Jer’s Continuing Adventures…

Great practice last night!

We (Hornby Island Fire Rescue) have had a shack donated to us that we’ve been running residential fire evolutions in for the last few weeks. Last night we got to run some bigger, live fire scenarios. Yes, we actually set a bunch of stuff on fire in the house, get it burning well, then go in and put it out. Super exciting, and what a great experience for the rookies! Learning what it’s actually like inside a room that’s on fire. Because we were a little short on crew I got to go in four times! My helmet got so hot that water falling on it became steam! Woot!

After all that excitement, I got up this morning and am packing the Old Brown Truck for a trip to Vancouver. Sasha and I have a demolition contract in Richmond for the next week or so. Taking camping gear (we’re staying at the site), food and bikes. Of course we have to get some urban riding in while we are there. Maybe even a trip to Seymour? Depends on how fast we’re getting the work done.

Got to run for the ferry. Yo Vancouverites, we’ll be seeing ya soon!

With the 110 km/hr winds on Friday there is a huge amount of trees down on the trails. Dean, Sasha and I got out there this afternoon with the chainsaw and loppers for a good 3.5 hours of trail clearing. Even that barely scratched the surface of the work to be done. I’ll be getting back out there tomorrow to do more of it. After the HIRPC info meeting at Sandpiper beach at noon.

Adam, Andrea and offspring are up for a few days so I’m looking forward to having them over for lunch on Tuesday. It’ll be nice to catch up with them. I haven’t seen Adam since last summer. This is certainly the sign of things to come, lots of folks I haven’t seen since last summer are up for the holiday. Elisha and Charo are up for a couple days. I’s good to see Elisha again. Maybe I’ll get to raise a glass with him soon.

Unfortunately with the power being out on Friday and Saturday the shop was closed so I didn’t get to see my regulars and help folks with their bikes. We HAVE to get a generator, maybe one for the whole Ringside? Thoughts…

Sasha and I are going to be in Richmond starting this Friday for a demolition contract. We’ll be there for about 10 days taking apart a photography studio. We’ll be coming back with a couple truck loads of good building supplies which will really help me get the studio built this fall. And I’ll get a chance to go for dinners and have visits with the beautiful people in Vancouver that I hardly get to see. Christine, Kim, Marika, Gid, Leif, Caroline…

Super strong wind today! There were at least five trees blown down on the road and 4 broken power lines. And that was just on Hornby. I hear Denman Island, Union Bay and the rest of the Comox Valley is out of power. I spent the morning with the rest of the fire department making sure no one got hit by falling trees, or zapped by downed power lines. Being out of power I’ve been at the fire hall for the warmth and Internet. Aren’t generators a wonderful thing?
Steve and Carrie were up for the weekend, but decided that no power and high winds was a cue to head back down island. See you next weekend, and hope the weather’s better!

The rain has finally stopped! It’s looking like good weather for the Bonfire/BBQ today. I have the tiger torch standing by…

It’s been an eventful couple of weeks. My dad and I got back from our drive over the mountains in good time, and intact. The roads the whole way were clear, except for a bit of rain between Merritt and Hope. It was trying to become snow for a while, but never made it. Thankfully.

On the way from Canmore we stopped in Salmon Arm and took my cousin Kirsten and hubby Chris out for lunch at this wicked brewpub called The Barley Station. If you are passing through around mealtime, you have to stop there. They do a very tasty selection of beers there; their nut brown is one of the best I’ve tasted anywhere. Kirsten, Chris and Coen are doing well. Coen is turning in to a little ripper on his run bike. I’ll be setting him up with the bikes he needs as he grows.

The biggest change in my life right now is Kim and I are no longer together. Kim is a wonderful woman, and in many ways exactly what I need. Unfortunately the long distance relationship isn’t going to work for the long term. I still consider her a friend and wish her the best. I think this will be a summer where all my attention and energy will be focused on the bike shop. Make it a really successful summer and get out of the debt cycle.

In happier news, Kaetlyn is coming out to Hornby again this summer! So excited! She will only have a month here because she has lots to do to prepare for Uni in the fall. Kaet is likely going to York University for the Theatre program.

We made it to Canmore after an easy drive yesterday afternoon.

Our last night in Lethbridge was a very enjoyable one. Michael and Janice were over and John cooked a lovely salmon. Much conversation ensued over wine and whiskey. They introduced me to a lovely Irish whiskey called Red Breast. Many were the jokes about “wanting more Red Breast” or “loving the taste of that Black Bush”! I enjoyed it so much, I went by a liquor store in the morning and picked up a bottle to bring home.

The next day we said our goodbyes and headed for the University for Gordon’s talk. Te University is one of Arthur Erikson’s best (and largest) designs. It’s an amazing place to walk around in. The talk went very well and I think people got something from it. It was a little subversive, according to the director, and I think that’s something students need to learn.

After the talk and saying goodbye to Michael and Janice, who had attended the talk, we got on the road. It was an easy drive out to Canmore, with a stop at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump. It really impressed me how the tribes had figured out how to use the landscape to feed themselves. They had built lanes on the bluff to drive herds of bison off the cliff. Smart! And the building that housed the interpretive centre is very interesting. Part monolithic, and most of it is underground, yet it works really well on many levels. The architect was Robert LeBlonde and I will do some research on him, he must have done some other interesting buildings.

Today we’ll hit Tappen and visit my cousin Kirsten, maybe to stay overnight. It depends on what time of day we get there. See you on the road!

As the sun sets over the coulees (what a cool word!) we’re about to sit down to another tasty meal in the Savill house. Back in a bit…

Urp! Just finished another tasty meal at the Savill house. Michael and Janice, another Hornby connection, came over for dinner and it’s been a great evening of good food, and good conversation. And John and Dawn are wonderful hosts. Thanks for the introduction to Red Breast Irish Whiskey, its yummy!

Yesterday was a good day of final prep for Gordon’s opening at the Trianon Gallery, a visit to the local swimming pool and a nap. In the afternoon the wandering lads called. Kurt and Lyle were in town! Dawn invited them over for a drink before we went out for dinner. Of course, after a couple drinks, we all just decided to have dinner here. Yum!

Round about 8:00 Gordon, John and I left to do the final prep at the gallery before the opening. It was a good opening, lots of folks came, and there was real interest in the works, not just the free food and cheap drinks. The crowd stayed strong late in to the night. I got bored around midnight and headed for bed. Gordon and a good crew ended up at a local pub, playing pool and talking until 4:00 am.

In the morning, I was amazed that John and Gordon were out for a good walk in the coulees for an hour before I got up. Tough old birds! It was cool to take a more casual day without anything to do at the gallery.In the afternoon John took us for a walk in the coulees under the trestle bridge, and then he drove us around to see some of the local architecture he’s built. Lethbridge has some real gems tucked away here and there!

One more day and we’re heading back over the mountains. Gordon is giving a talk at the University at noon tomorrow, and then we hit the road for home. We are planning a stopover in Salmon Arm to visit with Kirsten and Chris (Kirsten is my cousin) and a stop in Enderby to check out some of my Da’s childhood haunts.

As much fun as it’s been, I’m looking forward to getting beck to the quiet life on Hornby. Soon!

Well, here we are in Lethbridge.

It’s been an awesome day! The morning started out with going to John Savill’s house for breakfast. John is the architect who owns the gallery my Da has his show at. John is a very nice fellow, and his house is beautiful! It overlooks the river valley at the edge of Lethbridge. 270 degrees of view from the living room.

After a simple breakfast we went to the gallery, which is in this cool old brick building. The gallery/architect’s office is upstairs in what used to be a dancehall. The brick walls and hardwood floors are stunning. With big windows at one end there is lots of natural light. We unloaded and started the process of setting up the show. I’m not a curator so it was mostly my Da humming and hawing about what goes where. Once a decision was made, I leapt up with the drill gun and made it happen. It was kind of cool to see. It really echoes the design process with regards to placing elements in a space and the tensions of whitespace.

John took us out for lunch at the restaurant downstairs, very tasty! A few more hours of hanging art and we were done. Well, except for the lighting. And sweeping.

We’ve been having a fantastic evening with John and Dawn at their house. Their kids were in on the conversation, and Fred Greene came by to help with dessert. Fred has been coming to Hornby for years and riding. Imagine my surprise to recognize a regular customer from the bike shop! After a few beers, and some tasty food, some folks were discussing art, some were jamming on the acoustic guitars, and I was here writing this blog post. Ahhhh, it’s a good life!

We got here in good time today!

Leaving Osoyoos at about 0700 this morning, after a hearty (not) breakfast at Timmy’s, we had beautiful clear weather on the road. As  a matter of fact, we haven’t seen any weather the whole trip so far. Knock on wood, the return leg is just as nice. The closest we saw to snow was about 500 feet of compact snow at the top of Bonanza Pass.

Though I really wanted to have some famous Doukhobor borscht in Grand Forks, on Kim’s recommendation, there weren’t any places open that served it at 0900. So we had basic diner breakfast at Yaky Jacquie’s. She lived up to her name…

The rest of the day became a long, windy drive through quaint little mountain towns and high passes. The nicest little town we came through was Greenwood. Beautiful downtwon with historic brick buildings and you can tell the locals take real pride in the place. Definitely worth a stop next time I’m through this area.

This trip has been a bit of a stroll down memory lane for me. A few years ago I sold all my stuff, gave up the yoga studio, packed a trailer and pedaled my bike from Victoria to Nelson over about a month and a half. A lot of that ride I did through this part of BC. I had stopped in Midway, rode over the mountain into Cristina Lake, Castlegar, spun through Greenwood. All places we drove through today. Made me want to do another big ride, only this time with company. Soon…

Reaching Alberta the land became VERY flat! The big surprise was the huge amounts of wind farms we saw on the western side of Alberta. Almost from horizon to horizon, these silent giants stood, waving their arms with a terrible momentum. Kind of eerie in a way, and seeing the first one poke it’s head over the last of the hills really messed with the perceived scale. Neat!

Now for a day of setting up a show for me Da, and getting some computer work done during down time, before we head back on Tuesday.

After a lovely morning with Kim I met me Pa at noon and we got on the road.

“Get your motor runnin’
Head out on the highway
Lookin’ for adventure
And whatever comes our way!”

On the road to Lethbridge, Alberta. We were aiming to get to Princeton before stopping. When we got there it was only 1600 so we pushed on to Osoyoos before dark. After eating some decent food at the local pub we’re sitting in the motel chillaxin’.

The drive to here has been clear and sunny. The roads are clear and the car is holding up well, despite being loaded down with art. The coolest thing I’ve seen so far is a big bald eagle sitting on a branch down in a creek gully, with a crow on the snow barely 6 feet away. Neat! Earlier a huge hawk flew low over us on his way to find dinner in a farmer’s field.

Up early tomorrow. We’re planning to get to Grand Forks and eat there. Thanks, Kim, for the tip for good Doukhobor grub in that area. Looking forward to some good borscht!

My amazing daughter is 18. Holy crap! Where did the years go? Now Kaetlyn is a strong young woman on the verge of university and stepping in to an adventure of her own. Good luck, my girl! Love always.
Happy Birthday, Kaet!

In other ventures, I’m driving with my Dad to Lethbridge to help him set up a show there. A couple days driving over the mountains, set up a show, do a talk, pack up and drive home. We should be back in a couple weeks. I’m super stoked to visit some of his childhood haunts near Enderby on the return leg.