Thank you Jesus for another year. There were many times I thought I’d not live another day. Thank you for this adventure of life.
Despite Covid I’ve continued to work from home virtually while attending clinic a half day a week in person, Royal Columbia and Dockside. I’ve received 2 Pfeiser Vaccines and a Moderna booster.
Madigan continues to grow and mature. Laura remains a beautiful companion though we live apart.
I hardly remember last January and February of this year because lockdown’s stopped us from doing anything but raising Madigan who was such a puppy then. My birthday passed. Because of Covid we weren’t doing anything. The great moment came when I could take my Harley Davidson Electroglide out on the road. I’d been riding the Vespa Touring on sunny days all year.
The real event was camping in the Adventurer camper in Spring at River Haven near Hedley. I had the Honda ATV and did long rides in the spring back into the mountains. Camping saved us in the lockdowns. Getting out of the city. Laura lives in the west end where people were breaking windows, causing chaos, sirens and police nightly.
Last year’s a surprising blur for me. I had a lovely 4 day camp with the F350 and Adventurer and Madigan Osprey Lake. Sunshine, blue sky, privacy, swimming each morning in the lake, lawn chair reading, dog walks and rides about on the Vespa. Fun without the drab. I went off the grid.
My daily routine talking on the phone and sitting at a computer in front of a screen. Each morning and evening and noon walking the dog. I returned to meetings after vaccinations and actually made it out to St Barnabus church communion a couple of times. The news from the world and the despicable PM Justin Trudeau was always sinister.
The fires were terrible. We got turned back at Lillouette, the town on fire. We camped in the native Hope townsite campground. During the summer the fires were so bad we coudn’t g anywhere but off the grid camping on Harrison Lake East Forest Road. Laura liked being in the camper with Madigan. I liked exploring with the ATV and even tried out the ATV cover. it worked to keep out rain but woudn’t work for hunting. I gave it away after that.
In September hunting season opened. We returned to Riverhaven. We liked the Similkameen river. A trail from there connected to the logging road system. Madigan had his introduction to grouse hunting.He’d had to learn to ride on the back of an ATV then a Harley then be gun trained and finally to face a wounded partridge. It took a moment for him to realize that this was what all the squeaky toys had been preparing him for. I hit a pot hole or boulder on Harrison East and damaged the camper.
The big event of the year was Alan and Meagan’s wedding in Quebec. We flew to Hay Bay with Madigan on his inaugural flight. He was sick and didn’t do well. He didn’t like the flight there and barely tolerated the flight back. He did like meeting his cousins, Eva and Pepper, the eastern cockapoos. My sister in law Adell calls them the Grumpy Old Ladies, Great runs in the fields and walks along the lake. It was great to spend time with my nephews Graeme, Andrew and Alan. I’ve really missed my brother Ron and being with his fanily was comforting. With all the Hay’s in kilts and the girls wedding beautiful we thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor wedding. We stayed at the Holiday inn in Kanata. We loved visitting Andrew and the brilliant and beautiful Tanya. I met my perfect new nephew, 3 month old Elliott and played with the brilliant 4 year old Finn. Dinner with Adell and family after the wedding at the Ottawa Art Gallery restaurant on the waterway was an elegant event. We had to show our Vaccination cards to attend. Another dinner with Adell and her sister was fun, lots of laughs, like Laura and her sister.
We returned home for another weekend in the camper at Riverhaven. No game. Days of riding about on the ATV and hiking about with Madigan. Nights of barbecue with Laura. Lovely location. Unloading at the Frazerway RV the bottom literally fell out of the camper occasioning more repairs. The camper is still there in the shop. A sorrowful day.
The other big event was attending the Vancouver Symphony. I’d missed the symphony of all things, not ballet, not theatre, not concerts, but the symphony, during lockdowns. I was there for the opening in person gala at the Orpheum. The music was heaven. It was something to be out with others as a large group with covid still on. I’d last been at an event before Covid, Carolyn’s play at the Firehouse theatre where the attendance was halved and people had to sit apart. Laura had some man coughing on her behihd us. It was the last time we could go out before Covid. The lockdowns came into full force two days later
Madigan and I do the river walk most days. Laura comes over on the weekend in her Smart Car. I go to the mall to get the mail twice a week. I go out to the clinics. I’ve bought too many things on Amazon. I’ve read a library of kindle and binge watched several series on Netflix. Laura and I enjoyed Queen Elizabeth and are now watching Victoria but we’re also watching Tombstone and did the season of Kidman’s Nine Strangers. I’ve watched every detective movie , sci fi and western. I barbecue dinner and watch netflix sharing steak, chicken or pork with Madigan.
I went out to the Art Gallery once or twice.
The fall floods which cut off Vancouver from the rest of Canada destroyed our favourite towns, Princeton and Meritt and caused such despair in Abbotsford. It was a tough year for so many making it hard to be anything but grateful by comparison.
Laura and I are here now at Harrison Hot Springs.
My back has hurt most of the year, improved with a new chair and a few visits to the chiropractor. The hot tub in the complex where I’d go a couple of times a week with swimming has been limitted so I suspect that’s contributing. It’s obviously psychosomatic. I’ve taken to eating ibuprofen fairly regularly. I’m sure most of it is carrying the increased girth. The hotsprings is a joy.
The year is ending. It’s has a survival flavour. I’ve enjoyed Joni Mitchell’s River song more than traditiohal Christmas carols. I’ve known so many my age and younger who I worked with or went to school with who have retired. I’ve been the longest working in my family. I’ve literally continued to work to pay the mortgage. I’d hoped to travel for 3 months, never wanting to quit unless the beaurocratic harrassment became too much. I love medicine but the parasitology of it by governmnt and law is irksome. I think most of my colleagues who retired did so because of the incompetence of administration or the increase of ageism and attack on the profession. It’s all communism, aparatchiks and political correctness. Morbidity and mortality and quality of care, all the concerns of my career are passed by. It’s now consumer corporate models. I’m accepting aging I just don’t know if there’s a place for me. With Covid I’ve not been able to travel. The dream is riding about with the camper and dog and the girl. In dreams I’m dressed in a shirt and shorts or a shirt and skirt I’m just to tired of clothes and parkas and suits.
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I find myself missing the time before medicine, theatre, dance, costumes, make up and play. The world is at the brink of war. After Trump lost the election the censorship went balistic with freedom of speech all but gone. Biden seems tragic and with the terrible Con Artist loser Trudeau it’s all been depressingly pathetic. Politics is said to be choosing the least bad alternative but all of them seem bottom of barrel, Communist China is bullying and the Wuhan Virus Leak might well be the first biological shot across the bow. Disinformation and missinformation and the evil stupid lying unethical PM Trudeau has made anything in the news suspect. We had all the wars in the cities allowed by Democrat governors, anti police, Trudeau marching in BLM political rallies wearing a cloth mask, while Christophobia reigned , 26 churches burned to the ground and aetheist government attacks on Christians congregating. Hypocrisy reigned and there was one law for the peasants , us. and the other law for the jet setting law breaking holier than thou leadership. the likes of Trudeau. Meanwhile we were all expected to believe that Epstein suicided in jail. Fortunately locally we had a respectable three some Horgan, Dix and Henry who we might disagree with at times but who themselves followed their own laws like good leaders do. I was really thankful for their example. I even voted and supported the NDP for the first time.
A silly Liberal election cost alot of mony and didn’t change a thing, unfortunately. I had false hope that the traitor Trudeau would be turfed O Toole was luke warm at best. We live now in the skethy aftermath. Inflation causes prices to skyrocket. Zuckerberg has FB sanctioning anyone conservative or anti Trudeau. Politically Canada sucks but it really does look hopeful because Canadians can’t really be so stupid despite the massive scab voters and buying of media. Too many people here have escaped dictatorship to welcome tyranny.
I just remembered that with Covid and lockdowns and so many river walks with Madigan I bought the Nikon Coolpix P1000 and enjoyed taking pictures again. I wanted something to take bird pictures with, I have been enchanted by the king fisher I encounter often. I discussed cameras with my photographer nephew Graeme who does astrophotography. It’s been fun. We’ve also enjoyed Kevin’s photography with Anna and the god kids. Joanne has taken the best flower pictures. Facebooks has been a place to follow others pursuits at a distance.
It seems a bare year. Minimalist. Depressed really. I’ve found myself emotionally raw listening to the daily despair which has followed what seems an attack by Communist China with our PM Trudeau inviting the Communist Military to Canada. I’m confused and feel I’m spouting platitudes because it’s all so far above my pay grade. I’ve attended Western Doctors web groups and UBC webinars but no one knows more than me and all seem as confused but muddling along. I’m glad to be among these people I most admire. I just wish the administration and leadership were respectable.
26 churches burnt to the ground and nothing done about it. If a mosque was burnt to the ground Trudeau might have declared martial law. All divide and conquer and fringe politics. What’s become of my home. Where will I be safe. No one knows what tomorrow will bring. Even the APA says that Depression has risen 3x. With the prevalence of depression running at 30% that means 90% of the people are probably depressed all escept for the ‘elite’ , the Trudeaus’ and the UN dictatorship. The premiers all seem to be struggling and those in governnent I know are hard pressed. So many people are off work. Inflation and economic insecurity face everyone and we can’t trust the news so feel in the dark. It’s a Shroedinger POV.
That’s how the old year is ending.
I’m hopeful for the new. I really am. I’m feeling like this time off I’m recouping My psychosomatic back pain is letting up. I’m resting. Laura is past her scarey week of Covid, She made it out of quarantine to be with me, We’re hoping to travel to Scotland in the spring. I want to visit the home of my grandfather. That was the other thing I missed at the height of the lockdowns. I felt badly I’d never visited Aberdeen. Now i’ll be doing that. Madigan is maturing. I’ll miss the crazy demanding puppy phase but am already enjoying the companion dog becoming therapy dog. He’s been great physio. After Gilbert died I feared without a dog I’d never get off the couch. Madigan’s kept me active, the godsend fellow. Laura is lovely, I know so many admirable people, people I admire, colleagues,friends , family. I have faith in the future because of these stirling characters.
I’ve grieved the deaths of Mom, Dad, my brother, Bernie, Hank, Scotty, George,John,Vivian and now, so recently, Dick. I’m at an age when so many I needed have died. There are new terms for the grieving, existential grief and existential loneliness.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me is something I say alot now.
I pray daily, hourly, by the mihute. Jesus said , Do not be afraid. Anxiety is a measure of your distance from God and equally a measure of your humanity. Worrying is wicked.
“Are we wicked yet Billy” is a line I remember well from a bad blow off Port Hardy with water washing over the bow and the cockpit drain plugged. I’ve missed sailing.
I miss a friend who demented early. I miss other friends whose minds have not done well with aging.
I’ve been thankful for the dogs, Emory, Mylo, Hank, Kimmie, Bella, and Luka. I know the friends of Madigan’s owners and love the walks and talks we have.
The New Year will be a good year. God is good all of the time. Hallelujah.
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