Tuesday 11 October 2011

Thanks giving


Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving, the Monday of a long weekend.  It sounded like everyone went away.  Except for the soft sound of leaves falling and a few bluejays calling, it was exquisitely quiet.  I decided to set myself up outside on the deck with a box of papers to sort or chuck as there wasn't a breeze to disturb me.


The great maple tree to the south was casting its huge shadow to keep the warm sun from melting me.

 

As I watched the birds flit and the leaves softly tumble,  I realized I had to share this with you.

 

Eventually I realized that I needed to stretch my legs to saunter and savour this fleeting time.
Here is some firewood that Wally cut from a fallen maple the day before.


Earlier that morning I heard a quote by Albert Camus :
  "Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower."

 

There were bouquets everywhere.

 

Finally, I wandered around the back of the house which faces due south and the deck where I eventually continued my job of sorting, with more time-outs for contemplation and meditation.

Giving thanks.
And thanking you for spending this time with me.


Saturday 8 October 2011

last lap at Killbear


These are the more spectacular pictures I was talking about in a previous post.  Georgian Bay, the Canadian Shield (the Precambrian rock), the iconic land of the Group of Seven,  one feels a sense of raw freedom.  Last night I dreamed of bears and wolves.


How lovely to be on the top of the point and feel the primitive beauty in our bones.



Just cool enough for a jacket, we roamed the length of this rock like the back of a mammoth animal.



The rock is anything but barren. The lichen is everywhere and mosses too.  And as you can see, even the trees grow right out of it,  natural bonsai and, so, very old. 


 

Looking back from whence we'd come.

And down to the lake below.



What a pleasure to be in a world that respects its wildlife.

 

Especially the lowly snake.   They say you can judge a culture by how they treat their lowest members.  While I don't come from a culture of snakes  (well, not most of the time)  I think it is a big mistake to not see the value of our fellow beings.

 

Swamps are also areas that are not valued enough for the teeming wildlife they support.
And there is great beauty too if one only stops to look.


Deer, of course, are everywhere, and like that beauty I showed you earlier,
can be so tame that you can find them grazing beside the road,
not to mention moose as well.

 

We loved the solitude we shared on this quiet Tuesday, the 6th of October.

 
Today we will do yardwork at home.  It is the most exquisite Indian summer day here.  The maples are vermilion, chartreuse, vibrant coral oranges, buttercup yellow and russet.
Immersed in nature, it is easy to be grateful and give thanks... every day.

Blessings

Friday 7 October 2011

Lap 2 at Killbear




Tuesday afternoon in Killbear Provincial Park...what a day.



Walking the sands of this beautiful beach on Georgian Baywould have been enough.


But as we approached this rugged point, Wally asked if I was up for the climb.  I surely was!


Looking back at the point we walked earlier from this vantage was satisfying.



Even more so the higher we got.
 
 

The ancient rock, the old white pines, a gentle breeze, the sun lower in the sky...
this quintessential Canadian afternoon....we were content.

I will have more to show you tomorrow as I have a very slow blogger connection today and must go.

A peaceful time of introspection as we give thanks for what we have co-created in our lives.
Alone or together, we must focus on that centre spot inside where we are all united in harmony.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

a stolen holiday to Killbear Provincial Park


Yesterday was supposed to be yardwork day.  The weather was perfect,  not too hot,  not too cold.  But my Wally stole me away for one last chance to go to a favourite provincial park of his, about 40 minutes northwest of Parry Sound on Georgian Bay,  before the park would be closed for the season.   It was such a super day,  I just had to share it with you.




This wonderful landmark is just west of Rosseau.
The drive took almost 2 hours,  the same amount of time to go to Toronto, but a world of difference.



From the very beginning I could see the magic that Wally sees in this wonderful place.



Harold's Point.  






On top of the point.




And on the other side of Harold's Point.



Wally in his glory.



I left Wally framing a shot with the camera with just enough time for me to hide in this shallow natural ditch,  flat against the warm rock.   How I laughed as he walked right past me wondering where I could have got to,  how I could  have fallen in the water without making a splash. 



Bless his heart, it didn't take him long to forgive me.



The breeze was cool,  but the rock emanated the warmth of the sun.



Fourteen shots later, this was the best picture I could get of one of 3 loons that called to each other as they swam by,  fishing as they went.



We headed off to explore more of the park and find a nice spot for a picnic.
This lovely doe posed for me right beside the road.   Her fawn just beyond had already lost its spots.


I have more images to show you, even more spectacular than these  (if I do say so myself).  Please join me tomorrow for the second lap of our daytrip.

 peace on earth








Sunday 2 October 2011

woodland wild berries


I set out on a walk this morning, hoping to beat the rain.


There was a chill in the air and the pungent smell of leaves.



These are the last days of autumn colour before it all goes beige.




These nefarious-looking berries are still in place.  No bird has eaten them.



There are more highland cranberries than ever.  I actually saw a robin in amongst them.



It does one good to be out in nature.  Here I stand at the foot of a great white pine.



There is a timeless rightness with the world on days like this as I feel the precious days slipping by.
Perhaps you wonder why I am not showing any artwork lately.  It's because I am not producing any.  My creative challenges seem to come in other forms these days as I ponder my place in the world. 
I saw most wonderful book title the other day and it washed over me like a breath of fresh air:

You Were Born to Live

Don't you just love that?  I tend to be one of those "thinky" people.  I try to remember to develop my intuition which I think is a highly under-rated quality in our western culture.  While I am inclined towards intellectualizing, I like to remember that "your strength is your weakness" if one becomes overly reliant on one area of one's capacities.



These little berries were a pleasant surprise.  I think they are elderberries.




Or perhaps these are.



And though these wonderful wild rosehips are not berries, they also delight in their scarlet hue.



I did get caught in the rain after all, but I hid the camera under my vest and patted myself on the back for getting out on this anything-but-dreary day as I headed home.  All these rich treats await one when we take a chance at beating the rain.