WHAT WOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL?-Canadian Rockies

Life is a journey, and we go thru different stages. When we are younger.........say ten years and under, we can do anything. We are born before the wind, and we are artists, musicians, chefs, policemen, firemen........we can do it all. As we travel down the road of life, and dance thru the teen years, we are still invincible, we are younger than the sun, but we start doubting our talents, our abilities.

Bring on college, marriage, mortgage and kids, we lose our gypsy spirit. We feel we are inadequate, we have no talent, and we fear failure.We long for the gypsy soul, like we had in the days of old.

WHAT WOULD YOU ATTEMPT TO DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL?

Playing guitar, harmonica, picking up a paintbrush, dipping your hands into cold, mushy clay, skiing, biking....cooking an amazing meal from scratch. We all have it in us. We have the talent, the skill....and we will not fail!

A close friend, someone I respect and in many ways view as a mentor in life, reached out to me the other day. Their world is immersed deep into meditation, yoga........a gifted teacher and healer who shares their knowledge freely. This person smells the sea and lets the soul and spirit fly. They follow this blog, and frequently comment on my work, empowering me and uplifting me to reach higher.

My friend sent me a couple of sketches they had created recently. While travelling, they picked up a watercolour travel kit and decided to paint! No lessons, no guide books.......no fear of failing! I love each piece, the subject matter, the colour, the style. I also love the fact they decided to try something new.

What do you want to do but are afraid of failure? Step forward, take a deep breath, and go for it.

You cannot fail.

Robert Krysak

Chinook-Canadian Rockies

I was driving West of Calgary midday yesterday, making the journey home to Banff. The Sprinter van I was driving was dancing from side to side, like a candle in the wind. Powerful wind gusts slammed into the van repeatedly, threatening to unseat the tires and vehicle from the weatherworn asphalt. To my left, stretching as far as the eye can see to the south, a grey mass of cloud streaked across the open sky. The line of cloud continued to the north, stretching over the horizon. The cloud resembled a wave pounding onto the beach, with an invisible barrier keeping it from advancing too far over the distant peaks. I was witnessing a Chinook, or Fohn.

Chinook is claimed by popular folk history to mean "Ice-Eater". Actually, it is the name of the people in the region where the usage first derived. The reference to a wind or weather system, 'a Chinook', originally meant a warming wind from the ocean into the interior regions of the Pacific Northwest of the USA. The Chinook people lived near the ocean along the lower Columbia River.

Chinooks are most common over southern Alberta, especially in a belt from Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass through Lethbridge. On average, there are 30-35 Chinook days per year. Chinook winds can gust in excess of hurricane force 120 km/h (75 mph). Chinook winds have been known to raise winter temperature, often from -20C (-4F) to as high as 10-20C (50-68F) for a few hours or even days. A strong Chinook can melt one foot of snow (30cm) in one day. Then the temperature plummets back to its base level. Calgary, Alberta gets many chinooks-the Bow Valley in the Canadian Rockies west of the city acts as a natural wind tunnel, funnelling the chinook winds. I was caught in this tunnel, and I and the vehicle were like a steel ball rocketing within a pinball machine.

As I approached the mountains, the Chinook arch, a band of stationary stratus clouds caused by air rippling over the mountains, hovered above me. Though they look like a threatening storm cloud at times, they rarely produce rain or snow. However, many times after travelling under a Chinook arch in the foothills, I have arrived home in Banff greeted by dark skies and flurries.

Entering the mountains and rolling down the road towards Banff, the gusts of wind, while still frequent, were less powerful. Once in Banff, I parked the van in the industrial compound and began to walk home. Now physically exposed to the force of the Chinook winds, I quickly put my ball cap away and pulled my toque over my ears. I have arrived, I am home.

Robert Krysak

Where Chinooks occur most frequently.

Chester-East Coast Lifestyle

We are fortunate that we have a diverse group of friends in Nova Scotia. On a trip there this summer, we went to visit friends that live in Chester, Nova Scotia. Chester is a village on the Chester Peninsula at the end of Mahone Bay.

They have a beautiful home on the bay,  accessed by a winding road that rolls down to the sea. The location is stunning, and their home and guest house have a picture perfect view of the bay. Their home is connected to the ocean by a massive dock. Partway down the dock is a boat house. Here you can escape the hot summer sun or enjoy the frequent rains that occur in the Spring and Fall. At the end of the dock is a couple of motor boats, stand up paddle boards and other ocean toys. Our 16 year old son loves to visit here......anticipating that he will be allowed to drive the smaller motor boat solo.

After an afternoon of boating, swimming and paddle boarding, I took a moment to capture the dock in my sketch book while I relaxed in an Adirondack chair.

ESL-East Coast Lifestyle. It doesn't get much better than this.

Robert Krysak

Nomad-Canadian Rockies

I realized, the other day....... I am a Nomad. The definition of a Nomad is "A member of a group of people who move from one place to another, rather than living in one place all of the time"

Working with a heli-skiing company, my journey takes me to remote locations. Usually travelling by myself, in a variety of conditions, exposes me to the wilderness in all its forms. The other day I was travelling to the Cariboos, about 120kms West of Jasper. The drive thru the Columbia Icefields was magical, with a cobalt blue sky, and the snow covered peaks towering over the landscape. At one point I stopped, stepped out of the vehicle, spread my arms and let out a large "Whoooop" that echoed in the crisp, wintery air. I felt like an eagle flying over the landscape.

As the drive continued, the sky began to change, and grey, sultry clouds began to cling to the mountain tops. My mood changed a bit, and I became more aware of my surroundings close at hand. I now felt like a raven, slowly flapping my wings as I scanned the landscape. Heading westbound from Jasper on the Yellowhead Hwy, I was more cautious, as the road conditions were changing and the traffic increased. Arriving in Valemount after a six hour drive, I was greeted by a low brooding sky and high winds. Meeting one of the team from the lodge, we transferred goods from my Sprinter to a four by four truck and made the 20km journey up the remote mountain road to the lodge.

The next day, after a restful night at the lodge, we slowly made our way down the mountain road that was covered in new snow. At one point, we came around a corner, and our headlights splashed on to the back end of a moose. The moose was slowly trotting down the road, looking back at us to see if we were advancing. Not wanting to scare the moose, and have it injure itself by darting into the thick underbrush, we came to a halt. We then slowly crept forward until the moose found an open clearing to run into. Once in the valley, we transferred the last of the cargo in the Sprinter onto the truck. I began the journey back to Banff.

At the Park gate, south of Jasper, the attendant said travel was not recommended on the Icefields Parkway. Trusting my travel skills and the Sprinter, I proceeded down the highway. After the first 100 kms, the road overall fine, I was wondering what all the fuss was re travel conditions. Then I arrived at the Columbia Icefields. The wind picked up, with heavy blasts threatening to push the Sprinter off the road. The sky darkened, and within minutes I was in the center of a whiteout with snow falling heavily. The windshield kept icing up, and I had to stop numerous times to free the wipers of ice. I now felt like a small mouse, darting from one spot to another, avoiding being captured by the storm.

The storm continued all the way back to Banff. As I came into range of Lake Louise, my phone pinged, with messages asking "Where are you?" and "Are you OK?" Arriving back in to Banff, a bit travel worn, I headed home.

Though loving the sense of adventure, even a Nomad enjoys the familiar surrounding of home.

Robert Krysak

Tug Boat-West Coast

My brother lives on the West Coast of Canada, just south of Vancouver, B.C.. An accomplished artist in his own right, he is also a talented photographer. Every once in a while he sends me his "Catch of the Day", a photo he has captured of the West Coast. Sometimes it's flowers that are blooming in the Spring, other times it is an image near the shoreline.

The other day, the "Catch of the Day" was the North Arm Wave tugboat. It was plying its way down the Fraser river on its journey to the coast. Having lived on the coast a couple of times, and having visited often, it brings back fond memories seeing the tugs work their magic. Whether it be from the seat of my kayak or from the deck of a BC Ferry, the sight of a tug working the waterways is a special one.

I asked my brother if I could create a sketch of his photo, with a bit of artists interpretation added in. He gave me the nod, and the result is Tug Boat-West Coast.

I haven't been to the West Coast for a couple of years. Might be time to make the journey.

Robert Krysak

Bait House-St. Margarets Bay-Nova Scotia

When we were back in Nova Scotia this summer, we were fortunate enough to have friends offer the use of their cottage. The "Bait House" is a beautiful cottage overlooking St. Margarets Bay in Seabright, about 20 kms. north of Peggy's Cove.

Every morning we would awaken to the sound of the sea crashing onto the rocky shore below. Seagulls would be flying overhead, their harsh wailing and squawking calls echoing thru the air. As they fought over crabs and other treats on the shoreline, their wailing call would rise and fall in a crescendo of sound, not unlike the rise and fall of the ebbing tide.

The cottage has an expansive deck overlooking the bay. After I made my morning java in a French press, I would wonder on to the deck and settle in to one of the many Adirondack chairs. The activity before me was never the same each day. On calm mornings, sea kayakers would paddle by on the reflective water, their paddles dancing thru the air. There were always motor boats and sail boats moving up and down the coast. South of us is an island we christened "Stinky Bird Island", home to hundreds of Cormorants. We were fairly close to the island one day on a sailboat. All of us had to cover our noses as the cormorants use the island as their home, hatchery and outdoor toilet.

This is the second year in a row we have visited Seabright. In my heart, I know this will have to be a yearly event.  We love the people, seafood and landscape of Nova Scotia.

Robert Krysak

Boutiliers Cove-Nova Scotia

We were back East in Nova Scotia in August. One day I went on a road trip, exploring the coast line as it rambled in and out of hidden coves. I came across Boutiliers Cove, home to colourful fish boats and weathered boathouses.

There was a small fish house restaurant at the waters edge. I sat outside on the deck, sipping on a cold beer, eating garlic prawns, and doing a quick sketch of the cove. I love the simplicity of the East coast, and all it has to offer.

Robert Krysak