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Dear Paddling Friends,

We hope this finds you healthy in a good place and happily busy. We are. The calendar has rolled around and already again winter weather pushes us from outside work to indoor endeavours. November gales have eased but cooler temperatures have arrived. Driving across the island to pick up Albert from another Sunday of whitewater kayaking, snowflakes drifted down, settling just noticeably on the road’Ķ it’Äôs winter! And year-end: a time to reflect, and appreciate, and share.

As world-citizens we look to another year of global instability and environmental uncertainty. The rise of fundamental ideologies is increasing violence and risk for the entire planet, and the powers willing to unleash wholehearted hostility in the world also promote unrestrained CO2 emissions. So far, as Canadians we remain distant from terror and conflict suffered elsewhere, but global warming offers no haven. Small communities throughout the Arctic are awake this dark winter: the effects of climate change are flooding villages and altering hunting patterns while Inuit appeals for help fall on ears apparently deafened by video games, ’Äòreality’Äô TV and SUV’Äôs. The glaciers of British Columbia’Äôs Coast Mountains are receding at an unprecedented rate putting forests, fish stocks, grizzly bears and our traditional lifestyles at risk as rivers warm and creeks dry up. The ripple effect is huge.

We are approaching the Solstice ’Äì and there will be brighter days! It’Äôs a holiday time for many people and our thoughts turn to simple pleasures and of being with family and friends. As in years past, we try to take a lesson from this. We need to hold precious the whole year round what is really important: loving people, a warm home, healthy food, healthy planet and peace. (Ask anyone who has lived through war, hunger, or illness what really matters!) We contemplate the miracle of life, of this amazing Earth. We remind ourselves again that ’Äústuff’Äù is insignificant and that as a friend so aptly stated, ’Äúthe trouble with being in the rat-race is that even if you win, you’Äôre still a rat!’Äù¬Ý¬Ý

We may chase our tails, but thankfully all of us who make up Coast Mountain Expeditions are well and doing fine. Ralph and Lannie steer Coast Mountain and Discovery Islands Lodge towards another season. Merlin, our head guide of some 8 years has retired from kayaking and is now making a living at carpentry. We will miss Merlin and wish him well! Jaysun is back in Nanaimo, again working with youth; he recently enrolled in a teaching program at Malaspina College. Daughter, Emily is back to her studies at the University of Victoria. Sylvan is also in Victoria attending Camosun College. Tom is at home on Read Island with his family and working on local oyster farms. Angel is doing her third year towards a teaching degree at Simon Fraser University. Cristina and husband are improving their homestead ’Äònest’Äô on Maurelle Island. Son, Albert is finishing grade 12 this year; when not studying, he heads for Vancouver Island rivers and as much whitewater paddling as he can find.¬Ý

Our lives are enriched by the wonderful people who come to us for kayaking and retreat in this beautiful place we are blessed to call home. Thank you for sharing your lives with us. May you enjoy the love of family and friends this holiday season. Here’Äôs to cheer in your warm home. And to a happy and peaceful New Year!¬Ý

An Unusual Gift

With the approach of the (for us) Christmas season, we acknowledge it to be time of gift giving. To that end, the founding director of Coast Mountain, Ralph Keller was prompted by his two children to relate a story about an unusual gift. This story was read aloud by Stuart McLean on the CBC Radio Christmas show on Dec 5, 2004.

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An Unusual Gift

I grew up in the then small town of Duncan on Vancouver Island. In 1958, when I was just 5, I was smitten by a rare, mysterious disease which baffled the local doctor, a rather elderly but kind family practitioner. After two visits of blood letting for tests, on the third visit I dug my hands deep into my pocket and refused to pull them out for the unpleasant prick on the finger. No amount of prompting or bribery from my mother could persuade me to present my hands to the doctor. As she lost patience, her bribes turned to threats at which point the old gentleman, held up his hand to silence her and turning to me said,

’ÄúIf you let me prick your finger just one more time, I’Äôll give you a wonderful prize!’Äù

And then, taking me by the arm led me to an old white Philco refrigerator in his office. He opened the door to shelves stocked with vaccines, bottles and other strange medical paraphernalia. He reached down into the vegetable crisper and carefully slid it open. There to my amazement (and I’Äôm sure to my mother’Äôs), in an inch of water surrounded by a few rocks sat four large frogs’Ķand I could have my pick.

The kindly old doctor got his blood and I got my frog, which to my mothers dismay lived in our bathtub at home for some weeks until she persuaded me to release it in the garden.

Ralph Keller, Quadra Island, BC