Keremeos, British Columbia
Know Your Natural World
I mentioned to Dez, "I was walking through your valley and along the way I was singing my favourite (Vedic) songs at the top of my lungs."
Dez and his dad own close to 15,000 acres which are on both sides of the highway. I was telling him the feeling of freedom on the road. He nodded as if he knew the concept of freedom just from driving his ATV through his fields. In fact when he saw me at the other end of the valley he thoughtfully drove to a supply of water in his house, to fetch some back to me. What a heart! Now he's a beef rancher, but he's got a heart.
While I'm trekking (and usually for the first three hours Karuna accompanies me) Daruka is busy setting up engagements for me. He's not exactly the advance party. Things must happen rather spontaneously, almost on the spur of the moment. In the province of British Columbia teachers are on strike but that doesn't deter Daruka from approaching the private schools. He has a chat with the local First Nations people in Similkameen Rerserve and books me for a talk to the young students.
My presentation with them ends up being a part life-style/geography/history/phys-ed pep talk. The kids were great. They could also appreciate cultural parallels between their ancient ways and my adopted lifestyle from India.
"One thing we should all learn about the out-of-doors is to know our plants," I had suggested to the kids. Before heading off to school, our dear Karuna Sindhu unaware of the shiny three-leafed plant, poison ivy, decided to rest on a patch awhile there by the river. I hope he's immune.
"Also know where to step," tells the teacher of the class. She warned that in the area you have ruthless snakes which release poison. "When approaching a log, step on top of the log before gaining a good grounding on the side of the log you can't see. Don't startle the animals!"
Good advice!
May the Source be with you!
34 KM
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