Are our bags packed yet? Well, um, sort of...

The bags may not be packed, quite yet, but the beach rocks..."rock"!

Folks have been asking, "Just five sleeps left, have you got your bags packed yet?" Given my time as a military padre, and all that I learned about "P and P" (planning and preparation) at officer candidate school (albeit, many years ago), I'd like to say, "Of course!" But the fact is, we're, um, not packed yet...but we do know the location of our passports - at least I know Joan does.


A lot of the important stuff, however, is done. The eye-turning "HMKTV" (High Mobility Kayak Transport Vehicle) is serviced and polished. We have cleaned out the sea weed, shells, and sand and it is ready and waiting for our Scottish exchange partners. (Oh sure, it might look like a older model Chev Geo Tracker, but believe me, it is an awesome all-terrain "HMKTV" - never visited a launch spot or boat ramp that it couldn't navigate with grace, style, and superb 4X4 traction!)

The landscaping around our place also looks mighty welcoming - heck, it's amazing what a truck load of Vancouver Island beach rocks will do to deter the resident deer from eating our previous attempt to establish a "real" garden.

The Vibram FiveFingers, Garmin 305, and the rest of the running gear have a few more Canadian early morning sorties until they are "unleashed" on the roads and in the back-country glens of Forfar, Scotland. (OK, so "unleashed" was, admittedly, slightly overstating our running ability.)

A good friend and colleague will transport us to the local seaplane terminal for the flight to YVR and, at the same time, pick up our special visitors.

The parish family is "pumped"!

The new "sky blue" bike rack is now operational in our church parking lot - just in time for "Bike to Work Week". (And it looks incredibly cool!)

No the bags aren't packed quite yet, but a lot of the important stuff is definitely good to go.

Duncan.

On why "sitting" should be reserved for kayaks, bikes, and really fast jets!

"Trust no thought arrived at sitting down"
- George Sheehan MD, Running and Being

Paddling off Gabriola Island's cliffs. 
Can you spot Joan's tiny "sliver" of a kayak?

I can't think while sitting still. Seriously, it just doesn't happen.

No, it's not a pat-your-head-while-rubbing-your-stomach issue. Not at all. I simply don't like sitting still. Second, I'm just not inspired much...while sitting still. Thinking is easier when the mind is set free by self-propelled motion. Thoughts flow, solutions are found, meditations are written, peace of mind is recovered. I suppose that's why paddling, running, and most recently, cycling, works for me. Joan too.

When we are together on the trail or on the water, sometimes we talk. Sometimes we communicate without talking. Often, we just enjoy the solitude of our own thoughts. The older wiser I get, the more I appreciate the "liberation" that comes as a result of self-propelled motion. It is always "time away". It's a "60-minute-vacation" or a six hour "sabbatical". 

Most of you who read this little blog will probably agree that "motion is lotion" in more ways than just as a contributor to physical well being. It seems pretty evident that we human beings require and thrive on physical movement. Further, we are enriched in body, mind, and spirit when we are attentive to that need. The fact is, the folks I have known over the years who are the most active in terms of regular physical activity are also the happiest people I know. They are also amongst the most patient and forgiving. Go figure, eh? It could be that they have learned to live with a connection to the pace of nature and, in addition, provide appropriate response to what our bodies yearn (and need) to do.

Running on Mount Tzouhalem's trails.

In just over a week, Joan and I will engage in an exchange in Scotland with our partners from abroad, David and Catriona. For all of us, it will be an opportunity to meet and work with interesting and welcoming folks. (Bless both home parishes for their sense of adventure!) It will be an opportunity to experience and discover new and different ways of doing things. In Forfar, we look forward to listening to stories of their rich Scottish history, sharing in some of their current activities, and learning of their dreams for the future. 


We also look forward to keeping up with our own daily regimen of "movement" while we're there - after all, that's when a lot of the "thinking and pondering" goes on. Hmm, perhaps an early morning run out to Glamis Castle or on the trail around the local loch. There may not be an opportunity to paddle but it sure would be fun to "taste" the North Sea - paddlers we've connected with over there make it look like a pretty cool venue! 


I will admit that there may be occasions when "sitting" can be OK - but mostly if it's in the kayak cockpit or on a bike. Come to think about it, I did spend a good amount of time (many years ago) sitting - well secured in the "Martin-Baker" back seat of some pretty fast jets. That's about the only place where "sitting" has ever brought on both adrenaline and endorphins! 


And yes of course, "sitting" does work rather well for typing blogs! :)


Here's to movement.


Duncan.