Bowling

"If I had been on 'Bowling for Dollars,' I'd wind up owing them money." - Ricki Lake


So, bowling. I am not the best at the "sport" of bowling. It seems that the more I try, the worse I get - until the next time. I start playing at near peak performances - strikes, spares - the whole works. I can remain at this stage until a certain point, usually quite early or after the first game, I just stop being good. I will consistently get less than 10 for the duration of the game/games. I have to find a way to break out of this. Also, the thing about where we play, though, is that it's five pin, whereas I usually play ten pin. Ten pin is much more fun, as if you have a direct hit you will knock down more than just one.Regardless, it is quite fun and I enjoy it.


-Derek

Sail the Ocean* Blue (*Lake)

"Adventure is worthwhile in itself."
-Amelia Earhart

The spirit of adventure has befallen me. In less than three weeks some of my classmates and I will traverse the vast lower mainland on the treacherous Trans Canada Highway to the distant Pitt Lake, where we will be going on an adventure. Yes, a real adventure. With a surface area of 53.5 kilometers squared, we will navigate the perimeter of the lake, stopping only to eat and to set up camp for the night. We will be on Voyager canoes, which I expect (because I have been on them before) to be tough, however definitely not unbearable. Luckily for us the food has been provided, so we will be able to concentrate on the activity itself. I can only hope the weather will remain clear, however based on prior camp experiences "smooth sailing" is definitely not in order. I have a habit of severely overpacking, or severely overpacking to find that all of my clothes have been soaked beyond wear-ability (yes, in grade six that happened to me). As of yet I don't know if we will be circling the entire lake (chick measures 24 kilometers at its maximum length and 4.5 kilometers at its maximum width), or if at some point we will cut across. No matter what we do, however, I know that it will be a challenging experience that I will remember for years (and maybe even decades) to come.

-Derek

Sail the Ocean Brown

Welcome back to the blog of fun!


"Be strong, O paddle!
Be brave, canoe!
The reckless waves
you must plunge into.
Reel, reel.
On your trembling keel,
But never a fear my craft will feel."


Over the past three weeks, we have ventured to treacherous Burnaby to conduct some canoeing. Luckily for us, it was sunny the entire time and the heat was nice. I was too hot the first day, ditto the second day, however by the third day I learned to wear my PE shirt and shorts. Unfortunately I forgot to wear sunscreen and utterly soaked myself with water, however the sun was amazing. We were in two person canoes, with Ryan being my partner for all three sessions. A prominent and important aspect of canoeing is what seat you sit in. I found it fun, and easier, to be in the back, whereas in the front you have a much tougher time, less legroom and limited control/power over the boat. I feel like I improved, however I am still at a stage where I can put the strokes I have learned into practice, just not when I have to do it impulsively. Additionally I know most of the strokes, just not the proper combination of them to make the boat go where it's supposed to. Over the time we had I learned how to properly draw (pull the paddle towards the boat), a pry (pushing the paddle away from the boat), and other strokes. We also learned how to semi-successfully switch seats on the water and how to ensure a perfectly un-capsized boat (always stay sitting, always paddle on different sides, etc...). There are two things I have learned about Deer lake (our canoeing venue) - 1) It's beautiful on the outside, with trees, sun and stunning landscape, and 2) It's morbid on the inside. In vivid detail our instructors described how waste from the house of all kinds (yes, all kinds). Were dumped into the lake, and how it was not possible to swim in the lake for "sanitary" reasons. Therefore getting wet or, at the worst capsizing, was definitely out of the picture.


Overall, though, I remained dry and happy, and I improved my canoeing skills to prepare for the exciting, water-filled future.


-Derek

Take a Hike

"Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb."    
-- Greg Child

Well, today we went hiking. It was a short hike, laden with ups and downs, twists and turns, but overall it was very fun. I had a full water bottle and before I made it a third of the way up the 50-minute-each-way hike I had drained the bottle. Moral of the story - bring more than one or a bigger water bottle. There were some tough parts to it, but the final outlook point was spectacular. Not too much to say, other than I enjoyed it and would do it again for OEE.

Thanks!



-Derek

Come and Gone

“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.”

The winter, along with the winter sports of OEE, is over. We have journeyed to Cypress for a couple of weeks to cross country, and then we traversed the road to Mount Seymour to do some snowshoeing. All in all, it was a great experience. I delved more into the aspects of the two sports that I enjoyed, and that I disliked. I learned what I was able, and unable, to accomplish, and I refined and redefined my skills. From a cross country skier who would simply "go for it" and occasionally lose control to one who could (somewhat) confidently remain in control, and one who was able to advance quicker, and one with a more open-minded towards the sport. In all honesty I did not learn all too much more this time. For the two sessions I was able to attend, the snow did not permit fast speed, which was easier but in a sense less exhilarating. Additionally, I was placed in the lesser advanced group on both occasions - the first time rightfully so but the second time I myself would have probably preferred the advanced group (although I wouldn't have got hot chocolate in that case!).  I did, however, have a good time advancing my skills, getting outside, getting active and all in all, enjoy myself, as I learned to glide across the snow, to "snowplow", to stop and how to ski across the rolling plains of untainted nature.

Snowshoeing was a very different OEE session than cross country skiing, to my surprise. Instead of solely advancing skills, our two snowshoeing sessions involved playing active games of capture the flag, therefore advancing our skills. We walked to an area and ran through the snow. I did end up wet and dehydrated, so in future I will wear more waterproof layers and bring water actually to the mountain. I do look forward to next year, and I am ready to strap on a pair of plastic shoes and head up to the mountain again.


I look forward to future winter activities!


-Derek

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing this year was conducted in a different format than in previous years. Instead of simply trudging around, as we have done, it was more structured, where we walked to an area and then played a game to get some exercise. Unfortunately for me, even with a toque and a hood I continually got wet, due to falling snow from trees and the sky. In future I will ensure that my hood always remains in the on position. Another thing that I have simultaneously remembered and forgotten to do is to bring a water bottle, as sometimes I forget it at school, or often it is not filled or such. Next week I will focus on the ten essentials, which I forgot to bring this week. I feel that I have not learned too much more, however I am happy that I got outside and got active (and that my team perpetually wins), and I look forward to tubing next week. Thank you!



-Derek

Uphill From Here

Cross country skiing is, well, interesting. I am a downhill skier. Always have been, always will. I often say that the best thing to add to cross country skiing is a chairlift. But still, it's fun. Whirring through the snow capped trees, honing in on skills like slowing down (a rather important skill indeed), stopping, skiing downhill, pushing uphill, skills that will come in handy for whenever I am cross country skiing again. The only area that I myself need to improve in is how I dress. I have continually ended up wet for both times, with and without a toque, with and without gloves. I always, however, wear a ski jacket, ski pants and some sort of inner layer to keep myself warm. The only other thing I would do for next time is to bring water. I am always thirsty skiing, and that would be a worthy thing to do.

Until next activity,

-Derek