
There is a British actor on YouTube who calls himself Johnathon Pie. Most folks are convinced that he is a genuine reporter who has had enough of the smarmy syrup we have come to expect from our media. He delivers scathing abuses of politicians in general and I love his acid, ranting satire. He also attacks journalists at times and “keyboard warrior” is a term he employed which I thought was wonderfully descriptive. Am I one myself? Dunno? I’m just trying to do my bit to persuade some folks to ask questions and get off their dufus to go see a bit more of their world; and someone else’s as well.

Thank you Jill.

Say no more.




You will see some changes with this blog (number 335) and there will be a few more modifications to come. The blog has now been renamed DRIFTWORD.
The url seafirechronicles.com will still get you there and now so will driftword.ca. I reckoned that the old handle is misleading as the boat it was named after is two years behind me. There is no point in grieving about the loss of my beloved home, temple and magic carpet. I will miss her dearly forever but I also repeatedly write that you cannot steer a steady course by looking back at your wake. It is time to look ahead to the days I have left. Life has no rewind buttons and there is no point in musing about that which cannot be changed.




There will undoubtedly be another serious boat in my future, life for me just does not seem whole without a life afloat. However, I have discovered there is adventure out of sight, sound and smell of the sea and in fact I found a new passion deep in the desert. Oddly, wonderfully I am filled with the same sense of wholeness which I know when out of sight of land. Perhaps a happy compromise will be in a place like Baja where life is lived on an edge between ocean and desert.

Another dramatic change is about to be my location. I am entertaining the idea of a summer’s employment at a place called Lake Koocanusa. It sounds like the title of a bad movie with someone like John Candyis a real location located in the East Kootenays and the border between British Columbia and Montana. There is a long man-made reservoir on the Kootenay River which extends northward 150 kilometres from the Libby Dam in the US. There is a need there for an old seadog with a wide skillset and so I go. Apparently the job begins with a visit to a pig farm in Central Alberta where sit some old wooden boats to survey. Adventure or ordeal, it’s always up to us to control our attitude. The gods have put me in front of an open window and ready or not, it’s boots and saddles. The adventure continues. Yeehaw, kerplunk.


Meanwhile here at home an old friend and his dear wife dropped by on their boat. Jimmy and I have been been buddies for thirty-nine years. We’ve laughed and cried together, shared some huge tragedies and triumphs, pissed each other off at times nearly to the death and are still friends after all these years. Jimmy is a talented singer and songwriter among many other things and we have just completed our first music video. Of course I see all the flaws, but initial reviews are very favourable. Thus encouraged we will hone our skills in future productions. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wGZcXO0hg

And so I’m off to the mainland before I’m quarantined on Vancouver Island as the numbers of Covid varient infections seem to be on an accelerating “Uptick.” Oh the words we’d never heard a year ago.




“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
― Andre Gide
Hi Fred,
As always, lovely blog and pictures.
Certainly hope you blog will continue in your new venture. Should definitely give you lots of new material to work with.
Sadly that Jack is left behind and hope you have a nice home for him.
So have a great summer on the lake. Guess you will still miss that “salty” morning breeze.
Look forward to your next blog.
HAVE FUN and be safe!
Cheers,
Tony
Tony;
Thank you for your kind words as always. Yes, as usual by the time I get to Hope, and beyond, I’ll be twitching for the want of the smell of salt. But we’ll see what adventures lay ahead. Houseboats filled with chubby Albertans leaping around in the hot tub on third deck. Poverty is a cruel boss. Life goes on!
It’s been a longer than usual stretch between your posts, so I had worried you might be ailing. Glad that’s not the case!Glad to hear all is well and you’re launching into some new adventures – good luck with that.
Hi Laurie:
Likewise! Haven’t seen any of your lovely blogs for quite a while, good to hear from you. The seawater in my blood is boiling already at the notion of going inland but I’ll find interesting things to write about and photograph. Life’s a journey!
Fred
Good luck on your new abode! And how, for pete’s sake, did a bunch of old wooden boats end up in central Alberta? Best wishes to you and to Jack.
Thanks Wayne! Yes, there’s a few stories coming up on these boats, but I have to see them to believe it myself. Those “Hurtin’ Albertans” do interesting things. Soe good blogs coming up!
Fred