Surface tension and a "Sargasso Sea"...

How often nature reveals meaning in life..or is it that life reveals meaning in nature? Or is it that life and nature simply and profoundly complement each other! Ah yes, that must be it!

Anyway, this was a great paddling day down Sansum Narrows, between Saltspring and Vancouver Islands. Just across from Bold Bluff Point, wind and tide had conspired to bring what seemed to be every scrap of floating vegetation in the narrows into one rocky cove. Completely unable to resist paddling in this imaginary "Sargasso Sea", I pointed my kayak toward what some natural gourmands might consider a floating "salad bar" - organic and sustainable to boot! Building up as much forward momentum as possible - "bookin' speed", so to speak - paddler and craft sliced into the biomass of brightly coloured marine vegetation. This, I figured, could be quite productive! Hey, sea lettuce does sound tasty and they do put sea weed in ice cream - albeit under the less than appetizing sounding name of "carrageenan"!

Well, needless to say, the forward momentum didn't last all that long and soon my sleek craft was becoming mired in the lush growth. Long ribbons of sea weed adhered to the paddle blades and susequently slithered off to cover the deck and spray cover - my paddling partner just rolled her eyes! The "surface" of the ocean in this cove was dead calm, unlike the choppy and confused waters of the channel. Mired, but definitely a good "port in a storm", I observed out loud to my patient spouse. Kayakers, after all, have been known to find temporary respite from wind and wave by paddling into a "field" of bull kelp and situating themselves amidst the large, floating bulbous ends of the plant, their sheer mass and numbers, calming the water.

The very fact that I had become slightly "bogged down" in sea weed gave me time and reason to focus my attention on what it was that I had become part of in the cove. There was much more than sea weed - bobbing in slow motion on the congested surface was a discarded cork from what I imagined a very fine bottle of wine; a glass bottle (no note); a few pieces of the ever-present styrofoam; a faded tennis ball; a piece of nylon rope. There were also, however, countless species of seaweed that I must later look up in the field guide. There were little crab-like critters, almost invisible to the eye. Clearing a patch of water revealed parachute-like jelly fish, their "chutes" opening and closing and providing propulsion below the greenery. I had become part of a whole "universe" in this little cove and wondered if any of the creatures observed me.

Exiting my imaginary Sargasso Sea required some significant paddle strokes, but finally free, the kayak once again welcomed the lively wave motion. Nature had shared another one of life's lessons. Those occasions when life's events cause us to feel "bogged down" or even mired, can have a silver lining. When we're "bogged down", instead of letting tension get the best of us, we need to slow down and take the opportunity to observe, collect our thoughts, breath deeply, and ponder what's around us. More often that not, it is in doing these things that we find respite and renewed strength. Refreshed and calmed, and a few strong "paddle strokes" later, we're free again.

Hmm, I wonder if sea lettuce would go well with a Greek and feta dressing?

D.

A "waypoint" in time...

I love this picture. It brings back very fond memories of a hike we took on a beautiful and windswept West Coast beach. What felt like a gale force wind propelled the tiny grains of sand into an abrasive "mist" that obscured the sky and "coloured" both land and seascapes shades of grey. Particles of sand and shell, created by waves crashing on the shore over untold eons, became airborne and stung all exposed flesh. Sandpaper-like, the air seemed to tear at the face and took great pleasure in depositing a nasty grit between the teeth. Yeah, it was a good day to be outside! So good that I remember creating a "way point" with my little handheld GPS - this spot had to be marked, not just as a location, but as a "memory" to be savoured and enjoyed.

Technically, a "waypoint" is a reference point in physical space, usually marked by coordinates of latitude and longitude. A waypoint establishes a significant location for the purpose of navigation. "X" marks the spot - that's pretty much it! Today, I'm setting a small "waypoint" with this blog entry. Just a few days into the first week of a study sabbatical, it just seems like a good time to mark the "trail head" of what I anticipate will be a most interesting journey of self-discovery. There will be more opportunity to observe and experience and reflect. There will be more time to be and, of course, more choice in the department of "to do". I feel deeply thankful for this opportunity - to those who have granted it and to those whose hours and efforts will increase as they generously and graciously pick up the responsibilities I have left behind for this period of time.

The word "sabbatical" comes from the Hebrew shabbat - it is a sabbath time, a time of ceasing to do what one normally does for, amongst other things, the purpose of renewal and restoration. Sabbath is often associated with "rest". My father taught me, however, that rest is over rated - the kind of rest anyway, that is, that is known as "putting your feet up". So there won't be any of that! I look forward to this time as an opportunity to read more and to write more. It will also be a time to rediscover the ability to be contemplative - so important for those of us who share this vocation and yet something most of us have little time for - which is rather ironic. It will also be a time to run more trails and paddle more shorelines of these most exquisite Gulf Islands. To what end? Ultimately, to gather together some gifts that might be shared with those who have made this possible.

So, as on that day on an isolated West Coast beach when the wind blew and the sand flew, I set a "waypoint" - a place in time and space that marks a trailhead of a journey just begun.

Peace be with you.

Duncan.