Maple Bay All Candidates Meeting

I rode out to the Maple Bay Fire Hall after attending the Board Meeting for the Duncan Farmer's Market (we were finalizing the budget) so I got there a little late. I was not surprised at all to find the "angry man" syndrome alive and well; the one guy who stands up, furious and unreasonable, and shouts at everyone about how stupid they are and what terrible decisions they have made. It was beautiful when one of the candidates stood up and explained that the Oak Bay Rec Centre/Pool actually breaks even and that we could study their systems and implement those things here....no anger, no shouting just a polite solution suggested!!

One question was posed that there weren't ANY young people there and what the candidates would do about it. I gently heckled back that I am only 33 and not that old and the crowd laughed a little.

I was very disappointed that the candidates who are tyring to get re-elected didn't have actual answers and couldn't explain what they had been doing for the last few years.

It is clear that some people are always going to vote for those with a larger public profile but it seems odd with the last few huge blunders that we are now paying for, the pool overages that aren't being paid for by everyone, the crappy RCMP station that must be replaced but no money put away for it, the water wells on Halalt lands that no one is drinking, the lack of action on invasive plants that are now a huge problem with a $5000 annual budget.

The list goes on. If we elect the same people---we will get the same results!!!

North Cowichan Council 2011

Dave and i went on a short walk (he's sick so there was much stopping for klee nex time) and he took a few photos of the dogs and i, one of them is above.

The campaign has started softly with lots of people catching up with me in town and via email saying they have heard that i am running and wishing me well. The whole plan is to run without creating any garbage (signs, business cards or printed notices) as well as not using any fossil fuel doing any driving around on the campaign trail (door-to-door, or attending meetings, this means both Crofton and Chemainus on the bike with my borrowed head light).

The other idea that anchors this plan is that no money will change hands. Anyone who thinks that my presence on the North Cowichan Council would be beneficial just has to attend the election and vote. If you think that it' s a REALLY good idea that i would represent them and serve on the council.....you can tell other people that they might consider voting for me.

Simple, right? We'll see.

A Meal with a Friend and Thoughts on the "Shows"

Today 'day-off-dave' and i prepared a meal for a friend who would have been on her own for thanksgiving and took things out there and threw it in the oven and finished up mixing the desserts (yup, two desserts) and then went out for a walk around with the dog herd.

It was nice to head out for the day and we always have a lot of laughs when we are together. Dave went out to the garden and picked a few things for me while i was prepping and chopping food, it is a proud moment to see your food brought in from your backyard.

Tomorrow race dave is going to a cross-race with his friends and i have a long busy day in the studio. There is more than enough work to fill the big kiln and a batt full of mugs to trim and handle and so many things to throw that still have a chance of being ready for the start of the pay-your-mortgage-in-february shows.

I can't say enough how much it means to me that lots of people are choosing to shop locally for handmade items to bring home for Christmas!! What is says to myself and a lot of my fellow artisans is that people wake up one day and think of me, not just my pottery or my wool-clad form at the Farmers' Market but that artists face the same costs of living everyone else does. We are part of society and usually contribute in many ways other that our art, whether we are volounteering, growing our own food or spending time working on the next generation. When i come away from a good day at a craft show (especially my Solo Show) i feel like other people find value in the pretty little stack of bowls and that they feel good giving a loved one a large bowl in which to make bread others.

The fresh awareness about the power of consumers and them turning their focus towards the "local world" is beautiful and will be on my studio wall tomorrow as i work. i will think about everyone who would really like to find that perfect mug for their dad (tea mug, beer mug, coffee mug) so they can buy a gift that reflects something about him (instead of a tie, socks, tool belt) and also meet a real-live artist all at the same time.

Off to bed, or maybe another small piece of the un-recipe pumpkin cheesecake and then off to bed. The cake option will require at least an hour cycle tomorrow which will seem epic in the torrential downpour they are calling for...and some people wondered how i fill my days.....pots/cycling/yummy food/repeat! talk soon.hh (ps: i am also fermenting some tomatoe seeds for next year.....with a lid to keep the smell down... hee hee)

Photo of a Crab in Port Renfrew and Election Thinking

As some of you might have already figured out by my presence at the Duncan Farmers' Market today, the hike was cancelled. It is treacherous, challenging and no-turning-back type of country in all weather and the latest high seas (8metres for anyone who understands such measurements) and 300mm of rain the few days before we were to start made things much worse. Add to that people getting part way out and then deciding to turn back and hike out for safety which all added up to it not being feasible for a school group.

So, i was back to work and threw some of those endlessly functional pouring bowls that everyone likes and then went on a 20+km hike with the school group as a sort of consolation hike with an overnight. I was a little shocked at the silly-pants nature of some of the kids and i saw a few nasty blisters at the close of the day. Two of the students also left their hikers out of cover and would have found a boot full of rain had the precipitation arrived a few hours earlier. It was a lot of fun and a great eye opener that there are still sweet kids in the world who look you in the eye and say thank you and listen to adults talk.

I have been doing a lot of blanching and freezing, picking and drying, and trading what i have a lot of (like rhubarb) with others who have extra too.

I have been chatting with a lot of locals who are interested in electing me to the Council for North Cowichan. It would seem that people who know me think that i would be a good person to look at the decisions that are made for our Valley and help steer things towards green and socially considered directions. Reading a wide variety of documents carefully and thinking about what is being proposed would fit in well with the long hours of wedging clay and working on the wheel. There would be a lot of hours spent in meetings and it may cut into the time i have to volounteer on the Board of the DFM but the leadership and steadiness that has been cultivated over the past 4 years on that Board would serve me well.

The pouring bowls are calling me and the holiday shows are leering at me from the calendar on my fridge, so much work to do and so little time, also the rainy season has started which really slows down my ability to dry the fresh work in the damp cupboard so it is "cheese hard" to trim. It lengthens the time that work has to sit out on the "dry" shelves waiting for a kiln load of pots to be ready not to mention the constant rotation of work to make up for the newly uneven drying due to someone turning on the furnace. (love you honey ;~)

Thanks for reading and talk soon. hh