My Focus

Every day we make choices on how to spend our time. It can be productive time or it  can be unproductive time.   Only I can determine which.  We only have so much time on this rock.  

Each of us has to look back, ahead and in the present and determine if we are using our time in a way as to make their life meaningful.  Not everyone is looking to lead a life of meaning but each of us has the ability to.   

I have seen many moons in my years on this rock and fewer moons to see in the future.  But this means that for me, I should focus on using the time I have to become the best I can be. Only I can determine what that that looks like.

That is my focus

  

Exhaustion

This blog comes from a point of exhaustion.  I know alot of people have been hit with the flu and or colds in the last little while.  For myself I have been struggling going on over two weeks now.  I don't think I have had more that a few concurrent hours of sleep in weeks.

I am walking around in a permanent daze.  I only hope that sleep comes back to me so I can get 6 or 7 hours uniterupted.  Of course because of this sickness and lack of sleep I am not getting much training in.  I am still able to read but not many kicks are being done as when ever I try I feel like I am going to fall over.

Next week will be better and I hope the daze is gone and the energy is back.

Two great experiences

I had two great experiences the last little while.  The first was the morning of December 3.  The morning was beautiful blue sky and not alot of wind.  I was in the city and I drove home along the back roads.  The frost was thick on the trees and the sun being low in the sky was reflecting the frost.  We get a few days like this in most winters but sometimes I don't have the time to actually watch and enjoy this sight.  It was great to see this and be there at that time.  Half an our later it had warmed up and there was a light breeze and it was all gone.

This past weekend I was driving north into North East BC.  The sun was above the horizon but not by much.  There was a thin layer of cloud throughout the sky.  With the low light all the trees, fields and river valley's gave a very strange but cool shadow that is hard to describe.  I felt like I had gone back in time 70 years.  I remember seeing picture of this area in black and white and the whole day seemed like a black and white photo.


Those were two great days.

Happy

I was listening to a song this weekend and a line in it struck me as where I have gotten too in my life with my mental state.
Being in the moment, seeing things around you are what makes a person feel happy.

The words in the song were:

Successful men get what they want

Happy men want just what they got.

If you live every day being happy what more do you need.

Kick A Thon for Nicaragua

This past weekend I was privileged to have been able to participate in Onoway Champion TKD Kick-A-Thon to raise funds for building class rooms in Grenada, Nicaragua.

There were 4 teams of 5 kicking for about 4 hours.  We were able to do 52,150 kicks.  It was a great day of fun and sweat.  My calf muscles are a little tight right now but this will help a lot of kids in Central America.

A big shout out to Andrew and Hannah from Silent River Kung Fu who where there as well kicking hard.  Near the end I could barely lift a leg and both Andrew and Hannah were still putting in front thrust kicks that could knock me back if I was holding the bag.

A great way to spend the day.

Back at it

Well its been a hiatus.  I have been travelling and tied up with work.  Looks like it will continue to be busy for the next while.  I was happy to be back in the Kwoon last night after a few weeks away. 

Training is such a great way to get calm and focus on what the immediate task is in front of me.  Leaving the floor with a sweat on is one of lifes great pleasures.  I hope to be able get to most classes in November but next week may be a bit of a challenge.

See you all on the mats

Everyone wants to be a Cowboy until it's time to do Cowboy stuff

I have been reading a number of books on Mastery and on Success.  I grew up in the mountains in the back country and working with horses.  Most people see a rider coming down a trail or a rider out on the plains in a cinema blockbuster and say wow that is what I want to be.

What is not seen is the work that needs to be done so you can ride off into the sunset.  The constant fixing of  fence, trimming feet, putting shoes on the horse, taking shoes off the horse, more trimming, shovelling out the paddocks, cutting hay, picking hay, throwing hay, early mornings gathering horses, fixing tack, fixing vehicles, the list is endless.

This past month I had a few examples of the not so fun stuff of being a cowboy.  This weekend I had to move and restack a bunch of my winter hay as I found a bunch of leaks in the tarping.  It only took about 6 hours but it was tedious  and not how I wanted to spend my 6 hours.  My brother took a few weeks off in September and went to wrangle for a outfitter friend of his up in the mountains.  It was a 2 week trip with 12 dudes and 30 head of horses.  They got snowed in with 70 cm of heavy wet snow and the crew had to work their way out in a very unpleasant atmosphere.

Why am I talking about this?  Well in away it is similar to achieving mastery.  This is in anything, not just Kung Fu.  I hope by now we all have a picture in our head about the kind of Black belt we want to be.  It is the work we need to put into to achieve mastery and it can be tedious and boring, doing the same things over and over.  But without this,  making this part of training as part of the process, we can never achieve mastery or a Black Belt with meaning.  It is the work and constant repetitiveness that allows for us to reach Mastery.  In my reading those that embrace this part of the process become the true masters.  The true masters do the Cowboy stuff.

Just my thoughts

I am late on writing this weeks post.  The reason is I cannot make sense of what is going on in this world.  The things that have happened in many corners of the world are perplexing me .  This is not the world I grew up in.  But in my reading I know that horrific events have been happening
 throughout history. A year ago, 2 years ago, 10 years ago, 50 years ago, 200 years ago, 1,000years ago and beyond.

I live in a world where I talk to my neighbor and I get along with them.  I travel around the world and I  get along with the people I meet.  I talk with people that disagree with me philosophically and I get along with them.

So why are there people who think that killing people is an option.  This is hard for me to comprehend.  There is no simple reason that this happens.  Many people want to make it simple but it is not.

All I know is it makes me upset and I can’t help but cry when these things happen.. My parents left me with two very important  things if you work hard towards your goals  you will ultimately suceed and we need to respect everyone.

I am so confused and downtrodden right now I don’t know what more to say.

I have not lost hope in humanity but I am challenged right now.

Mental Training

I had a breakfast meeting with an old friend last week.  We talked about many things which was not limited too, but included retirement, investments, travel and my training.  My friend was asking many questions about my training, most of them focused on how I have changed mentally.

I was able to explain to him that where I benefited the most is in my ability to have control over my emotions.  I was explaining that the mental aspects of training has trained me and my mind to remain in the moment.  My mind is better than anytime in my life and I am able to remain focused.  Due to this, I have better control over my emotions.  I explained that when I feel distress, anger or other negative emotions, I recognize it immediately and am able to get rid of that emotion in my mind.  To be able to recognize bad or non-productive emotions allows me to have more productive days, but also to have more enjoyable days.

I told him that having control over my mind truly moves training to every aspect of my life and relationships.  After our discussion he is thinking of maybe to start training.  It will be interesting to see if he does.

I saw this picture and it made me think of my friend's and my discussion.

Chinese New Years Disappointment

We tried and tried to make this happen, but unfortunately due to my wife's work schedule and her commitments, I can't make it happen.

It disappoints me, but, I cannot be at the Chinese New Years Celebration.  My wife works at NAIT and she can only take time off during the school year when the students are off.  This year it happens at the same time as Chinese New Years.

We are off to Belize and that is the only week we can go.

I did make a commitment to this team and will do everything I can, short of being there the night of the celebration, to make it a success.

Warm Days Cool Nights

This past weekend my older son and myself spent some time along the McLeod river.  Him and me have been going to this spot every fall for the last few years.  It is a time of year we both like, warm sunny days and cool nights.

We were treated to a spectacular lightning and thunder storm that lasted for about 4 hours on friday night.  The rain came down so hard at one point we could hardly hear each other talk.  It was a great time.

We spent the better part of two days walking up and down the river just enjoying the day.  At this time of year there aren't many people around this area.  I was sitting on the rivers edge and an older gentleman walking with a cane asked if he could sit down and talk.  I said sure and we talked for a short while.  I learned he lived in the Robb area most of his life and he told me many fishing stories about places all around the Robb area.  A great education on the rivers edge.

I am already looking forward to next years trip.

Sunrise

I have been able to get a few good shots of a number of sunrises these past few months.  Although they have been spectacular, for most of them the photo does not always do them justice.  These are a few of the ones that I think turned out the best.

Sparring Rounds

Not sure about everyone else but getting in sparring rounds can be challenging.  I have tried to get them done at the Kwoon, I have tried at home.  I get in some rounds but still not making the amount I need.

Then it dawned on me, I take micro breaks at work to do pushups and kicks.  Why not try sparring at work?  Now I won't spare with my employees but I found that Bob is ok with me hitting him.  Yes I got a bag to use at work.

There was a lot of discussions when I first got it but he is just part of the scenery now.  Everyone is invited to come in and take a shot if they feel the need.  Also Bob stimulates discussion around the office on many topics. I also get more time in on the bag.


 

Trip through southern BC August 2017

This past week did a trip through Southern BC.  Started in Calgary after a meeting and went to Golden for the Night.  I like Golden, watching the Columbia and the Kicking Horse rivers.  Had an early night and took off down the Columbia Valley the next morning.

Turned north after Creston to go up and cross Kootenay Lake at the Ferry and then down through Nelson.  On the Ferry as I was on the upper deck watching the lake and the mountains, a father and his grown daughter came up and set down yoga mats and started doing Yoga.  I talked with them for a while and his Daughter really seemed to like doing Yoga, he admitted it was tough for him.  I said I feel the same and we had a few laughs.    The rest of the day was awesome goining down Highway 3 and coming out at Osoyoos.

Very warm in Osoyoos and was amazed at a mid 50's couple on holidays berate the staff at a local tavern.  They were on vacation and having a horrible time.  I can't understand how people can be like this.

The next day was out to Langley to visit Sherry's cousin Donny.  Had a great visit was able to watch his son in a tryout game for the jr B team.  Spent the night hanging out around pool shooting the BS.

Next day we went for a drive in his 67 Le Mans he just purchased.  Red rag top with a 421 pontiac engine.  Alot of fun and great roads around Fort Langley.  Drove up to Kamloops in the afternoon and sent the night in Kamloops.  Met a guy from North Carolina an ex Canadian who was drafted by the St Louis blues in 67.  He never made the show but decided to continue to live in the US.

Next morning up and running and the trip up highway 5 back to Edmonton.  Saw a good sized healthy Black Bear eating berries along the road north of Blue River.

Got hope about seven that night.

It was a good quick trip


 

Explorer

Was a busy week at work, ended the work week late Wednesday night in Calgary working on closing a deal. But then went on a walkabout.(although it was in my jeep)

Took off on a quick trip across southern BC. It was a great time to spend some time contemplating about things   Long hours of driving through mountian passes and grand mountian valleys.  A few stops to get a peach or two.

There are many times in my life when I think I should have been born hundreds of years ago and been an explorer.  Every time I see something new I want to know more about it.  Something as simple as going down a new road, hiking a new trail or canoeing down a new river.

We are all explorers if we want to be: a new trail, a new book, a new relationship, a new idea, or something new that pops in ourr head and we pursue the thought.

Things that make me Smile

I was contemplating this weekend and thought I would write down some things that make me smile:

• high alpine valleys
• watching kids play hockey
• seeing my family at our ranch
• entering a new country with just my back pack
• waking up, unzipping the tent flap and seeing the early morning in the mountains
• seeing my garden grow
• fresh picked rasberries
• seeing someone have an aha moment
• kids splashing in a lake
• a sunrise or sunset over the ocean
• the way the body feels after a long period of exercise
• watching and hearing a hawk ride a thermal
• a cup of coffee in the morning
• hearing the coyotes howl late at night
• street food
• the reflection of the mountains on a lake
• seeing my kids accomplish something they worked towards
• my dogs sitting at my side
• clean sheet day 
• freshly cut grass
• scuba diving and seeing a new sea creature for the first time 
• a warm fire after being in the cold for a long period of time
• older people holding hands
• getting above treeline after a long walk
• seeing fish in a stream
• glaciers
• driving down a highway or road I have never been on
• talking with a stranger in a town or city I have never been in before
• the smells and sounds of the jungle
• reading a book
• listening to live music

Of course this list is not all inclusive but just some things that I was thinking about.

Renewed Focus

This week has gone past fast.  I really don't have anything in particular to write about.  I have found a renewed focus in my training that I am thankful for. The rudder is back in the water I have the wind at my back right now.  I know that the sea's will get choppy and intense again and I need to know it is just part of the journey in front of me.

Wilcox pass Aug 7, 2017

Sent Sunday night in Hinton.  Monday was cool in the morning but the temperature got up to 24.  got to the trail head by about 9:15.  Trail is up for about three km but it gets above tree line fairly quick. A beautiful clear day.  Not too many people on the way up.  At the pass the valley is wide with chains on both sides.  I decided to walk to the end, where few people go and then scramble up a slope to get to the height over looking Athabasca glacier.

From this vantage point you can clearly see Mt Athabasca and the glaciers on it, Athabasca Glacier and Dome Glacier.  Above Dome and Athabasca you can just see the expanse of the Columbia Ice fields.  It is a spectacular view especially on a clear day.

The walk back down was busy.  Many people were walking up the trail as I was going down.  A little too busy for my liking but that is the way it goes.

  

Half way with the Rooster

I found a new favorite word Perambulate meaning to walk about.  Not that it means anything just liked the word and its meaning.

But that is not what I wanted to blog about.  We are now about half way through this years I Ho Chuan.  Time to review goals.  I am happy with my progress, I am half way with most of the physical requirements but about 4,000 short on push ups and sit ups.  

I am hitting it out of the park with walking and my hiking goals, in fact this past weekend I surpassed my hiking goals for the year.  A topic I have chosen to write an essay on has been researched now I just need to write about it. My reading goal is half way and I have my next half dozen books lined up.  I completely have dropped the ball on doing lion dances as work has kept me away from many of the I Ho Chuan classes.  I hope to have this turned around in the fall.

So over all I like where I am at. Even when I was having those struggle weeks my blogging kept me moving forward.  Blogging for me is an invaluable tool to keep the focus and to move me where I want to go.

If you are struggling write a blog and see if this change things for you......

Elisium Pass July 29, 2017

July 29, 2017

Got up early and drove into jasper. The sky was hazy and the sunrise was spectacular. Left the parking lot at 7:20 on a hike up to Elisium pass.

Walking today with Yitzik and Sharida.  It is a warm day and got to 30 c today. The trail is a slow long uphill from the trail splitting up from Dorothy lake. 

The trail was quite dry and only wet in a few spots. The mountain flowers were out and in full bloom. It was quite incredible. The strawberries were out and tasty. Up at this altitude the Saskatoons were not yet ready to eat.

After taking a few breaks we stopped on the trail a few hundred meters from the top of the pass.  We had lunch then headed to the top of the pass. It was a great view and the expanse of the valley was an awesome sight. After enjoying the view for a while we began our walk down. It was a steady hike downhill on a very hot day

We stopped by the river on they way down about two km from the trail head. It was nice to lay down  by the river and listen.

Went the last two km on sore and tired feet. It was a great walk on a great day with great people. 

Walking Again

I had a bitter sweet time in the mountains this weekend.  Said goodbye to an old friend and was able to do some walking with my best friend.

It was a warm weekend with great weather and nice scenery.  Once you get up higher in the mountains you get to see some real cool things.  The quiet of the forest is a welcome reprise from the noise of day to day life and what is going on in my head.

I know the requirements, but.......(part 2)

I have to thank everyone who reached out to me and gave me encouragement.  That kind of support is not something that just happens.  Again thank you.

I was able to discuss this with Sifu Brinker.

Here is what was going on in my mind.  As I said I was rolling along not really thinking of a Black Belt.  I had thoughts in my mind, without really having it as a goal, if I was ever able to get to Brown Belt that would be good, that I would have accomplished something special for some one my age.  But for the last few months I began to realize that a Brown Belt is attainable.  I think my apprehension was I  had no plan in my head how to take my training beyond the Brown Belt. 

Sifu made it very clear to me what my plan should be to get to Black Belt.  Do pushups, try to perfect my forms, do sit ups, be nice to people and keep on walking: or as we know it as, I Ho Chuan.  It is very clear in my mind now the path to a Black Belt.  All of us have the ability to get there, we need to follow the plan that has been set up for us.  Everything we are doing in I Ho Chuan is preparing us to get to our Black Belt.  The requirements are there as the plan.  Yes it is a lot of work but we all have the plan. 

What I also realized is what I was doing wrong in my training.  I was not talking to the people around me about my self doubt.  I finally got the courage to let people know what was banging around in my head.  A few days later with much encouragement and discussing the problem I have a new sense of direction. I have a feeling of calm to keep me going to my goal, which is now, as it should always have been, a Black Belt.

My self doubt was mostly about the physical aspect of training.  I would like to add where I am spiritually in my training.  For me this has been the game changer in what I have got out of Kung Fu and I Ho Chuan.   A number of years ago, I can't remember if it was through a blog or a direct talk with Sifu Brinker,  I talked about my guilt with spending so much time at the Kwoon and if this was selfish of me for being away from my family and friends.  At that time he told me (I am paraphrasing) that by becoming a martial artist that every other aspect of my life and relationships will get better.  At the time I understood a little about what he said and was for sure if it made sense.

Roll forward to today. I had a discussion with my wife and sister-in-law a few nights ago.  Both of them said to me that I have become very calm, I rarely get upset at any thing and they see me as a very happy person.  This I attribute directly to Kung Fu and I Ho Chuan.  Both have taught me to be and stay in the moment.  I have taken this to heart and I think I am getting close to mastery with this concept.  I can quickly tell when I am getting out of the moment and I actually stop, breath and get back in the moment.  To me this is how to be happy.  In the moment, I find it difficult not to be happy, as I make it conscious choice.

Anyways I think I better get at it, I have a have a few hundred thousand push ups to do before I earn that Black belt.

I know the requirements, but....

This is a hard blog for me to write.  Any self doubt I have had I have always kept to myself.  I rarely let anyone know including my nearest family members.  I have always kept my thoughts in and so called worked the problem, until I had a solution.  I have been able to over come problems or obstacles and then put the plan in place.  Nothing in my life has ever really scared me, except for  spiders and clowns.

I now have a huge feeling of self doubt;  Am I going to be able to get to the point where I could earn a black belt.  I know the requirements, I know what is expected of me to get through my next belt levels.  What is really concerning me is if I have the strength and stamina to get to that level.  Prior to last year I was just training along enjoying what I was doing and a black belt was an Idea but not fully in my plans, where I needed to formulate my course of action.

Now my self doubt about whether I have the physical ability to make it black belt is weighing heavily on me.  This comes from my true desire to earn a black belt.  These doubts may not make any sense to some of the younger people that I train with who haven't felt some of the physical limitations that come with getting older.  I know I am not ready for a permanent cup of tea and a rocking chair on the deck, but I also know that my tendons, bones and muscles are telling me stories these days that I have never heard of from them.

I don't know how to overcome these feeling.  I continue to train I am focused on getting my weight down for what lies ahead of me.  The fear is that it won't be enough and I will not be able to reach this goal.

 

Never let them tell you

This past week I was at the local graduation as a volunteer helping out.  I was talking with a young guy I had coached  for a number of years.  I asked him how he was doing and what he was up too.  He said he was working and Rodeoing on the weekends.  He then when on to say that his boss said the Rodeo was getting in the way of his work so he would have to stop the Rodeo.  To this the young guy quit his job so he could continue to Rodeo on the weekends.

I shook his hand and told him that was a good decision he could always work but never let anyone tell you you can't chase your passions.

Summer Solstice

I wasn't able to stay up on the night of the summer solstice due to work commitments, but on Saturday June 24 I was able to stay up late till about 3 in the morning.  My family went to bed about 11 pm and I sat outside to watch the night sky.  Both Friday and Saturday night were clear and without wind.

It was amazing watching the western sky slowly get darker, but never totally dark, by about 2:30 in the morning the light could be seen in the eastern sky.  Summer nights are a treat to watch in the northern hemisphere.  On this night there was an added bonus.  The Aurora Borealis made an appearance.

Light in the northwestern sky, Light in the Northeastern sky and the sky dancing with the light of the Aurora Borealis.  My words can't accurately describe what it looked like but my mind remembers it well.  The night was well worth the lack of sleep.

Theories of the Universe

I have been intrigued lately with learning about the universe and its origins.  I have read a few books on the subject and the more I read the more it fascinates me.

There are many theories and descriptions about the universe and how it may be infinite.  What a wild concept to think of something in the infinite, it is beyond my simple comprehension.

I am going to continue to read and think about this.  I hope to be able to grasp some of these concepts.

North Boundry / Snake Indian River

This past week I had a great trip.  This trip was planned this winter and might be the highlight of the year.  The trip was three days of hiking and rafting in the north end of Jasper National Park.

The river we rafted was the Snake Indian.  This river has one of the most picturesque falls in all of the park.  It is not visited by many people as for most it is a two day walk either from the north end of the park or from the center of the park.

We started out Friday at Rock Lake south of the Willmore wilderness.  Here the horses were packed with our equipment and we walked.  It is about 15 KM to the Willow Creek horse camp which is a km from the start of the raft trip.  The walk in was great a good temperature and only a light pack.  There is a river crossing about half way and the water was not too high so the crossing was safe and fairly easy.  Although really cold.  The rest of the walk was smooth and the weather was good.

The night was awesome some of the people on the trip I had not seen in 20 to 30 years.  We spent a night around the fire and watching the spectacular sunset.

Day two started out easy with some breakfast and breaking camp.  The horses were loaded up with the stuff we were not bringing on the river.  The horses headed out to Rock Lake and we headed over to the raft.  We had a safety briefing, the two safety Kayaks put in the river and we were off and running.  The first day float was warm with clear blue sky's and some good white water. We stopped for a shore lunch and got to our second camp at Seldom Inn, just above the Snake Indian Falls, a short time later.

After a short rest in the sun we portaged most of the equipment to below the falls, although this was alot of work and the hill to the start point of the second day of rafting was along way down, we had fun doing this.

After supper we sat and talked around the fire till about midnight and it was still not that dark.  A great night was had.

The next morning we had breakfast and broke camp and portaged the rest of the equipment to where the boats were.  We were up and on the river by 11:30.  This day was incredible, the geology on the sides of the river are unique to say the least.  Folds with shale, coal and glacial deposits all down the banks for most of the day.  The white water was much higher and the rapid runs were longer than the previous day.  It was exciting.  The highlight of the day was a large S turn with heavy water followed by a 1/2 km float down a narrow opening with high steep walls on both sides of the run.  This run is something I will do again.

After that a short run to the takeout point at Celestine Lake Bridge. We portaged the equipment up to the waiting van and had a celebratory beer.  The nature on the trip was seconded to none and the people I was with were the highlight.

A great weekend and I am starting to plan for next year.

I just decided

I have taken a huge step in my life over the last number of years. I have decided that all I need is to be happy. Being happy has been a struggle for me in the past , not that being happy is hard but to be happy seemed that it was a destination. Next week when I do this next month when I do that next year this will happen.

It is all irrelevant.  I have just decided to be happy. And all it takes is to not think in the future.  I work in what many consider to be a high stress job. I am a chief financial officer for a successful and growing company.  In my position many people consider this position to be the  glue that helps guide the company.  The demands and the daily issues can be stressful (depending on where my mind is at)  Stress can create unhappiness and really create problems both with yourself and the people around you. I decided to be happy I needed stress out of my life to get there.

That is when I dawned on me. I am in control if I am stressed.  I am in control if I am happy.  It has been fun ever since that realization.

A Gringo from Alberta in Central America. Part 2

Day Ten Today we decided to go down country to see Punta Gorda in southern Belize.  From Punta Gorda if you wanted you can take a boat and go to Guatemala which is about an hour away.  The drive to Punta Gorda is scenic following the Mayan mountains most of the way.  It was sunny and hot along the coast.  The people were out and about in this little city.  Stopped and had a fish sandwich and watched the long boats go by.

What is interesting about southern Belize is there are more Mayan ruins with about three areas that are assessable by car and foot.

Drove back and spent the night sitting on the deck listening to the night sounds

Day Eleven  Today was a scuba diving day.  I got is two dives while Sherry snorkeled by the cayes.  An hour boat ride out.  Both dives were great and on one of the dives 7 large spotted Eagle Rays swam past as we moved along the sea wall.  It was an impressive sight to see.  The boat ride back was calm and sunny and we spent the time talking with the other divers and where that had dove before.

Day twelve  Well went diving again today.  We stopped at a Caye on the way out to Glover's Atoll where we were going to dive.  We dropped off our friends on Thach Caye and they spent the day hanging out in the Cayes.  I did three dives this day. All were very clear with alot of color.  The highlights was seeing a Moray Eel and getting up close and personal with a 6 foot nurse shark.

We spend the night at a local restaurant sharing tales of our day and the things we saw and did

Day thirteen  spent the day reading and sunning on the beach with a trip to the produce stand to stock up on vegetables and fruits.  I can't say enough about fresh vegetables and fruits in the tropics.  There is so much flavor and color.  Cooked up on the beach grill and had an early night.

Day fourteen  Today we went hiking in Cockscomb park.  The trail took us up a large mountain and down the otherside to a waterfall and jungle pool.  It was nice and cool sitting next to the pool after the long hike.  Hiking in 85% humidty is tough.  Sweating is a constant.  There were great vista's to see in this park and we completely enjoyed the day.

I met a young guy who was travelling the length of south and north America.  We exchanged a few stories and I gave him a few places to visit in western Canada.  I thought was a cool journey he was on.

Day fifteen Today i spent some time in the morning reading and they hanging on on the beach.  The days are enjoyable and I am able too get alot of swimming in.  Got on the Kayaks and dis a paddle along the beach.  This was a very enjoyable day.

Day sixteen  We started out the day with a drive out to Gales point.  This is a very small community located on the southern lagoon it takes about an hour off the humming bird highway on a dirt/clay road to get there.  Our hope was to see Manatees.  When we got there the wind was up and the waters were murky so no Manatees were seen.

We decided to do an afternoon hike in Mayflower Bocawina park.  The trail we went on takes us up a mountain.  The first third of the trip takes us by a Mayan ruin which is partially excavated and the trail is flat.  The next part of the trail is called the stairs portion.  There are stairs built into the trail to get us up to the bottom of a long falls.  The last section is what is called the rope section.  Here there are ropes along the trail to get up to the top falls and pool.  It is very steep and the ropes keep you from falling into the jungle.

The hike was well worth it.  We had a swim in the pool and were able to get some pictures of the jungle and the Caribbean off in the distance.

Day Seventeen  Today we left Hopkins and went to stay our last few days in Placentia.  We spent most of the day walking around the town and lounging by the ocean.  Finished off the night at a little restaurant taking with some local people and their kids

Day Eighteen  We walked for hours today all around the town looking at the ocean the lagoon and some of the local houses.  It is a small but cool little town.  The afternoon was spend walking more and my wife went to look in some of the local shops.  We finished off the day on the beach and a birthday dinner at a local restaurant eating local fish.

Day Nineteen and Twenty We packed up our stuff and drove to the airport to head home.  This was a great trip on this go around.  After flying in to Houston we spent the night then arrived home later that day.

Verdict:  a successful trip

Blog update

I have not posted in a while but I have been blogging.  One of my requirements this year for I Ho Chuan is to write about the things I do and see on my Travels.  As this is for my sanity and to have an artifact of my travels down the road, I have not posted it here.  I am hoping by doing this that I can describe things better and be able to remember them down the road.

If anyone wants to read about this they can go directly to my blog.

A Gringo from Alberta in Central America. Part 1

I have decided to blog about this trip and to write down the little and big things that I do and see.  The day starts out early at 4 am my old dog always know when something is amiss.  He knows I am going  and he is not coming. But he will have fun with my boys for two weeks.

The first day we had a lay over in Houston. We stayed at a hotel at the airport. One thing I don't like about travelling is airports.  Airports in my mind are artificial. They are also magnify what is wrong with the world: over consumption, general lack of awareness of the people around you and people speeding to get to places that have no meaning.

Day two was much cooler.  Early on the plane and a quick two hours to the Central American country of Belize. Off the plane in a typical Central American airport to a line to clear customs. Anyone who knows me knows lines are not my thing. We get through the line chatting with the people around us exchanging the normal pleasantries about out travels and where we are from. Next into the rental car and headed to the jungle. Because Belize is a small country it doesn't take long to get any where.  A quick ride and a lunch stop and we are in the jungle listening to all the weird noises of the night.  I woke up twice with the heavy rain and the sound of it on the tin roof of our cabin.

Day three.  We spent the day exploring two Mayan ruins both a short car ride from San Ignacio. The sheer beauty and immense scale of the ruins is humbling. To see that societies could build such structures thousands of years ago to me is inspiring. The Mayan people understood astrology, advanced mathematics and were one of the few societies that incorporated the concept of zero in their math.

We explored San Ignacio in the afternoon and were able to get some sweet bananas and mangoes at the market. For those that have ever ate bananas in the tropics you know what a treat that is.  They have an incredible flavour that is not in the banana in CANADA after it has been shipped thousands of miles in a sea can.

Day four. We are up earlier and are real excited.  There are three reasons: we are in the tropics, we are going into Guatemala to visit the ruins at Tikal and today is our anniversary.  All incredible reasons to have a great day.

We spent the day at the ruins in Tikal.  The size, the scope, the ingenuity of the Mayan people floors me.  Of all the things I have seen in my life, other than the birth of my sons, I can't put words together to describe how I feel after experiencing today. I will think some more on this and try and put my thoughts together.

Beyond the archeology,  we saw Tucan's, stick birds, an owl and its chick, a little hairy animal with long tail long nose about the size of a small dog ( a guy told me it's name but no way can I pronounce it), two different kinds of snakes, spider monkeys, howler monkeys and big bugs that I named Dinosaur bugs (I think they had 8 wings)

And it was stinking hot


Day five. Today we drove from western Belize down to Hopkins. Hopkins is a Garifuna village on the Caribbean sea. The drive took us through the capital of Belmopan on the Hummingbird highway. The hummingbird is the most picturesque drives in Belize.  It goes through the highlands and is a tropical wonderland. We stopped to explore a few limestone caves and had my favourite Belize treat.  People will sell small plastic bags of coconut water that they keep in a cooler. It is ice cold coconut water and I don't think there is anything more refreshing in the tropics.

After getting to Hopkins we spent an afternoon in the warm Caribbean Sea and walking on the beach.


Day Six Spent the morning walking the beach them walking through town over to the marina. A beautiful spot on the Sittee river in the afternoon went for a drive down country with some people we met and walked around a small town on a big bay.  You could see the palms on they Caye islands in the distance

Finished off the night at my favourite restaurant the Drift wood.  Where the music changed from Garifuna music to reggae to old country and western. A great night with some new friends.


Day Seven Today spent some time relaxing in the ocean and walking and biking around town.  Bikes are the mode of transportation for most of the town. From the little kids on up to the grandma's and grandpa's.   We stopped at one of my favourite spots sat in the sun watching the ocean and the people engaging in conversation with everyone around us.  Ended the day cooking up on the beach and talking with some new friends.


Day 8 We spent the day fishing and snorkelling out in the Caye's.  Very much Belizian style, we got off a few hours late but that is the tropics.  A quick hour ride out to the cayes and bottom fishing. We caught a lot of fish, way more than we could eat.  Our guide told me that none would go to waste as they would give the fish to local families. Our guide caught a 10 lb barracuda and that's what we grilled up on the beach on one of the cayes. We got to do some snorkelling seeing conch, butterfly fish, spotted moray eel, eagle ray and the bright corals of the barrier reef.



Day 9 Slept late today after the day before the ocean takes a lot of energy out of a person. I think we slept till 7:30.  We spent a lazy day around the pool and walking the beach.  Down time allows for reading and enjoying the day.

Eredera Choruti

This blog is going out to the team. I will not be able to be around for Pandamonium. I don't like missing Pandamonium as it is a great event for the community of Stony Plain and for the community of Silent River King Fu.  Pandamonium is a time to shine in the community and let people know that the martial arts are not about a bunch of individuals wanting to learn to hit people but people working on mental strength, physical strength, spiritual strength and community strength.  Pandamonium brings people together to get to learn about each other.

Now the reason I can't make it is a biggie.  On May 16, 25 years ago , my wife and I decided to start a life together. None of my friends thought my wife would put up with me for this long but it says a lot about her patience and generous nature.

To celebrate our life together to this point, we decided to travel through Belize and Guatemala for a few weeks.  While everyone is doing Kung Fu at Pandamonium I will be doing forms on the sand in southern Belize.

Eredera Choruti (in the Garifuna language this means stay safe)

A pattern is emerging in my blogs

When is a goal not really a goal; if you enjoy doing something so much you rather do it than most anything else?  I am not sure but yondering in the mountains may be my none goal.

I write and talk a lot about the mountains because that is where I am always in the moment.  From the time I start walking in the morning till I end in the afternoon or at night.

I set a goal this year to hike 300 km in the mountains this summer with at least two over night hikes.  Well the snow is barely above the valley floor and I went past 100 km this weekend. I was able to leave work a little early Friday and found myself in Banff and did 40 km  over the weekend.

Friday night I was able to scramble up a tight little valley there was still ice around the little stream. It was quite in this little valley with only the sound of the slowly moving steam headed to the lake.  Saturday was a typical mountain spring day with it going from snow to rain to sunshine all through the day. On sunday I had every thing as I headed home.  I went through two white out snow storms and was able to stop and walk two places on the road between Banff and Jasper.

I am really not sure where I am going with this blog other than hiking makes me happy and it keeps me in the moment.  I think those two things are the secret to a great life.

Dad's sayings

I am sitting here this morning contemplating if I will go on my walk as I planned, last weekend I left dodge to get away from the snow and this morning there is even more snow than last weekend .  Oh well that's Alberta,  the birds are still singing.

Yesterday while driving home after being in at work and doing some errands a song came on.  It hit me that is was a song my Dad liked and it got me thinking. What are the things I got from him that got me to where I am today?

I started to chuckle to my self and thought it was sayings he said  all the time. I began to think about them and started to write them down:

"You can't have a bad time fishing"

"You can"t beat that sunset"

In the middle of a heat wave in the summer he would say "Let's go swimming before the lakes are covered with ice"

"0keydokey"

"That's a damb good fire tonight"

"Everyone has some good in them"

Those are the ones I remember, in the song he liked the saying that made both of us laugh was:

"If the horses tail is facing South you must be headed North"

5 inches of snow

When you wake up on a spring morning and there is 5 inches of snow what do you do?  I decided to go hiking.  I found out there was no snow in the mountains and headed out.

The trails are dry up in the mountains and the life is beginning to start growing. The snow line is very low on the mountains but the valley floor does not want any more snow this year. Elk and sheep are abundant everywhere and are enjoying eating the dry grass on the valley floors.    The young elk are full of life and energy.

This is a great time to be in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains.  The sun does not yet  have the heat of the summer, but just enough to put a smile on your face.  The wind is light and there is very little sound other than the odd cry from a crow.

The Reward

The rain is coming down on a cool spring day west of the city.  The animals both domestic and wild have a spring (pardon the pun) in their step.  The world knows that spring is here.  Walking becomes easier as there is no snow to contend with.

Little sprigs of green are showing in the underbrush and little buds are beginning on the deciduous trees.  The song birds are alive and noisy in the morning as they are greeting the world with a renewed enthusiasm.

The sky is bright despite the clouds that are across the horizons.  The rain turns to a heavy snow but it is only temporary and will speed the green of the season

This is the reward for living through the cold and darkness of winter.

Foot Work

I spent the better part of last night working on the foot work on both my hand form and my weapon form.  One thing I realized is it is really difficult to build a weapon form.  I have been completely focused on the movement of the weapon and my upper body.

After last weeks class when Sifu Brinker told us to focus on our foot work, I slowed down my form and realized I had no foot work.  I was flailing about with no intent in the lower part of my body. Once I slowed it down I was able to get some proper stances in place.

It has made my form harder because now I am focused on my whole body and not just hitting things. I hope that I will get some flow in the next few weeks as the stances become a part of the form.

Silver Lion Dance

In the mail this week I received a coin that I thought was real cool.  I have been collecting coins since I was a kid.  I don't collect them for their  monetary value I only collect them for their uniqueness to me.  Because of this, when I see a coin that is cool, I get it.

The Canadian mint put out a coin this year year showing a Lion Dance on it.  I thought that was quite unique.  So I got one. I thought I would show it to the I HO Chuan group.

And yes I know another nerdy hobby of Sand,  but I am ok with it.........

This may sound harsh but........,,

Quit anything and anyone that does not get you closer to your goals.

Yes this may sound harsh but this is a reality if you are to get to where you want to go (Only you can determine where you want to go if you want to live a fulfilled existence).  We cannot live our lives on the time lines or expectations of others.  Having said this it is important to remember and understand that there may be two or more  competing goals that we want to do and as such to accomplish both we have to do the proverbial stick handle, but all the time focused on the goals.

It can be harsh but sometimes the people we keep company with are not in our best interests or align with our goals and as such we are better off with not having them in our lives or inner circles. Some times such people can hold us back as we allow this to happen to ourselves.  We can spend time doing things that do not move us towards our goals.

For myself, I have had to stop communicating with people in my past as I let their behaviours affect my behaviours and it was destructive to what I wanted in life.  I have also had to stop things that were destructive to my personal goals.

As I have become more able to articulate what is I want in life and what my "true goals" are it is easier to do things that get me there and to be around people that are in alignment with where I am headed.

Wore out Boots

So I was able, over the past year, to do something many times that I truly enjoy.  This is hiking. Walking in the mountains, on a tropical beach, in the river valley or anywhere for that matter.  It is all good and in my estimation is the best therapist that there can be.

In April of 2016 I bought a new pair of hiking boots. I was out this weekend walking and got some cross county skiing in.  Tonight when I got home I looked at my boots and it is time to retire them.  I am weird and find this some what satisfying. I did a tally from my Fitbit of the km that I did with these boots over the last year and the tally was approx 2,500 km.

I am going in the next week to get a new pair of boots and can't wait to see where they will take me.

Little Things

I don't think I am much different than most people.  I have a hard time staying in the moment some times.  I can start the day with the intention of truly "being there" and then through the day as things come my way I lose my focus and I am either in the past or in the future.

The other day I was having lunch and as I was leaving a person held the door for me and simply said "Have a great rest of your Day."  It hit me like a punch from a prize fighter.  It immediately woke me up and I realized I had been a daze with no real focus for a number of hours.  I sincerely thanked the guy and said to have a great day.

I think it was the simple action of someone being nice to me and acknowledging me that brought me out of the cloud.  Now for me this translated exactly to what we are trying to accomplish with I Ho Chuan.  Imagine a simple act of kindness to someone:  It could literally change the entire direction of their day.  From a cloud of no focus to them maybe walking around the rest of the day with a smile on their face.

Little things...........

The business travel blues

The week has been a blur.

I have been in two provinces and about 10 towns.  Trying to keep  the days straight as to where I am and what I am doing.  The phone doesn't stop ringing and I am constantly meeting with people. There has been rain, extreme winds, snow and even a bit of sunshine.  Early mornings topped off by some rather late nights.

It can be exhausting having this kind of work schedule and it can quickly wear a person down.  You eat at inconsistent times.  Many days you don't drink enough water which adds to the exhaustion.

The one thing that drives energy and focus is working on my requirements.  Especially push ups.  The grind can be getting to me and then I drop and do some push ups and afterwords I get a feeling of I am accomplishing my goals.  A little at a time but I am accomplishing them.  That in turn gives me energy and purpose.


 

South Pacific to Onoway

About a week ago I was in down town EDMONTON. I very seldom go down town as I try to stay out of the city.  There is a used book store downtown, and I stopped in.  Being in a used book store is something a truly treasure. The anticipation of what treasures I may find is exciting. In addition most used book stores have an ambiance that is like nothing else in the world

On this day I was not disappointed. I found a book written by a Kiwi in 1939 and he writes about building a boat and sailing around the South Pacific. Now the subject matter of the book is in itself cool but there can be so much more.

Inside the jacket there was an inscription

To Paul

Happy Birthday

Love Mom and Dad 1991

This was a gift that probably meant a lot to both parties and that in itself is cool. In addition to this I found a receipt for two cups of coffee from the church and market street Starbucks in San Francisco dated September 3, 2010.

Now my mind goes from mom and dad buying the book giving it to Paul to a coffee shop in San Francisco to a used book store in Edmonton to my book collection on a small ranch near Onoway.

How many things needed to happen to have this book end up in my hands and me being able to read this story of a young kiwi guy sailing the south seas?

Now most may not find this cool but for a book nerd like me this is why I continue to find cool books and seek knowledge in their pages.

This week on the third rock from the Sun

So the week is progressing.  My hand form has been learned for lack of a better word. (I say this loosely and yes I know learned is not a word)) but no fault to the people who helped me out. Thanks.

I have approx half of my weapon form complete and have some ideas on what I want to add to complete this form, I am thinking I will have a version done by the end of February.  This has been hard, developing a form.  I am unsure if it is completely linear or if it is just using repetition to take up time.  This type of creativity has never been easy.  Once I am complete to where i want it I will be asking for some input.

I had the weirdest thing happen yesterday.  After training I got home and my left foot (bone connecting to the big toe felt like I had broken it).  I had to take some advil the pain was so bad.  The weird part is I don't remember doing any trauma to the bone.  It just seemed to come from nowhere. Needless to say I had a very uncomfortable sleep last night and then this morning other than some tightness it seems ok.

The rest of the weekend will be working on completing my weapons form and to try and bring some flow to my hand form.

Have it looked at

So I have been having problems with my right knee (or so I thought) going on for quite a while.  I had a small tear in my hamstring approx 2 years ago and after about three months it seemed to heal and then for the last year or so my right knee has been giving me grief.

I could walk, hike, ride a bike, x country ski and snowshoe.  But some times when going uphill I felt like the knee was going to give out.  When doing a horse stance is when I really noticed it, either half way down or up, it felt like I had no knee support.  

Now, me being me, of course I gave into the thought that it was just me getting older and I could still do most things so all in all I was good.  I know dumb but hey that's me.  This past week in class I felt something real bad and though, here it is again I am going to tear my hamstring again.  When I felt this I stopped class and gave it a rest.  The next day I scheduled a massage to see if that might help.  I should mention that the few weeks before this happened I was woken up about three nights with a charlie horse in my right calf.

Anyway, I went in and told the massage therapist my tail of woe and they started to work on both my legs.  The therapist said wow never seen anything like this ( at which point I am thinking that can't be good).  What they determined was  my left leg was normal and not too many messed up muscles, but in my right leg, the muscles were all tied up in knots.  After an hour and some intense pain, I felt nothing in my right leg, i.e. no pain and no tightness.  

After I left the office I felt strong and actually felt I had better balance.  Roll this forward after a week of heavy training at the kwoon and at home my knee and leg are back to their normal strength. I have no problems with the horse stance, I don't feel like my knee is going to give out after I walk up the stairs. 

Now I don't know if I am fixed but I sure am grateful that it appears to have been muscular and not the things that hold my knee together (yes I know muscles hold it together but I am talking about all the other stuff that if you break it, it is bad).  

I am not sure I have a lesson from this but maybe I should listen to my wife when she says go get someone to look at it.

Perpetual Optimism

I am reading a book my wife gave to me for Christmas and the forward was written by an individual I consider to be a true living Canadian hero. He wrote "Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier."

What an incredible thought.  As a coach and as a team player this saying rings true to me. In any aspect of my life when I am around optimism I know I personally do better and I see those around me do better.

One of my goals this year is to see if I can make people around me smile during the day. My goal is Perpetual Optimism.

Two places at once?

Is it possible to be in two places at once?

I have always though no it is not, but I have learned that it is possible for this to happen.  You see, it is very easy for your body to be some where and for your mind to be somewhere else.  In fact, it is very easy for your mind to be in another place and time either the future, present  or the past.

When your mind is somewhere your body is not you do a huge disservice to yourself and those around you.  Not only is your mind not engaged in the present with your body, but you are not participating with the people around you.  If you think hard enough about it, it is rather rude to others and to yourself.

Being present in mind and body will be more rewarding and will not tick off the people you are with.

Travelling

Had a very interesting January

Was not  able to make it to the Kwoon much but looking forward to getting back to full time training with classes.

I was able to make it down to Belize with my oldest son for some time in the Caribbean.  Not everyone knows this but I started Kung Fu with my older son to do something physical between hockey seasons.  After his first summer he didn't continue with Kung Fu but I liked what I was learning and kept on with training.

I would highly recommend travelling with your adult child.  It is a great experience as a father to see your son experience the world and a new country as an adult.  We were able to meet many people in our time there and had a great experience with the culture of Belize.  Belize is a poor country and you can see poverty most places but the people are incredibly friendly.  I became friends with a few of the locals and am already planning meeting with them on my next trip.

We were able to go scuba diving, which is a passion of his and of mine.  To experience the same sights under water and then to talk about them is something I will carry with me the rest of my life. Seeing sea turtles, sharks and barracuda's along with the incredible diversity of the corals on the barrier reef is breathtaking.

We haven't yet talked about travelling again but I know that we will go to some other place in the near future.