X Marks the Spot

2006-06 The calendar tells me summer is coming, but I have a hard time believing it. I am more likely to turn on the furnace than I am to turn on the air conditioning. The hammock went up one day and down the next, which has to be a record. I know I have pots of lovely, colourful flowers in my garden if I could only see them through the drizzle and fog. I remember buying them, bringing them home and planting them, but it seems a long time ago and 'in a land far, far away.' Undaunted we will march forward into June, secure in the belief that the sun will shine again, eventually. It had better, as there is a lot to do. June means the flower shows and car shows begin in earnest. Rodeos and stampedes are happening (what is the difference, anyway?) We have the Highland Games coming to Quesnel, the Bluegrass Festival arriving in Summerland and a miniature horse show booked for Armstrong. All of these events rely on sunshine, so we need our weatherman to shape up! In addition to all these, we 'geocachers' need dry weather. Jerry talks about the details of this new sport in his column this month and we endorse his enthusiasm. To those of us who enjoy walks and hikes but need some additional motivation, this is just the ticket. Dog lovers have their dogs to get them out walking every day, and fisherman always have an excuse to get off the couch and out of the house, now the rest of us have a reason to be out and about as well. It can be described as a treasure hunt for adults who are young at heart. You have your map where 'X marks the spot' and you have your glorified compass, the GPS, and away you go. You can choose an easy hunt through a local park or a more challenging one half way up a cliff or deep in the woods - the choice is yours. There are over 300 caches scattered through the Okanagan Valley, so there is no shortage of options. The part that I really like is that you can't really get 'lost' if you have a GPS (well, you can, but it would take effort). If you decide to search for a challenging cache hidden deep in the woods by some mad cachers, you simply 'mark' the position of your car before heading out into the bush. When it is time to return to the car you ask your little magic machine where your car is, it gives you the coordinates, and away you go. Many caches are hidden in fairly busy public places such as parks, tourist stops and even alleyways, so a degree of subterfuge is necessary in order not to give away what you are doing. It is necessary to open the little box and write in your name without anyone noticing - this is where folks with dogs have an advantage. One of them can be throwing sticks for the dog to chase and the actions of the other partner will be completely ignored. There is a very well organized website that provides free membership and map coordinates to caches in your area, located by postal code. This is a great family activity as kids relate easily to the idea of a treasure hunt, and perfect for grandparents and grandchildren to share. www.geocaching.com is a great place to get started. Returning reluctantly to the topic of rain, I think most of us can empathize with Joel's column on flooded basements. Few of us go through life without once stepping out of a nice warm bed into two inches of ice-cold water. Once you have shared that experience your heart goes out to those folks on the evening news busy mopping or sandbagging. This issue also offers a shared experience of a different sort, one to share with the grandchildren. Again there are website resources to help you remember or to bring the story to life for the younger members of the family. Several of these are posted at seniorschoice.com for your convenience. Last year was the 60th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion, and rightfully declared the Year of the Veteran. Many felt that 2006 should be set aside as the Year of the War Bride. Their history is so much a part of the growth of Canada that it needs to be told. February 9, 1946, marked the arrival at Canada's Pier 21 of the first official war bride ship, the Mauritania. By the end of 1946 over 45,000 dependants had come to Canada to rejoin husbands and fathers. When the special operation officially ended in 1948 the total was nearly 65,000. Today War Brides are part of the family trees of over one million Canadians. A group of thoughtful and resourceful people have created a website collection of their stories, both happy and tragic. One Canadian war bride, recently presented with an MBE by the Queen, commented that she felt that wherever these remarkable women had gone in life, "They had done their best." That is a pretty good legacy.

 

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