The Imperceptible Immigrant · Flotsam and Jetsam

Time and space

July 3, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

“Many a trip continues long after movement in time and space have ceased”.

John Steinbeck

Back at the top of the year, in my customary “What are we planning for the new year?” posting, I wrote – amongst other things:

“We are hoping to host some friends this year – which is always fun when it also turns into a holiday for us”

I am delighted to report that – following a considerable period of discussion and an even more extended phase of planning – the visit has duly taken place and did – as posited above – turn into a holiday for the Girl and I just as much as it did for our guests. I think it is safe to say that we all had a great time.

In the course of our pre-visit discussions – the aim of which was to establish what might be seen, done and otherwise experienced in order that we all feel that the visit had been a success – we settled on the fact that – The Girl apart (who, naturally, has history of her own in such matters) – none of us had visited the awesome Rocky mountains and their surroundings from the Albertan perspective. We might have approached them from British Columbia – flown over them on our way to the coast and even gazed at then from afar from the environs of Calgary or Edmonton. We had not, however, traversed them – and in particular we had not done so by train!

These – and other omissions – we set out to rectify on this excursion. The results of our endeavours may be measured by viewing subsequent posts in which I will share the photographic evidence of our meanderings.

Tags: Canada, Friends, Holiday, Travel

Come on you Bath!

June 28, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

Those who know me well – and who have perhaps followed these jottings for a while – will doubtless be wondering why I have made so little comment of late on the subject of Rugby Football. The fact of the matter is that I have tried to be careful not to bore the gentle reader; recognising that rugby does not inspire the same passion in everyone.

Also, I could not help but notice that my missives were tending to follow well worn tracks – celebrating (on occasion) or bemoaning (more often) the successes and failures of the teams that The Girl and I follow. Scotland find themselves these days with a decent team of worthy internationals, yet still they show little sign of winning any of the competitions in which they ply their trade.

Since our visit to Twickenham back in 2015 (the year that we came to Canada) to watch Bath lose the Premiership final to the unlovely Saracens, the club’s fortunes have been mixed… to put it mildly! A couple of years back it was only the organisational after-effects of the Covid pandemic that saved Bath from relegation.

But since then!… what a turnaround… what a revelation…!

Two years ago Bath recruited Johann van Graan as their Director of Rugby. Johann set about rebuilding the famous Bath side of old – recruiting such luminaries as the captain – Ben Spencer – and the mercurial Scottish fly-half – Finn Russell. Bath’s results improved immediately.

In the Premiership final 2024 (van Graan’s first season in charge) Bath narrowly lost to Northampton. This year they finally (once again!) hit gold. They topped the Premiership by 11 clear points with three rounds to spare. They won the Premiership Rugby Cup in March – beating Exeter 48:41. They won the European Challenge Cup – beating Lyon 37:12 in Cardiff in April. Finally they beat old rivals Leicester for the Premiership title itself – winning 23:21 at Twickenham in June.

Well! It has been a very long time since such celebrations have been in order. Congratulations to all concerned and many grateful thanks from long term Bath Rugby enthusiasts.

Come on you Bath!!

Tags: Bath, Celebration, Rugby

Winds of Change

June 25, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

Things might appear to have been a little quiet on the Anam Danu front of late – since the release back in October last of our fourth album – ‘Euphoria‘. Well, that’s the way it might look, but in actual fact there has a constant stream of activity that will eventually surface as new releases, new directions and new developments.

As a case in point we are about to release a new single!

‘Winds of Change‘ is a song that was written back in 2019 and which appeared on our eponymous first album. As part of our general re-working of songs for potential live performance we decided that the track was even more relevant now than when we first wrote and recorded it – and that we should re-visit the song.

This we have duly done and we hope that you will agree that it has come out rather well. Herewith the notes that I wrote regarding the track back in 2019.

“I was watching a documentary on the TV (I forget now the exact subject!) but something in it reminded me of MacMillan’s ‘Wind of change’ speech, The phrase not only stuck in my mind but immediately turned itself into a melodic motif. Within a couple of days it had grown organically into a complete song.

‘Winds of Change’ started with the now familiar image of the haze of smoke in the air from the wildfires that are these days a feature of North American summers and grew into a protest song – not just on behalf of the climate but also encompassing the West’s apparent inability to conduct its political affairs with any degree of decorum or dignity… or competence“!

‘Winds of Change‘ will be released to the usual download and streaming sites on July 11th, but if you just can’t wait until then you can find it now on Bandcamp here.

Do let us know what you think.

Tags: Anam Danu, Music, Winds of Change

Fast and furious

May 20, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

“One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from a horse master. He told me to go slow to go fast. I think that applies to everything in life. We live as though there aren’t enough hours in the day but if we do each thing calmly and carefully we will get it done quicker and with much less stress”

Viggo Mortensen

In my last post – a somewhat impressionistic piece entitled “Hard and Fast” – I attempted to put into words the unforseen and unlooked for feeling that – though we really are both now retired (at present, anyway) – the pace, complexity and severity of current events across the globe has inhibited us from experiencing that state as the anticipated relaxing pay-off for a demanding life of work.

As one might expect this sensation is by no means the result purely of external forces and influences. The Girl and I are in the habit of synchronising our calendars monthly, in the vain hope of not getting caught out by some event that one or other of us should have known about but had forgotten. We are somewhat perplexed by the discovery that the quantity of such events has is increased rather than diminished since we came ‘to rest’.

In my ‘start of the year’ post – back in January I wrote this with regard to our plans for the year:

These things, however, we are anticipating:

A week in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, during the College’s reading week in February. Right now The Girl and I both need to feel some sun on our shoulders
Some overdue maintenance on our lovely home. We need a new hot water tank; the roof needs to be de-mossed; I am contemplating putting underfloor heating in my studio and we are long overdue in making a start on dealing with some of the clutter that seems to accumulate through modern living
We are hoping to host some visitors this year – which is always fun when it also turns into a holiday for us
There will be music-making – no doubt – and I may serve a turn on the executive of the Peninsula Players (who presented the pantomime with which I was lately involved
We will definitely aim to entertain in our garden just as much as the weather allows

The splendid week in Mexico has already been well and truly reported upon in my February posts.

We have been busily engaged in carrying out the second element of the schedule. The new water tank has been installed (providing us with copious quantities of gloriously hot water on demand. The roof has been cleared of moss (well overdue – but better late than never) and we have made a powerful start on simplifying our lives by stripping away many of the unneeded accoutrements that have found their way into our home whilst we were looking the other way.

Last year at around this time I was obliged to replace the device (called a ‘backflow preventer’) which stops water from our irrigation system from backing up into the public water main. This year I found that the ancient semi-manual controller for the system had finally given up the ghost and I had little choice but to purchase and install a swanky new digital device. As is usual at this time of year the garden requires a serious sprint on my part to try to catch up with all of the uncontrolled growth that has taken place whilst yet we sheltered from the late winter storms raging outside our windows.

Music making continues and, as predicted, I am serving a turn on the executive of our local community theatre.

So – busy, busy, busy! For further news on these and the other items on our list – watch this space.

Tags: garden, Home, Renovation, Retirement, wwork

Hard and fast

May 12, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

“Animals are happier than humans because they’re like furry little existentialists, all living in the moment. Their collective motto: live fast, die young, and leave a good-looking pelt”

Richard Jeni

Had you enquired but a year ago of The Girl and I as to whether or not we would be fully ‘retired’ by this point in our lives… I suspect that your query would have been met with some scepticism. Now that we do after all appear to have achieved that state (whether or not it holds) you might well ask what it is like so to be.

Good friends of ours – who retired quite a lot earlier than did we – were fond of opining that one of the best things about the condition was that every day felt like a Saturday. Mind you – they spend their days chasing the sun to various exotic parts of the globe – so their Saturdays were never going to be like ours anyway.

I am slowly forming the opinion that one’s experience of the different ages of man (or Girl) tends to come with expectations that we unknowingly extend to the world around us. Chaps like my father (who commuted for many decades into the heart of the metropolis) would – had they followed the dream (which he did not!) have retired to some bucolic country hamlet or picturesque fishing village – and found the horizons of their world contracting around them; softly enveloping them in a cosy duvet of daily duty and volunteered obligation. Mayhap they would nonchalantly follow the fortunes of the village cricket club – mayhap carelessly anticipate the summer fayre upon the green.

For The Girl and I our world feels very different. Not only are we constantly considerably busier than we might have expected, but the world around us appears to have exploded outwards rather than shrivelling like a deflating balloon. Further – the world outside our door seems to be full of craziness, mendacity and negligence.

If nothing else – it just seems to be full of things (like the times) that are a-changing!

Of the bouffanted autocrat and his brown-shirted barbarians in the White House I have little (of any politesse) to say. The self-professed master-dealer seems determined to wreck the global economy. ‘Nuff said!

To the unbearable and wicked conflicts in the Ukraine and in the middle east we now find added two nuclear powers dancing a lunatic two-step. At the time of writing an insubstantial cease-fire is in place. Tomorrow? Who can tell!

In Rome there is an unexpected new pontif – an American to boot! Back in the day the then Archbishop of Chicago, said that the only way the Catholic Church would elect an American pope was if the United States went into decline as a world power. Now the Church has not only an American pope, but one from Chicago.

In Canada there is an unexpected new government – not of the rebarbative tories but a fourth term for the ailing Liberals. The bright light at the end of this particular tunnel is that – in new ex-banker Prime Minister Carney we do – finally – have an adult in the room.

Thank goodness for small mercies…

Tags: Canada, Modern life, Politics, Retirement, work

Seaside

April 11, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam | Permalink

We are blessed beyond measure, those of us who live here on the Saanich Peninsula to the north of Victoria, British Columbia. In many respects a self-contained community, we can feed ourselves on the provender from the local farms, feast on the bounty of the ocean and raise celebratory glasses of the ambrosia from the nearby vineyards.

Our local seaside town – Sidney by the Sea – offers an increasing array of emporia, some decent places at which to dine and, of course, the much-loved Mary Winspear Community Centre, which includes the lovely Charlie White Theatre. This small but well-equipped space seems increasingly to be the place to which we turn to look for theatre and music.

It seems appropriate that the peninsula also boasts its own monthly community magazine, the which bears the simple sobriquet – ‘Seaside‘.

Unlike many local newssheets – the which seem to major on advertising flyers and syndicated news stories – ‘Seaside’ is a quality product, well researched and written, which strongly features the local community.

For this reason it was a considerable pleasure for Anam Danu to feature in a recent edition. We are most grateful for the generous exposure.

Rather than reproduce the article here, those readers who are interested may find it at the ‘Seaside’ website here.

Thank you for your support!

Tags: Anam Danu, Mary Winspear, Music, Saanich Peninsula, Sidney

Mexican miscellany – 2

March 8, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

A final batch of photos from our recent trip to Puerto Vallarta.

We admired this Gaudi-esque public space which puts one in mind of the Parc Guell in Barcelona – though, naturally, on a somewhat smaller scale.

Our all-inclusive resort was – unlike many others in PV – not directly on the sea front. It did, however, own a beach resort a mere five minutes away by car, the which included a very decent restaurant to which we repaired several times for our evening repast. As you might expect the sunset vied with the fare to provide the greater attraction.

When we returned to Victoria from Puerto Vallarte The Girl and I were accompanied by a new member of our entourage. Gentle reader – meet Coyote:

Coyote is an Alebrije from Oaxaca. The Mexican art site – Viva Mexico – has the following:

Alebrijes are creatures carved out of wood and painted with Zapotec patterns and fantastic designs from the artists own imagination. These colorful one-of-a-kind carvings are handmade using wood of the copal tree which is grown in the surrounding fields of the towns and is considered a sacred tree which only grows in the region of Oaxaca. This wood is sustainably sourced from the branches of the tree in order to preserve the life of the tree and ensure a continued source of wood for the future. Alebrijes are traditionally made in Oaxaca in the towns of San Martin Tilcajete as well as San Antonio Arrazola. These beautiful works of art have become very popular over the years among art collectors worldwide and are highly sought after. Add a splash of color to your home with one of our unique wood carvings by Oaxacas best artists!

He is – of course – a trickster, but he is also gorgeous… so he gets away with it!

Tags: Coyote, Holiday, Mexico, Photo, Puerto Vallarta, Travel

Mexican miscellany – 1

March 5, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

Here on Vancouver Island it is raining. No surprise there of course, though it is also true that temperatures are beginning to creep into double figures and Mother Nature is clearly signaling her intention of getting cracking on spring without further delay.

Why do I mention this? Well – The Girl and I are still in that state of travel denial that causes us to check over-frequently the current temperatures in Puerto Vallarte (as much or more than we do those in Victoria). Sadly we are just missing the warm sun on our shoulders!

Anyway – here are some more random photos from our recent trip to the land of our fellow recipients of the tangerine one’s tariffs (bah!)…

These pictures were taken around our resort:

This chap was pretty impressive too – and, as far as one could ascertain – harmless!

None too shabby – I hope you will agree. Not our usual sort of establishment, in many ways. We (by which I mean The Girl, of course) normally prefer to find places to stay that enable us to cater for ourselves should we so prefer. This resort was all inclusive – which on this occasion suited us fine.

This was one of a number of plaster masks that were mounted above the bed-head in our room. Spooky – some might think – but actually rather lovely.

Tags: Holiday, Mexico, Photo, Puerto Vallarta, Travel

Some Mexican flora and fauna

February 18, 2025 in Flotsam and Jetsam, Photos | Permalink

Guess where we are!

Yes! As trailed but a few short weeks ago in an earlier post we are taking a brief restorative break in Mexico; in Puerto Vallarta to be precise.

There will be more time for the writing of words shortly, but I thought you might care to peruse some images of what it is like to be here in the warmth of the Mexican spring.

Jolly lovely it is!