Life

There is rhythm to life that is starting to develop which I suppose is a good thing.






Mondays are spent doing school work at home.








Tuesdays I am at Burnaby from 11:30-2:20 for a crim theory class.





Wednesdays I am at the Surrey campus(pix here) where I facilitate 3 tutorials for CRIM 315, Restorative Justice.

Thursdays I spend at home doing school.


I leave bright and early on Fridays to go to Burnaby for a methodology class and then afterwards try to get in at least a 30-45 minute group session on statistics. A number of us in class have not had statistics before so we try to stay and help each other limp through the weekly assignment. I then go to the Surrey campus for the 2:30-4:20 Restorative Justice lecture. Yeah..the highlight of my week. Finally, I get to learn about the things I came to BC for!


Saturdays are another study day, but yesterday I didn't get much of that done, Liz Elliott, my thesis advisor(eventually, once I get to that point) invited numerous people over for Thanksgiving dinner including me and Jim.

Colleen is a Criminology Ph.D. student from Manitoba who TAs on the Burnaby campus for the same class I do in Surrey.

Liz, Merlin, and Jim enjoying a wonderful supper.

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MJt2vchXvY Dr. Liz Elliott speaking about the over use of incarceration.

Liz and her husband, in the white tshirt, were lovely hosts. They had a house full of people, many like us who have no family in town.Their son is a student at SFU and he brought quite a few of his fellow football players with him and their daughter had a group of her girlfriends as well. So it was quite a large gathering. We had to eat and run since we (Jim, Colleen and I) had tickets to a play.

What makes it possible for people to:

Believe in stereotypes?

Witness hardship and not reach out?

Turn a blind eye, a deaf ear?

Wage war with others? What makes all these and so many other ways that we compromise the planets and humanity's well-being possible? The creation over and over of "the other," the creation of the "them" in "us and them."

The play was quite different with volunteers from the audience as actors(yeah to brave Colleen who made her acting debut!) and no scripts.

Sundays we go to Chilliwak for church and maybe some galavanting if the weather is good and we remember a change of clothes.

Today after church we went to the little cafe in Country Gardens for lunch with Linda, one of the ladies we have met at church. As you can see from the pix there is hardly a cloud in the sky, which was not the case when we left home, otherwise we would have brought a change of clothes and headed out to do some sightseeing.

And there's the week.....

LOST the PIX

WOW the proceeding blog would have been pretty awesome had the pix uploaded from the Word document with it. I don't have an image provider per se so the pix were left somewhere in the ethers

SUNDAY IN CHILLAWK

Jim and I left Surry at 9 am and headed to Chilliwak for church. Quite a few of the Saints were in Abbotsford taking part in Cure for breat cancer run, so we had a small group; I think I counted 27.

Starting on the 17^th of the month I will begin playing for church. They leave it up the pianist to pick the hymns for the service since each pianist has their own comfort level as to those hymns they want to play. After the service we went with a group from church to Homers Diner for lunch and then headed another 20 minutes on down the road to Bridal Veil Provincial Park.

East on Hwy 1

The trees are really starting to turn

Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park

Attention Visitors - there have been numerous recent sightings of a large black bear in the Bridal Falls Area. BC Parks continues to monitor the situation but advises the public to use caution in the area, make lots of noise when travelling and to ensure that all pets are on a leash at all times. Click here for more information on bear safety.

Yes, this was on the park's website….My new motto is "Do one scary thing every day!"

 

Remember at the end of the "Parent Trap" when they have taken Vicky on the camping trip and the twins tell her that she had to click sticks together to keep the mountain lions away? Well turns out there may be a bit of truth to that.

Reduce the chance of surprising a bear.

• Always check ahead for bears in the distance. If one is spotted, make a wide detour and leave the area immediately.
  
• Make warning noises and loud sounds.
  
• Watch for bear sign: tracks, droppings, overturned rocks, rotten trees torn apart, clawed, bitten or rubbed trees, bear trails, fresh diggings or trampled vegetation.
  
• And let's not forget the cougars which were also mentioned
  
• Didn't know you were going to get a science lesson on BC wildlife did you?
  
  • When in Cougar Country:
    
  • Cougars primarily occupy the southern third of British Columbia. Most conflict with cougars occurs in rural communities, where people live in isolated settlements. People also encounter cougars while spending leisure time in cougar country.
    
  • Cougars are predators - the top of the food chain - and their actions are often unpredictable. We have little understanding about what might trigger an attack, but following these general guidelines will reduce the risk of cougar conflict and prepare you in the unlikely event of an attack.
    

Hiking or working in cougar country:

• Hike in groups of two or more. Make enough noise to prevent surprising a cougar.
  
• Carry a sturdy walking stick to be used as a weapon if necessary.
  
• Keep children close-at-hand and under control.
  
• Watch for cougar tracks and signs. Cougars cover unconsumed portions of their kills with soil and leaf litter. Avoid these food caches.
  
• Cougar kittens are usually well-hidden. However, if you do stumble upon cougar kittens, do not approach or attempt to pick them up. Leave the area immediately, as a female will defend her young.
  

If you meet a cougar:

• Never approach a cougar. Although cougars will normally avoid a confrontation, all cougars are unpredictable. Cougars feeding on a kill may be dangerous.
  
• Always give a cougar an avenue of escape.
  
• Stay calm. Talk to the cougar in a confident voice.
  
• Pick all children up off the ground immediately. Children frighten easily and their rapid movements may provoke an attack.
  
• Do not run. Try to back away from the cougar slowly. Sudden movement or flight may trigger an instinctive attack.
  
• Do not turn your back on the cougar. Face the cougar and remain upright.
  
• Do all you can to enlarge your image. Don't crouch down or try to hide. Pick up sticks or branches and wave them about.
  

If a cougar behaves aggressively:

• Arm yourself with a large stick, throw rocks, speak loudly and firmly. Convince the cougar that you are a threat not prey.
  
• If a cougar attacks, fight back! Many people have survived cougar attacks by fighting back with anything, including rocks, sticks, bare fists, and fishing poles.
  

Cougars are a vital part of our diverse wildlife. Seeing a cougar should be an exciting and rewarding experience, with both you and the cougar coming away unharmed. However, if you do experience a confrontation with a cougar or feel threatened by one, immediately inform the nearest office of the Conservation Officer service

• Well we saw no bears or cougars on our hike, only the unspoiled beauty of God's creation… but we did keep our eyes open!
  

  
  

  
   

  
  

  
   

  Bridal Veil Falls, BC
  

  
  

  
   

  
  

This has been a really good weekend for getting outdoors. Nice and cool but no rain…for a change