People keep asking me when I’m leaving and I keep saying I don’t know. “So you’re still here”, someone said the other day.

I’ve been helping to build a house out of wood, wood from trees cut down to clear space for the house, though I’ve been living in a small cabin (shack) next to this. I’m getting to be pretty good at hammering nails.

Last week I spent a day alone in the cabin, though rather than meditating on the peace and beauty of nature surrounding me I started thinking about doughnuts, coffee, beer, cigarettes, all kinds of junk/goodies* that I’d like to put into my body. I was wishing there was a Tim Hortons (coffee and doughnuts place) just down the road, and an all night gas station, with a seedy late night bar next door. Such thoughts are against the law here, and expressing them could have grave consequences (so hopefully no one on the island reads this blog) but my body needs bad things or else it gets sick from being too healthy.

* delete according to your Lasquetiness

This morning I have the day off from building and have come into town for a shower (the first in a week) and to use the internet (which I’m doing right now). It’s a very clear day. From the port I could see across to the snow-capped mountains on Vancouver Island. I bought a coffee and a packet of cigarettes and smoked the first one I’ve had since last Wednesday. It was a Canadian Light (“blending the finest Canadian tobacco”). Smoking a cigarette, drinking coffee and looking at mountains is a good way to start a day.