Blackfish Rita

26/06/2024

Love these speaking events hosted by BestCoast Outfitters! Will definitely be checking this one out!

13/03/2024

Can anyone else smell a photo like this in their imagination or memory? The cold salt, crisp air, kelp leaves and damp driftwood on a pebble beach smell? There’s something about tiny coves like this one that I love. Contemplating where my little boat will end up since I don’t know how long I may be able to stay in Oak Bay. Put a mooring in somewhere? Give away all my possessions and aim for Hawaii? Maybe eventually…. More nighttime contemplations when I should be sleeping.

08/03/2024

Last weekend I did a thing that felt like a really big deal to me. There was a hell of a lot of build up and anticipation and when it came down to it I just had to get s**t done. I needed to take my boat off the mooring it’s been sitting on in Ganges since I bought her and find her a new home (closer to my home) so I can start giving her the attention she deserves. I have done a fair amount of sailing- but not solo, and I’ve driven a boat or two, but not this big- and again never alone. The way the universe has literally and figuratively shoved me abruptly out of a comfortable place and forced me to grow lately has made my head spin. This little task- which I completed with perfect imperfection has already given me a lot of renewed faith in my ability to handle hard things. Both physical and emotional. Storms don’t last forever. Even though sometimes it feels like a long hard slog, if you’re already going through it- it’s better to keep your head up and face it and tell yourself you can do it, and just accept every wave that comes to rock you and know that every single one will make you better. Better at feeling and moving through the next one. Braver to face the next one. Anyways, I’m still exhausted and doing a late night ramble here but what I want to say is it’s never too late to grow in ways you’ve always dreamed of… I think that’s all I can muster for now. Dream on.

30/01/2024

Hiya Saltspring and Victoria boater friends! I am slowly starting off my sailing journey and step one is fixing up my boat! I need help getting it from Ganges to Sidney for a haul out! My 1c Yanmar won’t start and my 2.5 kicker is also out of commission but probably not gutsy enough to get it where I need it to go…. If anyone would be up for an adventure/ possibly towing me in or lending an outboard for a weekend or any other ideas would be very much appreciated! Excited to get my little boat polished up and ready to sail the islands this summer!

ALSO- looking for a second RVYC member to help me get my membership application going! Pls message me if this is you and you would be willing to vouch for me!

As my sailing/life mentor Al would say “BEAUCOUP ZIG ZAG”

24/12/2023

Last year was one of the most beautiful golden snowey solstices I’ve ever had. This year we have record temperatures and not a hint of snow… I’m glad the days will be getting longer but part of will always long for a little snow this time of year just to make the winter feel complete. We didn’t get much snow when I was growing up so it’s always extra special and magical when it happens. Here’s some favourite shots of my solstice walk with last year!

05/12/2023

Sometimes you can’t see where the path is leading or what’s waiting around the bend. Keep walking anyway. Trust can help you move forward.

30/11/2023

I had such a great time at this event my goal is to go back every year they run it! I’ll also aim to improve my time every year- although the scenery is just so amazing it’s also tempting to sit out the event and just take photos! I will stack a few in with this selfie- if you have never been to Alert Bay- go check it out! #711

28/08/2023

This is a bit long and rambling- but comes straight from my heart so please read if you struggle with mental health and achieving goals. I wanted to share a bit about my recent experience with pursuing a diagnosis for ADHD. I had often struggled with bouts of depression and wondered why I just ‘couldn’t’ move towards my big aspirations in life. I have done many things to help try to give my life a ‘boost’. I have gone on several 10 day silent meditation retreats, I have learned how to work out to shape my body, I have immersed myself in deep breath worth practices with multiple week long intensive retreats and trainings. I have read countless self help books that have taught me so much about mindset, positive thinking, self motivation, acceptance etc and many have been quite life enhancing. I have collected so much amazing information but I had still felt for a long time that something about my health/energy was not quite right and it seemed like my energy was keeping me from accessing my potential….. I am quite good at thinking positively but I would sometimes wonder if life just was never going to allow me to achieve a lot of my dreams and if I would just have to accept that… I have learned a hell of a lot in my search for answers about my health and aside from allergies or sensitivities and links to mood/inflammation I was still not moving towards the life I wanted in a satisfactory rate and getting any answers that helped explain why. For those of you that don’t know- I didn’t graduate high school, and trying to update/finish has been something I’ve struggled with for years. When I was young and cocky I convinced myself it wouldn’t matter. I was also chronically late for school, consistently by a few minutes each day- I started getting my late slip before going to class to save time since going to class late meant I would have to stop at the office anyways. I’ve struggled with time and feeling like I do things so slowly that it’s overwhelming to start if I don’t think I’ll have enough time to finish a project.
Anyways, a few years ago I had a job and my manager had ADHD. He once said I for sure had it and when I surprisingly asked why he thought that he said one of the first training sessions he was giving me I had interrupted him to comment on how blonde his eyebrows were 🤦🏻‍♀️…. Now I don’t consider myself someone who interrupts conversations all that much and I almost didn’t realize I had done it, but it got me thinking.

I had asked my parents if maybe I had adhd a long time ago and they’ve always been amazingly supportive and caring and when I asked this they said “no you’re extremely smart- there’s nothing wrong with you!” Or something similar….. This made me sad that the connotation was that if you had adhd then something is ‘wrong’ with you- and although that was many years ago there are lots of beliefs or judgments that even the most open and kind people can reinforce without realizing…. But when I started to get really curious about the things that have seemed particularly challenging for me my entire life, the pieces just kept coming together. I finally started looking up adhd tendencies, studies, stats, etc and luckily stumbled on some really good content including Dr Russel Barkleys videos ( I will attach one to this post). Learning more and more helped me realize that it might be the cause of my struggles and I decided to pursue a diagnosis.

When I told friends or family I was surprised how many people would say automatically “oh don’t get medication for it- it can be dangerous” or some other judgement or advice based on- ?? And I have to be honest I know people who have had terrible experiences with medication for depression or other mental health struggles but I didn’t know much about adhd medication. I had to dig through my own judgment about pharmaceutical medication but at this stage I just wanted to try anything that might help me live my life fully.

Long story short my first few months using a medication have been amazing. It has given me so much more hope and ambition for my future. I experience time differently and I have more endurance to stick with a task for a long stretch of time. I am still figuring out if this is the best way forward for me long term but it has given me the ability to take care of myself better, to increase my self awareness and to create new tools and systems for flowing through my life more easily.

I want to share to help people understand if they have adhd or think they might have it or any other mental health or neural differences that there is nothing fundamentally wrong with ‘YOU’- you might just need a little help and that’s ok. Having challenges with life doesn’t mean you’re stupid.
Letting go of judgement and fear and seeking answers and learning about yourself can only help you. There are ways to optimize your brain and things adhd people are especially good at. Being different is ok.

Also not everyone might need medication- just knowing and understanding your adhd can have a huge benefit to your life and ability to get things done.

Learning about the risks of untreated adhd such has higher rates of car accidents, su***de, addiction etc also made me want to learn more and see if medication would help. I love myself enough that I want to fight for my life and my ability to express myself through my life!

I hope if you read this whole post that whatever you might be going through or struggling with that you can love yourself enough to get curious and want to find answers. What if it all works out?

And here is a great video about adhd from the doctor I mentioned earlier- these videos helped change my self judgement into self compassion.

I want to say more but I don’t know what to say other than please reach out if you have questions. And know that you are worthy of being loved no matter what you struggle with and change is possible if you truly are willing to learn about and accept yourself.

The original video is from the 2012 Burnett Lecture located here. This is the very end of the 2nd vidoe right before the Q&Ahttp://learningcenter.unc.edu/ld...

04/08/2023

Lately I’ve been very inspired teaching some very small people how to kayak. I have such a huge respect for families that value giving children experience and skills from an early age. Using the power of our own bodies to travel, explore, experience, connect with the natural world….. It’s one of the most powerful tools to build confidence in our abilities and understanding of what we are or may be capable of. School didn’t do it for me, at least not until I found some mentors and some alternative ‘schools’ that taught survival, leadership, environmental stewardship- this finally helped me connect to what truly felt important in my spirit and honesty has largely shaped the course of my life. And this world keeps pulling me back in, again and again. Ok. I hear the invitation. I’m not going anywhere.

30/07/2023

This sweet little number is super fun and available to try out at the ! As part of rental fleet! If you have always wondered about trying out a surf ski- or if you’re a kayaker already just looking for a little challenge and some more speed- I cannot recommend this enough! Every surf ski is going to feel a bit twitchy to someone who doesn’t paddle them regularly but playing with this boat next to the dock made me realize it really is the most stable surf ski I’ve ever paddled. It feels like it really just doesn’t want to tip- I don’t know how else to describe it. Must try for yourself! WARNING: It might be addictive!!! 🙌🏼

19/07/2023

So this happened last night! I came over to say hi and got myself a visit from this tiny brave adventure pup! I will treasure this experience forever! 🤣🥹

14/07/2023

I LOVE low tide explorations! Saw lots of Leather and Ochre stars around Tumbo channel this last week!

12/07/2023

😍💜⭐️ SO STOKED to see so many sea stars! The die off from wasting syndrome back in 2014 and the very slow recovery in some areas really hurt my heart. Encountering healthy populations of stars like this gives me renewed hope in the tenacity and resilience of nature.

12/07/2023

Lots of the ‘steps’ were paddle strokes 😝 from the top of Saturna- around Tumbo with a break/walk around the island and back past Cabbage isle. Was a beauty day!

12/07/2023

What a beauty day to be alive and on the water

10/07/2023

Arrived during golden hour on Saturna Island last night and excited for the coming days of paddling with an adventurous family eager to explore the coastline! A private arrangement via ! I’m impressed at the flexibility and accommodating nature of Ocean River that allows them to get outside of the normal scope of their offerings to say yes to requests like this one for a private kayak guide from this family. Also I am so grateful that life has steered me into this amazing, soul nourishing, seasonal on-water career!

05/07/2023

I’m in love with the earth.

04/07/2023

Got to introduce my lovely clients to KELP CRABS today! We found a female out on a kelp float and the kids really wanted to see a male so we kept our eyes peeled and this dude was hangin out on the dock just under ! Male crabs have a lighthouse on their belly and are often more colourful. Seeing creatures up close can harbour deeper appreciation and connection to nature and a desire to protect the small wild spaces that myriad of species can thrive in!