So what kind of an idiot leaves their camera out in the rain?
After almost exactly 3 years as my constant companion, my Canon Powershot SX30IS has, I fear, turned gimpy due to, well, unexplicable stupidity that I can’t begin to explic, and needs to be retired. Not happy.
July 4th marked 3 years since I returned to Canada from the Philippines. I remember that time so well. The day after I got here I went off to get this camera (The Eagle Has Landed) and it’s been with me recording my tales and explorations of this Left Coast and parts beyond ever since. After this unfortunate “accident” I took the camera into our forest to put it through its paces to see what damage had been done. I took a number of shots and then, mindful of the admonishments to always look behind you to see what the opposite view is, I happened to look up to find an entirely different view of this beloved forest. I spent a good half hour lying on my back on one of the benches, looking, seeing, watching the tops of the gigantic Doug Firs and Cedars sway in the wind and taking pictures, providing I’m sure, a different view for the few passersby as well.
Alas, even after drying out and a nap, the camera still wasn’t quite right. After whining and moaning for awhile longer I finally ordered a new one – bypassing the new models with direct connections to Facebook, Twitter and other such shite, and finding one as similar to the old one as I could get, an SX50 with 50x zoom replacing my old 35x. So we’ll see if I can shift my extreme emotional involvement to this new partner.
It’s been a great summer (so far, not over yet). In early July we packed our overnight bags, drove 40 minutes up island and checked in to a hotel in Courteney to attend the 3-day Vancouver Island Music Festival, a huge event in its 22nd year. I was there specifically to see two of the headliners, Angelique Kidjo and Bonnie Raitt who performed late Friday and Saturday nights but there was a lot more happening throughout. The problem, for me and some others, was this just happened to be the hottest weekend in the festival’s history and there wasn’t much shade to be had throughout the property and its main and side stages, so we limited our time there to late afternoon and evening. I haven’t sat out in the sun since 1984 and don’t intend to start now. Mesdames Kidjo and Raitt were outstanding, as expected. Towards the end of Angelique Kidjo’s set, midnight on Friday, she sang and danced with the audience down in the front rows and then brought dozens of them back up on stage with her where they all spun and danced their hearts out as if no one was watching.
I think I’ll blame the camera for this lousy, out of focus nightime image (certainly not the midnight photographer!) of La Kidjo and new friends – but it reminds me of music magic so I’m sharing it nonetheless
Another bright spot of July was a visit from #1 Son Steve’s partner Kate, from Ottawa, who was on the island visiting friends and family, without Steve who was working at a new job, and took the time to rent a car and come up to stay with us for a night. We had never met before. My young friends were saying, “How gutsy! I don’t think I’d have the nerve to do that”. I said, “Go girl! I like her already!” And yes I did; Kate is indeed gutsy as well as being smart and lively and gorgeous. It was a great visit and I do hope we passed inspection.
The very best thing I have done this summer is, once again, to go on news blackout mode. For about 6 weeks now I have not seen or heard any news. No newspapers, radio, tv, internet news – nothing. I was completely worn out by constant tales of dead soldiers, kidnapped schoolgirls and on and on and on so I just turned it off. Anything that has gone on in the last 6 weeks I don’t know about except that I’ve inadvertently heard mention of about 3 things going on in the “outside” world, all of them atrocious. I’ve done this before from time to time when I can’t stand it anymore and I am way more at peace this way. I prefer my “inside” world. We’ll see how long this lasts – I have zero desire to turn that radio back on. Is ignorance bliss? Indeed.
So what am I doing instead of listening to the mayhem of our human world? Well, tending to this art installation of a garden (at this time of year meaning keeping up with hydrating the pots), painting, sketching, reading, day sailing, day tripping, thinking about writing a blog post, listening to music and dreaming. How’s that for a life?
The painting particularly has me completely enthralled, still. I paint everything, abstract, impressionistic, seascape, cloudscape, large-ish canvas, small panels – all to learn how to mix color, use different brushes and brush strokes, blend acrylic and capture light. I look at images, view You Tube painting demos and recently took another painting workshop in a new studio and gallery space artists’ collective that just opened in our little town. I’m drawing in my sketchbook and recently started adding watercolor tints to some of the sketches. What a blast! I’ve started thinking about painting outside, plein air, an intimidating thought but that’s the point, isn’t it, of leaping out into something new. There was a huge Saturday festival in town last month where, in addition to the usual Saturday farmer’s market, there was a huge flea market and craft fair, live music on a stage set up in what is normally a parking lot, an art show and a “Grand Prix” event where 50 artists set up easels around town and had 3 hours to create a painting to display in a show later in the day. With thoughts of plein air in my mind I happened to spot in one of the flea market booths a beautiful portable wood easel, never used, calling my name. Coincidence? My fictional mystery detectives tend not to believe in coincidence. Of course I bought it on the spot.
Poking around, looking for close, accessible, interesting locations, I came across a gorgeous river in the next town, winding through the forest, then widening into an estuary to the sea with wildflower meadows and views of the mainland coastal mountains in the distance. I love rivers anyway and I’ve been spending time there taking pictures and sketching and finding surprises like an enormous eagle sunning on a fallen tree on river’s edge just across from me or a couple of ravens hanging out on a limb. Until such time as I get it together to actually go in and paint, it’s a wonderful place to hang out, inhaling the sights and sounds and watching the light, reflections and shadows shifting and changing, with only a handful of other humans passing through. I see clouds differently now that I paint them.
One day recently I was chatting to a visitor in town who said “You’re very lucky to live here”. You bet I am.
