CB&WC: Trees

September 21, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Much has been written in praise of a tree, the promise of roots, the elegance of branches I am awed by a tree’s durability – how it adapts no matter the conditions how it bears its scars with silent grace, remains steadfast in its presence – no matter where I’ve travelled, the tree is a […]

CFFC: Vibrant

September 21, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Say vibrant, and immediately my mind goes to flowers – Nature’s beauty expressed in so many colours. Some times vibrant is a choice, a pick-me-up, or as in this case, the colour of a pick up: And vibrant can be a personality expressing the sheer joy of just being, even with a runny nose: (Cee’s […]

Clouds and Shadows

September 20, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

I find myself drawn to clouds, trying to capture their essence. How, at times they rise, like sculptures of the gods… or how they dissipate, leaving wispy trails in their wake – not wanting to let go. I remember cloudless skies of Arizona – the perfection of blue crowning our days. It is that […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #16: Shadows

September 17, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

To contemplate is to look at shadows. – Victor Hugo A child, when first encountering its shadow, might at first feel fear. Later, she will experience fascination as she discovers that shadows stretch and play at her command. Carl Jung suggests that the shadow is representative of those parts of self that are suppressed and […]

An End to Irony

September 16, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Life is full of irony, or so it feels when that is foremost on one’s mind. Here are just some of the ways that irony has played a role this week: Concerned that the hotel we were staying at was pet-friendly (and I am deadly allergic to cats), we made distancing ourselves from animals the […]

Discovering Ottawa: Manotick

September 15, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

We are drawn to Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, to visit with friends. Arriving early, we decide to check out Watson’s Mill along the Rideau river. Unfortunately, as it is off-season, the mill is not open this day, however there is still plenty to explore. Next to the mill is a Veteran’s Memorial Garden with […]

Photo A Week: Water

September 15, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Water, I confess, holds me in its spell – I would follow it across the land from the Oregon coast, and ocean swell to the Arizona rivers, oh so grand: Set me by a waterfall and I will swoon, mesmerized by such awesome power, even deafened by its thunderous boom, I could watch the motion […]

Stoic Hunter?

September 13, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Who is more stoic than the Great Blue, stealthily enduring rocks and rapids to catch the day’s meal? Appearances, however, have been known to deceive… seems this bird is no emotional void, no paragon of strength, but a closet thespian – caught him, mid rehearsal – aspiring to a phantom role – of the opera variety. (Written […]

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge: Fences

September 11, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Fences? My first reaction was that I avoid fences in my photography, and now that we’ve moved into a neighbourhood without them, I will not be able to participate. Then, I revisited old photographs, and what do you know? Fences! The featured image is a garden gate at the Butchart Botanical Gardens in Victoria, B.C. The […]

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #15: Irony

September 10, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Is it just me, or is there irony in the idea of a museum of tolerance – as if the concept itself, now defunct, has been mummified for perusal? Life is full of ironies, and sometimes it takes an objective view to find them. As a kid, I found it ironic that my father would […]