Author Archives: brunhub

ROADTRIP WESTCOAST USA

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We had a plan for the first day. We were going to make it to Port Townsend on the Olympia peninsula, just a day’s drive from home. Since it was the end of October, naturally it was a grey and rainy day. Our first stop was the Peace Arch border crossing. Was my pot bust from 1974 in Montreal going to affect my status? Were they going to confiscate our camper van, throw us out? We had our spiel rehearsed: No arguing and contradicting each other like the last time we crossed into the USA. As in:

Border guard: How long to you plan to stay in the USA?

Me: About a month

Betty: Maybe more like two months

Boarder guard: And where do you plan to travel to?

Me: San Diego, I have a cousin there.

Betty: We’re also planning to go to Mexico

Border guard: Maybe you two should talk. Have a nice trip.

We waited about an hour in line until we finally got to the checkpoint. The young border guard just wanted to know how long we planned to stay. I answered. Betty smiled. He wished us a good trip. We were in. Just like that. Travelling USA.

A couple of hours later we arrived at the Coupeville ferry terminal on Whitbey Island. The 20minute sailing deposited us in Port Townshend. The ferry itself was an ugly, bulky tub which made our old ferries look like cruise ships. The coast:  US$ 14 including the van. The best and only deal, as we soon found out. 

Port Townsend is a picturesque waterfront town featuring a historic main street with Art Deco buildings, once a thriving wild harbour scene overlooked by some pretty Victorian houses up the hillside. It reminded us a bit of Nelson in the Kootenays. 

It happened to be Halloween and we passed some garishly decorated front yards, full of blow-up ghouls, tombstones and skeletons. We also found a great French restaurant – Alchemy – for dinner and here came our first surprise. $$$! Also, our small van, – a ROADTREK – coast us US$ 65 to park in the waterfront RV park. Petrol, which we thought was cheaper than at home came in at US$ 5.50 a gallon. Maybe a few pennies less than in Gibsons. Thinking the US is cheaper than Gibsons B.C was just an illusion. We found all the prices from restaurants to groceries are dollar for dollar and higher for many items. Considering that we paid Can$ 1.40 for every US greenback. That made prices almost one and a half time higher than home. This makes Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast a bargain for US tourists.

The Olympic peninsula is a large scenic park with hot springs in the middle of it and miles of rainforest hikes. We followed the road along the water up to Port Angeles and could see Vancouver Island across the Salish Sea. M.V. Coho and Clipper actually depart from here to Victoria. All along the scenic route we drove through a few reserve lands. Some featured Casinos which offered free camping. We opted instead for campgrounds with hookups, showers and toilets. Also, we passed by several unsightly roadside clearcuts; something you won’t see up north. 

One overnight stop was at the Three Rivers campsite, a reserve town famous for the setting of 2008 movie Twilight. This wooded campground was close to Rialto Beach, a dramatic waterfront with a pebble beach and jagged outcroppings breaking the onslaught of the relentless Pacific. A great place for a lunch or sunsets. We grabbed our chairs and set up on the water’s edge, watching the endless waves roll in.

We followed the coastline around the peninsula and overnighted at Westport Winery, a Harvest Host. They offer free overnight parking and can be found all over the US and Canada. This winery featured a whimsical Mermaid Museum, a gourmet deli and a wine bar. We did all three. 

One aspect of road travel is the everchanging scenery, like a non-stop 3D movie going by. Driving also meant constantly being aware of your surroundings, three mirrors and the front view, always checking and reacting to changing conditions. I like driving and mentioned to Betty that I could have been a long-haul trucker. She was not impressed.

We stopped in Newport to watch the odorous, barking sea lions and then had a clam chowder for lunch at Mo’s. We passed up on the sea caves, where an elevator brings you down into a large protected cave full of smelly, barking and rutting sea lions.

Our next overnight stop was the Blue Heron Cheese factory in Tillamook, also a Harvest Host. This town featured a large creamery with an output of thousands of pounds of cheddar cheese and ice cream. We did a self-guided tour which also showed us on large screens the happy cows, sleeping on foamies and walking into automated milk machines two or three times a day. They didn’t tell us what happens to these bovines once the milk dries up. Beef bouillon? Pet food? Shoe polish?

We followed the dramatic coast of Oregon, past miles of sandy beaches with rough seas coming in, steep rocky cliffs, a long stretch of large dunes and quaint little towns with names like ‘Cape of Foul Weather’. Indeed, the rain was driving sideways, windshield wipers on max. From Leggat we headed west and took the long, steep and windy connector to Hwy #1

The redwoods were one of our destinations on this trip and we weren’t disappointed. We stopped in Crescent City, just inside California and got some excellent tips from a park ranger. He directed us into a newly opened trail system in Jedediah Smith State Park off Walker Road. Grove of the Titans took our breath away. The gigantic trees, 1500 – 2500 years old are truly awesome. One of them was 22m in circumference and 7m diameter. They dwarfed our Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island. These redwood trees were simply from another age, from long before the colonisers cut down 95% of them. It staggers the mind.

The Napa Valley was another of our destinations and we came into it from the West, over the Mayacamas Mountains. After the twisty, slow road we descended into Sonoma Valley which at this time of year was a carpet of gold and red which stretched out before us. Acres and acres of vines which continued into the neighbouring Napa Valley. It was a stunning sight. Vineyards filled the valley and up the slopes of the Sanoma Mountains to the east and the Mayacamas range to the west. We stopped in Calistoga which is like a small version of Whistler or Banff. The main throughfare is lined with fancy wine boutiques and expensive restaurants, spa hotels and resorts with hot springs. Wine tastings were $ 50 per person which didn’t really interest us but we did find a place which served us a glass of wine which didn’t force us into mortgaging the house. Napa Valley is about 40km long and 4km wide and lined with wineries and vineyards, some of them Italian, baroque castles and all of them with expensive, overpriced wines. Chateau Montelena won the historic Judgment of Paris wine competition for its 1973 Chardonnay and put Napa on the map of the world’s best wine regions. This story was made into the 2008 movie Bottle Shock starring the late Alan Rickman.

We camped at the State Park outside of Calistoga and were able to use the local shuttle bus for a dollar a ride. Since most visitors came to the valley for the wines, a shuttle service made sense.

Napa City with its 80’000 inhabitants was a disappointment. Again, a main street lined with name brand luxury stores, wine boutiques and art galleries appealing to a well-heeled crowd. Nowhere were there any cozy grottos or restaurants that served open, local wine as they do in the Bordeaux region or the Medoc or the hill towns of Italy and Spain. All the wine was expensive. No such thing as a cheap Napa wine. 

We had to get around San Francisco since we had no desire to stop in the city. We’ve been here before and rode the F-line streetcar along Market Street to Fisherman’s wharf and had a serving of chowder in a famous sourdough bowl. We just wanted to get to the other side to Half Moon Bay. There was a disagreement between the two navigators. Mandy from the TomTom GPS and Betty sitting next to me with her map. I missed a couple of exits which flushed us past the city into an ever-growing river of cars down the multi lane #880 Freeway. Scanning 3 mirrors and the front windshield while listening to the calm and sexy voice of GPS Mandy telling me to stay left and the frustrated directions from Betty informing me that I missed yet another exit didn’t make for fun driving. Eventually I was able to get out of this nightmarish traffic hell and after driving for about 40km north we made it to our destination: Pelican Point, just west of Halfmoon Bay. The RV park cost us US$ 90 but it did offer laundry services and DVD rentals for $ 1. We watched Away, a 1989 Spielberg film with Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfuss and a young and hilarious John Goodman. The Park was right next to a Ritz Carlton Hotel which towered on top of a cliff above the foaming and wild Pacific. It sat next to a ritzy Golf course but the clubhouse was open to anyone and served a decently priced pub menu. We dined beside the millionaire golfers, feeling a tad out of place.

Looking at the map we figured we’d make it to Morro Bay, our final destination, just a couple hours short of LA. We took the fastest route along #280 to #101 and #41 to the Morro Bay State Park by the lagoon, right next to the State Park golf course. We parked, plugged in and then walked along the boardwalk and enjoyed a spectacular sunset. We had a dinner of fajitas and enchiladas at the Bayview Café just next to the RV park. Dinner included a liter of open local wine from Paso Robles. We felt that we had arrived.

The next morning, we walked the boardwalk again along the estuary and saw a myriad of birds: flocks of cormorants, egrets, solitary herons and sandpipers and cruising above us falcons looking for easy prey. Even the odd monarch butterfly flitted by. We checked out the seaside village with all the galleries, tourist and surf shops, had the best roast beef sandwich at the Hofbrau waterfront café and watched the lazy sea-otters and sealions along the active harbour front. In the near distance loomed Morro Rock, a colossal plug left over from an ancient volcano and the defining landmark. We walked to the Inn on the Park which offered Happy Hour specials and spectacular views of the rock and sunsets on the bay. The weather was a balmy 20+ degrees. Life was good.

We needed our rear brakes fixed and were at the shop first thing on Monday morning. As promised, they got right to it and two hours and US$ 280 later, we had new rear brakes. We got another roast beef sandwich and parked by the beach next to the rock, watching the surfers and sea kayakers catching the waves. 

Back at the campground we got our chairs and a drink and sat on the beach to watch the spectacular sunset show one more time. The next day we decided to start the long trek back up the coast heading for home. We stopped north of Hearst Castle (which we visited once before) to watch the young sea elephants resting on the same beach forever. We also stopped in Carmel by the Sea, a ritzy town full of high-end shops, expensive wine tasting rooms and classy villas lining the streets down to the expansive beach and adjacent park. 

This time we opted to drive over the Golden Gate bridge and right through downtown San Francisco which proved easier than going around the city. We arrived at the Nelson winery, north of Hopland, our 3rd Harvest Host, just next to the #101.  After some mandatory wine tasting we bought a bottle and camped under a massive oak tree next to the vineyard. 

The next day we stopped for a seafood lunch at Crescent City and then made it to Gold Beach, Oregon where we stayed in the downtown RV park for the best deal yet. $ 40 for a full hook up and within walking distance to shops, restaurants and the beach. We meandered along the wild Oregon coast, marvelling at the dramatic scenery and made it to Gearhart just south of the Olympia Peninsula. One more pasta dinner in the van. 

We were up early and made it to the border in good time and all the way to Horseshoe Bay where we got on the 4:20 ferry. We were happy to be home again after 5’000km and 3 weeks on the road. 

Inflation Blues

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‘How do people on fixed income deal with inflation these days?’ I asked Camp after he got comfortable with a pint in front of him.

‘With difficulty is the simple answer but we both know that being squeezed financially has many ramifications. It can lead to anxiety, fighting, drinking, depression and worse. If you’re income is fixed and the bills double or triple the result is not good.’

            ‘As rents and mortgage rates double, food bills triple and incomes stay the same, it’s obvious what’s happening. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.’

            ‘Rising income and wealth inequality are stoking social discontent and are a major driver of the increased political polarization and populist nationalism that are so evident today. Even if the grocery chains deny profiting from inflation, they’re profits rise simply because the prices are higher. If they make 5% on a $ 10 item before the pandemic, now they make the same 5% on the same item that now costs $ 20. Looks like their profits also doubled.’

            ‘While $ 10 of a fixed pension now only buys half of the same product as before Covid, which goes to show how depressing this inflation is for many seniors.’

‘Yes, I hear the same from my customers who are finding it more and more difficult to adjust to the rising cost of living, while their pensions stay the same. They have to change their daily routines in order to cope with the harsh reality and to make ends meet and many seniors are seeking help from charitable organisations. They can’t do the things they used to like going out for lunch with their friends or taking in a show or movie because they can’t afford it. Even visiting the grandkids in the city becomes an unwanted expense.’

‘A new report from Food Banks Canada found that this year’s food bank usage is at its highest since the survey started in 1989. Nearly two million visits to food banks in March 2023, up over 30% from the same time last year and over 200’000 of those visits were in British Columbia alone,’ I said.

‘You can blame the high house prices and soaring mortgage rates. Since 2020 nominal house prices have climbed by roughly 40% and fixed-rate mortgage rose from 3.1% to 7.3%, lifting the mortgage payments on a typical house by more than 50%. 

‘Vancouver still leads the way as Canada’s most expensive city for renters, with the average one-bedroom unit listed at $2,872 and a two-bedroom at $3,777.’

‘Who can afford that? CMHC (Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation) predicts that in the next 2 years an estimated 2.2 million households will be facing interest rate shock as they have to renew their mortgages, representing 45% of all outstanding mortgages in Canada. In the real world a $ 500’000 mortgage with a five-year fixed rate and a 25 year amortization will go from just under 2% to 5.5% and will represent about a $ 1’000 increase in monthly payments.’ 

‘Welcome to the future,’ I said.

Ask me how I feel about paying $ 10 for a pint of beer?’

‘Does that include the tip?’

‘Don’t even get me started.’

Simple is Complicated

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It’s dark at 4:30. It’s November but our corner in the pub is warm and cozy. Camp was already in his chair. ‘I closed up early. No Christmas shoppers yet.’

‘According to recent polls, both Trudeau and Biden are dipping ever lower in public opinion and are blamed for everything that’s wrong: Inflation, the culture wars, the homeless and addiction problems, the high mortgage rates, the housing unaffordability which all fall under the economy umbrella. Name any problem and the incumbents are to blame,’ I said.

 ‘Yes, I’ve read the same column. Some of the criticism of Trudeau’s economic record is based on perceptions that don’t match reality. David Coletto, chairman of Abacus Data, points out that Canada’s 3.6 percent inflation rate is well below Germany or France and even the US. Similarly, Biden gets no credit for the significant jobs created under his watch. He is also perceived as too old to be president, even though the other contender is only 3 years younger.’

‘Which goes to show that perception is everything. If you’re framed as an old dottery grampa then it’s hard to change that frame.’

            ‘Inflation and high interest rates are bad for incumbents but the alternative is worse than Trudeau and Biden. We all know about the rabid megalomaniac in the US but Poilievre in Canada is not much better. The first is a nasty liar, cheat and racist, the latter is at best a windsock and at worst a disaster for Canada. He’s an opportunist who has never worked an honest day in his life but he is a savvy social media punter and knows how to attract followers. Not that he has any fresh ideas or visions, far from it. He mostly complains and points out the negatives.’ 

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The Meaning of It

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Camp was already waiting for me and as soon as I sat down, he read me this little speech: ‘Here is one for ages: When the main course for your life’s evening dinner is money and power with a side dish of old age, accompanied by a bottle of your enemy’s blood, what’s for dessert? A bit of hate with some old, ripe grievances? Maybe some hostile revenge with a spot of envy? And when you finally lay down your spinning head full of meds and bad memories what is missing?’. 

‘Was that a quote or did you make it up after a bad day at the store?’

‘I had had it written down in my notes. Not sure but the essential question still remains.’

‘You mean what is missing in that cynic’s smorgasbord. Let me think. I would guess the meaning of it all.’

‘The meaning of life?’

‘If you like.’

‘I could go back to Carlyle or Goethe or Schopenhauer or Nietzsche or even Monty Python. They all had plenty to say and speculate about the meaning of life but the essence of life itself surely lies in the fact that we can celebrate it. With dance and art, stories, experiences and memories. The fact that we can overcome obstacles and suffering, illness and disease and live to tell the tale in many forms and mediums surely adds meaning to life.’

‘You’re in a philosophical mood today, Camp. What brought that on?’

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SOLUTIONS?

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‘So, what do you do Camp, if your sworn enemy’s only goal is your destruction. As in the Iranians and by extension Hamas’, Hezbollah’ and any other Jihad’s group’s stated goal. They want the whole state of Israel and its Jewish residents annihilated and their whole country wiped off the map and replaced. It’s what they publicly stated over and over and what prompted the horrendous latest attack on Israeli civilians. Let’s face it Camp it was murder.  Indiscriminate, pre-mediated mass-murder of woman and children, concert goers and farmers.’

‘Are you finished? Was that your question? And now you expect me to have the answer? I tell you what you cannot do. You cannot round up a population, half of which consists of children, and hope to find and kill the perpetrators of this horrendous crime. I agree, Hamas should be rooted out, their armed wing destroyed but that will be very difficult, especially if they hide amongst the civilian population or in hospitals, schools and shelters. These holy warriors are fanatics and nothing will deter them from their stated goals, one of which is to die as a martyr in the Jihad and go straight to heaven, into the arms of 72 virgins. Here is a quote I found: Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir of Surah Al-Rahman (55), verse 72, quotes “the Prophet Muhammad saying: ‘The smallest reward for the people of Paradise is an abode where there are 80,000 servants and 72 wives, over which stands a dome decorated with pearls, aquamarine, and ruby.

            ‘How crazy is that. Which goes to show that religion is the root cause of all evil in the world, closely followed by money and greed. In other words, there are no easy answers but the slaughter has to end at some point. Will some sane people from both sides sit down together and hammer out a path forward? Or will history just keep repeating itself?’

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ISRAEAL/PALESTINE

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Both, Camp and I, entered our watering hole at the same time, ducking out of the rain. As soon as we sat down, I wanted to know what Camp thought about the latest war in the middle-east.     

‘Is there a solution in Palestine? After the massive terrorist attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas, killing over 1400 Israelis, including foreign nationals, it seems that this war will go on indefinitely,’ I said to Camp who was slowly shaking his head.

‘I’ll give you some historical context. When British colonial rule ended in Palestine, in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948. Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. Then in the 1967 six-day war Israel captured the Gaza Strip. An Israeli census that year put Gaza’s population at 394,000, at least 60% of them refugees.’

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COVID Revisited

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A couple of weeks ago, both Alberta’s health minister Adriana LaGrange and BC’s Dr. Bonnie Henry rolled out their fall and winter vaccination plans for influenza and COVID. Although studies have shown that as much as 80 per cent of the population has been infected with the virus, at least once, and combined with the vaccines, there is a good level of immunity. Both, BC and Alberta residents can get the Covid booster in early October. 

            ‘Did you notice that when a reporter asked Premier Danielle Smith and minister La Grange if they would get the booster, they were rather cagey with their answers?’ I asked Camp. ‘Look, I’m a healthy person, I tend to take care of my immune system,” Smith said at a news conference and La Grange echoed her and said: ‘I’m very healthy as well and have a healthy immune system. And you know what?’ she doubled down, ‘I also believe that this is a personal decision for individuals to make.’

            ‘No surprise there. They are both old school anti-vaccers, Covid deniers and Freedom-Convoy supporters, although they would never say it out loud these days.’

            ‘Yeah, I get that,’ I said, ‘what really bothers me is that they can be so wrong. It’s not about those two and their healthy immune system. It’s about if they contract the virus and pass it on to somebody vulnerable and compromised. They are just thinking about themselves. Calling the vaccine a personal choice, misses the target by miles. It’s a choice for the health of the community, for the others, for the common good.’

            ‘You’d think they would get that being politicians and representing their community but they are not alone. Many people mix up personal freedom with bad choices for the community,’ Camp said.

‘Between Sept. 3 and 23, there were 21 confirmed cases of RSV and 52 cases of influenza. For COVID-19, there were a total of 1,470 confirmed cases that resulted in 286 hospitalizations, with 13 ICU admissions. Twenty Albertans died during that three-week period because of COVID.’

‘I read that COVID-19 hospitalizations across Canada have increased since August from nearly 1,500 to more than 2,700 this past week. ‘Are you gonna get the booster,’ I asked.’

            ‘I probably will. I might even try and get the newly approved Novavax, protein based shot, rather than the mRNA from Pfizer and Moderna. Mix and match. Like Danielle Steel, I’m not really worried about myself but as a book store owner I do get to see a lot of people with health issues and I certainly don’t want to pass anything on if I can prevent it.’

            ‘Exactly. Not only that. It’s free.’

            ‘What’s free?’ Rosie asked when she took our empties but forgot to bring a couple of refills.

            ‘The Covid booster, and the influenza vaccine,’ I said.

            ‘Oh that. I’ve had Covid twice already and I think I’m immune now.’

            ‘Maybe, maybe not. Being a server, I would probably be more careful and get all the protection I could. If you get it and pass it on to us two, we won’t be happy.’

            ‘I shouldn’t have said anything because now Rosie ignored us and I had to get our refills at the bar.’

            Camp thought it was funny until I told him I put them on his tab.

 

UKRAINE

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Camp, Muriel, Clare and I went for a walk in the woods yesterday and the two guys soon separated from the girls.  We both had seen the news and I wanted Camp’s opinion. ‘Do you think the Russians and Iranians helped Hamas to stage and execute their assault on Israel yesterday?’

‘It doesn’t matter what I think but the fact is that now the eyes of the world have shifted to the middle-east and away from Ukraine. This cannot be good for their cause. Maybe this was the plan all along because this senseless attack will do no good for the Palestinians.’

We walked in silence but not for long. We looked behind us but Muriel and Clare were just as immersed talking to each other.

‘We cannot let our support for Ukraine slip into complacency,’ Camp said. ‘We all know what happened. Putin’s Russia invaded their cousins – Ukraine – unprovoked and without cause. The special military operation – the euphemism used by Russia – was supposed to be over in a couple of weeks but then that didn’t happen. The Ukrainians, under the leadership of their newly elected prime minister Zelensky fought back and destroyed the 20km long column of tanks and armoured vehicles who were driving toward Kiev in order to take over the city, the government and the country. Ukraine and the rest of the western world woke up to this horror show and condemned it unanimously. Support for the assaulted sovereign country was swift and immediate – from all the NATO countries as well as many others around the globe. On 7th April 2022, the UN General Assembly passed resolution ES-11/4 demanding Moscow to completely, immediately and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine. The vote was 143 in favour, 5 against and 35 abstaining.’

‘Yes, I realize that now, a year and a half later, the unrelenting assault of Russian troops with the help of the mercenary Wagner group is ongoing and is wasting thousands of  young lives on both sides of the conflict.’

‘Let me count the offences of Putin’s special operation,’ Camp said.

‘Millions of Ukrainian citizens displaced and uprooted. According to the UN, some 

18 million people need humanitarian aid and protection. In addition to the more than 6 million refugees outside Ukraine, an estimated 5.9 people have been displaced within the besieged nation.

Thousands of hectares of arable land destroyed and mined, making it unhabitable for decades. According to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the Russian war in Ukraine has created a minefield of 250,000 square kilometers in size in his country making it the largest minefield in the world.

Cities and ports destroyed. According to estimates by the Ukrainian authorities, over 350’000 facilities and millions of square meters of residential, educational, medical and sports infrastructures have been destroyed and thousands of km of roads and railways along with airports, ports and generating-stations have been destroyed or damaged.

Grain exports disrupted. Since Russia cancelled the grain deal which allowed Ukraine to ship grain from Odessa to the Bosporus Strait in Turkey across the Black Sea it is now shipping the grain along the Danube into and through Romania. Russia has stolen 6 million tons of grain from the occupied territories of Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion and war. Since March 2022, Canada has provided temporary asylum to over 166’000 Ukrainians.’ 

‘Let’s not forget the thousands of Ukrainian children abducted and relocated into Russia,’ I added. ‘In fact, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Ms Maria Lvova-Belova along with her boss Putin is accused of crimes against humanity by the International criminal court. They were charged with being responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia — a war crime under international legislation.’

‘Yes, Ms Belova herself said that over 700’000 children have been taken into Russia since the beginning of the war.’

‘The well documented destruction and theft of Ukrainian cultural icons and artifacts from museums and galleries is one aspect of the war that is overlooked. It is a genocidal policy to deny the Ukrainians their separate identity, language and culture and the imprisonment of academics across universities and cultural institutions.’

Let’s be clear,’ Camp doubled down, ‘Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine the victim. Putin, the chief kleptocrat of the kleptocracy that is modern Russia is the villain. We need to keep supporting the victims and try and restrict, sanction, disrupt and destroy the warmongers in Moscow.’

We were looking around for our wives who were somewhere behind us. We were quiet because of the steep steps leading up to Soames hill. 

‘Is it possible for Ukraine to win this war?’ I said.

‘Probably not in the long run but we cannot give up our support just because the war is too long, too expensive and too disruptive. Let’s face it, one man and one word could end this catastrophe.’

We finally reached the top and below us spread the glorious and beautiful view of Howe Sound, Gibsons harbour and the islands: Keats, the Pasleys and the long blue band of Vancouver Island in the distance. Above us the blue sky and a couple of eagles soaring, unperturbed by all the trouble in the world.

The Future is Trouble

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‘You’re early today,’ I said to Camp who was already in his place with a pint half full. 

‘Slow days at the store. It’s that time between the summer tourists and the Christmas shoppers. I had a pretty good summer. Apparently, people still read. I decided to close early on Thursdays. Also, we’re losing the light. We might want to do our own fall back, like meet an hour earlier.’

‘Fine by me. That way we can stay an hour later.’

Camp gave me a raised eyebrow and closed his phone which was becoming an appendix like a third hand, even to old holdouts like the two of us. We’ve become lazy in other words and rely on Google and Siri for our information. Brave new world.

‘Did you read about this TikTok influencer Linda Lutfiawati in Indonesia who got a two-year jail sentence after a video of her eating pork rinds angered the nation’s top Muslim clerics.’

I just shook my head. ‘Looks like Indonesia is moving towards the stone-age Sharia law, away from the British based common law.’

‘These fascist Muslim clerics seems to rule from Iran to Jakarta, from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, as well as Afghanistan, Pakistan and pretty well all of North Africa,’ Camp said.

‘All of them nasty old men and all of them evil and I’d like to include Narendra Modi who is a nationalist Hindu.’

‘Except one woman who holds her own against these guys. Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh who to her credit has been able to reduce extreme poverty from 25% to 6% since her inception in 2009. And yet she rules with impunity and doesn’t suffer opposition.’

‘I read the New York Times interview with our prime minister. He sounds sane and almost normal when compared to the rest of the world’s leaders. He recognizes that Canadians as a whole are not happy with the state of things: inflation, out of reach real estate, unaffordable rents, out of date drug policies, everything going up except wages and pensions. He knows that people are mad at governments and they are worried. But what worries him – and me for that matter – is that they’re falling into the trap of populism with its simple answers that fit on a bumper sticker or a TikTok video and are driven by disinformation. When people mistrust experts and facts based on science and instead start to listen to a strongman who promises easy solutions for complex problems, then we’re in trouble.’

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DRAGON NESTS

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‘How was your trip with your sister?’ Camp wanted to know when I sat down at our usual table. The holiday crowds seem to have thinned out noticeably. 

            ‘We had a fun time driving around our beautiful little corner of the universe but one aspect of it has me troubled. Every resort we stayed at is owned by the Chinese.’

            ‘Doesn’t surprise me. Both B.C. and the Canadian government have been wooing Chinese investment. Money is everything.’

            ‘Yeah, I think you’re right. I did some digging and came up with some astounding facts. Here is a little tidbit from way back in 2015. Chinese homebuyers accounted for nearly one-third of Vancouver’s real estate market during 2015, spending approximately $9.6 billion of the $29 billion of total real estate sales, according to a study by the National Bank of Canada.’ 

            ‘The dragons go abroad. Part of Xi’s Belt and Road project. Apparently they are not the best landlords either.’

            ‘Not in my personal experience. The Harrisson Hotsprings Resort used to be our favorite get away for eagle watching during the salmon runs, for birthdays and bringing our European visitors there. Nowadays it’s run by an unhappy skeleton crew, many of them old timers who have been working there for decades. ‘We’ve had a measly 40c raise in the past 4 years and I cannot wait to retire,’ one tired old server told us. Potential new employees find better paying jobs just across the street at the pub. The latest owner is Aldesta Hotel Group which is owned by Guo Qing Zhang which in turn is owned by Saliance Global Holding, registered in Vancouver. Aldesta also just acquired Fairmont Hotsprings Resort and are a potential bidder for the Pacific Sands Beach Resort in Tofino. They also own Poet’s Cove Resort on Pender Island.Those are just a few of the Dragons acquisitions in B.C.’

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GIBSONS HARBOUR

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Our watering hole is at one end of Gibson’s Harbour next to Molly’s Reach of Beachcomber TV fame, while the other end is flanked by the Gibsons Marina and the Gibsons Public Market, a converted Yacht Club and partially funded by the town’s taxpayers. Between the pub and the Market is a landscape of neglect and construction fencing, grown over swamp and contaminated soil, parking lots and a stalled multi condo construction project. It’s one of the most scenic natural harbours and yet it defies any kind of development, beautification or conceptualization. There is The George, a hotel/condo/spa complex in limbo and surrounded by a temporary construction fence. The only highlight along Gibsons waterfront is Winegarden Park, a popular place for music and gatherings. The park sits right below the grassy knoll, on top of which sits the city hall which overlooks the harbour and it’s neglected waterfront from the prime real-estate in town.

            ‘Camp, you used to be a counselor. What’s the matter with this town? Why is any kind of waterfront development stalled or cancelled, in limbo because of court challenges or left to grow wild as a home to water front rats, both kinds, the two and four-footed kind. The whole stretch, except for one new, modern house and Winegarden Park, the harbour front is a disaster zone.’

            ‘It’s when opportunity meets bureaucracy. Some say it’s left to its natural state for the wild life but the only wildlife are the geese, the gulls and the messy river otters but you’re right, there is nothing natural about it. Dredged for marina space, left to grow because of pending re-zoning, missing permits and after Covid, missing developers who – fed up with counsel for stalling their projects – left with their money. You can blame Covid or the Town Counsel, developers or the taxpayers. Fact is, nothing moves in this town. Years ago, there were proposals for a Theatre complex on the town’s land next to the museum and a hotel where the town hall sits which should by rights move up next to the RCMP building, behind London Drugs.’      

‘I thought there was a comprehensive development plan in place? A roadmap for the future of the town?’

            ‘There is,’ Camp said, ‘but it’s only a pretty map with a lot of wishful thinking on it. A myriad of academic studies and a ton of money went into it but in the end, it’s the people with the money and vision who change the waterfront. For better, as the progressive majority supports it or for worse as a small but vocal group point out and stalls. In other words, the old adage rules: Nobody moves and nobody gets hurt.’ 

            ‘We’ve both been here a long time Camp and we’ve seen a lot of changes and heard a lot of rumours, about The George, about Molly’s Reach, about the waterfront development but at the end of the day we’re lucky to have this pub by the water and a walkway along the high tide line.’

            When Vicky brought around our refills, I had to ask her why she was the only server. ‘Where is everybody? You’re by yourself?’

            ‘Unfortunately, you’re right. The bar tender quit, one of the cooks is awol and we can’t find any servers. I’m not sure what everybody is doing but they’re not applying for jobs here, even though the money is pretty good what with these high tips these days.’

            ‘Don’t get me started,’ Camp grumbled, ‘the card-machine starts at 18% tip and goes up to 25%. That includes tipping the tax. I wish I could get a tip for answering questions and letting strangers use the bathroom at the book store.’ 

            ‘Would that be cash tonight or would you like the machine?’ Vicky ignored Camp with a deadpan look.

            ‘Just put it on my tab Vicky, please.’ 

I left a fiver under my empty pint glass. Just because I don’t ever want to lose her. 

HARVEST

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You will reap what you sow goes the biblical saying, minus the pests, slugs and birds share. Clare’s garden, although small and contained, only about 500sqft, is producing some decent crops this time of year. It’s by no means a hobby farm, just a plot of manicured and tended dirt. 

In the spring we made some decent rhubarb pies and at present we are overloaded with zucchinis and string beans. We eat what we can, give away to our neighbours and friends who graciously accept our gifts of garden bounty even if they don’t like zucchinis. We’ve been feasting on lettuce all summer and the berry crops are enough for our daily cereal. There are a couple of pumpkins growing and some butternut squashes, a few onions and we already harvested the garlic. The cabbages are an experiment and a fight against the moths and slugs and the potatoes didn’t really live up to expectations. The tomatoes love this persistent dry, hot weather and they look like a bumper crop. Together with the basil and the garlic they will make some decent sauce for the winter. We have a canning pot and a few Mason jars and lids. Let’s not forget the spices: Tarragon, parsley, chives, dill, rosemary, thyme and hot peppers grown from our own seeds. We also have a fig tree that looks promising. Add to all that the wild black berries which are everywhere as well as the neighbour’s apples which are free for the taking and the sum total is the season of plenty. 

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HOT POTATO

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            Our pub is crowded but Vicky holds our spots for us and we never disappoint. Like clockwork we show up and quaff our couple of pints most Thursdays. We talk at each other, sometimes with each other, other times around each other and we never run out of topics. Mostly we’re preaching to the choir, reinforcing our points of view, finding common ground in our opinions and ideas. A lot of our talk is driven by current politics, world affairs and the fate and state of our species. Right now, the 400+ raging wildfires in our province are foremost in our minds. We’ve been lucky here at the coast and haven’t had any smoke. So far so good.

Do you ever listen to the New York Times Daily?’ I asked Camp.

‘I’m too busy most days. Unlike you I’m still working and running a bookstore is a fulltime job, especially in the summer with all the tourists. I’m not complaining, just pointing it out.’

‘I listened to a segment the other day, on 4th August. It was about the wildfires. ‘According to David Wallace-Wells, a climate scientist, it is now clear that we are not in charge of nature anymore and that it’s the other way around. Nature is in charge once again and the 30 to 50 million acres of wildfires this summer in Canada are proof thereof. Smoke as far away as New York and Florida. 

In Canada alone this year, these wildfires are producing two to three times as much emissions as the entire Canadian economy — all of its infrastructure, all of its energy systems, all of its transportation, all of its agriculture, all of its factories, all of its cars. More carbon is being produced by wildfires this year in Canada than all of those other sources combined. If wildfires were a country, they would rank # 4 after China, Russia and the USA in terms of emissions. ‘The world is a hot potato’ as a friend of mine wrote in a song some 40 years ago.’

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GALLOWS HUMOUR

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‘How do we maintain our sense of humour when faced with disaster and even extinction, although the latter is a longer process?’ I asked Camp when we were both settled in our customary seats at our seaside pub.

            ‘We can wallow in doom and gloom, moan and groan, feel sorry for ourselves and the whole human race or just get on with it, have a laugh, see the beauty all around us and cherish those close to us.’

            ‘Are you being serious Camp or is this just a refined form of sarcasm?’

            ‘No, I’m serious. Without humour and fun, we’re doomed for sure. Laughter is the one free commodity we can take as much of as we want to and the best medicine for depression or just a bad mood. To laugh at oneself is also rather sobering. Nothing quite as ludicrous as taking oneself too seriously.’ 

            ‘I guess that’s why it’s called gallows humour. As someone said to me the other day: It is difficult to conceive of any sense of humour about impending extinction.’

            ‘I suppose we could just give up and resign ourselves to this apocalyptic vision of tomorrow and then what? Life goes on if we like it or not. The human race will probably survive; maybe in the millions rather than billions, maybe we’ll grow palm trees and pineapples here in the Pacific Northwest and Greenland will be green again. Or I can join the new religion where the gospel is that everything from climate change to Covid is a conspiracy.’

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The Year of the Broken Machines

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It all started with the washing machine. Five years old. No warranty. Built to fail. Repairs cost more than replacement.  We now have a new washing machine. Same as the old one.

            Then the hot-tub breaker kept tripping. I bought a new 40A GFI breaker. Same thing. The heater needed replacing since it was the culprit that tripped the breaker. Then the tub started leaking. A substantial leak, maybe 50 litres per day. I tried the magic ‘Fix a leak’ solution. No luck. I ignored the leak and refilled the tub every few days. I eventually let it drain, figuring that when the leaking stopped, I could pinpoint the culprit jet and seal it with silicone. Or not. The water kept leaking until it was four inches from the bottom. Then it stopped. The leak is at the very bottom of the tub. Good to know. I’ll deal with it later, maybe in the fall.

            Minor pieces of household machinery overheated or just quit working. First the iron. No big deal. We ordered a new one from Amazon. It arrived within days. Then the blender gave up the ghost. It felt awfully hot to the touch and just didn’t want to blend any more. Same procedure. Order on line, pay by card and the new mixer arrived within days. Like magic. Just click and pay.

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SNAFU

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            We’re in the midst of the endless summer it seems. No rain for weeks and none in the forecast. Vicky has kindly kept our spot reserved and I sat down grateful for the shady corner. When Camp walked in, I first didn’t recognize him I’ve never seen him in shorts. His pasty, spindly legs could use some exposure I thought but didn’t say anything. 

            ‘Over 900 wildfires burning in Canada,’ I said, ‘and over 350 of them in BC. Is this a state of emergency?’

            ‘It’s snafu,’ Camp said. ‘Situation normal, all fucked up.’

            ‘I read that the CAF are providing two CH-146 Griffon Helicopters and, if needed, a CC-130J Hercules from the Royal Canadian Air Force, to help with the logistics of fighting all these fires.’

‘So far, most of them are in the central and northern parts of the province but the continued hot weather does not bode well for the rest of the summer,’ Camp said, shaking his head of grey curls. 

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THE RISE OF THE RIGHT

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I’ve been over this theme before with Camp but it refuses to go away. No matter where I look, I read about massive Trump rallies or about a new and conservative rich women’s group calling themselves the ‘Mothers of Victory’ or I watch with dismay the destructive rampage in France or I shake my head at the recent Supreme Court decisions, rolling back decades of liberal decisions, taking away protection for minorities. 

Camp was already quaffing his first pint. ‘Must be slow at the book store that you’re here already,’ I said, sitting down.

            ‘I’ve got summer help, an eager student who loves books. She would work for free just to be in the book store.’

            ‘You’re paying her I hope.’

            ‘Of course, I’m not a slave owner.’

            ‘Did you hear that our former prime minister, Stephen Harper, was in Budapest cosying up to Viktor Orbán, to discuss strengthening the collaboration of right-wing parties?  Orbán has also called on Ukraine to concede to Russia, saying Kyiv cannot win the war,’ I said after Vicky brought me some liquid relief.

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Revolution

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         ‘Do you think there is a chance that there will be a reset from income inequality to fair wealth distribution in the rich nations.’

         ‘You mean the poor should be richer and the rich poorer?’ Camp said, raising one of his prominent, white eyebrows. 

         ‘Well, kind off. I guess I’m talking about the fact that according to the Federal Reserve, the top 1% of households in the US holds 32% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50%, the least wealthy households, accounted for 2.6%. That’s at the end of 2021. In Canada it’s a bit better.

         ‘Doesn’t surprise me,’ Camp said. According to Forbes data, the combined wealth of all US billionaires increased by 2 trillion dollars, 70%, between March 2020 and October 2021, that is during Covid.’

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PLASTIC

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            Summer has officially arrived and the days are long warm and ‘we are living in the best place, at the best time and we better appreciate it’, says Clare, my wife and compass who steers me along the winding road, making sure I don’t stray and fall down too often. Walking along the sea shore this time of year is always a pleasure but I had things on my mind I needed to air out with my reliable friend who was already in his customary place at our watering hole by the harbour. He looked at me over the rim of his reading glasses, away from his smart phone, like a teenager caught out. I got right to the point. ‘

Did you know Camp that the Philippines are responsible for 35% of plastic waste in the oceans, three times more tonnage than the next in line: India and twice as much as all the rest of the world.’

            ‘No, I didn’t. Should I be surprised? Garbage awareness and recycling are acquired traits and need to be taught from an early age.’

‘Exactly. It’s called social responsibility and if everyone throws their garbage into the rivers and lakes and out the car window then that becomes the accepted norm.’

‘As in: Why should I recycle my empty pop bottle if the car in front of me just tossed out a bag full of McDonalds containers?’

            ‘Yes, most of the roadside garbage originates at fast food outlets but I have to say that here in Canada we’re shamed if we so much as drop a bottle cap in the gutter. Garbage management and recycling are ingrained and littering is fined and not tolerated by the general public.’

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RUSSIAN EXPANSION

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‘How many people have died so far in the Ukraine invasion by Russia?’ I asked Camp, prompted by the daily reports of a ‘counter offensive’ by the Ukrainians in a war of aggression and attrition that began in 2014 with the invasion of the Crimea and on 24th February 2022 with the occupation of parts of the Ukraine by Russian troops. 

‘Estimates go from 10’000 civilian casualties to ten times that many and up to 100’000 soldiers, many of them from the mercenary Wagner group. And counting.

‘Too many and to what end? A crazy dream by a small man who wants to be bigger than Peter or Catherine? Expansions of present-day Russia to its former USSR borders? NATO and the affected small nations will never let that happen, which means this war will go on for a long time.’

‘I’ll give you a little history lesson,’ Camp said and then launched into a lengthy lecture. ‘In 1700, Peter the Great attacked Sweden, Saxe-Poland and Denmark out of the blue. Although he was almost defeated at first, he was victorious in the end and took over large parts of Eastern Europe. A few years later, Catherine the Great got into a fight with the Turks, the Ottoman Empire (1768–1774), knocked them down and would have liked to march as far as Constantinople (Istanbul) if the British had not stopped her. Nevertheless, she won huge territories, including almost the entire northern Black Sea coast, and shortly afterwards the Crimea. Being a native German, she wanted to resurrect the old Eastern Roman Empire. She founded new cities, to which she gave Greek names such as Odessa, Kherson or Mariupol, at the center of Putin’s present war of expansion. 

When Hitler invaded the Soviet Union during operation Barbarossa, causing a bloodbath the likes of which humanity had never seen before, with about 30 million deaths on both sides, it was the Americans, who provided the Soviets with everything they needed to defend themselves against the Nazis. Let me check this,’ Camp said, pawing his smart phone. ‘Oh, here it is: In December 1941, the U.S. decided to send the Russians monthly deliveries, including: 50,000 tons of metals, chemicals, heavy metals, 20,000 tons of petroleum products, 10,000 trucks, 550 tanks, 144 fighter planes and 133 bombers, plus ten shiploads of wheat, flour and sugar. Month after month – until the end of the war, Americans gave the Russians just about everything. Stalin, also a first-class war-criminal, hardly ever paid a dollar but annexed half of Poland, the three Baltic states, Moldova, and northern Bukovina, when he was allied with Hitler. After the war he did not return one square kilometer; rather, he acquired even more territories: from Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Finland and once again from Poland. Meanwhile, America, which had won the war in the first place, did not absorb a single square meter.’

‘Thanks for the update, Camp. History is an endless human drama.’

‘By the way, Russia is still the largest country in this world by far at 17 million ㎢, way larger than Canada at 10 million㎢, or China at 9.7 million㎢ or the USA at a measly 9.3 million㎢.’

While Camp was talking, I was listening and drinking. Now, caught up, he downed his mug in one go, prompting Vicky to swoop in with two cold, fresh brews, on the double.  

‘That’s service,’ Camp said admiringly and we left her a nice big tip.