. Power was out the whole day. We spent the day in semi-darkness, watching snow fall, and listening to the crack and crash of falling branches around our neighborhood.

But it could have been a lot worse, with several near misses:

The roads were getting dicey. The highway was slow but at least no accidents. I only just made it up the hill at the end of our road, and only thanks to a couple of patches of bare road where trees overhang, that gave me traction to get up speed for the next stretch.

We have a wood stove for warmth, so the house was livable. And we could boil kettles for drinks, and we cooked a simple supper on it just before the power came back that evening.

We have overhead lines for power and cable running from the road to the house. Half of the cherry tree at the front of the property split away and nearly took out the lines. Just the ends of some branches ended up resting on them, which I was able to reach with long loppers and cut them away.

At the side of the house, a couple of massive branches fell from the arbutus at the edge of the property. One fell onto a gravel path a few feet from the back of the garage. The other fell onto the carport roof. As I was clearing them away yesterday it was obvious how lucky we were that they did no damage. We have a deck above the garage and fencing for privacy along the edge of the carport where it butts up to the deck. Either of those branches could easily have wrecked the fence or the deck railings.

Yes, we had a lot to be thankful for that day.

Communications technology

It's Christmas day. We live halfway around the world from the rest of our respective families, but we've been talking to them for the last three hours or so. Thanks to modern technology. Yes, phones have been around for a long time now, but connecting internationally is cheap and easy these days, plus there's Skype and Zoom and other media to keep in touch.

And keeping working this year would have been impossible without the bandwidth and networking tools available now.

Virtual meetings will never be able to replace the emotional connection of visiting someone in person, or huddling in a group around a crowded table in a bar or coffee shop, let alone a much-needed hug from time to time. But they can at least keep the world ticking over until we can safely meet again face to face.

More little things

Through all the stresses of this extraordinary year, one thing I can thankfully say is that I'm not having trouble sleeping. If anything, it's the opposite - I often finish the day so tired I need a nap before continuing with my evening. But when it comes to bedtime, I'm usually out like a light. I guess the daytime stresses are tiring, but clearly not preying on my mind too much.

Another thing to be thankful for is the easy commute to work. Something I'm too used to taking for granted came front of mind this morning when I breezed through an unusually long run of green lights. But even without that, the drive is way easier than the trip many people endure.

More small positives today:

The car is still behaving itself. After something like that gives me trouble, it takes a while for my anxiety to lessen and I can take it for granted that it will continue to work as expected.

Along the same lines, my bike tires were still solid after pumping them up yesterday. And the rain finally stopped allowing me to park on the edge of town and cycle the rest of the way for the first time in a couple of weeks. It was good to get the heart rate up a bit.

We had an online Branch party last week, and this afternoon the admin IM'd me to say I'd won a couple of prizes - a $$ value to be taken as gift certificates to the local business of my choice. This was unexpected and a pleasant surprise. 

Back to the "taking for granted" theme, we are raising funds to make up gift baskets for a local charity so I donated my winnings there. We have a roof over our heads and food on the table ... things a lot of people can't take for granted.

The little things

The news has been so depressing this year (COVID, COVID denial, and don't even start on the US election fiasco ... more people voted for the other guy! Get over it!) that it's easy to overlook the little things in day-to-day life that shed a more positive light.

I realized I should try to build up some immunity to the negativity by paying more attention to the positives. And I remembered that I started this blog nine years ago for that very reason.

So, yesterday ...

My car started. Not a big deal? Well, it's been giving trouble recently, flat battery one day, boosted it, seemed ok, but flat again the next day. Got it replaced but worried that there might be an electrical fault draining it. So it was a relief when it actually started fine at last.

On top of that, the clock/radio that had stopped working a couple of weeks ago (hence the worry about an electrical fault) is suddenly working again.

Amazon seems to have fixed the problem they were having with shipping to Canada, so a book I was trying to order is finally ordered.

Cheerful staff at the grocery store.

Getting my mind back in gear on my next writing project.

Spring mornings

My daughter is getting a couple of weeks' work experience for her culinary arts program at school. She's working at a little farm market/cafe a few kilometers away, and I've been driving her there for her early morning start.

On my way home this morning it struck me what a beautiful time of day this is right now. After such a dismal winter, the sun has made its appearance this week and I'm driving on quiet roads through lush green. At times like this I'm reminded why our move here 13 years ago was such a good decision.

The right to vote

I've lived all my life in a western democracy, and yet I've never before been eligible to vote in anything more than what amounts to local elections. Until a few years ago I lived in the island of Guernsey, a self-governing Crown dependency. Sure, we elected out own government, but with a population of 60,000 it was hardly a player on the world stage. And although many aspects of our lives were under the influence of Britain, we had no representation in Westminster.

Now, a Canadian citizen, I am able to vote for representation in a much larger community.

I just did so for the first time today, in the BC Provincial election.

It felt good.

The right to vote is important. Shame so many people don't appreciate it enough to make use of it.

Maintaining our infrastructure

I know money is tight in all walks of life, but I'm heartened to see it's not all gloom and doom and decay in our neighborhood.

As I cycled home from work this evening, I met a sign advising that the trail ahead was closed off. With some trepidation, I ventured onto the adjacent (and busy) highway for two kilometers to the next intersection. Along the way, I looked over the edge of the road to see what they were doing. Nice new cycle path under construction, looks like double the width of the old one.

I am thankful for little signs like this that, despite the squeeze we are working under, there is still time for enhancing the amenities around us.

Seasons

Much as I enjoy long lazy days in the sun, lounging on the deck with a book and a beer, I would not wish to live in perpetual summer.

As I walked the dog around the neighborhood today, I was reminded that right now we are in the season of change, of rebirth. Cherry blossoms briefly graced our streets this month, such fleeting beauty. The lawns need mowing. Trees are in leaf. Green things are growing, some welcome, some not.

Everywhere, people are starting to tend gardens and embark on the year's chosen landscaping project.

What is life without contrasts? Who can truly appreciate the burst of spring without the contrasting thirst of summer, or the kiss of the sun without first knowing the bite of frost?

Thanks goodness for seasons.

The neighborhood grapevine

I came home from work this evening to some welcome news after an anxious few days.

One of our newer cats, who has only recently gained his freedom to roam outdoors as well as in, decided to go walkabout on Friday. This was a sudden departure from his behavior up to that point, because for the previous weeks he'd always been close to home and came running when we called.

No longer.

Saturday, no sign.

Getting worried.

Scoured the neighborhood and put up posters on post boxes and hydro poles.

Sunday, no sign.

Monday, still nothing, but someone phoned from up the road saying they thought they'd seen him. We went up and called for him. Nothing.

Today, though, someone else from near there called to say she had a stray cat who'd been popping in and out of her house since Friday. She was about to put up flyers of her own to track down the owners when she saw ours.

He is now safely back.

Thank goodness for the neighborhood grapevine.

Modern communications

A dear friend of the family died this week. Today, my wife and daughter drove to where he lived (3 hours away) to help with some arrangements.

It is late, dark, raining, and they are driving back home.

Some sections of highway are treacherous accident black spots.

Of course I'm worried, and won't stop worrying for their safety until they are back home. I am thankful to get occasional check-ins by phone, letting me know where they are on the road and when they expect to arrive.

Sure, we managed before without all that, but there are times when it's good to know. And I can have a hot meal waiting for them when they get here.

Leftover firewood

It's June, nearly July, and my daughter & I are cold and damp from volunteering at a nearby charity event. The wind and grey clouds outside tell me it's not going to improve today. Luckily there's still half a barrowload of firewood left over from winter (and that in itself shows you what a long winter it's been).

Thank goodness for log fires. Even in June ... nearly July!

The blessing of sleep

Sleep. Something many of us take for granted.

I had a few very sleepless nights recently. Nothing bad happened to cause me anxiety or anything, I just woke up in the middle of the night and lay awake for several hours, desperately tired, but not sleeping. The following days were long torture of fatigue.

It made me realize what it must be like to suffer from insomnia.

Last two nights I've dropped off to sleep again with no problem, and it made me appreciate what a blessing a good night's sleep is.

Elbow room

It often gets taken for granted, but every so often some unconnected observations in a short space of time remind me how blessed I am to be living in an uncrowded, relaxed environment.

This morning, I dropped my wife & daughter at the ferry terminal. I drive straight up to a drop-off parking spot near the doors. No booking required, they just strolled in and bought walk-on tickets. No crowds. No waiting.

I picked up pet food. Stopped right outside the door. No waiting to be served.

I shopped for groceries. Parked near the door. Shopped. Walked up to the checkout and started unloading my cart while a customer in front of me was paying.

All the while, I drove on uncrowded roads, with minimal need to stop.

Despite life's other woes and worries, silly things like this go a long way to relieving stress in a busy world.

Now, I won't pretend that all of these things happen all the time. Sometimes I have to look for a parking spot, or wait in line to be served. But these things happen more often than not. And I have to remind myself that all of these things would have seemed unattainable luxuries in my previous home.

Unexpected humor in life

Isn't it wonderful how life can surprise and delight with little touches of humor, completely out of the blue?

OK, today, there wasn't much blue around. It's "Bike to Work" week and I braved the drizzle to do just that. There's lots of cyclists out and about, not surprising. What did surprise me, though, was to see, powering down the trail towards me, a cyclist in full gear, helmet and all, on a penny-farthing!

I smiled the rest of the way to work.

Safe homecomings

My son went off for a day trip with Scouts in a boat to a neighboring island. Nothing remarkable. Nothing to worry about.

Yet, while lost in the mundane chore of mowing the lawn, my mind started to wander along a seemingly random path. I was recollecting some of the great music of the 70's when I was growing up, I wondered how I would explain it to my children. The anger of punk. The disillusionment, the fear of nuclear war. I remember feeling so close to oblivion for many years as a young adult. 

Random tangent to how things can change in a split second. Accidents happen. The difference between losing or regaining balance, between a turn of a driver's wheel, between catching that closing door or the click of a latch. The course of history can turn on a dime.

Another random leap...where is my son now? Is he safe? I know it's part of a parent's job description to worry, but my train of thought had drawn me to how fragile our existence is. Nothing to be taken for granted.

Of course, he's back, safe and well. He had a fantastic day out, including catching and cooking fresh crab.

So, today's blessing is something we just take for granted, even though we really have no right to in this vast and uncaring universe: safe homecomings.

A kiss of rain

Although it's a long journey - an hour each way - I like to cycle to work when I get the chance. Various commitments conspire to make it rather less often than I'd like, so when the stars do align and I pack my lunch and work clothes ready for the morning it's something to look forward to.

This morning I was just about set to go, but in the few minutes while I disappeared to the bathroom to brush my teeth it started to rain. Much agonizing later, and I conceded that the rain was rather more than "a few spots", and not something I could shrug off. An hour long journey in the wet is no fun.

I was disappointed, but several plus points emerged. It could have held off for ten minutes and soaked me on the open road. I got to work early and managed to clear some things off my to-do list. And on my way down the highway, I reflected that water is a precious resource. It is likely to be the source of conflict in the coming decades, so this life-giving rain is a cause for joy, not disappointment.

The human face of bureaucracy

My family and I are about to become Canadian citizens, the final stage of which involves a ceremony where we take the oath of citizenship later this week. This is exciting for us, because the whole process has taken nearly two years, lots of paperwork, and a test last month.

Today I got a phone call at work. 

Immigration Canada.

My immediate reaction was a sinking feeling...something wrong with our paperwork...ceremony postponed...maybe the reply we'd sent to the invitation had got lost in the mail and missed the deadline...

But no, nothing like that. The official was simply asking if we were planning to stay for the reception after the ceremony, and if our children would like to take part in a cake-cutting ceremony.

What a lovely touch.

Although much bureaucracy here seems to work at a slow pace, it does get the job done, and every once in a while we get surprised by a very human touch to remind us that we are dealing with people who also recognize us as people. This isn't something I usually associate with government officials, but I'm happy to be living somewhere where I can be surprised like this.

Mirror seas and clear skies

I've said it before, and I'm sure I'll say it again many times...my family and I are blessed to be surrounded by so much natural beauty.

We all went to my daughter's school concert this evening, and drove back along the seaside route. The water is usually calm here, very sheltered, but tonight it was flat as glass. The sky was clear, and the distant mountains peeping above the headland looked like sharp etchings biting into the blue above.

Leisure time

It's another beautiful day and, like most weekends, there seems to be lots to do that precludes the luxury of simple indolence. It's so easy to think "Gaah! Too much to do! I just want to sit down and relax!"

Yet I just realized that, for all the things filling the weekend, it is pretty relaxing. None of the chores are crowding on top of one another in a sanity-threatening way. The kids are pottering around down on the patio fixing up planters and hanging baskets to tart up the outside. I am pottering around getting food ready for a barbecue. The sun promises a blissful afternoon on the deck in the shade of the parasol, with a beer or three.

And I suddenly realized how darned lucky I am to have this time of relative tranquility. Some people spend their "free" hours holding down second and third jobs to make ends meet. Some struggle simply for basic survival.

So there's food to prepare, dishes to clean, laundry to throw in the washer. Maybe I'm not spending three hours at a stretch writing or sketching. So bloody what? I have nothing to grumble about.