- Grandson born. Healthy and happy. Cute as a bug’s ear. Mom and Dad doing fine. Truly a beautiful thing……
- Sally and I still chugging along. Healthy-ish and happy. Together 47 years and all of it bliss (for me). Sal says “50/50 ain’t bad”. I’d sign up for another fifty years in a heartbeat. Sally non-committal. But we’re talkin’- I may have to sweeten the pot…. ……….also a beautiful thing.
- No power outages in fifteen years. No water restrictions. No roadblocks. No line-ups. Hard to have a traffic accident when you don’t drive…..
- No traffic jams in fifteen years either (out here, anyway). No bridge tolls. Less driving stresses. Don’t have to watch my life pass in front of me as I sit at a screen.
- No sirens ever. Generally blissfully quiet.
- total lack of intrusive TV screens or ‘announcements’ everywhere (what a blessing)
- Most frequent visitors: whales, ravens. seals and herons.
- Little to NO life-style related stress either (trying to make money, keep to schedules, obey rules, meet deadlines).
- Everywhere I look, it’s beautiful.
- No gangs. No shootings. No crime. No drug addicts. No homeless. No police screaming or shooting. The most authoritarian behaviour is from the ferry loading crew (who are actually great).
- Fewer bills of any kind. No real financial pressures.
- Less government intrusion.
- Friendly neighbours.
- Variety and interest in everyday activities. No boredom. Motorcycle running.
- Fantastic seafood, natural and self-grown food. Great meals. Clean air.
- Schedule set by the season, not by the minute.
It’s all good. Real good. But I’ve been thinking a lot…..things are ‘up in the air’ for me……I see CHANGE coming. I see change already here. The crooked Liberals are out of government but the nincompoop NDP are in. Politics everywhere is getting worse. Trump is like a dystopian, nightmare-kinda-change agent already happening but Mexico is going all to Hell-in-a-handbasket as well. Trudeau is a shirt-less lightweight leading by cliche. Central America being taken over by drug cartels. Russia looming. Europe struggling. China is quietly invading Canada by economic means – they are simply purchasing it.
Canada’s current economy is looking good (which is a change) but is threatened by our friendly neighbour to the south (which is another change – they used to be dominant and selfish but not mean and crazy). North Korea looms as another large and deadly change-agent. Immigration is rapidly changing the cultural landscape.
First Nations are the sanest voice in the country.
Age is now an issue for me. Me being 70 is officially old. That will bring changes for me. Already has.
Bottom line: I am still living in interesting times. And ‘what to do about it’ still comes up for me. What, exactly, am I supposed to do about it?
Well, we have established a beautiful, wonderful home-base. That’s good. We have friends and family. That’s great. We are not deprived in any way and so that is HUGE. And we are happy and healthy. So, WE are taken care of…….
And we are here for them……so, THEY are also taken care of to a large extent if Teotwawki or the Zombie Apocolypse happens (which it likely will someday).
But is that enough? Is that life in its entirety? No. No, it is not. So we have added writing books and travelling to the recipe and that helps…..but is it enough…..?
No. Those ‘fun’ additions are for us. There is something more to be done. And that is why I am writing….I feel change coming on….I feel as if I have to respond to it – whatever it is. I feel we still have ‘work’ to do for others while here….like building community or protesting evil or working towards something……
…..anyone else feel this weirdness? Anyone know what the hell I am talking about?
Our Off the Grid Home 
Yeah I sorta hear what yer saying.
You have a great life. Good family and friends. Interesting life. But you’re turning 70 and thinking. Is this it? Have I peaked? Is it all downhill from here?
Nah. You havent peaked yet. Not by a long shot. And whats 70? A fricken number that means nothing really.
I read a story a year or so ago about an investment broker in the south of France that approached a 70 year old woman who was almost broke with an offer. He would pay her $1000/ month until her death. He would then own her villa overlooking the ocean.
Done deal.
The only problem.
It was 35 years ago and she’s still alive. He’s long dead and his estate is still paying her $1000/ month.
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No. You misunderstand. I have peaked. I know that. (It was in London. I was 19….) I peaked decades ago. I am very comfortable with the current long downhill slide. Without gravity on my side, I wouldn’t move. It’s not about age, per se. It’s about still getting something done…and, if so, what the hell is it? Another book? That seems lightweight but we’ll give that a shot this winter. No, I am thinking…looking at Rafe Mair……going out with a rant, a rave and bucket list so full still despite workin’ hard at it. I am thinking that people (old or young) should have an agenda, a list, a to-do thing going on that continues til the day you are called. I am just kinda feeling that there is a list that I haven’t seen….a call to ‘something’…a chore that needs me…..
And, even more…that there is something ‘happening here’ and, like Mr. Jones, I don’t know what it is……………..
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A lot a folks in their 90’s!
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I’d like to be one of ’em someday….but that that means they’ll be 110……
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how about reading and writing some poetry, are you gonna put up a picture of that boat you bot,for us to see?
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Yes. I will. May do a few tiddley ups first. Soon. Boats in Victoria.
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You’ll be okay. As long as Sal’s around.
‘Old’ is someone 10 years older than you. I look around and ‘everyone’ is ten years younger. I guess that means I’m ‘old’. Hadn’t thought of it that way before. Before today, that is.
Got a call that my doc had scheduled a colonoscopy for me, with a new doc. New doc said it was just a ‘cautionary’ procedure and I didn’t HAVE to have it done. Questioning family history it was revealed that my Dad had prostrate cancer and he died aged 96. He (new doc) said its likely EVERY male aged 96 has prostrate cancer, but it doesn’t kill you. You die of old age first!
So, you probably have another vibrant 26 years to go and THEN you can decide whether to bow out from old age or cancer. Personally I’d choose the old age route. Especially if I was still living OTG.
Great news about the Grandson. Mine is pretty much the same. Intelligent, good looking, feisty. Of course he doesn’t have to worry about Trump, Kim Jung Un or prostrate cancer.
Yet. Lets hope that he lives long enough to have a chance. To worry!
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Yeah. As long as Sal’s around. Good thing she’s smitten. Completely blinded by love, poor kid. Haven’t the heart to tell her she made a mistake. Best to just play along…..
I am NOT concerned with death. That was not my point…..not my main point, anyway. I am concerned with what I perceive as CHANGE in the air. Admittedly, it MAY be my own mortality looming but I think it is a real change, a change for everything and everyone. I am talking Henny Penny here, Chicken Little. Armeggedon. End of Days. Looming doom. Or, change of some kind….. THAT’S what I am saying…….don’t you feel something big is about to happen…..?
Well……me neither…… but still, I can FEEL something and I don’t know what it is…..
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David, I too feel THAT. I have decided after careful consideration and several nights of conversation with myself how to solve the issue….
Im going to get a cat,
All else will fall into place
😊😊😊😊
Take care, Im up at Young pass for another 2-4 weeks will drop in when I’m back in home port.
Scott
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I forgot about the CAT trick!
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Maybe having a new grandchild is influencing how you feel about the future. Your feeling of change and something more in your life may be helping the newest member of your family learn from your life experiences. Just a thought. – Margy
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Could be. The little guy has made an impression, that’s for sure. I think it’s more than that but I am too close to my own Forest to see accurately. It just FEELS like there’s something……
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