down to earth

Hi everyone! In the waning days of winter, at least on the south coast of BC, I really start looking forward to the promise of spring and a chance to enjoy a lazy afternoon overlooking the sea and the coast range. Recently I have gotten some frightening news about a family member that was in a major car accident. The details of which at the time I do not know much. I am aware however that he was the victim of a drunk driver. As a person that struggled with alcohol addiction for many years I understand the inability for a person to make sane decisions when they are intoxicated. I can only ask from the bottom of my heart for those of you who do consume alcohol to arrange for your transportation before you start drinking. I made the mistake way to many times of making it easy for myself to drive when I shouldn't have. How many times have you done the same? Alcohol is an extremely dangerous drug, disabling your ability to make rational decisions, while at the same time giving you a sense of immortality. Not a safe combination when you are behind the wheel. The only answer for some of us is to give it up all together. If you think you could be in this group don't worry, there's many of us out there that share alot of your fears and problems.

A new project?

Well there goes January! The closer we get to spring, the more I start thinking about and preparing for the bounty of outdoor activity that blooms with the season. I was listening to a program on good 'ol CBC radio the other day that had a topic that caught my attention, as many of the fine programs do on the CBC. This one stood out because the guests were outdoor types that had recently given up some of their sporting activities due to the dangers involved and or severe injury sustained during them. This got me thinking about a new system to help outdoor enthusiasts plan for the best and prepare for the worst. I need to do alot of work to advance my idea. I believe it will help reduce injury rates and also could aid search and rescue opperations. The best part is it is very low cost and the technology is extremly simple. I don't really want to talk about it much more until I have done some more research and shopped around my idea, in case it has already been done. Keep an eye on my blog for more news on this idea.
I need to check the long range forecast for the island, I may de-winterize the 5th wheel a little early this year to try some late winter rv'ing. Corbin has been bugging me since November for us to go to Comox Lake, but now he asks me almost every day. I would like to see how the old rig performs in the cooler months as well. I'm sure the furnace would keep it plenty warm, however the solar panel may not be able to keep up with the load on the batteries from the furnace fan. The great thing about the lake is it's only 20 minutes away from home, so if worst comes to worst we can always pack up and be infront of a glowing warm woodstove within an hour. Hopefully we get an early spring, we can only wait for the groundhogs to pop up tomorrow, they seem to have a pretty good hold on the weather forecast. Hmm, suddenly I have a craving for campfire roasted meat on a stick.