Tom's News....
Updated: Thursday, 18. March 2010
Hi!
Sept 15, 2009 - Sunset
Cruise in the Pelican... What do you do to simply relax and yet also find
inspiration? Wiith summer drawing to a close with the days getting shorter and
cooler, I love to get out as possible in the kayak - an easy carry-to-the-water walk from
my place. This evening was warm with a gentle breeze. The passageway to
Victoria's Inner Harbour was easy paddling -- perfect for an evening cruise, well, I call
it a "cruise". Such times are both inspiring and relaxing. Photo
taken with an iPhone.
Sept 2, 2009 - IT'S
ONLINE! The fantastic musical video about the journey on Melawend is now up
on YouTube! It was created by the very talented Siovhinn Polizzi through her
France-based production company - WeUTubedU Check it ou...t! Best seen in Hi-Def, full-screen -- use the buttons at the
lower right of the video. All the best to you, my friend!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atkysvMHFUM
created by: WeUTubedU.net http://www.WeUTubedU.net
song: wait for the dawn / dan o'connor
courtesy: dansongs.com
images: Copyright - Thomas Martin Smith
August 3, 2009 - first ride in the new Pelican Pursuit
100 kayak... couple walking along
the seaside promenade... polynesian roadster at Western Speedway, Victoria... All
photos
on from the kayak were taken with an iPhone. Next time, I'll have the confidence to
take
a camera too.
The Pelican Pursuit 100 kayak is only 10' long. It
took a bit of getting use to its initial "tippiness"
but the mind adapts and moves the body automatically to adjust for water condtions...
after just
a few minutes - it was PURE FUN!!! The adujstable footrests help a lot. The
orange mini-paddle
is actually a collapsible - a spare if, God-fobid, it is ever needed. The contoured
seat and foam
backrest are quite comfortable - not at all "saddle-sore" even after three
hours.
Out in the open water near Work Point the swells were much higher, yet the
kayak was amazingly
stable and easily maneuverable.
Very first photo taken from the kayak in the water. I live close
enought to carry
the kayak from my place to the water, launching it near the gazebo in this photo..
(This is at low tide.)
Some shots around Victoria's Inner Harbour..... bigger than me, but I can
turn on a dime!
A shot from in front of the Undersea Gardens with the Parliament Building
in the background,
right in the Inner Harbour.
Floating homes at West Bay Marina
A fantastic custom chopped-down roadster in a Polynesian motif - Western
Speedway,
Victoria.
July 1, 2009 --- Canada Day celebrations in Victoria -
photos by Tom Smith...
June 14, 2009 --- Do you like flea markets? I LOVE
them! You never know what treasures you'll find.
Here is one (not for sale, darn!) - a beautiful dog - a Siberian Husky / Wolf mix.
He reminded me of my
wonderful dog Kula, who died many years ago. I wish I had photos of her, but all the
images of her were
on movie film, which was inadvertently destroyed. I still miss Kula, but I see her in my
heart and in every
Siberian Husky I see, including this one, met at the Western Speedway flea market - a very
busy place
here in Victoria, BC, every Sunday through October. The owner was beautiful too, but
unfortunately she
also was not available! Photo made with an iPhone.
June 5, 2009 --- I just received this awesome charcoal
and pencil drawing of my awesome MELAWEND,
complete with her wooden platform - a beautiful work of art by my dear friend SINEM ASLAN
of Turkey.
Sinem is wonderful girl who is working on her Ph.D. in Computer Science, is a research
assistant at her university,
and is quite an accomplished new artist in drawings and paintings.
I LOVE your drawing of my Melawend, dear Sinem. Thank you so much!
I am blessed by your friendship.
Sinem Aslan
May 29, 2009 ---Yours truly was recently presented with a
military commendation rarely given to civilians
- a Bravo Zulu Award. Makes one quite proud. Presenting the award is Major
Chris Buckham, commanding
officer for the Base Transportation section - what we know as TEME. The flag bears
the coat-of-arms of the
Base Logistics section of the Canadian Forces (Department of National Defense), of which
TEME is a part.
May 13 - 21, 2009 --- I returned from a visit with
my wonderful daughters, Melanie and Wendy
- lots of explorations of Toronto, dinners out, fun with the feline crew... great times
together, long overdue.
I also attended the 100th Anniversary Reunion of my alma mater -
Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School, in
Ridgeway, Ontario, Canada. You can imagine how fantastic it can be to meet former
schoolmates and teachers,
renew friendships, and to wander the hallowed halls of a school you had thought you
would never leave.
How I had missed them all!
Yours truly is standing at the left end of the front row, wearing blue
pants, a dark blue shirt and a black cap.
There are 265 people in this group (yes, I counted them) and more in the school.
There were about 500 at the
wine & cheese meet & greet the evening before.
I also got to visit some of the fantastic people I use to work with when I
was a law clerk / title searcher..
To top it off, I also got to explore, with camera in hand, the familiar
streets of my youth in Ridgeway. So many
memories flooded back!
I'll be posting photos of these adventures soon. You can also see
them in my photo albums on facebook:
http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1454820834&ref-profile
Such times are also great opportunities to reconcile with your past so you
can move forward more easily. Would you agree?
All the best! Take good care of you!
Tom
tom@melawend.com
