sea and sky, vacation 2007

----- Original Message -----

From: Andy & Kathy

Sent: Monday, September 03, 2007 11:01 AM

Subject: Emailing: Scuba & Sky 007 (178), Scuba & Sky 007 (180), Scuba & Sky 007 (187), Scuba & Sky 007 (190), Scuba & Sky 007 (191), Scuba & Sky 007 (194), Scuba & Sky 007 (198), Scuba & Sky 007 (206), Scuba & Sky 007 (210), Scuba & Sky 007 (212), Scuba & Sky 007

Hi all,

This is a record of my Scuba and Sky vacation 2007.

I started by Flying in the Lakeside event in Invermere, Aug. 11 &12.

Then Aug.13 saw me driving through to Victoria, loading the Matrix with scuba, flying and camping gear, as well as Kathy's pack. I stayed at Helens place, photos 31,34, to recover from the drive out. I then went on to find Jeff and family in Brentview Bay and spent a restless night there. I was just in time for Alley's second birthday, and shared cake with them. I checked out the local dive outfitter but the were no wrecks to be had so I did not dive. Instead we, Jeff, Alliea and Conrad, walked the beaches of the ocean, near their house. Next day it was back to Helen and Wayne's to wait for Kath who was flying out. The weather was on and off, rain so I spent the time hiking around Helens place, and up the Mill Hill, photos 43,45,46. I called the Victoria flying club but only got a recording, and as the weather was not so good I didn't follow up on the flying in Victoria. Helen's new house is so cool, It's like living at a launch site, the view is so good. Kath arrived the evening of the 16th. We spent the next day shopping in Victoria, MEC etc. and that night went back to town to watch Helen's all girl band perform at the army & navy club, they were great and the food their was real good, as well. After the second set Wayne took us on a small tour of the harbor area. Aug 18, up early as both Kath and Helen packed for their trip, and I was already for the scuba portion of this trip, they drove off to do the 7 day Nanooka trail, while I went to Nanaimo to dive.

That afternoon I met up with Ian of ocean adventures, and set up the dive for the next day. Aug 19, We dove on the wreck the,' cape Briton, I was having some problems with the inflator on my BC, and had a hard time getting down, inside the wheel house I suddenly found myself banging off the ceiling as my vest kept auto inflating, on it's own. I purged the air and continued my dive only to have it inflate again, without warning, I grabbed the rail and held tight to keep from rocketing to the surface,[ a bad thing to happen] and purged again. With all the filling and purging of the vest my air was starting to get low, so I told my dive buddies to continue their dive, while I made my way slowly to the surface. On the way up the vest auto inflated again, I held tight on the anchor line with both hands and let myself slide slowly to the dive boat. I broke surface exhausted, with about 400PSI left in my tank, pissed off at the equipment failure, and tired from the efforts, I called off my second dive. I then drove back to Victoria and went to the dive shop to get a new valve for my BC. I stayed at Helens, with Wayne that night. The next day I went back to Nanaimo and set up another dive with Ian. Aug 21, we dove on the HMCS Sask., the best wreck of them all, with so much soft coral, it rivals the Carib. My BC was still screwing up, so I just un hooked the air line, and used my dry suit for buoyancy control. The second dive was on a smaller wreck called the, Fulton Lyon?, Which I did solo from the dive boat. there was some surface currant so I took a heading, then went under, towards the wreak, at 80 ft. and near the ship, I swam into a dark piece of water that kinda got me scared, I had no sight of anything other than my gauges and compass, the dive light showed only blackness in all directions, so I lifted up about 20 feet and the line from the boy showed up in my light so I was able to descend directly onto the wreak. I took my time and went through the whole wreck to near 100 ft., reversing my heading I then made my way back, popping up just a little ways from the dive boat. I talked to Ian about the dark water and he thinks that I was actually in the boats shadow. Well what ever, it was another experience for me, the photos 180 to 242 are from all three wrecks.

Back on shore I was deciding on what to do next, as I was close to Salt Spring Island, I decided to look up my cousin Jo-Anne there. I had little info on her except that she used to work in a bar just off the ferry. I landed in Vesuvis bay and as there was no bar there I drove to the other side of the island where there was another dock. In that bar I talked to the manager who had never heard of her, o man, what to do. so I took a time out and had a beer, then I called my Mom in Ottawa and she had a phone # for Jo-Anne, I called and got the ans. mach. so I left a message with my cel #, and finished my beer. I wondered a bit around the harbor and ended up at the corner store and gas bar, where I asked to look at the phone book. It was a small book so I just started to go through each page looking for the number mom had given me. I was just through the C's when the owner started to ask me what I was looking for, I told him that I forgot her last name, but had the number. He was real helpful and pulled out the reverse directory, looked up the number and gave me the last name and the address, he also gave me good directions that got me right there. By the way her last name is Webber so I was way far away from locating it on my own. Just as I was about to thank him for his time a belligerent American pushed me aside to ask him for directions, he ignored her and we shook hands as I thanked him for all his help. He then scowled at her, then brushed off her insistence for directions, as her voice got louder and louder he winked at me and I was smiling on my way out. Half an hour later I was visiting my uncle Joe, who is in the process of building an addition to J0-annes house as part of their retirement. Photos 55,58. I spent the night visiting Jo & Mo, Jo-Anne and I re-met her daughter, the stunning Emma, quick of wit and drives a car like me, hey, what's not to like. Roger was out of town on business. I left the next day on the same ferry as Jo-Anne, and her Mom, later I found out that the local flying club is small but active and I really should have taken the time to look them up, next time... I took the big ferry to horseshoe bay, 62, then drove the sea to sky highway to Pemberton 69,73. As I rounded the corner at Pemberton I saw paragliders in the air, I followed their flight path and found the LZ. There were pilots on the ground, so we talked and I found out that Cayoosh Expeditions, Jim & Coco were in the air. I hung around but Jim and Corinne top landed. I got hold of them later by cel phone, so we set up a meeting for the next day, I asked about a camp site and they directed me to a great one by Mt. Currie, Owls creek, which had one other camp site occupied.

Aug. 23, I meet the gang at the LZ, 86,243, Coco takes me up to the launch site, 89,90,93, where we all fly off in soft conditions, landing at the soccer field. Coco left me with the demo glider, and I caught a second ride to the launch, I launched just before the wind changed, and had a bumpy but extended ride to the LZ. the others did not fly as the, Whistler Express, a harsh mid valley wind, blew up from the south. In the LZ talking to the others I got invited to a BBQ at Dave's place, where a cook / pilot from Whistler cooked up a great meal, after too many beers and flight stories, I was told that I was now accepted as a Pemberton Muppet, I then retire to my tent, to dream of miss Piggy flying?

Aug 24, hung over looking for breakfast, then off to the LZ for a ride up. Took the demo wing out for a second test, flew well, and again landed just before the winds picked way up. Met up with Coco and Jim and got invited to a salmon BBQ, that night. As the wind had picked up too much I took up Coco's offer and went swimming at a local lake. Then the BBQ, and more flying stories and beer. Photos 94,96,99 are of the Pemberton Valley, They all talked about a fly-in at Grouse Mt. this weekend, so I diceded that as the weather was getting worse anyway, I might as well take in this event.

Aug. 25, up at 7am and off to Vancouver for the 9am sign in, the fog got thicker the closer I got to the launch, registered at the LZ, 100, Then up the tram to Grouse Mt., the flying was on hold as we could not even see the launch from the top of the tram station, so we made like tourists and took in the sights that included bears and birds, 112,124,128,. that evening was the event BBQ, of pork that was out of this world, I met more local pilots, as well as visiting pilots. Glen showed up from Vernon, we talked of flying and he invited me out. I slept in the car that night and oddly dreamed of flying in Pemberton, I really like the place and the people. The next day was foggy but we went up to the launch site and caught a few fleeting views of the area. In the afternoon a very few pilots took to the sky, many had a hard time with the cross wind and fog, some had bad launches, others aborted their launch, we all watched as Nichole [Canadian woman's champ 2007] hit a strong cross wind on take off and crashed to the ground she later confirmed that she had broken her back with a crushed C12 and is now in a harness for 6 weeks. All the while I kept thinking maybe I should have stayed in Pemberton and flew there, instead of here watching the carnage, but the fog did eventually lift, though the cross winds got stronger, in the end the meet got called, so we just packed up and out. pics,132,138,141,144,147,152,153, I thought about going back to Pemberton, but after supper I decided to go on to Vernon. I got almost to Princeton where I camped for the night, then on to Coldstream, I hiked up King Eddy, 160,161, and flew off in light conditions, meet Glen in the LZ, and arrange to camp at his place. I re-met Scott at LZ and drive his ride back down the Mt., on to Glens place where I hook up with the other pilots and talk about tomorrows flight plans.

Aug. 28, Nick, Steward and I go to Coopers ridge165,167, for the morning flight, we all had a sledder to Randy's farm and the LZ , as we were packing up it started to rain so we went to Lumby and had lunch. Stew went on to Mara Lk. for the SIV course while Nick and I went to King eddy, to para-wait. Next day Glen asks us to take Ed with us so we all end up doing 2 flights from Coopers then off to Baldy for 2 more flights,173. a full day .

Aug. 30, Nick and I up early to meet Ed in Kalona to fly 'Blue Grouse', 175,178 the wind is var. at 2 km so a forward launch is called for, such a great view from here, would be nice to stay up in the air for a while but we have time for only one flight, tight LZ by the water but all goes well, Ed misses the LZ and ends up doing a downwind landing into the rose bushes, in front of his nephew who is on the camera, we carefully pick his glider out of the thorns and he and his wing are non the worse for ware. Nick heads off to his work, Ed is off to Vancouver, So I head back to Vernon, and hike up King eddy, the wind is strong, too strong so I wait almost 2 hours for it to calm down. I'm running out of water and sun light, but I don't want to walk down, so I pick one of the short lulls in the wind and launch, strait away from the hill and the nasty wind, still it picks me up and blows me around, I pull big ears, to reduce the size of my wing, and slowly crab towards the LZ. None of the locals launch as conditions are bad for flying, but I do make it down and pack up, just as some locals come over to see how I am, nice folk eh.

Aug. 31, great flight off Mt. Baldy, lots of lift and I stay up for a long time, I land well and pack up just before the rain. Off to Lumby for a shower in the camp ground, then back to Glens for the night. Next day I strap on the helmet cam and fly off Baldy in very light conditions, good footage of flight then off to lunch with Glen. I take my leave after lunch, thank Glen and drive off to Golden.

I meet Janet at the LZ and as she is just ready to drive up for a retrivel, I hook a ride to the lower launch of Mt. 7. With no wind I do a forward launch and fly out, with no lift, to the mid valley. I'm about 2500ft over the LZ so I just set a box flight plan and work my way lower and lower, I land softly in failing light and pack up just in time to join Mike for a late supper at the pub. I split a camp site with Jan for my first stay at John & Kathy-Anne's camp at the LZ. Alas it was a poor choice as the rowdies have taken over the area, yelling and screaming in drunken voices till almost dawn. Jan got pissed off about 1 am and asked them to turn the music down, they attacked like wild dogs, swearing and threatening her and her dog. Just before dawn the last of the jackasses finally stopped throwing up and passed out in their own vomit, it left me with about 2 hours sleep. Not only was my night ruined by the animals, but the next days flying as well , so we both packed up and just went home. After nearly 3 weeks on the road camping all over BC this was the worst camp site, by far. How sad I though as I drove away to have such a nice and new facility taken over by the rowdies, it definitely spoils it for us who might use it as a base for adventure sports, after all one needs ones sleep to perform well. That morning before we left Jan complained to the management, the girl said sorry but no one was there that night, despite it being a long weekend, which leads me to wonder, long weekend, lots of people, absent management, I doubt this place will be standing for long, at this pace. Next time I'll just sleep up on the hill, like in Willi's days.

Well, despite the last night, it was one hell of a holiday, I will remember it for years, and years, and I will always think of Pemberton with sunshine and friends, thanks to all of you who I met along the way, you each made my life richer and more full...........Andy

day 13 & 14

Subject: A day at the Beach

Good Morning Folks,

Most of us slept in this morning, we awoke to a continental breakfast, which is a fancy way of saying, coffee and cold cereal. We discussed many options for the day, including a $30.usd @ day at the beach, with a bus ride out and back. After speaking broken Spanish with the doorman I found out the locals go to a beach 3 blocks away. Our little band of weary shoppers set off for a day at the beach, which turned out to be 5 blocks away. We were early by local standards, so Gary went ahead and rented a bunch of loungers and umbrellas, from the local beach vender, who also supplied us with cold beer all day long. It was mildly amusing to watch these local venders as they argued over this small strip of beach. At first it was a bit cool to step into the ocean, later it became necessary to dip in every few minutes. What a relaxing time to just sit in the hot sun and chill, watching the beach venders selling their wares, the children laughing in the ocean, and the occasional topless sunbather strut by. Drifting in and out of a light sleep I got to add to my tan, with a dash into the now warm ocean, the morning lazily passed. About that time I began to think of food, again, and with perfect timing the next wave of venders began to set up for lunch, with grills warming up and drinks cooling off we soon had our choice of burgers, hotdogs, tacos, etc. Being a bit leery of the locals doing up my food on the beach, I hung back and just watched their food handling methods. Satisfied that the were not going to outright poison me, I bought a hot lunch, which I shared with Kathy. A little later some guy in a chief's hat and a loud voice, came onto the beach, holding a large serving tray he almost sang out in Spanish, we never found out just what he said, but the locals started lining up right away to buy whatever it was he was selling. Curiosity got the better of Kathy, so she went over to try whatever it was he sold, turned out to be crab cakes baked in a light pastry, delicious indeed, much better than the hot dog I bought. Another nap and a few dips in the ocean later, it was late afternoon, and we all decided that , that was a full day. So we rounded up our group and headed back to the hotel, on the way we decided to return to old San Juan for supper and one last walk around the narrow streets. Back at the hotel, I noticed that I was somewhat red, especially compared to my pasty white bum, after a long shower, I rubbed aloe vera jell over the redness, and dressed for supper. It took two mini vans to get us to old San Juan, we walked to a bakery/restaurant that Kathy and I ate in at the start of this trip. The locals seemed to like the food in this 150 yr. old eatery so we all went for it, turned out to be a great choice for us. I had grilled chicken, with rice and beans, with fried green bananas, it was sooo good, and such a full plate that I couldn't finish it all, but I passed on the fried green bananas. With no room for desert, we were treated to a coconut custard that was made in house, WOW, was that great, I would have ordered more but Kathy got the last of it, so we shared. When the bill's came, they were all screwed up, but being within $2. of each we just paid and left a healthy tip for our over worked waiter. A slow walk back to the square, in the fading light, set the mood for our last night in the Caribbean, lost in our own thoughts, we were all glad that we took the extra time at the end of our cruise to enjoy San Juan and each other, the only tell tail sign, were the satisfied smiles on our faces......

The next day we woke up, packed, had coffee and were in the lobby by 8:30am, reluctantly ready to fly home. Customs was a breeze, and the flight to Dallas was uneventful, lunch at the airport, Mc Uk's, was a sober reminder that we were not in the Caribbean any more. A Ben & Gerry's ice cream treat put me into a better mood, another wait and it was boarding time for the long flight home. Customs at Calgary was routine, but the wait for the bags seemed forever. After the ride home I went through my pockets to find that I had only $6.usd left to my name, nothing like cutting it close. For the next 3 days I wondered around the house wondering what happened to the maid and the waiter, also I tended to list to one side as I walked, much like I did the first few days on the ship.......

Hints for next time...............

Take two big bags, but pack light.......

Less sox and underwear..............

More books, a small first aid kit.........

No tee shirts, I never wore one.......

2 dress shirts, only..........

2 pair of pants, 1 light, 1 dark......

2 pair of shorts, 1 light ,1 dark......

2 bathing suits.....

A Tim Horton's travel mug, it's better than a flag......

of course I bring my own scuba gear....

shoes, one pair dress, one pair casual, and sandals, are all we needed......

Anything else can be bought there, at less cost, like towels, printed shirt etc. which is what I wore the most............

It would be redundant at this point to say we had a great time, however let me state that we are already planning our next family cruise, the Mediterranean in 2010...............

I have emailed these ramblings out to many folks over the past two weeks, and have heard back from only a very few. It would be nice to hear from you, and get your take on my writings. I hope this has inspired you to start thinking that there is more to life than the daily grind, and rather than live vicariously through me, you may seek out your own adventures. Whether it is in the Caribbean, or your own back yard remember, we are only young once in this life, so live it. I know when I was dying in the cancer ward, I was really scared and bitter to look forward, but when I looked behind at all the adventures I've had over the years, I could only be thankful, and felt fulfilled with the life I had been granted, even if it ended today....... And so I thank the Lord for each day since then, and wish His blessings upon each of you...............Andy

day 12

Subject: San Juan

Hello,

This morning we awoke in San Juan, after a big breakfast of grits, we finished packing and left our luggage for the porter. Up on deck we gazed over the forts of old San Juan, waiting for our debarking orders. While leaning on the rail, I looked over at Kathy and said lets go again in reverse, we both agreed that given the time and money we would both be up for the reverse voyage, it's no wonder that many older folks do just that. This whole cruise cost only $850.usd @, for 11 days, plus tips, that is cheaper than a motel just about anywhere. But this was not to be, on this trip anyway. We breezed through customs, and soon found ourselves at the best western, arriving at mid day they gave us a room and we all stored our luggage and went about exploring in old San Juan. Checking out the stores for some great buys, we only stopped for lunch at a local micro brewery. There we were treated to lobster bisk soup, which was out of this world. More shopping and back to the hotel, to get ready for our next trip. That night we had booked a trip to paddle and swim in luminous bay. The bay we were told is only one of 5 places in the world where the diatoms give off light when excited by movement in the water. We were told a chemical reaction is the reason for the light and this trip promised to be another trip of a lifetime. A small bus picked us up and drove just over an hour to the beach, where we were given instruction on how to paddle a C2, two person kayak. We set off in the dying light of another hot day, to work our way through a mangrove swamp, single file. As we got closer to the Bay and it got darker we began to see just what they were talking about. With each stroke of the paddle we stirred up them little creatures, and they only got brighter as we moved quietly through the mangrove swamp. Breaking into the bay, our party of a dozen small craft, started to really light up, at that point we were allowed to drop into the dark water. It was like diamonds dripping off our arms as we swam slowly through the jeweled waters. My photos do no justice to the diatoms, but rest assured it was in fact an experience of a lifetime. Even Rod, who was deathly afraid of any water deeper than a dug-out, got onto the magic of this night. We were all left speechless as we reluctantly regained our C2's and started the single file paddle back to the beach. Our ride broke down on the way back so we had to wait for another van to take us back to the hotel. The driver knew his way around as well as he spoke English, which was nil. Both Rod and I went into enguarde mode as the driver went around in circles, we half expected him to drive down a dark alley to waiting banditos, but about an hour later he finally found our hotel. We left him without a tip as his bad attitude came through clearly in any language. We were all glad that we had chosen to spend two nights in San Juan, as we looked forward to sleeping in, late.... Tomorrow the beaches of san Juan..................Andy

day 11

Morning all,

Today finds us in Tortola BVI., this is the shortest day of the cruise as we have to be back on board by 1:30pm. Our tour today is to Savanna beach and then to Virgin Gorda Grotto. After a 45 min. ride on board a power cat, we are boarded onto buses to take us to Savanna beach, the views were spectacular as we drove on skinny roads to the beach. There we found hot sand and warm water, but with recent rains the visibility was not very good and the undertow was almost dangerous. We fooled around in the shallow water for over 1 hour then we boarded the buses to go to the Grotto. The baths as they are called, sit atop looking out over the sea, a great view indeed, the Grotto is a 10 min. walk down to the sea, where we were treated to a very nice beach. The grotto is a series of big jumbled boulders that we walked through, around and under, sometimes walking in the water, sometimes in the sand, sometimes over the rocks themselves. This was a really cool spot and we all agreed that we could have spent the entire time here instead of that beach. All too soon we were called back to the waiting buses, for our return trip to the ship. We arrived at the dock at 1:pm, but there was no market at this dock so we had no time to search out trinkets, or towels. On board we were instructed to pack and get ready for tomorrows dismemberment, that night was lobster night for the formal dinner, I had two, nothing like leaving with a good impression. On the fan tail after dinner we were a somewhat somber group as this was our last night onboard. Later as I stood alone, cigar in hand under the Southern Cross, I thanked the Lord for letting me live long enough to enjoy this trip, one tear worked down my cheek to seal this prayer. As a warm breeze drifted in from San Juan, I made my way slowly back to our stateroom.............Andy

day 10

Hello old friends,

Today finds us on St Kitts, the sun was already hot as Kathy and I boarded a power boat for a ride to a reef, for a snorkel. The half hour ride took us out into the ocean where we saw green hills with houses perched here and there. Most of the houses by the sea were deserted and broken up, the result of a hurricane that tore through the area. We anchored just off the reef, and began our swim. We had to be aware of the surge as the reef was shallow and if we got too close we could be pushed into the coral, and this did happen to Kathy as her knee looked like she rubbed a grater over it. Just a small wound, but still a notice to pay attention to the surroundings. Unfortunately the hurricane had done it's damage and the reef was just starting to recover, so not too much to see, and no big marine life. The brochure promised turtles and sting rays, to no avail. After a 45 min. snorkel we loaded back onto the boat and moved a short distance to swim on an old Spanish galleon that had sunk in 10ft. of water. The water was turbid and visibility was 5 to 8ft. at best, eventually the guides found the remains of the wreck and we snorkeled over it, I dove down and got a few shots of cannon, laying on the bottom of the bay, but the quality of the photo's is not very good. I also got a photo of the wood deck where it lay since the 1400 hundreds. I took a photo of what I thought was the stove, but it turned out to be an old engine block, from more recent times. This trip on the whole was a disappointment, but how can one complain about swimming in 81 deg. water under a hot hot sun, so we both enjoyed the moment for what it was. Back on shore, we walked through a newly built market, unlike the open markets this one was built with air conditioned stores with a central plaza, giving the area a more American look. The prices were OK but we later found out that most of the stores were owned by one east Indian family, with aunts and uncles running the business. A small area was set up open air style so we spent some time there, with the locals however most of the merchandise was the same as all the other islands, with only the names changed. I saw very little in local crafts, so we settled in the central area for beers / water after meeting most of our cruise group. Security was tight as we passed the gate to our ship, with many security persons checking our sea passes as well as photo ID. Back on board we got ready for another great dinner, mixed emotions clashed as we revered in the luxury of our trip, but slowly acknowledging that it was almost at an end........Andy

day 9

Subject: Dominica

Morning Kind Folks,

Dominica was a total treasure for us scuba divers, it had the most unspoiled marine life of all the islands, by far. It is easy to tell by all the underwater photos that I took. We docked on the last day of their Marti gras, which the locals call the last lap. As most business were closed for the parade, and the many on-going party's, I was lucky to get in a dive as a walk on. As a result we were passed from one dive operation to another, finally getting on with ALdive in Roseau, it was almost $100.usd compared to the $77usd in Aruba, for the 2 tank dive. Also the equipment seemed well used, and the small dive boat saw better days, back in the 60's. I'm again glad the I carry my own dive gear, despite this we dove on the point, to 70ft.. I was totally amazed by the size of everything, the sponges were big enough to get inside, while the sea fans were gargantuate. We were overwhelmed by the sheer number of fish, and behind them were 3 times as many half their size. Lobsters and crabs are good indicators of a healthy reef system, and there they were a-plenty. There were only three of us and the dive master, so we took our time, with John, from the ship, and I teamed up to explore this brave new world. We wandered around in total amazement for 45 min. then headed back to the boat, for fresh tanks. We moved a short distance to do the " champagne dive", close to shore where very hot water bubbles up from an active volcanoes deep below. Again the marine life was overwhelming, and at 50 to 20 ft. we spent about 50min. below the snorkels. We came out of the water totally satisfied, as we enjoyed the sunny ride back to the dive shop. Someone forgot about us and we were stranded there till the owner grudging drove us back to the first dive shop, where they demanded another $10usd, to get us back to our ship. While I may never dive with that shop again, I found better and cheaper on the internet, I will try to get back to Dominica, just cause it was so dammed good. However there are no five star hotels, or restaurants, so it is humble accommodations at best. For someone who camps out, this presents no real problems, just don't drink the tap water.

Photo 431 shows the bubbles coming out of the coral, and shot 401 is an eel, the rest are just pure scuba heaven.. So back to the ship for a late lunch then off to the local dockside market for a towel and trinkets.. A colorful band on a float were practicing beside the market and one could tell that the natives were restless to finish off with us tourists and get on with their last lap.That night at supper was another gastronomical treat, with cigars and drinks cappuccino's on the fan tail. Rocking to sleep that night I was again in scuba heaven, in my dreams..............Andy

day 8

Subject: St.Lucia

Hello everyone,

RAIN, RAIN, and more RAIN

Yep, we arrived in St. Lucia in the rain, while eating grit's in the cafeteria on the 11 floor, I watched the rain wash over this tiny island. So instead of rushing for the shore tour, I ordered another bowl of grit's, and an orange juice. I watched the small planes land on a tiny airport, that seemed to run right over the bay, which it did. Kathy and I, along with Bev and J, walked through the tiny dock side market in the tropical downpour. We then decided to go to town as our plan B was put into effect. We took a water taxi to the town site 1km away, and right into another dock market, this one more upscale, and costly. Out onto the street, St.Lucia reminded me of Tijuana, so many people and buildings all squished together, most things seemed broken, like traffic lights, but not as broken as Grenada. The open market was just a jumble of stalls, selling the same stuff we saw on most of the other islands. So we amused ourselves by seeing just how low we could barter for the few trinkets, to be used as gifts, back home. When we got bored of this game we went for the local beer, meeting up with some more members of our party. As I don't drink, and was just tired of the crowds I went back to the ship for lunch and to read, while the rest got ready for round 2 of shopping. As a positive note all the people we met were nice and the rain was warm, however the sign on the lawn saying " beware of the guard dogs at night" hinted at more than we wanted to know. I guess I should have gone diving, as one of my dive buddies later told me the diving was great, O well, ya just can't do it all in one trip.. Tomorrow will see us in Dominica, and hopefully the sun will shine on our little parade.............till then friends.........Andy

Subject: Barbados

Hey, Hey, Hey,

We docked in Barbados on Sunday morning, as the Caribbean people are devout Christians, all of the town was shut down tight. There was a small indoor market, as well as a few stalls set up outside. Which covered our needs at this point of the cruise. One of the highlights of our whole trip was this day excursion. Cat sail and swim with the turtles. It started with a sail aboard a 60ft. cat, warm air and water temperatures, made us comfortable as we sailed past pristine beaches fronted by multi million dollar hotels. Even before the bar opened some tourist fell into the boat from the deck almost flattening my dive camera, which I thought was safe resting on the table, this was moments after the captain warned us about just that very thing. The boat was crowded, and I detected a note of cynicism as the crew went about their instructions, like they were all board of the same thing over and over. We reached the beach where the turtles were, so I geared up with my own stuff, as the others were fitted out by the crew. A crew member came up to me and demanded that I remove my fins, not understanding his reasons I wanted to know why, which only made him more belligerent, even though I said,

' your boat your rules' I still wanted to know the reason for his demands. He mumbled something incoherent,and stomped off making me wonder if this was worth the effort, let alone the cost. So with mask and snorkel only, I was the first in the water, only to see the very crew member who demanded me remove my fins with his on. O well as a result of me being the first one to get wet I got some great photos of just the turtles without all them others swimmers in the shot. As the 30 persons filled the water around the turtles, it became difficult to get good photos, making me real glad I was so quick off the mark. I was beginning to feel squeezed by the crowds, when a water-skier passed between us and the shore line, I thought this was a very unsafe thing to do when another skier passed between us and the shore 30 ft. away. I called off my dive at this point and headed to the cat, just as another pulled up with it's 30 people, now the water was full and still the pleasure boats and skiers whizzed between us and the shore. I asked the caption about this potentially hazardous situation and he said that even after complaining to the coast guard, nothing was ever said or done. Seems funny because the crew made it clear that the turtles were an endangered species, yet nothing was done to protect them in this area, like a ban on motor craft or even speed limit. Maybe I am showing my age but, the ride back was filled with booze, as the crew literally poured the rum into the passengers, whooping and hollering with the music way too loud, I could have done with a dry boat, at less a cost, and I'm sure the children on board would agree. Who needs to see the adults acting this bad before noon. Despite all that the swim with the turtles will last in my memory till the day I die. We got back to the dock in a light but warm rain, as I looked for Cuban cigars, Kathy went for the trinkets, and the rest enjoyed the local beer. Back on board the ship we took our time getting ready for yet another great supper. Sailing north as the sun was setting, my thoughts reflect on the days events, and the blessing of being able to swimming with the turtles....... tomorrow we hit St. Lucia....till then amigo's!!.........Andy

Good Morning,

Red sunbeams reach out to light up the old fort on Grenada. Built by the French, it stands guard on an inland harbor that could house the entire French fleet. Fought over through the years by British and French, the island has more spices than any other. Providing 1/3 of the worlds nutmeg..I took a water taxi to the Grand Anse Beach, and walked from one scuba stall to another, looking for the cheapest. Eco dive seemed to fit the bill so I booked two dives. As I went for my visa I relised that I had left it in the safe on the ship, O shit, going through my dive bag and pockets I came up with just enough cash for 1 dive. So it is and I got to dive on a wreck right there in the bay. Visibility was 90ft., with the boat sitting at 100ft., so with just me and the dive master, we did a quick decent to 75ft. and the fore deck of the old freighter. With no other divers on this trip, I had free reign to explore the ship from anchor to wheel house. There was a plethora of fish about and the predators were present as well. As we made our way through the galley to the wheel house, we came up the four steps only to stop dead looking at a six foot barracuda sitting there looking out the windows for his next meal. My photo is not very good due to the light through the windows, but this predator was bigger than me, however he never even gave us a glance as we backed out slowly into the galley. We might have gone below but between us I was the only one with a dive light, and the air was half, at 1500psi. So we continued through and out to the deck towards the aft section, with the big propeller and rudder finishing off at the stern. With less than 750psi left, we started the slow ascent stopping at 15 ft. for our 3 min safety stop. I broke the surface with only 450psi left, the norm is 500psi. so it wasn't too bad. I was more than a little pissed at myself for not having the cash/visa for my second dive, as the visibility was the best so far, but dammed it was a great one dive trip. With my last $3. in change, it was just enough for the water taxi back to the ship, and lunch.... Washing my gear in the shower, I changed and headed to St. Georges, the main town on this stop. It was evident that everything was broken, everywhere we looked, roofs were gone, and buildings laid to waste. I met up with Rod, Sherri and Bill, so we all walked though a long tunnel linking the old city to the tourist quarter. In the old section the devastation was even more evident, some folks had just a tarp for a roof, and many had only two or three walls to live in. We went to a local store to buy water but they didn't even know how to handle the Yankee bucks, using Caribbean money only, I walked out empty handed when the could not even change a $5usd. Rod and I then headed up to the fort, up top it was sad to see how beatup this old structure had become, however the view was more than spectacular. Sighting down the 8 pound guns, gave us a commanding view of the whole bay, making it easy to imagine the devastation them 8 pounders could do to any fleet stupid enough to get within range. But what a view, deep blue bays against the green hills, almost took your breath away. Sad to see, were all the churches had no roofs, but the bars all withstood the devastation of hurricane Ivan. Rebuilding will no doubt take years at the pace of repair we saw, mostly it seemed people moved on and just left the pile of rubble that used to be their homes. The water temp. according to my dive computer was 83degrees, while the air temp. must have been closer to 90degrees, and so it was back to the ship for cool drinks, showers, and get ready for supper. After dinner we boys retired to the fan tail for drinks and Cuban cigars, I tried a Baileys, but it just didn't go down well, and I left it sitting, switching to water or cappuccino for the rest of our trip. Darkness is complete at this latitude, like a light switch at 6 pm, then again at 6am. But man them stars,!!! WOW, also Saturn was in her finest, hanging low and bright off the stern of our 12 story moving luxury hotel . We all said goodnight, and headed below,well fed and content with another great day in the Caribbean..............till tomorrow......Andy

day 5

Morning all,

Day 4 of the cruise was the second sea day, between Curacao and Grenada. We all spent the day resting, eating, napping, and snacking. Tanning on deck while reading, moving between the shady side and the sunnyside, as it was hot, very hot. Then it was time for lunch, and we did it all again for the afternoon. That night was a formal night so we all did the, Mr. dress-up thing and had a great time, it's amazing how scrubbed up the men look in their tuxes, and how it sets the stage for the girls in their finest. Gani, our waiter entertained us through-out the 5 course meal. A show in the evening at the theater was most entertaining, with the classical trained violin, playing the orange blossom special, then we turned in early, due in part to too much sun..Except for grandma who seems to always come out ahead at the gaming tables. She has the luck, whereas I guess I use up all mine not getting eaten by big barracuda. Some of these photos are from a melon carving contest, but I'm not sure which day this actually happened, o well. Also Ric won a Texas hold-em contest, but again it may not have been on this exact day.

My niece says that she is jealous of our trip, and I agree, if I were not a part of it, I would be too. Much like I wish I could have been part of Jacques Cousteau's crew, or part of Clive Cusslers sunken treasure hunters. So I guess this means that she is a cruiser, in waiting. Well, I never cruised till I was almost 50 years old, so she has some time to plan...and save. In the mean time I hope that you all can share in this great experience, through my rambling thoughts and experiences. Surly, at least the scuba trips must be a bit interesting, even to the most seasoned traveler. Tomorrow is Grenada, and a whole hockey bag full of new experiences. ............ for now ...............A

day 4

Morning,

As I stood on deck 11, coffee in hand, the rising sun reveled a colorful Curacao. A Dutch colony it is oil rich and seems to have a booming economy. After a bowl of grits, I was off on another dive adventure, this time we dove on Toucan reef. This reef was healthy and full of life, the coral was big and wide spread, with visabilty to about 40ft. We dove to 50 ft. and followed the reef till half our air was gone then we turned and worked our way back. This was a shore dive, and as I watched everyone gear up, the same gorby from the first dive, put all his equipment on backwards, again. The dive master had to redo his gear, then we were ready to go. The highlight for me was seeing my first sting ray, it was small compared to the manta ray, but I got some good photos of him. The second dive was a wall dive to 40 ft., in order to access this we had to swim through a break in an underwater wall, at 10ft. under the waves meant that we had to time our passage to pass through on an ebb, because when the waves pushed inward to shore, I could not kick hard enough to counter the surge. It was weird but fun, I then found my second ray, much bigger than the first. It was resting on the sea floor at 35 ft., as I hovered over it with camera flashing, and I inched closer. I then had a flash of Steve Irwin, and with a deep breath I arose above it just out of range of it's barb. The ray woke up and with a short glance at me it glided away into deeper water. Further along I spotted a big barracuda, as I moved in for the photo, it turned and came towards me, I must admit there was a moment where my heart missed a beat or two, barracuda have a very big jaw, with big teeth for it's size, but the cuda was just curious of me and veered off at the last meter. Moving back towards shore I passed through the hole in the wall by letting the surge gently push me through, now that was fun. As I got out of the water near shore I glanced over at the gorby to see him fighting with his fins, as I looked closer we all saw that he had put his fins on upside down, with the foot piece covering his instep. Even the dive master could not stifle his laugh, as we all fell backwards into the surf laughing our heads off.

Back on board I stashed my gear and headed up for lunch, I met Kathy a little later and we headed out for the local market. The large market area is divided by a river and the Dutch put in a swinging, float bridge which connects the 2 parts of their city. The bridge is about 50m long and pivots from one side, to allow ships to pass into an inner harbor. While the water temp. was 79. the air must have been 85., boy it was hot as we walked through the shops. I bought another towel, and this became a trend throughout the cruise, with towels from each port except Tortola. That night was white night in dinning hall, did I mention the great food, followed by a great show in the theater. It didn't take long to gently rock to sleep, dreaming of Mr. Ray in his garden like home........ continued, tomorrow .............

day 3

Here we go,

After being gently rocked to sleep we awoke to Aruba. After a quick breakfast, I gathered my gear for my first dive of this trip. A small bus met us at the dock, and took the five divers on board to a boat. A short trip out and we were at the spot of an old wreck. As a diver I gear up pretty quick, following my routine, I have few wasted movements, which left me time to watch the others get ready. I have found that you can tell alot about a diver just by watching them get their stuff together. Good divers tend to be ready without rushing, where slower divers tend to fiddle and fuss. So it was on this trip, as I watched some guy put all his equipment together backwards. I slowly moved away from him before the dive master assigned partners. I was teemed with a German who was ready to go when I was. After the dive master sorted out the gorby's gear he teamed him with John an American, and we all got wet. The dive was to a wreck lying on it's side in 50 feet of water, but with only 30 ft. visibility, I never saw the whole boat in one picture. We were not allowed to enter as the steel hull was ready to collapse, and even our bubbles could have caused it to fail. So we swam the parameter and I got only a few shots, even with the strobe flash the turbid of the water made the photos dark. The water was 81degrees, so it was really nice just to get wet, and shake off any gitters. The second dive was just a mile from the first, and was an even older wreck that had broken into 5 distinct parts. Navigation was the key here, using compass readings to find all 5 parts. A, UXB, bomb on the sea floor marked one site while many fish and a lobster guarded the other spots, also the barracuda we cruising these spots, as they do on most ship wrecks that I have dove on. At about 20ft. the light was ok but again the turbid made it a somewhat murky dive, with visibility at about 30 ft. We got back to our ship at about 1 pm. and after stashing my dive gear in the shower of our room, it was lunch on board then off to Aruba for shopping. I tend to look more than buy, but I hooked up with several of our group and just walked around the area. I found one shop with masks made by natives, they boil the gum from a tree and add vegetable coloring to the mix, they then chew this sap to make it stretchy and place to over a wooden mask. The mask is carved by the natives at the direction of the medicine man who it's said gets high to talk to the spirits, who dictate which mask to carve. By adding different colored layers of processed sap they make really different masks. I listened to a video of this story in the store, and thought the masks would cost a lot but starting at 17usd., well even I could afford one. This was valentines day so I gave it to my true love. Back on the ship we all got together for another extravagant meal, with cigars and coffee afterwards. Then it was off to the theater for some on-board entertainment. Some of the group gave me a white shirt, you know the type with the funny collar and black buttons for my tux, as I was team leader for this cruise, thank you, it was a most kindly thing to do. I was able to go to sleep with a big smile that night, part from a great day, part from the anticipation of another port tomorrow..........A&K

day 2

Hi,

This is our first full day at sea, and a good thing it was a sea day, as we all were still adjusting to the heat, as well as getting our sea legs. We explored the ship, locating the shopping level, theater, as well as the nooks and crannies. Eat, read, nap, eat, yes we found the cafeteria, and the cappuccino bar. I remember a time when the idea of a cruise just seemed stupid, and should be for old folks only, then I tried it. Now I feel that you should try it while still young, so you can get full value, from all the activities. For a guy who prefers the back country to the city, and who prefers a bivi to a hotel, this may seem a contradiction. But well, its cool to play dress up, and be spoiled rotten. Then go on a day trip and enjoy our choice of adventure, then return to the ship, for yet more food. Ya just never know when a feast will suddenly break out. The washing of hands was on going, with crew members assigned to entranceways just to squirt a cleaning solution onto everyone's hands as we entered the dinning area, as well as whenever we reentered the ship after a day trip. Our first formal dinning secession was that night, with the guys in tuxes, and the girls in their finest, WOW, what a sight. Tomorrow will see us in Aruba, I look forward to my first dive secession, of this trip.........to be continued..............A&K

Start the Caribbean adventure

Hey All,

The Caribbean adventure begins...... So we flew into San Juan P.R. arriving late in the evening, we just walked to the Best Western airport, and crashed. Getting up the next day we stored our baggage and took a walking tour of Old San Juan. This old city is totally surrounded by the fort wall with cannons protecting the bay from several points. First built in the 14 th. century, the walls are 14 ft. thick, and in places 70 ft. high, hard to imagine this work being done by hand so long ago, but there it is. The view is fantastic with the blue of the water contrasted by the red blocks. We then checked out the shopping in old san Juan, just the start of many shopping trips we were gonna see on this trip. We ate at a small resturant and got good food at a real good price. We bought a few things and later figured that san Juan is the distribution point for many of the islands goods, making these the best buys on the whole trip, barring local crafts...At around 4 pm we gathered our baggage and boarded the cruise ship, Galaxy, for our 11 day trip through out the southern Caribbean. That night we had dinner on board with roast beef and crème brulie, the first of many great meals on this trip. We met our waiter Gani, who turned out to be the best waiter on board. The meal was fowlled by cigars and drinks on the fan tail, as we sailed for Aruba, and our first day at sea. Our state room was really nice and seemed big compared to our last cruise. Rather than give you all the photos at once I will do one day at a time following our steps on this trip.... to be continued..............A&K

Parker Ridge

----- Original Message -----

From: Andy & Kathy

Hi Friends,

This trip started with a funeral for my friend of 30 years......

Marc Champagne and I worked together at the Shaganappi Ski Hill, I think it was the winter of 77/78. He was hill maintenance , I was the XC instructor, while Mike Mabee was the downhill instructor. We formed the core of the hill personal, and it was a party right from day 1, that lasted all winter. Marcus and I hit it off as we were both from Quebec and had a big love for winter. With bus loads of kids arriving all day our lives were full with skiing and snow. In the spring we went our separate ways, Marcus to the new MEC, Mike to the new COP, and me to the city. In retrospect, looks like I made the poorest choice. Marcus and I kept in sporadic contact throughout the years, swapping stories as our lives unfolded. Marcus went into the 'mushing world' with the same energy that we all had for skiing, he and his dogs went on to start the Canmore dog sled races, which still run to this day. I remember Marcus saying that he and Kit, his wife, were loading up all their gear and dogs to go north to set up a sledding operation, I think in the Yukon. They both quit their jobs and with two trucks loaded up like the Beverly hillbillies, they headed off. Somewhere way up there, as the story goes , Kit fell asleep, rolled the truck and ended up in a coma for 6 or 9 months. So... I next met Marcus in a basement apt. in Calgary, near the hospital, where he told me his story of broken dreams, between silent tears. I sat dumbfounded unaware of my own tears, as I listened to his sad tale. I though this must be from a book, not real life, but it was all too real, as Marcus nursed his comatose wife back to health. Time heals most wounds, and in time Kit came back to life. Both she and Marc worked for integral designs, and life seemed to get much better for them, both. They were able to buy house in a nice area in Bowness, were their remaining dogs and them lived well. Marc went on to work at a knife shop in Chinook mall, whenever I was down there I would make a point to drop in to say hi. Marcus was always warm and friendly, in all the years I known him, we could always pick up wherever we left off no matter how much time went by. Marcus died at home, of a heart attach, they say he went fast, which is the best any of us can hope for.

I will miss my old friend, I will miss the stories of back country skiing, and early years of ice climbing, of sledding to cold places, and winter camping at -30, and all the laughs throughout the years.....

And so all this ran through my mind as I sat in near whiteout conditions at the top of Parker Ridge. With the sweat freezing to my whiskers, and the wind whipped snow, stinging my cheeks, I said a small prayer for my friend, knowing if he had his choice he would be here, and perhaps he was in some form or another. Then I dropped into knee deep powder, steep and deep, our idea of heaven on earth, 1000ft to the bottom of the gully. Skin up and ski back up through the driving snow, just to get fresh tracks again, and again. The real trick was to wait for the whiteout to lift just enough to see the dips and troughs.. Back at camp I think about Marcus and realize that while I will never see him again, his memory will be safe with me, until my time comes. In fact I may visit him more often now, the difference is that now our visits will be in my prayers.

Day 2, Saw even more powder, waist deep and still it fell, making run after run, I had one of the best skiing secessions in years. Tired, worn out, cold, wringing wet, and out of water I headed back to camp. Coffee and a quick meal put me back on track, but my wet cloths never got dry so I shivered in my down bag till dawn. My memories were all that kept me warm, and that was good enough for me. Some discomfort is acceptable, and the solitude is something that I cherish, deeply. In fact I now see this as my true church, God in all his glory, natural, without the taint of man staining his works. In fact if I left my house with my kids, and came home to find that they had nearly destroyed it all, I'd be pretty pissed off, no matter how much I love them, perhaps this is how God may feel when he looks a what we've done to his planet.... In any case I will look forward to my next session, in my church.

Day 3, saw more new snow, still, so after a slow breakfast, I packed up camp and started to head out. At the bottom of the big hill I met up with Morgan and Danny Richards, they had tried to get into the Sask. Glacier, only to be turned back by open water. Their car could not make the big hill with the tires he had on, so they camped in the trees, with only the ski in/out for all their efforts.. I am so glad that I got new Mich. Ice X, just 1 day before this trip, I passed 4x4s and 1/2tons in the ditch, with my small car, and good tires I had no problems at all, the whole trip.....

In the end, I feel, it is your family, friends, and experiences that make you rich. Money and power mean nothing in the great void, and like sleeping in wet clothes, only the warmth of our love will keep us warm for eternity......healing one step at a time, your friend..................Andy B.

Columbia Ice and Peyto Lk.

----- Original Message -----

From: Andy & Kathy

Hi All,

Our latest adventure was Kathy's solo bike trip from Jasper to lk. louise... I did support with day trips on the side. Here is my photo journal....

........A flat marked the start of our trip.... but what a better place to have to stop.....;

........Columbia Ice fields.. up the Athabaska glacier, to sit at the foot of the headwall... brewed up a coffee, and enjoyed the view.... So is it still a 'solo effort', even if I take along a Tim Hortons...answer ,,,, YES

.........Bow Summit offered a great view of Peyto lk. as i hiked above the tourist walkway I reached a high point and took a video using the last of my memory card , on the way down I met a big black bear, I talked, he listened and we just moved apart, with less than 100 ft. apart I missed the photo as there was no memory left in my camera, well maybe next time ......life one step at a time.....Andy

Subject: Rae Glacier
Importance: High

Hi All,

Just back from the Rae Glacier, it's a small, dirty glacier, like most of the glaciers I've seen lately, it has shrunk big time, I moved steadly up to the 'shrung', the part where the glacier breakes away form the mountian. I wanted to bivi up here but the sheer amount of falling rock drove me away, I glacided the way out,1000ft. to the thick rock then walked to bivi, in the trees... photo 43 shows my bivi site...file 22 is a Qtime movie short of the Glacier, huff and puff, yep for sure. all in all an ok trip, but no need to repete this one....... Getting better one step at a time........Cheers....Andy

3 Glaciers

----- Original Message -----

From: Andy & Kathy

Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 8:41 AM

Subject: Chillin on the Haig

Hi All,

I just spent 3 days on the ice of 3 Glaciers.

Day 1 took me half way up the Robertson Glacier, I did a Bivi at 2500M, on the rocks, under the stars...

Day 2 saw me up and over the cul, to drop down a scree slope, 1000ft. to the floor of the Haig Glacier, I spent the whole day moving spot to spot, just for the view, lunch etc. then down the French Glacier to bivi in the trees 2200M....

Day 3 Pushed my way through the bush, back to the trailhead, more deadfall than I have seen in a long time on an active trail.. Kathy & Sam and Kath met me with a BBQ in the parking lot at Mud lake............................. Andy

Jasper to Lk. Louise

----- Original Message -----

From: Andy & Kathy

Hi All,

This week I took vacation, and with Kathy's support, I was able to do the Jasper to Lk. Louise bike trip. This was a big undertaking, solo, unsupported, and unsure how I could handle multi-day trips. I've wanted to do this trip for years but never had the time or the ride to make it all work. We drove to the Columbia ice fields, and camped at our favorit tent spot. Next morning we drove to Jasper for breakfast and the start of the ride. We said our goodbys, with a promise to keep in touch via cel phone. There is no service in this area and I had to wait till Louise to finally make contact with Kathy.... I then rode 100 Km. back to the Columbia Icefields, and our favorit tent pad. The ride seemed to be uphill all the way, with tangle creek waiting at the 90 km. mark. after 12 hrs. on the road I had to do the 5 km. up hill, steep up hill, and arrived in camp just befor dark, just in time to heave my cookies. I made a coffee and with 2 sips I collapesed on the deflated mat into a fitfull sleep. Yes my materss had a slow leek in it ,so bacisally it worked like a expensive ground sheet. Other equipement failures were, the pesto lighter on my stove, broken chain, good thing that I had a spare master link. The bolt to hold my rack in place broke, I had to do a fix on the side of the road, which broke again, but I found a clovis pin on the side of the road so I repaired the rack again and had no further problems through out the trip. Day 2 saw me do 75 km. with a camp at waterfoul lake, I took 2 long stops where I actually had a nap, the heat was over 25' throughout the day and it was hot at night, so hot that I never zipped up my sleeping bag, the whole trip. O ya, in my hurry to start this trip I forgot to put my main meals from the car to my pack, so at supper the first day I relized that I had only snacks and coffee, O well I just had to make do with what I had, smoked salmon, porrage and power jel. The 3rd. day I did 55 km. to Lk. Louise where Kath scrapped me up off the melting asphalt... Just a quick note ...I would do this trip again tomorrow, it was one of the best ever, as the photos will attest to. If you ever get the chance do it.........Andy

Hi all,
It has now been two weeks since chemo/radation was finished and while I do feel better by a bit, really I feel like I am on a plateau going no where. My neck has healed but my throat is still too ruff to eat solid food, my general well being seems better but it is in such small steps it feels like I'm going no where. Like paddling against a strong wind, lots of action with little forward movement, nothing to do but try to go forward and hope for the best. I started to do short walks around the park as well as working with light weights, but still no bike work, my feeding tube still gets in the way. Mostly I am living by faith and only hope that God will watch me on this slow path to recovery. peace love.......... Andy

Hi all,
Today is my first day of healing, let me take you through my day. I start at 6 am with a gargle to settle my throat, then I take 4 pills to cover the pain etc. then it's breakfast time with instant breakfast. The burns on my neck must be addressed with a change of bandage every 24 hrs., I can't do this myself so Kath must help. Now I have some free time and later when I'm stronger I will spend this time in the gym. Lunch using the feeding tube takes 45 min. with another 45min. to settle the stomach, then it is nap time. More pills, I need to renew the pain killers about every 4 hrs., some more free time, later I will use this time to bike ride. I must gargle every 4 hrs. or the mucus will build up to the point of blocking my wind pipe. Some TV time is allowed till supper, again with the feeding tube, this is my big meal and takes about 1 hr. with that same amount of time to settle the stomach. The nurse says that this should go on for 10 days then I can adjust as required, maybe with full time real food, the entire recovery time is listed at six to seven weeks. I've lost a total of 25 lbs which brings me back to high school weight, with so much sleep, my bones hurt from lying down so much and at night my breathing suffers. But no matter I am not scared any more and will plod onward no matter what happens.
Yesterday we saw Lanny McDonald wheeling his Mom out of radation, poor guy looked beaten, even a superstar is brought to earth by cancer in the family, our prayers go with them.

Hi all,
I found that there are two camps as far as visiting a sick person. Some persons want a crowd around while they are sick, others want to be left alone to heal, I'm with the latter group. I prefer to be alone to heal and will then seek out persons when I feel better, I love email, and cards, prayers and such, they don't interfere with my healing. But yesterday two persons from my work said the hell with my wishes as they barged into the cancer center to look me up. As I am weak and had no where to exit I had to face them, their wishes seemed to be hallow as I saw the shock in their eyes, my state has detracted since I was last at work. I kept wondering why they had come here, soon enough I got to see their ulterior motive as they hauled out the religious pamphlets. I felt that I was being prayed upon in my time of weakness, these persons pushing their version of God on me despite my personal views on this subject. Their gross trespass into my personal life left me angry and off my treatments, it invades my sleep and effects my healing ability, just what I need at the lowest tide of my whole cycle. I pray the Lord to give me the strength that I may start to forgive this trespass, thanks a lot, only thinking of yourself and not those you affect.
Next time you feel like dropping in on a sick person make sure that you are welcome and not a hindrance to the healing process...

feeding tube

Hi All,
I must be near my lowest point, with the installation of the feeding tube my misery is almost complete. With my neck burned to the 2nd degree from the radiation, and now weight loss at it highest level. Meaning I'm starved and cooked at the same time. I have only 5 treatments left but I had hoped to finish on my own steam, not so in the big book. Still I can see the end and with luck, prayer, and the constant help of friends I should make it through. Everything is harder to do with a tube in my nose, from breathing to swallowing, it is that much harder to just struggle on, but struggle on I shall. Thanks to all of you who supported me during my time of need, may the good Lord smile on you..peace & love ..... Andy