Since life happens to be somewhat crazy right now, it looks like I”m not ‘getting to’ writing all the details.. but this I am going to share:

As I walked by tall grasses at night, the top of one lit up like a flame on a matchstick. Unlike a usual flame, the outline of this strange little miracle was smooth. This occurence, as you can imagine, stopped me in my tracks. The flame went out, and another tall grass near it lit up.  And another, and another.  These little flames were only a foot away from me, and I watched in awe.

When I have bizarre experiences I will deduce the scientific possibilities. Fireflies?  In Kamloops?  I think not… and this did not look like the fireflies I saw in Costa Rica.

Which takes me off course a bit here as I talk about fireflies. I am so certain that I saw fireflies as a child.  But I was a Vancouver girl… where the heck would I have seen fireflies?  That answer still remains unknown.

Back on track… I was able to quietly call Nicole over to witness.  Alas, the close by ‘flames’ stopped, but within the bushes a little further away we continued to see ‘lights’.

I have no answer for this.  Which is something I truly love about magical things. I will tell you though that apparently one of the qualifying qualities of the Centre of the Universe is ‘self-ignition.”  I wonder if I got to witness that.

Like I said. Life is crazy right now.. and those moments watching small perfect flames light up the top of tall grass, then just as quickly ‘be extinguished’ was something that fed my soul and assured me of the ‘more than what we can see’ workings of the universe. Although I saw this very clearly.. ha!.. just no logical scientific reasons.. unless, of course,  the science we are talking about is quantum.

You can learn more about the Center of the Universe here.  http://www.videttelake.com/    (plus I have a couple of other blog posts about it)   When you go, and if you are a more magical thinker, ask Tom, the owner, lots of questions.. he has many stories to share.

Sitting on the top of Deadman Falls

The Deadman Falls.. also astounding.  Standing in the middle of the creek right near the edge of the 200 foot drop off of water is a very empowering experience.  I do not recommend you try this.  Well.. I hope that you get to, and that you wisely pay attention to the strength of the current, the slipperiness of the rocks, and the dryness of the center large rock you can stand on, before you choose to do this. Should you decide to do this, you’ll discover how NOT scary it is.  But if you feel overly frightened, maybe avoid doing this.. Fear throws us off balance, you know. Video of Deadman Falls in a post just a post or two before this one. Third video down.  Last few seconds of the video is the best!

There was more amazingness too.. but I”m sleepy.. and since it’s been a month since I actually got to wrting about this weekend with amazing women, I’m just not going to guarantee I’ll get back to finish this soon.  But really, isn’t self igniting grass tops enough anyway?

UPDATE TWO YEARS LATER: Tonight Aug 22 2012, I was telling someone about the flames on the grasses. She wondered about Will o’the  Wisps.  If you pop on over here, you can read about the folklore and attempts at scientific explanations of Will o’ the Wisps..  What makes me so curious is the similarities in the stories, particularly, as you move closer, they move away, which is what happend when my friend walked over.  I, however, do not think my encounter-beings were trying to lure me into the bog.. although there was marshy water nearby!

You will find conflicting histories when you google it… mostly around when this location was deemed to be the center of the universe.  But the gist is that a monk came in search of the Center of the Universe .. somewhere between 10 – 25 years ago, (depending on the story)   He found it, brought a group of monks who performed the required tests.. which includes some tests like that things will self ignite.   The location passed the test and was deemed the Center of the Unverse.   At the time, apparently the owners of the property wouldn’t sell to the Buddhists.   The current owners will allow you on the site, for a small fee, which I’m sure just helps them to deal with things like maintaining the area and the occasional vandalism and such.   I really enjoyed meeting Ruth, who owns the resort, and I look forward to going back for tea one day!

I’ll make no judgements on whether this is the Center of the Universe or not.   One must remember that quantum science intrigues me…  and the concept of one spot that is the center of one universe almost seems limiting.  However, there is something rather unusual about the spot…  The energy on the ’outskirts’ of it feels chaotic… but as you get closer to the location, it really is a lovely energy.. and very beautiful scenically.   It was a delightful place to do a ‘visualization’.. and what I saw made me laugh with joy out loud.  (My family gets to hear the details though, before I throw it out into the wild blue public.)

It is a place I’ll joyfully go back to and I highly recommend this excursion to the Center of the Universe.  If you’re a Kamloopsian, doesn’t this make you curious?  If you had a Lonely PLanet guide for a different country and it had a BOXED TEXT about a place you were at… bet you’d seriously consider going to check out what that was all about.   And here we are, in little Kamloops, with our very own BOXED Text in Lonely Planet.  Cool.  But don’t go if you feel like you’re going to check out the circus, just to say you’ve been. Do go if you feel like you would like to be in a place that Buddhist Monks have deemed the Center of the Universe.

The other thing to note: as we drove up there, the landscape was extraordinary.  Think ‘similar – ish to Cappodocia, Turkey’.  Sort of.  Amazing castle- like hoodoos, in an array of colours.  I hope that travellers to Kamloops do go on this adventure.  It’s definately something to write home about.  Imagine the letter:  ”the most amazing magical hoodoos that look like a hundred wizards walking out of the mountain, and some that look like a castle at the top of a waterslide.. and then, Ma and Pa, I came to the Center of the Universe….”   ( At which point Ma and Pa are emailing you to say, “perhaps you should come home now, dear)

Also mentioned in Lonely Planet, not boxed, although it could be, is Squilax Hostel, owned by the delightfully unique owner/operator Blair Action… It’s not quite ‘Kamloops’.. It’s on shuswap Lake, on the water, where one can stay in cabooses, or a converted boathouse, and pet Llamas  It’s a very cool place.  That would add an interesting touch to the letter home… “and I’ve been spending my nights in a caboose.”

I would adore talking to others who have been to the Center of the Universe.. and hear what they thought, sensed, wondered…
Did you hear the choir that some hear?   Been there?  Please share your comments!