Belugas whales are rare to see up close, Hal's lips, not so much, he woke up swollen from lips to chin, with no dentistry work, fights, or red tide. Days of rash, not from hash, blotchy chest from dipping in frigid waters brought some concern, but hey were on holidays and Stuff happens. Viral hives is the technical terms of swelling, bleeding from scratching the blithering out of your body and mind, thinking perhaps you have shingles from the pain yet reducing with each pill popping pleasure of Reactine. Flashbacks of Europe and the U.S. trips where a mere towel from a hotel set off flames a devil made while tearing strip of his arms, and they call this holidaying. Forget the bronzed body and wicked stories they are passé, waking to new spots to analyze is hype, hip, and on way out.
B.C. is burning up literally as each lake we pass isn't an excuse to jump in, its mandatory for survival. Temperatures are reaching peak heights of 25-35 in the interior and our hiking is now restricted to 8-2 for safety. Water has the power to crush hamstrings as my brother in law found out, bring back childhood memories at the cabin with the sun sinking into the horizon as scents of bricolles smother in the background under the grill. Mirroring the surrounding mountains, clouds and docks sparkles in the fading light as a gentle breeze brings ripples lapping onto our toes. Jumping fish snatch flies, resting for once on the water instead of the last morsel of skin that hasn't been attacked.
Reaching Smither's we nestled into the Soby clan for the evening meal of news of the bus tour, Cheechum, Craig and the kids movrd out in a school bus from Calgary. Their home situated in Telkaw adjacent to Kaaren and Larry's has brought joy and jubilation. Children, 12 and 8 have brought an eternal youthful buoyancy to their lives. Rosy cheeks speaking about their capacity, resiliency, purpose in a grounded environment. Passionate conversations of politics, spirituality, and a heap of podcasts sets hearts pumping, as Fernie beer cools down temptations to change the exact position each of are in. My heart is aching to leave Calgary, as a watch someone else walk a path my soul yearns to move in soon. Silence is only disturbed here by zipping of bees to pollen, wasps to their next prey, mosquitos to shade, wood peckers to ants higher up the tree, and the sound of our heart pounding as we detach conscious from heat taking apart nails out of wood for three hours. It feels good to contribute a tiny bit to their 45 year venture of living off the land, sans l'eau and electricity. Hal keeps whispering that he couldn't live like this he needs his comforts while my head processes how to build frames, gather firewood and water for the winter, and get on call for part time jobs in a couple of years to strive in our oasis. Calgary for now, yet my dream of living here has founded roots that exceeds the necessity plants need for water, for if we can grow grapes, hops then our passion will be rejuvenated.
Blessings from Smither's
Godspeed
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