As you can surmise from the home page picture of the waterfront dahlia garden I had a cut flower task every Wednesday to take flowers in my beater truck to my parents in the condo for them and their friends. I enjoyed it but hated the name they gave me, Dr. Flower. I felt like a sissy somehow and it wasn't cool.  Now I don't mind since I am eighty and cool is out. In the end, since as I say in my book , An Elderly Eclectic Gentleman, "…my dad died, my mother moved to a nursing home, my truck expired, and I ended my flower toting activity."  In retrospect It was one of the better things I did in my life. 

I have boated and fished throughout Vancouver Island  waters for many years. We should realize that all endeavors should be  started simply as we learn of the role of wind and water in their manifest forms before any stinkpot boating with power fishing gear. It's learning from the ground up , or shore up as you can see. I had no wind here so it was becalmed but I was searching for a gust fruitlessly.

Our family were always farmers, but things have changed. Farming has become industrial. My grandfather in rural Manitoba. My daughter in rural Vancouver Island is still swimming against the stream and they are part of the family tradition. Those of us in the generations in between have stayed true enough by glomming onto horticulture as our contribution to family tradition. Here is her farm