April 2010 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition

ACCLAIMED ARTIST

Vancouver’s 50+ Active Lifestyle Magazine

APRIL 2010

Michael Duncan

Rescuing JoyPauline Le Bel

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Where good things come together.

Play Together

What to do today? Play WiiTM golf with some friends. Chat about the latest book club selection. Work out with a fitness class. Join the chorus in a sing-a-long. So much choice.

Our residents love to connect with others. That’s why we offer plenty of social activities and lots of unscripted fun. Anything that appeals to the desire to stay active.

What are you doing for fun today? Play at The Summerhill.Phone for your personal tour. 604.980.6525

Part of Pacific Arbour Retirement Communities

135 West 15th Street (off Lonsdale)North Vancouver | 604.980.6525www.the summerhill.ca

APRIL 2010 1

Cover Photo: Artist and philanthropist Michael Duncan working on his art.Story page 4. Photo: Kevin McKay

MAGAZINE

APRIL 2010

(Vancouver & Lower Mainland) is published by Stratis Publishing.

Other publications by Stratis Publishing:• Senior Living (Vancouver Island) Publisher Barbara RistoEditor Bobbie Jo Reid [email protected] Doreen Barber, Goldie Carlow, Brent Cassie, Jane Cassie, Gipp Forster, Moira Gardener, Kevin Growcott, Margaret Growcott, Kevin McKay, Janet Nicol, Barbara Small, Wil-liam Thomas, Joan W. Winter, Krystle Wiseman

Copy Editor Allyson MantleProofreader Holly BowenAdvertising ManagerBarry Risto 250-479-4705Toll Free [email protected] Sales Staff Ann Lester 250-390-1805Mathieu Powell 250-589-7801Barry Risto 250-479-4705Contact Information – Head Offi ceSenior Living Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1Phone 250-479-4705Toll-free 1-877-479-4705Fax 250-479-4808E-mail offi [email protected] www.seniorlivingmag.comSubscriptions: $32 (includes GST, postage and handling) for 12 issues. Canadian residents only.No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part without writ-ten permission from the publisher. Senior Living is an indepdendent publication and its articles imply no endoresement of any products or services. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Unsolicited articles are welcome and should be e-mailed to [email protected] Senior Liv-ing Vancouver & Lower Mainland is distributed free in Vancouver, North & West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Delta, Twawwassen, White Rock, Surrey, Cloverdale and Ladner.

Senior Living Vancouver is available at most Recreation Centres and Libraries in the following municipalities:

• VANCOUVER • BURNABY • NEW WESTMINSTER • WHITE ROCK • NORTH VANCOUVER • LADNER / TSAWWASSEN • PORT MOODY • COQUITLAM • PORT COQUITLAM • SURREY • RICHMOND • WEST VANCOUVER • LANGLEY

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Call 1-877-479-4705 for other locations.MAGAZINE

DEPARTMENTS27 BBB Scam Alert28 Crossword31 Classifi eds

COLUMNS 2 The Family Caregiver

by Barbara Small

10 Forever Young by William Thomas

11 Between Friends by Doreen Barber

29 Ask Goldie by Goldie Carlow

32 Refl ections: Then & Nowby Gipp Forster

FEATURES 4 In SpadesHighly acclaimed artist lends his talents and time to important causes and charities.

8 Roses BloomIn a misty Vancouver back garden, roses bloom for grower and mentor Janet Wood.

12 Stepping Out Surrey Trekkers Volkssport Club members combine exercise with exploration and socializing.

14 Water Required If adding a water feature to your garden this spring sounds like a daunting task, call in reinforcements.

16 California Cruisin’With no agenda in mind, a Vancouver couple jump in their car and head south to the sunshine state.

19 Look ForwardRestless in retirement, Beth Rowles Scott launched an educational society and became an author.

22 One Heavenly HikeFor a heart-pounding workout and breaktaking views, consider Diez Vistas Trail this spring.

24 Cosmological TroubadourEntertainer Pauline Le Bel is trying to reconnect with her mother earth and bring others along for the ride.

30 Reframing RetirementIf you have the gift of time, use it to explore and pursue your long-held passions.

2 SENIOR LIVING VANCOUVER & LOWER MAINLAND

Barbara Small is the Program Development Coordinator for Family Caregivers’ Network Society located in Victoria, BC. www.familycaregiversnetwork.org

BY BARBARA SMALL

SL

THE FAMILY

CAREGIVERStress Management

Strategies

The demands of caregiving – providing personal care, running errands, keeping up with house-work, navigating the healthcare system and deal-

ing with family members – can have both an emotional and physical toll. Add to that trying to balance the rest of one’s life, and it is not surprising that many family caregivers ex-perience burnout.

Responses to stress can be classified into three categories – physical, psychological and behavioural.

Physical responses – our body responds to the inter-nal alarm created by stress with a fight-or-flight response, such as rapid breathing, headaches, indigestion or tense muscles.

Psychological responses – we can respond to stress with a change in emotions, concentration, and our ability to com-plete tasks or interact with others.

Stress can also reveal itself in behavioural changes, such as eating, clumsiness, insomnia or restlessness.

When you are aware of how you respond to stress, you can use these changes as signals. Then, rather than simply addressing the symptom, you can look at your situation, ex-plore what might be causing the stress and work at a resolu-tion. For example, instead of taking a sleeping pill, explore what is preventing you from sleeping and problem-solve that situation.

There are two routes to stress management: learn strate-gies to help reduce stress once it develops – such as deep breathing, relaxation or exercise or be proactive and change your lifestyle so stress is less likely to develop in the first place. Proactive techniques include learning to be assertive, asking for help and expressing your feelings.

Below are some strategies to help manage the stress of caregiving:

Take time for self-care, such as exercising, healthy eat-ing, getting enough sleep, connecting with others and ask-ing for help. You are not being selfish when you take care of yourself. If you get sick, who is going to take care of both of you?

Have realistic expectations about your abilities. You can provide a certain amount of care, but likely cannot do ev-erything alone. Know when to ask for help and be willing to share the care.

Reach out and accept support. Ask family members or friends to help with some of the day-to-day tasks. Contact community organizations that provide respite care and ser-vices for family caregivers. Attend a support group where you can share your concerns and receive support.

Gather information about your family member’s health problems and how their needs are likely to change over time. This will help you prepare in advance for these changes.

Make adaptations around the home or use available as-sistive devices to allow the person you are caring for to be more independent.

Have a sense of humour. Laughter helps puts things into a positive perspective and relieves stress. Look for the hu-mour in situations and make time to go out and have fun.

Next Month: Remembering to Play

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APRIL 2010 3

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IN SPADESFor the last 76 years, Mi-

chael Duncan has overcome hurdles and obstacles during

his extraordinary life. One of the most difficult occurred nine years ago when Michael lost his wife of more than 30 years. He was depressed, angry and re-alizes now he did not deal well with

the loss. Two years after her passing, fate intervened as a new four-legged friend named Ellie entered his life.

“One of the students taking my self-defence class happened to be a veteri-narian,” says Michael. “I think he saw I was having difficulties so, one day, he asked me if I would like to meet one

of the dogs he had rescued. Ellie, an Australian Cattle Dog, was starving, had been beaten and was surrounded by eight of her dead puppies when she was taken from her owner. I agreed to get together with her.”

Michael and his daughter took Ellie to a local park so they would have a

STORY AND PHOTOBY KEVIN MCKAY

Michael holding a sword in front of his weapons collec-tion and family tartan.

APRIL 2010 5»

IN SPADES

chance to get to know one another. Mi-chael took things slow, taking a seat on a park bench and staying still as Ellie checked him out.

“She came right up to me and got up on her hind legs, staring me right in the face,” he recalls. “We remained like that for what felt like minutes until she jumped down as if to say, ‘he’s al-right.’ It was love at first sight for me, though things were not always easy. This dog had been badly traumatized in her life. The first time I raised my hand over her to throw a stick for her to fetch, she curled up into a little ball and whimpered. I dropped the stick and got down beside her on the ground to reassure her I was not going to hurt her. I got a lot of strange looks at dif-ferent times, but I didn’t care. My dog needed me.”

Last year, following an illness, Mi-chael decided the time was right to put his feelings for Ellie into action. A highly acclaimed artist, Michael formed a charitable organization called Artists Helping Abused Animals, A-HAA for short. For seven months, he toiled and worked hard to produce 50 black and white original works of art, which will be sold to raise seed money for his organization.

“Each one of the pen and ink draw-ings are of heritage scenes in Delta and around British Columbia, and we are selling them for $200 each,” says Michael. “This will raise a total of $10,000 to help the shelter. All the money goes directly to the shelter, never to me. I would like to see groups like this start up all over the province. People now recognize me and stop me to ask about it and often want to help. There is a whole new awareness that cruelty to animals is unacceptable.”

Michael feels so strongly about ani-mal abuse, he even hopes to establish a fund one day to go after the abusive owners legally and shame them pub-licly. “As an independent, I can make their lives miserable, where the SPCA can’t due to regulations,” he says. “You have to make that commitment. You have choices.”


Reflections,Reflections,��

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and Other Breakfast Foods

A Collection of Published & Unpublished Writings

by Senior Living Columnist Gipp ForsterMAGAZINE

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A collection of Gipp Forster’s published columns in Senior Living magazine, with other unpublished writings thrown in for good measure. A unique blend of humor and nostalgia, Gipp’s writings touch your heart in such an irresistible way, you will want to buy not only a copy for yourself, but as a wonderful gift for friends and family members.

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Michael has made choices in his life. One of them came after he was expelled from the prestigious Gordon-stoun School in Scotland, home of the Outward Bound Sea School. He had received years of training there, excel-ling in martial arts and seamanship, while honing an appreciation and talent for writing and fine art. The Gordon-stoun, a castle on the northeast coast of Scotland was built in 1679 and became the first school in the world to combine education with Outward Bound. In 1948, Michael was honoured to dance a solo for the Queen Mother, then the

Queen of England. Fiercely loyal to his Scottish roots,

Michael was born in England when his mother was there visiting. “I often asked her why she couldn’t have waited until she got back across the border before having me,” he says. “Now, here I was dancing for the Queen and everything was supposed to be just right. I couldn’t help myself, giving a warrior’s cry be-fore I danced, then dancing for all I was worth. I heard the Queen Mother telling her Lady after the dance, ‘Oh my, that was different.’”

Some years later, Michael found

himself expelled with a single word of explanation: incorrigible. This meant he was a disgrace to his family and he was given his choice of three des-tinations: South Africa, Australia or Canada.

“That changed my life,” he says. “Before arriving, I wrote to the Cana-dian government and asked them what I should do upon arrival. They told me, and that is how I wound up in North-ern Ontario near James Bay. It was a real culture shock for me, going from a home with 14 servants to running a trapline with members of the Cree Na-tion, but it was good for me. When I came out of the bush, I was a com-pletely different person.”

After becoming a forest ranger, Mi-chael read about the unemployment situation and decided to live as a hobo on the streets, while he researched the topic. He ended up living on the streets of Edmonton and says, “I was not very good at bumming, so I started to fight. I saw a boxing club advertising for sparring partners and paying money. I had not eaten in five days, so when I stepped into the ring against this fight-er, I hit him with a sucker punch and ran. When they caught me and discov-ered how hungry I was, they gave me a room in the basement of the club, while I fought there. Later, when I was liv-ing in Timmins, I wrote a series of radio plays based on my adventures there.”

He got to Timmins by buying a Tiger Moth biplane in Terrace with a friend, learning how to fly from a taxi driver, and flying illegally across the country with bailing wire and adhesive tape holding the craft together. Eventu-ally, they crash-landed 14 yards from the Chief’s house at Constance Lake.

“I went off to the hospital in Tim-mins,” says Michael. “My friend got the plane fixed, flew off, crashed into a lake and drowned. I became the art director of a television studio in Tim-mins.”

Michael married and started his fam-ily in Northern Ontario. When he came across a colour photo spread of Van-couver in the Toronto Star, he decided

APRIL 2010 7

showcased in the Pacific Rim Wildlife Show, an artwork exhibition held in Tacoma, Washington, and considered to be one of the top two art shows in North America. A book of his draw-ings was on display and for sale in 68 art galleries across Canada and more

than 100 bookstores. Now, Michael has his work

for A-HAA and is only teach-ing five classes a week in self-defence, creative writing and art – a decline from his previ-ous workload. He also works diligently to support his be-loved Ellie and other animals who have suffered abuse.

So, what motivates him to give back to his community? And why would he give away every cent earned from the

royalties of all of his books? “I think I’ve done most of what I’ve

done to try to make up for being ex-pelled from school when I was young,” he says.

That he has done in spades.

Along with a great Island lifestyle, Nanaimo boasts up to 50% lower home

prices than other major centers in BC. Since 1993, Longwood has been

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the next phase in this master planned 50 acre village is ready. If you’re

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they needed to move to the coast. Upon arriving in 1965, he started

the first theatre school in Vancouver and, by 1967, he moved his family to a home in Ladner.

Over the next four plus decades, Michael embarked on a remarkable series of adventures. These included operating and in-structing at a sailing school, hosting more than 600 tele-vision shows including work on the Alan Thicke show, seven years as curator of the Delta Historical Mu-seum, and nearly four years as director of the Vancouver Maritime Museum where his fundraising efforts led to the expansion of its historic har-bour on English Bay.

He’s written at least 16 books, all of which have been published, is an award-winning artist, teaches self-defence, martial arts classes, creative writing and art courses, and volunteer-ing for numerous boards and organiza-

tions including countless hours helping the homeless on the downtown east side. As incredible as this list sounds, it doesn’t do justice to all that he has accomplished.

Books and artwork Michael has pro-duced for the benefit of various charities

have brought in more than one million dollars to help those groups. In 2009, he was recognized for his charitable work with the Delta Heritage Award.

Back in 1993, he was selected by a jury to be one of only four Canadians

Books and artwork Michael has produced for the benefi t of various charities have brought in more than one million dollars to

help those groups.


Gardens meander through Janet Wood’s life like roses sprawling across a trellis.

A long-time mentor to rose growers in Vancouver; Janet’s first memory of a garden is her mother’s flower bed.

“We had a victory garden too,” re-calls the slender silver-haired grand-mother.

Janet’s corner lot bungalow in the Southlands neighbourhood is sur-rounded by beds of roses covering the front, back and side yard.

“I’ve been a member of the Vancou-ver Rose Society for about 30 years,” says Janet. “At one point there were 600 members. But the numbers are smaller now because there’s so much going on. There are other local garden-ing clubs and specialized groups, like the orchid society.”

The Vancouver Rose Society was

established in 1949 and 60 years later, still has a good membership mix, says Janet. Men and women ranging in age from 30 to 80 plus, attend events.

“People come to socialize too.” Janet is a past president and has been

given a lifetime membership in honour of her contributions. She continues to offer advice to rose enthusiasts.

“I just had a call from someone in a seniors complex near Jericho Beach. He wanted advice on the roses grow-ing in the courtyard garden.”

A clopping sound outside interrupts the conversation. It turns out a young woman is making her way down the empty street – on horseback. Only blocks away from busy Arbutus Street, Southlands still has patches of farm-land, stables and homes with property large enough to graze a horse or two.

But this warm afternoon is also filled with the sounds of construction as more homes are being built. “The neighbourhood is changing,” Janet notes regretfully.

“My parents were Scottish immi-

grants who came out here in 1929. My mother had eight babies in nine years.”

Janet grew up on the city’s east side, attending Britannia Secondary, and then training as an elementary school teacher. “I taught for two years and quit teaching to marry.”

Janet and her husband, a forester, had four children. Busy years were spent raising her family in northern B.C. and, later, on Vancouver’s west side. All the while, she volunteered in the commu-nity and kept gardening. At some point as Janet dug in to the soil, her interest in roses bloomed.

“I love the fresh air and knowing exactly what I’m doing,” she says. “I don’t have a creative eye. I like doing something that feels neat and tidy.”

But others who know Janet say she has a taste and an eye for roses. The result of her green thumb is noted in Gardens of Vancouver by Collin Vamer and Christine Allen. And every June, Janet’s home garden is on the city tour list, with busloads of admirers coming

Roses Bloom STORY AND PHOTOS

BY JANET NICOL

Above, Julia Child roses grace Janet Wood’s garden. Left, Janet amid her roses. Bottom right, A hybrid tea rose fl ourishes in the misty garden.

APRIL 2010 9

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10-0353

You’re invited! Come celebrate “all things spring”, as we hosta complimentary afternoon of 50’s themed entertainment,food and fun. If you’ve never visited before, this is the perfectopportunity to experience just a few of the pleasures of ourcare-free retirement lifestyle. See you soon!

Wednesday, April 14, 2010 ~ 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

10-0353 WR Spring Fling-SeniorLivingMag.qxp:SL 3/15/10 2:11 PM Page 1

Roses Bloom to see trellises reminiscent of Givenchy in England.

“The mist from the Fraser River damp-ens the roses in my garden,” Janet ex-plains. “The climate is similar to Britain. That’s why my tea roses do so well.”

In fact, most roses in her garden have fewer than 20 petals because of her “misty” location. That’s why Janet ad-vises novice gardeners to buy roses from local nurseries, where staff can suggest types suitable to localized climates.

Lots of other gardening advice is available in the society’s newsletter, The Rosebed, and on the website www.vancouverosesociety.org

Stepping into the garden, Janet shows her favourites. “Look at the shades on the petals. Just perfect,” she coos about her five-petal hybrid tea roses.

The compost containers along the side wall hold an important secret to her success – great fertilizer.

“The neighbours bring over horse manure and grass clippings,” she says.

The backyard contains a bright yel-low “Julia Child” rose, named after the popular American chef, and another lighter yellow rose, named for Canada’s female astronaut, Roberta Bondar.

Besides planting Canadian and American roses, Janet also has roses from England. Moving carefully around the rose beds, the scents and many petal colours, from powder blues to brilliant reds, are to be savoured.

On the front lawn, the tour ends with an unexpected surprise as Janet points to a pink and white petal tea rose. She says the flower was recently bred by Brad Jal-bert of Select Roses nursery in Langley.

“This is the Janet A. Wood,” the life-long gardener reveals, her legacy of five delicate petals cupped gently yet firmly in her hand. SL


large tub of popcorn.Bob Dylan at 67 sounds exactly

as he did when he was 20. Unfor-tunately, nobody could understand what he was singing back then ei-ther.

Ex-Stone Bill Wyman at 72 is so old, he’s now dating girls who are over the legal age of consent; and

from behind, Elton John is look-ing a lot like his piano.

Peter Townsend’s so old he has to have two people from the audi-ence come up and help him smash his guitar to pieces on stage.

No, this can’t go on and on and on like the heart of Celine Dion, who, by the way, has done at least five major recording projects

since retiring.No, when you’re a rock star who

reaches the point where you send one of your groupies off to the seedy side of town to secretly score some really dynamite laxatives – it’s time for the guitar to start living in the hall closet.

Sorry, but rebellion, rye and wrinkles simply do not mix.

Between FriendsFOREVER

William Thomas is the author of nine books of humour including Margaret and Me about his wee Irish mother. www.williamthomas.ca

Rebellion, Rye and Wrinkles

BY WILLIAM THOMAS

SL

I saw the Doobie Brothers in concert a few years ago, and they looked like the house

band at Sunset Haven. “Two front row tickets? $50. Pro-

gram? $10. The look on their faces when members of their fan club brought their grandchildren back-stage? Priceless.”

That wasn’t so bad until I read that Eddie Van Halen isn’t moving so well on stage these days since he had hip-replacement surgery. From being hip to getting a new one! I thought, “That’s it! The mandatory retirement age of 65 now applies to rock stars. No ex-ceptions.”

The amazing thing is, for the truckloads of drugs these guys dropped in the ’60s and ’70s, most of them look like they’re as healthy as a horse. A Horse With No Name, of course.

I’m sorry, but when you’re dou-bling and tripling your daily dosage of blood pressure pills just to get a buzz on, it’s time for the Barcalo-unger and big screen TV.

What exactly is going on here? It’s like “’til death do we part... with our guitars.” Call me crazy but when you have to hire an additional roadie to handle the colostomy bags, it’s time the tour bus headed home.

Old!? Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Eric Clapton have all released albums in the past few years. Total age: over 300 years. Many countries in this world aren’t that old.

I mean if Aerosmith goes on tour next summer, they’re going to have to change the title of their hit song to

Waddle This Way. C’mon, when most of these guys started out in the busi-ness, they were using homemade in-struments.

Mick Jagger is so old that when he sings Start Me Up, Ron Wood has to poke him in the bum with a cattle prod.

The Stones, who once used Hells Angels for security, now employ The Boy Scouts to help Keith Richards across the stage.

Recently, I saw Keith Richards five stories high on an Imax screen in the Steel Wheels documentary. Scary? At the concession stand, they were includ-ing a free pair of Depends with every

That’s it! The mandatory retirement age of 65 now

applies to rock stars. No exceptions.

APRIL 2010 11

“I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world,” said Mother Tere-sa (Agnes Gonxha Bojarhiu). Through her selfless life, Mother Theresa exemplified what it was to be charitable.

I watched a news report after the recent earthquake in Haiti where four men who were homeless and not very talented decided to help their fellow citizens by forming a singing and instrumental group to raise money for the relief effort. Although they lacked musical ability, their

enthusiasm and empathy re-sulted in a desire to give.

I recently learned in con-versation with an impover-ished man who is living on a disability pension of $800 a month that he plans to give

money to the Haitian relief effort. He is determined to do what he can financially, even though he is in grave need himself.

What is precious about charity is that it has its begin-ning in the heart and it is given free of charge.

Doreen Barber is pursuing a Master’s degree in Biblical Counselling at the The Biblical Life College & Seminary.

Between FriendsCHARITY

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BY DOREEN BARBER

Planet earth has been shaking and rolling in di-verse places for a very long time. In the past month, Haiti and Chile have experienced devas-

tating earthquakes. The forces of nature and the random-ness with which earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic erup-tions, floods, storms and tornadoes unleash their power is unsettling, to say the least.

The despair and suffering we witness through media reports have moved many to set aside their life rou-tines and join in hands-on relief efforts. For most of us, all we can do is finan-cially support relief agen-cies. Helping humankind get through catastrophic events both near and far away calls us to a reckoning within our souls and the ac-knowledgement that we are fellow travellers in the great adventure of life on earth.

Charity can also be demonstrated with acts of kindness and gracious words, words of affirmation, acceptance and hope rather than condemnation and judgment. When judg-ment enters into ones heart, grace is lost. Acts of charity that achieve the highest good hold us to a much higher standard than benevolence or generosity. To those who have been given much, much is expected.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

–Winston Churchill

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Walkers, their red club T-shirts a bright contrast to the grey overcast sky,

gather at a year-round-event starting point, Beanies Coffee Bar in Lad-ner. Cheery greetings are exchanged; newcomers welcomed. Record books are stamped and maps distributed. Promptly at 10 a.m., with four-legged Flair and her biped partner Reg Dutton leading the way, members of the Sur-rey Trekkers Volkssport Club step out.

Putting their best feet forward is a way of life for these folks. They walk – for Fun, Fitness and Friendship (the club’s motto) and, at the end of some walks – food. Volkssporting activities also include cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, inline and ice-skating but, by far, the most popular is walking.

“The goal of the group is to promote health and fitness through non-com-petitive outdoor activity,” says club president Brenda Dudfield, who, with husband Frank has been a member since 1992. “Walking is a great way to learn about an area, get exercise, meet new people and have fun.”

Activities are self-paced, which al-lows members to travel at their own speed. “We encourage participants to track and record their own personal accomplishment through event and distance stamps, which are kept in a record book,” says Brenda.

Newcomers to the club can partici-pate in their first five walks free, using a free stamp book. Those wishing to participate in the Individual Achieve-ment Award Program purchase record books. Most walkers choose to par-ticipate in both categories: Distance covered in kilometres, and Number of Events completed. Certificates, pins and sew-on patches are awarded at various levels.

A non-profit organization, volkss-

porting costs are kept to a minimum. A nominal registration fee of $1 or $2 is charged when registering for each event. Record books are $7 (which covers the cost of awards) and the an-nual membership fee is $15. All mon-ies collected are used to pay program administration costs and event sanc-tion fees.

Two main types of events are of-fered: Guided or Map Walks on a fixed day with a guide, or maps with instruc-tions, and Year Round Events (YRE) or Seasonal Events, which are self-guided, with self-registration. These

STEPPING OUTBY JOAN W. WINTER

are also done as a group. Routes are numbered and dated by year. Walkers, whether in a group or walking alone, are supplied with maps and written instructions at the starting point. An-nual events, Volksmarches, are held on a fixed date with marked trails and checkpoints.

Each route and trail is selected by area volkssporting clubs, measured for distance, access and walk-ability, and is rated on an incline scale of 1-5 (flat to hilly) and terrain (scale A-E – easy to difficult). Most walks are 10 kilo-metres, but some have shorter (5 km)

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Some of the members of the Surrey Trekkers Volkssport Club.

APRIL 2010 13

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STEPPING OUT options. Trails are also selected for natural beauty, scenic, geographic, local or historic interest.

To add to the fun, special YRE/SEAS events are designed so that walkers must pass within sight of a unique landmark or site such as a cenotaph or war memorial, a lighthouse, cov-ered bridge, or a winery, cheese factory or brewery. For the Scholar program, a walker must pass alongside or through a formal educational institution. In Canada, special awards are given for walking in all 13 provinces and territories, and pro-vincial capitals. Right now, the Club is co-sponsoring a spe-cial challenge in honour of the Olympics/Paralympics with bronze, silver and gold award certificates given for complet-ing 5, 7 or 8 events.

Rain or shine (cancelled only when weather conditions present a safety hazard), Lower Mainland events are held every Saturday, Sunday and holiday, usually starting at 10 a.m. In winter, walks are also scheduled for Wednesday af-ternoons and in summer on Thursday evenings in Surrey.

Event planning is arranged together with sister club, Vancouver ‘Venturers, and can take place as far west as the Gulf Islands, north to Whistler and as far east as the Othello tunnels in Hope. Although many members are in the 50+ category, walks are open to people of all ages and ability.

Historically, translated from German as “the sport of the people,” volkssporting originated in Europe in the mid 1960s in response to the need for some type of out-door sport free from competition. The movement grew rap-idly and, in 1968, the International Volkssport Band (IVV) or International Federation of Popular Sports was formed to promote Volkssporting worldwide. Forty member countries currently participate. In 1986, the Canadian Volkssport Fed-eration (CVF) was formed and now has 50 member clubs throughout most regions of Canada.

Returning to the starting point, Flair completes the 10 km walk with no problem. Like her canine cousin, Lassie, she has stamina to burn. “She likes to play more when we get home,” laughs Reg.

Today, the 20 or so of the club’s 90 members who turned out for the Ladner walk, return in good form and regroup at nearby Speed’s Pub for lunch. Some fast pacers arrive early, having completed the walk in 1 hour 45 minutes. Others take a little more time, but all are ready to enjoy good food and a leisurely chat.

The benefits of volkssporting are many. Enthusiastic walkers like retired teacher Rita Hopmans, a member since 1995, will walk another 10-20 kilometres later in the day. “Walking makes me feel good,” she says. “I can walk long distances; up to 30 km a day.” With upwards of 25,000 km in her distance record book, Rita is working, or walking, towards her next goal of 30,000 km.

Joanne Gormley and husband, Joe, joined the group a year ago after Joanne experienced some serious health issues. “I love being outdoors, and the exercise helps me keep fit,” she says.

Having friends to walk with, especially in places where it might not be safe to walk alone is a bonus, especially for women. It’s one of the incentives that keep the very active group together; another is the opportunity for foreign travel. With established routes and events in Canada, the U.S. and 40 countries participating in the volkssport’s program, in-dividuals can walk the trails and attend events, alone or in groups, in any country of their choice.

Volkssporting is not only fun, it keeps you fit, provides opportunity for lasting friendships, gets you out of the house and car, and is a great way to see other parts of the city,

country and the world.

For further information contact:Brenda Dudfield: President Surrey Trekkers Volkssports ClubPhone: 604-584-1900E-mail: [email protected]: www.surreytrekkers.com Vancouver ‘Venturers Volkssports ClubContact: Verni Brown

Phone 604-582-8390E-mail: [email protected]: www3.telus.net/volkssport/walk_vancouver.htm

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Even the loveliest of gardens is improved by the addition of a water feature. So, we de-

cided a pond was essential at our new house. What could be simpler? We had had ponds at our two previous homes, although we did not create them. On a hot afternoon, the calm splash of a fountain, where elusive goldfish and koi skulk, brings about peacefulness in an otherwise busy life.

Every successful project requires a good staff. In our case, the staff mem-bers included an engineer – son No. 1; an architect – son No. 2; the chief financial officer – me; and the critic – my husband. The first three doubled as labourers.

I had a modest water feature in mind: big enough for tadpole-sized fish. But when the engineer drew the outline on the lawn, it looked large enough to ac-commodate a man-eating crocodile.

On an unusually cool and cloudy day in June, work commenced in our Port Alberni half-acre lot. The engineer and architect soon produced a sizeable hole in the lawn resembling an archaeologi-cal dig. What to do with the excavated soil, which consisted of heavy clay? It was rapidly turning into a mountain. Somebody suggested it could be made into a pyramid. I pointed out that a pyramid needs to be next to something resembling a Sphinx or the River Nile to be properly effective. We decided to abandon any further ideas along these lines because I had not envisaged any-thing remotely Egyptian in my sce-nario.

I had stated my desire for something along the lines of a waterfall and rock pool. I was keen for this structure to be made out of Yorkshire stone because my landscaping books stated they were usually made out of Yorkshire stone. This posed a problem as Yorkshire is a world away, and no one knew where to

get this kind of stone.But I knew something akin to York-

shire stone could be obtained, and I dreamed that night how next year our garden was going to top the list on the Annual Garden Tour. Horti-tourists would even consider it a mini-Butchart Gardens.

During the next few days, mud seemed to get everywhere – inside and out. Port Alberni has a special kind of mud–heavy clay, which adheres to ev-erything and carries along other sub-stances with it. When we worked on the “dig” and happened to walk too near the gravel path, we found our-selves several inches taller because of assorted layers accumulated en route to get tools or equipment.

Some of the gravel was tracked into our freshly sown lawn, and there was an explosion when lawn mower met gravel and came to a grinding halt. Blades were damaged. The engineer said he had just the tool for that. I gritted my teeth, for there is nothing I detest more than the smell of burning metal in my basement.

The next morning, I woke early to the sound of machinery and found a

WATER REQUIREDBY MARGARET GROWCOTT

mini excavator in our backyard making the hole even deeper and the mound even larger. The engineer had decided that extra depth was needed and that the sides must be sheer so that maraud-ing raccoons, herons or other predators could not go fishing at our expense.

Another day passed until the size of the abyss was to the liking of the en-gineer. Then it was time to install the rubber liner. It took three people to achieve this, two of them getting wet as water had already accumulated in the void, courtesy of Mother Nature.

Some dreams were swiftly shattered during the sheer hard work of building the waterfall. We began to wish we had not taken all the soil to the dump. The engineer decided, at this late stage, that retaining some of it would have been useful to help the elevation. Several trips to the gravel pit followed where we were told we could help ourselves to miscellaneous split rock on the sides of the quarry, free of charge. We ar-rived home with bleeding hands and sore backs, but the rocks did look a lot like Yorkshire stone.

Eventually, a rocky cascade was cre-ated, and a pump installed at the deep-

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One of the author’s sons building a waterfall.

APRIL 2010 15

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WATER REQUIRED est end of the hole. Next came the delightful part of pump-ing in 1,500 gallons of water. Finally, the waterfall was turned on with delightful splashing and gurgling sounds.

Unfortunately, a few hours later, when I returned from grocery shopping, the liner had bulged out and there ap-peared to be more water behind the liner than in the ac-tual pond – something to do with the watertight features of clay and water pressure. The waterfall cascaded charmingly down the rocky channel, but lost its volume of water and leaked before it reached the pond surface. I called in the engineer, who stated the waterfall must be demolished and re-constructed with mortaring of rocks done more precisely to correct the dysfunction. It also had to do with the wa-ter table – something the engineer understood, but which eluded me. A pump had to be placed between the liner and clay sides and it took several hours to get rid of water where it was not needed. Suddenly, the sun shone for the first time since operations began, and we were reminded why we were doing this.

The architect ventured his opinion that since the pond was much larger than originally intended, a focal point was needed to relieve the large expanse of calm water. I volun-teered a lighthouse, which I had acquired the previous year. A tea light inside could be illuminated for summer evening ambiance.

This edifice, promptly christened Cape Breton by the critic, was effective on a rocky isle on the south shore of Lake Windermere, as the pond was now called, after our favourite place in the English Lake District. The architect, whilst reasonably satisfied with the lighthouse, considered it inadequate. Therefore, on our trip to buy plants and fish, a second lighthouse was purchased. This one had the luxury of an integral solar light so there was no danger of the archi-tect falling in the water, trying to install a tea light, which had occurred with the first lighthouse. This second beacon was instantly christened Cape Horn. A purist geographer might shudder at these disparate names from three different continents, but we weren’t concerned.

The second lighthouse turned out to be a wise addition, for now visiting grandchildren could be kept occupied with the latest acquisitions of the architect and engineer – two radio-controlled boats operated by remote gear sticks that could ply the waters between Cape Breton and Cape Horn. No matter that, to date, we have no grandchildren. Little boats, as everyone knows, are for grown-ups.

We purchased only a few fish, snails and aquatic plants at this stage since we weren’t sure if the quality of the wa-ter could support life. We slipped three small goldfish, two fat snails and three plants into the water, which must have seemed like Lake Superior to them. The goldfish promptly disappeared while the snails ambulated quite a bit. Three days later, when there was still no goldfish sighting, it was suspected that the snails had eaten the fish, as they were twice as big. However, the architect, who is something of

a zoologist, said this was highly improbable. I did think, though, that at least one fish might have had the decency to swim to the surface to put our minds at rest.

Eventually, a solitary goldfish was spotted. Contrary to our fears, he had not been overcome by the vastness of his surroundings after the confines of the garden centre. One evening, the other two fish were sighted, hanging out to-gether in the lonely glimmer of Cape Horn, the tea light having extinguished itself at Cape Breton.

We decided more fish were needed, so we returned to the garden centre. One staff person suggested renaming the pond Loch Ness. I rejected this as it meant we would have to somehow acquire a monster. Now that was going a bit too far!

“Cape Breton”


“Right turn ahead. After 800 metres, bear right, then take the motorway.” The crisp, instruc-tive voice of the GPS sometimes startled us

as it interrupted our thoughts or conversation. A gift from our family and a new toy, we were eager to try it out. So far, so good. Travelling the I-5 highway, it had successfully guided us through several major U.S. cities – Seattle, Ta-coma, Olympia and Portland – as we headed south for what we hoped would be an exciting adventure and three weeks of California sunshine.

Winter had been depressingly long, cold and damp. Spring wasn’t happening. We needed a break. It was mid-March and chilly when we left Vancouver, but our spirits rose as we buck-led up. Except for the time span, our holiday was unplanned. With no fixed schedule to keep, we could travel at whatever speed we were comfortable with; take time to wander, stop and stare and explore new interesting places.

The weather turned warmer and our sense of anticipation increased as we negotiated the Siskiyou Pass at the Oregon/Northern California border and pulled into the small town of Yreka. It was lunchtime, and we needed to stretch our legs. Yreka (pronounced Y-reeka), we discovered, had developed as a gold rush boomtown when, in 1851, Abraham Thomp-son, a mule packer, discovered gold in Black Gulch. Soon, a large influx of gold seekers arrived from the Sierra Nevada diggings to set up camp and test their luck.

Legend has it that Yreka’s mysterious name was derived from a Shasta Indian word meaning “north mountain,” or “white mountain” in reference to nearby magnificent white-capped Mount Shasta. But Mark Twain, in his autobiography, had a different version. He maintained it was an accident of fate that a young man named Harte, who had arrived in Cali-fornia in the 1850s, wandered up to the surface diggings of the camp at Yreka, during the days when it was nameless. There was a bakeshop with a canvas sign, which had been painted and stretched to dry in such a way that the word BAKERY, with the exception of the B, showed through and was re-versed. The stranger read the wrong end first, YREKA, and

assumed that was the camp’s name. Yreka the town became.On the road again, we travelled through the wide Shasta

Valley, multi-shaded in beige, browns and greens, dotted here and there with large herds of black, and sometimes tan, cattle. Our eyes were irresistibly drawn to majestic Mount Shasta, which rose in solitary snow and cloud-capped splendour from the forested valley floor. Visible for 40 miles [64 km], Mt. Shasta, 14,179 ft (4,322m) is the second highest mountain in the Cascade Range. Area Native Americans, whose ancestors have inhabited the north side since at least 600 BC, regard it as the centre of creation. In recent decades, the mountain has also attracted New Age followers, who believe it to be a source of mystical power.

We decided on an overnight stay at the central California town of Madera, near Yosemite National Park. Madera, too, had experienced gold rush fever in the mid-1800s, but owed its development to the lumber industry (Madera, in Spanish, means “lumber”). A huge log flume, an engineering marvel at the time, had been built in 1876 by the California Lumber Com-pany to carry lumber to the railroad. The use of specifically constructed log flumes facilitated the quick and cheap trans-

portation of lum-

CALIFORNIA CRUISIN’

STORY AND PHOTOSBY JOAN W. WINTER

APRIL 2010 17

»

Bob and Teresa Marshall as Driver and Escort Call to book now!

604-596-9670 toll free 1-877-596-9670 [email protected] www.pitmartours.com

Home Pick up and Returns!

Oct 15-18th. WOW! What an explosion of color we experienced last year on this trip. We enjoyed the serene beauty of the resort at Lake Chelan so much we decided to add an extra day and take a cruise up the lake and explore the Stehekin Valley and Rainbow Falls. The Oktoberfest will still be in full swing on our last night in the Bavarian town of Leavenworth where you can take in the activities and browse the many European shops. $855 Cdn PP based on Dble Occ. No GST - 7 Meals

Dec 10-13, 2009. 4 Days. We have taken your favorite Christmas tours and combined them into one fabulous Christmas experience. This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included; a Dinner Theatre at a camp covered in dazzling light displays and holidays sounds of Victorian Carolers, a horse drawn sleigh ride, the lighting festival of the Bavarian town of Leavenworth, Washington with a traditional Bavarian dinner. $715 Cdn PP based on Dble Occ. No GST. 6 meals.

Olympic Peninsula -May 9th - 4 Days The Washington Olympic Peninsula is diverse in landscape and home of many of the world’s largest trees. Join us as we explore the temperate Hoh rainforest and the Makah native culture in Neah Bay. Discover Port Townsend as a local guide reveals their historical treasures. 4 meals $685 Cdn PP Dble

Bob and Teresa Marshall, the driver/escort and owners of Pitmar Tours, are excited to offer this program of coach tours for 2010. Come and join us! For the full 2010 brochure call us

Spring Warm up in San Diego, Palm Springs and Las Vegas March 30th - 16 Days

Time to warm up as we head south. This tour is a favorite as we experience the desert cactus in bloom. Highlights include a stay in Old San Diego, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, four nights in Palm Springs, Living Desert Park, Joshua Tree National Park, the Follies Show, Las Vegas, Reno, Scotty’s Castle, Virginia City. Join us and explore ! 17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ

Portland Rose Festival and more - June 9th - 5 Days This trip takes in many aspects of this 102nd historic Rose Parade as well as a night at the native resort with a special “Bird in a Clay” dinner. Enjoy the parade in the comfort of your reserved indoor seating at the Memorial Coliseum, a stones throw from your luxury accommodations. Please compare to other Rose Festival Tours. We have so much more fun ! 4 meals $829 Cdn PP Dble Occ.

Southern Rockies and Waterton Lakes National Park June 28th - 7 Days

This is a great trip as you discover the best of the Canadian Rockies through Osoyoos, Cranbrook and into the World Heritage site of Waterton Lakes National Park. Take a boat tour on Waterton Lake and find out what Head Smashed Buffalo Jump is all about. Explore Fort Mcleod, birthplace of the North West Mounted Police. Return over Rogers Pass with a final

night at the Three Valley Lake Chateau. 6 meals $1135 Cn plus GST PP Dbl occ.

Alberni Inlet & Pacific Rim Park - July 27 - 4 Days Trains, ferries, ships and a coach are in store for you on this tour over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Take a boat tour from Port Alberni along the West Coast, through the Broken Islands to Ucluelet on the MV Francis Barclay. Explore Pacific Rim Nat’l Park, discover the Maclean Mill National historic site riding the rails of the Alberni Valley Pacific Steam Train. 4 meals $785 Cdn pp Dble plus HST

Whistler - Barkerville - Kamloops - July 7th - 5 Days We thought it would be great this year to travel to Whistler, home to the 2010 Olympics. You will view some of the venues as well as explore British Columbia’s Gold Rush town of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to BC’s Wildlife Park in Kamloops where you can view over 65 BC species in a 50 hectare park. 4 meals $725 Cdn pp Dble Occ. plus HST

Cruise and Coach the New Orleans, Branson & Texas Sept 18 - 23 Days

Get ready for Cruising down the Pacific Coast, coaching across California, Texas and Louisiana. Stroll along the River Walk in San Antonio, explore the Houston Space Center, rediscover the revitalized city of New Orleans, including the devastated area from the Katrina flood and a special Plantation tour. Branson, Missouri delivers first rate entertainment with Mickey

Gillies, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff and more. This trip is packed with entertainment, history and a load of fun. Make sure you book early! 32 meals $3595 Cdn pp Dble

Queen Charlottes Explored - August 16 - 11 Days This tour explores the diverse Haida heritage of the Queen Charlotte/Haidi Gwaii Islands. Revel in the spectacular scenery through the inside passage on the ferry, The Northern Explorer. Discover the ancient Skedans village site on Louise Island in a Zodiac boat with interpretive talks and wild life stops. Return via the Yellowhead Highway through the rugged wilderness of Northern Region of BC and the ranchlands of the Cariboo

Region. Tour limited to 36 passengers so book early! 7 meals $1995 Cdn PP Dble plus

Copper Canyon - Mexico Hosted by Bob and Teresa Marshall - November 6th - 11 Days 18 Meals

Four times larger than the Grand Canyon, Mexico’s Copper Canyon is a spectacular area filled with beauty and unique cultures and traditions. Your exploration of this hidden part of Mexico begins in Tucson, Arizona. You’ll then travel through the beautiful Sonora Desert to the Sea of Cortez and you hotel overlooking the San Carlos Marina in San Carlos. You'll travel

on the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railroad for an amazing journey through tunnels and over bridges, as you begin your introduction to the beautiful views of the Copper Canyon.

Reserve for our coffee night slide show - March 23rd, 2010

Victorian Country Christmas - Dec 3 - 3 Days This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included a Dinner Theatre, dazzling light displays, a night at the 5 star Tulalip Hotel, the Victorian Christmas Craft fair in Puyalip and Factory Outlet shopping. 3 meals $485 Cdn PP Dble Occ.

What’s included on ALL Pitmar Tours? Home pick up and return*Luggage handling for one suitcase*Deluxe air conditioned highway coach*Keepsake name tag*

Daily travel journal*Accommodations* All scheduled entrance fees and group meals*Full narration*Group photo*Laundry soap*Bottled water. Website: www.pitmartours.com - email:[email protected]

BC Reg # 3561

Butchart Gardens and Chemainus Dinner Theatre - Dec 7 - 3 Days Join us on Vancouver Island this year as we experience Butchart Gardens at Christmas. Tens of thousands of coloured lights combine with evergreen swags and wreaths of holly and winter berries to line walkways. and festoon lamp posts. You then enjoy the traditional “Christmas Carol” play at the Chemainus Dinner Theatre. 2 meals $495 Cdn pp Dble Occ.

Coming in May of 2011 - Legendary Waterways Pack and Unpack only once on this spectacular 14 night Journey from Amsterdam to Budapest aboard the 5 Star Amadeus Princess. We will visit 5 European Countries; Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and

Hungary. We will travel on four of Europe’s most famous rivers; The Main, Rhine, Moselle and the Danube. This memorable trip will include all of your meals as well as wine included with every dinner. In addition all your city tours will also be included. Call for more information.

Olympic Peninsula -May 9th - 4 Days The Washington Olympic Peninsula is diverse in landscape and home of many of the world’s largest trees. Join us as we explore the temperate Hoh rainforest and the Makah native culture in Neah Bay. Discover Port Townsend as a local guide reveals their historical treasures. 4 meals $685 Cdn PP Dble

Bob and Teresa Marshall, the driver/escort and owners of Pitmar Tours, are excited to offer this program of coach tours for 2010. Come and join us! For the full 2010 brochure call us

Spring Warm up in San Diego, Palm Springs and Las Vegas March 30th - 16 Days

Time to warm up as we head south. This tour is a favorite as we experience the desert cactus in bloom. Highlights include a stay in Old San Diego, San Diego Zoo, Sea World, four nights in Palm Springs, Living Desert Park, Joshua Tree National Park, the Follies Show, Las Vegas, Reno, Scotty’s Castle, Virginia City. Join us and explore ! 17 meals $2,295 Cdn PP Dble Occ

Portland Rose Festival and more - June 9th - 5 Days This trip takes in many aspects of this 102nd historic Rose Parade as well as a night at the native resort with a special “Bird in a Clay” dinner. Enjoy the parade in the comfort of your reserved indoor seating at the Memorial Coliseum, a stones throw from your luxury accommodations. Please compare to other Rose Festival Tours. We have so much more fun ! 4 meals $829 Cdn PP Dble Occ.

Southern Rockies and Waterton Lakes National Park June 28th - 7 Days

This is a great trip as you discover the best of the Canadian Rockies through Osoyoos, Cranbrook and into the World Heritage site of Waterton Lakes National Park. Take a boat tour on Waterton Lake and find out what Head Smashed Buffalo Jump is all about. Explore Fort Mcleod, birthplace of the North West Mounted Police. Return over Rogers Pass with a final

night at the Three Valley Lake Chateau. 6 meals $1135 Cn plus GST PP Dbl occ.

Alberni Inlet & Pacific Rim Park - July 27 - 4 Days Trains, ferries, ships and a coach are in store for you on this tour over to the West Coast of Vancouver Island. Take a boat tour from Port Alberni along the West Coast, through the Broken Islands to Ucluelet on the MV Francis Barclay. Explore Pacific Rim Nat’l Park, discover the Maclean Mill National historic site riding the rails of the Alberni Valley Pacific Steam Train. 4 meals $785 Cdn pp Dble plus HST

Whistler - Barkerville - Kamloops - July 7th - 5 Days We thought it would be great this year to travel to Whistler, home to the 2010 Olympics. You will view some of the venues as well as explore British Columbia’s Gold Rush town of Barkerville. Also included is a visit to BC’s Wildlife Park in Kamloops where you can view over 65 BC species in a 50 hectare park. 4 meals $725 Cdn pp Dble Occ. plus HST

Cruise and Coach the New Orleans, Branson & Texas Sept 18 - 23 Days

Get ready for Cruising down the Pacific Coast, coaching across California, Texas and Louisiana. Stroll along the River Walk in San Antonio, explore the Houston Space Center, rediscover the revitalized city of New Orleans, including the devastated area from the Katrina flood and a special Plantation tour. Branson, Missouri delivers first rate entertainment with Mickey

Gillies, Shoji Tabuchi, Yakov Smirnoff and more. This trip is packed with entertainment, history and a load of fun. Make sure you book early! 32 meals $3595 Cdn pp Dble

Queen Charlottes Explored - August 16 - 11 Days This tour explores the diverse Haida heritage of the Queen Charlotte/Haidi Gwaii Islands. Revel in the spectacular scenery through the inside passage on the ferry, The Northern Explorer. Discover the ancient Skedans village site on Louise Island in a Zodiac boat with interpretive talks and wild life stops. Return via the Yellowhead Highway through the rugged wilderness of Northern Region of BC and the ranchlands of the Cariboo

Region. Tour limited to 36 passengers so book early! 7 meals $1995 Cdn PP Dble plus

Copper Canyon - Mexico Hosted by Bob and Teresa Marshall - November 6th - 11 Days 18 Meals

Four times larger than the Grand Canyon, Mexico’s Copper Canyon is a spectacular area filled with beauty and unique cultures and traditions. Your exploration of this hidden part of Mexico begins in Tucson, Arizona. You’ll then travel through the beautiful Sonora Desert to the Sea of Cortez and you hotel overlooking the San Carlos Marina in San Carlos. You'll travel

on the Chihuahua-Pacifico Railroad for an amazing journey through tunnels and over bridges, as you begin your introduction to the beautiful views of the Copper Canyon.

Reserve for our coffee night slide show - March 23rd, 2010

Victorian Country Christmas - Dec 3 - 3 Days This itinerary is guaranteed to lift your spirits and send you into the Christmas season with joy in your hearts. We have included a Dinner Theatre, dazzling light displays, a night at the 5 star Tulalip Hotel, the Victorian Christmas Craft fair in Puyalip and Factory Outlet shopping. 3 meals $485 Cdn PP Dble Occ.

What’s included on ALL Pitmar Tours? Home pick up and return*Luggage handling for one suitcase*Deluxe air conditioned highway coach*Keepsake name tag*

Daily travel journal*Accommodations* All scheduled entrance fees and group meals*Full narration*Group photo*Laundry soap*Bottled water. Website: www.pitmartours.com - email:[email protected]

BC Reg # 3561

Butchart Gardens and Chemainus Dinner Theatre - Dec 7 - 3 Days Join us on Vancouver Island this year as we experience Butchart Gardens at Christmas. Tens of thousands of coloured lights combine with evergreen swags and wreaths of holly and winter berries to line walkways. and festoon lamp posts. You then enjoy the traditional “Christmas Carol” play at the Chemainus Dinner Theatre. 2 meals $495 Cdn pp Dble Occ.

Coming in May of 2011 - Legendary Waterways Pack and Unpack only once on this spectacular 14 night Journey from Amsterdam to Budapest aboard the 5 Star Amadeus Princess. We will visit 5 European Countries; Holland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia and

Hungary. We will travel on four of Europe’s most famous rivers; The Main, Rhine, Moselle and the Danube. This memorable trip will include all of your meals as well as wine included with every dinner. In addition all your city tours will also be included. Call for more information.

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ber and logs down mountainous terrain by using flowing wa-ter. The watertight, trough-like channels could be built to span long distances across chasms and rough terrain, and elimi-nated the need for dangerous mountain trails. Far from being an old sawmill ghost town, Madera has prospered, grown and evolved into a thriving young community.

Our next overnight stop was in the Tehama County town of Corning, also known as Olive City. Open for tasting, a delight to the olive connoisseur, the Olive Pit store in Corn-ing boasts 120 varieties of olives. Olives – small, large, huge (the Queen olive), stuffed, many flavoured, green and black – the Pit has them all. Rich in agriculture with a variety of crops, Tehama County also supports industries in olive oil, almonds, walnuts, peaches, plus cattle and sheep ranching.

Farther south, travelling through to Bakersfield, we opt-ed for the scenic route to Barstow, our next stop. And scenic it was. Rolling green and gold foothills gave way to craggy, forested mountains, then, as we dropped again to the valley floor, mile after mile, far as the eye could see, of parched cactus, sagebrush covered desert.

Barstow bakes in the hot desert sun. The Mojave Desert, arid, flat, broken only by windblown tumbleweeds, green patches of scrub and distant hills, stretches for miles in all directions. The sandy, long dried up bed of the Mojave River snakes aimlessly through the valley. In the fading light, dis-tant coyotes howl an eerie evening chorus.

Barstow was once a busy rail centre and popular stopover place for immigrants travelling west on legendary U.S. Route 66. Made famous by John Steinbeck’s novel The Grapes of Wrath, and sometimes referred to as America’s Main Street, Route 66 played a significant part in America’s history. Not the oldest or longest road in America, started in 1926, it had its greatest historical significance from 1933 to 1970, during the time of great social, economical and political disruption.

The motor car and new national system of public highways brought geographic cohesion and economic prosperity to the widely disparate regions of the country. From Lake Michigan in the Midwest to Santa Monica on the Pacific Coast, as a component of the federal network, Route 66 linked Chicago with Los Angeles. An all-weather highway, it could be trav-elled at any time of year and reduced the distance for motor-ists by more than 200 miles [322 km]. Unlike any other high-way in history, Route 66 developed its own popular culture.

Leaving Barstow, we headed for Hemet and a week of rest and relaxation. Hemet, in southern California, is a quiet older town some 50 miles [81 km] from popular Palm Springs. We enjoyed daily walks in the sunshine and short drives to see nearby places.

One such day, we visited Palm Springs. On route, we were surprised to see an abundance of wind farms like bunches of silver three-petalled flowers; vast arrays of gi-ant power-generating wind turbines whirled above us on the high desert hills.

Unexpectedly, folks in medieval dress (who must have been

roasting in the 90 degree heat) greeted us in downtown Palm Springs. A Renaissance Festival to pro-mote literacy was taking place. We enjoyed strolling along the main street, talking with some of the actors.

Later, we visited hot spots Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and Palm Desert. El Paseo, a super-sophisticated shopping dis-trict in Palm Desert, intrigued us. It features over 300 world-class shops, such as one might find in London or New York. Art galleries, clothing boutiques, jewellers, restaurants and more, all lined on one elegant picturesque, flower-bedecked

CALIFORNIA CRUISIN’


SL

mile. But we didn’t stay long. Overheated, too hot to shop,

we treated ourselves to a cool drink then headed back to Hemet and cooler temperatures.

A visit to Old Town was the highlight of our next stop at San Diego. Considered the “birthplace” of California, Old Town San Diego is the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in California. Here, in 1769, Father Junípero Serra established the very first mission in a chain of 21 Christian missions that were to form the cornerstone of California’s colonization.

Father Serra’s mission and Presidio (fort) were built on a hillside overlooking what is currently known as Old Town San Diego. In the 1820s, at the base of the hill, a cluster of adobe buildings were built and a small Mexican community formed.

Today, the Mexican influence in Old Town is still strong. We toured a small, very colourful arcade of shops, ate at a Mexican restaurant (cool midday margaritas – delicious!), we strolled the open-air market and visited the beautiful historic walled mission.

Reluctantly, after San Diego, we turned our wheels north towards home. Our trusty GPS guided us faultlessly through the complex, multi-tiered maze of motorways that is Los Angeles. Although not foolproof, due to the occa-sional detour or minor changes in highway construction, we had grown to depend on it. Amazing! No more poring over maps; no more nail-biting worries about road positioning and missed turn-offs.

Motoring along the breathtakingly beautiful but winding coast road after an overnight stay at Long Beach, we arrived at the captivating mission town of San Juan Capistrano. Mis-sion walls surround the ruins of the historic, architecturally impressive church, once the biggest of the Southern Califor-nia missions; sadly, in 1812, only six years after completion, it collapsed during an earthquake, killing 40 people. Inside

LOOK FORWARDthe mission gates, an air of quiet tranquility and reverence pervades the ruined church, pathways and surrounding gardens. The one remaining chapel, called Father Serra’s church, is awe-in-spiringly beautiful. Nearby, inspired by the de-sign of the original, a modern church has been built.

Spring is not spring in San Juan Capistrano, los viejos (old timers) say, until the return of las golondrinas (swallows). Las Fiesta de las Golondrinas, a celebration of the swallows’

return to rebuild their mud nests in the ruins of the old mission, is held each year on March 19, Saint Joseph’s Day.

Again, rolling past acres of vineyards, bright orange and lemon groves, tantalizingly brief stops at Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel, Pismo Beach and the Hearst Castle at San Sime-on only served to make us wish we could stay longer, but our time was nearing an end.

We travelled 5,310 kilometres, learned much about the people and places we visited, and picked up some useful trav-el information too. For example, most large chain stores in the U.S. now accept debit cards, and they often offer cash-back, which saves on ATM transaction fees and bank charges.

Also, when using a Visa card (we didn’t try other types of credit cards) at gas stations that require a zip code, there is no problem if you use the numbers in your postal code and add two zeros (A4B 4C1 would be 44100).

California, America’s third largest state, is huge and spectacular in its diversity. Miles of rugged coastal beauty; fertile and desert flatlands; rolling foothills, snow-capped mountains; huge cattle ranches, farmlands, lush fruit and nut growing areas – and an abundance of sunshine. Cali-fornia has it all.

PhotosPage 16, Top, California wind farm.Bottom, Old Town San Diego.Page 17, Shakespearian actors. Palm Springs.This page, left, The author’s husband enjoys a marvellous marguarita at Guadalajaro’s, Old Town San Diego.Below, Mount Shasta.

APRIL 2010 19

with ACCES, Beth is happy to say that she and George do not have too many average days. In her book, she writes, “To be happy, I have been told, you need these three things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to.”

This formula has been a guiding principle in Beth’s life. She expresses the importance of it being a look-forward formula and thus

motivating to fulfill tomorrow’s goals rather than dwell on yesterday’s sorrows. “At our age, George and I still set goals for ourselves.”

With her third career as a writer in the beginning stages, Beth has finished the first draft of a new novel. Writing has brought her into a completely new world, both professionally and creatively. And it’s a world she likes living in. SL

Beth Rowles Scott did not intend to write a book, nor did she want to publish an autobiography. From her Crescent Beach home, she took up a pen and

simply began to write the episodes of her life onto paper as a pastime. She describes the stories that evolved as beads that rolled disconnected in a bowl. After a few completed stories, Beth felt that the beads needed to be strung together.

She found writing coach, Jerrold Mundis, for some guid-ance and professional opinion. “I wanted to do a really good job of writing, of honing my skills as a writer.” Beth now has her beads thoughtfully strung together in her book Pinch Me: a long walk from the Prairies.

Modestly, Beth expresses her expectations of the book: “I don’t feel that I have had an extraordinary life... I thought [the book] would make other people think, ‘If she can do it, I can do it.’ I hope that it would be a bit inspira-tional for people who aren’t very happy, or don’t feel very fulfilled, or feel old. Eighty-one is old. I don’t feel old but I am, and it is still a good life.”

Few octogenarians are so ambitious to start a new career. For Beth, it comes naturally. She spent much of her life working passionately as a teacher, a principal and a supervisor for the school district of Surrey. Once retired, Beth went back to school to attain a doctorate of ed-ucation degree from UBC.

Restless in her retirement, and having completed the high-est level of schooling in her field, at the age of 65, she and her equally ambitious husband George initiated the successful non-governmental organization ACCES, the African Cana-dian Continuing Education Society, a program that provides scholarships for university students in Kenya.

With her new career, and plans for a ninth trip to Kenya

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LOOK FORWARDBY KRYSTLE WISEMAN

Dr. Sunguti received a scholarship from ACCES to ac-quire his post-secondary education that lead to his doctorate. He now works in Nairobi and is holding a child who is HIV positive – providing care so the child will not acquire full-blown AIDS.


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We did a lot of hiking in the first few years of our marriage. But that was a couple of de-cades and a dozen or so pounds ago. So, when

Brent suggests that we re-connect with Mother Nature and her tundra trails, I’m feeling somewhat skeptical about con-quering the ascent.

“It’ll be fun,” my Olympian-fit husband assures. “And we’ll start out easy – like the hike at Buntzen Lake.” Child-hood memories flash back to this picnic hot spot, just east of Anmore; canoes skim the still waters, sandy beaches border its two ends and a low-level trail rims the perimeter. Even my aging knees could surely handle this two-hour saunter.

But when we arrive at this adventure playground, in-stead of taking the low road, he heads for higher ground. Intersecting the southwest corner of this glistening gem is a mountain route that literally takes us up, up and away.

“Don’t worry,” Brent promises. “We don’t have to do the 15 kilometre loop. If the going gets too tough, we can turn back after any one of the viewpoints.” As well as Diez Vis-tas Trail being a little more than a walk in the park, I find out it’s aptly named; 10 heart-thumping ascents and 10 sce-nic summits. Our tag-along senior schnauzer is excited. She

seems to have re-claimed some pup-py pep and is as hyped as hubby about this chal-lenge. How can I let them down?

My confidence begins to grow when we venture onto the wide-grade path that bisects the forest, crosses a floating bridge and leads to a gravel road – pretty non-threatening. Then the real trail-head and uphill begins. In fact, by the time we pass under the hydro lines at the two-and-a-quarter kilometre mark, I’m the one who’s needing a power surge!

Switchbacks scroll the mountainside and take us closer to the heavens. And while huffing and puffing my way to the

One Heavenly Hike Ten Scenic Sights

BY JANE CASSIE

Above, Enjoying one of the scenic summits. Photo: Brent CassieRight, The Cassies’ canine, Chloe, takes the easy way out.

Phot

o: J

ane

Cas

sie

APRIL 2010 23

sional viewing bluff and peek-a-boo vistas. Down, down to lower ground. Knees, knees, hang in there please! We end up on the north side of Buntzen Lake, a quick pit stop for refreshment and reprieve. From here, we can take the easier east-side lake trail back to our rescuing vehicle, or join the die-hard athletes on the west shore. By now, I’m motivated to give it my all. And after four more kilometres of rug-ged terrain, I can proudly say I’ve reclaimed my hiking legs – unlike our carried canine! SL

Embrace the Journey - A Care Giver’s Story

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first summit, I’m ready to throw in the towel. But it’s too early yet. Our cute pooch (read: transformed mountain goat) is having the time of her life and is running circles around me. Why was I ever worried about her aging heart? I’ll likely be the one needing a pacemaker after this journey!

Our trail forks to the right, rising sharply to the first summit and we’re finally privy to that hiker’s reward – a drop-dead (excuse the pun) view of for-ever unfolding mountains. “It gets even better,” Brent claims, when I respond with an oxygen-de-prived, “Wow.” “You’ll really be blown away by the next perch.” Although it’s a poor choice of words, he’s tweaked my interest. I’m not sure if this is just a ploy to keep my rubbery legs going, but the dog seems to agree, as she wags her stubby tail and skit-ters onward. And I diligently follow, doing my slow but steady plod.

Nature has a magical way of instilling peace. I’m not sure if it’s the clear mountain air or escaping the city pace, but somehow I feel symbiotically connected to the surround-ings and internally calm. We continue in silence, each of us lost in our own thought. At an elevation of 560 metres, we’ve conquered the brunt of this bluff, and the ridge-top plateau is now more forgiving. My heart has stopped drum rolling. I’m breathing within normal range. And my sweat-soaked shirt is providing a cool embrace. Life is good. And, as Brent promised, so are the next nine viewpoints.

Beyond the tree-fringed Deep Cove, our overview in-cludes the metropolis of Vancouver, snow-tipped North Shore peaks, and a scattering of distant islands. Other pin-nacles showcase different views: the finger-like fjord of In-dian Arm, blue-smudged Toni Onley-type landscapes and the wilderness that stretches beyond. We take time to soak in the beauty and visual overload from each summit and agree that this hike is worth the sights!

Although we have the option of doing an about face and retracing our steps, we go for the full-circle tour. The Han-sel and Gretel-type wooded thicket opens up to the occa-

One Heavenly Hike Ten Scenic Sights

WHEN YOU GO:How to get to Diez Vistas Trail: Head east through Port Moody/Coquitlam Make a left onto Ioco Road Follow the signs for Anmore and Buntzen Lake

Park in the southwest corner of the lot Best time for this hike: April - OctoberElevation Gain: 440 metresHighest point: 560 metresThis circuit can be completed in less than four hours. We took a leisurely fi ve.

The author side steps her way towards the fi rst summit.

Phot

o: B

rent

Cas

sie


Cosmological Troubadour

STORY AND PHOTOBY KEVIN MCKAYPauline Le Bel is interested in

how things came to be and imagining the possibilities for

the future fascinates her. This talented musician, singer, actor and writer has set out on a journey to reconnect with the earth. “Before we can make wise choices about the future, we need to have a more intimate relationship with the earth,” she says. “Entertaining peo-ple is fine, but I want to do more. I want to help heal the earth by loving it. You can’t protect something if you don’t know it and love it. I want to get back to this primal place of being in love with everything around us.” This is the theme of her most recent CD, Rescue Joy, an album of uplifting original songs.

What was it that compelled this en-tertainer to examine the importance of her relationship with the planet though she claims to be neither political nor an activist? The answer is simple and com-plex, a creation story of both a single individual and the sum of all that is.

Pauline was born in 1943, the sev-enth of eight children, and raised until the age of six in the small Francophone town of Tecumseh, Ontario. Despite her place in the birth order, in many ways, she inherited the best aspects of both her parents. Her father was a pharma-cist, who owned and ran the drugstore while her mother had played piano in a band prior to getting married.

“Our town had only 4,000 people, so the drugstore was everything for the community,” says Pauline. “My dad was a funny, gregarious guy who knew everybody and they all knew him. Mom was a fabulous pianist who gave up her band and teaching music to raise us. We had a baby grand piano and as a child, I would lie underneath it and watch her

high heels going up and down on the pedals. I felt embraced and wrapped up by the vibrations as much as by the sounds she played.”

Intelligent, Pauline started school

early and then skipped Grade 2. She spent the next several years in Windsor, reading all the time, and enjoying learn-ing but disliking sitting still inside. One thing she’s always loved is music.

APRIL 2010 25

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GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL(POST WINTER)

Herbal Remedies For Anxiety

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT

YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And StressThis has something on wellness, health, may be pharma-ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on website to track[READ MORE]

HOME REPAIRS (POST-WINTER)We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles on our website to track them.[READ MORE]

HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE?This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this article on our website to track it.[READ MORE]

YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS!Something really extraordinary -- like the sand on the ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embank-ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches.[READ MORE]

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!)Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -- starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade.com

A CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVDNo entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipi-ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. More details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09

TRAVEL ARTICLEWe have an article to put in this issue - RB [READ MORE]

Designed to Inspire, Entertain and Inform.

ADVERTISE HERESize??

ADVERTISE HERE

Size??

FREE LAUGHS

Can write a joke here.

Can we put a link to a pop-up cartoon (pdf), or a link to a funny video on our website?

SUDOKU OF THE MONTH

WEBSITE EXPANSIONThis month you will see some inter-esting INTERACTIVE additions to our website. We will be adding an EVENTS section, where the com-munity can post information about upcoming events. We will also be adding a “social” component called “SPEAK OUT” where visitors can post articles and comments.

A FRESH LOOK to our Readers Newsletter. Tell us what you think...

“ASK A PROFESSIONAL”

RECIPE OF THE MONTHGARDEN TIPS FOR APRIL

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

New articles posted this month:

Article 1 by Advertiser AArticle 2 by Advertiser BArticle 3 by Advertiser CArticle 4 by Advertiser D

WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES

We welcome these new businesses to Senior Living. It’s because of their sup-port that we can bring you this maga-zine every month. We encourage you, the reader, to let them know through YOUR patronage of their business that you appreciate them as well.

Advertiser AAdvertiser BAdvertiser CAdvertiser D

TITLEThis will be something inspirational, like the Tiger Woods blurb on the Business Newsletter. Blah, Blah, blah....And that’s how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will ap-ply tomorrow, and I will be better.” -Tiger Woods

TITLEAnother inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. “If you think of the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is the problem you have currently in front of you. David needed only one slingshot and felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other problems. The point is that each one of us needs to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one specific thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” - Mark Victor Hansen

My intention is to live forever. So far, so good!

QUICK LINKS APRIL ISSUE BUSINESS DIRECTORY EVENTS BOOKSTORE ASK A PROFESSIONAL SPEAK OUT COMPUTER TUTOR

��Newsletter for Senior Living Readers

APRIL 2009

��

GARDENING TIPS FOR APRIL(POST WINTER)

Herbal Remedies For Anxiety

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT

YOUR HEALTH - Herbal Remedies For Anxiety And StressThis has something on wellness, health, may be pharma-ceuticals, cosmetics, herbal options, etc. Put article on website to track[READ MORE]

HOME REPAIRS (POST-WINTER)We will do a section that’s related to home renovations, repairs, etc. Handyman tips, etc. We will put these articles on our website to track them.[READ MORE]

HOW FULL IS YOUR LIFE?This is an inspirational, motivational article designed to be uplifting but thoughtful at the same time. We will put this article on our website to track it.[READ MORE]

YOU’LL WANNA SEE THIS!Something really extraordinary -- like the sand on the ocean, or this month, a car that plunges over an embank-ment in Arizona missing a drop into a ravine by inches.[READ MORE]

COOL WEBSITES TO VISIT (in addition to ours!)Will find interesting places readers can go on the web -- starting with www.iserenity.com and www.howisitmade.com

A CHANCE TO WIN ANDRE RIEU CD OR DVDNo entry necessary - this month every newsletter recipi-ent will be entered in the draw for several CDs and DVDs. More details about prizes. Draw date: April 15/09

TRAVEL ARTICLEWe have an article to put in this issue - RB [READ MORE]

Designed to Inspire, Entertain and Inform.

ADVERTISE HERESize??

ADVERTISE HERE

Size??

FREE LAUGHS

Can write a joke here.

Can we put a link to a pop-up cartoon (pdf), or a link to a funny video on our website?

SUDOKU OF THE MONTH

WEBSITE EXPANSIONThis month you will see some inter-esting INTERACTIVE additions to our website. We will be adding an EVENTS section, where the com-munity can post information about upcoming events. We will also be adding a “social” component called “SPEAK OUT” where visitors can post articles and comments.

A FRESH LOOK to our Readers Newsletter. Tell us what you think...

“ASK A PROFESSIONAL”

RECIPE OF THE MONTHGARDEN TIPS FOR APRIL

ASK A PROFESSIONAL

New articles posted this month:

Article 1 by Advertiser AArticle 2 by Advertiser BArticle 3 by Advertiser CArticle 4 by Advertiser D

WELCOME NEW ADVERTISERES

We welcome these new businesses to Senior Living. It’s because of their sup-port that we can bring you this maga-zine every month. We encourage you, the reader, to let them know through YOUR patronage of their business that you appreciate them as well.

Advertiser AAdvertiser BAdvertiser CAdvertiser D

TITLEThis will be something inspirational, like the Tiger Woods blurb on the Business Newsletter. Blah, Blah, blah....And that’s how I look at my life. I will be better as a golfer, I will be better as a person, I will be better as a father, I will be a better husband, I will be better as a friend. That’s the beauty of tomorrow. There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will ap-ply tomorrow, and I will be better.” -Tiger Woods

TITLEAnother inspiring blurb....personal growth, etc. “If you think of the story of David and Goliath, Goliath is the problem you have currently in front of you. David needed only one slingshot and felled his problem. Then he got to go onto other problems. The point is that each one of us needs to focus that magnifying glass of attention on one specific thing, solve it, then go to the next thing.” - Mark Victor Hansen

My intention is to live forever. So far, so good!

QUICK LINKS APRIL ISSUE BUSINESS DIRECTORY EVENTS BOOKSTORE ASK A PROFESSIONAL SPEAK OUT COMPUTER TUTOR

»»Cosmological

Troubadour

“From seven on, I went to musicals with Mom,” recalls Pauline. “I sang in many school choirs and in church. Those were the days you entertained yourselves. I’m reliving that because I realized I was born to make music. I’m trying to integrate music in places you wouldn’t expect.”

One of those places is at the openings to meetings. In 2005 and 2006, she created and orga-nized a festival on Bowen Island involving a wide number of dis-parate groups and organizations to celebrate the human and natu-ral history of the island, to honour the past and dream the future.

“I went to the municipal coun-cil to ask for funding for the fes-tival,” says Pauline. “What I do is sing first then ask for money. Every time I would come in to ask or to thank them, I would sing first so they got used to it and looked forward to it. This is how we humans used to be. Indigenous people wouldn’t think about starting a meeting without a song. I love doing this: Inserting music where it always was and where it is meant to be.”

Pauline is passionate about the value of singing and music. She wrote a musical about Bowen Island, Voices in the Sound, and wound up telling the story of how the island started out as a piece of volcanic rock near the equator and is quite rare among the gulf islands as a result.

“The first 20 minutes of the show are about the creation of the universe in poetic rather than scientific language, which I learned from physicist Brian Swimme,” she says. “It’s about the long-distance romance between the sun and the earth and how we are children of this love affair. Since then, I get invit-ed to scientific conferences because I have made the story ac-cessible. At my first one, in Hawaii, I opened the conference with a Hawaiian chant then presented the Universe Story and invited the audience to make the sounds of the universe. They loved it. If people only knew what a joy it was to sing, they wouldn’t just want to sit there and listen. It’s wonderful when they sing along and feel the joy.”

The importance of music goes even deeper, according to Pauline, though she warns people have lost something impor-tant with the advent of musical recordings.

“Even though recorded music has only been around for about 100 years, less than one per cent of the music we hear today is live. I attended another conference last year and gave a paper about music and its effect on your brain. My suspicions have now been validated by science. When you sing, you release all kinds of great stuff into your brain – endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and when you sing with other people you release oxytocin, which is a nursing, bond-ing chemical. Neuroscientist Dan Levitin even suggests that music helped to create society because of its ability to bring

people together.” Pauline initiated her big musical break in 1978 when she

read a book about French singer Edith Piaf, and was inspired to write a show. The path to get there, however, was any-thing but straight and narrow. Along the way, she married

at 17 and gave birth to her two children by the time she was 20. She moved to Toronto and then Edmonton, where she graduated with a bachelor of music degree from the University of Alberta in 1975. Pauline cut her teeth, so to speak, by performing at the Klondike Days festivals in Edmonton as well as musical theatre, clubs and piano bars. She says of those performances, “I learned about creating a circle of energy with the audience. In

French, one does not say ‘you perform,’ but rather ‘you give yourself’ and this giving comes back to you.”

Pauline had an idea but nowhere to present it because all the producers she knew in Edmonton were worried there might be a backlash against its French aspect, so Pauline took it to Ray Michael of City Stage in Vancouver.

“He gave us two weeks to write the show and rehearse and found a brilliant director, Bob Graham,” she says. “I don’t

“...going to seed is not a bad thing. Seniors have knowledge

and when they go to seed, their wisdom nourishes the

next generation.”


“I finally realized that I am a storyteller.”

Because her previ-ous stints in Vancouver had always been near summertime, Pauline was unaware of how different the climate was from Edmonton in the winter. When she visited in late 1998, she knew the coast was where she had to be. She sold her Edmonton home and moved to Vancouver the following May. A year later, she landed on Bowen Island, where she remains to this day.

Island life agrees with her. “Bowen has been amazing for me. About five days after I arrived, songs started pouring out of me. I envisioned a poem on the ceiling and realized it was a song. Every day, more songs were appearing and I needed to record them. I looked for a guitar player on the island, but found a cellist instead. He listened to my songs and said let’s make a CD, which became Dancing with the Crone. It’s iron-ic: Two young men helped me make a CD about reframing our perception of old age.”

Pauline did a lot of research about how various cultures view their elders.

“I gave workshops called Kiss The Crone, encouraging women of all ages to enter that really juicy place of wisdom and humour, no b.s., call it what it is, and standing up for things. One song on the CD is about how women change the world. I am very excited about this power women have. I read about how the United States constitution was based on that of the Iroquois Six Nations that the founding fathers discovered when they got here. Only they didn’t get it quite right because with the First Nations it was the old women who chose which of the men governed.”

Pauline is also adamant about reclaiming some terms, which are thought of as derogatory nowadays, such as crone and hag. She says, “I wanted to reclaim the crone. It used to refer to the crowning of a wise old woman. And the word ‘hag’ comes from the Greek word hagia, meaning ‘holy one.’ In the same way, going to seed is not a bad thing. Seniors have knowledge and when they go to seed, their wisdom nourishes the next generation.”

Though Pauline Le Bel is a musician, a singer and a writer and she calls herself a cosmological troubadour, she simply wishes to make a difference.

“I’m interested in the role of the artist and the role of the elderly in society,” she says. “It’s not about the last years of our lives, it’s about making a difference and paying the debt. It’s about helping my grandchildren and great-grandchildren and all earth’s children to have a better life. Part of my job is to teach myself to really see things as they are and paint a picture of what might be.”

BBBthink I sounded like Piaf, although many insisted I did, but I sang with the same passion. We cast two actors to play her lovers and her father. It was an amazing experience. When opening night came, many people left during the intermis-sion, and returned with flowers to throw on the stage at the end of the show. We sold out every night. I learned a lot about myself doing that show. You can’t sing those songs without plumbing the depth of your own emotions.”

Pauline stepped back from singing when her marriage broke up, and after a brief tenure at law school and a house that burned down, she decided to try her hand at writing since it meant she could stay at home. A theatre director she had met at university asked her to write an introduction to opera for children.

“I wrote two musicals for them,” she says. “Then, I had this idea for a third story about a land where they don’t allow people to make music. I wrote it as a screenplay and it was picked up by Showtime in the USA. They loved the script and didn’t change one word. We filmed the exteriors at Fort Louisburg on Cape Breton Island, then the interiors at an Ed-monton sound studio. The Song Spinner was nominated for three Emmy Awards including one for best writing.”

After much prompting, Pauline wrote the story as a chil-dren’s novel, which was published by Red Deer Press. The novel won an award and later the CBC commissioned her to write a radio drama about it.

SL

APRIL 2010 27

BBBfer low prices for installing items like windows and home siding, but then come back later to the client saying the item is currently out of stock and can only be replaced with a high-priced substitute. Have everything in writing and know the terms in advance.

Do not be pressured by any person if you are unsure. Take the time to do your due diligence. If you did sign and would like to change your mind, B.C. law states that if it was a door-to-door sales contract, you have 10 days to ad-vise the company. For more informa-tion, contact Consumer Protection BC at www.consumerprotectionbc.ca

For more Consumer Tips, go to www.mbc.bbb.org

Lynda Pasacreta is President of the Better Business Bureau of Mainland B.C. www.mbc.bbb.org To contact Lynda Pasa-creta, e-mail [email protected]

SCAMALERT

Better Business Bureau Better Business Bureau Better Business BureauBetter Business Bureau

BY LYNDA PASACRETA

Beware of Fraudulent Paving Contractor

SL

Spring is here, and with it comes a warning to hom-eowners about a fraudulent

paving company working across Low-er Mainland British Columbia.

Consumer reports from places across B.C. indicate that men have shown up suddenly in communities of-fering to resurface asphalt driveways. The representatives provided a bro-chure or flyer for the company and a quote with a five-year guarantee.

One consumer recently paid $5,300 by money order to the com-pany to have the work completed. It turned out to be substandard and fell apart within a few days. After trying to track down the company, the hom-eowner found out the office listed on the invoice was a fake.

These unreliable contractors typi-cally target a community for only a few days and then move to another lo-cation. Consumers need to be vigilant and not be taken in by low prices and guarantees.

Before you give any money to any-one or allow him or her into your home, BBB suggests:

Get the name and location. Research the name and address of the company the vendor claims to represent. Check the business out at mbc.bbb.org

Get it in writing. Ensure all details and verbal promises are included in a contract. Review it and make sure you completely understand the document. Never sign a contract with sections left blank.

Check for qualifications. Verify the individual is licensed, bonded, insured and has registered with WorkSafeBC (Workers’ Compensation Board).

Make cheques payable to the com-pany. Do not pay in cash and do not make cheques payable to an individu-al, only the company.

Avoid “bait and switch” tactics. Some disreputable companies will of-

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PSBCAd7.25x3.1B.indd 1 3/18/10 10:17:43 AM


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42. Inn44. Highest mountain in Crete45. Slumbered46. Adorned with medals48. Crack49. Break into pieces54. Idaho resident59. Petroleum60. Cereal grain62. Poliomyelitis63. Vessel built by Noah64. Angry65. Township in W New Jersey66. Lock opener67. Suckle68. Leases

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APRIL 2010 29

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ASKGoldie

BY GOLDIE CARLOW, M.EDPhot

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Senior Peer Counselling Centres (Lower Mainland)New Westminster 604-519-1064North Vancouver 604-987-8138Burnaby 604-291-2258Richmond 604-279-7034Vancouver West End 604-669-7339Coquitlam – Tri-Cities 604-945-4480Vancouver Westside 604-736-3588

Goldie Carlow is a retired registered nurse, clinical counsellor and senior peer counselling trainer. Send letters to Senior Liv-ing, Box 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 2C1.

Dear Goldie:I hesitate to write to you because I feel like I’m going

public with my private life.Two years ago, I met this gentleman when I was taking

a music course at university. We became friends and by the end of the course became partners. We still keep our sepa-rate homes but have daily contact and take frequent holi-days. It seemed like a wonderful romance for two people in their 70s.

My problem is that recently I learned that he has a sim-ilar relationship with someone else. I feel devastated. He seemed so sincere and I really care for him.

I don’t know whether I should confront him or just bow out of the situation. –M.J.

Dear M.J.:I think it is important for you to look back to the source

of this information before you make any changes. How re-liable was your informant? Sometimes people just spread rumours that are not true.

It sounds like you really care for this person, so it makes sense to find out the truth. Tell him what you have heard. If he is evasive, you may have cause to worry. Your descrip-tion of the relationship sounds like there were few binding ties. This can leave the impression for either party that the field is open for other affairs. You need to have a heart to heart discussion. Do not delay.

Dear Goldie:I became a widower six months ago when my wife died

in a car accident after 35 years together. I just can’t seem to

get my life back together since it happened.We had three children and five grandchildren, so I do

have a family. Everyone seems so busy with their own lives; I can’t talk about what happened. What can I do? –A.Y.

Dear A.Y.:Your health is in danger unless you find someone to share

your true feelings. Psychologists tell us there is both emo-tional and physical healing power in expressing your grief.

I would suggest you set a time to bring your family and close friends together for a remembrance evening. Tears are acceptable and it would be a great tribute to your wife and the mother of your children. Such an occasion gives all of you an opportunity to grieve openly. That is what is needed here.

Unfortunately, our generation often praised the “stiff upper lip” attitude to grief, a process that delays healing. Your comment about the difficulty in getting your life back together indicates you may have been trying this method. Hopefully, your family gathering will allow all of you to keep the memory of a wife and mother alive and part of your daily life.


Reframing is to take a picture and put a new frame on it, accenting different aspects of the picture. In this case, to reframe re-

tirement is to adjust the focus.Is retirement a luxury of the past or is it sim-

ply an outdated concept? The two basic com-ponents to look at when viewing this picture are money and time. Let’s look at possibilities about money first.

Begin with becoming financially literate. Educate yourself by reading authors such as Suze Orman and her 9-steps to Financial Freedom. Look into local programs on finan-cial literacy. Explore possibilities such as those outlined in Timothy Ferriss’s book The 4-Hour Work Week, where he gives numerous resources for creating passive income in the current elec-tronic environment. In other words, adjust your focus. One framing possibility on the financial front is to think Financial Independence not re-tirement.

Financial Independence! What the heck is that? Tracy Piercy, Certified Financial Planner, says, “This is the situation when you have enough in-come to live your life in the way you want to live it; and work becomes a choice not a requirement.” When we have enough passive income every month to sustain the lifestyle we have chosen, we are finan-cially independent. This does not depend on age, but ingenuity, and personal priorities.

Begin by defining what financial success means to you. Tracy goes on to say, “financial success, on the other hand, is a mindset... Define what is really im-portant and work out what enough is. Stop the ‘when I’ and

make it happen now.” In other words, decide what you need to do on a monthly basis for your chosen life-

style and put a dollar value to it. Start now, don’t procrastinate. Priorities are what determine where

you spend your money. Now, take out your gratitude glasses and clean

them off, and view your world with an attitude of gratitude. Look at what is going right, even if it’s “I’m still breathing.” Be honest with yourself and sit with a pen and paper. List your priorities. Where are you now, and where would you like to be? Having a written list, and breaking it down into doable bites is a first step forward because it solidifies a financial goal, and with the help of the right financial expert creates a plan. The trick can be to pull your head out of the sand, and look at

where you are now – that can be the hardest part. Start small; it can be as simple as chang-

ing a habit, or looking at your own psychology of money. What does money represent to you? Resist the temptation to whine, “But it’s too late.” No, it’s not. If you don’t

like where you are, make a plan. If you’re on track, great!

Planning may take ingenuity depending upon fi-nancial circumstances and money choices that have been made until now. It will take a positive mind-set, a personal definition of financial success and a specific monthly dollar amount. The “how to move forward” is also personal, and may require a com-bination of financial vehicles to reach your goal. A

pension could be part of your income, in time, but not the only income. Funding possibilities could come from tra-ditional investments, rental income, or even part-time work. It may be as simple as investing in your talents. You need to do the research and add your own income initiatives to create your list of possibilities.

The road to financial independence and a personal defi-nition of financial success are in the hands of each of us, and there are avenues that need exploring. But you must be willing to take responsibility for your financial situation and believe in your abilities and ingenuity. Buying into the traditional model of “save up bags of money, and at age 60 or 65 collect a pension and stop working” needs a new frame. What will your frame look like?

The second part of the equation is your time. When you are financially independent, and financially success-

REFRAMING RETIREMENTBY MOIRA GARDENER

Purchase a Subscription for $32 and never miss an issue!

SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM

Vancouver Edition 12 issues for $32 (includes GST)

Mail cheque to: Senior Living 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

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Province ____________ Postal Code _________________

APRIL 2010 31

SL

REFRAMING RETIREMENT ful, according to your own definition, how will you choose to spend time? This is even more important because funds come and go but time comes only once.

Look at time as a gift and turn to long-held passions. Ask yourself, “What

are my causes?” Take stock of your tal-ents. What do you have a heart for? Do you wish to contribute to community locally or on a global scale? In reality, you already have a start, look at that list of priorities you created when making a financial goal.

Look around you. There are people whose passions run toward entrepre-neurial activities. They may choose to follow the suggestions in The 4-Hour Work Week and move towards running a business within an electronic environ-ment. Then there are people who have a passion for a cause and spend their time supporting it. Artistic souls, who revel in their chosen talent, can spend more time creating and others enjoy the free-dom to pursue their spirituality.

Wendy Nordli, a former bank teller, has developed her passion for the art of stained glass and jewelry creation. Her former colleagues asked her how she liked retirement and she responded, “it is no different; it’s simply that I don’t have to get up and go to work. I now have more time and energy to develop

my passion and my business.” Wayne Sali of Nanaimo uses the

term “Graceful Retirement” – “being reliant on the belief structure you hold.” For Wayne, it means being comfort-able in his skin. Graceful retirement is a transition to wholeness (body, mind

and soul) – a spiritual arriving, the resilience of the human spirit. Wayne alludes to crossing all the boundaries of age, money and time. What you be-lieve creates the priorities that drive your choices. Kindness, compassion and love know no age limit, and nei-ther does community involvement.

If you are part of yesterday’s expe-rience and are happily enjoying what was once termed retirement, be glad. However, if you are like many of us who look to the future with questions, you may wish to reframe. That yester-year mindset of mandatory retirement and retreating into a foggy state of imagined uselessness or sailing off into the sunset is part of the old wooden frame. Today, raise your half-full cup and keep filling it so it overflows along that continuum called life’s journey.

Start now, and choose where to in-vest both your time and your funds. If your circumstances block your way, adjust your attitude, and try a new per-spective so you can rise above them in order to move forward.

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING$30 for 20 words or less. $1.25 per extra word. Boxed Ad - Small (2.2 x 1.2) $110. Boxed Ad - Large (2.2 x 2.4) $210. Add Logo - $25 extra. Red spot color 10% extra. Plus 5% GST. All Classified ads must be prepaid. Cheque or Credit Card accepted. Toll Free 1-877-479-4705 Deadline: 15th of the month. Make cheque payable to: Senior Living, 153, 1581-H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

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RESOURCEDIRECTORY

A reference guide of services and products

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more mature now than I was when I was 53! When I suggest he and I go see a movie, more often than not, he will tell me there is nothing really suitable for me to see and it would be better if we stayed at home. When I told him I thought I was old enough to handle whatever Hollywood chose to dish out, he smiled patiently, sighed and changed the subject.

Now that I have bloomed, I want the world to know! I’m as good as any mature adult – even better than some I would hope. My wife says I’m being supercilious, but it’s true I tell you!

Being a late bloomer is like inheriting a million dollars while living on a de-serted island with no way off. My body may demand to be in bed by 9 p.m., but my mind parties until the wee hours.

My flesh may be overblown and part of the sag explosion, but my mind is muscular and can still run down the beach kicking sand in thin guys’ faces.

My body may be old, but my mind is younger than young and the mature of the mature. It’s not so bad being a late bloomer. But it sure is lonely!


Refl ections

BY GIPP FORSTER

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THEN & NOW

LATE BLOOMER

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I wish I hadn’t been such a late bloomer. By the time maturity caught up with me, I was al-

ready a senior. When I was ready to boogie, my body was “boogieless.” And when I was ready to challenge the world, the world told me not to call it, it would call me. I’m still waiting for the call.

I remember always wanting to be about three inches taller than I was. Now, I’m three inches shorter than I was when I wanted to be three inches taller!

Sixty-five, 70, 75, 80 years might sound awfully old to the young, but not to the ones who own them. Years are like sand that runs through our fingers. They go that quickly!

I’m sure glad we don’t take these tired old bodies with us when we leave this world to journey to the next. I guess I could handle holding onto my body when I had a 33-inch waist, was three inches taller, could see my shoes while stand-ing up and was even able to bend down to tie them! But not now.

I offered to leave my body to sci-ence, but they want references, so I’ve decided against it. My wife says sci-ence isn’t big enough for my body. She always knows the right thing to say when I’m feeling low.

I’m sure being a late bloomer has its

advantages. I just can’t think of any.The disadvantages are a bit frustrat-

ing. Now that I realize that all things are to be taken in moderation, I am well past moderate.

Now that I have learned it is wise to run from temptation, temptation has run from me. Now that I understand what it means to walk and not run, I’m stuck on a scooter.

Life is not fair for we late bloom-ers. My grown children seem to be my elders and pat me on the hand when I try to tell them of my revelations. Ma-turity isn’t all it’s cut out to be. People just don’t seem to appreciate a vibrant,

intelligent young adult in a senior body! They think a “late bloomer” is some kind of undergarment.

I guess the best way to describe a late bloomer is a person who fi-nally gets to sit behind the steer-

ing wheel in a car, and discovers cars, as a rule, no longer have a clutch. Or arriving at the dance when everyone else has gone home. Or wanting to take a bite out of the world, but afraid of losing their teeth in the process.

My kids and stepkids, who are in their 30s and 40s, have been mature for years. When I was in my 30s and 40s, I was still trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up! My wife is still waiting for an answer.

My 13-year-old grandson is far

My body may demand to be in bed by 9 p.m., but my mind parties until the wee hours.

Mail to: “To Move” Book Offer c/o Senior Living Box 153, 1581–H Hillside Ave., Victoria BC V8T 2C1

If you are a senior who has been wondering lately whether you should consider moving - either because you find the maintenance of your current home more difficult due to diminishing ability or energy, or you simply want a lifestyle that allows you more freedom and less responsibility - then this is the book that can help you ask the right questions and find the solution that is right for you.• What residential options are available?• Define your current situation - What residential option is right for you?• How to research and assess Independent and Assisted Living residences.• What do Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities have to offer?• How much does it cost to live in an Assisted Living residence? What subsidies are available?• Thinking of moving in with family members? Questions to consider before making your decision.• Are there any other residential options besides Independent, Assisted Living and Complex Care facilities?• If you choose to stay in your own home, what are your options and what should you plan for?• Who can help you decide what you can or cannot afford?• Funding sources available to seniors - tax deductions, housing subsidies, home care subsi-dies, equipment loan programs, renovation grants, etc.• Selling your home - how to find the right realtor or relocation services to assist your move.• Downsizing - Where do you start? How do you proceed?• Adapting your home to meet your mobility needs - tips and suggestions• Hiring home care services; do it yourself or hire an agency?• Legal matters - how to make sure you receive the care you desire should you not be able to communicate due to some incapacitating condition• AND MUCH MOREAdvice from professionals who are experts in the area of assisting seniors with their relocation questions and concerns. A handy reference guide for seniors and their families wrestling with the issues around whether relocation is the best option. This 128-page book provides helpful, easy to read information and suggestions to help seniors and their families understand the decisions they need to make.

Published by Senior LivingJANUARY 2009REG. PRICE: $14.95Buy it now! �

ONLY $9.95

To Move or Not to Move? A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

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BC EDITION

A Helpful Guide for Seniors Considering Their Residential Options

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April 2010 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition

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Transcript of April 2010 Senior Living Magazine Vancouver Edition