Society

Keep That Annual Physical Going

Been doing my annual round of medical tests — bloodwork, FIT, ultrasound. . .

Somehow these all landed in my vacay time around Christmas and New Year’s 🙂. Oh well, had a bunch of vacay lined up anyway, and it’s been pretty much rain every day here on the west coast of BC.

When hundreds of millions of people are starving around the world, and tens of millions are under attack by totalitarian dictatorships, it’s stupid to be grumpy about not being able to eat or drink for 12 hours ahead of getting some tests done.

I should be grateful the tests are being done, and that a little over 12 hours from now, there’s a full fridge and cupboards to come home to after my morning visit to the lab.

Anyway, I know finding and having a family doctor has been tough for years in BC, and I treasure mine, but if you can, get your annual testing done somehow, somewhere.

It’s so much better to catch things developing than to have them discovered full blown, eh?

Nature, Pets, Society, Writing

Earning Trust and Love

Sora the Cat has been very happy that Daddy has a long vacay over the year-end/New Year season. Lots of snoozing and paw/hand-holding going on . . .

Sora the Cat holding hands

From the most shy and skittish rescue cat I’ve adopted in my life, to blossoming into one of the most ardent love bugs, it’s so rewarding to have earned her complete trust.

There are many relationship lessons to learn here, and in no particular order:

Accept where a person or animal is at this moment

Give them time and space

Don’t force things on them, including yourself, despite your best intentions

Be aware of their boundaries, be they mental or physical

Be still, be quiet, let them approach you when ready

When that “first contact” happens, don’t gush, stay calm

Resist the urge to immediately initiate reciprocal contact

Wait for that tentative, shy head butt

Wait for that tail to curl around your ankle or arm

And. . . once you’ve earned all of the above, remember that there is still respect, still some boundaries, eh?

And once you share that trust, never fail them.

Books, Nature, Photography

‘Naturally Burnaby’ Book Launch

Honoured to be one of the photographers participating in this project! Thank you City of Burnaby.

Naturally Burnaby presentation at Burnaby City Hall
Photograph taken from City of Burnaby social media.

City of Burnaby – Local Government

Last night at Council, we proudly launched the Naturally Burnaby book!

Contributing photographers were present to receive a heartfelt thank you for their incredible contributions.

We are delighted to announce this stunning 96-page photographic soft-covered coffee table book is available for purchase. Each page is filled with inspiring natural images that celebrate the unique landscapes and vibrant flora of our beloved city.

Only $25, get your copy today and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Burnaby, right in time for the holiday season!

https://ow.ly/FzGv50UkbaW

Also available at the Burnaby Village Museum, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts , Burnaby Art Gallery

Society, Travel

Winter Tires? Of Course!

Ordered winter tires and wheels from Canadian Tire tonight. Their website is flaky, kept kicking me off at various points in the process. I think it took three tries to actually check out and get a confirmation email.

Anyway, I’m a firm believer in winter tires.

I’m also a believer in having them mounted on an additional set of wheels.

Yes, there’s the initial expense, but if you keep tires mounted, the cost to swap them is much less than having to remount tires on wheels every season.

If you take your car in for servicing, the shop will often swap your tires for free as part of regular maintenance, as long as they are already mounted on wheels. They have to take your wheels off anyway to check brakes, etc.

Or if you have a spare hour or two, you can swap them yourself.
Just make sure the nuts are tight. And check them again a week or two after the swap. . . You could always invest in a torque wrench.

Streamkeeping, sustainability, community, business, photography, books, and animals, with occasional forays into social commentary. Text and Photos © Paul Cipywnyk