Wednesday, July 9, 1986

I was about three-quarters up a 2,800-foot climb near
Mount Baker a couple of weeks ago when my body screamed
stop and I did.

Sweat streamed from every pore. The high-noon sun which
found my flesh was only partially filtered out by the tops of
tall firs high above the narrow trail which wound at a 45-
degree angle toward what was proving to be an elusive pass
inappropriately called ‘‘Welcome.’’

There was no need to carry a tinkling bell to warn bears and

_ Other hungry beasts that I was on my way up. The whistling
- wheeze pumped through my mouth by a pair of overworked -
bellows was sufficient to both alert listeners that a stranger

was afoot and arose all hibernators within miles.

1 slumped onto a nearby log, closed by eyes, bent my head
and listed to perspiration puddle in the dust.

The hike was a solo effort — first crack at whipping the old
bod into shape; a time to prove to all who would listen that
Time had not dealt unkindly with this frame and its contents.

My eyes opened and a. bare belly smiled up at me.

Then it frowned; smiled again; frowned again; smiled.
Each air intake produced a smile: Exhaling brought frowns to.
the creases captured i in layers and layers of skin.

Where did it come from? Why hadn’t | seen all that epider-
mis before? I looked around. It wasn’t just my tummy that
sported loose skin. :

Pouches hung from my arms. When | straightened up my
‘legs, my knees puckered. If 1 turned the kneecaps inward, it
looked asthough they were about to kiss.

] whipped a small mirror from my pack. It, the mirror, is
carried just in case pilots of low-flying, patrol planes need to
be signaled as they search the mountains when I fail to exit the
bush.

Yikes. Under the beard have grown two or three extra
chins. Are these in reserve in case the present one packs it in,

or have used ones been slipping down but not off?
This called for some research and I dug out a medical text
carried for just such emergenices.

THE REVIEW

“‘An. old: man’s skin wrinkles automatically as nearby
molecules bind to one another making stiffer, less elastic skin.
Meanwhile, the skin thins and spreads out, much like a piece
of dough that’s been stretched.

‘The result is a baggy suit, with the skin too large for the
body. This is especially troublesome in places like the jaw,
where the bone is shrinking and the skin is expanding.’”’

l envisioned an excess of arm skin flopping over my wrists —
and fingers like a sweater built for a taller dude; skin from.my
calves hanging past ankles and dragging on the ground; bags
under my eyes as big as donuts.

Nota pretty sight.

The book went on. Gravity had pounded my back bones
closer together and‘] was shrinking. At my age of 50, eyesight
would. get no better; nail growth was slower; not only were
there fewer hairs on top, but their average thickness had
lessened by,two microns during the last 10 years.

Reflexes, teeth, tastebuds, ears, bones, brawn, lungs, — all
failing. Although my brain had shrunk.as billions of neurons
died each year, my head had actually gained two hat sizes
because, as others are quick to point out, the skills had slowly
thickened.

I packed up the bag and continued up the trail, my mind
now off the climb and on an aging body.

Even topping the snow-covered pass failed to shake away
thoughts that I was trapped in a covered wagon with a canvas
shot through by time, not Indians.

Was there nothing but bad news in my physical future? |
peered again into the text.

‘A man becomes less sensitive to pain after age 60. A man
sweats less with age (that’s good news); people 10. to 20
pounds overweight seem to’ live longer than those who main-
tain the ‘desirable’ weight; at 50 or so a man’s waist is as big
as it will get’’ (that’s even better news.)

I discovered that married men tend to outlive bachelors; my —
weight was probably now at its peak; my teeth may be wear-
ing down but they should last another hundred years; those
who exercise live longer than those who don’ t; it’s even okay
to drink a little.

A recent study found mortality 50 per cent higher among
teetotalers and heavy drinkers (three to five drinks a day) than
among light drinkers:(one or two drinks a day).

A flip of the page turned up the best news of all. ‘‘A man’s
skin ages about 10 years more slowly than a woman’ s.””

I wonder what She’ll say when I tell Her I’ve got younger
skin than She does?

I lay back on the snow, skin covered to avoid sunburn, and
dreamed about tummy tucks.

Editor: ‘engineers recommended an

_ Westwood should be rep! aced —

pay for: the reservoirs;

water

George Westwood, the chair- -

man. of the Peninsula Water

. Commission has. made up ihs
“mind. There shall be large. con-
~ crete. water reservoirs in B.C.’s |
. oldest, deeded provincial park,
~ with pipelines throughout; there
“Shall: be: no_ public consultation

“input,:.even’ though - ‘John

“Dean. Park was deeded“ to the’

people; the public purse | shall

pays’’. concepts. be . damned;

John Dean’s wish for a 10-acre..
"water “reservoir,
-lake, ‘shall. be twisted: to: mean -

i.e..-artificial
‘one acre ‘concrete water towers;
long-term planning is out; the
size of this year’s budget of the
commission has determined that
the reservoir can only be started

by placing it in the park.

At the June 19. meeting of the’
COMMISSION, CRD

the
Westwood estimated the cost of:

**user.-

_ opinions.

open-house be held at the site of
proposed. water |. tower.

this public-relations effort to be

$6, 300° and refused the recom--:
.mendation: His’ previous ap-
: ‘pearances on TV: and radio had. -

been’ too: embarrassing to risk.’
meeting the public face.to.face.
“There - ‘May. “be government. ‘for. ~
the people,: but never of and by -

the’ people. ..The . old. dictum

“States that:the government. must

consult. the people, but in’ pro-

“tecting their real interests; must

not be: bound by’ their ignorant
So the “commission
decided to put out a Propagan-

‘da brochure instead.

By now the chairman of the
water commission, with his dic-
tatorial behaviour, must have

. become a serious embarrass-

ment 7 the CRD and hkely the

Public not heard —

Editor:
~The Saanich Peninsula Water
Commission recently voted not
to. have a public: information
meeting concerning: their pro-
posed. Deecan (Park

was estimated at $6,300 and was
felt to -be prohibitive. Instead
the commission. decided, -ac-
cording to.a CBC radio inter-
view, to prepare a pamphlet on
the issue and mailitout to water

Soratepayers with. their bills. The
“cost ‘of
“discussed.

this. effort. was
What this effectively’ does. is

prevent both. the.

at-largefrom:, participating in
the process cas--it- drastic

limits: the mimbers of Peninsula

> broares.”':
ae ieerathahemnmaataieniteainaal

“tion of B,C.

Water» CRD wants to usurp.

“. Tower. The cost of this meeting

not 7

Friends: of |
John Dean Park, and the public’:

ally ©
North Saanich Pd s

“ane swont, ‘Waltor.. 5 jut one of our tia offshore ;

residents who will receive the in-
formation. It also. completely
ignores the. remaining _ popula-
Whaat land the

Participation in
making is part
democratic. process,

decision
of. the
which

- although may appear at times

clumsy and time consuming, isa

very venerable and necessary I iMe |
Stitution. ©.
His becoming mor ° and mare
obvious. that the water commis-.
“sion may not fecl comfortable
With their decision and. conse-
quently does not want fo face.”
the: public or give them the op-—

portunity. to voice their rapinion,,
Linda Michaluk:

> provincial government. The: that. the CRD directors eeplace
solution seems simple. Since he. him at’ their _ arliest conve- :
is not an elected member of.any — nience. Ses we :
municipality but: only.“brought’.. Edo Nyland, :

in by the CRD,. 2% recommend - ,

subjected.” ‘to:

patrols, and letters of concern
printed in The Review last year. |

Those “who | regularly ©
Birch Road as a ‘‘highway”’

through..Deep .Cove. might do ~

well to weigh the inconvenience
of leaving early or arriving late,

“while watching out. for. wander: io
e ing: kids; cyclists,” “horses,” ‘and :
“the - “noise “and -
danger of speeding traffic. again
‘this summer? Recent traffic pat-.~
terns suggest. this trend in: spite.
of theposted 30. kmh;: police

use

N. Saanich

§ low down a drivers
“Editor: i :

tN ae he Se A

MON-THURS 11-8:30PM FRI-SAT ‘aca

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ye ;
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‘vehicles:leaving or: pulling into...

driveways. It: does not allow.for.

the idiotic. practice of driving at -

twice this speed or more, simply: o
because: Birch Road happens to

be a straight stretch of Pave-.
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| hope ‘that all drivers. con-'

sider the lives of the kids in this
neighborhood: more important ©
than. saving half a> minute of ..

travel time —.30 kmh will still

“Editor:

your staff for your support for

ory:

~ tered by, our editorial staff The, ¢
Wwitlvour pew-found tinge, Mey" re mecting our challerige tomorrow

against becoming the cause of a
tragic. accident. The .30. kmh~
limit ‘allows two .cars to -pass
safely. in opposite directions

get you there!’ ete
, ‘|: David Maddison
932 Birch Rd.

oN, Saanich

Thanks for support —

lam writing to thank you and ‘to your readers about the Cen-
the 1986 Census.

Without the news coverage .
provided by your piper, and
many others, the Census. :
message would ‘not have reach-.
ed as many Cunadians as it did.

tion to its success.

Donna Magnone
"Regional Communications |
Stats Canada

Befotuat VERRY

jE
WEAK AG ” aa
cat Nate ia ae a — eke Ms

2 CLICKING THEIR WAY to fame in the Sidiey / Days tietee CON) ue
~. .test. sponsored by Sidney Que Hour Photo and The Review was-the Re
 -McGeachie family of Meldram ‘Drive who: took first plage winning
a year of free film and photofinishing, and: George Sloane runner»
cup, Congratulations to all participants, Thanks to local freelance |.
photographer’ Nicholas Boulin for:helping outwith the judge > 8

ing... 6. THERE WAS MORE {han one. winner on: the Sidney
Days weekend. Frank Edlington was lucky recipient of the STAG
ratfle July oly) taking home > his

cluded in last week's report of the school’s high achievers. Jennifer

shared the outstanding musician award. tor her grade with Terry. §

James... ACTIP OF THE HAT ta Sidney residents Joe. and
isle Storey who will celebrate their olden Wedldity anniversary
July & An open house in (heir honor. will be held Saturday, July 12
from Foto do pan. at Margaret Vaughan Birch Oath, Their tice

children, Aland Daryl Storey of Sidney and Carol Pickens of °
Calgary invite friends to help toast the couple's $0. years of mar
riage. os ARE THEY WEMPS, or what? We'te-sorry. ta report
bo diat persisteut drizdle on Canada Day. was die lau excuse given by

Saanich Cablevision for cancelling ‘the softball miceh with: The
Review. We-know theyer
ninch hitters and> ringers Tor the firse annual prudge match. Bur
‘we're “not. worried ..

night (Thursday) | aut 6: Mo AN mM, at U Trequosis Park: C ome an ont and

cheer us One

The information you provided _

sus was an invaluable contribu- 7

—— soesecrn i beseer nete ee al

14-foot.
“prize... APOLOGIES to Jennifer Martman, a Grade 8 Band.
studentat North Saanich Middle School, whose aame was not ine ©

eally stalled far time to peta few more.

Review Super reoach Terry Ross has: been |
holding, strenuous training sessions, Tear members now know to

“sy *aloves and bats’ not ivtts tnd siieks Sirike™ does not:
refer io golds and “Foal! hacnothing ya de with: dlucidations ate
Cablevision crew wis so inpressed

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