Posted on October 18, 2025 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

Aneita Strauss and Kyrise

It has been awhile since I posted a “Faces in the Crowd” story. When I meet someone interesting in my travels, I like to tell their story. Meet this remarkable woman from Metchosin, British Columbia.

“I’m a glass half full kind of person.”

Meet Aneita Strauss.

Aneita was born in Belgium in 1953. Her parents met after the war. The family emigrated to Canada, and her father gained employment as a steam engineer at the mill in Port Alberni. This was Aneita’s first but not last encounter with forests. Her parents divorced and at the age of 13, Aneita was sent to a boarding school in Victoria. The facility was run by Roman Catholic nuns. The nuns were very strict, but Aneita learned how to become a functioning citizen under their tutelage and guidance.

For the longest time, Aneita was somewhat maligned in school until it was determined that she was dyslexic and had poor vision.

By her own admission, she was a tomboy. She played rough and fell out of trees. But her father’s DNA was deeply ingrained as she had mechanical aptitude. She could take an appliance apart and put it back together again.

She was a lifeguard at a summer camp run by the Anglican Church. She met a young man there and she got married at the age of 18. The marriage was short lived as her husband had issues. Aneita was also experiencing some mental health challenges.

She travelled across Canada in a VW “bug” with stops for brief stints of employment in Ontario and Nova Scotia. She enrolled at the University of Victoria (UVIC) and graduated with a degree in Environmental Psychology. Thanks to summer employment as a timber cruiser and scholarships, she graduated with virtually no debt.

For many years, she travelled abroad to far flung places like Germany, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, England, and the Middle East. She honed her skills as a computer programmer. While in Tel Aviv she learned Hebrew. She taught computer science in England and many years later, she became the Director of Enterprise Systems at Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C. She also worked as an IT consultant working with municipalities, government agencies, and B.C. Crown Corporations among other businesses.

Aneita retired in 2020.

In 1999, Aneita purchased 10.5 acres of land in Metchosin, a small, rural community outside Victoria, B.C. She built a home in the wilderness, a place where she finds solace. She was never totally comfortable in crowds. She is self-sufficient and spends hours every day hiking around the old growth forests, with her ever present four-legged friend, Kyrise. In her travels, she has encountered bears, cougars and on one occasion, a pack of wolves. One of her more memorable experiences was being treed by a bull!

Over the years and the miles, Aneita has spent much of her time in the wilderness, in perfect harmony with nature. “I’ve never been bored and I have no regrets. I believe in lifelong learning.”

What better place to do this than in the arms of giant Douglas fir trees.

 

 

 

Posted on October 8, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with one comment

The cover of my autobiography

Pete MacDonald photo

 

“I’m back in the saddle (classroom) again,

Out where a friend is a friend.”

Back in the Saddle Again – Gene Autry

I will launch into the present shortly… but just a few footnotes from the past.

I have decided to call the past month spent in Metchosin, B.C. as “My West Coast Camino”. No, I didn’t walk across British Columbia as I have done twice in Spain but as part of my “holistic” therapy, I did manage to walk more than 300 kilometers. I reckoned that spending 2.5 hours nearly every day, walking through old growth forests, was good for the body and soul.

Those of you who have been courageous enough to read about my exploits in B.C. during the month of September might remember the incident with the outdoor shower when I managed to lock myself inside the shower. On my second to last day, I decided to have one more of these exquisite cleansings. The latch on the shower door had been fixed so I had no fear of incarcerating myself again. The shower is surrounded by gravel on the outside to facilitate drainage. There is one flat stone lying at the entrance to the shower. Rather than take off my shoes and have to walk on gravel, I decided to step into the shower, fully shod, and then place the Sketchers on the flat stone.

In the shade of a giant arbutus tree, I luxuriated as hot water rained down on me. I toweled myself off and opened the shower door. Sure enough, my Sketchers were awaiting my arrival but sadly, they were filled with water. I thought that the water would go through the openings in the floor slats, but water runs downhill, I discovered.

One other unique experience. I will spare all the unnecessary details, but I had my final treatment outdoors. Carly moved her massage table outdoors onto a concrete slab. Eagles and hawks soared overhead, the sun shone brightly and to the sound of two dozen clucking hens, I had my last session. Hard to believe that you can tan while getting a massage.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

For some unknown reason, Porter decided to put me in first class for both of my flights home. I’m a small-town guy and first class is not in my lexicon. I did not ask why but for the first time in my life, I wasn’t herded like cattle during boarding. I was first on and first off on both flights. Those of you who fly Porter regularly know that they only have two seats on either side of the aisle. There was enough leg room for a 7-foot basketball player, and I didn’t have anyone in the seat beside me. When they passed me the dinner menu and a glass, yes, a real glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, I thought I was in heaven.

I have decided that if I ever win the lottery, I will always fly first class in the future. I guess I had better buy a ticket! And, from this point on, I will be a Porter regular.

By the time this story has been published, I hope to have had a few days of substitute teaching under my belt. I really miss the stimulation of being around young people.

My arm is feeling much better, and my orthopedic surgeon is very pleased with my progress.

My autobiography is in the final editing stages, and all the other pieces are falling into place. My son, Peter, took the photos which will appear on the front and back covers of the book. I’m hoping to publish in late November and am planning a launch at the Heritage Museum sometime in December.

Have a great weekend.

Posted on October 1, 2025 under Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom with no comments yet

The one that didn’t get away

With aplogies to my loyal readers. I’m getting readjusted to the Atlantic time zone and was too lazy to write something tastier than this 12 pound chinook. I’ll be back next week with something meatier… or fishier!

 

GONE FISHIN’

 

If you want a great start to your day,

And if it’s peace you’re wishin’

Grab a boat, get on the bay,

It’s time to do some fishin’.

 

The morning sun is cresting,

The seagulls are all a squawking,

It’s pure heaven, I’m not jesting,

There’s no need for talking.

 

We leave the marina, the motor puttering,

The sea is calm and inviting,

The prospect of fish keeps our hearts fluttering,

A big chinook on the line is exciting.

 

We pick up speed, we’re in waters deep,

We drop our lines along with downriggers,

There’s only so many fish we can keep,

The small ones returned, we want the biggers.

 

The fishing line dips and dances,

Waiting for a tug,

Fishing is a game of chances,

Once you get the bug.

 

The tip of the rod is bending,

A big one is on the line,

I take the wheel, a hand I’m lending,

A fat 12 pounder, life is fine.

 

Some days the fish are smarter,

They’re not too keen to take the bait,

Today is a non-starter,

We simply sit and wait.

 

Sitting quietly ain’t so bad,

Even when the fish aren’t biting,

Time spent with son and dad,

Is a poem well worth writing.