MID-SUMMER

My computer crashed and have lost most of my data. Did back my data as i should have...NO!!!

Well, as everything in my life i only learn things the hard way. I am especially sorry that my Cousin Kim lost his collection of 30,000 songs that he has been collecting for so long.

I now have an external hard-drive and this should help with anymore losses.

I am grateful to Ray and Roger for letting me use their computers...so sorry for waking the two of you so early in the mornings. You have been good sports. I will have one of my bubbly parties soon to celebrate.

Here in Nanaimo we had the annual Dragon boat festival in which i was part of. Then there was the Bathtub Races which brings so many tourists to the city. More and more i hear many European and Asian languages spoken here and am happy that these tourists are enjoying this city and the island.

Here are a few haiku and tanka:

For the breast cancer survior dragon boat teams

My paddle goes slowly

among the flowers in the sea

so many lives gone

but we honour

them today

Salt on arms and legs

spash the dragon boaters

as a seal watches

For Sam Monagham Stone for his historic sea voyage from Honolulu to Japan on the Kama Hele, a 125 day life changing adventure. I am so proud of you See you on my birthday in Honolulu!!!

You can read about his adventure on http://pvshawaii.squarespace.com/ and on his regular column for JAL at http://www.jal.co.jp/hawaii/samlog, also his TV show website http://entame.express.jp/tvinfo/aloten3/index.php

On the still sea

his eyes look inward

creating stories

Summer morning

watching the sun rise

haze on the sea

Blue-green eyes

memories brings me back

to your island