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The coolest moment of the day? It's the one you're in...

I love to wake up in the early morning although I must admit there are times when I need a bit of encouragement, especially if it's been late the night before! Clearly, it does seem to get progressively more challenging to "burn the candle" at both ends - an evening meeting or function can give the snooze button one heck of a workout the following morning. At times like that, I'm fortunate to have a partner (Joan) who cheerfully (not sure how she does that!) reminds me, at around 5:30 am, that I really DO like getting up early.

In my opinion, rising in the early morning hours is always worth the effort. It's the time of the day that is so fresh (even if I'm not), so full of promise. The Island birds sing with great gusto, the rabbits are turbocharged, the deer, well, they just seem so relaxed, so at peace with themselves and their human neighbours. In the early morning hours, there's a sense of expectation, a delicious opportunity to wonder about what the day will bring. The September sun is rising just a little later each day. Today it "lingered" a minute longer than it did yesterday and tomorrow, it will take an additional minute or so before making its appearance above the Coast Mountains over on the mainland.

This morning, the dark overcast that obscured the whole sky seemed to suddenly shift, in deference, to the glowing orb "rising" in the east, allowing it a horizon-wide opening to cast a warm and magical glow over the Salish Sea. As I snapped the image, I thought, "What an incredible picture, surely, this will be the coolest moment of the day!"

Then there was another moment. A brisk wind suddenly came up, scattering the high overcast and forming a low-lying cloud bank that sped eerily across the surface of the ocean. A ferry, somewhere out in the greyness, sounded its foghorn. A second later, an eagle appeared and seemed to stop in mid-air for just a micro-second, before catching an updraft that propelled it up and into the sky at a rate of climb that would impress a high-performance jet jockey. I stood, mesmerized...this was the coolest moment of the day.

An hour later, running along the trails, a water bottle of energizing "chia fresca" in hand, the forest floor softly absorbing the light steps and quick cadence of my unshod feet, I marvelled at the beauty of the natural environment. The thick ferns and the old growth cedars painted a prehistoric backdrop to this rejuvenating trail run. Ahh yes, this is, indeed, the coolest moment of the day.

Suddenly...pain! Dang...ouch!!! Oh man! I didn't even see that rock! I lost focus! OK, this was certainly NOT going to be the coolest moment of the day...ouch that really hurt!

But wait a minute....

As the pain slowly subsided, the toes still clearly intact and pointing in the right direction, with no lasting damage done, I thought about it, long and hard.

One day, and who knows when that might be, life might be very different. It could be that I will reflect on that moment, in mid-September, of 2010, when my vulnerable toes painfully impacted an immovable object on an early morning trail run. Perhaps, I will  look fondly back at that moment when I was able to rise early to watch the sun rise, watch an eagle soar and climb, run the trails, shoeless, with childlike bliss...and stub my toe on a rock...and think that even that moment, was pretty darn cool.

A few weeks ago, I was describing to an older (and wiser) friend, how frustrating I find it to have to wait, for what seems like an eternity, for the traffic lights in our town. It's so annoying! He listened patiently, while I vented, and then reminded me that he had recently been required to give up his driving license after some 60 years of freedom at the wheel. He also shared with me that he would dearly love to be driving again...and have the luxury of being "stuck" at a red light or in a traffic jam.

I will never look at sitting in traffic the same way again and I will never complain about traffic lights.

The fact is, the only moment we have is the one that we're in. That in itself makes it of inestimable value - and very, very special.

Love the moment you're in.

Duncan

Image above: A moment before sunrise, looking across to Howe Sound and Vancouver's North Shore, from Gabriola Island. It was, indeed, a special moment...but then every one is.

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Fall migration: saying good bye

 It is getting more and more difficult to find birds these days other than the resident species.   Last week the Robins were gathering in large numbers for their migration, the week before that it was the American Redstart and somewhere in that time frame the Cedar Waxwings all seemed to disappeared overnight.  There are fewer hawks to be seen soaring in the sky and today I watched Sandhill Cranes dance on the currents of the wind as they head to their wintering grounds in huge numbers.  Nothing is more fascinating and relaxing.

Migrating Cranes riding the currents

Duck

Yet I am sad, as I am every year at this time, but this year is both different and worse.  I am actually bracing myself to say good bye to my avian friends, and trying to prepare myself for the fact that many species might actually not return in their same robust numbers next spring.  Why am I concerned?   Many of the bird species migrating this fall will head towards the Gulf of Mexico, some to settle there for the winter and some to pass through it.  Many depend on the numerous marshes along the shores of the Gulf for survival, or as a rest stop in order to build fat reserves before continuing their migration. If you wish to know more about the migration routes of birds just follow this link:  http://www.birdnature.com/flyways.html

Canada Geese

The Gulf oil spill, which I'm sure many of you have heard about, has already had a devastating effect on marine and avian life, and many naturalists and scientists are concerned with what continuing effects the contaminating spill will have on the environment, marine life and the hundreds of thousands of migratory birds this season and those beyond. The following link outlines scientists concerns:  http://www.theworld.org/2010/05/27/impact-of-gulf-oil-spill-on-migratory-birds/

Red-necked Grebe

Although BP and the US government say that the Gulf Oil spill has been cleaned up and no longer poses a threat to either human or wildlife, I have heard that the ocean immediately surrounding the deep water horizon site and the area from there to the coast is devoid of life.  I have also heard that there are no mosquitoes plaguing the human population living near the spill site and that local dogs do not have fleas due, as some speculate, to the evaporation of the dispersants used to break up the oil in the ocean.  However, the truth about the damages done to the environment and the food chain in the Gulf of Mexico by BP's oil spill will likely not be realized for some time to come.

Golden Eye Duck

Stooping Hawk

The marshes along the Gulf coast, which are critical to migrating birds,  have also been contaminated with oil.  As has recently been revealed, the oil in the marshes has not been cleaned up, and is poisoning the food chain therein, beginning with crustaceans who have ingested the oil.

Shorebirds dependent on the shoreline to yield mollusks and crustaceans for their sustenance will be impacted directly, as there is still oil on the beaches when you dig down an inch or two.  They will consume this oil along with their food, since they will be digging in the sand for it.  Other species of birds, such as Ducks, Geese, Cormorant, Grebe, Herons and many more who feed on the same, as well as fish, crabs, frogs and aquatic plants will also be impacted directly.  Raptors who depend on fish for survival, and even those who do not; those who feed on birds, insects and rodents, will  be poisoned and/or their health will be compromised either directly or indirectly.

Swans

Of the many news stories I have read and heard in relation to the BP disaster recently, not one details the continuation of clean up efforts since the well was capped.  While it is reprehensible and irresponsible that the cleanup seems to have stopped, the question that remains is how many birds will survive migration this year?  I for one sincerely hope that most do, but if there is no more clean up efforts this hope might be unrealistic.  Scientists and volunteer bird watchers will be out in force this year along the Gulf coast to make head counts of the various bird species and to study how they are affected by the combined toxins of oil and dispersants now saturating the Gulf Coast region.  I only wish they could use their findings to bring about an accountability to those responsible for the Gulf oil spill.

Migration route of Whooping Crane

The following is a short list of birds which migrate to or through the Gulf of Mexico each year.  Topping this list is the Whooping Crane who is still critically endangered.

1. Osprey
2. Red-necked Grebe
3. Ruby-throated Humming bird
4. Grey-cheeked thrush
5. Swans
6. Blue Heron
7. Egret
8. Mallard Ducks
9. Golden Eye Ducks
10. Turkey Vultures
11. Swainson's Hawk

As promised this is just a short list of birds that will be affected.  The following links will show you a more accurate picture of just how many birds could be affected and how.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-study-bird-migration-over-gulf-of-mexico?ret=/articles/list&category=latest&page=8334&search[status]=3&search[sort]=date+desc&search[has_multimedia]=

http://www.mpbn.net/Home/tabid/36/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3478/ItemId/12604/Default.aspx

Susan

The most powerful energy drink you might never try!

It's iskiate, and yep, you probably won't try it 'cause it likely sounds too weird or, at the very least, way too good to be true! So there's the challenge, prove me wrong about trying it. If you do, you'll find that you'll prove me right about how absolutely incredible an energy source this is. Hey, it's a win-win situation! But I'll bet you still won't even try it!

Here's the scoop. For as long as we've been running and paddling together (almost 38 years!), Joan and I have tried every energy bar / drink / candy / gel / "jelly" bean / in addition to various homemade possibilities. From Gatorade to "Watermelon Chomps" to Joan's awesome dried and pressed "Logan Bread", we've searched high and low for something that will sustain energy on a run or paddle.

When Christopher McDougall's book, Born to Run, came out, there was the answer. Since then, thousands of runners have tried the recipe of Mexico's "running people", the Tarahumara Indians. They are arguably the finest endurance runners on the planet and they have used the tiny chia seed as a quick and sustaining energy source for generations. Here's how McDougall describes his introduction to this amazing drink:

"Months later, I’d learn that iskiate is otherwise known as chia fresca—“chilly chia.” It’s brewed up by dissolving chia seeds in water with a little sugar and a squirt of lime. In term of nutritional content, a tablespoon of chia is like a smoothie made from salmon, spinach, and human growth hormone. As tiny as those seeds are, they’re super-packed with omega-3s, omega-6s, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fiber, and antioxidants. If you had to pick just one desert-island food, you couldn’t do much better than chia, at least if you were interested in building muscle, lowering cholesterol, and reducing your risk of heart disease; after a few months on the chia diet you could probably swim home. Chia was once so treasured, the Aztecs used to deliver it to their king in homage. Aztec runners used to chomp chia seeds as they went into battle, and the Hopis fueled themselves on chia during their epic runs from Arizona to the Pacific Ocean. The Mexican state of Chiapas is actually named after the seed; it used to rank right up there with corn and beans as a cash crop …

...the iskiate went down like fruit punch with a nice limey tang...I felt fantastic."
- Christopher McDougall, Born to Run. Random House, 2009. p. 43-44

Well, I can tell you, after reading that and like a lot of other folks, we went out, bought a bag of chia seeds (available at many health food stores) and gave it a try. Holy cow! For once, something you read about lives up to all expectations and we've carried this drink with us on runs and paddles ever since!

Our usual recipe for a typical 500 ml water bottle, as pictured above, is water, 12 grams of chia (two tablespoons), a squeeze of lime juice for taste and a squeeze of agave syrup for a little sweetening. Agave syrup, by the way, is preferable to sugar because it is a low-glycemic sweetener and, therefore, it won’t cause a sharp rise or fall in blood sugar.

The seeds quickly hydrate and the gel-like texture is very pleasant. The drink is wonderfully refreshing and our experience over the past year has been that it energizes like no other "energy drink", gel, or bar. So, there you have it, an energy drink has been proven ultra-effective by generations of the world's finest long-distance runners, easy to make, and super-nutritional.

But are you going to try it the next time an activity such as running, kayaking, or anything else for that matter, requires sustained energy? I'll bet you don't, though I can't imagine why. Now come on, show me that I'm wrong about that! :-)

Duncan.

PS We use Wholesome (the brand name) organic blue agave syrup (it has a golden colour), a product of Mexico and widely available, at least here in North America. ReaLime, a bottled lime concentrate, is great but the juice from a fresh lime (or lemon) is extra super-tasty!

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