June 2005 0

It’s been almost a month since I last wrote, wanted to let you know what’s been happening. I’ve been gone for about 7 weeks and am heading home in 5 days (after North Country Fair). It will be good to be in one place for awhile! Here’s a super fun wanna-be-a-rockstar shot taken by the fabulous Lorne Clarke (Clarke Action Photography) in Vanderhoof, BC.

I’ve been thinking a lot about people and the places we call home. This tour has brought me into many folks’ homes and has exposed me to such beautiful diversity. The physical landscape of our home towns, cities, farms is changing at a rapid pace. While in Saskatchewan my friends talked about farming communities and when they start to die: first the grain elevator gets torn down, then the school closes and the kids are bussed to a larger centre, and when the local post office closes there’s not much left. Driving thru Northern BC I saw all the damage that the pine beetle has wrought, leaving a never-ending sea of red trees that can’t be harvested fast enough. The locals say that in 10 years the North will be barren, the forestry industry forever changed. When I hit the major cities of the south I notice housing developments that look like landfills with no greenery to speak of, traffic gone berserk, cost of housing skyrocketing, generic box stores in every corner.

And amidst all this change I keep meeting incredible people who are trying to make a difference, whether it be to bring live music to their community, or supporting small businesses by shopping local, or taking part in community garden projects. And then I am awed by the beauty of our provincial and national parks, where I can ride my bike to a pristine mountain lake or see large numbers of wildlife making their way across the highway (in one day I saw deer, elk, moose, mountain sheep) or sit and breathe in absolute silence. We are very fortunate.

Heartfelt thanks to all the folks who invited me into their homes and communities on this tour, who put on concerts, who fed me meals, who offered a bed to sleep in. And to all of you who came out to support live music!

peace out –

Cara