» Home
» About Us
» Our Programs
» Awards
» Honour
» Literary Arts
» Arts Education
» Community
» Grants
» Okanagan Arts
» Directory
» Events Calendar
» News, Views, Reviews
» Open Studios
» Join Now
» Contact Us
A hearty feast of free readings, lectures, presentations, workshops and showcases celebrating our culture, community and the wild blue yonder.
 Where inquiring minds gather.
Okanagan Institute
at Hanna's Lounge
Click here for schedule
and information. |
Arts Council of the Central Okanagan is a resource centre and advocate for the arts in Kelowna and Central Okanagan. Find us at:
8-1304 Ellis Street
Kelowna BC V1Y 1Z8
Phone: 250.861.4123
Fax: 250.861.4155
Email: Click here
| |
|
Join the Arts Council of the Central Okanagan today and you will:
» Meet people who are involved in our arts community, and stay informed.
» Receive our weekly email newsletter, The Junction.
» Become eligible for group member grants.
» Have a worthy advocate to protect your artistic and cultural rights.
» Be able to join ARTSCO's special projects.
Click here to apply.
Financial support for KADAC is provided in part by:
Support Our Valued Sponsors:
Web & Emailing Hosting for Nonprofits and Publishers.
Smart Digital and Print Design and Publication Services.
This website is copyright:
|
Programs:
Literary Arts
You Never Know Sterling Haynes
I'm a retired doctor from Canada and my wife and I travel a great deal. Not long ago, in the airport in Raleigh, North Carolina I struck up a conversation with an older Carolinian contractor. He was going to Creston, British Columbia, to build a straw house for his daughter. We were both flying to Toronto before we changed planes, he to Calgary, me to Vancouver. He wanted to build the house soon before he "aged out" or the "hay got too wet and moldy", as he put it.
He asked me, "Is Canada a cesspool of disease, or is it confined to Toronto?" He had paper masks to use in the Toronto airport. They both were at the top of his carry on bag. They were accessible in case of an emergency illness or a new epidemic of SARS or Bird Flu. "When should I put them on? When I'm in the plane, deplaning in Customs or when I transfer to the flight from Toronto to Calgary?"
I told him, "If you put the mask on in the plane you could be mistaken for a terrorist. This would alert the Air Canada security rent-a-cop. It might be wiser to save the masks for the return flight to Toronto."
I'll leave the masks in my case 'til I get to Calgary." Then he said, "is there Mad Cow Disease in Alberta? The newspapers say 'keep away from hamburger'. Is there Monkey Pox in Creston, B.C. or is it confined to the prairie dogs in Southern Saskatchewan?"
"There were no threats as far as I knew. The case in Canada of Monkey Pox turned out to be chicken pox," I said.
"What a relief, he said. I had chicken pox when I was a kid on the plantation. Will this give me immunity now?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer the chicken pox question. I do know there are no prairie dogs in Creston, so you should be safe from this one."
"How about the West Nile Virus? My wife packed mosquito netting for the bed and a quart of DEET, to safeguard me. Is it OK to wear shorts in Creston? Heard there are nine different mosquitoes that can transfer this disease from crows to humans. Could be fatal if the infected insects bite your legs at dusk. If there is an outbreak my wife told me to 'honey jist ya'all hurry back."
"You might want to reconsider and wear shorts while working. Creston can get very hot in summer."
"Yahs sir, I always thought Canadians were a pretty rugged bunch", he said as we parted ways.
"Yes we are healthy, we can survive ice, snow and cold weather. I think the media's hunt for summer diseases is detrimental to our health and to your peace of mind. When hockey returns in the Fall, it'll all be forgotten."
I shook hands with him briskly and wished him a nice day and a safe trip to Creston. As he ascended the airport escalator I noticed him wiping his right hand with his hanky.
Sterling Haynes is a free-lance humourist and no stranger to the Okanagan readers. His award winning book, "Bloody Practice" is available in Mosaic.
We invite submissions from writers.
» The story or poem should not be over 2000 words and must be your own original work. All submissions must be word processed and emailed to us at our email address.
» Submissions must include your complete contact information: Name, Telephone, Email, Mailing Address.
» Please also include a short biography and if possible a small photo of yourself.
» The anonymity of all that submit a story or poem will be respected. Contact details supplied as part of your submission will not be disclosed to any third party.
|
