Countdown

Countdown

With the summer of 2011 drawing to a close, we await with a degree of wonder to ‘what next?’ Last winter was pretty full-on, great for winter sports and snow shoveling. The dogs were in daily doggy-heaven, but it was hard work with so much snow. We spy the mountain tops daily for a sticking white coat.

My new found employment is working out well. Worked a couple of weeks, then promptly laid off temporarily as it has been so dry. No lawns are growing. This has proved a godsend as I’m busy laying the slate floor. The back has been broken, but its countdown time as I now have exactly one week to finish the floor, paint the walls and trim. Natasha is away for the week on a school trip, so home alone with two dogs, and mess everywhere! When I return to work, the dreaded leaf raking.

The training is progressing for the October 9^th Victoria marathon. We have both been pounding the road, 90% of the time turning left up towards Summit Lake. We play the Generation Game (UK readers will remember that) from time to time, to see who can remember the most roadside junk seen en-route. Natasha invariably wins. I have had a couple of non running related injuries, one resulting in a complete week rest from running. Ross, my nephew, completed the Sydney marathon today. His message to me on how he got on was simple – ‘ouch’. Sums it up nicely - my turn next. I’m thinking that 3hrs 30mins might be just out of reach, bar an exceptional on-the-day performance, but I have to beat my Vancouver time of 3.37.

The bees continue to recover from their ‘new house’ ordeal. Their numbers were down when I had to replace all the equipment, but they have appeared to have bred away and fill new comb with nectar. At least they will go into winter with odds on chance of making it through to spring 2012.

The B&B is also drawing to a close, which income wise is a bit of a shocker. It has been a great summer and we hope for winter guests, wanting to play in the snow. Natasha’s new laptop lasted a week and then hard drive failure. A new replacement Dell is being posted, but in the meantime she has made lots of new friends in India…

So, it is indeed ‘countdown time’ for us with so much change in the air. For me, the countdown is Oct 9^th, for Natasha Sept 28^th – ‘A Place to Play’ is published (Pegasus Publishing, UK). Please do look for it on Amazon.co.uk or .com, and order a copy. Indeed, order two and get one gift wrapped. Christmas is on its way.

Getting serious...

Natasha let slip the other day, as we were heading back down the sublime, very English ‘London Ridge’, high above the Kaslo mountain pass, that it was only seven weeks to go till Marathon Day. Gulp. This is getting serious, I thought. My running is going well, and I am feeling strong. Will I make sub 3.30 in Victoria? We will find out, but whatever the result, that’s it for me and marathons. Natasha is hanging on in with her training, and is suitably determined to do as well as she can.

The bees have pulled out all the stops and produced healthy colonies and a whack load of ‘Seriously Valhalla’ honey. But alas, the curse of my original purchase of second hand bee equipment two years back has come back to haunt me. American Foul Brood has not gone away. Tears welled at the thought of having to go through the pain (again) of burning my bees and a complete start-over. But on reflection, I was advised to keep the bees and ditch the hardware (AFB affects bee brood and housed deep in the bee cells, so the bee itself is clean – but the colony cannot reproduce). This is serious and I need to get shot of it. However, Natasha was a star at a recent New Denver Friday market, making over $600 in honey sales. I, alas, was working so could not join in the fun. Farmgate sales are seriously fun, and at last I can start to compete with Spanish Pete in stories of local people and travelers who swing by. The folk range from ‘Oh, that is simply far too expensive – we are rather price-sensitive here’ (reply - if you want cheap honey, go to the supermarket) to ‘Excellent. I’ll take the lot!’. A new bee deck at the bottom of the garden is in the process of being constructed, which will make way for the new picnic bench and fire pit.

The vegetable garden has progressed from being lame to productive, thanks to Natasha’s attention. Garlic, runner beans, chard and potatoes, with raspberries for next year. Apple and pear trees have been ordered for the spring.

Hiking over the summer has been superb fun. The crown was definitely New Denver Glacier, the big downer being the welcoming and hungry mosquitoes. The two nights planned were changed to one, four of us crammed into a two man tent. We also managed to get away for a few days on a local holiday outing, dubbed ‘the Kootenay ‘Cation’. One certainly does not have to travel far here to be immersed in seriously world class landscape. Best of all, few mosquitoes. The highlight was waking up after a storm, to witness snow covered peaks. In August!! I braved the cool lake waters (I don’t do cold water swimming) on a few occasions, and was even relaxed enough to indulge in a book.

Part of India lines our kit room and entrance hall now in the form of slate. It looks lovely and a joy to get part of the house back in to some form of order. I keep putting off the dining room and kitchen, as I want to put up a covered area over our rear deck. Far more fun, and way less serious… using local wood too which involves a donation to the local Eco Group.

The Bed & Breakfast has been a rip-roaring success. Such a wide variety of people turn up, the last couple being honeymooning newly-weds. So, the combined income from honey and guests has been welcomed for sure. We worked hard for it, but worth every penny. I’m starting full time work in September which will be blessing, doing yard work with a friend in New Denver. I have always left my lawns well alone, cutting only when essential. However, there is a certain pride in producing straight cut lines on a nice lawn. New skills to learn for sure – always a good thing. Trying to run a home based business and hold down a job will be tough, though, and the dogs will not enjoy it one bit. In the long run, I’ll like to work three days on yard duties, but I’m hardly in a position to negotiate right now! Anything to keep me out of the classroom….

So, the summer rolls on. Natasha is trying to defer the start of her term next week, but we have the Victoria marathon weekend to look forward to and we are aiming to have another camping trip during the first week in September, ‘Labour weekend’. But it will be an outing with a difference, as we have decided to retire The Pink Slug (the camper). It causes too much stress as its falling apart! It has served us well. Whatever next? A caravan? Now, that is serious.

Pictures found at http://www.facebook.com/media/albums/?id=145082598861572

OUCH!

The times, they are a changin’. I smiled to myself as I sat back in my camping chair, supping tea, reminiscing 1979/80 Jam, Who, Stranglers (and so on) concerts. Here I was now, watching The Sheepdogs do their stuff on stage, at our local Nakusp music (rock) festival in 2011. It was a snapshot from 1960’s Woodstock, young energetic lads with long hair and bandana’s, eating the microphone and make love to their guitar. I could not fault their energy and passion. It was not the average 40+ age which amused me, it was designated camping chair area for us to sit back, relax, drink tea and watch youngsters (and not so young) thrash about on their stage. Awesome event and I’ll definitely try to go next year. Kevin Costner and Modern West were spirited – I admired him for getting up on a stage which can so easily go horribly wrong. Missed the high tempo workout by Gary Hoey, but judging by the last 30 secs I caught as I wandered onto the field, his performance was electric. The Grapes of Wrath, childhood mates now well into their 40s reunited for a superb performance, Spirit of the West pumping out known tunes, but the accolade must go to the aging rockers I remember only too well on TotP with hits such as ‘What a fool believes’ and ‘Minute by Minute’. The Doobie Brothers - simply fantastic. Naively I spent time working out who the Doobie brothers were, until I read that a ‘doobie’ is a joint. What world do I live in??!

However, my time sitting in my camping chair was short lived on all three nights – not because of the dogs being home alone, or Natasha being away (in the Rockies with her girlfriend Billi), but injury. Alas I have been forced to stop running, having suffered a literal body blow. A piece of wood kicked back from my bench saw into the left side of my groin – apart from seeing stars for a long while, little ‘down below’ was recognisable due to swelling and I did not think that the viewed hue of black and blue existed.

Meanwhile, my bees are making honey. Lots of it. Busy little critters. Ill be extracting some this summer for sure, and maybe even try selling some of it. They are without doubt quite a remarkable insect. I hope that good fortune shines on me and them this winter, as to enter the spring of 2012 with four intact hives would be very special. Our summer is not treating them well, as we are not really having one just yet. This morning was fun – I hobbled off on my dog walk, but forgot my umbrella (middle aged or what?!). Yet another thunderstorm kicked in, and as I sheltered under one of our massive cedar trees, I watched the ferns and bracken dance to the beat of the raindrops. I would have missed that I had remembered my man made shelter. Look for nature, don’t hide from it.

My pile of India slate is slowly shrinking, mixing floor goop and laying tiles as I listen to my new cd purchases (signed, of course). Its fun – bachelor conditions kicking in as floor work takes over. I aim to finish the kit room by the time Natasha returns. My running remains on the back burner till Thursday. It was my rest week anyway, so full training shall resume, hopefully, next week. Meanwhile, our suite guests left happy this morning - over the weekend they had bumped into a certain Mr Costner coming out of our local food shop without knowing he was in the area.

Good times. Tim

The lazy days of summer

I love it when I run well. I feel like I’m on top of the world, running on the balls of my feet as opposed to clumping on my heels. Training is going well, the mileage (‘kilometreage’ as Bryan pointed out, does not read right) increasing, the aches and pains kept at bay. The sun is shining on the Kootenays now which brings out the smiles on people. A great time of year for sure. Natasha is also training for her half marathon and she is working hard. October looms, too close. But I feel confident – as before.

So much snow fell over the winter that access to the inner mountains is restricted. Our local peak, Idaho, is still shrouded in snow. We drove up the access road the other day with Natasha’s friend, Billi, (and the dogs) and got within three kilometers of the parking lot. However, the abundance of snow keeps the tourists away, making the hike up the mountain divine. So peaceful, tranquil and adventurous.

Billi is English, parents live in Scotland, currently lives in Switzerland, met Natasha in Hungary (and so on…). She is visiting for three weeks and its great having the company and the enthusiasm to get out to do stuff. Its funny living in a landscape full of opportunity – sometimes you have to be reminded to get off your backside and get on with it! We all canoed on our local lake the other day, something we never do. Even the dogs settled down, noses resting on the side, tasting the water as it skimmed by. The last few weeks have been full on with trying to get landscaping done on our property, but now we are seeing the rewards as the newly seeded grass is turning the stony ground a fresh green. The B&B has been busy too, with August filling up. This provides us with a bit of money to plough back into the house which is good news indeed. I have ordered from a local guy some wood to build a roof over our rear deck and assemble some railings.

Natasha and Billi go of on their travels next week to the Rockies. I get left behind to do dog walks, running and laying the chunk of Indian slate we brought back last month from Kelowna. The clearing of the rooms has started and so the clutter increases. The running machine is now outside, under our front porch. Great view! As Richard from Port Hardy says ‘always think to the finished product’. My eyes can see a lovely slate floor, but my knees and back are already feeling the anticipated pain.

So, hardly the lazy days of summer. The bees are buzzing (still four hives, though pretty much touch and go sometimes) and the honey is starting to come in, defying the odds. House jobs abound, never enough time to complete the tick sheet. Eight acres of property is too much, but great fun. It’s a constant battle in the garden to keep law and order between the acceptable and wilderness. But its great and I love working outdoors.

We have booked out a week to go traveling, second week in August. We aim to swing a backpack on our backs, the first time for ages, but who knows what will happen! But what I do know is that our running shoes will be packed and am looking forward to exploring new trails.

Fun times!

Tim

Kooteny Trials and Tribulations

Not wearing a watch, I asked the check out girl in Home Depot the time. She started punching buttons on her computer and it was then I realised she did not have a watch either. But she was so slow. Surely the time is displayed on the screens of all computers?? Bottom right, right? A receipt was duly printed on the printer, grabbed, examined and then the time proudly relayed to me. My, what a palaver. I have not worn a watch for years, not since my third year of teaching back whenever, but for a youth not wearing one? And having to print out a receipt to find out the time? Oh how times have changed.

And so my Kelowna city experience continued. Natasha and I had traveled across the Monashee mountain pass on the Thursday, she on a seminar in Vancouver, me on my own with two dogs, a truck and trailer, and a tent. No one came to any harm, or damage caused, but Kelowna provided me with enough stress to fill a swimming pool with swear words. Traffic, red traffic lights, queues, rainstorms, lost dogs, no camp stove were all thrown at me whilst I shopped for slate floor tiles. Natasha flew back to an ailing Tim on the Friday night and on the Saturday we headed home with ¾ tonne of India, 150kg of floor goop, 60kg sugar, 40kg flour, 130kg of human and 60kg of dog. Plus very wet camping gear. It was a slow journey indeed! We passed and thought our thoughts at the memorial plaque where only a few weeks back the young New Denver man in his pick up died when a chip truck wiped him and his family out. It’s a strange human trait to have to try to understand what happened, but we spent the next few kilometers trying to do just that. Why can’t we just accept that it did and move on? On an opposite note, whilst in Kelowna Home Depot, I bumped into a former work colleague from Port Hardy Home Hardware days. Chris, who I always had time for, had a place in my heart as his wife’s son was very ill with a heart condition. We all moved from the Island about the same time, but what of his step-son? ‘He had a heart transplant’ said Chris. and….? ‘Last night he was playing baseball!’

My bees continue to delight, entertain and cause me stress. A former UK work colleague, also Chris, used to use the phrase ‘it’s like wrestling with jelly’. Bee keeping is a bit like that, as you never quite know what is going to happen next. I had five new bee nucs / queens, but now I have only four. All seem to be healthy, but who knows? Im not a natural at this malarkey, but it does give me a degree of satisfaction. My aim is to produce some honey which I like. ’10 honey was lupin nectar, which I did not like so much, so this year we have planted lots of bee loving flowers and hopefully pull some honey off a bit sooner than last year.

My buddy, Peter ‘Buff’, who is English is now a fully fledged Canadian. He attended his citizenship ceremony last week along with lots of other nationals, all getting their own Canadian passports. I quote:

From Australia to Zimbabwe people clapped or cheered when their country was called.  Iran, Iraq, India, all over Europe and around the world.  A very tall and very blue/black man from Sudan proudly stood when they called his country and he got an enormous cheer!  His journey was probably very different to my own.  But we were all new Canadians!

I felt very proud and humbled.

What a lovely story – it’s our turn next. Our Citizenship applications are in and the wait begins. Meanwhile, our UK passports have been surrendered for renewal. Amazingly, we had to send them to Washington, DC (Yes, America) and not here in Canada which just happens to be a fully signed up and active member of the Commonwealth. The newly we Royal couple are even visiting Calgary stampede in July. See, the UK really does have a ‘special relationship’ with the US. In the meantime, I hope I don’t have to do an emergency UK return – cos I can’t!

My marathon training started June 1^st. Rest day. Superb.

Tim

Spring fever

The young deer had got caught up in the wire fence, hapless. Its eyes were elsewhere, in the land of beyond, its breathing shallow and quick. I had its head on my lap, its fate in my hands - I should end the nightmare, put it beyond pain. The dogs had felt the full force of my fury, and shame, for they had only been doing what is inbred. Natasha and I were out for a run, the dogs off lead. Tasky had been the first to spot the bobbing white tail and screamed after it, Bonny hot on his heels. Normally I tend not to worry too much about deer chasing. It happens infrequently and I have always assumed the dogs are no match for the athletic deer. But on this occasion fate had got the better of life and it was up to me to do what was right. But what to do? I am no hunter, no keeper of animals. Yank the head back and twist? Hesitation, tears well. Cant do it.

Crestfallen, I leave the deer to the fate of the resident coyotes that would soon smell its incapacity. I was beaten – was my heart too big or just cowardly? I have still not yet discovered how to quickly kill a deer. It was my fault the deer was dying and yet I could not take the full responsibility of my dogs actions by doing what was undoubtedly right. It was days to get over the feeling of cowardice. The carcass had gone within 48hrs but bad memories take time to fade.

So spring is definitely here now, the bees are zapping all over. Warmth has finally melted white, to be replaced with green, nature going crazy trying to make up for lost time. Our newly purchased BBQ not only means that we are finally fully Canadian, but we can enjoy burnt food on the deck. Enthusiasm has meant that our planted runner beans have been severely weakened by night frost, the words from our locals of not to put anything out till after the full moon ignored. 

I’m painting the suite siding, but easily distracted by the sound and sight of hummingbirds. Lots of them, never seen so many. If I get too close to their feed, they bomb me. Sadly, one flew into the sliding glass door and died on impact. Death is never far away, life is so precious. A former student at Natasha’s school was recently killed whilst driving over the nearby Monashee pass. A huge out of control chip truck coming the other way wiped his truck out, the chip truck driver left physically intact. But what of all the bad memories?

Our two wwoofer helpers, Brigid and Sarina, have moved their adventures onwards, leaving a slight vacuum behind at Smiling Hills. We look forward to the next visitor, hopefully in July. Meanwhile, Natasha continues to work incredibly hard at Lucerne, but buoyed from the prospect of holidays not far away. We have both booked our journey to Victoria in October, so the stage is set for our next running challenge. My running legs have returned, but are acutely aware of the psychological journey ahead, as my June 1^st training start looms ever closer.

Paid work is still scarce, my truck soaking up any spare cash we collectively have. A conundrum indeed. Repair bills are undoubtedly still cheaper than a payment for a new one, but it’s the uncertainty and immediacy of breakdowns that throws us. It’s getting old, poor thing, but it will have to hang on a bit longer. We aim to go away this long Mayday weekend - the weather looks ok, the small generator packed away in the truck nestling alongside the battery charger, for the glowplugs are not working and the starter motor tired. But to get away is important, even for just a couple of days. I might even be spotted supping a beer! Our dogs have the right approach – live for the moment. It has consequences, but they don’t have to deal with them. Like it but simply cant do it.

Tim

A new beginning

What part of BC are you guys from? I asked, just to spark a conversation. “BC maaaan” was the drawled reply from one of the bearded objects slouched in the car. “Hey, this is our home maaan” the other blurted. “We are just moving into another room, maaan”. (throaty laugh all round). And so the conversation ceased. I was thus duly introduced to the official world of ‘Couch Surfing’; another day in the Slocan Valley, giving two modern day Romany’s a ride nearer to their chosen destination. I love giving rides to the ‘thumbers’ of the world, and even Natasha has been known to open the passenger door to a stranger. This is despite my attempt at hitch hiking the other week proved completely unsuccessful, resulting in a hurt pride retiring home till a lift could be secured the following day to retrieve a newly repaired truck.

Spring has sprung, the bees are getting fitter, the daffodils poking their yellow heads up through the sodden soil. The swamp land below us is slowly drying up as the trees produce their pollen laden catkins in preparation for their green display. For the last 10 days, post Vancouver marathon running has been on hold as we entertain and keep busy two wonderful WWOOFers, young and energetic at 19 years of age, who have opted to grace us with their presence lending us their muscle and charm in exchange for board and lodging. In reality, in addition to the welcome social company, they have ensured much needed progress in that messy post winter / pre summer phase, where trees are cleared, wood split and stacked, exterior painting undertaken and vege plots prepared for planting. Sarina stayed for a week, and her friend Brigid one extra - a win / win scenario if ever there was one.

So, where does my running fit in to all this? It took me till this sunday to look into my post marathon goody bag  - my medal ended up in the recycling bin but the crowning turd in the trifle was my 'technical running shirt' - the right sleeve some 20cm shorter than the left! I also realised with horror that I still have a plastic bag full of ‘near end of date bargain bin’ SIS energy gels sent to me by some Ottawa bicycle shop.  What to do with them? Peter recommended a bargain bin store donation, but that would be contrary to the challenge laid down by my 3.37 marathon. On the return flight home last week, my ‘never again, what’s the point?’ changed to ‘maybe, sometime someday, somewhere’. Slowly my head and heart realised that I need a sub 3.30. Natasha needs me to do it as well, for her peace sake. So, the date has been set – October 7^th, venue Victoria. Marathon day. Natasha has also jumped into the canyon by entering the half marathon with a pledge to bear her previous time set in Sheffield, that of 1.41. So, Tim sub 3.30, Natasha sub 1.40. A big party for sure if success is secured.

Last Sunday saw us both run the local 5km fun run. My legs did not find any of it fun, nor did Natasha find any amusement in the solitary hill. But she finished a credible third in her category of being female and I had my success by complaining that males did not get a finishing flower at the end. Flowers were soon handed out to all finishers, and there was much rejoicing! My local vet, Mr. ‘100 dollar’ Bill surged ahead of us, with 2km to go and was pleased as punch with his run. He was clearly worried at the start of the run when he declared a concern as the advertised event wording had changed from ‘run’ to ‘race’. Local events – you can’t equal them.

So, my official Victoria marathon training starts on June 1^st, and I now have something regular to write about. There will, hopefully, be much rejoicing later on. After the inevitable pain.