What a trip.  From the humble beginnings of a single generous offer, things grew day-by-day – the nast on my face and the generosity of friends.  Folks jumped on the $5/mo’pho’ (movember photo) challenge – and, in one case $10/mo’pho’ – and we headed out for parts unknown.   Looking back through the reel there are some that make me cringe (What was I thinking with that first shot?? The photo from SeaTac is just ugly.) and some that make me smile (Of course, the SCUBA shot – smiles by request.).  But they were all fun in some way.  And I have each of you to thank for that, whether you were a donor, offering encouragement in the comments or simply lurking in the background, satisfying a bit of an odd handlebar mustache fascination.  As I recall mentioning along the way, I’ve never been compelled to be one of the Flickrati who shoots themselves, not much of a selfie guy.  But, shelving those aversions for the month, the creative process of trying to come up with something self-regarding and halfway interesting each day was a welcome, diverting challenge.  (Coincidentally and interestingly – to me – if you hit that Flickrati link up there you can nav over to a MacWorld article on how selfies can make you a better photog.) I regret coming up short to the challenge in a couple of ways: 1. I don’t think the average creativity of my shots following my return from Kaua’i, owing to spending the better part of my days in an office, sans camera (I don’t put it in my bag on my bike commute), was up to much; and 2. I didn’t get around to a couple of the specific challenges put to me … next year perhaps?  But this year, I think we can be proud.  Together we raised around $1200 for prostate cancer awareness and research, every bit of it money well spent – for the Gordons, the Jimmys, the Mr. F’s of the word.

And now, with that sense of satisfaction and the month at an end (+2), Movember’s in the rearview and my loved ones are clamoring for this ugly sucker to go.  So say goodnight and goodbye – tomorrow I’ll have a brand new face.

My deepest thanks, on behalf of my grandfather, once again.

Rumon

celebratory mo'ment

I gave a lot of thought to tonight’s post

I thought about all the particular photo requests that had come in

I thought about how I hadn’t gotten to them all

I thought about the various reasons for this … and thought about the differential value we place on the things that we do and, afterwards, thought a little about regret

(I also thought about why folks had requested CHiPs-themed shots when the boys didn’t even have mo’s…did you just want to see me feather my hair?)

I thought about how one friend’s creative challenge had grown a small community – and a bunch of mo’ney

I thought of friends – here, and departed

I thought of living each day fully

While simplifying my existence and the things I consume

I smoked a $60 cigar

I thought of the event from which that cigar was a stowaway, of the last time friends had gathered around old whisky, new fishing holes and old stories renewed

I thought of my granddad and his stories, thought of his legacy, thought of the past

I looked up at the moon through the winter branches of the arbutus growing through my deck

And thought of the future

Thank you all for contributing to that future
to better, longer lives
for men like my grandfather.

By request (it’s a damn good thing I have no pride). Original here.

mo' reflection

Continuing the theme from recent days, today was a day for some further (aka: mo’) reflection about this and that.  In particular, we had occasion today to reflect on friendship as a pair of our dear – and pregnant – friends had to rush to the hospital suddenly, calling us into service to take care of their (lovely) year-and-a-half-year-old.  Though distressed about their predicament, it was a pleasure to be able to be there for them.  Our proximity just down the road, and the ability it creates for us to be at their house to help almost immediately, informs some of the other – geography-related – considerations clanging through my skull.

Speaking of friends, this mo’pho’ is arriving late in the window due to us being hosted by another set of dear friends – gourmands both – who set the table for a number of our crew celebrating birthdays nowabouts.  That time amongst friends, surrounded by food, laughter and conversation, left little for further reflection; but you know me, I can’t help but stare out the window occasionally…

no mo'

I’ll be the first to admit there’s not a ton of creativity on offer in this 27th mo’pho’.  But there is truth.  I’m tired.  Not tired of trying to come up with fun ideas for daily mo’pho’s, not in the slightest.  Hell, I don’t even have to worry about that, what with the suggestions continuing to come in.   It’s more a question of being a little tapped and contemplative at the end of these work+ days.  Sufficiently internalized that tracking down a Fu ManHat or Police Harley for one of the suggested photos is a litte beyond my reach.  Perhaps tomorrow.  Until then I’ll be hiding in this hoody, stroking my mo’ for inspiration, doing some writing, pixel manipulation and, dog willing, sleeping.

What a month it’s been.

Fu Manchu

With big thanks to Mary Mary for lunch and photographic assistance.

Mo'ved by Music; Mo'ved to Music

A sad admission, I can’t remember the last time I picked up my guitar – or any other instrument for that matter.  Having been blessed by the kindness of friends and strangers(-cum-friends) to be privileged by the gift of wonderful, iconic Canadian music the past two nights, tonight, upon returning home from an intimate house concert with the Skydiggers, opening act for last night’s Blue Rodeo show, music is flowing through my blood like isotopic tracers, through my fingers to the strings with rather less radiance.

Gratitude tonight to Simon, Jim and Greg and Lori, Tobin, Andy and Josh.

janu'mo'

This is the closest I’ve cut it to my 6 a.m. next day deadline since commencing this mo’pho’ challenge around 20 days ago.  That fact – and the unavoidable truth of how horrific I look in these photos (ego is not congruent with this daily photo challenge) itself is owing to the reality that I’ve been living a double life these past few weeks (especially).  Something needs to change.  Perhaps I’ll start with a haircut.

25 cents per pack

Granted, this is one of the worst pho’s you’ve ever seen, mo’ or otherwise, but what am I going do with darkness, an iPhone, no strobes and harsh neon back light. Okay, enough excuses, what’s up with the garbage mo’pho’?  Well, it’s that sign over my right shoulder and the pitch it’s inspired me to throw out there.  Turns out the good folks at Vancouver Island Brewery have committed to donate 25 cents from the sale of every bottle pack sold during the month of Movember to, well, Movember.  With a week to go in the month of the mo’, here’s my proposal: For ever dollar of new donations that come in between now and the end of the month, I’ll put in 10 cents.

Mo'ping for Mo'untains

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour swung through Victoria tonight and, no surprise given I’m married to the Princess of Banff, we were there with eyes wide, mouths agape and no small part of us wishing we were closer to where the land slopes up.

(My mo’ping muse is the pride of my art collection: an original Gordon Smith pencil etching – no surprise again, the subject is the Lake O’Hara region, here with Abbott’s Pass and Ringrose Peak prominent above Lake Oesa.)