The most memorable was on Vancouver Island. We climbed to the top of a mountain that had contained a beautiful topaz coloured lake within it. Hidden from everyone except the skies. It started off as a mild hike through the mountain forests. It was really relaxing. Hours later when we began getting closer to the top, the weather changed from mild to freezing. We were literally hiking through snow that was waist deep with backpacks on that weighed forty pounds. This was extremely tiring as each step was an effort. We tried to go around the snow by hiking on a river bank. This was by no means simpler as the river was rushing by us as we hung on to trees while the backpacks kept shifting our weight backwards towards the river. To add to all this it started to rain. The rain was freezing cold. We arrived at the top just before nightfall. Our first priority was to get a fire going so that we could warm up. The rain had made this a difficult task as all the trees were now wet.

A campfire was started after a good hour of hunting for some wood to burn. We had a good meal and warmed up. We camped beside a small river so we could have water in the morning. I woke up literally frozen. To my surprise the river had frozen overnight just like me. My morning coffee was going to have to wait. Although we were prepared for all the conditions as expected, it did not make it any more comfortable. At the same time, what a gift of an experience. Many more followed.

Vancouver Island has some of the best hiking and nature trails. From Elk Falls Provincial Park to Strathcona Provincial Park and everything in between. You will not be disappointed if nature is what you are looking for.

Addictions Consultant Is Something That I Have Conducted For Over Ten Years And Is The Most Rewarding. Living Close To And Working In Skid Row In Vancouver, B.C. For A Lengthy Period Of Time Really Developed The Opportunity To Help Many People In The Community.

I have been doing this for the better of ten years. I do not do any public work.

We as humans have withdrawals almost every moment. From comfort, attachments, habitual, behavioural, substance or from all of them at once. There is no one that is free from this. I will not say that happiness is an addiction, but most certainly, there is a withdrawal from it that starts with our birth. So much that it motivates a never ending search for happiness that may lead us in a direction that we really did not intend to enter, and may now be stuck with it in the form of an addicted cycle.

The body loves to adapt, conform, absorb, adjust, attach itself and anything else possible. The more we use a substance, object or activity, the more we need to maintain any of these activities. What a trap. In my opinion, if we feed the body anything for roughly three days and more, it attaches itself to that object (let’s call it). This can be from air to water and everything in between. From that point on, there would have to be a separation process. The removal of said substance, object or activity. The sensation this creates is quite uncomfortable. There’s our problem. The constant search for comfort and happiness has us avoid this discomfort even at the cost of remaining uncomfortable. We create quite the predicament. Here we have the illusion of happiness within the self created illusion defined as happiness which is really unhappiness. We suffer and inevitably reach an end for tolerance.

One thing is for certain, change is only possible from us when we want to change. All we can do is give direction. If we have a need to push this forcefully, we end up with the addicted telling us what we should be addicted to. We all have addictions. No one here should bear the title of the human example, as no such one exists. Before we start with anything, we should always start by looking in the mirror.

Unfortunately, sometimes we make the choice of dancing with a substance with amazing addictive properties. These kinds of addictions will be accompanied by physical and emotional withdrawals, which can create a discomfort that is extremely difficult to go through, although it is absolutely possible to get out of it. We can withdrawal from anything.

Addiction withdrawals can actually become bearable from relationships, love, food, substance abuse or whatever. Acknowledging our feelings at every level without trying to avoid them is necessary, as any feeling can trigger a return to the addictive substance or behaviour. Accepting all feelings as they arise requires a lot of discipline and understanding. Usually we are extremely angry that we have to deal with these addictions. No one likes being addicted to anything. For some of us, these cycles can last for years or even a lifetime.

Spiritual Adviser Happened For The Most Part By Investigating And Observing Myself As A Human Being And Its Purpose. This Fell In Line With Addiction Consulting Seamlessly.

I have actively studied spirituality for over twenty five years. I do not do any public work.

Most of my work has been done with recovering addicts. When we are in this position, we are usually spiritually exhausted and are seeking out help in this area. During our recovery, this exhaustion has opened us up to consider a different direction in our lives. One of these directions is that there is a higher power to consider and to become aware of. This is common. The sad thing is, usually we have to reach extreme difficulty to consider spirituality. I have noticed this when we do not have substance abuse problems as well. Is it when we have no more shields left that spirituality enters our lives? I think this is a valid conclusion. As I myself have witnessed this happening. It is as if our cells are encoded and programmed to turn to spirituality when we are in despair. So, when we are in despair our instinct that we are in touch with a spiritual power becomes noticeable. So much so, that we start to communicate to our spiritual side in whatever way we know how. Now it should be said, that it is not necessary to reach a moment of despair to be aware of, and use our spiritual instinct. It is quite natural and always there. In fact, it is not possible to remove it. It is just possible to forget it. Lets call this an unbalanced existence.

We are what we are and where we are. Why is this so difficult? Why do we try to put a cover on that? Why do we need to impress people we may never see again in our life? Why are we embarrassed with so many things about ourselves? There are many more questions. We drive down this road everyday. When we take a close look at the life we are living out, we would see we are all in the same position. We are all here in the same place. Without this visible, we suffer, we deceive, we punish, we control, and we want. We also have great moments. Those are moments and most likely they are temporary. Nothing will last, nothing can be maintained indefinitely. Everything will have the inevitable break down, unless we live our natural life. We should have the need to become what we are and live as we are.

I think the word spiritual has been over worked. Its meaning may have become distorted through all kinds of circumstances and possibly through an experience that we may have believed is about spirituality. The result can be that we reject spirituality as something that we practice. Nonetheless, our spirituality continues. We are spiritual beings. Love is another word that seems to be used for everything today. I think its true essence has been lost. I love my table. I love my door. It refers to nothing today. I find it interesting that we like to express ourselves with these words, yet, keep that essence at a distance.

It is not about changing the world or anybody in it. The world is perfect just the way it is, and so is everybody else. The earth has looked after itself for billions of years and will continue to look after itself for billions more. This does not mean that we do not respect and appreciate earth or others. We are the ones that will not be here for billions of years. It starts with our own growth within this paradox. We are exactly where we need to be. Becoming satisfied is a great beginning.

I discuss spirituality in more detail at the GRACEdox website.

Amateur Archaeologist Is When I Discovered And Excavated A Mayan Cave Home. This Was The Greatest History Experience That I Coordinated.

I had to add this time in my life. I was the lead of an archaeological dig. It was quite exciting. We had all the supplies from a pulley system for removing dirt to sifting through all the dirt. I was assisted by a professional archaeologist and an expert architect who specializes in restoring historic ruins to ensure no damage was done. They both worked at Tikal National Park in Peten Guatemala that contains massive Mayan pyramids and I was grateful for their valuable assistance.

It started as a hole the size of a baseball after a heavy rain and ended as a cave two months later. When we were finished, the archaeologist gave it a date of approximately two thousand years old. It appeared to be a cave home with dividers for separating the rooms. This was the best history course I ever took.

BECAME A TOURIST ATTRACTION

After I installed an electric lighting system. The cave became an attraction on the reserve. Many tourist entered the cave to relax or read. Some slept in it as an experience of sleeping in a 2000 year old bed.

Herpetologist Is When I Lived Hands On With Venomous Snakes For Several Years. The Most Dangerous Activity I Have Ever Been Involved With. One Really Learns About Safety Here As There Can Be Very Little Room For Accidents.

The thought that kept me focused when working with any venomous snake was that if I make a mistake, it could be a fatal mistake. I always used spotters when I was doing any work on the tanks that contained the snakes. Even when all safety precautions were taken for removing the snakes for maintenance, the snakes can make an aggressive, unpredictable or most certainly a very sudden movement. I say unpredictable because we can remove the snakes nine times and they don’t seem to mind. The tenth time they decide to do something different.

The most memorable and today humorous time was when I was capturing a Coral snake. The Coral snake has a venom that is a neurotoxin and is known to be one of the most potent venoms of all snakes in the rain forest. I would always rotate the snakes in the snake house, capture one, release the other, and it was time to release the Coral snake I had.

As I was preparing the tank for the new Coral snake, I put the Coral snake into our temporary, portable holding tank. Being that the Coral snake is not that big, the snake managed to escape from the holding tank through an air vent. Well, the Coral snake decided to hide in my shoe. He slipped in between my foot and the shoe and parked his head there. I said to myself, “Well, this is not good”. After not moving for a couple of minutes to gather my thoughts and review my experience with this snake, I managed to remove the Coral snake. I put him into a new home that was going to be his for the next month or so. He feasted on a nice snake that afternoon. When working with anything alive that is wild, we have to be prepared for anything. Specifically small slippery snakes.

I have seen people get bit by a venomous snake and it is most certainly not a laughing matter. A friend of mine was just scratched on his thumb by the fang of a Neotropical rattlesnake. He was in the hospital for a week with an arm swollen to a size that I just could not believe.

Although it was a time in my life that I really enjoyed, and if I ever find a venomous snake in my home I would know where to begin, I am happy to say humorously that I am retired as an amateur herpetologist.

I have dedicated a page to this under Venomous Snakes.