"In The Beginning........"

Speaking of the Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour....I'm sure someone was. There has to be a beginning if you believe in beginnings or maybe there doesn't. Fact is that sometimes things just are and sometimes they are because they were made that way. Such is the most times thankless task of volunteering. Some things just wouldn't be if there were no volunteers. Fire Departments, for example, rely heavily in some communities for donated time and sometimes expertise. Well organizing viewing of Film Festivals is no different especially when proceeds go to a worthy cause. The proceeds of the showing of the Reel Paddling Film Festival in St. John's Newfoundland on Saturday April 19th, 2008 at 7pm will be going towards a "Kids Paddle Day" sometime this summer. I look at youth as a beginning for a lot of things but lets face it, you are not going to be doing first descents at 65 yrs of age, well maybe,... if you are the first to exit a water slide in a pool in your kayak. At 45 I made my first descent that way. Getting of track though. My point is that youth are more likely to have the vitality sometimes called (balls) to do the things the older lot would not. Sometimes they need coaching, sometimes just plain ole inspiration and other times opportunity. Not many will be able to afford a nice shiny boat or a paddle for that matter but giving those that can't an opportunity at least for one measly day to say "hey, I tried that before", is worth every bit of non recognition you may receive from helping make it happen. To those like Ashley from The Outfitters, The Outfitters and KNL and those who sponsor them at times thank you for helping with a beginning and maybe the smiles on paddle day will be as shiny as the boats above. Oh yeah, and the smiles on John and Ashley. Thanks for the help guys!

"Back Channels"

The sometimes fun part about paddling long and wide rivers like THe Peace River of Northern BC is that there tend to be lots of "back Channels". These are seperate water areas from the main river flow and some of them can carry on for quite a few km with their own flow but more often than not they are rest areas with calmer water and some great fishing spots. Camping spots too. Here we actually saw a black bear and we were watching him from our rafted up position. It was very foggy on the river in the early evening hours and we were looking for a place to camp, so needless to say we took our pepper spray and headed on down river a bit further where we hit another back channel that actually had a camping area already established.

"Round An Old Cedar Tree"

I agree with most bloggers I guess that this medium is a sure fire way to organise and categorize ones thoughts and life for that matter. A place to get lost in, and a place to let ones thoughts old and new be recorded for anyone interested to view and read. I 've been using my blog for that as of late. Recording old trips that I occaissionally talked about to a few or transferring old images that were part of my enjoyment in the outdoors. Having a blog allows for an organized presentation not only for others but for oneself to reinforce the feelings of freedom and adventure that is always available when one takes time to enjoy them.

This picture is a trip I made to Tofino, British Columbia, before I had a digital, so it is a photo of a photo. I made this trip to Vancouver Island to storm watch on the Pacific West Coast of Canada, in the Pacific Rim National Park area. This was in December of 2000 I think when adverse winter storms are supposed to pound the west coast shores and make for spectacular sea states. The trip was beautiful but this was a winter that was more mild than most. The hikes in the old growth rain forest with old growth "humungus" cedars more than made up for the absence of treacherous weather. This tree is one of many that line the coastline of that area.

"Night Dockin"

 
A fishing boat readying to dock in St. John's Harbour.

"Succession"

This is what they are in!

Waves at Chance Cove NL, 2007.

"Cape Broyle, Newfoundland"

Cape Broyle Nautical Chart. The next few shots were taken here during summer of 2007.

"Feather Float"

A Gull Feather adrift on the flat waters of Cape Broyle this past summer. There were various things floating by on this day as well as the Jellyfish in the photo below. It was extremely hard for the camera to focus on this shot and of course the kayak and the wind kept the feather elusive.

"Water Things"

I love taking pictures above water, on ocassion it is nice to see what is going on underneath too. This was shot by a waterproof camera, sort of a hit or miss scenario, as I just saw this Jelly pass by under the boat and stuck the camera under there and took the picture. It wasn't until I got home that I realized I even had an image. This was a warm summer day and leaves me longing for dunking the hands again. Time to start hitting the pool.

"Harbour Calling, St. John's, NL"

The Lights are on but nobodys' home! As I walked along the water front in St. John's on a very snowy day, this phone booth actually looked like a welcoming shelter from the elements, with its' lights very visible through the snow giving a little warmth to an otherwise cold shot.. The dock and harbor in the background.

"Snow Down"

A Swan square dance/swim of sorts. A riverly procession.

"Berried"

Buried beneath a clump of snow the dogberries showoff their robustness during early December days. The transpiration , cohesion-tension hypothesis may be frozen here. During hike of Dec16th 2007.

"Moon Over Beatton"

A moon high above the Beatton River in Northern BC. In another time and space.

"Happy Holidays"

"Peace River"

"Tree Hanging"

As our first winter storm approaches I couldn't help remembering hanging out in my hammock in the trees on a sweet summer day. Vancouver Island well actually Salt Spring Island. Soon god soon. This is a Hennesey Hammock made on Vancouver Island actually. They have a mesh net that covers the top portion and seals it to the bottom part. There is an opening in the bottom that you crawl up into the hammock and turm your body diagonally which helps reseal the opening (seals with velcro). It is very comfortable, off the ground, free from bugs and there is a tarp that protects from a light rain. At night I put an air mattress under my sleeping bag all of which is also turned diagonally. All that is really left to do is to listen for the wind and enjoy the rhythm as you rock to sleep while savoring the sweet smells of the forest and the various hummings of breezes blowing through the branches and the leafs of your bedposts.

You can't be suspicious of a tree, or accuse a bird or a squirrel of subversion or challenge the ideology of a violet. -- Hal Borland

One of my favourite trees on the Island is the Arbutus tree. It sheds it's red bark and lays bare its' flesh which has a red kind-of pomergranite color to it. Very knarly and spectacular. Quite awesome to sleep in. More on Arbutus at: www.bceh.com/arbutus_trees.htm

"Dismantling Fall"

Unto winter we will soon be delivered and shades of yester-autumn are soon past. The mariad of colors soon douced in blankets of white and scents of decay smothered for spring.

"Fort Amherst: Dawn"

I love lighthouses and Fort Amherst is a favourite. She so majestically gaurds the harbour of St. John's, Newfoundland.

"Cabot Tower"

A vigil of years past.

"Fall In Fort Amherst"

I guess I have Fort Amherst in all seasons so here is the "Photo Icon" in fall. A photographers' easel is Fort Amherst.

"Lone Prairie"

I stopped here driving thru in 2005.

"Baddeck NS"

The Baddeck Lakes are a quite an attraction in Nova Scotia. Quaint shops and pretty good food.