I haven't been posting as often but after the recent long weekend I thought I would share some of our journey. Bernie is here visiting, along with our eldest daughter, and it is she who took the new picture of me (buying local garlic in a small town in the Okanagan as we crossed through the Columbia mountains). Very gorgeous pictures, many of which she has gifted me to share with friends. The other photo is courtesy of our friend SE, who attended the family reunion in 2005, near North Battleford, Sk. and got some great shots of the paysage.

I will post a few more photos as I reflect on the beauties of being with friends: the Bellingham board walk, the stark greys and whites of the snow-covered Coquahalla Highway across from Hope to Merrit to the OK valley, BC. We went through a lot of weather; an almost legendary windstorm swept the Coast when we were in the Vancouver area, and knocked out electricity as far away as the valley here (leading to a spate of "I couldn't print my essay because there was no power" excuses from school...) It was weird to drive through Peachland and see the sign and nothing else. One of my students reported that "even the lights at WalMart were off." I cannot view this as particularly regrettable.

Next journey: Kamloops, and more friends. Life has its moments. And tomorrow we have new friends coming for dinner, so I have baked the first cheesecake in many months. No complaints.

I hold to memory
not of sunsets or sunrises
nor moons nor orbits
nor flowers, animals, or
this natural world.

I hold to memory,
of stone and sea
of heat and moment
of journeys, destination
and you looking at me

smiling at you.