September is usually a great month for travelling and for
holiday time, and although I am not going to complain about the weather, I am
going to write a little bit about it. Of course I can’t complain when I think
about so very many people who have been affected by fire, smoke and hurricanes.
Our thoughts go out to our friends in British Columbia and Alberta whose lives
have been changed by the raging fires of this summer. Our thoughts and prayers
are also with our special friends in Florida and the Caribbean as they have
endured the devastation of the hurricanes there. So, I’m not complaining about
my own experiences with the weather – just commenting.
Lyle and I spent the first week of September in BC’s
Okanagan Valley. On every day of our stay, the smoke was thick and almost
choking. It was a bit disappointing for a holiday stay, but I found it
interesting when I listened to some of the comments about the smoke. Every day,
I listened as people commented how sad it was that they couldn’t see the
outline of the hills or the views of the valley. I wondered if they were seeing
things as I normally do all of the time.
In the second week of September we spent some time in the
mountains. The weather was fair but not as brilliant as I had hoped it would
be. My brother and his friend were here from Australia and it was their first
visit in Canada. One day we drove to Johnston Canyon. It is a beautiful spot
and although the walk up the canyon was a bit tricky with my cane, it was all worthwhile.
The path is defined and there was a railing on at least one side. However, the
ground was quite often uneven with rocks and in parts the walkway was too
narrow for Lyle and I to walk side by side. The falls at the top of the canyon
were spectacular.
As we walked, I hadn’t realized just how much I was
depending on my hearing to guide me along the track – that is, until a group of
young men came striding up the path carrying of all things, a boom box, with
the volume turned up to the boom velocity. The noise obliterated all sounds of
the rushing water from the river and I completely lost my bearings until they
were past. I still can’t comprehend why these young men would choose to carry
this noise making machine into the quiet of the forest.
Now in the third week of September we are home again.
Although I love travelling, I must admit to being glad to be back in familiar
surroundings. It is good to be back tapping away on my home computer and having
my CCT Reader on the other desk. I like the familiarity of my own kitchen with
the markings and tactile buttons on my stove and microwave. I like knowing
exactly how many steps lead to our basement without forever having to count new
and often uneven stairways.
It is raining here today but I’m not complaining about the
weather – just commenting. It is good to
be home!
