Happy Solstice,

As we were eating breakfast yesterday, we heard a siren.  And then another.  And another.  One more.  Hearing this much action on Duckworth drew me to the window and I saw four police cars round the corner.  Behind the black and whites came motorcycle after motorcycle.  They were riding in staggered two abreast formation and they kept coming.  And coming.  Big cruiser bikes.  Harleys.  A few dual purpose bikes.  Bikes.  Bikes.  Bikes.  They were riding for dads.  My dad.  All dads.  Hundreds of bikers riding to raise awareness and money for prostate cancer.  I stood by the window and shed a tear as each bike passed.

My dad rides his motorcycle when he can.  He’s offered to give it to me me as I am a newly minted Class Six driver (motorcycles).  It’s a 1986 Yamaha Midnight Maxim.  My dad and I always talked about riding motorcycles across Canada when I was a teenager.  Now that I have my license it’s finally a possibility but I’m not sure his health will allow a ride of that magnitude.  But that dream still crosses my mind from time to time and it came sharply back into view as I watched bike after bike head down Duckworth to begin the ride.

Besides thinking of my dad, I was tearing up at the sight of people coming together in community to make a difference in the world.  Using an activity they loved, these bikers were both having fun and making change.  Each one of us has the power to instigate or propagate or support change in the communities that surround us.  I had the sense yesterday that when we join together with others in service that that power is magnified, or indeed more likely, multiplied.  The power of this collectively can be witnessed every day if we open to its presence.

This is why I so appreciate your presence in my support community for my climbs.  I do truly believe that we can achieve in community that which we can’t alone.  When I first started training for Denali, I didn’t tell a soul because I wanted to back out with no shame if I decided I quit.  After a month of training in solitude, I knew I wanted to have people support me in both times of joy and difficulty.  I asked a few friends to form a cyber community of support of me and began to write them weekly with the lessons I was learning along the way.  The list grew over time and continues to grow.  I usually don’t plan ahead what I’m going to write, rather sit and wait for the words to emerge.

So today I sit and muse and share about community-you-me-us and the work/play we can do to make the world a better place.  By tapping into our passions and by supporting those who we love, we find our way.  Thanks again for coming along on the journey.

I had a good training week.  My hypoxia numbers are improving and the leg continues to heal.  I learned there are two other women on my Elbrus team and that’s always a gift as I’m often the solo woman.  The countdown has begun and the lists, at this point, are getting longer rather than shorter.  I finished teaching this week and have a mountain of grading to do before heading off. 

Plans for my birthday party are shaping up.  It seems like there may be a few more folks joining me on the hill than I expected because my party made the Scope’s List for the “How to Have the Best Freaking Newfoundland Summer.” (http://bit.ly/cvIj5).  I was a bit startled (to say the least) to see it there and found it interesting to be called the local adventurer and eccentric. 

I did find this quote I liked by Dame Edith Sitwell, “I am not eccentric. It's just that I am more alive than most people. I am an unpopular electric eel set in a pond of goldfish.”  I’m heading off to Value Village to see if I can find something in sky blue for Wednesday that’s befitting of an electric eel.  ☺

We’ll be climbing Signal Hill ten times on Wednesday June 24th starting at noon and the last ascent will likely start around 4:30.  I’m being joined by the staff of my long time sponsors, Applecore Interactive, and we’ll have birthday cake on top at 5:00 pm.  Come join me for one or more ascents up the hill.  If you’re coming by car, please park at the top and walk down to join us.  If you’re willing, we’ll use your car to run down the hill before starting back up.  In lieu of cards and gifts, please consider making a donation to the Canadian Prostate Cancer Network.  Here are the directions:

Here’s how you can support Elbrus: Climbing for my Dad.  Please click on the following link: http://www.cpcn.org/honour_form.asp   Click the “In Honour” button and please fill out “Elbrus: Climbing for my Dad (Heinz Loeffler).”  For the acknowledgment card, please out your contact info.  If you’ve already donated, thank you very much.  If you followed the directions I had previously sent out, please drop me an email, as you’ll need to submit your contact info to the CPCN so that they can send you a receipt.

Solstice occurred this morning at 05:45 UTC.  On this longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, I invite you to spend a moment or two contemplating how you can bring some light into your community, a small ray of hope or a dazzling beam of possibility–we need it all!

Have a good week,

TA