flight paths discussion

In Wells, BC was delighted to return the library book I had been carrying for so long which I finished this morning and totally recommendAn Atlas of Impossible Longing . And did I already urge everyone to read Refuge by Dina Nayeri It goes a lot deeper in the immigrant experience than most of the others
Its a lovely little library and I am getting to log in for the first time in a while.
But I am not a happy camper, my face swollen with bites and not in a party mood. I hope others adventures are turning out more in line with their wishes.

August principles of August - Greetings.
Unhappy camper, bitten by alien insects who have disturbed your party mood, how are your other adventures faring? Hope you are far from fires and other storms.

Magdelanye, so sorry about the bugs! The library sounds nice, though.

I'm loving not working. I can't believe how fast the time is flying by. I just finished Neoliberalism's War on Higher Education which I thought was powerful and helpful to me. Clarified much of my thinking.

I'll have to check out Refuge. Thanks for the tip!

We were in Wells a few years back. It's a quaint town. I was there with my step-dad and the walking was really rustic. At times we could barely make out the trail. Once the land just got wetter and wetter until we were stepping on solid ground around boggy, mushy ground before we turned back and went the long way around.
I remember that the restaurant ran out of food, too. We ate in the diner that day and they had run out of a few items....so the pickings were low. (those are the only 2 eating establishments in town besides a roadside fish and chips trailer)
I remember the flies and mosquitos. Not fun. Bug spray is required.
Are you/Have you gone to Barkerville?
How long are you staying in Wells?

August is going well....hahaha...it's only the first day. I'm ecstatic that it's cooler and "only" 25C. It's a good start to my least favorite month of the year (because of the heat).

.............. and in august we await the visit to and the subsequent visit from the grandsons ..... both aspiring readers ...............

Happy August! I feel like a jerk complaining that it's too hot when the rest of the year I'll be frozen, but my body was not built for the summer.
I'm in the midst of reading Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, it is one of the most interesting books I have ever read. It is blending botany, history, relationships, gratitude, story telling, a chapter about English grammar, it has everything and I am enjoying it so much.
This Saturday my family is going to the Poundmaker's Pow Wow. It is our first Pow Wow and we're really exited to see all the dancers in their Regalia.

Megan wrote: "Happy August! I feel like a jerk complaining that it's too hot when the rest of the year I'll be frozen, but my body was not built for the summer.
I'm in the midst of reading [book:Braiding Sweetg..."

The Pow Wow sounds so exciting--have a wonderful time!

I've decided that my body is just not meant to deal with temps at either extreme. Extreme heat can kill people as much as extreme cold does, so.... Luckily for me, the heat wave in the city has cooled off. Although it looks like our trip to Cape Cod next week may be spoiled by rain. And we're signed up to go whale watching! Plus lots of beach time. I hope it doesn't rain the entire time we're there.

I liked the idea of a pow wow Megan so viola, instead of Artswells I'm camped out with Kamloops Pow wow and recovering from my bites and the oppressive (yes Petra, thats my word for it) atmosphere in Wells.

Ellie I hope you have clear skies and a lovely vac
And Grandpa Ice, i'm sure you will have a great time with your growing grandkids.

It doesn't sound like you enjoyed Wells. Sorry to hear that.
I found it slow paced. I have to add that with my step-dad each day is all about the walk, so I may have missed a lot in the town itself.
The people were friendly and helped us find interesting trails to explore. The houses were brightly coloured. The locals told us that this was to help them navigate in the winter with so much snow. They used the colors to get their bearings when snowmobiles became the preferred method of travel.
It's difficult to believe that the roads would not be cleared yet Wells is so remote that the roads may not be.

I'm glad you're in Kamloops having a better time. I have a friend in Kamloops and visit every few years. Visiting will increase when I retire and have more fun. She's a wonderful friend and I like Kamloops (maybe not in August when it's blistering hot).

Megan, that book sounds very interesting. I like books with blends of topics like that. I will see if the library has it. Thanks!

Ice, have a great visit with the grandkids.

Ellie, my body doesn't like extreme heat either. I also get really impatient because I can't do what I want to do. I spend a lot of time on the couch, trying to keep as un-hot as I can (I can't use "cool", as I never get to that state). I want to do other activities but in the extreme heat that's what I end up doing.
Have a wonderful vacation. I hope the rain holds off. Send it this way.....we could use it.

Thanks Magdelanye and Petra. I'm hoping for good weather too--at least for some of the time. It's now very hot in the city. So hot I'm not planning to go to my guitar lesson ;( It will be close to 100 degrees in the subways.

My biggest choices in packing are what books? I love those choices. Although it's only a few days and I already have too many books! Luckily, we're driving so it doesn't matter as much.

Megan, that book does sound interesting. I too will look for it.

Much as I enjoy reading real books over other formats, I love my ereader when travelling. I can take all the books in one tiny package.

Ellie, stay safe in the heat. We're going to have a scorcher today as well. I'm just having my morning coffee and will then go out for my run before the heat really sets in. It's already quite warm.

Four more weeks until September with it's cooler evenings and (hopefully) days as well.

Petra, I love the weather in September but I'm not looking forward to going back to work. My mantra is "10 more months."

I'm reading The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness which is full of information I knew nothing about but so painful. On the (somewhat) lighter side, I'm almost finished Cassandra at the Wedding which is beautifully written.

I've made my son happy by finally reading his favorite book Mephisto which was excellent.

My books for the trip: 2 Lynda Barry (graphic novels so I'm thinking that will go fast); Chris Krauss' After Kathy Acker: A Biography which I've been wanting to read since it first came out and got from the library (all these books are library ones), two books I got from NetGalley (one a volume of poems). That's probably too many already Plus my writing assignments. After all, we're only going away for three days and hopefully I'll be busy doing other things!

I made it through my run in tolerable yet too warm conditions. We just went to Costco and it's really hot out there. The car thermometer said outside temps are 33C (91.5F). I watered the side yard (shaded at the moment) and deadheaded some plants. Now I'm indoors and staying here for awhile. Too hot out there.

Ellie, 10 more months! That's really terrific. I'm happy for you.
I like my job a lot and am still looking forward to January and time off. There's so much to do and explore. I'm looking forward to it.

You've got a wide variety of books for your trip, Ellie. Great choices.

Ugh just lost my long comment...The new app is dismal.
Hot here too in Kamloopsn glad to be able to stay on a couple more nights.
Petra I know you are sensible but running in the heat is taxing.
I too want to read that book.

The last lost comment was more interesting.
I'm in Tim Hortons for the first time ever to charge my phone and eat supper. Pleased that they have a garden salad which I'll take back to my tent.
Ice do you take the grandkids camping?
I regret not taking more books. I am fascinated by both books I am reading, but it's been almost a week without fiction

So the Boys go 'podding' with Mummy - glamping is probably more in our style !

I've been on the app all weekend so I've just been lurking and not posting.
It's supposed be be over 35 here most of the week, I'm melting.

@Magdelanye I hope you're enjoying the dry heat of Kamloops and are out of the way of forest fires! Let me know how the Kamloops Pow Wow was. :)

Tuesday heat here and nary a peep on media about climate change.
Hope everyone is doing well.
Ellie - sounds like you are well covered with books for your trip. Do let me now how you like Mephisto. I have read some of his father's - Thomas Mann - works but never the sons'.
Petra - I like physical books as well but nothing beats reading ebooks when travelling except when they run out of battery and nowhere in sight is a plug to recharge. I have learned to always carry a physical book.
Magelanye - Glad you could get to a pow- wow. You will have to describe it for us. I cannot think going without fiction. When you get a novel it will be a great feast I hope.
Megan - I have Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants in audio and look forward to it.
Ice - glamping?? grandparent with a lamp or glamorous camping?

@Mary Anne, I went to a small Pow Wow on the weekend, but I took a look at the Kamloops Pow Wow and it is big time! I would love to go sometime.

I have one chapter of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants left and I'll be sad to see it go. I have a feeling this is a book that I buy so that I can refer different chapters as I travel along.

Megan - how was your pow wow?

We went to the Poundmaker Pow Wow in St. Albert. We were there for the Drum roll call, the Grand Entry, the Intertribal dance and the Singing competition. By then my 3 year old was done, so hopefully we can stay longer next year.

It was amazing to see all the Regalia, to hear the drums and the passion of the singing. I'm so grateful to be able to take my son to a Pow Wow, this would NEVER have happened when I was a kid...we didn't even know there were indigenous people living near us. We as Canadians have a lot of reconciliation and healing to do, but it starts with one step and grows. I'm grateful to the Poundmaker Lodge for allowing us to come.

I understand now the 'Wow' in Pow Wow. It is good that we have a better relationship with our Indigenous peoples than the US has with theirs, but we still have a far way to go. I think that a healthier relationship with Indigenous peoples and other peoples who were formerly slaves, will help us survive the ravages of capitalism.

@ Mary Anne you're going to love Braiding Sweetgrass. :)

I would like to spend a few nights in a Yurt - which is probably the nearest I want to get to camping again .... which would probably require a lamp !
Any Genie can apply.......

The pow wow sounds great. We are up in the cape so I’m writing on my phone which is hard. I’d forgotten what it was like to do things with a 3 year old—fun but your schedule is not your own.
I found Mephisto easier after the first few somewhat ponderous chapters. I ended up loving it. Fascinating character study and look at the beginnings of Mazi Germany.
I just read a graphic novel by Lynda Barry which I loved. Also reading the bio of Kathy Ackerman. And a collection of poems called Women of Resistance that I got for free from NetGalley. But the weather was good yesterday and the beach wonderful. Tomorrow we go whale watching.

@Ellie that sounds like a wonderful vacation. I love going whale watching, I hope you have a great time!

@Ice, me too! The closest I come to camping is in a trailer. I might be persuaded to do a yurt. ....

I would love to spend some time in a yurt. I've looked for places that offer yurts for rent and it's expensive! I'd still like to do it once sometime but it's more of a dream.

@Petra did you see that there's a Indigenous company that does tepee rentals on a reserve in Alberta? They do all your food and take you on day trips to do medicine walks, etc. Looks pretty cool. I think I could get on board with a teepee, especially when someone is cooking for me. ha!
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgar...

Ooooh.....I could get onboard with teepees, too.

Thanks, Megan. I'm going to check this out. Sounds like great fun.

Back from the Cape: it couldn't have been better! Whale watching was very exciting: one came very close to be boat, almost close enough to touch! Climbed two lighthouses,(despite my severe fear of heights) and went to several beautiful beaches. I can't wait to go back.

I'm reading a book about people fleeing violence, We Are Not Refugees: True Stories of the Displaced. The title refers to all those who can't achieve refugee status as well as those who most want to just return to their homes. I don't like the narrator much but when he lets the people speak for themselves it's very powerful.

I'd love to stay in a teepee; sounds like a wonderful thing to do! And, as you wrote Megan, especially if they cook for you!

Last 10 days of vacation. I've gotten started on working on next year's curriculum (a little late but better late, etc.). Also going to museums this week: the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday (it was so exciting, as always) and Natural History yesterday (went with a toddler so couldn't see as much but fun to look at through her eyes). Today is Montauk beach, my favorite, and next week the 9/11 memorial.

Just finished a powerful book, How to Be Less Stupid About Race: On Racism, White Supremacy, and the Racial Divide and a fun won, a graphic non-fiction, Syllabus: Notes from an Accidental Professor by a new favorite author, Lynda Barry. Now I'm reading books suggested by my poetry teacher, The Wild Iris by a poet I love Louise Glück as well as a collection of nature poems. My new genre apparently. I've spent a lot of this summer writing about Bronx gardens.

How is everyone else doing with the end of summer?

What a fine treat to finally get on my own laptop again and to find so many comments, each worthy of its own reply. I must say, now that I am back in Powell River and sleeping in a bed again, that I do love sleeping on the ground and I would be camping yet if it wern't for all of the smoke and the uncertainty of fires. Even here in Powell River the sun has been smothered by smoke and there is an eerie stillness that compounds the uneasy feelings this unnatural weather generates.

When I went to Esalen, most of our lessons and workshops were held in one of the several yurts. I could definitely live in one. Teepees are also very cool. There were many over the last month, most painted with striking colours and designs.

The PowWow in Kamloops, Kamloopa, ended just as the weather was changing. It was by far the biggest one I've attended, and the effect was multiplied by sleeping there. Total immersion, and a sense of community even though I was alone.
After this I went to visit a friend in nearby Salmon Arm where I camped in her yard for a couple of nights. She was getting ready to go to Burning Man, and I finally almost understood the event.
Any of us ever gone?
I decided to go to another powwow that was being held close by.
It was smaller, more intimate, and imo an even more powerful experience. Besides the usual categories there was a bear medicine dance. Next year I will know how to be more prepared.

I wish I could figure out how to post some pictures.
And I want to see some of your poetry already Ellie.
Yes, Louise G is wonderful. And you are so lucky to have such great galleries and museums nearby.

Going to post this now and then see if I can make a little dent in my currently reading list. Yes, its great to have some fiction again. I loved The Humans by Matt Haig and now absorbed by A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Magdelanye: So good to hear from you! The powwow sounds like such a great experience! I wish you could post pix.

Now I'm working on curriculum again but loved going to the museums. You're right: there are so many more I'd like to go to. Also, a Georgia O'Keefe exhibit at the Botanical Gardens.

I love my fiction even though lately it seems I'm doing a lot of non-fiction and poetry.

@Magdelanye, that sounds like such a wonderful experience!!

We're dealing with a lot of smoke where I am right now, but it's raining today, so I'm hoping that will help.

I just finished reading The Slow Fix, which I really enjoyed and now I'm about 2/3 of the way done The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, which has challenged me in a lot of ways.

Yes, the rain. Much needed and welcome, and hopefully effective in damping the fires.

Megan I am curious as to how a book on happiness could challenge you. I am only recently interested in the subject.

Ellie, did you remember that we have a poetry thread. It is under poetry corner in flight path lounge.

Finished Fatima Mizra;s book and thought it was amazing. Not only the skillful presentation and the lucidity of her writing but depth she achieves by including the moral dimension into what is essentially the archetypal family scenario.
Now, and could this be a genuine co-incidence, I am already half-way through Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. It was at the top of my PR library stack and a subject of interest but I had ni idea that this would be virtually another version of the story I just read, less elegantly written and more in your face. If I do little else,this chilly day I may just finish it by this afternoon.

Magdelanye, I was looking at the poetry thread. Is it for posting poems or discussing them or both? I'm a little confused.

Megan, Hope the fires are under control.

Ellie it's mainly for posting poems but of course we can discuss.
The fires are a great concern for all of us in BC
Smoke is less today and more rain should be a blessing.
Did finish Home Fires yesterday and it grew on me .Today I was ready for Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward which I'm enjoying a lot more than her acclaimed Sing Unburied Sing.
I feel like the cat in the cartoon who vowed This weekend I am only going to move enough to convince people I'm not dead

@Magdelanye, I guess challenging in the sense of being joyful even when things are garbage. Being loving and compassionate to those you don't agree with or who have hurt you. I'm about to read Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor, I listened to her Oprah podcast and it was very interesting. How to sit in the dark spaces of your life. I think the books will be a good balance.

Ah!! Thanks Megan for clarifying. Sounds like I should read this book. Pema is my go to person for this, And knowing this, my son, who can exasperate me beyond limit, and knows well how to hurt, said to me when he had provoked me to the extreme, and what would your precious Pema do?

I am taking a lighthearted approach to my problems at the moment because for me the alternative is depression, bitterness and a breeding ground for negativity.

It irritates my son when I say I am homefree instead of homeless.
He mocks everything I do and has told me to stay away from his life. Then he does apologize, but I have to be very careful in our interactions to hold fast to love and wade through the garbage.

What delicious plans do people have for a close of summer fling?

@Magdelayne,
I'm really sorry to hear abut your son. I would definitely recommend The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World and I'm about to read Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser. I'll keep you posted.
One thing I know for sure: not everyone will be happy with your choices, but I believe that you have to do what is right for you.

I'll just add that it's not uncommon for people to be upset when you don't follow the dictated path of western society of the full time job, house in the suburbs, 2.5 kids and 2 cars. We live in a weird world sometimes.
For what it's worth, I'm always in awe of your adventures!

Magdelanye, I'm sorry about your son. With time, perhaps things will get better. I do hope so. Life is too short to tiffs, if possible.

You are a free spirit and, as Megan says, that can rankle people at times. It shouldn't but there you have it.

Megan, the Book of Joy sounds interesting. I try this concept when I remember to and it's hard. Sometimes you just want to punch someone in the throat; not smile and be friendly. It is a better tactic, though, (being nice) as it can put out the flames. Maybe.

I told my boss that I am going to retire in February. I have to put in the official notice yet; that will happen this week.
I like my job, I've got to admit and I'll miss big parts of it. I don't think there is an aspect of it that I dislike. However, I'm ready to not get up in the morning at 5am and taking things a bit easier.

thank you Megan and Petra for your supportive words. My son did text me the next day to say sorry but we haven't communicated since.

I felt so sick from the whole episode that I got sick...access tooth now taking the dreaded antibiotics.

I found it difficult to read while I was sick, not only to focus but also to keep the words in context. It took me a whole day to read the first 10 pages of the book I just started. Now a couple of days later, feeling somewhat better, I'm so grateful to be able to read again