What did you do on Canada Day?

Whalen's Wanderings Column in the Kings County Record (July 6 edition)

So what did you do for Canada Day?  Was it the same thing you did last year for Canada Day?  I know I did the same thing as last year.  For me that is what Canada Day is about.  It is about family and tradition and it is about hanging out with close friends and family and sharing the celebration together.  Canada Day is about setting time aside to slow down and appreciate what we have here in Canada.

I can't recall how long ago our current tradition began.  It was likely the first year after my wife and I moved to Sussex.  Long time friends of my parents invited us over for a barbeque and pool party and since we had a young child at the time, hanging out with willing babysitters seemed like a good idea.  With my parents at that Canada Day party my wife and I could more easily relax and enjoy the pool, the food and drinks, and the conversation.

This year's Canada Day was spent like the last 4 at least.  While some people may like a change, for me it has become a great way to connect with some of those people I don't get to see regularly through out the rest of the year.  In total there are likely 5 or 6 families that have enjoyed this party regularly over the years.  The families would span three generations and most of the people in the first generation who have attended in the past, knew me as a child, and I grew up with their kids.  Now our lives are busier and I have lost touch with them and their children.  Our Canada Day tradition allows us to catch up and span that generational gap.  There is a long history between many of those who attend and to keep that history growing, this Canada Day party allows us all to continue to add to the story.  It allows a generation that had a huge impact on me to also provide that same wholesome, family oriented, positive impact on my children. 

I think that a get together like this builds a strong sense of what it means to be Canadian.  As Canadians we love our families, we love our backyards, we love being outdoors, we love our stories, we love to play, and we love to celebrate.  A couple of people love to play music, some love to swim, some like to toss washers, some like to talk, and we all love to eat.  When you bring all this together it makes for a diverse party atmosphere that slightly symbolizes the diversity that makes Canada so great.

Did anyone see where I put my towel?

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June 22, 2010 Column in the Kings County Record

Whalen's Wanderings

Playing to Build Relationships

It was my privilege recently to take a trip to Guatemala.  The trip was an amazing opportunity to broaden my horizons on a number of topics.  One such event that I took part in was what I would call court soccer, but if you do a Google search you won't find it.  The court I played on while in Guatemala was an outdoor basketball court.  In many cases, although not the one I played on, the courts are fenced or boarded in.  While there are likely many rules to the game, I was simply invited to play in a pick-up game, so rules were slack.

Despite being a pick-up game it was still fast paced and competitive, with a few obviously talented players.  I grew up playing soccer and considered my self slightly less than talented back then and I am sure as I've aged modestly since then I am likely no better.  That being said, I think I can spot a good soccer player when I see one, and the opposition team had a few more than the team I played for.  However, the team I played for was more competitive.  Oh. Maybe I should state that I played for a team of misfit Food for the Hungry Canadians (no offense guys if you read my column), while the opposition was a diverse and experienced Food for the Hungry Guatemalan team.  It was all in fun though, and boy it was fun.

Unlike our soccer here, the small court requires much more ball precision, especially when it comes to passing.  The passing lanes tend to fill up very quickly.  It plays like hockey in the sense that there are five players plus a goalie on each team, but it is gentlemen's hockey as there is no hitting.  Blocking is allowed though and with the fast pace of the game there were a few collisions.  No one got hurt though and it was all in fun.

What I really liked about the game was how controlled it was, well at least for the opposition.  Despite the competitive nature of the game and the language barrier between opposing players, there was a bond being built.  Personalities come out when one competes.  During this game each of us was sharing his or her personality with the others in a manner that will allow us to remember each other 3 or 4 years down the road when we might work together again to better a community.  The slight built, taller, and slightly cocky looking player, who backed up his personality with his quick foot work and skilled, play-making leaves an impression.  The older, stocky, slightly over weight, thinker, who quietly dominated the game with hardly seeming to move, surely will be remembered.  They might remember me for my in-ability to put the ball in the net, or maybe my persistent but clumsy defense.

Competitive sports, whether hockey or court soccer, often breeds a respect for others and during this trip I gained a great deal of respect for the resilient people of this struggling country.  Despite having to continually work simply to survive, many still find time to play and build relationships that will last a lifetime.  Their talent on the court proves it.

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Island Memories and a Great Get-a-way

Right now I sit, exhausted, watching cartoons with my son in a cottage in Prince Edward Island.  My wife worked hard to organize a family vacation and she picked a great spot to stay.  We have spent the last two days exploring what the Cavendish area of the Island has to offer a young family of four.  Now everyone is a bit tired but can't wait until tomorrow to find another beach to explore or a play area to enjoy.  It is just about time for my son's bedtime snack and I'm putting in time by putting thoughts to paper before I cut up some apple slices for him.

Now the trip is over so lets scroll ahead and look back....

The cottages my wife booked are "Swept Away Cottages" and I would recommend them to anyone.  Family friendly, great service, and an excellent distance from many of the Cavendish areas great activities such as golfing, beaches, theme parks, and evening entertainment.  With two young kids my wife and I had no problems keeping them entertained.  The cottages contained many amenities that made our trip simpler, including a dishwasher, and Heather was always available to provide some insight as to what to do next.

Of course we spent a good portion of time on the beaches and built sandcastles and splashed around.  We also went to Santa's Woods, the Cavendish Boardwalk, and the Stanley Bridge Marine Aquarium where fish were kept in live tanks for kids to see and touch.  I have to admit I was pretty impressed with the fish and stuffed bird and insect collection.  It was a naturalist's haven.

No trip to PEI is complete without a stop at the Gateway Village and our son had lots of fun creating havoc at the shops here while my wife searched for deals.  Of course my son was also very impressed with the Confederation Bridge and anyone who has ever travelled it will tell you that it truly is an engineering marvel.  With lots of sun and little wind, the 12.9km drive over the bridge flew by.  We cranked our necks in every direction trying to take in as much of the scenery as possible before entering the Gateway Village.

It was ironic that as we sat in a small diner in the Village that an old country song "Islands in the Stream" started playing.  Ironic for two reasons; first we were on an island; second because that song would likely have been playing when I was a bit older than my son and visiting PEI with my parents.  It instantly took me back to the number of family vacations I took with my parents and quickly I went through a number of childhood memories and hoped that I could help Seth and Shaylee create similar lifetime memories.  A great family trip that will start a new treasure chest of memories for me for sure.

Whalens Wanderings from Guatemala

NOTE: This column was submitted from a hotel room in Antigua, on day five of our wait to catch a plane after the erruption of the Pacaya Volcano in Guatemala.  More on this trip will be available on my trip journal blog http://www.wwguatemalamission.blogspot.com/ in upcoming days.
If you read my last column you´ll know that I was travelling to Guatemala on a Mission trip.  Believe it or not I am still here and sending this from a computer in Antigua, Guatemala at the "Casa de Los Bucaros."  Our trip has been prolonged due to the eruption of Mount Pacaya, a volcano near Guatemala City, as well as a small earth quake, and by tropical storm Agatha which caused severe flooding and mud and rock slides.  Our team was fortunate enough to be able to make it from a small community, Villa Hortencia II, to Nebaj before any of these disasters hit.  The usual five hour drive however, from Nebaj to Antigua the following day, took us almost 13 hours.   The rains from the front end of Agatha caused mudslides and rock slides, which blocked our way numerous times or simply slowed travel.  The van we were shuttled in narrowly missed a few of these.   As night fell and we thought we were almost there, a bridge to the hostel we were to stay at had been washed away and a mud slide blocked our access less than 200meters from our destination.  We therefore ended up where I sit today after a lengthy search for a modest hotel, and these people have been extremely hospitable.

Most of the damage has been done, although a sink hole occurred in Guatemala City yesterday, and now Gautemala is left to clean up after these natural disasters.  Our team has worked with "Common Hope" the hostel we were to stay at and prepared food rations for those communities heaviest hit and it was very rewarding to be able to continue to serve in this dire time of need.  We have also struggled with our own situation as we continue to wait for the airport to open so that we can return home.  I could write for hours about my first mission experience but I could never do it justice, and the mission part of my trip now seems to pale somewhat compared to our effort to get home and the countries effort to get back on its feet.    

We drove out of Antigua two days ago so that we could visit a beach on the Pacific Coast and as we did we got to view some of the devastation up close.  Rivers that had now receded, showed severe erosion and completely changed channels that were lined with garbage.  A large number of bridges were heavily damaged or roads were eroded or mud now replaced pavement.  Small homes teetered on the banks of the rivers and some had likely been washed away.   As we got nearer the coast homes were completed flooded and the families were encamped on a piece of higher ground as they waited for the river to subside enough so they could clean their homes and reclaim their meager belongings.    

For me this has been an incredibly humbling experience and it has made me appreciate what I have and where I live much more.  The efforts that many non profit groups are putting in down here is incredible and if you have ever thought about taking a Mission trip I would suggest full heartedly that you take it.  I not only was able to help a poor community but this country in a time of need.  I too also recieved a huge reward from this Mission as I now have a completely different perspective on what Third World country means and I hope that even upon returning home that I will be able to keep serving this people in one capacity or another.  That being said, I miss my family and hope to see them real soon, but until I board the plane I hope I can continue to serve a purpose here in Guatemala.

Ben Whalen
http://www.whalenswanderings.blogspot.com/
"See you in the woods or on the water."

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A short fishing story??

I've been preparing to going to Guatemala on a Mission Trip recently and the trip starts tomorrow morning.  Since I will be away from home for over a week and a half, I wanted to spend some quality time with my son.  What better way to do that than to take him fishing.  We invited his grandfather to come along and decided to head to the headwaters of a stream I know well.  Small cascades, or waterfalls, depending on whose perspective you use, dominate this small brook, and my son loved watching the water cascade over the rocks, but it was even more fun to toss sticks in and watch them go down stream as well.  We didn't make a great deal of distance fishing but we did catch 4 brook trout; 5", 7" and two 10", of which we kept one trout to take home.  Seth managed to hook a trout on his own but couldn't land it.  This resulted in numerous tellings of "the one that got away" by him when we returned home.

It was a great evening and a wonderful way to bond with him and letting him know about the purpose and length of my mission.  Now though, I haven't even left, and I can't wait to get home and take him fishing again.

 A Mission Trip Involves Two Communities

I've been on some great treks lately up and down rivers and along some small ridges and this is usually enough to inspire me to write.  This week though I want to write about something that is coming up, rather than something I have already done.  This is no small event, at least not for me.  I have been given an incredible opportunity to be part of a Mission Trip to Guatemala, and I will be leaving in two weeks time on May 20^th. 

Excited doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this trip.  For the first time in my life I have a passport and I will be flying.  I am use to driving or walking every where so this in itself will be culture shock.  That shock will likely not come close to that which I will feel when I reach my destination in north central Guatemala.  With a team from the Atlantic Community Church, I am heading to Villa Hortencia II, a small, rural, mountain, community with a population of about 700 people.

The appeal to me for this mission comes from the fact that the Church is making a long term commitment to the Village in Guatemala.  The goal is to make the community more self sustainable and that speaks loudly for the environmentalist in me.  My own journey of faith has led me down this path and I am ecstatic about the chance to experience another culture, another continent, and to further my understanding of the world we live in.

This trip would not be possible without a good team.  The team is not simply those people who are heading to Guatemala but everyone who has donated time and funds to the team to get us there.  My family has been extremely supportive.  They have never wavered despite the looming time I will spend away from home.  With a big team we will accomplish big things.  The team aspect is important on this trip as well.  The building project we will focus on is to aid in building a sports court.  This court will allow the residents of Villa Hortencia II to participate in a broader range of recreational activities and provide them with a greater sense of community and camaraderie.  

Our path will take us from Apohaqui to Bangor, Bangor to New York City, New York to Huston, and then to Guatemala City.  We then will drive a great distance to Nebaj and from there we will gear up for the drive to Villa Hortencia II.  We have some tech types who are hoping to hook us up to internet services and I hope to blog from there.  One thing for sure, it will likely inspire a few Wandering columns with a global flavor.  Keep reading…you're part of the team.

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FW: McCrea Farms Fishing Derby

The following information was sent to me from the Fundy Model Forest.  If you are looking to try fishing for the first time this could be a great opportunity, or maybe you want the prize money.  What ever your reason, get out there and have fun.

McCrea Farms Annual Fishing Derby

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Registration at 9 am

$5 for adults and $2.50 for children under 12

Lunch will be served at noon (hotdog or hamburger, drink, chips, cookies) for $5

There will be lots of prizes including heaviest fish, most fish caught, oldest/youngest fisherman, etc.

Lots of Prizes, Lots of Fun for the whole family.  Come enjoy the outdoors, food, fun and fishing....

HHW and E-Waste Days

Do you have an old computer tower you need to get rid of?  How about an old TV that just refuses to show "Hockey Night in Canada"?  Maybe you just painted your house or changed the oil in your car and need to get rid of unused paint or old oil.  What ever the case is, this Saturday for those residing in the Kings County Region Solid Waste Commission (KCRSWC) region, you can get rid of your household hazardous waste and electronic waste for free.  All you have to do is bring it to the Sussex Waste Transfer Station on McLeod Street in Sussex from 10:00am-3:00pm on Saturday May 1, 2010.

The KCRSWC has partnered with the Westmorland/Albert Solid Waste Facility to bring its residents this great service.  The staff at the transfer station will help you unload your waste materials and make sure it gets disposed of in an environmentally sound manner.

"Gotta show Grammy Dad"

Fishing season is now about a week old, hard to believe, because the weather makes it seem like it should be a month old.  I had my son out over the weekend and despite spending a great deal of time untangling his line and unhooking him from trees, we managed to catch 6 trout.  Two of them were below 7inches and the others were between 9-10inches.  The afternoon started off slow and I had a hard time keeping my son interested.  It was an overcast day and there was no action at all.  As the sun broke through the clouds though the fish came alive and we couldn't keep them off the line.

Seth became so excited he forgot the sunglasses he had found earlier, two holes back.  Back we went, to retrieve the "dinosaur glasses" he had found and lost.  He quickly found them again with his keen memory and sharp eyes.  I hope in the future he can look back and appreciate the time we spend together the way I do.  One thing I don't have to worry about is the way he loves to show his grammy the fish he caught.  "We gotta show Grammy Dad" he enthusiastically insisted.  I snickered to myself as my memory flashes back to when I was a kid.  I always had to show Mom the fish I caugth.  I know now that she doesn't appreciate the smell or the sight of the fish dripping in her kitchen, but she always acted excited and happy and that afternoon was no different.  I smiled at her that afternoon as she faked excitement for my son's catch and I hope she realizes how much we love and appreciate her for that and so much more.

I don't keep many fish over the season but I always like to keep some on my first trip just so I can savour the taste but I'll leave that for another post.  I have to take the trout home to clean them and my wife, like my mother doesn't like the smell, sight, or even the taste of trout.  She too, for the sake of Seth's enjoyment fakes excitement as he comes in screaming about finding glasses, catching trout, getting wet, and seeing Grammy and Grampy.  She looks at me as I tell her I was going to clean them in the sink and says "You're not serious. You better clean up the sink when your done."  It is a quick task for me to clean the fish and my son still has no interest in this part of fishing but he peeps in from time to check on his fish.

Later as I tuck him into bed I thank him for a great day and then we say our prayers and thank God for fish and family.

See you on the water.

Whalen's Wanderings

 Completing the Circle, Walking a Loop

Shaylee, my daughter, sits on my lap as I write this column.  I feel that is very appropriate since this edition of my wanderings is very much oriented towards family.  I consider myself very blessed to have such a great family.  I took special note of this recently on a hike that I went on.  My father, my son, and I took a short hike along the ridge in Foxhill.

Over the years my father and I have logged a great deal of time together in the wilderness and I can usually count on him for companionship when I need it.  On this day he did not disappoint me and was eager to come along with Seth and me.  Seth too was excited to go, especially since his Grampy was going.  Seth must have asked 15 times between Sussex Corner and Apohaqui "Are we there yet Daddy?"  When we pulled into the parking area at Jones Park he was out of the car before it was fully parked.

We took off, the three of us, across Highway 121 and up the hill on the east side of the Millstream River.  Many times, on my way to church, I had looked up at these hills wondering what the view was like.  Now I was about to share it with two people who have a huge influence on me and my column.  The first hill was long but gradual and as we reached the top the wind picked up and chilled us all to the point where we all pulled our hoods up.  I stopped at the top and took some pictures and Seth asked if he could use the camera.  I handed him the camera and let him take a few pictures.  It was interesting to see what he focused on.  I typically take landscape photos while he focused on the hay bale sitting nearby, or the largest log in a woodpile.  My father on the other hand would likely turn the camera towards the nearest person and snap photos.  Three generations, with similar interests but different perspectives.

The hike continued along the south side of the Foxhill Ridge and it offered many great views up and down the Kennebecasis River from Sussex to well beyond Apohaqui.  The ridge dropped quickly to the river to the south while to the north a diverse forest offered more to explore.  We stopped for our first break at a large rock, that Seth thought, made an ideal seat.  After a short break we carried on into a small ravine and across a small stream where ice was still clinging to the large rocks.  After a series of small ups and downs, we reached a rock escarpment that offered a great resting place and view, we stopped for a few more pictures and carried on.  We reached the Allaby farm and made the turn to head home.  We stopped again at the escarpment for another snack but the cold wind chased us away prematurely.

As we started down the last hill to the car, completing our loop (circle), Seth was walking between my father and me holding our hands and it was then that I realized how lucky we were to have shared this experience.  My father, when I was young, gave me the gift of the wilderness, and now I get to share it with my son completing the circle.  It was, dare I say, an emotional moment for me and as I was about to verbalize it, my father gave me that knowing look and we thanked each other.

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