Planting a palm tree
When I moved from Montreal to Winnipeg my Dad said that the corner of Portage and Main is the coldest spot in the British Empire. Britain is no longer an Empire but the cold part is still true.
I was diagnosed with MS while I was living in Winnipeg which has some of the highest rates of MS in Canada. Temperatures in Winnipeg can be extreme. It can range from minus 30 degrees Celsius in winter to plus 30 degrees Celsius in summer. I can remember one winter when it was below minus 30 degrees for almost 30 straight days. This truly is the The Great White North, Bob and Doug Mackenzie territory where a two-four* is the preferred quantity of Canadian excellence.
Those weather extremes can cause havoc on any body but especially a person living with MS. Not to mention the accessibility issues during the winter months. I’m not wheelchair bound, but if I was; it is practically impossible to get around in the winter months. When I lived there, there was little to no snow removal on sidewalks. But walking is also very difficult if not impossible for me on anything even close to slippery. I can’t even stand still on anything that is the least bit slick. Winnipeg does have harsh weather but it’s one of the friendliest places I’ve ever lived. I made lifelong friends there.
Victoria is the place I thought could not exist in Canada. It’s never been on my radar as I have lived in mostly cold or snowy parts of the country. And that is how I thought winter months were like in this entire country. But I was way wrong eh.
Who’d a thought there was such a place where it rarely snows or goes below freezing in Canada. Where yoga mats are more common than skates, bicycles are a viable and popular mode of transportation, and palm tress are an abundant and welcomed sight.
For me it’s an awesome place to live and the west coast vibe lends itself to a much younger me. A much calmer and laid back attitude with a healthy lifestyle, fresh seafood, abundant vegetarian and vegan options, and a lean towards the more esoteric theories that all assist in my MS journey.
I know we all can’t just take off and go live wherever we want but timing and circumstances aliened.
The palm tree that is pictured above represents a new beginning and all those good things that have happened since. And it was originally planted by me in my front yard when we moved into our Victoria home. It was only 18” tall when first planted and grew well in a south facing orientation. A few years back I transplanted it to a wine barrel that was cut in half. It grew in the wine barrel for several years until it outgrew its home. The tree is now about five feet tall and including the barrel and soil weighs about 150lbs.
That weight is way to heavy for me to transplant. So what I did not mention is after I moved here, three of our kids and our granddaughter moved out here to join us on the west coast which is so awesome.
So my kids and son in-law came over and transplanted it for me. See the symbolism here…..yeaaa me either – ha.
Actually how I view this is at this time of year, during a pandemic, and that no one was here for Christmas. That palm tree will be much stronger and grow much bigger where it has been transplanted. It will not be confined by its surroundings.
Over the winter it will get plenty of water and rest and will be ready to grow bigger and much stronger when spring arrives.
It’s kinda like this Christmas; ya I know it’s a stretch but it was very quiet this holiday season but like the palm tree; we are more or less hibernating and will be better off on the other side so to speak.
MS is a part of my life but it does not run it. Moving to Victoria was a decision that took less than twenty minutes while sitting on a bench in Victoria harbour. Being on that bench and being in Victoria was never planned. It was an on the spot decision that never would have happened but for having an extra couple of days left on a west coast search for a place to eventually retire. Victoria was never part of our itinerary.
But cosmic forces were at play that day as the wind was blowing into the harbour and into my face. The Coho ferry, arriving from Port Angeles, Washington, USA, was slowly manoeuvring its way into its berth, kayakers were busy avoiding the float plane lanes, lots of people everywhere and some walking past me we’re speaking I think Swiss (we are a tourist town). To my right I could hear a float plane and I turned and it looked like it was going to land on the street behind me (Wharf St.). As the plane got closer to me and to the ground, it turned 90 degrees right over my head and landed directly in front of me in the harbour. At that exact moment I turned to my wife and said this has got to be it.
You never know what is going to happen. Life has a way of moving you along to the next challenge, discovery, love.
MS is not an end…..
Be safe.
- Bob & Doug Mackenzie were a Canadian comedy act that depict a certain age group of Canadians – “hosers”. And a two-four is a case of 24 beers which in my youth was the preferred purchase.