this office life

It has started to get sunny again here in Abbotsford, and I started writing again. Mostly it has been a lot of letters to a lot of friends, with a lot of tea and a lot of thinking. These are a couple pictures from a couple days of writing around my house and around the office where I work now, as a youth ministry intern.


This is a girl that I spend a lot of time with. I think that we are just friends, however.


These are a couple of gnomes I keep in my office. They look like leprechans, but they are, in reality, gnomes.



An earthy pitcher that I found in my office. I use this to store the occasional glass of water.


The pitcher sometimes hangs out with this fake flower.


Some tea my aunt sent me. It tasted a lot like lemongrass.


This is part of Ethical Addictions, a coffeehouse in Abbotsford that I frequent.


These are a couple pictures I really like, though cannot afford to own.

And a couple more likewise pictures.


Some candles.


A couple books that I keep around the house, sitting on my mat that smells like burgamot oil (the stuff they use to make earl gray tea): Xavier Rudd's photo-journal and Jamie Oliver's cookbook about home.


Jamie Oliver's approach to growing potatoes.


Both of these books carry a certain "home" quality about them. More personal, close to the heart of the authors.


Winter is an often overlooked time for being creative with what we eat.



Xavier Rudd playing piano


Some flowers that remind me a lot of this picture.


I really should go for a walk and write today. It is too nice to stay inside.


My guitar seems to convey more beauty in this way, casting shadows on a wall, than in my hands. Alas. This is why I invite my songwriter friends over all the time.

See you later.

she wears bright flowers in her hair

Older pictures:


A mural in Yaletown.


This is a my friend, Megan, from that time we had dinner at a New Orleans style resteraunt.


An another older picture, from that time in Yaletown. Whoa!

Some newer pictures.

I spent my entire last week walking around Nanaimo and Vancouver. Before that I spent a couple days in Kelowna at a businessmen's retreat (never again), then I took to the streets of Vancouver, exploring Kitsalano.

Then I took to Nanaimo, visiting my old coffeehouses, which are still going strong, and my favorite places to eat, all of which are closed (thus is life. I can't complain). These are a couple perspectives from walking around.



I'd like to say the fogginess of this picture is a mystical British Columbian morning, but really it is just awkward lighting. Even so, I could pass this off as an excerpt from a fairy tale.


At the Bible Camp where the ManFest took place there was some JJ Bean coffee. I was very impressed. It made up for a really poor conversation about art I had with some guys the first night.


The next night, while a bunch of men were being all "spirit filled", my friend Brad and I sat in the Caf, having hot chocolate and tea while having a very down to earth conversation about faith. It was definitely relaxing.


I really like this picture. This is "Envy", a surprisingly good green tea.


I wrote this in the sound-booth of the camp's chapel, just to throw off summer-camp-kids, and to make camp-leader-girls sigh. I have an interesting sense of humor.


This is a Banjo, from the Sher/Jer concert.


The concert took place at a place called "Mermaid's Mug", that most people in Nanaimo avoid completely because they host belly-dancing and palm reading some nights. Being artsy is a really scary thing to be in Nanaimo, apparently.


All in all it was a cool place. Really colorful. Mermaids painted on the walls. Fish nets hanging from the ceiling. An ambiguous red veil in the corner, where palm reading is done. I could see myself coming here more often (take that, overly cautious Nanaimo church kids).


This is my friend, Amy. She is really cute.


This is Sheree Plett and her man, Jeremy Eisenhaur. They tour together around BC, and Canada. They are really good.



I think that there were about 5 people that came to this show, but I think it was all the better because of it. After the show we all sat around talking about life, art, touring, nachos and other things.

5 days later I was home. Somehow it took me 6 hours to get home, after the ferry ride and a 9pm greyhound.

I start work at a Youth Ministry intern next week (yes I do :D), so life should pick up considerably. I am down.

More to come.

BC Ferries

Last weekend some youth kids and I spent some time on Pender Island, fixing up an summer camp. These are some pictures of the ferry ride. Vive' le travel!



This is what wind looks like.


One of the ferry terminals. It was really quiet out here, and it felt like home.



A small part of one of the islands, with some cool reflection.


There was a seal playing around this dock while we waited for the ferry to leave (this is one of the 3 stops we took on the way to Pender Island).






The sun was setting, and I almost did not notice it.



Some cool looking stairs. Interesting place to live.


more of the sunset. I took a picture of myself facing the sunset.


We arrived at the Island safely. The next morning I took a picture of a Canadian mainstay: canoes. Though I did not get to canoe this weekend.



Instead we (me and some youth kids) spent the day fixing stuff around the camp.



This is where the boys stayed (I was sitting on a climbing wall when I took this);


And this is where we slept. In a chapel.



Highlight of the day; tearing apart a cabin! and putting it back together! a ha ha. Nothing says manly like hammering a cabin together.


Here is a couple of the boys. Note the sledge hammer.



The next day we left. Here is another ferry berth.


While waiting I bought a salmon burger at a small food stand (which was fantastic). While eating it I sat next to this wall.


Walking on ferry.


This is bethany. This picture reminds me a lot of a picture my friend, Jordan, took. Click on the link "Lighthouse" to your right to check it out.


Here we are packing ye' olde' 15 passenger van to go home.


And here is me, checking out the ocean. I love a good ocean trip.

I'm taking yet another weekend trip to a place called "West Bank" outside of Kelowna, a city closer to the Interior of BC.

More to come.