Inspired

Persisting

 

There are so many symbols of rebirth in the spring…the eggs, the Christian story of rebirth and resurrection, the Passover celebration, not to mention the arrival of all the fuzzy little lambs, fluffy chicks, sweet ducklings and prolific bunnies.

My personal favourite icon of rebirth and renewal is the bright and sturdy daffodil.  They persist.  They shine.  Year after year they’re one of the first to poke their way through the still frosty earth, seemingly determined to be here.  They’re not fragile or delicate or even that tender. They’re bright and cheerful and we can count on them to show up…every year…without fail.

 

 

I admire that quality…of persisting and showing up; it’s getting up in the morning when we’re so tired we think we simply can’t do it all over again, it’s patience with a small child who’s afraid of the dark and can’t sleep, it’s the compassion to simply be there for a friend and it’s the love it takes to stand up for ourselves. It’s the determination to overcome life’s challenges. It’s many different things…it’s gentle yet fierce, it’s kind yet bold but it all comes down to persisting.

Persisting, to know our truth and shine.  Every day, every moment we have the opportunity to take a new breath, to birth ourselves anew, to show up.

Right now there are fields of daffodils around me everywhere I look.  The bulbs were planted almost a hundred years ago and still they show up, just as they have every spring.  It’s just what they do...and showing up is just what we do too in our everyday acts of bravery…we show up, live life and shine.

 

 

(The Saanich Peninsula, where I live, is home to the largest daffodil growing area in Canada and the second largest growing area in North America.  The first daffodils were planted here in 1915).

 

April Love

 

 

April seems to be it’s usual mixed-up self…sun, rain, hail and even dustings of snow at the higher elevations.  I’m alternating between bundling myself up tightly in my warm, fuzzy Cowichan sweater and then peeling the layers off when the sun peaks out again. It’s a month of transition.  (Fingers crossed, the weekend is forcast to be "springtime" warm at 16C/61F).

 

The photographs above are of a few red current branches that I “pruned” from our tree.  (I’m not really sure if it’s a tree or a shrub but it’s growing in the shape of a tree.)  At any rate, it’s always a happy thing when the red current gives us some early spring colour.

Last weekend was an interesting one here in the cove…there was a herring run on and the herring actually came all the way into the cove…as did the the sea lions which we normally never see this far in.  As I was getting ready for bed last Friday night, it was a surprise to hear sea lions barking and they barked (quite loudly, I might add) for most of the night.  All the excitement brought lots of people with their fishing rods and many just to watch the antics of the sea lions, seals and eagles…all angling for their share of the herring.

I know we're already a week into the month, but Happy April to everyone…and a huge thank you for stopping here to visit.  Have a beautiful weekend with family and friends.

Photographs and Friends

 

Today was a beautiful day.

It was a day of sunshine and crisp light…a day made for revelling in, as only a sunny day in October day can be. Days like today are meant to be embraced with gratitude and imprinted on the heart and soul for solace in the winter days ahead.

And what made it even more perfect was that I was meeting a new friend, a blogger who lives near by, for a day of photography. Sunshine + photography + connecting with a kindred soul = perfection.

We met in Fernwood…a fun and funky Victoria neighbourhood…and sipped our Chai’s while we talked about life with all it’s twists and turns, joys and challenges. When we could no longer ignore the sunshine calling us, we headed out with camera’s in hand, walking and talking and finding a million quirky, beautiful, colourful things to photograph.

 

cats posing in windows…

 

The graceful symmetry of white picket fences...

 

 

and quirky pieces of sculpture found in unexpected places.

Jaime is a beautiful photographer and today she taught me more about my camera in one afternoon, than I’ve learned in the past five years. What a relief it is to realize that I’m finally able to begin using the camera as it’s intended to be used!

 

 

One of the most inspiring things I saw today was in a sweet little art school, just beyond this door...

 

 

There was a poem written on the classroom wall and I knew I was meant to see these words today, so I took a photograph of it through the window.

 

As the sun slipped away and the temperatures began to drop, we finally said our goodbyes with plans to do it all again soon.

I hope your weekend was soul satisfying dear friends and that you were able to find time to sing your own beautiful song.

Yesterday found us roaming the country roads of nearby Salt Spring Island.  This is a long weekend in Canada with each province celebrating it’s own history and heritage so it’s probably the busiest weekend of the summer.  It was a warm, sunny day and the 30 minute ferry ride to Fulford Harbour was such a treat, although we just squeaked on…we were the second to last car aboard. 

Even though Salt Spring Island is very near to where we live on the Saanich Penninsula of Vancouver Island, and looks so close, it’s hard to believe that it’s a separate island…we hadn’t been there for 7 years.  A visit was definitely overdue and it was a perfect day for an adventure!  There's been no particular reason why it’s been so long since we visited but so much has happened in those intervening years, not the least of which has been building a new home, moving, and those never ending ongoing landscaping projects.  We’ve focused so much on “doing”, just putting one foot in front of the other and have…at times…forgotten how important it is, to simply “be”.

I needed to get out of town...I needed to not have an agenda...I needed to play!

The beautiful bottles pictured above were for sale at one of the stalls at the Ganges Market and I meant to go back and pick out one or two to take home with me (how could I resist these colours?) but by the time I made it through the market, I was on people overload and ready to leave the bustling little village

Salt Spring is a picturesque island of musicians, artist studio’s, organic gardens, sheep farms, wineries, B&B’s, cyclists, boaters, and kyakers.  It’s a visual feast for the eyes and oozes charm from every nook and cranny.

We lunched by the ocean as we watched the sea planes take off and land in Ganges harbour… 

We sat and sipped a beautiful glass of light summer wine at a local winery, while overlooking a peaceful, pastoral valley…

We sat on the edge of the Fulford Harbour dock in the sunshine, licking an ice cream while waiting for the ferry…

and we arrived home tired and weary…but in the very best possible way.  

I don’t plan to wait another 7 years until I return!

 

There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged, to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.

Nelson Mandala

And I'm hoping that you too can take the time to play when you need to...or better yet, BEFORE you need to!

As always...thank you dear friends, for stopping by,

lens.us.together - Where I Live

I’ve joined a new group of online photographers here at Lens.Us.Together.  The project will last for 52 weeks and there are about thirty of us participating.  Our first prompt was “Where I Live”.

Where I live,

the water is our highway.

I live on Vancouver Island...a ferry ride

from the mainland of Canada's west coast.

The ocean impacts our lives in so many

ways and to some extent, defines who we are.  We're

islanders and life is a little slower here

and more laid back than on the mainlaned.

Sometimes we're called "tree huggers" and "granola crunchers"

but really, we're just passionate about our beautiful island

...and no, Birkenstocks (with or without socks) do not live in my closet!

My heart loves it here,

and that says it all!

 

 

Play well

and be kind to one another

Nostalgia and Sunshine

Last week on a sunny, summer afternoon, I took time to breathe...to slow down and step back in time.   I joined friends for afternoon tea on the lawns of Point Ellice House in Victoria.

We boarded the Harbour Ferry for a tour of the Gorge waterway.  This area of Victoria had many beautiful old homes on the water and was popular in the 19th and early 20th century as a swimming hole for Victorians 

a waterfront pavilion and swimming dock

Even though it's salt water and connected to the ocean, "the Gorge" is much warmer and ideal for swimming.

We had high tea...delicate little sandwiches, quiche, scones with jam and Devon cream, trifle, lemon cake and buttery cookies...all very British, all very Victorian and all very yummy.  (pinkies extended ladies!)

Feeling stuffed and satisfied, we spotted the croquet set sitting in an old wheelbarrow on the edge of the lawn.

The spirit of Kathleen O'Reilly must have visited us then, as we felt inexplicably drawn to play a genteel game of croquet!  (Kathleen was the daughter of the pioneer family who lived here in the mid 1800's. She had a passion for the game and  played it often with friends and family, on this very same lawn.)

After a tour of Point Ellice House...

...immersing ourselves in the history of the period

and enjoying the lovely flowers from the gardens...

..we wandered back down to the dock to bask in the sunshine until the harbour ferry returned to take us home.   It was a sweet afternoon of history and nostalgia.

Where in the world is Kate....?

We made it through our second move (in two months) and have lived to tell the tale...just one more to go...and we have four months now for the memories to fade before we do it all over again!  Climbing all those stairs...up down, up down and repeat a million times...has left me hobbling around now!

I took the photograph above, last month as I was driving north on the island to meet another blogger for lunch.  I love to stop at this lookout and see where I live...but from different perspective.  It's like that with life too...sometimes you have to step out of the frame to see the whole picture.  I thought my "readers" might enjoy seeing it too as it's always easier to get to know someone when you have an idea of where they live.  It gives another frame of reference, another piece of the puzzle.

This is Jaen and I at Merridale Cidery where we met for lunch.  It was lovely to meet another island blogger, especially one who's also interested in digital art, and we plan to do it again soon! 

The orchard at Merridale Cidery.

And on the home front...we now have a room with a view!

This was taken from our den window at high tide last evening...it's very shallow and at low tide the water empties from this part of the bay completely. 

I look out at this sweet little "rose" cottage from my bedroom window.  (It's actually much further away than it looks...the photo has been cropped). It was built in the late 1800's so it's an historic piece of the neighbourhood.  It's lovely to have views again and even as I type this, I'm looking out on the bay.

I'll post a "building" update soon...it's moving along very quickly now! 

Have a sweet, happy Sunday!

Springtime on Moss Street

Moss Street is Victoria's favourite street at this time of year.  Its lined with clouds of pink blossoming cherry trees for block after gorgeous block. As they begin to fade, the petals fall like gentle snowflakes forming a carpet of soft pink "snow" underfoot.

Each year when I see this lovely spectacle, I thank the early residents of Victoria for their foresight all those years ago .  They planted a legacy of beauty for those of us who follow, not to mention a healthy and supportive environment for birds and wildlife.

 

Reflective thoughts on this, Earth Day 2009...

Begin each day by being comfortable with yourself as you are, regardless of what you think of your contribution to the earth or to humanity. Acknowledge that you are an integral part of a changing world and that every thought, intention and action you take, matters. Change the world as you see fit or not at all. Thoughtless problems and solutions are temporary; however, thoughtful solutions are permanent. This is because when you realize the cause of the problem consciously, you will not have a need to repeat it or be intimidated by it. Ask to be part of any solution that interests you and, as you become this, grant yourself the wisdom and compassion to share the knowledge with others. That is the gift everlasting.

Pepper Lewis, The Peaceful Planet, 2008