My Canoe is Sold

Sorry to take so long to report the sale of my previously posted Swift Dumoine.

A most wonderful man has purchased the canoe and he is deeply experienced in all matters out of doors and is pleased with the boat - so I am very happy. It was for sale for about six weeks.

I was very pleased that my detailed description of the canoe attracted a buyer that turned out to have much in common with me - although he had taken each element to higher levels than I

A fine gentleman.

cheers

 

FOR SALE: My beloved Swift Dumoine River canoe

Dumoine Asymmetrical design for river running, by Swift from Ontario

 

Swift Canoes has a long history in Ontario - Google them for more information

the bow seat is a slider, with knee braces and pads glued in

Stern seat also has knee braces and pads for comfort and control and safety

the Canoe is 16 ft 8 in long - a great size for two. But note the Asymmetrical design makes it also manageable as a solo river runner

Once I took it on an outing on the Chilliwack. I had experienced help! This was a grade 3 run - it was a VERY COLD day!

 

My wife and I took it on a week long camping trip on Murtle Lake west of Blue River. We paddled 22 miles in to the furthest west end; and of course paddled the 22 miles back. This canoe handled very well on the lake. Especially with the load - it did not blow in the wind! We got more scratches from this half hour portage on wheels than all of the river trips combined!

I would recommend this trip to all - but I read that now there are a lot of Pine Beetle killed trees that tend to blow over in wind storms - caution is warranted.

 

I am selling this canoe because I have a second canoe - a Western Canoe made 17 ft Ultra light prospector and I cannot justify two, as much as I would like to! Reality is I have not canoed since one day outing in 2005. I have not used this Dumoine in over 12 years. Since as a couple we don't like to run rivers any more, we have decided to offer this Dumoine for sale. It is in excellent condition and totally fitted for River Paddling. So we are asking $1375.

 

wynwyn@ymail.com

 

 

I wandered Lonely as a Cloud, Wm Wordsworth

I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud
by William Wordsworth
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed–and gazed–but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

Fall Colours west of Grande Prairie, Alta

Not Daffodils, but the Yellow reminds me the same 

as Wordsworth descibes, especially in the Grande Prairie setting.

 

Stonetown, Zanzibar: Longshoremen head home after work

 

 

in 2009 Sandy and I had 5 weeks in Tanzania - our last 5 nights were in based in Stonetown Zanzibar. Yes it was a wonderfully exotic as it sounds. I almost had tears when we left. We were also flying directly to Amsterdam and ending our fanasy in Tanzania.

 

This is one photo that I made from the beach in front of our hotel. To the west of us was the harbour where these Longsoremen had spent there day hand unloading cargo that had been barged to the beach off of larger vessels such as this one. On the horizon we can see one of the ancient Dhow vessels that will also bring cargo to the harbour of Stoentown. It will hold local goods - nothing from China.

 



Merry Christmas and Best Wishes to All 2012

Some Snow Scenes from Klemtu

 

looking north in January

 

north from the Lodge

Ice on Trout Bay

my Jeep and my House

My Jeep from my office window

thinking of summer?

 

 

 from my back porch at Midnight a few years ago

 

Best Wishes and Fond thoughts for all my Friends this Christmas 2012

Sunrise spreading

 

 

Sunrise Spreading

 

as out of a deep

night of somnambulism

and defined darknesses

     a smile

sparkling

as one sudden sunrise

     spreading

across the warming landscapes of

     our breath

replenishing youthful joy

rising as the Phoenix

     in all the universe,

through all the spheres of time

     invigorating

as eternal light,

     energies,

for, and

     of each other

 

 

 

@Brian Wyndham

Dec 16, 2012

 

 

 

 





LEONARD COHEN CONCERT: SUBLIME

11 months ago Sandy and I purchased tickets to Leonard Cohen's Vancouver appearance of his World Tour. And November 12, despite major major major surgery on Oct 23 I had to attend - and I am so glad I did.

I have loved Leonard Cohen since 1968. I credit his genius with communications with teaching me to connect with and understand my own, previously incoherent emotions. He definitely opened the door for me to get a rythm and personal voice for my own poetry.

This man is priceless. He loves and cherishes all of life - for me he emodies and brings to life the Blake quote that I have on my Blog mast head: "For all that lives is Holy; life delights in life."

When you are in the presence of Leonard and his ZEN worship of all that is sentient, you cannot conceive how humans can be so inhuman to each other: war, torture, rape, theft, and all other forms of ugly cruelties.

All we need is Art.  Thank you Leonard Cohen.

Apologies and NEWS to all that look at my Blog

My apologies for so few postings these past few months. I have been undergoing Chemo therapy to treat a recurrence of my 2002 Cancer of the appendix. UGH!

Oct 23 I finally obtained the access to the long promised SURGERY. Two wonderful teams of doctors took sequential turns over long operation to remove the offending parts - we hope it is all gone for now. I was out for about 9 hours.

If you are bothered by medical procedural descriptions please do not read the next part where I will describe what was removed.

The primary recurrence was showing as a "shadow" in the region of my previous appendix. During the winter some smaller metastasis tumours appeared in my liver. Luckily they were in areas of my liver that I did not need (it grows back anyway apparently).

So surgical team one, led by Dr Chung removed 60% of my liver, and apparently my Gall Bladder.
Surgical team two, led by Dr Cheih-fetz tackled the abdominal shadow - which turned out to be  a nasty little beast! Though showing as only about 3 cm it apparently involved my 2005 hernia repair (where it started it's new life); my small intestine; and my abdominal (pelvic) wall. So poor Dr Cheih-Fetz, instead if an easy removal had a very complex job to separate, remove and to sew and rebuild.

I owe these surgeons and their teams so much. Indeed I owe the whole Canadian medical system my life, again.

Since Oct 23 I have been slowly recovering. I could not sit at a computer till the last couple of days. Each day I am stronger. today is the first day I have not gone to bed for the afternoon!

I have quite a back log of wonderful photos and I do intend to begin posting again to this blog.

 

Campfire Contemplation - here I'm thinking about how wonderful life is!

Couple of images from our wonderful trip to Tanzania Aug 2009

in central Tanzania, several hundred miles from Dar es Salem on the east coast, is this remote and totally charming SElous Game Reserve. Our guide kindly snapped this shot of us in the sunset over the Rufiji River - yes it is full of Hippos and Crocs!

on the west coast of the Island of Zanzibar there are wonderful white sand beaches. Sandy and I went wading among the Sea Urchins as a storm came in from the east. Taken with a Canon G7.

Felix,

our old and crippled cat .... he loves us!

little dog and pink toenails

happiness is .......

a new effort - posting one of my poems

the Way To

                                 we walk towards

                                 a starry heaven,

                                 an obtuse destination

                                 diffuse, yet compelling

                                 uncertain paths, fogs,

                                 darkness illuminates stars

                                 perhaps not knowing

                                      we are each one

                                       a star

                                 a sparkle, a glowing 

                                       face warming hope

                                 beacon, seen by another

                                       for each other

                                 bright as a Northern Star

                                 our unique guiding heart

                                       smiling

                                  from pain to freedom

                                  joyous arms enfolding

                                        together

                                  the starry heaven of us

Lucas, into his future

Tour de White Rock 2012

at Crescent Beach BC July 5 2012

this image is from the community garden site at Blackie Spit

enjoying a meal at the beach restaurant

water activities as the sun sets



Claire's Bed & Breakfast Ladner

Claire, Proprietor

Front Living Room

Chess Set in the Parlour

Keepsake from Venice

Brian, courtesy of Bruce



Canada Outing to Bard on the Beach

the Bard on the Beach tent site at the Planetarium Vancouver (Vanier Park)

Brother John, cousin Gayle, Sister in law Sandy, my Sandra, Brian

the five of us got together to watch Bard on the Beach 2012 production of "Taming of the Shrew" - it was an outstanding and entertaining production and performance by all actors, earning them a resounding standing ovation!



Working a Room Jan 8 2011

My first room in Klemtu I noticed the interesting patterns that the street light cast across my living space.

my dear office friends Klemtu 2012

Looking North, Trout Bay is behind us

 Standing in front of the office doors with the totems

Doug Neasloss, Chief of Council (my boss's boss), Tiffany Mason, Robert Duncan, Brent Mason, Jamie Pond (Liason Officer Extraordinaire), Vernon Brown, me -Brian Wyndham behind Fiona Starr, Lorraine Robinson (my main man, so to speak!), Melody Robinson, Brian Mason Sr., Ruth Mason (Auntie)  blessings to all my dear friends!

Gavin & Meghan Wedding June 16 2012