The weather took a hell of a turn today – it LASHED down. We had one school in the morning, split into 2 groups. One group went hiking to Quarry Rock while the other went kayaking for 1.5 hours, then change around. 1.5 hours to get 23 double kayaks loaded with grade 6/7’s on the water. It’s a challenge. Plus the weather kicked up and we had an onshore wind blowing at us. The waves came up, some of the kids couldn’t paddle against the wind – 50m and we were towing them! It was a challenge but being the awesome guides that we are, we rose to it and kicked its ass.
I did a tour yesterday with just one person on it. She’s here on a ‘research trip’ checking out Vancouver as a possible place to emigrate to when she’s finished in the RAF. Apparently I’ve got a Canadian accent now. That’ll be news to the guys that I work with – I still have to translate stuff to them. She’s not keen on the Canadians, those that she’s met haven’t been very friendly, and she finds the Canadian accent grinds on her. And there aren’t enough pubs – her and her future husband don’t like the Canadian thing of going to each others houses. That was in the first half hour of a 3 hour tour. It felt like a long time……
So I’m 50 on Thursday. It’s not a big deal to be honest. Well actually I guess it is as there are guys I went to school with who haven’t made it this far. What does amaze me is that it’s only 10 years since I was 40. It seems like a lifetime ago, things have changed so much. Apart from not being as fit as I was at 40, I’m very happy with life at the moment. I’ve got some great friends, I live in the place that I was destined to be in, and I’m married to a woman who amazes me more the longer we’re together. The old adage You’re as young as you feel is absolutely true. I don’t feel any different, certainly don’t feel older. So there’s no massive wingding party planned. Linda’s working, I’m supposed to be working but it may yet be cancelled, and we’re trying to economise anyway. Has it been a good 50? To some tune. Over the years I’ve met some awesome people, loved and lost, dumped and been dumped, hurt and been hurt, fallen off and gotten back on (lots of times in many ways), learned loads and forgot plenty, done loads of stuff that seemed like a good idea at the time but probably wasn’t, accepted that hindsight is bollocks, and always always always done it with passion. ‘Cos if you can’t be passionate about it then what’s the point? Here’s to the next however many!
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