LIving Virally: Time Loops

Episode 4

I have found a name for our current life style. It is called a “Time Loop”. As defined by Wikipedia “A time loop or temporal loop is a plot device whereby characters re-experience a span of time which is repeated, sometimes more than once, with some hope of breaking out of the cycle of repetition. The term "time loop" is sometimes used to refer to a causal loop ; however, causal loops are unchanging and self-originating, whereas time loops are constantly resetting: when a certain condition is met, such as a death of a character or a clock reaches a certain time, the loop starts again, with one or more characters retaining the memories from the previous loop.”

It seems our loop is a “time loop” and not a "causal loop". So here were are in week 9 and a process of loop resetting has taken place with the government starting to open things. To celebrate, we enlarged our bubble by organizing a get together with friends in a local park. Each couple brought their own chairs, booze and food. We set up our chairs in a circle using the government approved 6 feet of separation. As there were nine of us, the diameter of the circle became quite large. For you math types, the circumference of our circle became 48 feet so using the formula D = C/π meant our circle had a diameter of 15.281757 feet of distance between some of the couples. Since most of us are deep into our 60’s and those 70’s rock concerts left some of us with hearing loss, there were a lot of “huh”, “say again” and “didn’t get that” going around. To be fair, it was also very windy that day.

The only other change to our days of sameness was to make another attempt to summit Mount Nkwala. We picked a pretty good day with some sun and cloud that would keep the temperatures in check. The views were boringly spectacular as usual.

The rains have kept the meadows moist and well covered in a beautiful array or flowers. We took time on this trip to capture them. 

Arrowleaf Balsam Root 

White Yarrow 

Numerous trails proliferate up, down and around Mount Nkwala. The trails are shared by both hikers and mountain bikers. This is one of the reasons that we got some what side tracked on our first attempt to get to the summit. There are too many trails that don't really have any destination other than to create some gnarly berms, banks and kickers.

Indian Paintbrush

Scarlet Gilia

We decided to take the trail that looked the most traveled with the hope that we would at some point find ourselves taking photos from the summit of Mount Nkwala. Along the way we ran into a few obstacles. Nothing that couldn't be straddled and gotten over.

Bitterroot

Shooting Star

Our chosen trail walked us through a lovely heavily wooded meadow. Sadly some of the stately old trees had succumbed to rot and wind but made for a lovely photo opportunity.

Three Leaved Phachelia

Scentless Chamomile

Well, is seems that we have been foiled again. No summit. Our well traveled trail took us on a lovely wander around to the back side of Mount Nkwala where we came to a well traveled dirt road that we are told would eventually take us to the summit. We did try a trail off the road that wandered up toward the summit but as we climbed it became smaller, less clear until Mother Nature took it completely back. 

We will be back but I think we will wait till the wild strawberries are ripe. If we don't make the summit, at least there will be a snack. 

Wild Strawberry 

Living Virally: Ground Hog Days and Days and Days

Episode 3

It is week seven in self isolation and life rolls on. Each day passes with an almost unerring similarity, like a really, really boring version of  Ground Hog Day.

• Wake up between 7 and 8 AM, make a pot of coffee
• Deliver a cup of coffee to Nonie still in bed
• Go for a run, a bike, a Zoom yoga session
• Go on line to catch up on the world and what crazy, stupid things Trump has said or done that morning
• Make lunch and decide who is cooking dinner
• Once or twice a week, hit the grocery store hoping to find toilet paper and yeast
• Binging Netflix, Amazon Prime and see what crazy, stupid things Trump has said or done that afternoon.
• Fondle golf clubs (Editors note: golf courses have reopened at the posting of this blog and fondling has terminated)
• Start dinner
• Pour a glass of wine, must be 4 PM some where
• Eat dinner
• Hit the Lazy Boy for a few hours of regular TV
• In bed by 10:00 PM
• Repeat

Wait a minute, except missing my weekly two hour coffee break, golf, travel, swim sessions and the fact I usually never fondle my golf clubs, the above pretty well describes my regular life.  A certain amount of self isolation for seniors is nothing new. The government has mandated that the entire province, the entire country must live like most seniors. Welcome to our world suckers.

Nonie received an unexpected change to her routine in week 5 when her quilter’s guild was tasked to make medical gowns for a drive up-virus testing site being set up in Penticton. A task right up her alley and she easily made the shift from manufacturing quilts to medical gowns.   

Week five and another break to the cycle of sameness was necessary. So a mild hike was in order. This time we headed to Okanagan Falls and a hike up to the top of Peach Cliff.  No mountains today, just a lowly cliff.

photo: www.exploreoliverbc.com

Of course as expected on all our hikes in the Valley, the cliff delivered an awesome 360 degree view of the valley.

Peach Cliff was the home to the Dusty Mac Mine. The mine operated from 1969 to 1976 producing $34,000,000 in gold and silver. 

Reference: Roed MA and Fulton RJ (eds), 2011 Canadian Geology South Okanaga Geology Committee, pg. 106, 161,162

With the snow gone, spring had arrived like a lion and the hill was covered with a carpet of Sagebrush Buttercup flowers.

I am starting to sense  an increase in grumpiness in the world, myself included.  While we have a certain level of freedom to get out and about, there are still limitations placed on what used to be our normal activities. That and the lack of a firm time frame in which we might see our lives return to normal seems to be forming into viral hot buttons. Don’t get me started on having to witness the self destruction of Trump's America. Living as close as we do to the elephant, its destruction can only make our recovery more difficult. 

So another hike is in order. We chose Mount Nkwala, a 1,019 metre mountain overlooking Penticton. The weather was a mixed bag but we needed the escape so off we went.  As we ascended, clouds started to pile up, black and ominous with scattered pockets of rain visible around us.

As we enjoyed lunch, a large and very black cloud began to form over Nkwala’s peak as a slight rain started to fall.  Nothing we haven’t seen before. Lunch over and with our eyes focused on Nkwala's peak, we headed up. Within minutes the gentle rain turned in small bb sized ice pellets which then became marble sized ice pellets a few minutes later. Perhaps it was time to head home.  

The rain continued to follow us as we made our way back down. There are a number of trails that wander around Nkwala so inadvertently we explored a few of them as we made our way back to the trail head.

No, we were not lost. 

Nkwala is not finished. To quote Arnold, "We'll be back".