Introducing: Baby Brodie

My awesome boyfriend treated me to this beautiful Brodie mountain bike.
It has great components, handles beautifully, and is just the right tone of blue to look fabulous on my orange Yaris. It is described as the bread and butter classic Brodie hardtail x-c bike. I can't wait to get up to Squamish on the weekend and get dirty! Thanks sweetie, you're the greatest!

Humpy the Camel!

Oh, I love this story. God bless and all, but sometimes you've got to say...one for the animal kingdom! I just hope the Bou doesn't get any ideas!!!

Pet camel kills Australian woman while apparently trying to have sex

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) - An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex, police said Sunday.

The woman, whose name was not released, was killed Saturday at her family's sheep and cattle ranch near Mitchell, 600 kilometres west of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, state police Detective Senior Constable Craig Gregory said.

The 10-month-old male camel - weighing about 150 kilograms - knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behaviour, Gregory said

"I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing," Gregory said, adding the camel almost suffocated the family's pet goat by straddling it on several occasions.
Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behaviour was sexual.

Hill, who has offered camel rides to tourists for 20 years, said young camels are not aggressive, but can be dangerous if treated as pets without discipline. The fate of the camel was not known.

The woman was given the camel in March as a birthday present from her husband and daughter. "She had a love of exotic pets," Gregory said.

The Bou Goes to Cal-i-forn-i-a

Ok, first what you've all logged on for...some Bou content. Here's a picture of the Bou drinking from the incredibly pure water of the headwaters of the Sacramento River in Mt. Shasta City. This picture is about 400 metres downstream from the granite rock from which the spring flows bringing water from within the earth to the river where it will flow out to the ocean near San Fransisco.

Every day we would go to the spring and fill up our water bottles. The spring is right in the city and there are always many people there filling their bottles for the day. The water in the area is so pure the city does not even treat their drinking water.

On the way down to Mt. Shasta last week, the Bou and I spent a night in Eugene, Oregon with my friend Alan. We spent a night on the way back too, and got to see lots of Eugene, a great little university town with lots of Simpsons history and inuendo. Alan is a profoessor at the University of Oregon, where he is "the applied math guy" and studies ice, particularly how glaciers move dirt. This is my friend Alan:

The next day we were in Shasta where we stayed for 6 nights in the tent! The Bou was a good sport about it all, but at almost 12 I knew he'd rather have his creature comforts. Here is the Bou in our tent:

We managed to find a nice day care for Bou, where I payed double the price to have him in a luxury cell. His cell was nicely air conditioned, and located beside the kitchen where he got to smell and sample the doggie cookies being baked.
Last time we were in Shasta, Bou was younger and a little more able. On that trip he climbed the Black Butte with me! It is picutred here:

The areas of California and Oregon we went to were very beautiful. The blues of the skies and the lakes are spectacular. The blue of Lake Tahoe is an example of the beauty, though sadly "Keep Tahoe Blue" has been appropriated for political purposes. Crater Lake in Southern Oregon was a bit off the path we were travelling, but having seen it's blue before, I really wanted to see it again so we took some extra time to go by Crater Lake on the way back to Eugene:

Ok, we'll wrap up with some more Bou content, cause he's so cute. Here is the Bou smiling at the border, smelling the salt air once again, and happy to be almost home. He was a good sport and never complained, but I know he wanted his couch and buffalo bones.

On Peace

The Bou decided we needed a little time out of town last week, so we packed up the Yaris and set off on an 8 day vacation.

My destination of choice was Yosemite, but after stopping in Mt. Shasta City on the second night we went no further. In Mt. Shasta I was comfortable, I was safe, I was home.

For those who have not been to the area, Mt. Shasta City is a little town of a few thousand people at the foot of Mt. Shasta in Northern California. Mt. Shasta is one of the 7 spiritual mountains of the world. It is an incredible vortex of positive energy, and hosts vibrant sub-cultures of all things love, peace and positivity. Wrote naturalist John Muir about the impact of his first vision of Mt. Shasta:

I was fifty miles away and afoot, alone and weary.

Yet all my blood turned to wine, and I have not been weary since.

- John Muir, 1874

Without knowing the history, power, or mythology of Shasta, I too was awed by the mountain the first time I saw her and felt her energy and presence in 1999. I've gone back three more times since then, always drawn by something intangible, something safe.

On this most recent visit, Mt. Shasta did not disappoint. While the Bou lounged in his air conditioned day care, I spent my days trail running and hiking in the area, and found the mountain's reach and power were ever present. As I ran on nearby ridges and mountains Mt. Shasta was always there, either ahead as a beacon to guide me safely, or behind, as a watchman protecting my back. At night, sleeping on the slopes and dirt of Mt. Shasta, under clear starry skies, I consciously experienced for the first time what it is to be "at peace."

Haida Marathon Success!

I am pleased that I successfully completed the Totem to Totem marathon in Haida Gwaii this past weekend! The race started at 7:30 am Saturday, from the newly opened Haida cultural centre just west of Skidegate. We ran through the village of Skidegate, up the coast road to St. Maryś spring, and returned the same way. There was absolutely no one watching the start, finish, or interim parts of the marathon. It was to be run for the sheer love of running.

The weather was perfect, with the sky clouded over and a light tail wind on the way out. There were about 12 people in the marathon, and 2 in the half-marathon. One local chap ended up in hospital after not eating for 23 of the 26 miles. The rest of us finished, in some degree of pain or another. We recovered shortly afterwards, and hoped to compete as a team in the war canoe races in the famous Bill Reid canoe, though the races were eventaully canceled due to rough seas.

In the marathon, I am pleased to say I ran a best ever time, clocking in at 3:43. That is 3 minutes off my Vancouver marathon time! I placed 2nd in the womenś category, and 4th overall.

I really enjoyed the solitude of running on my own for that long, compared with the noise and chaos of Vancouver and other big city marathons.

The race organizers (Running Room, Skidegate Band, and Indian Affairs) are thinking of eventually putting on an 100 km ultra, running from Masset to Skidegate. Now that, Iĺl sign up for. They are also thinking of adding a shorter race, to get more local involvement.

Howa Haida Gwaii for the great time, and long may you and all Bouviers run!

Haida Gwaii Work Perk!

Sadly no bouviers here, but I'm very lucky to be spending the week in Haida Gwaii, for work! Most people are not lucky enough to get to places to this in their lifetime, so to get here for work is really lucky.

The highlight of my trip will be participating in the first annual Haida Marathon on Saturday. So far, there are 11 of us who are intending to run. Geez, I sure don't want to come last. Entry includes a feast, a technical shirt, and participation in the canoe races in the afternoon. These are big, big Haida carved canoes. I hope I have enough left to try out the canoes!

Dear China, What's Going On!

BEIJING (AP) - Chopped cardboard, softened with an industrial chemical and made tasty with pork flavouring, is a main ingredient in batches of steamed buns sold in one Beijing neighbourhood, state television said. Squares of cardboard picked from the ground are first soaked to a pulp in a plastic basin of caustic soda - a chemical base commonly used in manufacturing paper and soap - then chopped into tiny morsels with a cleaver. Fatty pork and powdered seasoning are stirred in.

Why not try out this exciting recipe next time you have friends over. Just think, you could save up to .99 cents on hamburger buns at your next BBQ!

Am I Just Old?

Last night three young people from the skateboard crowd exited the bar across the street and came and sat on my front lawn. One of them took a container out of his pocket, opened it up, and each of them inhaled something up the nose. They went back across the street and shared more with people outside the restaurant.

So, what kind of drugs are the youngsters taking these days that they inhale? Is this the same as drinking was to us in our day, or is this more concerning?

Holy Bouviers its Warm!

So, we're in a Vancouver style heat wave. It's been around 30 c the past few days, and people in Vancouver find that really hot. I guess to each person "hot" is a relative concept, so coming from Ontario, I really don't find it hot. In Ottawa the 30+ heat is accompanied by an oppressive humidity which hangs in the air for a week at a time, with no cool breeze from the ocean to cool it down at nights. In Ottawa you sweat when you walk outside, you put air conditioning units in your windows, and you generally suffer. I don't like the Ontario heat, but I do like the cute warm weather we've had this week in Vancouver.

Innocent Bou Vicitmized!

I am sad to report that the bouvier was the vicitim of a fierce attack by a neighbourhood coward. As we waited at the stoplight at Yew and Cornwall, a large dog also sitting at the light noticed Teddy and lunged at him teeth bared to the wind. A fragile Teddy fell to the ground as the beast raged a top until the owner was able to pry it off. Luckily the Bou sports a thick coat these days, and the beast was only able to get one notable tooth piercing into him. He was a little shaken after the incident since of course he had no idea how to respond - completely unaware he is capable of similar rage, furry and injury! I gave him a big hug and we returned home where he insisted on cuddling. The courageous Bou is now resting and doing well. Gifts and money will be accepted in lieu of condolences. Thanks in advance for your generous contributions.

Geez We're Spoiled

Today I rented a kayak and went out for about 2.5 hours with Guy, from Jericho Beach. The tide was at it's furthest, creating sandy peninsulas as far out into the water as I've ever seen. The beaches were full of people as it was a beautiful sunny day, and the water was full of boats. Kayaking was a nice alternative to running after my exhausting day yesterday. Vancouver is a fabulous city for my lifestyle (the Bou's too). Here is a pic of me out in the water today.

Fully Knackered!

So, I decided to test my foot running half the Knee Knacker with my KK running group. It took 4.25 hours, there was a lot of snow and a lot of trees which had fallen across the trail in the winter and which remain. My foot was better than I expected, but I was more tired at the end than I would like to be 2 weeks before the race. I still have to make a final decision on whether to run the KKNSTR, but I'm leaning towards doing it. It's all about suffering, so a sore foot seems just part of the game.

The bouvier did not run the half-KK today. He stayed home looking cute.

A Critical Mass (of Bouviers?)

Nop, not Bouviers...bicycles!

Yup, Guy and I partook in the 2,000 bicycle strong Critical Mass bike ride through Vancouver this evening. The idea is to remind people that bikes belong on the roads too. The oft chanted refrain is "we're not stopping traffic, we are traffic!" From what we heard, the other objective was to "close down the downtown core" and I think we accomplished that too.

We met at the VAG and rode across the Granville Bridge, down Broadway to Main St, back into downtown, down to Davie, along Davie to Denman, up Denman to mid-point on the Lion's Gate Bridge where we hung out and closed traffic for about 30 minutes, then back through Stanley Park, across the Burrard Bridge to Kits, and once we hit Broadway we turned off and went home, while the others continued on.

As the group moved along, front-riders would stop and hold back traffic at each intersection so everyone could move through safely. We took our turns "corking" as they call it. It was peaceful and drivers were always thanked for their patience. For the most part, motorist were either mildly amused or resigned to cooperate. A few people were angry, but they mellowed as they sat around waiting - even the guy in the Hummer we forced to stop and wait - now that alone was worth the 2.5 hours of cycling.

We peddled for about 2.5 hours, with a good cross section of society -- most of whom were flying their freak flags high and proud. Some were costumed, others were naked! Many adorned their bottle holders with beer cans, while many more puffed as they rode. It was a real sense of freedom to cycle without having to worry about cars.

Sadly, the Bouvier can't cycle, so he couldn't join us, though I was eyeing some of the contraptions people were towing their kids, boom boxes, and the like in, and wondering if the Bou would like to join in some time. I think we'll make this a regular event (last Friday of every month) so I hope some of you will join in - what do you think Millie!

One Big Chop for Guy; One Little Chop for Killaine...

I did the Little Chop - a 4.8 k kayak race from the Maritime Museum to Third Beach, and back. I'm not a kayaker so this was new territory. I had to rent a kayak, which they had available for $10.00. I was a little wobbly off the start as I couldn't control the rudder, but once the safety guy showed me how I managed ok. My strategy was to do the first half at a comfortable pace, and then go harder on the way back. I did exactly this, and so managed to move past a canoe after the turn-around and finish 3rd ! (also second last since there are only 4 boats in the Little Chop; or first in the single kayaks!).

Guy did the Big Chop, which was about 10 km and attracted 25 or so boats. Most racers were in super fast boats, which gave Guy quite a challenge in his heavy-duty touring boat. It's kinda like riding a mountain bike in a road race, so he wasn't really in contention with the fast boats, but he didn't finish too far behind them, and nearly nipped his nearest competitor at the finish. After chopping, we enjoyed vegie dogs and draw prizes. All in all, a good evening of fun for $18.00 (rental of my kayak included).

I've heard that there are some kayak races where they incorporate a run into the middle....now those I'm looking forward to!

My Torment Continues

...it's another day of restraining myself from running much as I try to get my feet healthy enough to run the KKNSTR and T2T marathon in mid-July.

Today the Knee Knacker group is running the first three-quarters of the KK right now, and I'm sitting at home eating pancakes. I'm trying to keep my exercize to the 1 hour a day range as I try to let my foot recover.

Yesterday I hiked up the Bluff Trail with Guy. Today I might do a one hour run, and later do a hike up the Grind....two one hour workouts adequatley spaced might be ok :) But, I'm not sure it'll get me ready for my back to back KK-T2T runs.

Teddy is sleeping in his blue bed right now. He had half of a blueberry whole wheat pancake and chicken for breakfast. He seems very happy. Here's a picture of Teddy from when he was in Idaho a few years ago! Yes, Teddy has been to Idaho!

No Bouviers Run This Day

Today is Saturday and I should be running. In a few weeks I'm planning to run the Knee Knacker in North Van, and then the Totem to Totem marathon in Haida Gwaii, on two consecutive weekends.

But, here I am sitting on my couch distracting myself by creating a blog.

I'm blogging because, well, I can't run much at the moment. I have a sore right ankle, left foot, and right calf. I had x-rays taken of my foot, and next week I see the specialist to find out what's up. It gets really sore when I run long runs, and I can't put a shoe on or walk on it for two days after.

The good thing is that as I spend less time running, I spend more time with Teddy. Teddy is my gorgeous 11 year old black Bouvier. He loves me so much, he's a bit like my own personal stalker. That big mass of black fur on the right...that's him.

Teddy lives 2 blocks from Kits Beach in a funky condo. He eats organic chicken, salmon, herring, and veggies, and buffalo knuckles. Today he had some french toast and maple syrup as a special breakfast treat. He doesn't like to drink tap water; he only likes rain water. I keep a bowl on the deck to collect rain water for him. What I like most about Teddy is how gentle and innocent he is. He has no idea the world is full of evil, harm, and pain, and has no idea he's capable of the same. It must be a beautiful place to exist.