Acrid smoke filled the morning skies in the Okanagan Valley. Smoke so thick I could taste it when I opened the door. I had hoped that we had avoided a summer of smoky skies. Unfortunately wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington rage out of control. Fires so intense they could be seen from space. Smoke so overwhelming it covered much of the western part of North America. I looked out the window and searched for the sun. A yellow disc Read more
I held his hand and searched his eyes. I knew he was still there, fighting. Fading… A brilliant light, a life well-lived no longer strong enough to continue. My best of friends, my brother has lost his battle. It was only a matter of time before the light in his eyes went out for the last time. I take small solace in the fact I got to say goodbye. Was I wrong to plead for him to fight on? Did Read more
September 11 is a date that lives on in many people’s minds and hearts. For me, the date is etched in my soul as my father’s birthday. For much of the world, it is the day the World Trade Center fell crashing to the earth. It is a day full of reflection and sadness for me but also filled with gratitude. I am grateful that I had the fortune of being raised in a giving and loving home. It wasn’t Read more
The moonlight gleamed upon the waters of Okanagan Lake. We held hands and wandered the peaceful shoreline in the town of Peachland. We connected in the silence of the evening as darkness enveloped the aquatic mirror in front of us. It was a moment of beauty, peace, and serenity that we clung to in the chaos of our recent days. Krista and I stared into the distance, breathing in the clear air and the calming presence of the lake and Read more
Like slits in a pastel canvas, his eyes peaked up at me. With a flash, a revelation, they opened and I saw the soul of my brother once more. My friend was in there, I knew he was in there. It was a wash of relief upon me when I saw his eyes open. He looked at me with a startled expression, one that said: ‘What the fuck are you doing here?’ Then I saw a look of relief, of Read more
Another Sunday on the books, September long weekend, and time is ticking away. My brother from another mother has time ticking away on him. Grasping at shadows and light he is lost. I want to find him, to help him come back to us. Delirium is what they have said it is. Held down by his mind and his body, I want to bring him back to the real world. A journey that is his and I don’t know the Read more
Summer is going out with one last blast of amazing weather. The summer of 2020 will be remembered in many ways. One way is that the weather was great and the fires were minimal. The other way of course is the pandemic that changed our world. I prefer the first reason. Unfortunately, the covid19 pandemic will leave a permanent mark on our world, for 2020 and beyond. The saying is that we are all in the same storm, not the Read more
I am blessed. I keep telling myself how truly lucky I am. I have a great wife, an amazing kid, and awesome friends. Why do I feel stressed and anxious? Why do I worry so much? It’s like I have been walking in a haze lately. Serendipity is down and it still needs repair. They told me it could be the master computer. Why does that sound so scary? Probably because in the world of boat repairs it is scary. Read more
The call came around three o’clock, they said they had good news. Martin Marine had our part for the boat. Serendipity was getting fixed. If everything went right we would have it back by ten the next morning. I excitedly began to mentally prepare for the return of Luxury Lake Tour’s fibretoon boat. Logistics floated in my head. I would need to get the rental pontoon off the slip. I would need to be able to go to Kelowna, pick Read more
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 Read more