Book Review: "For Joshua" by Richard Wagamese

Last month I reviewed Buried Secrets in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series by Mike Martin. Windflower is Cree and is inspired by the works of Richard Wagamese. That inspired me to read his books.

First I read Indian Horse about the devastating repercussions residential school attendance. 

Next I chose the memoir For Joshua: An Ojibwe Father Teaches His Son.

Wagamese was taken from his parents and raised by Canadian families. He didn't learn Ojibwe culture, was bullied in school and never felt he belonged. The process became known as the "Sixties Scoop" where children were forcibly placed in non-native foster or adoptive homes. Like residential schools, it was a means to force assimilation into Canadian norms and values.

In For Joshua, Wagamese tells his life story and how he struggled to learn who he was as an Ojibwe man. Life left him estranged from his son, so he used the book to pass along important teachings.

I live in the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation in Coastal British Columbia. Workshops following the Truth and Reconciliation of Canada Final Report opened my eyes to past and present impacts of residential schools. Reading books by Richard Wagamese has been helpful to increase my understanding. 

Richard Wagamese was one of Canada's most famous indigenous authors. He wrote novels, memoirs and Embers, Objibwe meditations. He passed in 2017 at 61 years of age, a life ended way too soon.

Richard Wagamese's books have a Canadian focus, but forced assimilation for indigenous peoples happens in many countries. I highly recommend his works as a way to increase your understanding and get involved. -- Margy

There's the monthly Book Review Club for teen/young adult and adult fiction over at Barrie Summy's blog.

Also shared with Your the Star at Stone Cottage Adventures.

Book Review: "Indian Horse" by Richard Wagamese

The last book I reviewed, A Perfect Storm by Mike Martin, led me to this month's book. The main character in the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series is a Cree RCMP officer. He maintains traditional practices, and reads Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations by Richard Wagamese for solace and inspiration. After reviewing books by Wagamese, I selected Indian Horse to be my first.

Indian Horse is a novel about Saul Indian Horse, an Ojibway from Northern Ontario. He was raised by his grandmother in traditional ways, but at age eight he was forced to live at an Indian residential school.

Residential schools were funded by the Department of Indian Affairs and administered by churches. Their purpose was to expunge Indigenous ways and inculcate Canadian culture. Attendance for school age children was compulsory from 1894 until an unconscionable 1996 when the last closed. 

Not only were Indigenous children ripped from their families during formative years, they were subjected to physical, emotional and sexual abuses, and too many died from harsh conditions and torture. The result is generations of First Nation peoples alienated from their culture and language, lacking education, and experiencing post-traumatic syndrome and racism.

Indian Horse takes us through this dark period through the eyes of Saul. The book opens with him telling the reader that he has been told he needs to tell the stories to understand where he is from and where he is going. As his story unfolds, we can feel his joy and sadness, his success and failure, his anguish and emergence from a blocked out horrific experience. 

Canadians are going through a reconciliation process to "redress the legacy of residential schools." In 2008, then Prime Minister Harper issued an apology on behalf of the Canadian government. That same year the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to hear testimony.  Their "Call to Action" was finally released in 2015.

A community traditional canoe carving reconciliation project.

Towns like Powell River across Canada brought Settlers (non-Indigenous Canadians) and First Nation members together to have hard conversations and to develop a better understanding of the ramifications of racial prejudice and subjugation. As a Settler in my native U.S.A. and my Canadian home I personally have a lot of work to do to reconcile my life of white privilege with systemic racism.

Indian Horse was the "People's Choice" Award of Canada Reads and First Nations Community Reads winner in 2012.  It's not an easy read, but the message is important especially now. I highly recommend Indian Horse and am looking forward to my next Richard Wagamese book.

Here's another book related to truth and reconciliation. Powell River is located on traditional land of the Tla'amin First Nation, a Coast Salish tribe. Written As I Remember It by elder Elsie Paul tells about this same period of time from a local perspective. 

Raised by her grandparents and hidden from authorities during fall sweeps, she was forced to attend the Sechelt Residential School at age ten. He memoir includes Tla'amin Nation history from oral traditions to the present as her people move away from Indian Act control to a self-governing nation. 

 Both books are available online including Amazon. -- Margy

Wayne and Margy's 2021-22 Snowbird RV Adventure

Lazydays RV storage.

Wayne and I have left our Powell Lake float cabin home to get some winter sun and warmth in Arizona then New Mexico.

*************

 
RV travel can be a form of self-isolation. We only need to shop for groceries once a week and won't interact with others in an unsafe manner. We are vaccinated, wear masks, social distance, use sanitizer and wash our hands just like at home. For now, our Sunseeker RV is our home on wheels.

Wayne at the wheel.

Part 1 - We left Bellingham on November 14. We flew Allegiant Airlines to Mesa, Arizona. This has been our route since they discontinued the Tucson direct flight. We got our Enterprise rental car and drove to the Lazydays KOA Resort to pick up our RV waiting in storage. For 36 days we will explore and camp our way around southern Arizona. In mid-December, we'll put the RV in storage and fly to Bellingham for a Christmas winter break.

Tucson Lazydays KOA Resort

Part 2 - The second leg of our trip will start on January 23. We will fly south to pick up our RV at Lazydays then spend 33 days camping in the foothills north and east of Phoenix. For the first time in three years we will stay in Tempe near Arizona State University to attend women's softball and basketball games. We are very excited about that! In late February, the RV will go back into storage once more so we can fly to Bellingham for a second break.  

Part 3 - The last segment of our adventure will begin on March 27. After a short stay at Lazydays we will spend a total of 35 days in southern Arizona, loop through southern New Mexico and back down through central Arizona. New Mexico is new for us, so that will be an adventure in itself. In late April, we will put our RV into storage one last time at Lazydays then fly to Bellingham for a summer in the cooler north. Our Sunseeker will spend the long hot summer for a third time waiting for our return in November 2022.

We hope you will follow along as our adventure unfolds. You can read all about it over at my Margy Meanders blog. -- Wayne and Margy

"Buried Secrets" by Mike Martin

This month's review is about Mike Martin's eleventh book in the Sgt. Windflower mystery series. Buried Secrets continues the story of Newfoundland RCMP Sgt. Winston Windflower.

Mike's mystery books are different from most police-based novels. The reader gets to know the officer as a family man in addition to his official duties. And the rural Grand Bank, Newfoundland, setting gives an additional hometown feel.

While each of Mike Martin's books can be read as a stand-alone, it's helpful to read the series in order. References to previous cases and family activities have more depth if you do.

In this book, Sgt. Windflower is investigating the death of a retired minister. The case draws Windflower back to Grand Bank from a special duty assignment (Book 10) in St. John's, the capitol. Covid also plays a minor role in the story. As Winston delves into the buried secrets surrounding the minister's demise, he encounters several societal issues including drug abuse, human trafficking, embezzlement, vehicle-moose accidents, and sexual harassment within the ranks of the RCMP.

On the family side of the story, we follow along as Winston and his wife Sheila raise their two young daughters. Each night they read the girls bedtime stories. One was Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin, Jr. When I taught kindergarten, it was a favourite with my students for it's repetition and colourful pictures.

You can find Buried Secrets in print and Kindle e-book formats at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, !ndigo and Ottawa Press. If you are a Kindle Unlimited reader, it's available there as well. Speaking of Kindles, Wayne and I just received our new Paperwhites. Our old 2010 Kindles that have served us so well are losing their cellular download capability. I'm proud to stay that Buried Secrets is the first book to be read on my new device.

One last bit of news. Mike just released a post on his Facebook page about his Reading Equity Program. You can read more about it here. I applaud Mike for giving away twenty-five free books to individuals who cannot afford to purchase one of their own. As the Children's Literacy motto goes, "Reading is Fundamental." Good for you Mike. -- Margy

Visit the monthly Book Review Club for teen/young adult and adult fiction over at Barrie Summy's blog.

Also shared with Your the Star at Stone Cottage Adventures.

Composting in a Plastic Barrel Step by Step

My former wire bin composter.

Three years ago I lost the location for my simple wire compost bin. I'd used it for years to compost my garden and kitchen scraps at our float cabin home. I had to find an alternative that could be handled on the cabin deck or in my floating garden. One method I learned about is called chop and drop.

Chopped garden waste for mulch.

Chop and drop works well for garden waste. As plants are trimmed or removed, the residue is chopped into small portions and used as mulch in garden beds and plant containers. The majority of my composting needs are taken care of in this manner.

Cutting a plastic 55-gallon barrel in half.

It doesn't work as well for kitchen scraps because the smell can attract critters. I decided to compost kitchen waste in a 55-gallon plastic barrel cut in half. Barrels in my town cost about $40. Check nursery, building and farm stores, or use a large plastic bucket or trash can that isn't too deep.

Now that last year's batch of soil is ready to use, I'm starting over.

Composting in a Plastic Barrel

Step by Step

A kitchen compost container.

Cut the barrel in half. Drill drain holes in the bottom. Make two composters or use the other half as a planter.

Place four inches of soil in the bottom to start.

Use a kitchen compost container for fruit and vegetable trimmings chopped into pieces.

Layering chopped plant matter, Rot-It and soil.

When the container is full, spread the contents over the layer of soil.

Add garden trimmings if you have them.

Sprinkle with compost accelerator. I use Rot-It.

Moisten with water.

Add 1" of soil over fresh items.

A cover cut to fit and a plastic mesh cage.

Cover with a porous material and surround with a cage to keep small critters out. If you live in bear country, enclose your composter.

When it's time to add a new layer, stir the ones below first.

Continue layering waste and soil until the barrel is full.

Let your composter rest with it's porous cover on for several months while the organic matter decomposes. Periodically moisten and mix to encourage the composting process.

Compost turned into rich soil in 8 months.

Your rewards will be less kitchen and garden waste going into the garbage stream, and free rich soil coming into your garden.

Do you do compost? What process do you use? Do you have any tips to add to my post? -- Margy

If you've ever dreamed of living away from town in an off-the-grid home, or in town with a simple lifestyle, you'll enjoy reading Off the Grid: Getting Started.

Print for $9.95

Kindle for $4.99
Kobo for $4.99

Smashwords ebooks for $4.99

Or go to PowellRiverBooks.com for more ordering information.

Summer 2021 Cruising Season

Jeff from Valley Marine launches us.

Summer 2021 was similar to the 2020 cruising season. After our extended stay in the States, we arrived in Powell River in mid-July. 

Border crossing rules shortened isolation requirements, so we got our Bayliner 2452 into Powell River's North Harbour earlier for a longer cruising season.

The last 2020 trip ended in a damaged damaged sterndrive so Halcyon Days was raring to go with a new leg and propeller.

We did a sea trial then went salmon fishing. Didn't catch anything, but enjoyed our Sunday on the chuck (salt water).

For our first and last cruises we went to Campbell River on Vancouver Island. It's a favourite destination for us. We stay at the Discovery Harbour Marina next to a large shopping centre. Rather than cook onboard we eat at restaurants like Moxie's, the Riptide Pub and A&W for breakfast. When salmon are running, it's fun to watch the action at the dock's fish cleaning stations.

The Campbell River docks and large floating office.

This was the summer for favourite destinations. Our compressed season and more windy storms than usual kept us close to Powell River. We're so lucky to live next to the Strait of Georgia and its world class boating.

Our second cruise started with a stop at the Heriot Bay Inn and Marina. It's an older resort on the west side of Quadra Island. Usually the docks are full in summer and the restaurant packed. There were only a few boats and the restaurant was closed. It looked like the RV park and pub were keeping them alive. It would be sad to lose them.

Outdoor pub service and ferry watching at Heriot Bay.

On the same trip we motored over to nearby Cortes Island to stay at the Gorge Harbour Resort. Like Heriot Bay, they tap into the RV market. The resort is upscale with a market, entertainment and the Floathouse Restaurant. It's a great spot for boat watching, especially big ones.

Gorge Harbour is protected by a narrow waterway between high cliffs.

Back in the hangar for winter.

After three cruises and several fishing trips (none successful) it was time to get Halcyon Days ready for winter. We contacted Jeff at Valley Marine to come pick her up.

After Jeff winterizes her systems, she'll go back to the airport hangar where she has a runway view and can rest up for the next cruising season. 

Do you go boating? Wayne and I enjoy the fresh air, meeting people, sleeping on board, and eating in restaurants. -- Margy

Thanks for visiting part of my world this week. For more great posts from Our World Tuesday, click here.

Also visit Through My Lens by Mersad and Wordless Wednesday at imag-in-ing.

Go to Sky Watch Friday and for photos from around the world!

And Travel Tuesdays at Intelliblog, Tuesdays with a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventures, and My Corner of the World at Photographing New Zealand.

Available Online: "Up the Strait" by Wayne J. Lutz

A Great Book
for the Boating Enthusiast

Up the Strait

Coastal BC Stories

It's cruising time again. Jump in the boat and head up the Strait of Georgia with us to magnificent anchorages and exciting adventures. Drop your hook in world famous Desolation Sound, discover hidden coves and meet some of the locals. Read Up the Strait by Wayne Lutz and then join us for the cruise of a lifetime. You may never want to leave. 

Go to PowellRiverBooks.com for more information.

 Print for $12.95
Kindle for $2.99
E-book for $2.99 at Smashwords
(prices may vary in Canada)