walking

Larger ImageWe walked 8km on sunday and 7km Saturday but only 2km on Friday (we were saving ourselves for Friday Night's Spring Dance). We had wonderful evening with friends at the Mess but I think the days of the Show Bands should come to an end at our mess. They do not play to the age-group we represent so why hire them?

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The picture at righthand side is from Finnery Gardens where we often wind-up after walking Henderson; it's just across the road.

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Iain Hunter wrote a wonderful article in today's Times-Colonist regarding Premier Campbell's decision to destroy George Henry Southwell's legislative murals and I wrote him a letter which is published online HERE.

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The Victoria Mariners won both their baseball games on Sunday and Duncan Blades got another honorable mention in the newspaper. We're praying for his grandma, Irene, who goes into hospital on Wednesday for surgery. We love you, Irene!

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We walked 4k thru Henderson and Finnerty Gardens this morning in the rain. Cool. We had umbrellas so stayed relatively dry. It's a balmy 12C. with no wind so it's quite a pleasant day.

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Yesterday, we walked 6k at Henderson and Cedar Hill. I golfed Wednesday with George had two pretty good rounds, hitting the 6th green both times. Cool. Actually, I hit all nine greens my first round; that's the first time that's happened for this season and I carded a 32.

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The spring blossoms are in full bloom (as can be seen in the Finnerty Garden's photo) and the air is filled with sweet fragrance. What a wonderful home our Planet Earth is . . . what a shame we are putting it to ruin.

April 25, 2007

Re: George Henry Southwell's murals

MLA The Honourable Michael de Jong
Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation
Room 310 Parliament Building
Victoria BC V8V 1X4

Dear Sir:

What a travesty and injustice to European culture your politically-correct decision to remove Southwell's murals -- read that: DESTROY -- as they are murals painted directly onto the walls of the BC Legislative Building.

What is next to placate the ignorant savages: remove Capt. Vancouver from atop the Legislative Dome because he reminds the savage of the domineering European, then followed by the removal of Capt. Cook's statue on the causeway for the same reason?

My great-grandfather, William Irvine, was the first-born European on Vancouver's Island in 1851 and he reported in the April 1909 Victoria Daily Colonist regarding the natives : "They were hard to deal with in those days unless they were allowed pretty much their own way, and it was always well to have a sharp eye for treachery. I have seen these savages naked as when they were born clustered about where Douglas Street crosses the ravine at Queen's Avenue."

I guess the only thing which has changed in the intervening 98-years is the native is no longer naked and there will be no murals recording the fact that their anscestors were naked.

In the words of Charles Dickens: "I think I will retire to Bedlam."

Regards,


W.J.I.
Victoria BC -- since 1851
Publisher: Irvines in Victoria BC-since 1851 ISBN 0-9695935-1-1
Poetry of Hazel Winnifred Gray ISBN 0-9695935-0-3

View largerYesterday we walked the Trans Canada Trail for 30-minutes to the Kinsol Trestle which has garnered considerable press coverage of late. Being that the trail follows the old railway bed, it's relatively flat walking. It took nearly an hour to drive the 50km up beyond Shawnigan Lake but it was well worth it. We packed a lunch and took lots of water and explored many other points of interest in the area; e.g., Koksilah River CRD Park and the ice-cream store in Shawnigan village.
VIEW ALBUM HERE.

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Bentley had a successful weekend as a participant in the Fairfield Arts Festival and writes: "Just wanted to let you know that I have come out of my cave and the focus of my attention the last little while is now over. This past weekend was the Fairfield Artists Studio Tour and I put a little montage of my latest efforts together for you. There was less traffic through this year as I was furthest away from the epicentre of activity and there's been a lot of road construction around our place. I did manage to sell a piece though AND a member of the jury committee for "Artists in the Garden" at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific showed up and we had a great conversation before she said who she was and that the committee would like to extend an invitation to be one of the featured artists in their show coming up in August! So, it was a successful weekend all 'round."
Ben's Album

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We walked more than 25km last week with the longest walk being 7km from home, over Mt. Tolmie, along Cedar Hill X to Henderson, around Henderson then over to UVic and through Finnerty Gardens and back home.

Labels: kinsol, walked

We walked six-kilometers today. Four around Cedar Hill and two around Henderson. We only found two-balls but it's better than getting skunked.

Bentley came over and delivered a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Bern. What a loving son-in-law. Bless you, Ben . . . one of the best.

Bern & I will be out to Romeo's for our evening dining enjoyment tonight. Cool.

We'll give Duncan Blades top billing for today's post because we watched him play at Henderson in the season opener on Sunday. We talked with his mom, Viki, while we there and she said her Mom and Sam would home this week.

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What a great time we had at the Mess Friday night; Madalyn brought her sister who is visiting from Saskatchewan and we enjoyed meeting her. Ron King provided a night of entertainment for the 85 attendees. Robina sure is doing a good job of running our mess!

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Walking! yes, walking . . . well, I guess we totaled 26k last week -- but who's counting? Sunday I walked up Mount Douglas using the Irvine Trail -- one of two trail which leads to the top of Mt. Doug. The guidebook states it's a 'moderate hike' but I would rate it 'difficult' as the trail branches into many sub-trails throughout its course -- none of which are clearly designated as being the actual Irvine Trail. Another reason which make this trail difficult is it's not well maintained: there's two or three places where proceeding safely could best be accomplished on one's hands-and-knees; a sturdy walking stick is mandatory to safely maintain one's footing -- ascending or descending the trail. The three-kilometer hike to the top takes 40-minutes and about the same coming down.

While we at Henderson we walked the chip-trail twice and found seven-balls. These two-kilometers added to my six-k up&down the mountain give me eight-k for this week. Cool.

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SharBen and children drove up the mountain on Saturday and posted some nice photographs for our viewing enjoyment. I took some photos and posted them on Kodak-Gallery as well.

Thursday was a seven-kilometer day but only two-balls. Another great day for walking; especially, when my feet first hit the trail at 7:48 a.m. -- it sunny and beautiful but clouded over later on. We've walked 16km so far this week. Party-hearty tonight at the Mess dinner/dance to Ron King Buy.

Rae Side CartoonTuesday we walked five-kilometers and found three-balls after which we visited Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) to do some research on Billy Irvine and find books by T. W. Paterson (1942- ). Cool.

Today's it's only 7C. so we didn't golf. Like the Kiki bird of the southpole said to the Kiki bird of the northpole: "Ki, ki, krist it's cold!" But we did have a two-kilometer, five-ball (that means we found five balls at Henderson) walk. What a beautiful, sunny day!

P.S. The Raeside cartoon from today's Times-Colonist just about says it all re: The West's efforts to convert a four-thousand-year-old, predominantly Islamic/Arab/Persian Society to a Democratic (Bush's democracy, that is) Christian Society seems to be leading Canada's military efforts around in circles (all the while, our beautiful sons and daughters are being killed and maimed) -- for what?

Iran celebrates nuclear advances
Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for energy production.
Iran has begun producing nuclear fuel on "an industrial scale", the president announced during a speech to mark the first anniversary of the country's enrichment of uranium. During a visit to the Natanz nuclear facility, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that that the nuclear programme was on its way to the "summit" and would not be stopped. "The great Iranian nation, which for past centuries has been a pioneer of science, will not allow some bullying powers to put obstacles in its path of progress by influencing the international community," he said. "Today... this country has joined the countries that produce nuclear fuel on an industrial scale."

One wonders to whom President, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejadm refers when he states: "Iran will not allow some bullying powers to put obstacles in its path."

Hmmm? Reference cited: Aljazeera.net

There's two ways to measure our day: . . . seven kilometers or ten-balls; we walked 7k and found 10-balls. Cool. We picnicked again at Finnerty (Lohbrunner) Gardens at UVic and just enjoyed a beautiful, Easter Day in Victoria. P.S. One of Victoria's largest rhododendrons is just about to bloom!

Good Friday was the warmest day of the year with a record-setting 20C (previous high 18C.). We walked seven kilometers bringing our weekly total to 27km (with one day to go in the week). We found 13 golfballs yesterday. We picnicked again at Lohbrunner Gardens at UVic, surrounded by peace and beauty as we sat in the sunshine on the bench. We even had time to drop in on the childrens'. Cool.

The photo is simple collage I made in 2004 for Sam & Irene. Enjoy.

We walked Sunday & Tuesday and today for a total of 20km this week already. Cool. It got up to 16C. today and we had a picnic at Lohbrunner Gardens at UVic. Good Friday is tomorrow.

Captain Chris Air (pictured) and Lieutenant Felix Carman were shown 'admitting to entering Iranian waters' on Al-Alam TV
All 15 Britons 'confess' to Iran trespass:
ALL 15 British service personnel held by Iran have confessed to illegally entering the country's waters, it was claimed today.

Thank goodness these guests of Iran are not paraded around naked on their hands&knees by dog-collars as the Arabs at Abu Grab Prison were on American TV.

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Friday we walked six-kilometers then ejoyed pub night at the Mess with Jay&Sue and George&Irene joing us. The band was BackBeat and is the same one George hires for Elks' events. Their next event is at our Mess, too.

We had a nice evening and fantastic dinner at Jay&Suzanne's last night with George&Irene and Peggy, the Hardts' renter. We played cards after supper. Jay's a wonderful cook.

It's April Fool's Day so all we have to do is decide who the fool is:

WASHINGTON, April 1--Saudi Arabia's harsh criticism of the US occupation of Iraq marked a turning point in the complex relations between Washington and its key Sunni ally, analysts say. The unexpectedly scathing criticism raises serious questions about the Bush administration's Middle East policy.

President, Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised on Sunday Iranians would soon hear more news about the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy program. The president told people in the southwestern city of Andimeshk in Khuzestan province that "the Iranian nation will soon hear fresh news about our country's nuclear transition".

Two US warplanes have violated Iran's airspace in the southwestern province of Khuzestan, a local military chief said on Sunday.

Protests at UK embassy in Tehran:
Hundreds of Iranians have protest outside the British embassy in Tehran. Petrol bombs and rocks have been thrown at the British embassy in Tehran during a rally supporting the detention of 15 British sailors and marines. About 200 people also threw firecrackers at the embassy on Sunday and called for the expulsion of Geoffrey Adams, Britain's ambassador. The protesters chanted "death to Britain" and "death to America" as they hurled stones into the embassy's courtyard.

TEHRAN, April 1--Iran has formally protested a "British shootout" around its consulate in the Iraqi city of Basra, amid a standoff over Tehran's arrest of 15 Britons, local media reported on Sunday.

It seems -- unlike Mexico and Canada -- other parts of the world do not go around with signs reading: "Kick Me" on their backs

Reference cited: Iran TV