Paying to be Cold and Wet

There are two more Thursday evening trips in our current sea kayaking session. The most recent trip ended just after sunset on a calm, balmy evening after circumnavigating Newcastle Island. The weather will be changing soon and become significantly cooler and wetter. Nevertheless, we siged up and paid for the next 5-week session, which ends November 16. We are also on the waiting list for a 2-day trip (October 21, 22) in the vicinity of Quadra Island, using the Discovery Lodge there as a base camp. That is a very popular trip, so we are unlikely to be elevated from the waiting list.

The sea kayaking provides us an opportunity to explore Vancouver Island in the Nanaimo area and the nearby coastal waters. It will also help us assess whether or not this is an activity we will pursue after we leave here next May. For example, we've gleaned sufficient information to make a semi-intelligent choice of kayak and the needed auxiliary gear e.g. paddles are nice to have.

We hope to sign up for some of the other sports activities available through Malaspina University-College (MalU), including a X-country ski day on December 3. In all cases, the gear and transportation are provided. From here on, any of our trips could find us cold and wet. Of course, there are the usual non-sports activities available in a college town. We've already seen an excellent 'foreign' film ("Fire" from India) and attended a "World Music" concert.

Today the wet season is forecast to poke a probing finger into the Nanaimo area, but then retreat for the rest of the week. We'll try to get in a hike up the slopes of Mount Benson before the afternoon rains arrive.

Richard
2006.09.30

My Career as a Gunslinger

My career as a gunfighter would have been short. This has become obvious because the time required for me to retrieve my cell phone from its belt holster has not significantly improved over this first month. The scenario is rather like this
* cell phone rings
* ears alert brain, which says "what's that noise?"
* brain eventually remembers the cell phone and tells hand, "retrieve phone from belt"
* hand reaches for cell phone, pressing inappropriate buttons during the grab
* cell phone now firmly in grasp, other hand presses correct button, first hand raises phone to ear
In the best case, the time required is small enough that a meaningful conversation with the caller ensues. In a worst case, the call is missed and no message left via the (extra cost) voicemail feature.

I find the cell phone cost exorbitant and the marketing ploys distasteful. This experiment of ours with cell phones is unlikely to lead us to become cell phone converts. Currently I use Skype/VOIP for most distance calls and find the technology deployment marginally satisfactory. Skype on Linux is clearly not a Skype priority and its quality is not impressive. Skype should consider GPL'ing their source code to reach acceptable peformance. Likely, they think such a choice would dry up their potential cash cow.

On the most recent Thursday afternoon/evening, we continued with the sea kayaking course. The winds in the strait were gale force, but expected to abate sightly. Our guide, John Dawson, chose a relatively sheltered wind exposure for us - using the lee side of Departure Bay. All turned out very well; we finished precisely at sunset. We have 3 more weeks and are considering signing up for the next 6 week session.

Richard
2006.09.23

Away with the Yachts

The weather here in Nanaimo is changing to cooler and wetter, still with many beautiful (albeit shorter) days. The homeless become less apparent - and so do the yachts of the wealthy. The two extremes of the financial spectrum, sent scurrying by the weather toward warmer, drier climates.

I have a theory that this weather driven similarity goes deeper, only a theory - clearly politically incorrect and in poor taste:
Perhaps some few of the wealthy yacht owners go feral. Tired of unrelenting sartorial hounding by spouses, they rebel and take to the streets. Certainly we see people step from the yachts who are shabbily dressed, perhaps given away by a Rolex or a piece of flashy, but clearly genuine, jewelry. These items can be surrendered and buy them acceptance into the ranks of the homeless - along with complete anonymity. But when the weather changes, these feral yacht people lose resolve and revert to their wealthy ways, soon returning to their yachts to sail south. Here's the clincher - they each take a handful of their dearest new friends along, thereby explaining the nearly simultaneous disappearance of much of the homeless population along with the yachts.

Richard
2006.09.19

Salt Spring Island

I finally have the answer to "where did all the hippies go?". After visiting Lasqueti and Salt Spring islands, the admittedly sparse data suggest that they went to the gulf islands.

Yesterday we drove south from Nanaimo for about 35 minutes and then took the 20 minute ferry ride from Crofton to Salt Spring Island, which is also served by ferries from Victoria and Tsawwassen. We blundered onto the Farmers Market at the cutesy town of Ganges and bought produce, bread, etc. After Ganges, we headed toward Fulford Bay, stopping for a wine tasting at the Salt Spring Winery and coming away with a dessert wine.

We reached the smaller and perhaps less exploited settlement at Fulford Bay and visited the Morningside Organic Bakery and Cafe, where we purchased more bread, cookies, and muffins. The proprietress combatitively informed us that EVERYTHING in her shop was organic and pure, and her products should NOT be compared to others available on Salt Spring. It seemed best to agree. She also carried items from Victoria's Wild Fire Bakery which she considered by far the best in BC (presumably she holding down a modest 2nd place). Finally we worked our way through the press of people and cars to the Fall Fair, very much an old time fair.

There is motivation by some of the island inhabitants to provide food for the entire island population (~ 10,000 people). In 2004 they reached 7.5% of that goal - how far they've come since then, I don't know. Organic items are readily available - including organic meat and probably organic automobile engines.

We caught the 3 PM ferry back to Vancouver Island and drove north to Nanaimo. However, instead of taking the freeway the whole way, we drove along the water from Crofton to Chemainus and finally to Ladysmith. There were numerous older, small homes and cottages along the water making a more friendly impression than the more recent mega-barns.

Richard
2006.09.17

Microcosmic

Yesterday was a microcosm of human life. We started the day with well laid plans which went awry in a nice way, meeting our goals for the day. The rain cancelled our morning bike ride, so we accelerated our plan to get a bed. We've been using the pump-up aero beds for 4 weeks, adequate, but not ideal - plus no way to sleep guests unless they wanted to share a single cot.

We headed with premature optimism to one of the 307 malls strung north along the Island Highway and stopped at Jysk- a wannabee Ikea. There we found a selection of double size matresses and queen size bedframes at an acceptable (only mildly outrageous) 'sale' price. Note that we couldn't get double size matresses with double size bedframes nor queen size matresses with queen size bedframes - just double size matresses and queen size bedframes. Clearly the relationship Jysk has with its vendors suffers from some sort of endemic incompetence. But the double size mattress would work if we could find the appropriate bedframe elsewhere.

Continuing our quest (with optimism wearing thin), we headed further north to a furniture store called "Brick", containing nothing of even remote interest. Then out in the parking lot Eli encountered her cousin, Edel, with her daughter and grandchildren in tow. After a short conversation, Edel informs us that she has extra beds just stored in her garage, takes us to her house in Lantzville, and feeds us a nice lasagna dinner. Before dinner we meet her husband Les just returning from a job site. He's a 77-year old, amazingly fit fireball and jack of all trades. He gathers appropriate tools, takes the bed apart, we load it into his truck, drive back to Nanaimo, haul the bed frame, 10 slats, and mattress up 4 floors (the elevator had just gone out of service), reconstruct the bed, they leave after a bit of chocolate and juice, and we go to bed - mission accomplished, but not as foreseen.

Today was more well behaved. We participated in a day long kayak clinic (sponsored by MalU), circumnavigating Newcastle Island. It was a fun group of young folk and an old codger, maybe as old as me. He was one of the two guides. The weather was borderline perfect and no mishaps occurred. Eli and I shared one of the two tandems, but nearly everyone else took a one-person craft. We may do more of this.

Richard
2006.09.10

Rain Arrives

Last night saw our first significant rain since arriving in Nanaimo nearly 4 weeks ago. Out of habit, I suppose, the weather forecasters claim that the skies will clear later today and that the fair weather regime will be reestablished. Nevertheless, the rain is undoubtedly a harbinger of the Fall/Winter weather patterns typical for Vancouver Island.

Yesterday we hiked on Newcastle Island, a provincial park only a 10 minute ferry ride from downtown. In the evening we went to an art opening at the Nanaimo Art Gallery on the Malaspina campus. It featured art by Malaspina faculty and a rousing recitation of an original poem by a member of the Art History faculty.

Tomorrow we'll participate in an all day kayak clinic. We're not supposed to bring harpoons, which is reassuring. The weather forecast sounds favorable. We went to such a clinic some years ago on Lake Pend Oreille (under a full moon), but are otherwise neophytes.

Today may find us shopping for bits and pieces. We'd like to find a decent bed. The aero beds are working, but could be better.

This was the first week of school. Eli is taking an intaglio class, while I am teaching a course entitled "Introduction to Linux Kernel Mode Programming" (let me know if you want the lecture notes). Eli's course has lecture on Monday followed by a week of access to the printmaking facilities. Because this recent Monday was Labor Day and a holiday, she had nothing to do for the course this first week.

We've been investigating the vicinity by bicycle, however bicycling has mostly been supplanted by walking. A frequent route is to hike down to the waterfront (5 minutes away) and then walk along the shore promenade for about an hour before reaching the condo again

Richard
2006.09.09

April Moon in September

As summer trundled toward its yearly death, we boarded the 'April Moon' at 1 PM on Friday, September 1 at one of Nanaimo's marinas. This particular marina is thoroughly Schecklerized (sort of a Windbag West), but the boarding was nevertheless accomplished safely. Our hosts, Tom and Karen, evidently not wishing to be ostentatious, had hidden their other 11 sailboats 'May Moon' through 'March Moon'. Somehow, April seemed out of phase with the season.

We soon got underway and sailed to the north, finally tying up in White Rock Bay, an anchorage on Jedediah Island, now a provincial park. The homesteads, not abaondoned all that long ago, seemed eager to tell their stories - but even after a second night there, I couldn't quite hear them. We visited the unkempt orchard with its apple, walnut, etc. trees. Eli threw apples to the now-feral sheep, we looked through the stout wire mesh into the forbidden buildings, and we even visited the ornate grave of Will (the chestnut horse). All in all, it was a delightful, uninhabited island.

The third and final night was spent in Scottie Bay on Lasqueti Island, mostly occupied by abandoned cars, bicycles, and other machinery ... and a few people. Some were tourists, but most were local. I think one would need to live there for several years to appreciate the various mindsets that make Lasqueti a viable home. The beauty is readily apparent, but the necessary survival skills are less so. The island has ferry service (foot traffic only) and there is a primary school, a restaurant, honesty booths, etc. My guess is that the locals come in three varieties, the indolent wealthy (faux local) who have 2nd or 3rd homes there (and their own high-end boats), those who commute by the ferry, and the locals who somehow make their living on the island.

Athough the anchorages were on fascinating islands, we also sailed and dieseled in the fair weather. We had, at best, light winds - as arranged by Tom and Karen for their land loving guests. However, we enjoyed our stay on board immensely. More important than being gracious, Karen and Tom were fun. We made excellent meals, drank fine wine, had meandering conversations, and went for stimulating walks when the ship was anchored. From my viewpoint, we were a very compatible foursome. Ruby behaved as cats do.

The mix of sun, sea, and forested hilly islands is quite special. We spotted seals, a heron, eagles, ravens, etc. - but no elk, bear, moose, or giraffe.

As a lad,I took perhaps 6 to 10 canoe trips into the Quetico. This had a similar effect in that it captured the mind, letting every day cares float away. Now we're ready for school.

Richard
2006.09.05