Cal's Journal

“Capitol under siege” the headline screamed on the TV screen. Our world was rocked again by the news that unfolded today in the US capitol. Rioters stormed the capitol building and American democracy was under fire today. I wish I was more surprised this happened, after the last six weeks of misinformation and claims of cheating, I almost expected it. Trump incited his people to attack and disrupt the certification of the election. Of the three former presidents’ still alive, Read more

I peeled my eyes slowly open. The clock lit the darkness, 6:10 it read. It was time to move, time to go to the mountain and try my injured knee on the slopes. I rolled over and crawled out of bed. There aren’t many things that get me out of bed at six in the morning. Skiing is one of them. I fired up my truck and cruised towards the morning sunrise. The icy roads were slick with an early Read more

A new year has dawned upon the surface of our world. Hope has risen and they have started distributing vaccines to health workers and the most vulnerable. The time has come for us to embrace the lessons of the last year; lessons in patience, love, and in compassion. Will this new year end with everyone coming together again? I hope it ends differently than it has begun. In many parts of the world 2021 began much like 2020 ended; in Read more

It is another day in the year of the coronaverse. The final day. Does a new year change anything? Do we magically get a gift, a reprieve, a time for renewal? Or is it simply another day in the week? A day that ends in a why. It is 20:20 on new years eve. A time as ironic as it is symbolic. Ironically the province changed the rules yesterday. Now as of 8 pm there is nowhere in the province Read more

Today was the last Monday of 2020… a year that was chocked full of Mondays. A year most of us would agree we are glad is ending. Friday is a new year, a new beginning. The year 2020 will stand throughout history as a turning point. It was a pivotal time in history like 1914, 1812, and 1066, infamous years that echo through time. 2020; the time the earth stood still and then lurched ahead in uncertainty and confusion. The Read more

The young boy crept down the stairs, each step he took filled with anticipation. He moved slowly hoping to catch a glimpse of the old man in a red suit. In recent days he kept hearing about the magical person who could somehow come down the chimney and leave presents under the tree. He looked in wonder at the Christmas tree that stood glowing in the room by the fireplace. He hoped to see the stranger and see how he Read more

Early morning sunshine glistened off the snow-covered mountains. The white peaks lay under a golden-red sky, the morning sunrise embraced the valley below. The glassy waters of Okanagan Lake mirrored the world around and reflected the glory of the dawn. I stood at the window in awe of the world, silenced by the beauty of it all. It is Christmas Eve and the world is amazing. Last night we went to drive around and look at Christmas lights. I remember Read more

Nine months ago I began my personal journey in the coronaverse. I started to put my thoughts out there and share my observations of life in a pandemic. I wasn’t sure where it would lead but I knew I needed to record these unprecedented times for future generations. Today is another Monday in what seems like nine months of Mondays and I reflect on where we have been and look towards where we are going. It is the shortest day Read more

Fresh snow coated the morning with a blanket of white that embraced the slopes of our mountain home. Anxious and excited we put on our gear and rushed out the door in time for the first chairlifts of the day. It was another day living the dream; little did I know it would end in a personal nightmare. Steep powder turns greeted me as I bounced in the fresh snow through the trees off the Powder Chair. Deep snow caressed Read more

Powder snow blew over the top of the mountain. I rode the chair and saw the fresh snow filling the trees. I floated in the light snow and bounced on the bumps like pillows on the slopes. There were remnants of ice that scraped free in some of the steeper pitches. Ullr was regaling us with his blessing. I was lucky enough to ride the fresh snow as it fell in crystalline heaps of wonder. With excited trepidation, we have Read more