Colin James and Craig Northey at the Sagebrush Theatre in Kamloops

1st annual CFBX Brews and Blues Festival featuring Neil James Harnett and the Broke Down Angels

Jack de Keyser at 1st annual CFBX Brews and Blues Festival

walkin' the zombies

weird science

roots and blues drummer

inspiration from the palette of a painter

kaleidoscope

Midnight Mood

birth of a clap

This was - hands down, the best thing I shot today.
Japanese school teachers attending a citizenship ceremony for new Canadians. Their faces were secondary to what caught my eye.
Their actions were so controlled,
so polite
and so very minimal.

Later -- EAG

...into the light

Autumn has finally...

arrived.

membership has its rewards

RCMP Const. Ann McGrath from Central Interior Traffic Services stands out among the male officers lining up to receive medals of recognition during the "E" Division South East District Awards Presentation Ceremony in Kamloops. Const. McGrath was honoured with the 20 Year Long Service Medal.

back to the future

I was in Vernon last week shooting A Day In the Life of Vernon for the Morning Star and I came across this photo. The town is full of murals - you can't help but notice them. The colour and history of the Okanagan city stands out larger-than-life among the walls of many city buildings. Past meets the present as this group of touring motorists of yesteryear seem to catch a glimpse of the City's future automotive stylings.

the eye in the sky

Today I took a helicopter ride for the first time.
Two choppers left Kamloops and headed north into the Jamieson Creek area - spending a half hour in the air surveying the impact of the pine beetle on trees in the North Thompson. The media tour included forestry personel, MLA Kevin Krueger and local and provincial media from the Lowermainland. I was surprised by two things.

1. Kevin Krueger knows quite a lot about the pine beetle and forestry impact issues. He's done his homework.

2. Media from the Coast really don't know squat about the pine beetle issue.

It was the Interior media who understand the scope of the issues much more.

Later -- EAG

sibling soccer watchers

Sunlit siblings Nathan Buchner, left, brother Josh and sister Courtney enjoy the warm sun on their backs while taking in the TRU men's soccer match against Capilano College on Saturday at Hillside Stadium.

TRU Wolfpack vs. Capilano College Blues soccer match

Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack midfield Dan Cecchini, right, make a sliding tackle against Capilano College Blues Geoffrey Buchanan in men's soccer action on Saturday at Hillside Stadium.

Prepare for fowl weather

I've got to get the roof built on my shed. This rain is not helping.
My co-worker Markus saw this photo on my screen and liked it.
He wants me to send him a copy.

I guess that makes him a quacker-backer. -- EAG

To everything there is a season

Who remembers the song Turn, Turn, Turn (to Everything There Is A Season)?
It is a song written by Pete Seeger who set text from the Bible to music. Although he wrote it in the 1950's, Seeger waited until 1962 to record it. Covered by many artists -like folk singer Judy Collins in 1964, the most famous version that became one of the defining records of an entire generation was the chart-topping single by Jim McGuinn's famous rock band The Byrds, released in October of 1965.

I was walking through the park the other day and as I invariably do, I stopped and slowly turned 360 degrees. It's a simple exercise that can yield wonderful results when looking for photo opportunities. The light on the leaves above me caught my eye and this photo was the wonderful result. Three frames were all I snapped. Thinking only composition and focus. Sometimes when you labour over a caught moment in the camera by constantly shooting, reshooting and rethinking the original inspiration - the result comes out flat and contrived.

I'm actually wistfully yearning for the days when a finite roll of film was my source of capturing images. Somehow we photographers held a higher reverence for the process. We were more resourceful. Film space was limited to our budget. Even the space of time between the shutter firing and picking up the slides or prints from the lab was all part of the experience of the photo. You mulled over in your mind the experience of the shoot. You talked about how good it felt. People would say, "did you get that? Oh that's gonna' be a great shot."
Now it's instantaneous. You click. You look. You're done.
Yes - it's a time-saver and, a money-saver. I just think that we digital photographers should not forget our roots. The days of doing my own developing. I actually enjoyed the smell of developer. Occassionally I have negs processed and if I'm quick to get them before they're cut I catch the fresh aroma of the developer or stop fix. MMmmmm. It takes me back.
But alas, I digress.

I saw the backlit leaves and immediately thought of how in just a few more days, their colours will change to brilliant hues of red and yellow. In due time the world around us responds to nature's call. Growing seasons reach their end. River waters diminish. Trees and shrubs shake loose the last of their fall coats.

It's beginning.

Take a read from The Living Bible - Ecclesiastes 3:1-13

A Time for Everything
1
There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
2
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.

3
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.

4
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.

5
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.

6
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.

7
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.

8
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.

9
What do people really get for all their hard work? 10I have thought about this in connection with the various kinds of work God has given people to do. 11God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. 12So I concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they can. 13And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.

Take time, make time. -- EAG

Runaway Bride

Nicole Loehr, nee Link, made for an unusual sight in Riverside park on Saturday as she dons a pair of runners and sprints along the River's Trail.
The newly-wed Kamloops woman was actually being directed by local photographer Mike Fernie - to run towards her new hubby Geoffrey Loehr, just out of the picture frame.
Loehr, who is training for an upcoming half-marathon says she missed her 14 kilometre run with her running group from Runners Sole.
She ran to her new husband instead.

"Somewhere, over the rainbow..."

The silver lining to the weekend's short torrential rains was not only suppressed wild fires and cleaner air quality - but provided this beautiful rainbow lighting the sky over Kamloops.

seeing beyond the ordinary

Back to work - but still taking time to smell the flowers.

When the light is just right - and you spot a subject, you stop and shoot it. Even a simple shot of an Echinacea cone flower can be fun to capture.

Smell ya' later. -- EAG

14th Annual Roots & Blues Festival in Salmon Arm, B.C. - August 18,19,20

Fifteen-year-old gifted blues guitar player, harmonica player and vocalist Jimmy Bowskill.

Check out more photos of the Roots & Blues Festival on my link: rootsandblues2006

Later -- EAG

Laugh - and feel good

boys of summer

Simply Irresistable.

Climbing onto the trestles of a bridge.
Then standing around in search of bravado.
And then,
one by one
they plunge into the water
below.

Watch out for those shopping carts and deadheads. -- EAG

(By the way. I'm officially on holidays as of 5 p.m. tonight. Yaaah!)

Monkey Sea, Monkey Do

If only they'd stay away from the swimmers. -- EAG

"the tail that wags the dog"

Send In the Clowns

Really. This was how my day started yesterday. I'm serious. No clowning around.
More on this topic later. -- EAG

"I'll be doggoned..."

Woof!
What is it with some people and their pooches?

I can just imagine dog owners working their pets into a frenzy with phrases like, 'let's go for a car ride, here boy... coffee-time, Starbucks.'
The poor mutt probably is doing circles around the car in anticipation of a chocolate-coated doggie biscuit with a half-cafe double mocha venti iced latte.

You can't tell me the poor bassett hound doesn't realize how silly he looks -- even if the ear muffler does have a useful purpose at dog shows.

But pink booties on a poodle. Nutty. Don't you think?

Gone are the days when the term "poop and scoop" meant you pumped out septic tanks for a living. -- EAG

Summer Reading Program

I've been noticing lately that it doesn't really matter what you're reading when you're at the beach.
As long as you have something to read.

Just a couple more days before I get my holidays. Then I can lie in the sand with a book.

Let's see. Do I check out Oprah's book club or choose one of the books my wife is reading?
The shelves of books at the cabin might offer some late night company.
Or maybe it's time to hit the magazine rack at Chapters.

I've wanted to pick up a copy of the Message and read through the scriptures in a fresh way. Hmmm... choices.

Read on. -- EAG

blow by blow

I play the saxophone.

It was my main instrument growing up.
Alto sax, then tenor and eventually I picked up the soprano saxophone. I've always really enjoyed playing. I've learned that who I am as a horn player is linked to how I am hardwired as a person.
I used to get down on myself for not being able to play like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker or Paul Desmond. But their lives were extremely different than mine. They lived life through their time, and their experiences. The hardships they went through - the life choices they made, are what made them the great players they were.
Their gifts are unique to them.
My gifts are unique to me.
I now get it.

Fine. -- EAG

sister act

Kamloops born and raised Sadie Campbell strums the twelve-string guitar as her sister Carly Campbell belts out an Eagles classic tune at the Hot Nite in the City Show and Shine on Saturday in Kamloops.

wake2wake

"Very cool," wakeskating on the South Thompson river. These kids were boarding without boots attached - just a flatboard, a rope
and lots of guts. Cool. -- EAG

reading between the signs

Stop!
It's the word no drummer likes to hear.

If my parents had pounded their feet on the floor everytime I was practicing downstairs I might not be still playing today. I was given the space and time to play. And, eventually the sound became easier on mom and dad's ears.
But, knowing when to stop playing really is essential to becoming a better drummer - or musician for that matter.

Here's what professional drummer and percussionist Carl Albrecht has to say in his article "Space, the Final Frontier" Or "Why Do Drummers Overplay?" in the Nov/Dec 2004 issue of Worship Musician.

"The importance of dynamics, colouring and leaving space in music cannot be overstated. Quite often I (Carl) hear drummers and other musicians trying to play everything they know in one song. They are so absorbed in their own thing they forget to hear music as a collective sound of everyone present."

"Play music, not just drums."

Visit his website: www.carlalbrecht.com

Stick with it. -- EAG

the smell of money

Sale possible for pulp mill


By MARKUS ERMISCH
Staff reporter
Aug 04 2006


As Weyerhaeuser considers the sale of its white-paper business, the industry giant's Kamloops pulp mill may be thrown into the fold, according to one industry analyst.

A shutdown, however, is unlikely.

"I assume that it's a mill that's probably one of the few that's a keeper," said Kevin Mason, managing director of paper and forest products with Equity Research Associates.

"From all the things that I've seen on it, it's still regarded as a fairly decent mill, although to really make it efficient, you want to do some upgrades. But it's definitely in far better shape than a lot of the other mills out there."

Selling the mill - Mason speculated it may be sold to Domtar Inc., Boise Cascade or a combination of both - would make sense for Weyerhaeuser.

If the Washington state-based company does sell its white-paper division, a few of its pulp mills will be part of the deal, said Mason, thus ensuring that the potential buyer is not left short of pulp.

But to survive, the mill needs to be upgraded to make it run more efficiently, said Mason.

Local Weyerhaeuser management, despite the uncertainty surrounding the Kamloops mill, is toying with the idea of introducing gasification technology to reduce its reliance on expensive natural gas. It has signed a tentative deal with Nexterra Energy Corp., a company that has sold the technology to Tolko Industries Ltd. for the company's mill in Heffley Creek.

The fact that Weyerhaeuser is considering this technology, however, is not necessarily an indication of what Weyco headquarters has in mind for the Kamloops mill.

"We're moving forward until we know something, and part of moving forward includes that project," said Bob Taylor, general manager for Weyerhaeuser's B.C. operations.

"We think it's a good project that makes sense for the mill."

Taylor said he does not know when head office will decide the fate of the Kamloops mill.

One of the first people to hear the news of any change will be Rene Pellerin, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, Local 10B.

The union represents about 370 workers at the Mission Flats site.

"We've been hoping for an announcement for a long time," he said.

"It would be easier on all of us if we knew where we sat.

"But again - it's a waiting game, and we've been in this waiting game for a while."

Meanwhile, Canada's position as the world's largest producer of pulp continues to slip as the country is being overtaken by Brazil.

As a result, the entire pulp industry is undergoing a dramatic change.

The Weyerhaeuser mill closure in Prince Albert, Sask., is but one example.

However, mills in British Columbia's Interior are, for the most part, not likely to suffer a similar fate.

According to Mason, they are low-cost pulp producers compared to mills in central and eastern Canada.

Fibre costs in B.C., said Mason, are about half of what mills in eastern Canada pay, while energy is cheaper on the West Coast.


© Copyright 2006 Kamloops This Week
v

Me and hockey legend Bobby Orr

I met my hockey idol today. When I was a kid my hockey hero was Bobby Orr. When neighbourhood outdoor hockey teams were picked I was always No. 4 - Bobby Orr. I got the Boston Bruins team coloured socks, I even received a copy of the book "Orr On Ice". He was my favourite NHL player of all time.
I don't follow hockey much now -- but when I was a child it was pretty big.
Although I've met countlesss national political leaders, even the odd actor - I've never had the desire to ask to be photographed together. But, Bobby Orr.
I just couldn't pass up the opportunity.

Keep your stick on the ice. -- EAG

giving thanks