Aug 26-31

The dog days of summer are upon us – the days are getting shorter and time rushes by. Time is fleeting and precious. I have spent the last week taking each day as it came, yet the time I value, time to write has escaped my grasp. It is like trying to grab the smoke from a campfire. I know it is there, I know its effect but I can’t grab hold of it. I can’t capture time and put it in a bottle. I try to make the most of my time.

There are many things going on yet I find it tough to focus on one thing. The boat is still down, waiting for parts. We have a rental patio boat serving its purpose. Yet it’s not the same. I have had the fortune of taking people out on the lake, making the most of what is left of summer. I have taken advantage of my fortune and connected with people on the lake. Strange days pass by; I remain physically distant from people while trying to connect with them in other ways. Summer days wind down and I look forward to quiet time again. Time to focus; time to regroup.

Covid numbers are up yet the numbers that matter are staying steady, staying down. The world around us is spinning out of control. It is difficult to shut out the noise from it all. Coronavirus is bad but black lives matter and overdoses are the real epidemic. My head spins and I do my best to be in the moment, to be present for my wife, my kid, and my friends.

Disjointed is a feeling that strikes me. I know life is good, I know that things could be worse. But I feel an anxiety that I can’t identify. Is it because summer is ending? Is it my boat being broken? Or is it just a lack of sleep. It could be all of the aforementioned. A trip to Big White helped to regain a sense of balance.

We have sold our rental condo at the hill. Now it’s time to make sure it is ready for the buyers to take possession on September first. I love going to the mountain, I love big White. I don’t love the weather and how it can change. The sun shone bright, beaming down at us in the crisp clear air of the alpine. We rounded the last bends and saw the welcoming sight of our winter home.

We arrived at the village at five thousand feet, surprised to see the traffic. Cars lined the road in front of the bullet chair and there were quite a few vehicles in the village. The hill was alive with cyclists and hikers. It was unfortunate we would not have time to get on the chairlift to see the top of the hill. We were on a mission and it didn’t allow time for the recreation we so needed and craved.

We had a lot of things to do at the last minute. I was reminded of the deficiencies to deal with only a couple of days to spare. Jason and Billy from the hill were able to fit me in at the last minute. I am very grateful to have people like them in my life. People that make Big White the special community it is.

Evening came and rain crashed down on the hill as we walked to our friend’s place down the road. It was nice to connect again. We found ourselves wanting more time to connect with more people. In the mist and cool air of the mountains, we made the most of our moments.

We made the most of our time getting the place ready. Another era closed another one opening. Our condo sold, we still have one left at the hill. For the next three months, it is rented out to a young man whose home was in the Snow Ghost, the building that had its roof crash down at the start of the pandemic. Now after five months have passed it is apparent that the pandemic has not caused the world to collapse. Traffic is busy, Big White is busy. Despite all the dire warnings, for many, the world is busier than ever.

The road down from the mountain was quiet, fresh asphalt coated the drive. It is a renewal of sorts as they patch and pave the road from Highway 33 to the mountain village of Big White. Our world is in the midst of a renewal. I have found ways to thrive, while others find ways to just get by. I hope when this flux of change is over that everyone can find a way to thrive.