Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Supernature 2

I see that MySpace has relaunched itself again. Mainly due to its music-oriented community and content, and (before I knew better) as it was somewhere to blog, I hung around MySpace for about three years. Then came the most ill-advised redesign in the history of the Internet and, like millions of others, I got the hell outta there, howling with disbelieving laughter as I fled. I see Justin Timberlake is part-owner of MySpace now, but as I just can't be arsed with any of this (ha!) "social" media bullshit, no pretty boy pop star will ever win me back.

But when I did rule MySpace, I once penned a blog entitled Supernature. As the title may hint, it was all about the incredibly beautiful place Susan and I have been privileged to call home since December 2006. Much of Vancouver Island is just stunning, and nearly six years in we remain in awe of the natural wonders and wildlife of our island home. We don't think it'll ever be lost on us, as living here promotes a heightened sense of awareness of nature in all its glory. It's not a bad state of being, we can tell you.

A couple of weekends ago we travelled to one of our very favourite destinations, not just on Vancouver Island, but anywhere. We had not been to Tofino, but Chesterman Beach in particular, in over four years, so decided to spend our wedding anniversary weekend (or 9th honeymoon, as Susan terms it) in this magical part of the world. All we did for two whole days was walk slowly, hand-in-hand, along the length and breadth of Chesterman, beachcombing, gazing at the Pacific Ocean surf, paddling in its icy waters, and enjoying champagne picnics as the sun went down. After what for various reasons had been an intense summer, it came as a real tonic at exactly the time it was most needed.

If you have not had the good fortune of visiting this jewel of the West Coast of Vancouver Island, I dearly hope you can do so one day. It's just magnificent. Here, take a look for yourself...










  

Goodbye Paul

I received word last night that an old friend from Brighton killed himself on Saturday. Tragic to say, it came as no surprise.

I don't have a single photo of him.

I spoke to him on the telephone twice in the last few months.

On the first occasion it was like trying to talk someone down from a ledge when they were absolutely determined to jump. I hung up shaking, fearful, and a long way away.

A few weeks later he took an overdose, but pulled through.

The second time I spoke to him he claimed to be making progress, but it didn't feel so at my end of the line.

On Saturday, he only went and did it.

Today, with a single mouse-click I removed him from my email address book.

A single click. Gone.