Black Death

As a naturalist and lover of all the wonderful creatures that share this world with us, my heart is so heavy. This massive oil spill is literally going to turn the see red with all the death it is already starting to generate and there is no end in sight. After drilling and working with oil for years how is it that no one has found a way to contain or stop an oil slick? How is it that this tragedy not only happened but was not stopped in its tracks? How is it that nothing was learned from the horrific events of the Exxon spill?

I can't even watch the news anymore as I can't see through the tears.

SO many experts warned of this after the Exxon Valdez spill. So many experts told the government and the rest of us that oil spills don't EVER go away. That the deadly black tides have long lasting if not permanent effects on the shoreline it comes in contact with. Twenty years after the Valdez tragedy the surface looks fine but all you need to do is dig a few inches down to find the black death. Most species have never recovered after the so called "clean up" and still more than two decades later we are in the same spot. We can put people in space, design machines to do almost anything but we can't contain an oil slick.

I feel like I need to do something and do something now but alas, I am not financially well off enough to travel there and help save the thousands of dolphins, seals, whales, manatees, sea turtles, hundreds of species of birds and pelicans and of course all the shrimp, oysters, crabs and fish and so much more.

What I can do though is start creating more awareness about these tragedy's through the magazine and on the internet. What I can do is support the local groups trying to keep Enbridge and their proposed pipeline out of our precious BC coast waters. What I can do is read as much as I can and work with others to try and push for better policies and understanding.

If you  want to learn more about the aftermath, I strongly suggest you find a couple of books written by Dr. Riki Ott. One is called Sound Truth and Corporate Myth$ and the other is Not One Drop. Both are scary well written facts and stories about the Exxon spill. Sadly looking ahead, I know this current disaster is many, many times worse and the implications of that are terrifying. I encourage people to speak out, read up and get involved in anyway they can. For a world so dependent on oil, we need to do more to prevent these catastrophes in the future because, there will be others.

Yet with that said, the government and large corporations didn't really learned from the last disaster…. and here we are again, with no end in sight…..

Wahoo! The snow is gone, the grass is starting to show shades of green, buds are bulging and the birds are returning! Oh how Spring is rejuvenating on so many levels. It's a great time to be alive and be outdoors and after a long winter, people in the north couldn't be happier. However, while many of us are now out and and enjoying the warmer weather and longer days it is also the rebirth of the winter mess. I am always amazed how much garbage there is in the ditches and sides of the roads as the snow melts every year. Do people think that it's okay to throw their garbage out of their vehicle in the winter because the snow will hide it? Or is it just too cold to get out of your car or truck and put your garbage in a designated disposal bin? Regardless of the reason, it is definitely an issue across Canada and not only in the North.
However, we are Canadians and we care about our environment and I have already seen many people out cleaning up the winter messes.  One of my favourite North American programs is the adopt a highway initiative that is catching on across Canada and throughout many of the States. I think it is awesome that a group such as the Girl Scouts, or Rod and Gun club or churches and even families will adopt a stretch of highway and make sure it is clean throughout the snow free months. I wish we could do this on all our roads! Yet with that said, we can. We just may not get a sign that has our name on it dedicating our devotion to a cleaner area. By this I mean, that if you are out walking a certain route daily or even in different spots, you too can help by carrying an empty shopping bag and picking up garbage as you go. Many people in the suburbs walk to get their mail and I am sure they could find at least a few things to put in their bags.
Even our local lake trails up here seem to gather the odd granola bar rapper or coffee cup. My biggest pet peeve of course is cigarette butts as they take up to 30 years to disintegrate and are truly disgusting. However, I don't recommend picking them up unless you have gloves on or some kind of device to pick up garbage.
Now with that said if you are using shopping bags to pick up garbage make sure they are tied securely before throwing them in the trash bins as they tend to come undone when they get to the landfill and if they are empty they turn in to little ugly kites that fly up in to the trees....
In the end, even one bag full of garbage is a big help and imagine if everyone did just that! What a clean world we would live in!
So as Spring spreads across this incredible country I hope everyone can take a few minutes out of one of their days to get some fresh air, exercise and even help keep Canada clean.

The print date finally arrived and went and we were not ready. We ended up being two days past our deadline which meant the pressure was now passed on to our wonderful printers, Mitchell Press. Now while the guts of the magazine are printed in house, our cover gets done somewhere else because it is such heavy paper so now the press had to coordinate with the other printers. Then to make matters even more delicate, because we are what they call perfect bound instead of saddle stitch (stapled) the material then had to be sent to another company to get put together. As I said earlier, most press jobs of this magnitude take up to two weeks, we now had five days. Fortunately for us and the amazing companies we work with, they pulled it off and it was sent out only one day late. A miracle in the printing world. Everyone involved including Ryan and myself were so relieved that it was not only done and completed relatively on time, but we had officially done something that had never been done before. We enjoyed this feeling for three days. After months of working with VANOC we sent them some of the magazines so they could see the final product and we could find out how to get them to all the places we were told they would be available. However, apparently the departments at VANOC did not work together or communicate together and when Commercial Rights saw our magazine they were not happy. First they threatened to pull the mag off shelves and possibly sue. Then when we explained that we had worked with the other departments for months they backed off and said while they would not condone the magazine, they wouldn't come after us either. What a relief in some ways and yet, heartbreak in others. We had printed an extra 5,000 copies to be handed out at the Games and now we were stuck between a rock and a hard place. So... off we headed to Vancouver to join in the celebrations and try and get our product out there. It was not an easy task but those who saw it loved it. Many commented on what a great souvenir it is and was and how wonderful it was to learn about all the athletes. Literally hundreds of people even marked who won what beside the athlete and a few even put gold, silver and bronze stickers beside the winning athletes.

However, to add insult to injure, we thought that the fact this fairly new magazine created in a tiny northern community had just done something that had never been done before would be a great news story and something many people would love to know about so they could get their copy. Yet, strangely, no one wanted to talk to us. CTV flat out refused, Global did the same and even the radio stations didn't want to talk to us. To this day, I still do not have a clue what really went on and why no one would help us out in the media world but I have my suspicions.

So finally, in the end, we still have extra magazines, we still can't get anyone from the media to talk to us and we still don't know what we could have done differently. However, with that said, the people who have enjoyed it and tell us how much they loved it and that they not only used it during the Games but they will treasure it and keep it as a souvenir have made it all worth while. We want to thank all the people that supported and continue to support us and we have lots of copies for people who would still like to get a great keepsake of the year the world came to B.C.

The sun is not only shining, it is melting the snow and has a new level of warmth back in it's rays. Every Spring feels like a rebirth to so many things and in so many ways and the change can be quite simply, invigorating.

Change is not only a guarantee in the seasons and in life but it is also a must on so many levels and that is one thing that will never change…. LOL

However, with that said, not all change is for the better. I recently read an article on predicted changes for the future such as doing away with things like newspapers, the Post Office, books and even music. While I am the first person to admit I am getting older and more set in my ways, the loss of any of these things would be totally tragic in my eyes.

Newspapers may be something many of the younger generation don't read anymore but did they ever? I mean most people don't start reading newspapers until they are older and while I understand that new technology is advancing, newspapers are a way to document life in so many ways and holding a paper in your hands taking in three or four stories and photos can not possibly be as enjoyable as reading on line…. could it?

That sort of brings me to books. As an avid reader, I would be lost without books for so many reasons. Call me old fashion but I can not for the life of me see curing up with my computer in a big chair and a blanket to read. Or even lying in bed at night reading just one more chapter until I fall asleep on a screen…. It just takes the beauty of the escape a book provides for me away. Besides there is a great satisfaction in turning pages and holding something small and enticing in your hands. Not to mention the importance or reading books with your children. That is one of my boys favourite things to do at night and even throughtout their day. I can not imagine a child not having a shelf of books to read and look at as they are such a huge part of learning and developing. I realize that many children may not have books and that in itself is a tragedy. Yet there is no way and no one that could convince me that a child could get as much out of something on a computer as they would with a book. Don't we get enough screen time as it is between working and playing on computers, video games and television?

As for the potential loss of the Post Office, well that just isn't right either. They say that the US Postal Service is in such financial turmoil that things like email, Fed Ex and UPS have all but wiped out any profit the post offices could make. They also say most of the mail we get is junk mail and bills anyway and with online billing they just don't see a need for postal outlets anymore. However… I don't know how to put a Christmas card or birthday card on my shelf or buffet if it comes on a computer…. I sure don't know how my children will get their highly coveted five dollars in the mail for their birthday from their granddad either. Besides what would happen to my stamp collection?

Finally, lets talk music. It is no secret that the music industry has been struggling for the past decade due to  illegal downloading and corruption is definitely an issue too. Record labels have simply destroyed themselves in so many ways and more than 40 per cent of music purchased today is apparently traditional music people are familiar with. Radio stations and even movies play a role in the downfall too they say as they choose what music to play and it is getting harder and harder to find new and innovative music. I have been told that I should read Appetite for Self Destruction by Steve Knopper or watch Before the Music Dies but I am not ready to give up on my love for music just yet. The world would be a sadder, lonelier place without the gift of music and that truly includes new music. It is such a great avenue for people to express themselves and we should be embracing anything and everything we can to preserve it. While I love the song, American Pie by Don McLean, I just can't believe it has been turned in to a possibility, can you?

So with all of this said…. I think I will go mail someone I miss a letter or a card after buying a new stamp at the post office, go across the street to get a newspaper and look for a new cd I haven't heard before then come home, put the music on my stereo and curl up in a chair and read a good book!