Mount Strachan

I've not been very good at keeping up with my blog -- but today, walking to the bus stop under the drizzle I decided that I was very much wanting to use this site as a bit of a diary of sorts. I do enjoy reading back over things - see how impressions right then and there compare to memories ... particularly since reading, or starting to read rather "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert - it's an awsome awsome book. There are many statistics in there that will startle you, and many facts that are quite mind boggling. The part on memory when comparing what we recall to what we actually experienced goes something like this - apparently magicians as well as scientists have demonstrated that memories, especially memories of experience are notoriously unreliable. The scientific study asked a group of people to pick a colour swatch. Some of the volunteers were then asked to describe it for ~ 30 seconds whilst the others did nothing. All volunteers were then asked to pick, from 6 choices of swatches, the one they originally chose. So now get this - only 73% of the non describers actually got the colour right; and an astonishing 33 percent!!!! out of the describing group accurately identified their original chosen colour! Crazy eh?! Therefore "our remembrance of things past is imperfect, thus comparing our new happiness with our memory of our old happiness is a risky way to determine whether two subjective experiences are really different."

This weekend I was meant to go climbing - or at least attempt climbing as I've never been before. I've really wanted to go for a while now, but have always been too chicken to do it - partly because I am so terrified of heights - but then I see climbing as a good way to overcome it! Unfortunately the weather wasn't quite up for it - and so a little group of us, Neil, Cindy and Matt ended up going hiking instead... and so up mount Strachan we went. The trail description in my little hike guidebook got us throughly confused (and entertained!) - but we did manage to find the south summit ... and enjoy some tasty goods, tea and stunning views when the fog would decided to clear. It was kind of neat actually to ascend through the fog, the sun filtering through every now and again -- and finding yourself in front of a wall of white-fluffiness that would all of a sudden literally evaporate and as though a curtain had been opened, let your eyes glide over a stunning view of Vancouver's surrounding areas.
Through the alpin-ey meadows the path took us - through many pretty flowers and bright green leafy things, pink and white mountain heather, partridge foot (i think) and along mossy rocks.

Up the hills and down the gullies it went -- and on the final descent we even encountered snow!!!
Some of the more adventurous threw rocks onto some of the snow arches to find out if they would resist some impressive stunts ;o) ... but we eventually decided that it was probably safer to just sit underneath the arch and grin broadly into the camera ;o)

The only thing that you needed to do on this hike was continuously move - or you'd end up surrounded by a massive cloud of nauseums, or in layman's terms heaps and heaps of small black flying insects that preferably settled up your nostrils, tickled your ears or settled for the corner of your eyes!!! Whenever a slight breeze would pick up though they'd disappear and all in all they weren't all that bad.

We even got the sun to peak through the clouds and warm our faces and bodies lying on the stone when we made it to the top -- *l*o*v*e*l*y and a sort of treat for getting ourselves out into the outdoors.
I've come to realise that the start to my weeks are so much more productive when I get to get out on the weekend -- and it feels as though my soul is given a bit of time to expand and stretch its wings before being confined to a body sitting for the greater part of most days!

Right - I wanted to finish off bits of work before going to bed tonight so I'll sign off :o)