If you read my blog post  ” Take A Hike – Part 1 ” a while back, then you already know that my husband and I spend a lot of our free time hiking up here on the Sunshine Coast of B.C.  That particular post was about one of our favourite hiking spots  – Smuggler Cove, which we have probably been to more times than any other place up here, so far. 

     There is another place we have been to quite a few times, but I will write another post about that one some other time.  Today, I want to discuss the newest place we have discovered for hiking – Francis Point.  The drive there is probably another 10 – 15 minutes past Smuggler Cove, but it was sure worth it !

Francis Point Provincial Park

     The start of this hike is much like many others around here – fairly flat, and you head right into the forest.  Going in, I had no idea that this was going to be a very different hike than I was used to.  This is an area that has had relatively little human contact – there is even a section that the public is not allowed to go in, for the sake of preservation of delicate mosses and lichens etc.

About Francis Point

     Not too far into the hike, you come out of the trees, and are basically walking along a cliff overlooking the water.  I love being in the warm sun, so this was awesome for me.  I am used to spending most of our time hiking under the cover of tall trees ( and I often get cold because of that fact ), so this was both a surprise, and a treat for me.

Looking Back On The Trail

     Since moving to the Coast, one of my newest favourite trees is the Arbutus.  I have seen quite a few on various other hikes, most of them medium in size, and generally they have been on their own.  On this hike, I saw some taller Arbutus trees, and they were grouped together more.

Beautiful Arbutus Trees

          Most of the trail is pretty straight – forward, and not too difficult to navigate.  There are some tricky spots which require a bit of fancy footwork, and a hand from a friend, but nothing too bad.  Sections of the pathway have little wooden posts and ropes, to remind everyone to stick to the trail – there are delicate plants that need to be spared being destroyed by a careless mis-step.  Anything you want to photograph is close enough that you can do so with a decent lens – there is no need to stray from the marked path.

Marked Path at Francis Point

     My favourite part of the hike was when we got to near the end.  You pass a little ” lighthouse ” ( very small ) and a bit later, you get to the end of where you had been going straight, and have to turn to the left.  This is where the giant Arbutus Trees live – many growing almost sideways, bent by the force of the wind on the unprotected cliff, overlooking the water.  These were by far the largest Arbutus I had ever seen.  They made me think of one of my dearest friends, as they are her very favourite tree.  ( I hope she smiles as she reads this ) I hope one day to show them to her.

Tall Arbutus Trees at Francis Point

     Once you get to the big Arbutus trees, the trail continues, and gets much trickier.  It appeared to be the  most logical place to stop and turn around, as it was late afternoon, and we had a long hike back out.  We stood there at the end  for a while, marvelling at the size and beauty of these incredible trees, and admiring the view of the water from the rugged cliff.

Trail Getting Steep

     It is a good thing I brought my newly acquired backpack – we had been out there for a long time, and needed to find a place to stop, and have a snack.  We picked a sunny spot on some smooth flat rocks, perched on them, had some cashews and water, and enjoyed the view.

     I usually tend to like to go to familiar places, but am very glad my husband suggested we try hiking at Francis Point.  It is definitely a hike I would like to do again, and I would love to take friends there when they come and visit.  I think it may just be my new favourite place to hike.

     It’s been a couple of weeks since I have written a blog post. I’d like to say it’s because I’ve been out enjoying the Summer weather, but there hasn’t been much of that yet around these parts.  We are still waiting for some hot, dry weather to arrive, but probably shouldn’t hold our breath for that one … we’d be better off to just hop on a plane for Vegas. 🙂

     June is a very busy month for me, and my family – lots of Birthdays, and Anniversaries. This year, June was a very special month – my Parents celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary, and my Mom, her 80th Birthday.  I was fortunate enough to be able to take some of my holiday time so that we could meet up with some other family members, and help celebrate these very special occasions. It was so nice to be able to be there.

     We had a lovely dinner out together, and spent a few days visiting, chatting, playing cards – all things we used to do when we were all living under the same roof.  It’s funny how things you used to take for granted as a child, feel so much more special when you don’t see everyone as often as you’d like to. 

     I have always admired my parents for the fact that they have been happily married for so long.  Even when I was little, I never heard an unkind word, or a raised voice in that house.  They were, and still are, a loving, kind couple, who taught us so many important things about how to treat others, how to be compassionate, patient, understanding, honest, hardworking, modest and humble – all traits that I hold dear to this day.

     My Mom’s health hasn’t been the greatest in the past few years, so getting to witness her turn 80 made me very happy.  She is one of the sweetest, most gentle people I have ever known, and seeing her in such a fragile state is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever witnessed. I am just so very grateful for every day we have with her.

     It was good to see so many family members in one place.  The hard part is always saying “Goodbye”, not knowing when you will be able to see them again.  For now, I am just thankful that we were able to help celebrate these very important events.

      Recently, it was announced that they were going to have a ” Sunshine Coast Karaoke Idol ” Contest at the Legion.  I have been to enough Karaoke nights there to know that there are some extremely talented singers around, so I didn’t think I would try out.  I also don’t really like competition, or being judged in public, so was definitely shying away from the prospect of auditioning for the Contest.  They held 3 weeks of auditions – the first week slipped by, then the second, and I still didn’t go.  I was worried that the “good ” feeling we all had on our Karaoke nights, that warm, encouraging feeling, may disappear in a competitive setting.  I didn’t want things to change.  I probably had at least 10 reasons why I shouldn’t audition. ( in my own mind )

     I thought about it long and hard, about how much I love to sing. I have been up here on the Sunshine Coast for just over 2 years now, and haven’t really ” put myself out there ” musically, yet.  It was so easy in Vancouver – I had lots of contacts there, knew a lot of musicians etc, and there were always places to play.  Being still fairly new to the Coast, and quite shy, I hadn’t really talked to very many people about my singing.  I decided that it was time to at least try and get myself heard a little bit.  I had to start somewhere, and what better place than a friendly, familiar environment?

     So, on the third week of auditions, I gave it a shot.  I made it in, and at the end of May, our Contest began.  I met some wonderful ladies along the way – all of whom clearly love to sing.  It was so nice to get to know them, and see the joy in their eyes, and the beautiful smiles on their faces, as they did what they love best.  There is nothing quite like watching someone doing what they are truly passionate about – it is an amazing sight to behold. 

     The weeks went by, we sang different genres each week ( which challenged us, and helped us grow as vocalists ) and we all helped each other get through our nerves, which were aplenty throughout the Contest.  This past Friday, June 11th, it was down to 3 of us, and we had the Finale.

Laura, Heather and Krystal

Jac, Dani and Bob

The Ladies Wait For The Results

Top 3

      Some people are really negative all the time, while others seem to be able to find something good in anything life throws their way –  I am somewhere in between.  I am no longer young and naive – I have lived life and seen some pretty unpleasant things, and am smart enough to realize that no one is immune to bad things happening from time to time.  On the other hand, I do believe that it is possible, if you dig deeply enough, to find something good in even the things we consider bad.

     That being said, not all blog posts can be happy and uplifting.  It is great to share things in your life that make people smile, but that is just one part of reality.  Sometimes, you have a day, a week, or even longer, that just isn’t that great.  Those are the times that you find out who your real friends are – the ones who really care about you do not run away just because you’re not all bright and cheery.  Sure, we can all fake a smile if we need to, but why would anyone want you to pretend like that ?  Real life has ups and downs – that is just a fact.

     I have been feeling pretty burned out lately – tired and stressed.  I wish that people could work less ( but somehow still  be able to afford to pay the bills )  have more free time to relax, take care of themselves, and spend quality time doing things that they enjoy. ( and with the people they love ) It is far too easy to become negative in your outlook when you are sleep-deprived, and have too many worries on your mind.

     A couple of nights ago, I was sitting in a chair, and I started feeling a strange sensation near the top of my spine, which travelled up to the base of my neck, fairly quickly.  I gasped in pain, as it seemed to come out of nowhere.  My husband turned to look at me, wondering what was wrong.  I quickly told him my neck/upper back were seized up, and I could barely move.  I went to bed early that night, thinking I may have just pinched a nerve, and could “sleep it off “.

     ( I was wrong.  ) I woke up yesterday morning, and was in even more pain.  There was no way I could work, so I had to call and let them know.  This, of course, causes me more stress – feeling as though you are letting others down, making things harder for them etc. I knew I had to try and relax, and rest my body, but it was just one of those days where things weren’t meant to go so smoothly.  It was the annual day of window washing at our complex, so we had guys on ladders and on the roof all day, ( making noise, of course ) and we couldn’t open the windows, so no fresh air to breathe.  As I lay there trying to sleep, the doorbell rang.  My husband was out getting me some back pain medication, so by the time I was able to get up and go to the door, there was only a notice there, saying our gas had been turned off, due to a leak in a nearby home. It listed a number for us to call to get it lit again.  I guess that hot bath I was going to soak my back in would also have to wait. When my hubby returned, he put in the call, and it was late afternoon before we had our hot water restored ( after yet another doorbell ringing ).  So much for a quiet day of rest.  It almost seemed like a joke – but not a very funny one.

     I was determined that I would be all better this morning, but my body disagreed.  I woke up with my neck and back still stiff and sore, knowing full well that going back to work too soon would only make things worse.  Once again, I had to call in, and once again, it made me feel badly.  Why is it that many of us can’t just accept that sometimes our bodies are trying to give us big hints that we need to slow down, relax, and be good to ourselves ?  When we need rest most, we worry about anything and everything else, except ourselves, our own health and well-being. 

     On that note, I should get back into bed and try and heal this body of mine.  Today seems a little bit quieter, and if I’m lucky, maybe I can actually get some much-needed rest, and clear my mind of anything negative.

     I know I just wrote a blog post a couple of weeks back about a recent hike to Smuggler Cove up here on B.C’s beautiful Sunshine Coast, but we went there again last weekend, and saw some cool creatures.  The weather has been warm and sunny  here lately, and I just couldn’t help myself – the urge to wander into the forest and along those trails again was too strong to resist. ( besides, the housework can wait for a rainy day, right ? )

Smuggler Cove Sign

     The first thing I said to my husband as we started along the trail this time was ” I hope we see some snakes today ! “.  I have always liked snakes since I was a little girl.  When I lived in Chatham, Ontario, one of my public school buddies had a couple of big snakes – he told me they were Anacondas – and we’d often wrap one around my neck when we went to my house for lunch.  My Mom always made me take it right back to his house, for some reason. Anyway, my point is, I feel pretty comfortable around them, and find them to be both beautiful, and fascinating.

Garter Snake

Green Snake

Starfish Surrounded by Limpets

You can see the purple starfish, but you may not recognize the limpets surrounding it.  I don’t think I’ve ever really seen limpets before, and I had to ‘”Google ” them to find out more about them.   Here’s a closer look at some stuck between the rocks at low tide:

Limpets at Low Tide

This next guy got stuck up on the rocks when the tide went out:

Purple Starfish

     When I was a young girl taking piano and singing lessons, my teacher encouraged me to write songs, as well.  I had always written a lot of poems, short stories etc., and was fairly certain of my ability to string words together.  I have always been a very meticulous person in pretty much all I do, and writing is no exception.  ( thus, brevity is not my strong suit, as anyone who knows me well can tell you:)   I like to be extremely descriptive, and not leave out even the slightest detail.

     As a teenager, I wrote a lot of poems, most of which, admittedly, were about boys.   ( and mostly concerning unrequited love )  I found that by far, my best writing came about after some boy had broken my heart.  Probably the only thing I miss ( emotionally ) about being a teenager, is the ability to feel so deeply.  Everything seems so incredibly important, symbolic, life-altering, at that age.  When the one you adored left you, ( or showed no interest to begin with ) it seemed as though you could never possibly feel that way again, ever, in your entire life.  Ah, the drama – it’s nice to be able to look back on it now, smile, and shake my head…

     There is something to be said for taking raw emotions like sadness, hurt etc. and turning them into powerful lyrics.  Songwriters have obviously been doing it forever, which is why, to this day, a favourite ballad can tug at our heartstrings.  When I wrote as a teenager, the intention was purely therapeutic – it was my safe way of letting go of my sadness, and I definitely had a lot of that, which meant I wrote a lot.  I still have an old folder full of all my poems and stories, which I found when I moved almost 2 years ago.  I found it fascinating being able to read them, thereby “climbing” back into my own teenage brain, and feeling so many intense emotions .  It was kind of cool, actually.

     I have always been a pretty private person – I like my privacy, and respect that of others.  I don’t think I ever intended on letting anyone else read the things I had written – they were just for me, to try and deal with disappointment, and any other negative emotions I may have been feeling at the time.  I firmly believe that incredible things can happen if you have the ability to harness any negativity you may feel, turn it around, and redirect it into something positive, and powerful.  I would like to do that with some of my words from the past, and even some from the present. 

     Doing cover songs is always fun – you get to sing songs you know well, and love, but as an indie artist, a vast amount of time and expense is required to cut through all the red tape to get yourself heard that way.  My last single took us nearly a year to get on iTunes, and even then, we still couldn’t get on U.S, iTunes, due to licensing agreements specific to the songwriter.  In short, if you are not “famous” already, few care to give you a chance.

     Anyway, my point is that, although I wonder if anyone would really want to hear what I have to say, I am going to get back to writing some lyrics this Summer.  Worst case scenario – I work through some negative emotions … best case, I write about something real that someone else can relate to, and maybe even dance to.

     One of the main reasons we chose B.C.’s Sunshine Coast as our new home almost 2 years ago, was the fact that there are so many places to walk, hike, and kayak.  The older we get, the more we realize that you can’t lead a sedentary lifestyle and remain healthy.  Fresh air, sunshine and exercise can do wonders for the mind, body and soul.  Although most people know I am a ” City Girl ” to the core, I must admit that living up here has helped me learn to relax a little bit, and deal with stress in constructive ways.

     We have several places up here that we like to go hiking.  Today, I’m going to talk about Smuggler Cove.  It has an interesting history, and is a very enjoyable hike.

Map Of Smuggler Cove

     One thing we really like about Smuggler Cove is that it is less than a half hour drive past Sechelt, so you don’t have to go too far to feel a million miles away.  It usually takes us about an hour to walk in, and an hour back, but that is with lots of stops for pictures along the way.  If you walked without stopping, it would probably only be about 45 minutes each way.

Beavers Flood The Trail

Interesting Tree

Little Snake

Tall Trees

Smuggler Cove

Arbutus Tree

End View

Kayakers

Sun Sparkling On The Water

     A few days ago, we were watching the news, and a lady came on to discuss various aspects of parenting.  She talked about how many parents brag about how their kids are ” so smart “, or how amazing their athletic abilities are.  Most of us have heard people telling us how their daughter has the highest mark in a certain class at school, won some award, or skipped a grade.  They may excitedly share how their son is the best soccer player on the team, or how he won a sports scholarship. ( It is natural for parents to be proud of their childrens’ academic and athletic achievements, but there is more )

     The thing that stuck out for me about this lady on the news is that she said she always asks parents, ( after hearing  the aforementioned boasting ) ” but, are they kind ? ”  She said this question generally takes parents aback.  The lady went on to explain that yes, it is wonderful when kids excel in school, or in sports, (or whatever ) but to her, there are far more important things.  What matters most to this woman is that her children are kind and thoughtful towards others – both of which are learned behaviours.  She went on to say that we can’t make our kids be great at certain subjects or activities – they will be good at some things, enjoy some things, and not others – that is pre-programmed to a degree.  However, if we teach them by example from a young age to genuinely care about others, and be kind, now that is an accomplishment to be proud of.  ( it means they will likely grow up to be decent people who treat others with respect and dignity – something that used to be expected and normal, but is now, sadly, a rarity. )

     She told a story of how one of her son’s teachers had asked him,  “Why are you so nice ? “, and he answered, ” My Mom made me be that way “.  She had stopped and thought about it, and realized her son was right.  Again, being nice is a learned behaviour – children see it, keep being reminded of it ( and that it is good and right ) and eventually, it becomes part of who they are.  In my opinion, that is being a good parent – encouraging your children to care about others is vital.

     I think it’s wonderful when parents are proud of their children, and I think they should always support their interests ( as long as they aren’t hurting anyone, obviously ) and never try and steer them in a direction that they really don’t want to go.  Every child is an individual, and they deserve to be encouraged to express themselves accordingly.  Just because you did well in a certain class doesn’t mean your son must follow suit.  He is not you – let him be who he is.  If your daughter gets a weird haircut or wears what you consider bizarre clothes, so what ?  That’s all cosmetic and superficial in the big scheme of things.  If you brought them up properly, they’ll be good kids ( and great adults one day ) regardless of what they choose to wear.

     So, next time you hear a parent going on and on about all the things their kids have ” done ” – why not ask them, “Are they kind ? ”  If the answer is ” Yes “, then the parent should be proud of themselves for caring enough to teach things of real value in this world.  We could certainly use a lot more kindness in today’s society.

     This may sound like a strange topic for a Blog post, but it is something that has been bothering me for several years, and I just can’t keep silent about it any longer.  Do you remember when you were a little kid, and you’d go for dinner at a restaurant with your parents, and on your way out, you would notice the little bowl of mints near the entrance/exit ? ( you know – those tiny square ones that came in pink, green, white and yellow )  I always recall thinking how I’d like to grab a few of those on my way out the door, the idea obviously being that you’d just eaten, and it would make your breath fresh.  ( I just wanted them because they were candy, and were sweet, and we weren’t allowed many sweets at home. )

     I never did eat those mints, as I was warned that they’d done studies on the bacteria count on candies etc. sitting out for anyone to help themselves to in restaurants, and it was apparently quite scary.  The premise was that most men don’t wash their hands after using the men’s room, and therefore, they would transfer yucky stuff to the remaining candies as they reached for some.  The thought of that was more than enough to guarantee that I would never go for an unwrapped candy in a public place ever again.

     It’s funny – as a child, I mostly heard that it was men who rarely washed their hands after using the bathroom.  I’m sure there are a lot of men who don’t do it, but it wasn’t until I was a grown woman that I made some observations of my own regarding handwashing.

     After working in a couple of grocery stores, and seeing signs posted regarding the proper handwashing technique: you must wash your hands in warm or hot SOAPY water for a minimum of 20 seconds, I assumed that most people knew how to properly wash their hands.  Didn’t everbody’s Mom teach them, like mine did ?  I thought that was one of the most very basic things that we were all taught as children.  Well, either  there are a lot of uninformed people out there, or they have forgotten what they were taught, or they are just plain lazy.  It is not just men who don’t wash their hands.

     Having worked in several malls over the years, and having used public washrooms at least 5 days/ week, I have seen a lot of unsavoury things.  The thing that really disturbs me is how few women actually wash their hands.  I first noticed it a couple of years ago, and wondered if I was being silly.  I ” Googled ” proper handwashing, and read some very interesting articles about studies done where people went into public washrooms basically to observe what percentage of women truly washed their hands.  They found that if they made eye contact with other women, as they were washing their own hands, they were more likely to do the same.  If they pretended to ignore them, they could see out of their peripheral vision that most women didn’t bother.

     After reading all that stuff, I decided to make some of my own observations.  Like I said, I am generally in a public washrooms at least 5 days per week, so I literally see hundreds of women coming and going each week.  I hate to say it, but I would have to report that probably 60% of women come out of the stall, and walk out the door.  Maybe 30% turn on the tap for less than 10 seconds, ” rinse ” their hands with water ( not using soap, therefore not really doing any good ) then leave.  It is maybe 10% that actually seem to care enough to use warm/hot water, get a good lather going with the soap, and turn the germ – laden taps off with a paper towel, so as to not re-contaminate themselves.  These observations are incredibly disgusting, and I find it really hard to believe that I see this day in and day out.  Make no mistake – it is women from all walks of life – even the ” well-dressed ” and supposedly well-educated set.

     I just don’t get it.  This is just basic hygiene – this is how we keep clean, stay healthy, prevent ourselves and others from getting sick.  Why are there so many women that don’t wash their hands properly ? It is just so gross.

      I would love to hear some comments from anyone that works in the Health Care field – especially regarding the fact that SOAP is a necessary part of proper handwashing.  I have discussed this with a few people before – one even suggested to me that there is no proof that using soap is any better than just using water.   Unbelievable.

     As I mentioned in my last Blog post, my producer Jarome Matthew has been away for a couple of months, travelling, and working with some other Pro Soul Artists.  Jarome always keeps in touch with me while he is away, letting me know what’s going on, and when he’ll be back in Vancouver.  Well, he’s home now, and we’re anxious to get me back in the Studio to record my next 80’s – inspired song.

     This next track we’re working on is a dance track, and I’m hoping we’ll get some airplay in some of my favourite Vancouver Clubs eventually.  The song was written by the incredibly talented singer/songwriter Darryl Kromm ( of Canadian Band Strange Advance ) and it will be our second time working with him on this 80’s project.  Darryl was kind enough to do backup vocals for me on my cover of Human League’s ” ( Keep Feeling ) Fascination ” a while back, and now he is allowing us to use one of his original songs that the public has never heard. We are thrilled ( and extremely grateful ) to be working with Darryl again, and very excited to have such amazing material to work with.

     Now that Jarome and his lovely wife Felisha are back from their travels, it’s just a matter of setting up a time that works with both our busy schedules  – I can’t wait to record this very cool song !  I will continue to rehearse it for the next little while, but am sure we’ll be in the Studio with it before Summer.  I’ll keep you posted.