Are we really?

Wow is this a bizarre December so far. More ups and downs than a roller coaster as far as the weather goes. We have got a ton of rain yesterday and today again and the rivers have come up to flood stage for the 4th time this fall. That is a bit crazy. The only thing crazier is the state of our country's capital. What is happening in Ottawa? I am proudly Canadian, even in this time of economic hardship, but one thing I always like about our country is the leadership we demonstrated. We have never been scared of bucking the trends. Now however it seems that we are just another number in a long list of worriers.

As a people we have always been strong fighters, and I am sure that this time around will be no different. Those who have been suffering will continue to suffer through and hardly notice a difference, those who have been living high over the last while will now need to buckle down, quit bitching and put their nose back to the grind. Of course me, well I can't even tell if the economy is slow, so I have no sympathy for those who seem to be suffering. Maybe it is about time that the money makers start to appreciate the rest of us and maybe the economy would become more stable. You can only tip the scales to one side for so long before the scales break. I think that the breaking point is near, and I don't plan on standing underneath the falling debris, but as a good hardworking Canadian, I will help them put it back together after the pieces fall.

But really, are we at a time of economic crisis, or dare I say depression?

First Snow

Last night we got our first little bit of snow. I woke up this morning and the windows were frosted and the house was chilled. I didn't want to step out of my bedroom into the bathroom as that meant leaving the warmth of the carpeted floor for the cold, chilling, tile floor. The snow fall amounted to nothing really but it got the anticipation level up there. The only bad thing about it is that we can no longer put off putting the winter tires on the car. We'll have to swallow the bill and find the cash somewhere. Merry Christmas I guess :(

This time of year is great because I think people start to anticipate winter and that gets even strangers talking. People become more social I think this time of year. Christmas may have a part to play in that as well.

I hope to get out soon on a good day hike or maybe even do an overnighter somewhere. I have to admit my life has been extremely busy and my time is committed to a great number of things, few of which allow me to get outside. Thank God for my wife and son as they are my biggest reason to play lately and nothing will take their place on the priority list.

I hope you are getting out there and wandering.

Redd Eye...

I often sit at work and think...."wow I got a great job." Lately I have been on the banks of the rivers assessing future restoration sites. This work though lends itself greatly to watching those rapids and riffles looking for salmon redds. It is an awe inspiring thing to see a salmon in its natural habitat and lately I have been keeping an eye out for them. Today brought rain and I was hoping to see one but as luck would have it I am stuck in the office today finalizing some project reports and preparing a funding proposal. Still I hope tomorrow to be back along the banks of the river and looking for redds.

I think with todays weather there is no doubt that winter and snow are not that far away. I know this is true because the deer have started to gather again in my back yard at night. I can usually expect them this time of year for a couple weeks and then they dissappear, only to return in December.

Well I hope you all are enjoying your fall. My family has been having a blast. We raked the leaves the other day and man what fun it is acting like a kid. All we needed was a big pile of leaves to jump in. My son must have ran circles around that pile 50 times. We had a blast and of course got some great pics. I have noticed too on FB that everyone must choose to have their family photos done in the fall because alot of my friends have their recent pics posted. I hope they don't get redd eye....get it? LOL what can I say I'm a dork.

just rambling

I am sitting here at my job this morning stressing out about various little things. Do you ever do that? I don't particularly need stress in my life but for some reason this morning I am creating it. I am a bit hungry so maybe that is why. It is a bizarre sensation to feel one self creating un-needed stress. I do not think I am alone in this endeavor though. In fact, I bet just about everyone creates an un-needed stress in their life. We all tend to worry about money, relationships, food (did I mention I was hungry), etc. Stress, I think, is a fact of life. It is how we deal with stress that defines who we are. Today I am dealing by writing this blog. By getting my creative juices flowing, I often am able to create a sense of focus within myself. This focus allows me to get on with my job and finish the tasks at hand while not allowing my mind to wander to all those other little things, such as my stomach growling.
The other way I reduce stress is play. Now before you make any false assumptions about me, I have to state "I have a good work ethic (I think)." I make time to play. I go hiking or backpacking, I play with my son, I go fishing, or I just simply act a fool. All this keeps my stress level down. Since I have wrote about this issue once before (I think), it may not be working though??? I feel better though now that I have wrote this blog so thanks.

Volunteer Dare

Volunteers are great people! If you volunteer for anything, thanks a bunch. Through my work recently we hosted a Shoreline Clean-up Day and were honored to have numerous people show up and volunteer their morning to clean up garbage along the local rivers. These folks braved cold water temperatures, whipping willow trees, disgusting smells, and my barbequed hot dogs, just to help make the local environment a bit cleaner. That is truly amazing and to those people I say thanks yet again.

I often volunteer, and I have to say I always get something out of it. I learn a lesson, I meet a new friend, I gain respect, I feel proud of my community and myself. If you don't believe me then you should try volunteering sometime and see what I mean. I am not kidding. I challenge you to get out there and volunteer 2hours a month (which is nothing by the way). Chose an activity that you do already and teach someone else about it, pick trash up along a road you always drive, cook a meal at a soup kitchen, heck even start a soup kitchen in your area...I double dare you.

My pic for this blog is self explanatory with fall in the air.

Into the next Season

Well fishing season I am sad to say is over here. I am very dissappointed with myself this year. You would think that as someone who has a job working on the river that I would be able to get out fishing all the time. Sadly that is not the case. I was only able to get out about six times this year for a good full day of fishing. How did my life get so hectic? I am sure we have all asked ourselves this question at one time or another. It can be a depressing realization sometimes when we see how focused we are on work and the ragged pace of making a living. The worst part of it all is, it is unavoidable if we want to truly live.

I am a father of an adventurous three year old boy and in order to provide for him and my family I have to live a hectic life style that does not allow me to do some of those things I once did as a teenager or early twenty-something. Do I miss those days? Not really. My life is hectic now because I know that in the future I will be able to slow down some and enjoy it. I take pride in my family and love them all dearly and thus I choose to live this way. I have made choices that will hopefully result in a wonderful life for my son and my family now and into the future. Every now and then I need to remind myself of that so that I don't have any regrets. If I forget, my wife will remind me...if she forgets, our son reminds us.

I hope you have something that directs you to a balanced life, no matter your age, marriage status, dreams, or job. Live with no regrets because tomorrow will bring a new season.

I bet you didn't think this is what this blog was gonna be about :)

The pic for this blog is the sea caves in St. Martin's, New Brunswick. This is a great place to spend a full day exploring the ocean floor one hour and watching the waves crash at your feet the next. Talk about a quick change in the seasons. It is a truly amazing locale, with friendly people, good eating, and lots to explore.

See you all in the woods or on the water.

Well the Atlantic International Balloon Fiesta is now come and gone and I have to say I feel for all those people who drove from hundreds of miles away to see the colorful bags of hot air take flight. The must have been sorely dissappointed when they realized that the balloons can only fly in good weather. Many of the balloonists themselves must have been frustrated as they too came from great distances to grace our area with their presence. It is really to bad that we can not guarantee good weather for the weekend, if we could the area would make much more money on the fesitve tradition.

Despite having the tail end of Hurricane Hanna belt us with over 100mm of rain on Saturday night and Sunday I think the Fiesta was still a success. Town was alive with people and shops were humming with the sound of cash registers and debit machines were empty due to the high volume of requested cash. Personally I had a blast Friday and I had to work. Friday morning we saw the balloons from our backyard and my son, in his bare feet and pj's, ran around in circles in the backyard exclaiming "I can see Mr. Peanuts hat daddy!" and asking "Can we watch the balloons tonight too?"

That evening we were priviliged to have some of the balloons take off right next to our house. My son was as high as the highest balloon and unfortunately my wife had to work. She booked Saturday and Sunday though so no worries??? We had a wonderful time Friday night, my son and I and some family that we visited later that night as the balloons flew over their house.

My wife was so dissappointed when the winds kept the balloons on the ground Saturday and Sunday. She wasted a weekend from work for nothing...but we did have fun Saturday as we spent the evening with friends and family who has all already agreed to get together and who needs balloons for a party? (Get it?)

Well I hope if you came to Town this weekend you enjoyed the Balloon Fiesta despite the limited supply of Balloons.

A bit of humble pie

I grew up being very competitive and was graced with a modest amount of athletic ability which allowed me to sometimes excel at some sports activities. I played hockey, baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and golf at some stage in my life. I also was a bit of a daredevil on my old BMX bike, much to my Mother's dismay and worry. I was often late coming home for supper after wandering to far up a nearby brook in search of trout, and from time to time I just wandered to far into the hills in the evening to make it back before dark like I was supposed to. All this youthful adventure has shaped me to become what I am today, which I like to think is a upstanding, outdoor oriented, environmentally conscious citizen.

After saying all this I have to point out that this youthful adventure (and sometimes misadventure) has had its drawbacks. I still feel young when I am out there doing my thing but lately my body has been telling me that I am getting older. My bumps and bruises no longer heal in a couple of days but rather now take a couple of weeks. When I wipeout on my mountain bike now it takes me a couple of minutes to get back on as opposed to a couple of seconds. Lately this reality has really been hitting home as I have struggled to recover from a wrist I broke this winter.

Recently I went on a mtn. bike trip where after a pretty solid collision with the rocky ground I had to eat some humble pie. I broke the de-railer on the bike and hobbled back to the trail head on foot. I don't know which hurt worse my pride or my arm. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a bit arrogant (the fact that I can state that here proves it) and therefore I had been confident about making this trip despite the fact I am relatively new to the sport. When I had to cut it very short, I was only about 3-4km into a 15km wilderness trail route, my pride took a kicking. But here is the funny thing. My body takes longer to heal now but my ego is just the opposite. Does that mean maybe, I am growing up?

My Mom would likely say "It's about time." But I don't know....I think I still have a few youthful adventures left in me before I settle into the endurance sports of triathalon and marathons. This may sound funny but seriously, alot of the things I've done in the past have been more rough and tumble than Tris and Maras and I think really training for the latter keep you in better shape maybe I'll make a lifestyle change. Oh to be older and wiser :)

Enjoy the new pics I've posted in honor of this weekends Balloon Fiesta in Sussex. I hope to see you in the woods.

Waiting and Hoping

Well I was out fishing last weekend...I know you're not surprised eh? My Dad and I ventured up to the headwaters of a nearby Creek and found an amazing scene of serenity. The water was cool and clear and when you think of a babbling brook this is what most of us think of. I work in watershed restoration and this is what we want all our streams to look like. There were waterfalls and chutes, boulders and bedrock, trees and shrubs, and most of all there was fish.

The fishing was great despite the fact that they were all a bit small. The best part about fishing an area like this is that you never know where that big catch might be lurking. Everytime you cast your line to a log you wait and hope. When the bait hits the bottom of a deep pool you wait and hope. As you reel through a back eddy you wait and hope. It is this anticipation that keeps you casting and plodding down the stream.

On this day we never caught what you would call a trophy, in fact we hardly caught anything of note. We sure found a new haven though and a stream that I will likely try again sometime just so I can see what it looks like. Just like when I cast my line into the stream I wait and hope, I now wait and hope to go back.

See you in the woods.

Rewards Worth Working For

So wow...yeah...ahhh...been reeeaal busy and haven't been able to keep up on my blog the way I was hoping. Maybe I should set more realistic goals eh? Truthfully though my life has become very rewarding lately, but to get the rewards I have had to work for it. Any reward worth having is worth working for right. Just look at the Stanley Cup for instance, those guys bust ass all season long just to hold the coveted grail. The hardest hiking trails often have the best rewards too.

I have added a couple of pics that I snapped while hiking a couple of my favorite hiking trails in the Atlantic Provinces and Maine. Mt. Katahdin, in Maine, is a hike everyone should do just so you can say you did it. You will find new strenght within yourself and a new inner peace while struggling up this east coast mountain, no matter what your capabilities are. Keyhole Brook on the Cape Chignecto Trail in Nova Scotia has a evangillical sense to it as you approach it from the north side meadow. You feel smaller somehow as you sit on the cliffside bank above the waterfall and watch the waves crash through the hole. The Kenomee Canyon, also in Nova Scotia is an enjoyable overnighter with many small streams and waterfalls to see.

The last pic is of the White Lakes Wilderness area in Nova Scotia which is rocky, wind stunted, terrain that offers many lookouts and bald hills to climb and play on. I got to thank my buddy Greg for taking this pic of me looking out over the Musquodoboit River and Bayers Lake.

All of these hiking areas are challenging but all of them have amazing scenery and even an auroa about them that will speak to anyone if they are willing to listen. Even when I go over my pics I can still hear them calling to me to come back and visit. Which I will.

More pics to come and hopefully not so slowly this time.