Welcome to Wayne’s Wanderings

Welcome everyone…. This is an auspicious day in the Vedic calendar of ancient India – Akshaya Tritiya, the Day of Lasting Achievements* – a time for launching new enterprises or setting goals. A great time for launching this new blog! Hopefully this gathering place will become a forum for stories of all kinds – yours as well as mine. A place where we can meet and exchange a tale or two and maintain our connections while wandering on our respective journeys through this amazing world of wonders – and sometimes outright craziness.

The blog is intended to capture my various travel writings, but also short stories, photos, a few poems and assorted other materials – both physical and metaphorical wanderings. These will be organized under themes such as “Boystown“, stories from my childhood in Robb and Hinton and surrounding areas. “Hippie Trails” will highlight my misspent youth hitchhiking around and doing all the wacky things my generation was known for. Another section will be on “Cowboy Poetry – All Hat, No Horse“, where I seek poetic revenge on the cowboys, truckers, miners and bushwhackers who I now count amongst my friends, but who were once the bane of us hippie freaks/flower children. I apologize in advance, mostly cause I’m still kinda scared of you guys! Most of my entries will likely be written in my Silly Bugger mode, where I spend most of my waking life. From time to time I might also pen an essay or two to cater to my interests in history, consciousness, aromatherapy, natural sciences and bushcraft. (I know, “boring.)

Last year we traveled from Salt Spring through to Ontario and Quebec. We purchased the Intrepid in Ontario and towed it back home. Karin’s mother, Carol accompanied us on the return trip. In convoy with us were Karin’s sister, Jennifer, her husband Bill and their son, Spencer. They liked our trailer so much they bought one of their own, in partnership with Carol. I am hoping to upload many of the Facebook postings and photos from that trip on this site, but that might take some time as there were dozens of postings. This year we’re on the move again. Different trails; same crazy couple of kids.

I have recently written a couple of longer stories that might be of interest to a few of you who are tolerant of literary excess and indulgent of my many tangents, flights of fancy and overarching love of tall tales (Read: BS, exaggeration and outright lies). These two stories might have to be serialized because I, reportedly, get rather long- winded, especially when I’m having fun at other people’s expense.

One of these sagas is called, “The Great Hardisty Creek Deluge, Gumboot Caper & Whodunnit“, to be found under the Boystown category. This real life caper (Yeah, right.) by me, aka Scrawny, and my buddy, Slick, aka, Graham and his dog pal, Scruffy. Here I malign Vikings, the worldwide Boy Scout Movement, many of my boyhood friends and most of the population of Hinton. Quite proud of how I managed to slag so many of you in this twisted tale of boyhood misadventure and mayhem.

The other tallish tale, to be serialized in the Hippie Trails section, is called, “Let Your Freak Flag Fly, The One About the Infamous Hinton Hippie Revolution of 1968, or What King Arthur, King James I, Betsy Ross, Jacques St-Cyr, and Mrs. Litke All Have in Common. A Circumbendibus* Historical Comic Book Rather Loosely Based on a True-Life Adventure“. I think the title says it all, but there is an entire page in the story that lists those whom I undoubtedly offended in the telling of the tale, which includes pretty much the entire Litke clan, the faculty of Harry Collinge High School, and the Town of Hinton constabulary, among many others. Hopefully this advance apology will stave off the usual flurry of overripe tomatoes and lawsuits that generally follow the telling of one of my outlandish tales.

There are many technical challenges to putting this blog together. I have had many helpers along the way. They stridently disclaim any contributions to the content – its all my fault, they say – and claim they are only helping out this endeavor because of the large sums of cash I generously slather on them. Of special note here are Ruth Anne Taves and David Clarke – thanks so much to both of you. I can’t believe how many ways you help me out while still maintaining your grace, patience and forbearance. Helping out behind the scenes is also my sister Joan Melvin, who offers advice, editing, honest/positive (mostly) feedback, inspiration and many photos, from family archives as well as her own collection. (The early photo of me is one of the many family treasure she has unearthed and is archiving.)

And, although she would probably prefer to stay anonymous to preserve both her reputation and sanity, I must thank my wonderful wife Karin Mizgala. She patiently encourages, cajoles, threatens, inspires and prods in a wonderfully patient and compassionate dance. A force of nature, for sure! And to all of you readers and contributors – friends and family. Thank you for wandering along with me and sharing all the stories we encounter, experience and share along the way.

Wayne Melvin

On the Road in Osoyoos, BC.

*Happy Akshaya Tritiya, Day of Lasting Achievements in the Vedic Calendar of Natural Law!
“This year, think big. This year whatever you desire will come true. Think big. Think of everything beautiful for you and your world. Think of Heaven on Earth. Think of the elimination of poverty for the world. No longer should we be stuck with our little mind. No longer should we use our nervous system for little problems. We should use our nervous system for the revelations of the cosmic mind. Our mind should no longer be restricted to narrow boundaries, particularly the boundaries of patriotism. The world is a family. We should have in our mind that ‘I own the universe’, and then the universe will own you. We will become masters of natural law.” – Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, December 31st, 1988