I have to say, it felt a bit weird to walk around a shopping mall this afternoon. I've spent the past three weeks enjoying nature, working with my hands, and getting away from consumer culture. It's amazing how no matter where you are in the world, a shopping mall is a shopping mall. Whether it's Chicago, IL, Lima, Peru, or Salmon Arm, BC, malls have the same selection of stores, the same drab architecture that directs your attention away from the corridors and into the shops, and the same throng of middle-class shoppers. The only thing that differentiated this mall from one in the US is that there were overtones of Canada's position as a member of the British Commonwealth. The department store I went into (Zellers) had a selection of candy that looked more like that of an English supermarket than an American one: Smarties (Nestle's version of M&Ms), Cadbury chocolate bars, Quality Street sweets (also by Nestle), and a few others. Also, the book store in the mall was called "Bookingham Palace" and there was a restaurant with a London phone booth and pictures of people fox hunting. The western half of inland Canada has actually been very interesting to me because the culture certainly does have some influences from Britain and from the American West (cowboy culture).
After I finished shopping, I considered stopping in the theater to catch a film, but I was a half an hour late for Inception, and I didn't really feel like watching The Sorcerer's Apprentice, particularly because the girl selling tickets recommended against it. So I came back to the farm instead. I did some reading, made a few phone calls home, and took a nap in my favorite spot under the cherry tree. There's nothing like dozing off in the grass in the shade of a tree with a warm breeze blowing on your face. The only sounds I could hear were bird chirping and the occasional buzz of a bumblebee. Patrick and Colleen's dog, Soleil, also decided to stop by for a nap:
After my nap, I took around the farm to take some pictures. Here's a stone circle that is quite reminiscent of a small Stonehenge:
Too bad the grass is so long there, it's hard to see it in the picture. Also, a took a few pictures of flowers:
I have to say, I certainly am going to miss the farm when I leave on Saturday. This is such a special place, and I've really enjoyed being a part of it. I've been trying to pinpoint what it is that I am getting here that sometimes might be missing from my life at home. I think it's balance. Everyone here seems to lead such balanced, rich lives. When people here have time off from brewing or farming, they spend it doing fulfilling things--painting murals, making felt, picking cherries, tending to the garden, baking bread, canning jam, making paper or candles. People here also go running in the morning, do yoga, spend their weekends hiking or camping, and more. I'll also miss mealtime--cooking for everyone when its my turn, eating food picked from the farm every night, and unwinding together after a long day of work. But I've still got a few more days here, and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone from home--it feels like ages since I last saw my friends and family.
It looks like I might be doing some leisurely hiking tomorrow, so I'll tell you all about it if that pans out.
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