It's like Annie said, "we are here on the planet only once, and might as well get a feel for the place".

Howe Sound and the Coastal Range, from the front deck.

There's a marvellous view from our place. We look out over the Salish Sea...to the dramatic, mountainous, west coast of Canada. To the right of Howe Sound (above), is the City of Vancouver. We watched the fireworks there last night - from a distance of almost 60 kilometres away. Further to the right, the mystical and perpetually snow-capped Mount Baker, in Washington, "beams".

Every so often (daily), nature sends a signal, a wake-up call, reminding us that this planet is more than extraordinary.

This evening, it was a magnificent cloud formation.

So often we take it all for granted. It's as if the next time around, we'll slow down and appreciate it all. We live lifestyles that abbreviate the quality of our lives and serve to diminish our own abilities to explore and discover and unravel the mysteries that surround us. We make choices that render our bodies incapable of what they were created to do. For what? A moment's gratification? We only live once on this planet, at least that's my theory. And we need to do better.

It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful sphere anywhere else in the universe. The vast and complex web of life that this planet hosts is beyond imagination - and many species remain, secreted away, undiscovered. It all needs to be preserved and protected...with passion, fortitude, and courage.

We need to care for the Earth and its biosphere. We need to care deeply for one another and advocate on behalf of those who struggle to survive. We need to care for ourselves - for our bodies, our minds, and our spirits.

We each only have one lifetime to do this.

Annie's so right.