"It looks like the apocalypse," my daughter mutters as we stroll the beach at #BearCreekCampground in #Kelowna. I nod. She's got that right. It's August, and our view of #OkanaganLake is non-existent. No matter where we go, Kelowna is surrounded by fires. The province of BC is wrapped in a blanket of heavy smoke. The sun—when we see it—is a brilliant ball of red among shifting clouds of beige. The acrid scent of burning forests fill our nose. Welcome to the sunny Okanagan. It

August 8th—Sirius, the Dog Star rises. On this day in ancient Rome, citizens were flinging their hands in the air and yelling, “The sky is falling.” No, wait, that was Chicken Little, or Henny Penny—it depends on which folktale you're reading. Do you need a Henny Penny refresher? An acorn bounces off her head, and the clever hen sets off to warn the king that the sky is in imminent danger of crashing down on their heads. Clearly, I've read Henny Penny one too many times this

“Batter up!” “Watch for the steal!” The pitcher winds up, the ball leaves her glove, and just like in physics, for every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction. The softball flies for the bat and the toddler beside me bolts for the field. Her pony tail of curls bounces behind her like a crazed unicorn’s tail. A few years ago, watching a provincial softball tournament meant total focus on the game, angst over a dropped ball, or eye rolls at an umpire’s bad call. This to