December 17 - Christmas

Because of the pandemic, I have heard some people say that this year Christmas should be cancelled. Personally, I think that is not possible. For centuries, Christians around the world have celebrated Christmas as the birth of Jesus, the Christ Child. Because I am part of that faith community, cancelling Christmas is not part of my thinking. Of course, in 2020 we may need to make a few adjustments to our traditions and in the way we choose to celebrate.

For us, there are two major components of our Christmas celebrations. We like to participate in a church worship service and we like to be with family. This year we have needed to adjust to changes with both of these.

Actually, the church service component has been the easier change. Although our church has mostly been open for services with limited capacity, since the beginning of the pandemic, Lyle and I have chosen to participate in online worship only. Initially, this felt a little strange, but over the months our attitude has shifted. It has been very nice to sleep in on Sunday, grab a coffee and turn on the computer for the beginning of the worship service. We are fortunate in that Patrick, our minister, has a good on line presence and his wife, Penelope, is fantastic at managing the technology aspects. Various parishioners participate in the service and afterwards we all join in a zoom chat over coffee in our separate living rooms. This year, although we will miss the physical contact hugs from fellow believers, I think that the transition to an on line service will be manageable.

The more difficult adjustment will be being alone in our house over the Christmas season. We have known for several months that our Winnipeg family would not be travelling this year, and now that Alberta has finally taken a stand, our Calgary family will also be staying at home. We will miss seeing and hugging our children and grandchildren but Lyle and I totally understand their adherence to health and safety precautions. It will be a different year for many people.

As we depart from usual traditions, our families have made some preparations to fill the gaps. For the past few weeks, we have joined together for zoom visits. Each visit has had a Christmas theme. We take it in turns to read Christmas stories to each other. In our house, needs be that Lyle is the reader and I am the page turner but it all works out. For Christmas Eve, we will zoom over our traditional meal – not sure how that will go both with timing and with conversation with our mouths full of good food! Then on Christmas Day there will be another call as the little ones show us their presents from Santa. Our church service is also set for Christmas morning using zoom. We are just hoping that the system doesn’t crash with so many other folk also connecting this way.

So, that is our plan. I do hope that you are able to celebrate Christmas in some way. Certainly our celebrations won’t be the traditional ways of the past and my thoughts and prayers go out to so many who will be seeing the season through eyes of grief, sadness and loneliness. Hopefully, with the promise of Christmas and also a vaccine on the horizon, 2021 will be a better year for us all.

The picture with this post is of the Christmas tree in our living room. The tree is nearly thirty-years-old and many of the ornaments are older than that. Putting up our tree is another of our Christmas traditions.

 

Sue and Lyle's Christmas tree

 

December 7 - New Zealand, South Island

I am still plodding along the trail between the Alps near Mt. Cook towards Christchurch and still happily remembering our New Zealand holidays. On my virtual walk I have now completed 105 miles and am more than halfway on my virtual route.

Today, I want to share some of my memories of the south island. They are a bit higgledy-piggledy all over the map because that is the way our itinerary took us. I do know that if we ever had the opportunity to return to New Zealand, we would make travelling around the south island a priority. The scenery was spectacular.

I didn’t tell you yet about Moeraki. Moeraki is about a half hour drive south of Oamaru. The beach is known for the huge boulders that are visible on the sand at low tide. The boulders are spherical in shape and for all the world look like giant marbles. The rocky balls were at least half as tall as we were. It was quite the sight.

Like most tourists with a land itinerary, we made our way to Queenstown, Te Anau, and Milford sound. Queenstown reminded us a little of Banff. It was a very touristy type of town and so we did the regular touristy type of things – wandered around the souvenir stores and took a boat excursion on the lake. The water was crystal clear and the captain of the boat assured us that because of the purity of the water, he never had any problems with rust or salt corrosion. As for the scenery – well, I think that I have mentioned already – it was amazing.

 We loved the lake at Te Anau and spent two nights there. We nearly didn’t drive from there to Milford sound On the morning we were due to depart, the fog was dense and we debated as to whether or not we would be able to see anything at the sound. Apparently, the fog and mist are frequent occurrences around the area. However, we took a chance and by the time we arrived, the fog cleared. The sky was blue and the sun fairly sparkled on the mountain tops.

Further north of Milford sound we came to Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The glaciers are only twenty-five miles apart and you can easily stay at one and make day trips to the other. We stayed at Franz Josef. The walks around the area were great and the views magnificent.

However, if there was ever any evidence of global warming and climate change, we found it on the two kilometre drive from the highway to the car park at Fox. Originally  the glacier would have extended right to the coast. Now the drive to the car park takes you through a valley of bare ground. There are signposts marking the retreat of the glacial ice over the decades. The receding glacier was a stark reminder of what is happening to our planet with climate change and global warming.

There are three pictures with this post. The first one is of me standing beside one of the huge boulders at Moeraki. As for the next two...well, I have no idea of exactly where they were taken. Suffice to say that we came across an idyllic pull-off somewhere on the coastal road. We were in the camper van and decided to spend the night there. The first of these pictures was taken during the afternoon and the second was of a brilliant sunset over the water of the Tasman Sea.

I hope you have enjoyed travelling with me around New Zealand. I hope too that before too long we will be able to travel again in real time. 

 

Sue with boulder at Moeraki

Overlooking the Tasman Sea

Sunset over the Tasman Sea

 

November 28 - New Zealand, North Island

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our time in New Zealand was the spectacular scenery. It seemed to be constantly changing as we journeyed from one place to the next. It would be nearly impossible to find a single descriptive word that might encompass all the changes and variations in the landscape.

When we left the harbour city of Auckland, we drove on to the absolutely beautiful botanic gardens of Hamilton. The roses were in full bloom and we spent a delightful afternoon wandering along the winding paths. 

It was then a bit of a shock when, after travelling not too many more kilometers down the highway, we came to Rotorua. The dramatic upheaval of red rocks and bare mountain outcrops was almost prehistoric.  It was easy to see that this area was prone to earthquake activity. There was a strong smell of sulphur in the air. At one point, we took a path through a public area of steaming geysers and hot bubbling mud pools. At the end of this post there is a picture of me standing on the path. The steam rising from the ground obliterates much else of the background.

In Rotorua, we stayed in a motel where the water pipes were heated with heat from this underground thermal activity.  The hot pool at the back of our motel was too hot for me to even put my foot in the water. Lyle, on the other hand, was determined to try and emerged looking as red as a cooked lobster.

Now, you might remember that I told you about the changing landscape?  When we left Rotorua, and only a few kilometers from the outskirts of town, we drove to the most amazing rain forest. It was a wonderfully cooling experience to wander the trails through the trees. We were happy that we had planned on having our picnic lunch there.

En route to Wellington we made a stop at Napier. Our friend, Joan, had lived in Napier for many years and her brother John still made his home there. What a great connection for us. John was amazingly well informed about the history of Napier and took us on a super walking tour of the city. We learned about the catastrophic earthquake of 1931, a quake that registered 7.9 on the Richter Scale and leveled most of the city. We admired the Art Deco style buildings that were erected following the disaster. I especially enjoyed strolling along the promenade by the waterfront. Our tour culminated in a delicious fish and chip meal at the local servicemen’s club.

Wellington was the next stop on our list. The city of Wellington is nestled in a natural basin by the harbour. By chance we had chosen a hotel located at the top stop of the funicular connecting the upper region of the city with the downtown core. We were really appreciative of this after we had spent a full day with Joan’s other brother, Colin. Colin took on the role of our guide as he showed off his city to us in an exhaustive and exhausting walking tour. Again, we were really fortunate to have the connection with such a knowledgeable guide.

It was on our second trip to New Zealand that we drove up the west coast of the north island. We started near Paraparauma, which was close to Colin’s home in Raumati Beach. Don’t you just love the sound of those Maori names! At this point we had our camper van and we were able to stop wherever and whenever we liked. The drive on the west coast was perhaps not as dramatic as that on the east coast but we enjoyed it just the same. The green hills were dotted with the tiny figures of white sheep. They say that in New Zealand there are more sheep than there are people. The second picture with this post was taken on this drive.

I was excited when we arrived at Waitomo, the site of some underground glowworm caves. I was also a little apprehensive. I wasn’t sure how I would manage the steps leading down to the caves and also wondered if I would even be able to see the lights of the glowworms. In the end, with my white cane in hand, Lyle and I joined the tail end of a small tour group. We had decided that if I couldn’t manage we would simply turn back on our own. We had alerted the guide to this possibility.

I think that my apprehension might have been a little unwarranted. I find that if I set my mind to something, I can usually cope. So it was that day. I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t see the pinpoint lights of the glowworms, but I do remember the acoustics of the final cave. When our guide invited any of our group to sing and test this out, I was intrigued enough to begin the refrain of  Now Is the Hour. This old war time song was popular in my school days and most of our group were soon joining in the singing. It was even better than singing in the shower.

These are just some of the spots we visited on our travels around the north island of New Zealand. If you are interested, in my next post I hope to take you travelling to NZ’s spectacular south island.   

 

Sue at geyser and mud pool at Rotorua

 

Countryside at the west coast of New Zealand

 

 

 

November 20 - New Zealand Memories

As I write this, I have already completed 50 miles of my virtual Alps to Ocean walk in New Zealand. As I go, I have been checking the NZ temperature. It is spring in the southern hemisphere right now and only a little warmer than it is here in Alberta at the beginning of winter. When Lyle and I were in New Zealand in real time it was also November. It was brisk. It might have been spring, but I remember many times needing, a jacket, gloves and I think I might have worn a headband or toque.

The temperature in New Zealand is definitely part of my New Zealand memories. There are two nights that stand out in regards to this. One was sleeping in our rented camper van on our first night after landing in Christchurch. The other was on the coast at Oamaru as we watched a colony of little blue penguins.

Ten years ago, you were permitted to camp anywhere by the roadside unless there was a sign prohibiting this. On our first night camping we were determined to take advantage of this policy. The spot we chose was in the middle of nowhere. There was no habitation in sight and the little traffic that we had encountered on the road during the afternoon evaporated altogether once the sun dipped behind the hills. It was pitch black outside and silent.

Nevertheless, before we huddled down in our sleeping bags, Lyle and I ventured outside. It was freezing cold but with no street lights to detract, we felt as close to the heavens as I think that I have ever felt. Wonder of wonders, I was able to see the stars. Perhaps this might not sound like much to you, but for me it was a small miracle. I hadn’t been able to see stars for ages, but that night in the hills and in the clear cold air, there they were. I might not have been able to see the entire spectrum, but it was enough for me to remember the sight some ten years later.

The second really, really cold night was at Oamaru on the east coast of the south island. During the day, we had wandered around the centre of the older section of town checking out the historic limestone buildings. It was warm in the sunshine and when we set off for the penguin reserve around dusk, it was hard to imagine that the night would become as cold as it did.

The penguin reserve was started in the 1990’s by some local conservationists. After the working quarry by the harbour closed down, locals noticed that the little blue penguins were beginning to come to shore on the evening tide to claim the area as a new nesting and breeding ground.  Volunteer townspeople recognized this as an opportunity not only to protect the habitat, but to open the area as a tourist attraction.

That November, as night fell, the cold set in and my teeth began to chatter. We sat quietly on wooden benches waiting for the first little blue penguins to swim to shore.  I couldn’t actually see this, but in whispers Lyle described to me what was happening. At first, one or two penguins braved the nightly excursion to the shore, but soon this was followed by tens and then hundreds of penguins coasting on the crest of the waves towards land.

When most of the penguins seemed to have found their nesting place the crowd began to disperse. However, one of the guides had noticed my white cane and suggested that we stay to the last when some of the penguins became brave enough to come closer to the trail. This is exactly what happened and lo and behold, I ended up being close enough to see a penguin. It was great and well worth sitting and standing around in the bitter cold.

We saw quite a bit of wildlife between Oamaru and Dunedin. We spent another afternoon (cold again) wandering around a sea lion reserve. We were certainly close enough to see these large animals - close enough that I was even a little nervous. On another day we happened to drive by a sheep auction. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of sheep herded into small enclosures. I have no idea of how the auctioneers were able to keep track of which sheep belonged in which pen.

When we arrived in Dunedin, I was eager to go to the albatross reserve on the eastern peninsula of the city. I have been fascinated by the idea of an albatross ever since reading The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner in high school. It was not to be. The birds were way too distant for my eyes to discern.

Although I was disappointed at the time, this story eventually had a happy ending. Last year when Lyle and I were in Glasgow, we visited a natural history museum. On display was a mounted life size albatross. It was positively huge – way bigger than I had initially imagined and not only that, I was able to get a really close up view.

There are two pictures with this post. The first is a picture of our camper van. It was nineteen feet long. To me it looked like an old ambulance vehicle and was definitely very cozy inside.

 

Sue waving from the camper

 

The second picture was taken as we drove along the valley towards the alps. It was a different drive.  We had expected to come across gradual foothills as we do when we drive from Calgary to Banff. Instead, at the edges of a more or less flat valley, individual hills and mountains seemed to pop up from the flat surface. This was so for many miles until we came upon the contrasting mountain peaks.

 

New Zealand mountains in the distance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 12 - Virtual Travel

Those of you who know me or at least have been readers of this blog will know just how much I enjoy travelling. COVID-19 has put a kibosh to this experience in real time. However, the time spent at home has provided an opportunity to relive some of our past trips and holidays. Not so long ago, I found another way to add to my trip down memory lane. I can travel virtually.

Some of this virtual travelling has happened as Lyle and I look over old photos, but in August, our friend Marguerite suggested that I might like to combine my urge to travel with a fitness program. She suggested a website that she had found quite motivating. I decided to give it a try. On September 1, I set out on a virtual walking trek along the Great Ocean Road in Australia.

There were numerous walks suggested on the particular website that I investigated. I chose the Great Ocean Road for two reasons. First, at 149 miles, it was one of the shorter walks, and I wasn’t exactly sure how long it would take me to complete even that distance. Secondly, several years ago, Lyle and I had driven the Great Ocean Road and I thought it would be a good opportunity to revisit the area.

I found the virtual experience both motivating and disappointing, but first let me explain how the site worked. There is a registration fee and a promise of a medal when the walk is completed. At the end of each day, I recorded the distance I had walked. There was a map on the site where I could see my progress. At least, Lyle could see this and explain it to me.  There was also a temperature check in the area and a global satellite picture. This latter was the part I found disappointing.

The satellite picture showed my position on the highway and a little bit of the area on each side of the road. It was as I progressed on my virtual walk that I remembered the real time driving experience. Lyle and I had taken several days to complete the distance and in that time took numerous side treks off the main highway. This was where we encountered the spectacular ocean views. It was where we saw the eroding rock formations of the Twelve Apostles and walked among the trees of the national park. These natural wonders were indeed wonderful, but to just drive along the highway without the additional excursions, there wasn’t much to see. This memory was reinforced with my virtual walk which led me only along the main highway.

The motivational part was recording my steps. Initially I had thought that it might take me three or four months to complete my walk, but I completed it in just two. I walked in our neighbourhood for a little each day and it was surprising how the miles added up.

I have been inspired by my success and have now registered with a second walk. Currently, I am walking from Mt. Cook in New Zealand to Christchurch. It is labelled the Alps to Ocean walk. My first satellite picture actually showed my location as being on a glacier and I think that I am going to find the scenery much more interesting. Several years ago, Lyle and I also drove this route so I have some idea of what to expect.

Certainly I’m not as ambitious as our friend, Marguerite. Marguerite has already completed a couple of walks and currently is chalking up the miles on her spin bike as she makes her way around the ring road in Iceland – a distance of more than 800 miles.  For the time being, I will just continue to enjoy the shorter walks. 

I’m sure that there are several web sites that offer virtual walks and travel adventures. If you are interested, the one I am using is:

www.theconqueror.events

 

 

 

November 3 - Halloween

Halloween is over for another year. It was certainly a different celebration this year but I guess that is the way things are for 2020.

Lyle and I bought our regular Halloween treats to hand out but we decided that we would wear our face masks when we answered the door. We certainly had fewer trick or treaters coming to call. Our one observation was that children and parents knocked on the door instead of pushing the button for the bell. I guess that it was just one more safety precaution.

The most exciting part of the day for us as grandparents was a zoom call with our Calgary and Winnipeg families. Both grandchildren had dressed up in costumes for the call and were a little disappointed that Lyle and I hadn’t done the same.

Our grandson was Dash from The Incredibles. There is a picture of him at the end of this post wearing his red Incredibles costume. I gather that Dash’s incredible power is that he can run really, really fast. I think that this costume suits our grandson really, really well because at nearly 4 ½ years old, he sure can run fast. 

 

Dash

Our granddaughter in Calgary chose to dress up in a unicorn costume. It was a perfect choice for the weather. I think that it is the first time in many years that children haven’t needed to wear snow suits over the top of their outfits. The second picture with this post is of our granddaughter in her white unicorn costume and holding her orange pumpkin bucket.

 

Unicorn

Hope your Halloween was a good one as well!

 

October 25 - Flu Vaccine

Have you had your flu shot yet? Lyle and I had ours last week at our local pharmacy. Things were a little different than they were last year.

I had phoned the week before to make sure that we didn’t need an appointment. We didn’t but as we went on the first possible day that the vaccine was offered, there were quite a few people waiting to take advantage of the early opportunity. The first difference was that we didn’t have to sign anything. Because of COVID, everything was verbal. This suited me just fine. I don’t like to sign things that I can’t see. Usually I like to have someone reliable with me to read any printed documents before I sign.

On Monday, we wore our face masks as we entered the drug store. This too was different from last year but this year it has become the norm. Our face coverings were of the fabric home made variety and the pharmacist was wearing a mask and a plastic full face shield.

The shot itself was easy but what surprised me was that we weren’t required to wait around to see if there was any reaction. I think that the drug store was just happy that we all cleared out as soon as possible. I have spoken with other people who had their shots in other locations. Some were required to wait and for others they were expected to leave right away.

It seems that many things are different this year and like most people, Lyle and I just do our best in trying to adjust. The most important thing right now is that we have had our flu shots. Have you?

 

October 18 - Holiday Celebrations

It is hard to think about and to plan for special celebrations in this time of COVID 19. For instance, what did you do to celebrate Thanksgiving? Some people were very creative in the way in which they chose to celebrate and still stay within the safety and health guidelines. I know of a family who had a wiener roast and picnic in the park. One of our neighbours did a zoom call timing it with the eating of their Thanksgiving turkey.  I am thankful that many people chose to forgo the usual large family gatherings in their efforts to avoid transmission of the virus.

This Thanksgiving, Lyle and I were fortunate in that we were able to celebrate with our Calgary family. Even this required some forethought and planning and we were also fortunate in that the weather cooperated with our plans. Lyle and I moved out to our motor home and camped in our driveway. The Calgary family stayed in the house. We had coffee outside in the morning sunshine and walked or drove in two separate cars to the local playground during the day.

Then late on Saturday afternoon, our wonderful son-in-law took over in the kitchen to prepare an amazing Thanksgiving meal. Lyle set out two tables on our back deck so that  our two households could eat while still maintaining our physical distance. It was definitely cool but we wore our jackets and the wind had died down. We have certainly celebrated warmer Thanksgiving weekends in the past but given our current global situation, we feel that we did very well to have this special family time – together but  apart!

Thanksgiving wasn’t only about eating turkey. Mostly it was the time we spent together and that was basically outside. There is a picture with this post. It is of our granddaughter climbing the branches of a large tree by the local walking trail. Lyle is keeping an eye on Lexi and I am sitting at a picnic bench in the background. The tree is a great favourite with the children who use the walking trail.

Lyle and I are already thinking about Christmas. Yes, I know that it is still just over two months away but this year, 2020, we need to make a plan. This is what we have come up with.

If we all stay well, and there are no further restrictions to travel, the Calgary family will come again. Obviously Lyle and I won’t be staying in our motor home in the driveway so we are planning that we can all stay in the house. To accomplish this, both families will isolate for a two week period before Christmas. This will require some organizing. All our shopping for groceries and any other items will need to be done ahead of time. There won’t be any little social get togethers with friends during the pre-Christmas season. We might think of other precautions before December but in the meantime, this gives us all something to think about and to look forward to.

 Every so often I feel sad that family visits can’t be as they used to be. When these waves of sadness come over me, I try to think ahead to the next family holiday celebration and of how I might be able to make it a memorable and happy occasion. I have always been a bit of a plan maker and if ever there was a time for optimistic forethought and planning, this is the year for it. 

 

 

October 13 - Finding the Path

There are a few days in the fall when it is almost impossible for me to find my way along the walking path. In summer, the grey walking path is defined by grassy green borders and my white cane can quite easily detect the difference between the hard surface of the asphalt and the softer surface of the dirt or grass. When the autumn leaves fall and cover everything - both path and edges, this contrast disappears.

Usually this phenomenon only lasts for a few days. The wind that has blown the leaves from the branches soon reasserts itself and for the most part, the mounds of leaves are blown away. Still, there is that short period of time when it is difficult to negotiate a safe path through the leafy covering.

Lately, as I walk down by our river walking trails I have been thinking of this and also of how we are all trying to find our way through the days of the pandemic. I know that there are protocols to follow but sometimes the borders of how we are to negotiate our  way become a little fuzzy. Lyle and I are doing our best. I have been trying to think that the way through the days of the virus is much like the leaf strewn days of autumn. It is difficult while we are searching for the path through, but soon the wind of optimism will blow again and the path will be clear once more.

There is a picture with this post. It shows the ground covered with autumn leaves. Under the covering is the path where I usually walk.

 

Sue walking on a leaf covered path

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 24 - Comparatively Speaking

This past week I was reading A Better Man by Louise Penny and I came across an interesting statement. She wrote, “It is damaging to compare the pain of one person with the pain of another.” Although the sentence was written for a character in a murder mystery, I thought of the many situations to which the sentiment could apply. One person’s hurt, loss or pain is not lessened when it is compared to the pain, loss or hurt of others.

It has now been more than thirty years ago since the sudden change in my sight, but several things from that time stand out in memory. One of these was the comment of a friend. She suggested that I shouldn’t feel too badly because my sight loss was nothing compared to that of some other people who had managed to cope very well with complete loss of sight. What was my partial vision loss compared to total blindness! While my logical mind accepted this, my friend’s comment was not in the least helpful or comforting in the time of my emotional turmoil and distress.

Then, the other week, a friend told me of her experience on becoming a widow. At the lunch following the funeral service, another widow of several years approached her. This person said that now my friend could be just like her and join the widow’s circle, and wasn’t she glad that she had had so much time with her late husband. The comment did nothing to alleviate the loss and grief that my friend was feeling at the time. It wasn’t at all helpful to compare her loss and grief with the other person’s.

While these two events are specific to the past, they can also highlight how differently many of us are reacting to the present pandemic. Certainly, we are all in this together, but how this same event affects each of us can be quite different. The isolation for some of us might be a cause for depression. Others might be viewing this as a time of reflection. Some may be alone and lonely while others are basking in more quality time with friends or family. The event is the same but one person’s response may well be quite different from that of another.

Perhaps we can all try to be more accepting. Let’s try not to dismiss the feelings and coping strategies of others. Let’s not make comparisons. Maybe we can all just try to be kind to each other.

 

September 12 - Cash or Credit?

In pre-pandemic days, I nearly always kept a small amount of cash on hand. I liked to have a few coins to pay for incidentals - coffee, lunch, or even an occasional chocolate bar. For larger items I might tap my credit card, or very infrequently (usually when Lyle is with me to check) I might try to enter the four-digit PIN number on the credit card machine. These days it seems that nobody wants to touch my actual money, and I am hesitant to reach out to grasp the credit card device.

This new world in which we all find ourselves has pluses and minuses for me. On the plus side, I am saving money. I don't go to a restaurant for lunch anywhere and I haven't been in a grocery store since March. Lyle does all our grocery shopping from a list that I make up for him. In a way this also saves money as he is less inclined to pick up those extra items that are often accumulated in a random shopping trip.

On the negative side to all this, I am wondering where my confidence will be when this pandemic is over. Will I be able to slip back into distinguishing coins and sorting bank notes? (Unless I have one of each, I already find a nickel and a quarter hard to tell apart.)

When the plexiglass barriers come down, I am hopeful that the present barriers to some do my independent living skills will also be removed. Cash or credit? For me in these uncertain times, it appears to be neither. However, I hold to a more positive and optimistic outlook. My piggy bank isn't getting any lighter!

August 27 – Gimli, Manitoba

These past months have been an interesting time for most of us. We have nearly all made changes in our regular routines and patterns of behaviour. For us, one of the changes has been with our travel and holiday plans. We did need to cancel some international travel but on the plus side we managed to see some parts of Canada that we hadn’t seen before. Gimli, Manitoba was one of those unexpected treasures.

After the initial cruel thrust of the coronavirus into our lives, Lyle and I began to sort out some priorities. The first of these was to work out just how we were to see our family while at the same time keeping everyone safe. Camping and outdoor living seemed to be the answer. 

With our Calgary family, we were able to camp in our driveway and eat meals in the backyard. It was a little different with our Winnipeg family. At first out of province visitors were discouraged and out of province campers not accepted. Finally, these restrictions were lifted and in late July we were able to travel to Manitoba for a camping adventure. This is when we spent some time in Gimli.

Our campground was actually about a 20 minutes drive north of Gimli on the shores of Lake Winnipeg. Hnausa Provincial Park was a great spot – campsites weren’t crowded together and washrooms were open. It was also an easy drive to Gimli.

Gimli has an historical beginning. I’m not sure how the Icelandic pioneers made their way to this rather remote spot or how they connected with the original inhabitants of the land. I do know that today there is still a connection with Iceland and its traditions and culture. This is very obvious on the weekend of the Icelandic Festival in August.

The downtown area is contained within a few blocks and is just off the shore of Lake Winnipeg. There is a wide boardwalk along the shore and a dock that stretches out into the lake itself. The town is a bit off the beaten track but also commercial enough to host numerous fast food outlets and even a Tim Hortons.

One of the best things for us was an amazing outdoor swimming pool. The pool was quite spectacular with water slides, a tidal circle, lane swimming and a low diving board. Gimli is really only a small town with small town population so the pool is really quite awesome. I must also add that one of the benefits of the coronavirus was that admission was reduced to 50% capacity and so the pool wasn’t at all crowded.

If you go to Gimli, you should really find your way to the very large Viking statue – or as our grandson called it, the statue of “the Big Man”. The small area is well maintained and the statue itself is impressive. There is a picture with this post with me standing in front of the huge Viking. It should give you some idea of its size –nearly three times taller than I am.

So, Gimli was great and Lyle and I enjoyed our Manitoba camping trip. However, truthfully, the best part was spending time with our Winnipeg family. We would like to repeat this special family time but I guess that we will just have to wait and see what the future holds. 

 

Sue with Gimli's Viking

 

 

 

 

 

August 16 - Bubbles

When our children were young they would sometimes play with soap bubbles. It was an innocent childhood game. We would all sit on the back step and dip a little wire ring into a soapy container. Then, holding the ring up, we would blow through it creating transparent bubbles that floated away on wafts of air. Big bubbles, little bubbles would all drift away towards the back fence.

These days it is the adults who are creating bubbles – not the haphazard bubbles of childhood games but bubbles of people. These are usually created very specifically as a small group of friends or family. The idea is that we should be limiting our contact with people who are outside of the bubble.

Lyle and I are part of three separate bubbles. One small sphere contains a group of friends with whom we indulge in outdoor coffee get togethers.  We are also in a bubble with our daughter and her family and in another bubble with our son and his family. Beyond this, we keep our social distance from other people.

I’m not sure just who is protecting who by this strange arrangement. I think that our children feel that they are protecting us, and by not associating with other people, Lyle and I in turn feel that we are protecting them.

I do feel somewhat isolated in the bubbles of relationships that we have created but at the same time, there is a feeling of intimacy. If the truth were to be told, I much prefer the childhood game of blowing out soapy bubbles in the back yard, but in this crazy uncertain time of COVID, I will have to be satisfied with this new game of bubble creation.

July 19 - Face Masks

In recent days, there has been some debate about legislating the mandatory use of face masks inside public spaces. The proponents of such legislation state that if we were all to wear face masks, this would help prevent the spread of the virus. Those opposed say that this legislation would infringe on their human rights. Others seem to waver between the two extremes. On the one hand, we would be told what to do for our own good. On the other hand, there are those who claim that they live in a free country and nobody can tell them what to do.

So, face masks – yes or no? Face masks can be hot and uncomfortable to wear. They can be inconvenient to take off and put on. It has been said that wearing a face mask can aggravate certain skin conditions.

What I really don’t like about wearing a face mask is that the mask seems to limit my field of vision. To see anything looking down, I need to move my head in that same direction. I am reminded of a young woman I met on my white cane connections walks back in 2012. This woman could only see out of one side of her eyes. It was as if a vertical line was drawn down the middle of both eyes and the left side was a complete blank. Apparently this same condition could affect the sight as if a horizontal line were to be drawn across the middle of the eyes and the field of vision would be only the top half or bottom half of sight. In a temporary way, this is what I feel like when I wear a face mask.

Those are the negatives. What about the positives? There is really only one. It is possible that wearing a face mask might help in preventing the spread of the virus.

Would I wear a face mask? Absolutely! Would I need to wait for legislation in order to put on a face mask inside public spaces? Absolutely not! Knowing that health authorities claim that if we were all to don face masks, we might help in preventing the spread of the virus - that is reason enough for me.

Our daughter had an interesting comment. Face masks really protect others from when we sneeze or breathe out air vapors. Jen wondered if attitudes might change if the face masks actually protected the wearer. Are we such a selfish society that we would need this as an encouragement? I would hope not. Let’s be smart and do all that we can to protect our friends and families.

 

 

 

July 7 - Fifty Shades of Green

Last week we drove our friend, Jo, to an appointment. She sat in the back looking out the car window. It was a beautiful day and one of the few times that Jo had been out on the road since the onset of the pandemic. As we drove along I heard her say, “Have you ever noticed just how many different shades of green there are?”

Truthfully, I had not! When we are whipping along in the car, I am lucky if I can discern a tree from a horse or a large rock. On some days and in some lights, I find it difficult to see the horizon and the difference between land and sky. Colours...well, they belong in the realm of people who have more vision than I do.

I remember at the beginning of my sight loss journey, I was trying to explain to a friend what I could and couldn’t see. My friend asked, “Well, can you see colours?”

“Oh, yes” I replied gamely. “For instance, I can see that you are wearing a green sweater.”

My answer was followed by a brief silence before my friend informed me that the sweater she was wearing was blue, not green at all.

I know now that I do have problems telling the difference between blue and green, or black and brown, or grey and...well, you get the drift! Almost all muted colours are difficult. Perhaps that is why I like primary colours. I like to wear bright vivid colours myself. I also like it when Lyle wears a brightly coloured shirt or sweater so that I have a better chance of picking him out in a crowd.

In spite of all this, I did take Jo’s comment to heart and next time I went walking, I resolved to pay more attention to what I was seeing. As I walked down the river trail, I stopped to look more closely at my surroundings. Indeed, when I looked with greater care, I could see that there was a difference in the shades of green. I could see that there was a difference in the shades of the trees and the green of the grass. I could see that the evergreens were a dark, almost black green. The grass was brighter and in some places almost a lime green, while in other places a muted mossy green. Some of the green leaves on the ground were already tinged with yellow.  I tried walking the same trail at different times of day and noticed that sunlight or shadow also made a difference to what I was seeing.

So, many shades of green – perhaps not fifty, but so many shades that it would be difficult to count them all. My favourite of all the greens was the close up view I had of the milky green of some sage bushes. I like this spot on the trail particularly because of the scent of the sage in the late spring.  

 There is a picture with this post of the milky green of the sage.

Milky green coloured sage bush