With today’s world news being as bleak as it is, thought you might enjoy this story from way back when my children were young. All the Ice The front tire dropped into the hole and the seatbelt cut into my lap. When my bottom smashed down on the seat right after that, an “uh,” came out.  The [...]

Ever wondered what midwinter is usually like on The West Coast? The Dead Of Winter Cloudy and cold. The morning weather forecast on the computer screen brought a frown to my face.  Another dreary winter day. Rising to glance out the window, my body felt as heavy as the cloudbank hovering above my sleeping back yard.  [...]

Now that another year has arrived, are you sliding back into your own boring little world? Maybe considering the following will stop your slide. What a Way to Live So many people in so little space. Missing the natural beauty around my rural Island home, I turned away from the dreary greys and browns that the [...]

Ever asked if angels still visit us? Well, here’s an experience I had one Christmas some years back. Dance with Joy “Go to sleep, you two! You’ll be too tired to enjoy Christmas! It’s ten o’clock at night…your father will be home from work in a few hours.” My voice died and a muffled giggle interrupted the [...]

Recently I did something that made me wonder, are you crazy? Thought you might like to read about it. What Was I Thinking? My frown deepened when I tried to swing my leg over the bar of my shiny new bicycle again.  Okay. No way my leg goes that high any more. I lowered the formidable obstacle [...]

Ever wondered how you tell two identical siblings apart?  Well, here’s one way. A Fine Mess How cute! Hazelnut-coloured bodies stretched to their full six-inch-length and bushy tails flattened against rough grey bark, the two baby squirrels hung motionless on the limbless tree trunk beside me. A smile entered my eyes when I realized that they were [...]

Ever taken a cruise to Alaska?  We just returned from one and I thought that you might enjoy a tiny glimpse. Right Before My Eyes Glacier Bay!  I’m actually in Glacier Bay! The ice-blue, ridged-back serpent of a glacier rested between the green snow-capped mountains at the nearest end of the bay as if it [...]

Think that there are no flies in the ointment of life on Vancouver Island?  Well here’s a recent event that might change your mind. Isn’t this Fun? They snuck in by air, arriving silently above me like a fleet of World War I zeppelins.   Aware that they were searching for a target, I urged my hand-weeding [...]

Some of you have inquired how the meet-and-greet-our-future-daughter-in-law-from-Thailand-trip I mentioned in an earlier entry turned out.  So, buckle up your seat belts and I’ll take you with me to the West Coast of Vancouver Island on that September weekend. Sa wat dee ka On the way at last! Our Matrix entered a series of hairpin [...]

Ready for a taste of West Coast Spring?  Enjoy! Spring’s Wonderful Song “I don’t believe it!” popped out of my mouth.  “What a crazy place to build a nest.” I grabbed my binoculars.  “What in the world?…It’s gone!”  Realizing that the sparrow’s nearly completed nest had likely fallen to the ground, I strode outside to search [...]

Recently crime caught up to our little community. Missing “What’s that at the end of the driveway?” I heard my husband ask as I was entering the living room.  My gaze moved to the brightening scene outside the front window and settled on the solitary dark blob on the paved road. Wrong shape for a raccoon. [...]

Ever had ‘what if” thoughts stab you in the heart? Any one, Anywhere, Any time I threw a glance up at the single star brave enough to still be shining in the dark sky above the streetlight-less road.  Thank goodness the storm isn’t here yet. The soft rays of yellow escaping through the front windows [...]

Had any wild visitors to your yard lately?  I did. Why do it? “No way!  It’s the middle of the afternoon!”  Muffled by the sliding glass doors in the kitchen, my voice drew an unconcerned glance from the bandit’s glossy black eyes.  Swaying plants pulled my gaze to the strip of thigh-high winter garden behind the [...]

Ever had a Christmas surprise that made you want to tear your hair out?  I did, one Christmas years ago. Too Much! “I bought them,” she said, her blue eyes watching me as if she had just stabbed me and was waiting to see the blood. My knees went weak.  “You should have one happy daughter this [...]

This month I’m trying out something a little different.  If you like it, maybe I’ll repeat it once in a while. Connections At last! It’s time to get to know her! Our Matrix entered a series of hairpin corners and a rich blur of golds, maroons, and greens slid by the window behind my husband’s [...]

What are we all apt to thoughtlessly and generously give away?  Been giving quite a bit of it away lately and you probably have too. We All Give It She slips silently out of the bush and I freeze.  What are you doing coming out on the road right in front of me? The doe’s timid [...]

With fall already peeking around the corner, thought you might like to come along with me on a late summer hike. Changing Seasons An almost unnatural silence hung in the still air beneath the sky of puffy silvery clouds as I donned my cotton jacket in the parking lot.  Seven years and I finally get to [...]

Had a turn-your-normal-world-upsidedown-experience lately?  Last month one hit our house and thought you might like to hear about it. No Warning I leapt from the bed and froze, my mind struggling to free itself from the shroud of sleep.  My gaze zoomed through the darkness to the illuminated numbers on my digital clock.  3am. Muscles quivering, [...]

Ever come upon something unusual at the seashore?  I did recently. Left Behind “Looks like we’re the only ones here.”  The sea had spewed a number of large logs onto the beach and my shoes sank into the sand as I walked between two. Crunching through the gravel to a patch of packed sand, I marveled, [...]

Ever been to an estate sale?  You just might get a wake-up call. For Sale “Want to check out some garage sales and an estate sale?” my husband asked, and I grinned.  Searching for new-to-me-treasures in owned-by-someone-else’s-stuff. What fun! The back of the car optimistically emptied, Allan slipped behind the wheel.  “Let’s see where the [...]

Sometimes we all need a new way of looking at disturbing things. Here’s a peek into the surprising way I received “new eyes” to see something. Frying Pan to Fire It was as if I’d been injected with a drug that had instantly paralyzed my muscles and left my mind in a mute scream.  Every ounce [...]

Ever met someone who sticks in your mind long after you’ve parted?  Happened to me recently and thought I’d share the story. Coming My Way The tiny dark-skinned woman in bulky rubber clothing began to stroll eyes-down along the grassy shoulder of the empty road, sneaking a glance at me as the gap between [...]

Is today’s financial crisis getting you down? Here’s a story about a small financial miracle that happened to me many years ago. I hope it brightens your day.

The Small White Envelope

I bent over to grab the dipper in the water bucket and pain shot through my abdomen.  “Something’s wrong. It’s too early for the baby,” I said, straightening slowly and turning to meet my husband Allan’s anxious blue eyes.  “What are we going to do?”

He glanced through the clear plastic window in the unfinished cabin.  “I have enough gas to get to the doctor’s.”

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, as if it was my fault that we’d been dealt yet another blow.

The old truck roared to life and I endured the twelve-mile bounce into town. Shortly after that we were sitting across the desk from the local doctor, waiting for the verdict.

“Infection,” the slender young brown-haired man diagnosed matter-of-factly.  His brown eyes cold, he handed me a white paper. “Take these or you could lose the baby.”

My breath caught.  Lose the baby.  Oh God, please.  Not the baby.

The doctor waved a hand as if to dismiss us.  Then his condescending gaze touched my pale face and faded smock, moved to Allan’s clean but well-worn shirt, and settled on his sad tired face.  “She has to have these.  They’ll be thirty-five dollars.  I’ll see you in two weeks.”

Stunned, we shuffled back out to the battered turquoise truck.

“I’ll go round to the neighbours again,” Allan promised, squeezing my hand gently.  “Maybe someone needs some help now.”

His words did little to comfort me.  I knew that his daily efforts to find work that paid had proven fruitless because there was just no work to be had in the valley.  A tear trickled down my right cheek.  God where are you? I believe You care.  Yet, here we are in big trouble. Eating oatmeal and pancakes and occasionally a treat of small potatoes and carrots that was on its way to the neighbour’s chickens. Living in a cabin with no services, far away from everyone who loves us. We can’t even get Social Assistance because we haven’t lived in the province long enough.  And now, we need money for pills.

Allan’s choked voice interrupted my thoughts with, “Guess we should pick up the mail before we go home.”

An almost tangible heaviness filled the cab during our silent drive to the small brown building. I watched his slouched frame walk inside before my unseeing eyes turned toward the forest across the road.  A few minutes later, the heavy truck door opened with a groan and my gaze swung to the other side of the truck again. A tiny smile tried to brighten my husband’s face as he slipped in behind the wheel. Handing the white envelope to me, he said,  “Something from your folks.”

I blinked back the tears, missing them more than before the envelope was in my hands.  I’m so glad they have no idea how I’m living and think we’re doing all right.

“Well, aren’t you going to open it?”

Realizing that he was waiting, I tore it open.  A paper immediately fluttered to the floor beside my feet.

“There was something in it,” he told me, twisting to reach down and retrieve it.

He placed the white and blue rectangle in my hands.  Staring at the paper like it was a polar bear in the desert, I murmured, “A cheque.  But my parents never send money, they don’t even know we need it.”

The neat black numbers registered then and our eyes met. “Exactly thirty-five dollars,” I said out loud, half afraid that I was daydreaming.

Allan’s head dipped and we grinned like fools.  “Read the letter,” he urged.

My eyes dropped to the familiar handwriting.  “Just sensed that God was telling us that you needed this right now,” I read.  Suddenly, my heart took flight!

Where was God? Already whispering in my parent’s ears the week before I desperately needed thirty-five dollars. And did He care that I was in those circumstances?  A small white envelope arrived that day to remind me that He did. I wonder if your financial woes are making you feel as poor and powerless today as I felt then? If they are, then perhaps it’s time that you too called out to God.  Who knows, He might just choose to send a miracle your way!

As love takes the stage again this February due to Valentine’s Day, are you glad or groaning?  Here’s a personal story that should get you thinking about it anyway.

The Silent Shout

The deep red stood out like a splash of bright paint on a tan canvas.

“Oh,” I said, in surprise, “What’s that?’

Glancing that way, my husband replied, “Just some artificial flowers.”

His tone of voice told me that he wasn’t impressed that they had floated in to mar the natural beauty of this perfect little cove in Pacific Rim National Park.  Tugging the hand that he was holding, I started in that direction.  My shoes dug into the soft sunlit sand as we walked along the high-tide-line of seaweed, shells, and lifeless crabs.  “No.  They’re real roses.”

A dozen blood-red roses lay on the pale sand, the edges of their velvety petals discoloured and curling, their dark green stems secured by a faded blue ribbon. What are they doing here? Something stirred in my memory.  “Isn’t this the beach where those Japanese tourists drown?”

My husband nodded.  “Yes.  South Beach.  A rogue wave swept them into the sea.”

We looked over at the mass of steep black rock that was jutting out into the sea behind us. “Someone must have been here remembering someone they lost,” I murmured, waves of sadness sweeping across my heart like the waves of seawater that were sweeping onto its jagged edge. One second. One huge unexpected wave. And instantly, someone was gone.

A few weeks later, I was reminded of that experience on a sunny breezy day that felt more like Fall than the end of August.  Smiling and clasping hands that afternoon, we exited the chair lift at the top of Mt. Washington.  My breath caught when I saw the birds-eye view.  It was a masterpiece only The Creator could paint: the alpine ski resort in the foreground and stunning Strathcona Park spread out behind, complete with rolling emerald hills, glassy lakes, and snow-capped cloud-touched peaks rising into a blue sky.

Soon, lured by the promise of similar vistas, we started along the dirt trail on the same side of the treed summit. A white-haired couple with friendly smiles and a landscape of steeper ridges greeted us when we reached a lookout on the northwest side. We shot a few pictures near the drop off and then, not wanting to intrude on the seniors on the bench any longer, moved on.  Helping one another, we hopped up and dropped down the rocky, uneven path as it meandered along the sheer edge.

“What’s going on?” I asked, when Allan stopped and I couldn’t see past him.  He stepped slightly to the right and I saw that a young girl with blowing golden curls was blocking the trail. Just then, the slender man behind her poured some seed into her tiny outstretched hand. A grey Canada Jay fluttered down, landed, and started to peck at it and the child’s blue eyes sparkled with delight as her rosy wee mouth rounded in awe. My heart melted and tenderness appeared on the male face behind her.  Right after that, another jay fluttered down to a branch just above my husband’s shoulder.  He raised the camera and captured it on film, and then, hoping that we wouldn’t disturb the happy scene, we crept past the birdwatchers.

Pausing to explore short less-used side paths that took us through the spindly trees to secluded viewing spots where earth met air, we gradually made our way around the rocky top.  Then suddenly, the east side of the Island, the Straight, and the distant Mainland stretched out far below us.

“Looks like it was taken from a plane,” Allan remarked. “Hey look at that wine glass.”

I pulled my eye from my camera and realized that an elegant stemmed glass was sitting on a flat rock near our feet.  My first thought was that someone had been enjoying a glass of wine with their scenery and had forgotten to take the glass home with them.  After that I noticed that the rounded glass top was full of white wine and that the glass was right beside the roped-off cliff.   “Maybe someone was remembering someone who went off here,” I murmured, picturing a partly drunk glass of wine in another hand.  Someone imagining what once was, what should still be, and what will never will be.

The roses and the wine glass still haunt my memory, even though summer is long past.  Somehow, they both seem sad reminders of the fragility of life that silently shout to all, who is in your life that you would miss this much?  And how can you show them that today?

Don’t know about where you are, but we’re having a winter of record-breaking snows, deluges, and major windstorms on Vancouver Island.   Decided to transport us all back to summer this month by sharing one of last year’s fair-weather critter encounters.  Have fun!

Splat!

The sun slung a warm coat over my back as soon as I stepped off the back deck.  Armed with my hose, I padded across the grass to the cement birdbath.  One of my wild friends, a Red Squirrel, immediately scrambled through the evergreen boughs to see what I was doing.  I greeted him with a warm smile.  Together we watched a hard jet of water knock the dirty water from the bath.  When I turned the nozzle setting on shower and started to fill the bowl again, my furry companion ran over to his low box-shaped feeder to check its contents.  You still have lots. Fed you this morning, I thought, glancing over my shoulder.  A giant yellow butterfly dipping to suck nectar from a bright pink bloom near the shallow bath caught my eye. After it floated over to a white bell-shaped flower in front of me, a muted rhythmic squeal told me that the bird feeder dangling above the squirrel feeder was swinging.  Must be a large bird. My face twisted in amusement when I saw that my mischievous pal’s auburn body was curled around the green plastic bottom and his little button nose was poked into a hole. “Hey, get down!  You know better!” I called, and he turned to look at me like a toddler who was challenging his mother’s authority.

I watched the brazen squirrel shift into a more comfortable position and grab a handful of sunflower seeds.  You little dickens, I chided silently, starting in his direction.  Arriving just as he was leisurely licking the last sunflower seed off his paw, I squelched a chuckle.  Then I forced a firm note into my voice and ordered, “Get down from there.” He sent me a look that said I was as threatening as a leaf. After he boldly sat up on his hind legs and started to stuff seeds into his cheeks, I decided, okay. I’ll fix you!

Looking up through the fine screen tray that was catching surplus seed just below my stubborn little friend, I raised the hose.  A shower of cold water hit his pale plump tummy and I watched him leap into the air like a startled frog.  Then, before I could even blink, he dropped and landed splat on my face!  I realized that I was wearing a squirrel just before he sprung onto my chest, jumped down to the grass, and raced into the cover of the evergreens.  Taken aback, my hands went to my face.

Nothing hurts.  But it feels wet. I searched my palms for signs of blood and exhaled in relief when I saw only fresh mud.  Better go inside and clean up.  A set of slightly startled blue eyes stared back at me when I peered in the mirror.  Right after that, I noticed the streak of mud that was slashing across my nose, the four long toe marks that were on my left cheek, and the three perfect squirrel tracks on my tan T-shirt.

When a small dot of blood popped out of a toe mark, I reached for the soap, a washcloth, and the bottle of disinfectant. As the mud was vanishing from my face, the chuckle that I had held in earlier escaped.  Bet that surprised you as much as me! Once only a tiny scratch remained on my cheek, my soapy cloth fell to the brown footprints on my shirt.  They seemed as determined to stay there as the squirrel at the feeder and I decided that the wash machine could deal with them on wash day.  Little did I know that given time they would work their way well into the fabric.  In spite of stain removers and repeated laundering, three faded splotches continue to stain the front of my shirt. Guess life can suddenly splat you and leave behind some pretty undesirable footprints that are hard to erase too.  Maybe when we run into others who are sporting those stains, we should be a little more understanding, eh?  After all, we too might be in for an unexpected splat that could leave us with a few of our own.