Beneath My Feet

Meewasin Park, Saskatoon, September 2020 When I began this blog in spring there were not yet buds on the trees; now, colourful hues carpet pathways. It is a reminder of the impermanence of things --  constant changes in our natural world. For me, two seasons have swiftly passed. Curiously, in ancient Japanese tradition, there are 72 micro-seasons. That's one every five days! How could that be? I was intrigued to discover that these micro-seasons beautifully describe visual and auditory environmental recurrences such as: warblers sing in the mountains, fish emerge from ice, first cherry blossoms, caterpillars become butterflies, and so on.  It got me wondering about the many signals of change in our region throughout the year. Snow melts, ice-covered water breaks, first crocus appears, spring winds blow, grasses awaken, snow birds return, plantings sprout, fragrant lilacs bloom, thunder and lightning stirs, mosquitoes hum, berries ripen, dusty harvest begins, leaves become pain...

Road tripping, we were determined to stick to the plan and drive from northern Arizona to Albuquerque, New Mexico, before night fall. Our map informed us that we would soon pass a national park called the Petrified Forest. A split-second decision was made to spare a half hour, turn onto the dusty side road, and see if it was 'anything'. Well, it was something.  Time suddenly evaporated as we became transported to a prehistoric land. The hillsides and valley were littered with thousands of huge stone logs and fragments of petrified wood. Hundreds of millions of years ago we would have been standing in a living tropical rain forest, now transformed to desert and rock by a period of time that is not even fathomable. We could feel the calming energy of the massive agates surrounding us. Colourful translucent quartz crystals such as purple amethyst, and opaque red and yellow Jaspers, revealed themselves in the exposed, broken shards. A mere two and a half hours later, we were back ...

Drone shot of a tropical beach? If you look closely you will see that it's actually a fall gathering of Canada Geese on the river water. Lucky for them, they are able to plan their route south, yet are keeping themselves socially distanced. I spotted them when walking across one of the many bridges in our city. I don't often walk across the bridges as I'm busy getting somewhere in my car, or sometimes on my bike. When you walk you slow down. When you slow down, you see more ... and often from a new perspective. Photo: From Broadway Bridge, Saskatoon, SK, 2020

Summer's lease hath all too short a date.   ~ Shakespeare Ride, ride, ride to extend the sunlit harvest days. And, wear your whites proudly as you roll past their September 'long' expiry date. Photo: near Forestry Farm, Saskatoon, 2020

Pedestrian cross walk, Tofino, B.C., 2019 This has to be one of the most creative crosswalks I've encountered since the Beatles' Abbey Road album cover. So appropriate for the west coastal town of Tofino, B.C. -- Canada's mecca for surfers and fish enthusiasts, alike. I'm imagining that these are salmon swimming with all their might, upstream, as they migrate back to the place of their birth to spawn and start the cycle over again. The fish expend so much energy, they soon expire after their arduous journey. It seems like their life could be easier.  S ome of us need to constantly challenge ourselves to feel 'alive', hence the saying, "o nly dead fish go with the flow."   But, I think. s wimming against the current by resisting the uncertainty of life (worrying) makes life harder. Trusting that things will work out, and accepting and adapting to what is allows us to embrace life and flow with it. Everyone's circumstances are different. Ult...

Near sculpture garden at U of SK,  2020 We were surprised to have dinner guests when we took our picnic to a riverside bench. These cheeky fellows immediately surrounded us, and we were soon highly outnumbered. They curiously stood upright on their haunches, and gently nudged at our feet and ankles to let us know they had food radar! Obviously, they had training from previous bench-warmers.  We delighted in their presence and crazy antics like squeals and tumbles that provided dinner entertainment. Currently, without any pets, we miss those special interactions. But, we can find connections with animals... by feeding the squirrels, tossing bread to the pigeons in the park or to seagulls at the beach,  playing with our  neighbors ' dogs,  observing the birds in the trees or at a  bird feeder, snuggling a purring kitten , and maybe even trying a  goat yoga class  ... We have much to learn from animals. Bonding, spending time with, or just appreciati...

  Long Beach, near Tofino BC, 201 9 Ironically, even when on holiday we can feel like we need to be active all of the time. With only blue skies on Long Be ach, and  driftwood and logs forming small private coves, we decided to kick back. Humans need rest. Without it, we can be stressed or feel weighted. Give yourself permission to take a break, put your feet up,  or take a nap. Taking care of ourselves is not a selfish thing. When was the last time you did nothing? ... Not reading, not watching videos or scrolling on media, literally doing nothing. After a busy time, I'm one to say, "I can't wait to just do nothing for a while." But, I rarely step back from doing. Busy-ness can be a habit we feed into -- wanting to be productive all of the time. The importance of being should not be ignored. Try it. Do nothing. No Netflix, just chill!