stompin about

eating a gay

2011-11-02T16:31:00.001-07:00

excuse me sir?

2011-09-29T11:29:00.000-07:00

when i wear sleeveless shirts - i get called sir more - is it the armpit furr?

broken island group....

2011-09-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

first time in a kayak in 10 years. and it was the best thing ever. thank you t. for making it happen.

a. star

2011-07-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

she was hosting the very first book group meeting of my life. she put out a spread that made my mouth water. a spicy mango salsa, of which i ate a lot. (my kindergarten report card said " wyndi has trouble sharing".)
we were discussing "strawberry fields" a book which i found to be too convenient and simple even thou' the writing was strong and the subject interesting. a. shared that she read it like a fairytale and then all those pesky shortcomings were washed away, ha a fairytale. it was a whole new experience of what i just read. it really made me exited about discussing books. happily for me the next book meeting was to be at her house also.
we read "fried green tomatoes at the whistle stop cafe" the book has recipes and she made biscuits and gravy, fried green tomatoes and boozy lemon aid, all this goodness was ready and packed into a picnic basket with blankets at the door.
a. embodies what can only justly be called the fine art of food flirting.
she is a master. i have never met someone as easy and as fluent in the language of flavours. i have seen her woo entire groups of people with her culinary skill set.
if you happen to find yourself at her table, remember to close your eyes... it will help you slow down and taste it. promise.

dog mountain has sunsets

2011-05-26T10:20:00.004-07:00

there are no photos of chim as she was in her element, being born in january as soon as she sees snow she is running around like an idiot. snapping up the snow, throwing herself into it, bounding chest deep, covered in crystals and tongue as long as her front leg. trust me she was on the walk and loving it.

kathleen gave me a ring to ask if she could borrow the car, or borrow me and the car to take lauren up to see the city from dog mountain at sunset as it is the best place to view the city from. i was due to go to HQ for a bbq but a hike with the dog after work sounded way better. how bout both. stopped by the les-frat HQ for a quick hang out then chim and i hoofed it back to k's where i ditched the car and off we went to north van.

Starting our assent at 7:30 just as the crows are skybound for roosting.

lauren was proper excited to hike in the snow, not as much as chim but then nothing can be as excited as that. i was surprised the snowshoe trail still had packed snow on it. i thought we might be sunk, that the snow would have melted and gotten too soft. especially in the open meadows but nope it was dope.

i opened this beer on my belt buckle, and managed not to cover myself or the front of my trousers in chocolate stout. they did turn round and wonder what the hell happened to me thou', so i suppose i wasn't as suave and quick as i had hoped. it was my secret mission, in case i couldn't get the cap off. no need for an audience when you have your pants undone and are trying a most ungraceful maneuver.

the beer is tastier than k. is making it out to be with that gonna spit expression.

the cousin's. they are so much fun together. it is a total gift getting to meet k.'s family. to experience her with folks who know her so well. there is a type of play and ease that occurs with established connections, the subtle inside jokes, the shared language of teasing, the comfort of each others body and boundaries. i was lucky that i got to be witness to it.

l. took some photos of us, i was moping that i am always so short. so then i got to stand on the rock higher than k., this made me chuffed beyond reasonable response.

it was a bit hazy to really see the city but it was a lovely night.

dissent at 8:20 and home to k.'s to drink red wine on the back porch with a whinging tired black dog trying to get all the blankets by 9:30. it was an amazing evening.

Prance: on a boat

2011-05-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

the prance pre-party happen here. we had booze cardboard and gardening supplies. everything you need to turn surprised invitees into themed party goers. Prance on a Boat. ok i am covered, got that handy dandy (oh yes it is rather dandy) sailor jacket, blue jeans and a singlet and i am sorted it is the rest of the unsuspecting crew that we now have to sup' up.

kathleen wasn't able to come get ready with us but sent her unsuspecting cousin lauren over. rather brave of her to trek across town to come hang with someone she met briefly when i helped get her and her gear home from the train station a few days earlier. lauren got on dibs on my long high vis winter dog walking rain jacket - bright yellow with the matching cap from M.E.C. throw in a packet of fisherman's friends and one cardboard cut out fish attached with twine and a small bamboo pole from the garden box and wa-la.

i heard from 2 people i saw as possible roommates who were at the dance - "did you see that hot fishergirl!"

lauren got right into cardboard props, currently she is crafting a dagger for pirate meg. picture below with the yatch bitch, who is attempting rather unsuccessfully to black out a tooth with adhesive putty.

we hooked up later with kathleen and got our dance on. such a fun night. saw tons of people and got a titch sauced. which meant that i thought i was a good dancer and dance hard. felt so amazing to be playful and flirt - everyone was so sexy and smiling. saw my favorite lad, lindsey dressed up as a pouncy yuppie, loved the loafers. I miss you Lindsey!

we had several rounds of alleyway pee races as the loo line up was nasty. and plus peeing outside is way more fun. drank more bad lagers, danced, drank, danced - there was some grinding done whilst holding onto the anchor rope wrapped round the poles and a small limbo sesh before the lights came on.

i offered to walk the aussies home and we had to stop for gutter poutine at burger king. it was crappy but it was hot and cheesy so all was forgiven.

oh i can be a bit of a brat when drunk. sorry about your face wash. eep.

respite

2011-05-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

the sun burnt the mist off of lush fern covered hills exposing a solo swallow kiss it's reflection in flilts and turns. it was worth getting lost in port moody for this.

trans canada trail

2011-04-18T22:46:00.004-07:00

what to do with 2 labs and a day off work? find a new trail and strike off on an adventure that's what.

i so want to do more of the trans canada trail, i remember being so inspired by the long distance multi country trails in europe and wishing for a much more extensive system of biking trails and hiking trails back home. maybe this is one such example.

no humans went in but chimmer did. she is a water dog for sure, but it seem she has forgotten her dock diving days from this time last year when we'd walk to the trout lake farmer's market on saturdays. i think she will re-remember her skill set and teach the pup some fancy tricks.

2011-04-08T23:39:00.000-07:00

got to spend the afternoon with a man i do not see enough of. it was a complete gift to have him all to myself, something which has never happened before but i hope can happen again soon.

chim was eager to get into the water and swim, chasing sticks in the current and eyeing up the water fowl.

the cottonwoods are starting to bud, the sweet sticky scent filling the air. i was going to pick one and stick it in water, as they will stay and grow nicely but as we neared the end of the day we thought we'd be locked in so we hustled and i never got the chance. might have to head back soon and try again.

we had some awesome sightings. a den of awaking garter snakes, eagles, osprey, ducks, feasting fish, and this handsome fella. i was hoping it was the otters i saw last time but on closer inspection he is most definitely a beaver. still very cool and always a fine find.

to avoid the rush hour traffic L took me to visit steveston, which was a nifty place. lots of small stores and historical sites. it gave off a tourist vibe but as it is not full swing it was manageable. i am sure come summer that it is a whole other ball of wax.

tug tug!

2011-03-24T10:34:00.000-07:00

a lesson on being

2011-03-24T10:15:00.002-07:00

this here is a pretty cool kid, i can't even tell you how much joy i get just hearing her small sized voice asking questions and narrating the world around her. my sib ceemon and corey came down on spring break en route to a cabin on saltspring island. how is wished i didn't have to pay rent and work full time, grrrrr. they offered to take me with them, it would have meant more time experiencing eula, something that living 6+ hours away - here in vancouver - doesn't facilitate.

someone got proper fascinated with a worm. where is it going? you touch it!, is home underground dad? we all had to come over and interact with the earthworm's slow and steady according into the dirt. it reminded me of a wonder and patience i hardly breathe anymore, sometimes when i witness something like video footage of people revolting against policy and governments, or the innocent acts of my dog - just being a dog, not performed and practiced. those moments of being, i find myself in a wealth of wonder and patience to just watch it unfold without my own agenda and needs attached to it.
and when i am experiencing this, i find myself looking up, looking around, is anyone else here with me in this moment. this is the kind of living i want to share.
the best thing with little people is the answer is yes, we grown beings, we learn how be when we breathe the wonder, breathe the patience of just being.

sugru

2011-02-21T12:19:00.002-08:00

a screenshot from sugru.com

the goat is flirting with me, she knows my predilection to salvage and repair, "you ain't broke, when you can fix it". she handed me a packet called sugru* which contains '6 smart 5g sachets of sugru in (teal blue colour sticker dot)'. it is touted as a soft-touch silicone rubber that moulds and sets permanently, that is waterproof, strong, heat/cold resilient and dishwasher safe. i watched a few youtube videos of folks making repairs to eye glasses, making custom earplugs, putting handles on pot lids, and creating stands for ipods, phones, razors, etc. it seems pretty darn versatile, now i just got to figure out what i want to 'hack better'.

maybe some better feet on my external so it doesn't hum and rattle, or a flexible band of molded silicone to cover all the headphone jack, usb, power cable plug in slots on the side of my laptop or the bottom of my ipod so that it doesn't get filled with crud. yeah that's a good one.

i will post photos of any hacks i get up to with my six sachets. and by the way sachets is a sexy word. just saying.

* sugru is all lower case using helvectica sketch font for word mark banding, with the phrase HACK THINGS BETTER in pink helvectica sketch caps on a silver scientific space age looking foil packet... digressing into branding and marketing head.

sitting in silence

2011-02-02T15:42:00.001-08:00

i just did my first 10 day Vipassana* meditation course. I am still new to this as a personal experience rather than the experience of having watched my partner get up early on a daily basis and sit for an hour for the last 6 years. having witnessed her manner of self-observation and calm; and tiring greatly of my ineffective strategies of reacting and not being able to come out of distress i decided that i should try this retreat.

i still get carried away by my stress and distress but i am hoping that with continued practice of this technique that i will hone my skills to be able to be aware of when my distress is driving and pull over and switch drivers. i fear that my lack of discipline will get the better of me, but i am hopeful and determined. i think that it is going to be one of many things that i have started doing in the last year to help me live more fully and be more aware of how i am governed by my responses rather than governing them. whilst i was away my Re-evaluation Counseling (RC) fundamentals course concluded. that was a really amazing experience also, as far as getting tools and having support to deal with life. not that i am a complete wreck 24-7 but that i know that i could be more happy, more calm, more peaceful more often and that seems like a damn fine thing to strive for.

* Vipassana means 'to see things as they really are', it achieves this by focusing on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly** by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body. it is this observation-based, self-exploratory journey that is characterized by increased awareness, non-delusion, self-control and peace.

** the core of this technique is to be in the reality of the moment, not in the past or in the future and to be attentive and aware of what is happening without reacting to it. as it will change, as all things change - equanimity with impermanence.

mice are nice

2011-02-01T17:19:00.000-08:00

i have a real dislike of mouse shit, as in it makes me angry and very exhausted whenever i see it. why is that. having mice in my home brings up all sorts of distress around being dirty, being infested, having to wash everything before you use it, of sleepless nights, of shame.

we have mice. we've set traps and caught a few but still there is new shit on the counters. my folks were here around new years and decided to take the piss out of me.

lis named it Dallie after Dave and Alle, it sat on our stove top for weeks. the first few times i'd see it my whole body would react. tense, disgust, anger. and then it moved to amusement and acceptance. isn't contradiction of distress great.

Polar Bear Dip

2011-01-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

they all look so warm and willing... dyl, @, daddo, and trev all stripped down and gamely headed for the water's edge at English Bay.

someone stepped between me and my subject just as they left the sand for the water, i managed to get a few shots off still. trev's facial expressions are fantastic.

i was surprised at how calmly they all strolled out. i would have been gunning it to get back to the towels. maybe it was the first sign of shock how casual they were.

dog mt.

2010-12-29T21:55:00.000-08:00

Solstice

2010-12-21T22:25:00.001-08:00

it was solstice, and the Secret Lantern Society had some fun things going on. we jumped on the #19 bus and then walked to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens in Chinatown. it was my first time in the gardens, in fact i didn't even know they existed until then. what a fantastic space, water and trees and such pretty lights floating in the ponds, hung from trees and hidden in the bamboo.

this was my absolute favorite lantern, it plugged in which made me want to build light sculptures and places with small solar panels to activate them late at night. a couple of coats of varnish for weather proofing would be required of course. still it might be a project for some summer days, chicken wire and pliers, tissue paper and carpenters glue...

A treasure map in parts ( part 16)

2010-12-12T22:17:00.000-08:00

made of plywood and sewer pipes, so odd that i never noticed it before.

A treasure map in parts ( part 15)

2010-12-09T22:04:00.001-08:00

two dogs and a bright day

2010-11-11T10:23:00.000-08:00

we had company this trip out, K was free and keen for a beach walk. it was awesome to get to spend more time with the extended housemates (we live in different flats). the dogs had many romps and are still damp and stinky this morning. just in time to go to pacific spirit park for the ocean version. perhaps without the sun as it is overcast today.

and one artistic photo...

Hymn #101

2010-11-02T10:13:00.001-07:00

And I've come to know the wish list of my father
I've come to know the shipwrecks where he wished
I've come to wish aloud
Among the over-dressed crowd
Come to witness now the sinking of the ship
Throwing pennies from the sea top next to it

And I've come to roam the forest past the village
With a dozen lazy horses in my cart
I've come here to get high
To do more than just get by
I've come to test the timbre of my heart
Oh, I've come to test the timbre of my heart

And I've come to be untroubled in my seeking
And I've come to see that nothing is for naught
I've come to reach out blind
To reach forward and behind
For the more I seek the more I'm sought
Yeah, the more I seek the more I'm sought

And I've come to meet the sheriff and his posse
To offer him the broadside of my jaw
I've come here to get broke
Then maybe bum a smoke
We'll go drinking two towns over after all
Oh, we'll go drinking two towns over after all

And I've come to meet the legendary takers
I've only come to ask them for a lot
Oh they say I come with less
Than I should rightfully possess
I say the more I buy the more I'm bought

And the more I'm bought the less I cost

And I've come to take their servants and their surplus
And I've come to take their raincoats and their speed
I've come to get my fill
To ransack and spill
I've come to take the harvest for the seed
I've come to take the harvest for the seed

And I've come to know the manger that you sleep in
I've come to be the stranger that you keep
I've come from down the road
And my footsteps never slowed
Before we met, I knew we'd meet
Before we met, I knew we'd meet

And I've come here to ignore your cries and heartaches
I've come to closely listen to you sing
I've come here to insist
That I leave here with a kiss
I've come to say exactly what I mean
and I mean so many things

And you've come to know me stubborn as a butcher
And you've come to know me thankless as a guest
But will you recognize my face
When gods awful grace
Strips me of my jacket and my vest
And reveals all the treasure in my chest

by Joe Pug

halloween carving

2010-10-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

the darkening days

2010-10-24T23:28:00.001-07:00

i have been thinking for some time on the mind marriage of darkness and masculinity, how much more likely i am to be he'd when i have a tan and how everyone assumes that chimney is a male dog given that she is big and black.
i know i get a bit reckless with exposing myself to the full days of summer, i breathe it all in so i can slowly exhale that warm bright air - there is nothing so affirming as seeing your breath crystallize and dance. and as these days grow shorter and my tawny skin shifts back to shades of far less splendor i know that the sirs and mans will dissipate as surely as a sigh in january.

to be continued

2010-10-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

"i want to do right but not right now"

sketchy

2010-09-26T21:19:00.002-07:00

2010-09-21T22:05:00.000-07:00

new brighton beach

2010-09-20T22:03:00.000-07:00

the garden in september

2010-09-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

september has rolled around and it was a hot summer after a wet wet start, so most everything bolted. blah. but i am going to start a new patch of kale and chard, and haul out the cabbage and plunk in some garlic bulbs for next years harvest.

i have had great success with the tomatos, even a few volunteers. the squash also are kicking ass and the kale, well the kale is king of the garden. even if the grape is the biggest mother-in-law of a plant out there. spreading her vines everywhere and only giving me two puny sour bunches of grapes. rude.

One Day

2010-09-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

i really found this to be an amazing post, Marie and i are old friends from high school, i haven't managed to connect with her on my trips up to the interior but we keep trying. this is from her blog:

Marie's CCSVI Journey: A really good day in the world of Marie......: "Marie here. It is 6pm on Thursday Aug 19, 2010. I am laying on my bed in my beautifully decorated bedroom with the most amazing air conditio..."

good YA

2010-09-05T21:38:00.001-07:00

YA being Young Adult, as in the stuff I devour.

Suzanne Collins - The Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay Trilogy
Justina Robson - Quantum Gravity Series
D.M. Cornish - Monster Blood Tattoo and Lamplighter
Garth Nix - The Abhorsen Trilogy
Kristin Cashore - Graceling, and Fire
Craig Thompson - Blankets*
Sherman Alexis - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian
Orson Scott Card - Ender's Game
Jonathan Stroud - Bartimaeus Trilogy
Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere
Allison Croggon - The Pellinor Series
Marjane Satrapi - Persepolis* see her movie as well, it is one of my all time favourite animation films EVER.
Phillip Pullman - His Dark Materials
Anne McCaffery - Harper Hall of Pern Trilogy
Nancy Farmer - The House of the Scorpion
Tamora Pierce - The Protector of the Small Quartet
Trudi Canavan - The Black Magician Trilogy

guilty pleasures:
Eoin Colfer - Artiemus Fowl books
Paul Steward & Chris Riddell - The Edge Chronicles

* graphic novel

Ok, so maybe not YA but still worth mentioning:
Chris Wooding - The Braided Path Trilogy
Robin Hobb - The Farseer Trilogy, The Liveship Traders Trilogy, The Tawny Man Trilogy, and The Rain Wild Chronicles.

Out On Screen

2010-08-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have been in possession of an "Official Photographer" Festival Pass for this year's Vancouver Queer Film Festival. The very first event I went to shoot was the Youth Gala, we got to pick out between the five of us which 3 events we wanted to photograph and I miss the confidence of city queers. Growing up in a small small town which made the cover of Maclean's Magazine* as the most racist town in Canada I had a much different experience with my expression of queer as a youth. My folks were awesome, and no one was even surprised when "I came out" but still there is something magical about a room full of youth that are holding hands, teasing each other and openly queer.
I learnt at the Out In Schools PSA screenings that night that VQFF has the largest youth focus of any queer film festival, with 18 movies rated youth accessible, and the Youth Gala. This above all else makes me so excited for this festival to continue.

You can see the photos on the outonscreen.com gallery page. There was also a fantastic art exhibit called Queertopia being displayed at the Roundhouse. A fantastic encompassing of styles and complex and playful pieces. I am going to try and see next years Pride In Art exhibit for sure.

*I can picture the cover it is shot from where the new cop shop is up on the hill as you come down towards SASS. Grainy and depressing.

Cause and Effect

2010-08-24T07:11:00.000-07:00

The fact that I am up at 6:30 on my days off is an indication of how full on I have been. I can't seem to break my body of "getting er done". Yesterday I was up at 4am to walk Chimney before the hour commute to Maple Ridge. Thankfully for the car that was my last day of that job, no more before morning mornings for me please. I am going to run away with Chim and Ray to Victoria today, have a smige of summer over there while it lasts.
So what does one do when they wake up hours before their alarm - make a coffee and bake banana bread and blog.
alrighty then.

A treasure map in parts (14)

2010-08-12T00:35:00.000-07:00

dyke march

2010-08-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

my goat took the day off work so we could hang out on my b-day (#2) and we could participate in our first ever dyke march. you miss out on things like marches when you spend summers in alberta watching for wildfires. it was another bright beautiful day in vancouver, the march was swift and short, but we had some awesome spectators like these lovelies who were hooting and a hollering.
i love that the thing that stopped the march was the parked pick-up truck, the parade log jammed around that. typical. lol

at victoria park there was a stage and daisy blue groff played, she is super. i hope her new cd is coming out soon cuz i wanna hear it, and more importantly i wanna see her perform more.

i came back from watching the stage and hanging out with beth to find 2 of my favorite people all snuggled up. it was restorative and necessary that sherwin spent the afternoon with us. he made this b-day most joyous. and later anna had all of us over for a bbq. whoo whoo. good living.

sunshine coast

2010-07-26T11:57:00.001-07:00

alle and dave headed out earlier on wednesday and the goat and i followed after she finished up work. so we didn't get to stongwaters camping in egmont until 10pm. it was a pretty ferry ride and drive into the setting sun almost all the way.
the cabins were niffy, 2 single beds pushed together to make a queen and rough hewed plank floors and walls, with balconies out front for sitting in the sun. perfect for a bit of french pressed coffee in the morning with the folks.
on thursday morning we went out to the sechelt rapids, in Skookumchuck Provincial Park a tidal induced rapid that was really neat. we saw the earlier part of the swelling, apparently it gets to 10ft. massive. the trail out was lush and followed the shores of brown lake which was aptly named, as soon as you get into it all the wood chips and debris muddies the water, but lorsa was it ever soft and warm. beautiful.

the goat did 2 swims, one just between the incoming tidal rapids and the outgoing tidal rapids. it was calm when she went in though. safety first. here is mike olson surfing the early part of the swell in his kayak, we ran into him on saturday morning assisting the master carver making a totem pole for the egmont museum. busy guy.

i asked goat to take a photo of me and she went crazy, taking a rapid fire series. it is fun to have some happy photos of myself to play with.

my sib

2010-07-24T16:51:00.000-07:00

this is one of the few photos of me and ceemon, which was taken on july 10th at erik and michelle's wedding in sunnybrea. it was a happy chance that i was in town for the big day and it was pretty awesome to see my other brother getting to celebrate his union with a kick ass woman. even little eula got into the celebrating by shaking her booty with me.

2010-07-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

blu

2010-07-06T11:16:00.001-07:00

Blu has some sick and twisted stuff, very much the style i associate with teenage boys. but then his social commentary and where and to what scale he does his work is awesome.
last night alle was reviewing films for the shuswap film society, one of the film put forth to show in salmon arm is "exit through the gift shop" a documentary on street artist. i was so excited that in the first few seconds of the trailer i recognised 'space invader's' work, i have seen some of blu's work on the tate in london, and in berlin and i asked him by email if i could post them on my graffiti blog but i haven't done it. i really need to reorganize that blog and put up selections of different artist rather than just having a huge post of stencils and a huge post of spray paint illustrations which are fantastic but it could be more.
i am going to see if they can show one of these video-graffs as a short before the movie if the can find a canadian distributor for the film.
check this niffy video street art amazement out:

BIG BAG BIG BOOM - the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

oma

2010-07-06T10:34:00.001-07:00

it is so great to watch my mom with eula, and to see how excited eula is to see her oma*. it makes joy for me.
alle was showing eula some plants from the garden and then we tried to show her how to ride her new wooden bike. the riding part didn't happen but ringing the bell, hellsya.

*oma is dutch for grandmother

rafting

2010-07-05T13:56:00.000-07:00

i wish i had been able to find a disposable water proof camera for the trip, but in the age of iphones that doesn't seem possible.
it was kickassfuntimeshellsya

Love Is A Hunter

2010-06-26T11:06:00.000-07:00

rae spoon has a new album coming out, and after superioiryourareinferior i am dead excited to see what this lovely boy has made this time. a wee sample preview for you...

first gleaning of wild fruit

2010-06-25T23:27:00.000-07:00

it took six trips under the fraser river, and doubting, and convincing yourself that they are mountain ash and then seeing them again from the truck as you whip by.... trying again, and finding those pretty trees, with tasty pin cherries for me and the goat to catch.

bitey face

2010-06-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

make joy

2010-06-14T14:50:00.002-07:00

ms anna had a fantastic bbq, and as the top photo proves she is a witty & charming host, and she 'made joy' for everyone in her company.

bbq whore

2010-06-13T18:16:00.003-07:00

in the last 24 hours i have attended 3 bbq's with another one in mere moments. yes as anna put it i am a bbq whore. thank you thank you.
the bbq i of this morning was a fine feast indeed. i went on a mad shopping mission earlier to get mangos, strawberries, pears, cherries, pineapple, cream, soft goat cheese, and sweetened condensed milk. the idea being to make crepes and stuff them with grilled fruit, smather them in milk jam (the caramelized version of sweetened condensed milk) and cram them into your gob.
but first the prep:

and now the grilling action:

weeeeehaw, check out that awesome spread. we also made up some savory options so we wouldn't be all halloween'd candy-rev'd humans. so tasty

what are you doing wyndi?

2010-06-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

2010-06-12T15:17:00.001-07:00

trout lake market

2010-06-12T15:14:00.000-07:00

me and chimney headed off to trout lake for market day at 10am, exchanging texts with jane so we could find her when we got there. goatee and anna are due in on their bikes later on. we did some stick throwing swimming until we got found by jane.

the lovelies arrive shortly after jane left to head home, first stop after a wee gossip with lindsey was the crepe's for them and a driftwood ale chicken smokie for me. they were right into the eating of the crepes so i went a little photo happy.

the crepes are made from buckwheat which means that goat and anna can both eat them, super exciting treat. it made it that much more fantastic to watch, as so rarely do they get to buy and consume market food.

we sat round in the sun/shade of a big tree and watched chimney rolling about in the cut grass. chatted a while, tossed the frisbee, and then lisa and anna rode away and me and chimney walked back home.
goatee is doing a naked bike ride down town, whoo whoo, so fun and freeing to be nude in a crew of people and mobile and fast all at once.

this is summer...

2010-06-07T19:47:00.003-07:00

i have been hankering to go on a hike-in camp out with chimney since... well since i was living in manchester dreaming of a small black lab named chimney. last weekend me and g came out here with some the wickets and mallets, some booze and made a fire to heat up our gourmet sammies. a big fucking nod going out to g and her fun idea. it was brillant (i have back-posted about it)
this weekend i came back over with chimney to camp out at mystic beach. on thursday we walked for 4 hours (from main and 17th to david @ jarvis and then home with a detour on 9th and a detour to 18th for our first veggie box pick-up!) to get her some doggie backpacks so she could carry in her water and food, and to get me a thermarest from MEC. and after i hauled goat's 2 person tent over to victoria on the ferry i went and bought a 1 person tent as i was so loaded down it scared me. yes i am a wuss - live with it. i do.
any ways here are some photos of friday night and saturday morning at mystic beach...

some otter footprints. i saw a family of 8 of them early on saturday morning. i raced them down the beach to where a small 9 year girl named quinn was camping with her folks, so i could point them out to her. she was pretty stoked to see them swim by.

Mystic Beach

2010-06-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

What happens when the #3 is 2 mins late?

2010-06-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

it means you miss the #620 to Tsawwassen by 4 minutes and then you miss the boarding of the 11am ferry to Victoria's Swartz Bay by those same 4 minutes. With a nice 20 minutes at the Bridgeport Skytrain Station where you can imagine what you look like from across the road. I am the one sitting on my bag crouched over drawing.

at Tsawwassen I sat in the Quay Market and drew the only folks who stand still, smokers and the faithful friend.

i hope i will have better luck when me and chimney make the voyage on friday.

Near Death part II

2010-06-01T15:35:00.001-07:00

and yes we are still finding coffee grinds everywhere. I was just about to stand on that chair over the stove to get something down when it exploded. I got a grazing blow and then goat and i spent lots of time mopping up. what a day
my other near death experience with coffee wasn't even that long ago, I was working away at my computer enjoying my last sip when I had to cough. But its my new mac baby!!! so i manage to just turn my head and only half choke spray the side of the monitor and the keyboard, and the wall, and the phone, and the desk, and my papers, and my journal, and the calendar.
classy. that's me in one word.

course hazards

2010-05-30T23:35:00.008-07:00

mystic beach croquet complete with rocks, run off rivers, kelp, shells, and a killer slope down to the largest water feature a course has ever seen.

you need to replenish after a game like that, some hot panini's from vanilla with some added red wine sausage hits the spot, love. it hits. the. spot.

art dates

2010-05-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

we played dress up and rock stars for a fun art project that is still in the works... so top secret. but needless to say we had a lot of fun posing for the camera. i did some test shots in the woodshed as you can see below (oh dear)

i know, i know. i just didn't know at the time which is why this photo kills me and i laugh at myself every time i look at it.

it was great to have 4 days of found family celebrating rusty's birthday. it was nice to see bernard more as well.

top of the bluffs, galiano island

2010-05-19T16:03:00.002-07:00

snake sniffing

2010-05-18T12:33:00.000-07:00

playmates

2010-05-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

beacon hill park

2010-05-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

2010-05-14T15:51:00.000-07:00

check her facial expression.
she was loving being back on galiano island

2010-05-14T03:43:00.002-07:00

my garden

2010-04-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

oh a text post do i still know how to do this?

it has been all spring fever here as far as building goes. i had a pine futon frame that i have so far made into a screen door and part greenhouse, very exciting to salvage and create.

the garden is part swamp, as we are at the very edge of base of mt pleasant, not a huge hill but all water runs down to the east van low lands, and my backyard. it is crazy how fast the pit aka the pond fills up in the garden, a few rain drops and the space between the beds is a soupy mess, my footprints like plaster casts. when 6:20 rolls around an the only light left shining is in the alley and the street i still want to be out there, in a sweater listening to the soil percolate in sigh like bubbles.

a treasure map in parts (13)

2010-04-15T22:14:00.001-07:00

hawkers delight on main street a tasty place to visit.

a treasure map in parts (12)

2010-04-12T21:52:00.000-07:00

a treasure map in parts (11)

2010-04-05T21:51:00.000-07:00

some folks plant flowers, some folks plant tigers

a treasure map in parts (10)

2010-04-02T21:47:00.002-07:00

a little staple gunned religious vigor on main street.

all fridays should be this good

2010-03-28T21:51:00.000-07:00

Alaksen

2010-03-28T20:39:00.000-07:00

LXD does TED

2010-03-14T20:15:00.001-07:00

a while back i raved about these dancers, and now they are featured on TED as well as having preformed at the Oscar's doing the selection of nominated best musical score. there is still no start date on the web dance installment but i am so going to let you know when they give the word. here is a bit of the transcript from the TED talk the speech was delivered by LXD creator Jon M. Chu

"...dance has progressed. It is insane what dance is right now. Dance has never had a better friend than technology.

Online videos and social networking ... dancers have created a whole global laboratory online for dance, where kids in Japan are taking moves from a YouTube video created in Detroit, building on it within days and releasing a new video, while teenagers in California are taking the Japanese video and remixing it with a Philly flair to create a whole new dance style in itself. And this is happening every day.
And from these bedrooms and living rooms and garages, with cheap webcams, lies the world's great dancers of tomorrow. Our Fred Astaires, our Gene Kellys our Michael Jacksons are right at our fingertips, and may not have that opportunity, except for us.
So, we created the LXD, sort of a -- the Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, a justice league of dancers that believe that dance can have a transformative effect on the world. A living breathing comic book series, but unlike Spiderman and Iron Man, these guys can actually do it. And we're going to show you some today. So, let me introduce to you, some of our heros right now. We got Madd Chadd, Lil' C, Kid David, and J Smooth. Please be excited, have fun, yell, scream. Ladies and gentlemen, The LXD".

my own small scale exposure to this mad evolution being recorded and broadcast is via my guilty pleasure of the reality dance tv series 'so you think you can dance'. i've watched 2 full seasons, starting with season 4 and then season 6 now with my current backtrack to season 5 i have seen about 30 episodes. thinking about the change from how many more formally trained dancers were in the final in season 4 compaired to how many street preformers - styles and movements self generated and influenced by others doing the same are in the top 20 and top 10 dancers. so far it is still all male street dancers but i have hope that as the LXD and shows like SYTYCD give space and recognize these talents that the art of dance will explode into unimagined and endlessly amazing directions.

this here i scooped from TED is about the web installment which is forthcoming...

Imagine two rival factions -- one good, one evil -- squaring off in an epic battle ... an epic dance battle. Welcome to The LXD, a new online adventure in which heroes and villains combat each other with dance superpowers. With stunning choreography, dancers float over the ground like marionettes or crush the laws of physics beneath their feet when they perform breathtaking aerial maneuvers and transcendental step sequences.The series hopes to do more than follow the dance-battle zeitgeist that rules today’s TV ratings. In addition to live performances, The LXD reveals dance superheroes on both sides of the screen—viewers can learn dance moves from instructional videos, and even become part of the story by participating in the web community.

woodpigeon

2010-03-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

seriously you should listen to them, i am going up the street to red cat records to see if they have a copy just for me.

boat ride

2010-03-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

a treasure map in parts (9)

2010-02-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

a treasure map in parts (8)

2010-02-16T14:40:00.000-08:00

treasure map in parts (7)

2010-02-15T17:21:00.001-08:00

treasure map in parts (6)

2010-02-15T17:00:00.001-08:00

a treasure map in parts (5)

2010-02-14T18:48:00.002-08:00

the covert is a curvy mosaic of stone to make the markings of a cobra.

a treasure map in parts ((not permanent but possibly...) (4)

2010-02-08T11:08:00.002-08:00

wreck beach

2010-01-30T11:08:00.001-08:00

look up, look down, look all around

2010-01-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

ever since i decided to start a photo map of strange objects in my neighbourhood i have been much more attentive to things around me. now i just got to remember to bring a camera out with me, i gotta figure out a way to walk the dog bring her toys, treats, waste bags, etc and my gear at the same time. it feels somehow like cheating when i am out and about without her.

hummm a pack packsac......

a treasure map in parts (3)

2010-01-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

such a beautiful old washing machine

a treasure map in parts

2010-01-10T14:58:00.001-08:00

if you know where this fine fella is located you are getting close to where X marks the spot

a treasure map in parts

2010-01-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

goat's day

2010-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

we had friends come over from the island just for the day to be with the goat and celebrate her. the goater made a huge spread of food to fed us all and we spent a fantastic evening feasting and visiting before the trio took off for the last ferry to victoria. the trio being the fantabious women in black with glasses! how did that happen but it did.

the next day becky and sherwin came over and we went to granville island and to the vancouver art gallery.its been so long since i've seen the arts underfunded and expensive to experience, being in europe where the main galleries and musuems are free and only the big special events or exhibits cost a few euros/quid. lucky for us sherwin and becky got us both year long passes for our b-days so we can go as often as we like and see the arts in vancouver.
it was a super day of being with friends we miss terribly, this year of 2010 is starting off just right.

eggnog cheesecake

2010-01-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

to be served with a rum cranberry sauce, to make it absolutely decadent.

preheat oven to 325 F

crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumb
2 Tsp sugar
3 Tsp butter
melt the butter and stir in to the crumbs and sugar, press into a spring form cake pan or a pie plate.

bake at 325 F for 10 mins and then let cool.

filling:
1 1/2 lbs of soften cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
3 Tsp flour
3 eggs
2 Tsp rum
1/2 tsp nutmeg finely ground

* i find throwing all these ingredients into a food processor and lettin it rip is the easiest way ever. if you haven't one, then mixing by hand works just as well.

when the mixture has a uniform consistency pour it into the crust and bake at 425 F for 10 mins and then turn the oven down to 250 F for 45 mins.

turn the oven off and leave for 1 hour.

sauce:

1 pkg of fresh cranberries
6 Tsp of frozen orange juice concentrate
2 Tsp sugar
2 Tsp of rum

in a small saucepan reduce the cranberries and orange juice and sugar, as it gets nearier to done add the rum and let simmer for a few minutes more.

best to serve it right from the saucepan onto the chilled cheesecake.

uncle auntie

2009-12-31T21:00:00.000-08:00

first christmas with the little one, she has grown so much in the short time since we last saw her. much more chatty and keen to walk. stretching tiny hands up to grasp fingers and steer you all over the house. we spent some time running up and down the hallway chasing chimney, eula was kicking her feet and giggling madly.

this uncle auntie thing is great.

larch hills

2009-12-28T11:53:00.000-08:00

way back in the day, the folks use to bundle us kiddies up and drive to the local volunteer maintained ski hill for the jack rabbit skiing lessons. much like the good old red cross swimming that happen at sunnybrea beach in the summer jack rabbits was a badge system of grades, somewhere i have my jack rabbit badge. i can still snow plow and herronbone like a trooper.

we got up above the cloud layer into a bright and beautiful day. eula got to be pulled about in the poke, waving her arms and making whipping motions at corey as he played mule for the afternoon. i really love this ski hill and all the familiar faces i saw. i think there will be a lantern ski on new years, which is such great fun.

then into the chalet for snacks and a warm up before heading back to enderby for dinner. what a glorious day.

tidings

2009-12-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

washed up against the fence
along the path
that cuts through

- an overhead projector-
    screen and stand,
this evening
                   a wheelchair
                   a hoover.

flatlines

2009-12-16T18:18:00.001-08:00

after a long time without really playing with binding in public i have the desire to do so again. on my first attempt i remembered why it is such a bitch. tits are damned determined to escape, the binder i use (a men’s rib brace size medium - for when you've got cracked or broken ribs) tends to migrate south no matter how tight i can get it. even doing it up at my armpits - where it is narrow - and tugging it down into place doesn't work.

i decided to invest in a 'compression tank top' made for men who have gynecomstia. it is a whole new day for gender play. it is long enough to tuck into my pants so it actually makes me look slimmer as well! and it has high armpits, so no binding boobs* but not so high that it cuts off or limits our arm movement. i purchased it from underworks and they were fantastically quick, like the next day. they have several other styles and make them in white and black. i am seriously tempted to order another kind which is less compression and more breathable

* binding boobs are the flaps of skin and fat that tend to pucker at your armpits with many types of binders

Tamarindus indica

2009-12-03T14:20:00.001-08:00

rusty brought some fresh tamarind to galiano. i have never seen it before. so tasty and fun.

Cited from Wikipedia:

The fruit of the tamarind is most commonly reserved for consumption, whether raw or cooked or prepared in some other manner, according to the regional and cultural palate. The fruit itself is an elongated-rod, 12 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) in length, and covered in a hard, brown exterior.[5][6]. The fleshy, juicy, acidulous pulp of the fruit is mature when coloured brown or reddish-brown. The fruit is considered ripe when the pods are easily prized open with fingers. The fruit pod contains anywhere between 1 and 12 flat, glossy brown seeds. These may be used by children in traditional board games such as Chinese checkers (China), dakon (Java), among others.
Seeds can be scarified to enhance germination. They reatain germination capability after several months kept dry.
The tamarind is best described as sweet and sour in taste, and high in acid, sugar, vitamin B and interestingly for a fruit, calcium.

culinary uses:

The fruit pulp is edible and popular. The hard green pulp of a young fruit is considered by many to be too sour and acidic, but is often used as a component of savory dishes, as a pickling agent or as a means of making certain poisonous yams in Ghana safe for human consumption.

The ripened fruit is considered the more palatable as it becomes sweeter and less sour (acidic) as it matures. It is used in desserts as a jam, blended into juices or sweetened drinks, sorbets, ice-creams and all manner of snack. It is also consumed as a natural laxative.
In Western cuisine it is found in Worcestershire sauce; HP sauce; and the Jamaican-produced Pickapeppa sauce.

In Indian cuisine it is common. Imli Chutney and Pulusu use it. Along with tamarind, sugar and spices are added to (regional) taste for chutneys or a multitude of condiments for a bitter-sweet flavor. The immature pods and flowers are also pickled and used as a side dish.

In Mexico, it is sold in various snack forms: dried and salted; or candied (see for example pulparindo or chamoy snacks). The famous agua fresca beverage, iced fruit-bars and raspados all use it as the main ingredient. In the US, Mexican immigrants have fashioned the "agua de tamarindo" drink and many other treats. Tamarind snacks such as Mexico's Pelon Pelo Rico, are available in specialty food stores worldwide in pod form or as a paste or concentrate.

In Egypt, a sour, chilled drink made from tamarind is popular during the summer.

A traditional food plant in Africa, tamarind has potential to improve nutrition, boost food security, foster rural development and support sustainable landcare.

In southern Kenya, the Swahili people use it to garnish legumes and also make juices. In Madagascar, its fruits and leaves are a well-known favorite of the Ring-tailed Lemurs, providing as much as 50% of their food resources during the year if available. In Northern Nigeria, it is used with millet powder to prepare Kunun Tsamiya, a traditional Pap mostly used as breakfast, and usually eaten with bean cake.

The Javanese dish gurame and more so ikan asem, also known as ikan asam (sweet and sour fish (commonly a carp or river-fish) is popular throughout Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Tamarind is also common in Manado, Sulawesi and Maluku cuisines.

In Myanmar, young and tender leaves and flower buds are eaten as a vegetable. A salad dish of tamarind leaves, boiled beans, and crushed peanuts topped with crispy fried onions is very popular in rural Myanmar.
In the Philippines, tamarind is used in foods like sinigang soup, and also made into candies. The leaves are also used in sinampalukan soup.

In Thailand a specific cultivar has been bred specifically to be eaten as a fresh fruit, famous for being particular sweet and minimally sour. It is also sometimes eaten preserved in sugar with chili as a sweet-and-spicy candy. Pad Thai, a Thai dish popular with Westerners often include tamarind for its tart/sweet taste (with lime juice added for sourness and fish sauce added for saltiness). A tamarind-based sweet-and-sour sauce served over deep-fried fish is also a common dish in Central Thailand

i will try and get my butt in gear and post these photos on the making culture - food blog that so many of the lovelies that were on galiano contribute to. becky made me a user name so i can post on that blog as well. so this will be the first multi-blog posting

2009-12-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

bellhouse

2009-12-01T14:02:00.000-08:00

we got out into the sun with chim and i went a little snap happy at the bellhouse provincal park.

while chim was peeing

2009-12-01T13:49:00.000-08:00

active pass

2009-11-30T13:47:00.003-08:00

a found of family

2009-11-30T12:34:00.000-08:00

on my collective noun kick with the title apparently. it was a nice bright last sunday of november and we managed to drag ourselves away from the fantastic food and the fireplace long enough to all go on a hike. i found a trail that was a little trickle of a path last time i was here but someone has flagged it our and done some trail building. it is such a lovely patch path between williams head park and bluff park (i think, i suck at names). it was a brillant day. the photos tell the story of fine views and playful goodness.

romp of otters

2009-11-30T11:49:00.002-08:00

these little fellows make me soooo happy. i saw them early one morning when taking chimney out for her walk. they were all on the shore and sliding down into the water. i saw this romp on my earlier visit to galiano, i think this small stretch of sandy beach must be the home of these six creatures.

romp of otter

i love collective nouns, here are some of my favourite:

sleuth of bears
pounce of cats
quiver of cobras
memory of elephants
skein of geese (in flight)
tower of giraffes
trip of goats
charm of goldfinches
glint of goldfish
cast of hawks
cry of hounds
charm of hummingbirds
scold of jays
smack of jellyfish
tidings of magpies
sord of mallards
movement of moles
watch of nightingales
romp of otter
company of parrots
bouquet of pheasants (when flushed)
farrow of pigs (piglets)
wing of plovers
passel of possum
nursery of raccoons
mischief of rats
storytelling of ravens
hurtle of sheep
scurry of squirrels
murmuration of starlings
ambush of tigers
bale of turtles
generation of vipers
sneak of weasels
route of wolves
descent of woodpeckers

go chim go

2009-11-27T11:42:00.002-08:00

manifested by anna

2009-11-25T11:01:00.000-08:00

when the talk of moving to vancouver bloomed as a possibility anna had some requests of the universe
1) to move within blocks of her
2) eat organic roast meat with dinner muffins
3) have a dog friend for her play with

good job anna. and thank you universe.

dogs and thunder

2009-11-20T20:29:00.001-08:00

she is all wet and muddy underneath, nose stuffed into the side of my leg, snoring loudly. the sky was talking storm talk at us tonight as we watched a small skunk swagger down the alley and the lone street lamp over the fenced in parking lot make the rain look like wedding confetti.
this vancouver thing is wet and shiny and newborn.

*dogs and thunder is the title of a really great track from sarah harmer when she was recording as weeping tile.

Hometown Film Society

2009-11-01T11:51:00.004-08:00

its sunny and crisp, perfect weather for walking dogs but i got something else in mind, a film festival. the price for a 5 movie pass is just 25 dollars and on the opening night there was free homemade goodies and drinks! weehaw.

my folks have been involved with the film society for a few years now, and i was weened on foreign films. i think that is were my love affair with imagery began. once i even aspired to be a camera person on film and tv sets but a year at the victoria motion picture school and all the bullshit lies and corrupt money making over actual teaching turned me off anything to do with photography and film for years.

i loved being back in film festival mode, there is something that brings out the critical watcher in me when i am seeing international and domestic films side by side. that part of my artist expectation that must get shut off to enjoy the mainstream movie experience can get reactivated. i get to see movies with my entire intellect and aesthetics in place.

the best film in the festival so far for me has been the documentary of the ongoing dolphin slaughter in japan - quick paced, smart, well shot, well crafted narrative, heart wrenching... please watch The Cove.

curses

2009-10-15T11:41:00.004-07:00

how great was it to have a connect card (rocket stick) wireless internet firetower - fucking awesome. how shit was it when i put my wireless on 'seasonal disconnect' for 6 months and my computer started giving me blue screens of death - fucking ridiculous.
an hour on the phone with the tech line at telus was useless. i resorted to an old stand by. i clicked on my C: and used the disc scan in the properties menu to scan and fix bad sectors on the hard drive and wahlaserria wireless connect card 567 and telus are a dangerous mix once you break up they pour sugar in your gas tank, slice your tires and leave you stranded.
at the  no blue screen. not sure yet if i can use my wireless modem yet as i haven't tried that but seriously 

within walking distance

2009-10-02T11:16:00.005-07:00

i found this website and frankly it rocks. you put in your address and wa-la it tells you whats in walking distance - libraries, groceries, cafes/restaurants, book shops, galleries, etc. and it gets even better you can click on the small link in the right hand corner which says "go to street view" and then you are teleported into a photo 360 interactive world.

so for all of you who didn't get to visit us when we lived in manc, please feel free to go for an explore in our old neighbourhood.

*it opens up and you are looking at the church go to your right and you'll see a 2 story brick building we were the upper right corner suite*