May 10

 

A special Day to remember my Dad, and a special day too, as its Mothers Day. Which is ironic and so fitting for me in so many ways.

I had maybe the best ski season in a while this year. The first few days going to Lake Louise I was a bit nervous, which is nor.al for me, but as the season went on and I returned for I think 4 or 5 weekend trips to ski and stay overnight at the hostel, I could feel that nervousnes slipping away, and instead being reolaced by anticipation, enjoyment and fun.

On the hill the amazing views, the feeling of flying through the air, the birds chirping in the spring, meeting sometimes people on the chairlift, even having fun in the terrain park on some easy rails and fun jumps. Sharing some runs with friends and family - could still improve at this though- it all added up to a really nice season.

On almost the last run of the year, going up the chair lift one seat behind some older teens and sitting with a life long patroler did stir up some challenging feelings. Ive still got room to grow and to come to terms with myself and who I am and everything that has happenend. 

On my last run of the season I was able to stop in the terrain park at a small S rail, and join some other snowboarders who were hiking it (the chair had closed already) and after that many of the other staff and riders coming down on their last runs of the year, and extend my season a little by hiking it too, and kind of sharing some fun times with them. Even two little butterflies floated by to say hello as I was trying it. Maybe it was a little message from Dad and Aunty Alice.

Update on *memorizing* the Quran, Ive got through a good chunk so far - basicaly all of Early Meccan Group I (Nicole Sinais ordering) and now its time for frequent review to solidify it. Next is Early Meccan Group II,  which should be a bit harder because those Surahs are about 20 versus long on average compared to group I, which was about 6. I am also less used to heating these longer ones in recitation. The process kimd of reminds me of how God forgave Adam and guided him by sending down special words to him. "Then Adam recived words from his Lord, for he relented towards him, He is the Relenting and the Merciful"

I hope this will be the case for me, as well.

A note on the picture, I didn't have my phone on me on my that last weekend, so it is is from two weeks before. Its close to where the base of the old Summit Platter Poma used to be.

Updates from Lake Louise

 Planning to start on my Journey of memorising the Quran, 

I will try to update on my progress as I go. 

I'm using the Nicole Sinai order or Surahs, for now. 

I believe he ranked them on Surah length, rhyme and structure.

https://corpuscoranicum.de/en/commentary

I still have a bunch of old trip journals and memories I need to upload too, and a few photos hopefully.

A nice few days at Lake Louise this winter, and some at Fernie around Christmas.

Nice to be feeling good on my skis.  Good on the skis and good in the heart. It's all a journey!

What Dreams May Come

 

Wednesday September 3

Waiting for the Metro Bus

Newfoundland accents at the bus stop

and new comers from around the world

Rode past farms and schools

Through neighborhoods untill everyone got off

Turning around at the very end of the route

'You want to get off here?' The driver asks.

Old Shoal Bay road, 

Pavement ends

Cross a river

Up a hill

Look down the other side 

I can see the ocean

6.4 km to the shore

Another river comes and goes

It flows down the road for a while

Easiest path to the sea

We pass through mossy wooded glens

Still pools reflecting on stones

Suddenly I'm at Raymonds Gulch

Up-swelling clean sweet smelling air

Blueberries I can pick fistfulls at a time

Basalt bolders and ferns birch trees and fir

An eagle jumps out of a tree

So close I hear its wings flapping

and I jump backwards, too

I come to the footprint of an old living space

One or two homes in a clearing by the sea

The kettle's still here, and the top of an old rake

Raspery bushes and blowing green grass

I pass Miners Point, a once copper mine,

Now here theres blueberry bushes

The coastline horizine fading into the clean air in the south

I climb up a Headland 

onto green feilds in the sky

Seagulls below me flying under the cliffs

I lay in the grass, and the moss

The sea far below

I've been taking photos all day

every five steps at least

(But my cameras just a trick, it hasn't been saving)

I lay on my stomach for a close up

a Pitcher plant, we both smile

I pass through a feild of bolders and grass

Slowly I come back down to the level

I surprise two big grey seals laying on a rock

The dive and dissapear

Poking up now and again to examine me

The sun starts going down

I approach Petty Harbour, a small town

Its like Im waking up from a dream

I knock of the door of a closing-up resteraunt

Fish and chips in a paper bag to go,

To go sit on a bench in the twighlight

Strings of lights reflecting on the water

Where the Grass Starts to Grow

 

Beyond the Baldan Highlands,

I prayed today on the heather 

overlooking the ocean,

and lay down in the sun

where I enjoyed the cool breeze

and seagulls flying by, and a kittiwake

and the waves down below tall granite cliffs

terraced with fir trees gold in the sun.

It's a long walk back to the harbor where

I saw a young man sitting just past the houses

where the grass starts to grow.

His golden retriever looked happy

looking at the seaguls in the water below.

I used to enjoy sitting there 

and a breeze was in the grass

and a sunset light was on the rocks.

I made to say hello

and suddenly felt shy, 

but he offered me to pet his dog.

Its just on the edge of the Atlantic

and just on the edge of town.

Dressing and Gravy

 

Officialy back in St John's!

First stop, Chess's Fish and Chips, got to try the fries with dressing and gravy.

First first stop though, even just moving from the plane to the terminal, I can smell and feel the ocean air. It is a rainy ish evening, maybe that adds to the salt and humidity in the air, and its breezy, too. 

Taking deep deep breathes, as I was walking home from the Fish and Chips, I was enjoying the sweet air. Phmmmm,  Aaaahhh, going deep into my lungs. Nothing quite like it.

Excuse Me, Can You Please Cheer Me On?

 They say it is harder for guys to ask for directions. 

I was at the climbing gym today, and a particular guy caught my eye. I wanted to watch him climb, and yet not seem weird. I continued with my climbing routine, but kind of kept stealing glances, and I think maybe he noticed. The gym is in the shape of a circle.

My routine is to go around the circle. Near the end of my routine, I happened upon a route that my man and the lady he was with were sitting close to, So, I asked them to watch out ere I would fall and crash upon them. They politely moved to the other pad, though I never fell.

After that we shared some Beta. So to say, I had further made his acquaintance discussing a V.5 we were both working on, and another climber with a tuque and a grey beard- a long one and very full-  offered some advice as well.

Then, they climbed one and I climbed another. Therewith, I suggested that we all go look at a steep V.4. I had been working on it for a few weeks and I was hoping, perhaps, they could enlighten me on how to finally ascend it. However, after looking at it they decided not to try it, despite the favorable grade. Therefore, I could gather no clues from their endeavors. 

Alas, I jumped forward to try it at once with them both looking on. Lo and behold, their audience helped me to give my best effort yet, however not quite to the top could I ascend. They consolidated me with some encouraging remarks, and I was glad for their company.  

Hence I realized, I could simply have asked from the outset, 'Excuse me, can you please cheer me on?'

The Month of May

 

May

Mom away on Holiday in Ireland for most of the Month

Did a weekly walk at Anne and Sandy Cross Conservation Area

Nice early morning hike with fried Shahaab

Birthday Present Cavaly FC Soccer Game at Spruce Meadows

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Edmonton vs. Florida at Moose Mountain

 

Remembering Dad at Lake Louise (May the 4th be with You! was the Last Day of the Season at Lake Louise, stayed at the Hostel and had a nice phone call with friend in NFLD, Arpit)