A friend of mine is shopping for sperm right now. She invited me and L, her two oldest friends, to help vet the candidates. So we logged onto the sperm bank under her name, and began wading through donor profiles. Once she’d winnowed the selection down to two guys, she suddenly stalled out, as … Continue reading May you find happiness under the tree

Even before John Tschopp, our birding correspondent, had finished crunching the numbers of the 2015 Pemberton Christmas Bird Count, things were looking good... A local feeder watcher at Erickson Rd, Annette, has been looking at a rare Sparrow for two weeks. John verified the sighting with his camera, proving the visitor to be a The … Continue reading Almost 3000 birds came to celebrate Christmas in Pemberton, including a never-before-sighted Harris’ sparrow

This country, we inhabit, was peopled by survivors of the great Flood. This mountain, Gunsight Peak, or In-SHUCK-ch ("split like a crutch") was the people's Ararat. In-SHUCK-ch have just posted this gorgeous animated video of the tale, which will resonate on some deep level, at least, if you ever attended Sunday School, or remember tales … Continue reading n-SHUCK-ch Nation Flood story as told by Laura Purcell, Lukcha7, Samahquam Elder

And so, last night, passed the shortest night of the year. Today, it is officially winter. And each day, from here on, the sunlight stretches a little longer. Happy solstice. Thanks to Tanya Richman and Paul Cumin for the photos below, which were captured a week ago... but seemed timeless enough to stand in for … Continue reading Happy Solstice. Bring on the light.

Ever wondered what to say when someone is having a shit day... or a so far beyond a shitty day that you're stuck for words entirely? Brené Brown, the shame and vulnerability researcher and TED talk celebrity, has a few suggestions about what NOT to say...  Take the three minutes to watch this video, brilliantly … Continue reading I don’t want your sympathy. Your empathy, however, is most welcome. Confused? Brene Brown explains in under 3 minutes.

Mamaya7 Lois Joseph presented with her Distinguished Service Award, with Kirstin Clausen, Chair of the BCMA Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2015 Selection Committment. Photo courtesy of BC Museums Association. Last month, Lil'wat Nation's Lois Joseph won a Distinguished Service Award from the BC Museums Association - an award given to people who have made a … Continue reading Photo of the Week puts the spotlight, deservedly, on Mamaya7 Lois Joseph

Is hibernation just for the bears? For a lot of folk in this region, winter is not a time for hibernation, but a different kind of re-generation entirely. It's a time for energetic output, for a near-frenzy of activity, the rush and swoop of moving up and down mountains, with gravity, our own kind of … Continue reading Winter: a season for hibernation?