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I know this is last minute, but I thought I would publicize my first photography speaking engagement here in Kelowna. The feedback I have received on the article and images in Okanagan Arts has been extremely positive. As an adjunct to that article, I have been invited to participate in the Imagine Summer series of readings at Mosaic books this Thursday, August 2, at 4:30 pm.
I'm presently preparing some prints to bring along with me and hoping I will come up with something absolutely brilliant to say! It's been a while since I've spoken to a group, but I am one of those oddballs who actually enjoys public speaking.
Just writing that down makes me remember my first public speaking experience. I don't think I was much older than ten, and I took home several awards for my speech "Life in the Year 2000". Yes, I regaled my audience with predictions on fashion, transportation and entertainment. My vision of the future when I would be at the ripe old age of somewhere in my 30s was a cross between The Jetsons and Star Wars. I'd love to have a copy of that speech now. It was published in our newspaper and my friend Louise, who never threw anything away, had every copy of every edition of that paper. I wonder what happened to them...
Anyways, I don't think I'll have a stack of cue cards or commit anything to memory for Thursday's session. The theme of the afternoon is Discoveries - I couldn't come up with anything more appropriate than that. Two of my cousins gave me a card as part of a going away gift before relocated to Kelowna. It hangs on my fridge today. It reads:
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER."
(Unknown)I read that card every morning. It helps when I am homesick for family and friends, causing me to second guess my intentions and wonder if it would be better to play it safe in life. It's funny how a little thing like the right card is not a little thing at all.
Enough pondering, I have prints to make!
For any one local who is interested, the website pictured above is http://www.okanaganinstitute.com/
Wish me luck!
At 1950 meters (6400 feet), Terrace Mountain is the highest peak in the Kelowna and Vernon area. The lookout trail is accessible by taking Bear Creek Forest Service Road and then Esperon Forest Service Road on the west side of Okanagan Lake. I wouldn't attempt it unless on a quad or a heavy duty 4x4. This ascent was a definite highlight of a recent day trip. Much to my surprise, the "look-out" is the peak of the mountain. The road goes right to the top! From there, you are rewarded with a 360 degree view of Vernon to the north-east (the first image), Winfield and Kelowna to the south-east.
To the north is Short's Canyon, pictured above. Missing from my digital images are the peaks of the Coast Mountains to the west. There was a lot of good stuff, so many of my images are on slide film. I still love to treat myself to Velvia once in a while. I will post some once I get them scanned.
As you can see, the weather was unsettled that day. This thunderstorm moved north along Okanagan lake, passing us by up top of the mountain. I was reminded again of a trip to Arizona when my friends and I were caught in a canyon during a thunderstorm. This was far less traumatic, as there was no lightning, and the storm passed by at a safe distance.
This final image is of the Duo Via lakes, which stood out like a couple of sapphires from my vantage point. If you look closely, you can see the beginning of pine beetle kill at the closest edge of the smaller lake. No doubt this landscape will be dramatically altered before too much time passes. After a day like this, I am left breathless at the sight of beautiful landscape, as always. However, it is becoming difficult to escape a sense of dread as the race against the pine beetle continues - it's like the tortoise trying to catch up to the hare.
When this woman heads up into the hills for a day of the great outdoors, there is one concern that dominates all others - am I going to have to pee in the woods? I was well into my thirties when my lack of experience in this area sent two of my closest friends into fits of hysteria deep into a canyon in Arizona. Here in the semi-arid climate of the Okanagan Valley, hydration is extremely important in order to avoid headaches and nosebleeds. I think the nosebleed thing is a little unique - my nose hasn't fully acclimatized, even after two years. Anyways, this concern was amplified as I was traveling with a male companion with whom I wouldn't normally discuss bodily functions. (Note - for me, that includes the entire gender...) So, off we went, up, up into the mountains in search of scenery and minerals. I packed a full compliment of water and threw the essential roll of TP into my bag with a groan that may have been audible at fifty feet.
Never in a million years would I have expected to have the relative luxury of using outhouses in the middle of nowhere throughout the day. I'm not joking - when I needed one, they'd just turn up! Not only that, they got nicer as the day went on. The first rest stop, I'm going to call "A Room With A View" - both in and out. How I wish I had taken a picture of me in the "window". Moments after I stepped out, a huge logging truck went screaming by on the road. I think I would have gone into cardiac arrest if it had been any earlier.
If you know me as a photographer, you know that I have a thing for hardware, so I made use of the subject material to grab a couple of artsy shots before sauntering along, pleased as punch for dodging the bullet.
A few hours later, we arrived at one of the most interesting places I've ever seen. I'm not even sure how to describe it, but someone has put a lot of effort into constructing a little getaway in the woods. One of the first things I noticed was this sign pointing to the "men's room", which I surmise was anywhere a safe distance from the "house". I never discovered if there was an actual facility, because my attention was dominated by this glorious structure in exactly the opposite direction.
No view here - this commode was completely enclosed and in immaculate condition! The day was taking on an unusual theme, but it was completely justified. We were killing ourselves laughing and we hadn't seen the best of it yet.
Whoever these people are, they have the best sense of humour. Don't bother to ask me where this place is. Even if I remembered how to get there, I wouldn't tell, just out of respect for their ingenuity and their creative use of Bart Simpson.
The things you see in the woods! Have a great week - hope this made you chuckle.
Laura
