Your heart, like a bird
fluttering, testing the winds
of change in your soul
before taking flight.
Breath-taking fibrillation
shocks us to the now
where a breathe can hang
like mist in the frozen air
then crash to the ground,
tiny icicles
shatter, chime through the silence
“it’s time to go home”
A nervous twitch of heavy curtains,
a wary peering into first light.
What song will I sing? A trill
of joy thrilling at a pool of sunlight
warming my bare
feet or a dirge for dreams
of spring, battered
by northeast winds and smothered
in yet more snow.
Is it all bad?
No, today the sun shines and, at least
for a while, it is ‘aubade’.
Dry brushes,
silent strings,
still pens.
Canvas awaits,
air hangs empty,
book is closed.
Heart descries a dream,
soul craves a song,
mind requires illumination.
Potential
blooms, rings, transports
each thought into being
human.
There’s a northern sense of pride
in battling winter and surviving
minus forty, minus fifty,
icy fog and snowy drifts. We
soldier on in our uniforms;
long underwear to keep us warm,
and scoff at tender souls who live
in milder climes and shake and shiver
at minus five and have to close
the city down for an inch of snow.
We post the current temperature;
a brag of what we can endure;
a challenge to post a lower number,
to northern soldiers in other bunkers.
Year after year we earn our stripes
through furnace fails and frozen pipes,
when trucks die and the power goes out
you discover what cold is all about.
We’ve fed the woodstove through the night
and melted snow by candlelight.
We’ve earned our medals in the ice and cold
but the years roll on and we’re getting old
and we’ve paid our dues and we’ve fought our fight
and we just want a little bit more sunlight.
It’s not retreating, just retiring
to a place where the temperature is higher.
I leave the struggle to the young
who have the strength to carry on.
Old soldiers who’ve battled winter and won,
Deserve their moments in the sun.
I forgot to post this poem – it was written on the 6th as we were travelling through the Cariboo. The haze made the background seem two dimensional.
Treed mountains, layered in smoke,
recede into the haze; cut-out silhouettes; mere jagged,
misty dreams of the real terrain beneath.
And in the foreground emerge the trees, clearer now,
more defined, more detail in their sweeping boughs and
pendant moss; skeletons of their ancestors propped up
in their arms, standing witness.
There is a sense of waiting in the air
and a taste of ashes on the tongue.
Life with a capital L includes enjoying new tastes. I got the chance to enjoy many new taste experiences on Thursday evening at the Back Eddy Resort and Marina in Egmont. I sat, with my sister Pia, at the Chef’s Long Table for a four course seafood experience. Chef Kevin Cooper and Sommelier John Linn introduced each course; explaining the subtleties of the creations and the reasons for, and background on the wine or beer chosen to accompany the dish. We were also lucky enough to have a very knowledgeable representative from Ocean Wise, Claire Lee, who gave us information on the particular seafood used in each dish and how we can ensure that the seafood we buy is caught or farmed in a safe, sustainable manner.
I learned a lot! Including that farmed shellfish can actually be more environmentally friendly than wild caught shellfish. I’d suggest visiting them for more information.
Back to the meal. Here’s what we enjoyed:
Course One:
Line Caught Coho Salmon Tartare, Avocado Mousse, Chipotle Crème Fraiche, and Almond Cilantro Cracker. Along with this course we had a glass of ‘Apothic Winemakers Blend’
Course Two:
Pancetta and Prosciutto, Saltspring Island Mussels – accompanied by Persephone Pale Ale
Course Three:
Vanilla Butter Poached Sablefish, Seaweed Salad, Grilled Broccolini, Basil Buerre Blanc. Along with a Meiomi Chardonnay.
Course Four:
Tropical Scallop Ceviche, Mango, Papaya, Dragon Fruit, and Grapefruit. With 1884 Viognier wine.
I don’t know much about pairing wines and beer with food. All I know is the old ‘white with poultry and fish and red with beef’, and I’m pretty sure even that isn’t terribly accurate anymore. But as I listened to John Linn speak about each wine and beer it was obvious that this is someone who really knows his stuff; not only that, but he is obviously very passionate on the subject and pleased to be able to share that knowledge.
The food was simply excellent. I wish I was more of a gourmet so I could get into detail, but alas all I know is that my palate was very appreciative. I was a little hesitant about the ‘seaweed salad’ but it was delicious! I asked what kind of seaweed it was and was told “shakimi”. I’ll be looking THAT up – very tasty. Chef Kevin Cooper was also very passionate about his craft and it is very plain that he takes great pains with not only the preparation and presentation of the dishes, but the sourcing of the very best quality and environmentally friendly local sources for the ingredients.
I was enjoying the meal so much I forgot to get a picture until we got to the fourth course, but trust me, it was as beautiful as it was delicious. Thank you Bill, for taking the pictures.
The Chef’s Long Table, to my understanding, happens three times a year so if you’re in the area, check with them to see if there’s a Chef’s Long Table coming up that you can participate in. I guarantee it will be an unforgettable gastronomic experience.
Life with a capital L includes learning new things. Today I learned about a project called ‘Pender Harbour Ocean Discovery Station’ (PODS), an exciting project that is currently in the fundraising phase. They have already raised over $2 million and are closing in on the target amount with only $195,000. left to raise before the end of September.
The property in question is at Irvine’s Landing and the proposed complex is truly an amazing project that will include laboratories, a conference centre, underwater galleries, performance spaces, and restaurant. The link with Simon Fraser University promises some important work will be accomplished and excellent educational opportunities will be made available. The comprehensive array of alternative energy systems will be a showcase unto itself.
I was very impressed with the passion and dedication that surrounds this project. The foresight and potential is significant.
Have a look at the website – https://www.openpods.com/what-we-do/
Donate if you feel moved to do so; I did.
From a clear, blue sky and green trees to smoke and blackened trunks. There are no 
words to express my sorrow for the devastation that has descended upon so much of our beautiful province.
We didn’t stay in the camper last night; couldn’t face breathing the smoke all night long. We stayed at the 100 Mile House Ramada and turned the air conditioner on full bore.
We headed out into the smoke this morning and are still seeing chilling evidence of how close the fire had come to a lot of 
homes. Most of the ones we’ve seen so far were only separated from the carbon blackened landscape by the narrow strip of pavement (Highway 97 and 99). I can only imagine how frightening that must have been. I guess Life with a capital L can be kind of scary at times.
We lived in Lone Butte many years ago and remember fondly the big blue skies, clear lakes, and clean air of the Cariboo region. Here’s hoping for clear, blue skies in the very near future for everyone in BC.
The sign said “Sweet Corn, U-pick, $4/dozen”
How do you pass up a deal like that? So we turned off the highway and began our descent into a beautiful valley – a microclimate. It reminded me of Bear Flats, up by Hudsons Hope.
Bill did the picking and I took the pics…
OMG now THAT’S SWEET CORN!
Soda Creek Sweet Corn has been run by the Kaufman family for over 30 years, Keziah told me, as we paid for our corn, yellow beans, jalapeno peppers, sweet peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and one lovely little patti-pan squash.
This little oasis, at Historic Dunlevy Ranch, is bursting with veggies and flowers and herbs.
I was a bit sorry I could take along so little, but we are travelling in a little camper after all!
So here’s a shout out to Soda Creek Sweet Corn, a stop that we’ll be making whenever we pass by and there’s veggies to be had.
Ever see those signs? The silhouette of a moose with ‘caution’ above, and ‘moose’ beneath. Bill and I agree that having a Caution Moose along these roads would be a great idea
Caution Moose where are you?
Surely the Caution Moose would be wearing a safety vest, carrying a stop sign, and offering his services to help innocent wildlife to cross the busy highway.
I’ve never seen Caution Moose, but I think this is what he’d look like… (please bear in mind that this was done on a touch screen at 95 km per hour on a bumpy stretch of Highway 97)
My CD "New Traditions" is available for listening or digital download
My CD "Breathe" is available to listen to or for digital download
Linda Studley is a writer, songwriter, independent recording artist, and sometime graphic artist living in Northern BC, Canada
Linda Studley 