Before the Rain

By and large, we have settled into our unfurnished Nanaimo rental - with school starting next week. Thrift shops, Costco, etc. have been sources of various necessities that have enhanced the ambience of our condo to a more comfortable 'shabby penthouse' level. Our 4th floor unit offers views to both the east and south of the harbor and mainland mountains in the background of the strait. We can see Mt. Baker to the south on the occasional crystal clear day. The sunny weather should give way to the rainy season (lasting only 8 or so months) by October - although it can arrive early, we're told.

The various Canadians we've encountered from customs through the university bureaucracy have been universally friendly and helpful. Last weekend was a BBQ at the home of one of the computer science folk with whom I'll be working. The setting was quite dramatic, with the Nanaimo River below the cliff, swirling through a narrow slot. It reminded me of Wolfklamm in Austria.

This coming weekend's weather looks favorable for the several days of sailing with Tom and Karen. They should arrive Thursday evening and will be our first condo visitors, although they'll stay overnight on their boat. After their weekend with us, they'll spend another month sailing hither and yon, presumably staying in the strait.

I've been told that US visitors here are almost universally apologetic about George Bush. Certainly, he is now seen by many in the USA as the worst president in US history, having done domestic and global damage that will take decades, if ever, to unravel. The democratic party should not be gleeful at this turn of events. The public seems to be awakening and seeing corporate lobbying as the culprit, with members of both parties being equally culpable. In fact, the harm done by George Bush is due, in part, to the failure of the opposition party to moderate his actions. The traditional give and take between the more fiscally conservative republicans and more socially concerned democrats has completely gone by the wayside. The old rhetoric remains, but only as a way to motivate their core constituencies.

Richard
2006.08.29

Mid Summer 2006

I haven't visited this blog for about 4 months. So this is something of an update.

My 19 year career at EWU ended in June. At a retirement potluck, the department presented me with a GPS unit so I could find my new path. As planned, I will teach a course at Malaspina University College for Fall Semester. This institution is in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Once summer began, visitors started appearing at our Sandpoint house. Somewhat recently a family of four Norwegian relatives were here. They were great fun. After a short stay they continued on to Ivar's (Eli's brother) just down valley from Telluride. Spanning their visit and still with us are my daughter Julie and her younger daughter, Sophie. They will leave next Sunday for Austria. Tomorrow, Nik should arrive with his girlfriend, Joy. We are looking forward to getting to know her.

Julie and I have been biking regularly. Yesterday we biked our most challenging route, from the house to the top of the quad chairlift at Schweitzer. Some of the steeper, stonier sections required walking - but those were rare and short.

After Julie and Sophie head for home in Austria, we will begin packing for our stay in Nanaimo. We have rented an unfurnished 2 bedroom condo, sight unseen. It's on the edge of the 'Old City' a short walk from the waterfront. The college is an easy walk or bike ride, as well.

For my own later reading, I'll mention some current items on the political scene. The U.S. electorate seems to be noticing that their elected officials of both parties spend their efforts in Washington, DC representing corporate interests rather than those of their constituents. It has become obvious that the Bush administration has made disastrous decisions behind a veil of secrecy and deception. I've never been happy with US imperial ambitions which go back through nearly all presidential administrations over the last 60 or more years, but the current administration seems peculiarly inept and high handed, very bent on expanding the power of the executive branch beyond constitutional boundaries.

A test of renewed electoral alertness will be the Lamont-Liebermann race in Connecticut. The pundits will have their work cut out for them interpreting the results. Liebermann is, without question, a representative of corporate interests before those of his constituents. The wealthy Lamont is exploiting that fact to good effect. What sort of senator would Lamont make? Who knows? His campaign has been effective, but that doesn't equate to virtue. Nevertheless, it would be nice to see a DC insider thrown out.

Although the US electorate show sign of awakening, there are other disturbing signs. For example, the superstitious fringe of dominion theology that believes in the 'rapture' is worrisome. Its devotees smugly wallow in their fairyland, happily watching the world disintegrate around them - signs to them that the end is near. It would be better for them to pitch in and accept the responsibility of trying to make the world a better place for all creatures.

Richard
2006.08.06