Blog 88

Fall. Transitions
- photos -

There's something very satisfying about going into the bush and getting firewood. Maybe it is the hunter-gatherer in the male psyche or just the delight of the outdoors. Whatever it is, we have had some good times. Last Friday again, after school, we drove out to a spot where the standing dead timber is quite easily accessible from the road. Within two hours Wilfred Dykstra, Ian, Timon and myself had the truck loaded with good dry pine and brought it home.

I consider it a real blessing to be able to find the resources of the land for the purpose of good living. The wood off the hill sides, the produce from the garden, the fruit off the trees, it all keeps us in touch with the origin of the necessities of life. There is something beautiful about the changing of the seasons and the rhythm of preparing for the winter. No doubt, that notion is not as real in city. It certainly escaped us most of the time while we lived in Langley. Maybe that's why we are enjoying northern living so much now.

That is, of course, when the pressures of time do not squeeze out the joy. Wilma has been extremely busy with course prep for her students. I've been busy with new courses at school. Ian and Timon are involved in sports and school work. Still, we make time.

On Saturday we were in Hazelton for a good part of the day. Ian's volleyball team played in a tournament. They won all their games too! It was pretty nice.

We got the wonderful pictures from Ella's birthday earlier. Today we celebrated Timon's birthday. It was a new experience for him to celebrate away from home.

The photo gallery includes a picture of ducks on our pond. It is there just for the benefit of Mike Hollaar who predicted some six or seven years ago that we would have a duck pond. At the time that was a bit of a going joke between us, now we are actually enjoying these varied species of migrating friends.

The end of the coming week our staff will be on a 2 day retreat near Houston. Ian might end up playing a volleyball tournament in Prince George Friday and Saturday so we may find ourself in the city for those days. 

Well, there's more but it will have to wait. The photos tell the rest of the story.