Roadspill

After the monsoon this past weekend, I've been itching to get back into the woods and hike to the look-off.

The day was flying by today, so around 6pm I threw on the shoes and off I went.

What a difference! First, it wasn't oppressively hot - it was cool and damp. But what struck me was the smell of the forest. It was amazing.

And then the greenness. It was like a someone injected all the plants with some Leprechaun steroid. I don't think I've ever seen so many shades of green. And just from some rain.

There were only a few other hikers on the trail. Many of them had seen bears and cubs, but I didn't notice any. All I know, is I don't want to come across any cubs!

The view was spectacular. The TV ads call BC "the best place on earth," and I would have to agree. It still blows me away - even after seven years.

The KatKam, which faces west from Vanier Park (just west of Downtown) has undergone an upgrade. The images are absolutely stunning - have a look!

If you read my posting about Americans watching CBC coverage of the Olympics, I have some more on the subject.

Globe and Mail TV critic John Doyle takes the opposite view to mine. I'd think him an idiot if not for the fact that he's Irish and he is usually bang on.

In fact, he wrote about the endless repetition of inane Canadian commercials during the Olympic broadcasts. One, for Tim Hortons, shows a young backpacker galavanting around Europe, a Timmy Ho's mug swinging from his pack. "I met so many Canadians..." he writes in a letter to mom and dad.

Here's Doyle's take (click on his words for the full article):

"Here's the message: Meet some foreign people! I mean, the geek's going around Europe getting excited about meeting Canadians who recognize his coffee cup. How dorky is that? Enough with the coffee mug. Go have an espresso and chat up some Italian girls."

Exactly!

Slainte!