I’ve walked past this particular huckleberry for years but it was only yesterday I noticed the extraordinary lesson it was offering.
A metaphor of rootedness perhaps?
The stump that offered it life, and a strong base for its young life, has rotted quite thoroughly and is continuing to fall away, yet the strong roots continue to hold the huckleberry steady.
What a marvel! I’m going to think on this… but meanwhile, I wonder what it says to you?
After a few good strong winds the beach is littered with fresh driftwood offerings… and some unexpected treasures. My eye was drawn at first by the marvellous tangle of roots. All the roots have been washed free of soil though likely on closer inspection there’ll be a few rocks and stones amidst th tangle. But it was a the treasure amidst the mess that my eyes finally rested on: the white bench, looking mostly, if not fully, intact. I wonder where it’s come from in its journey through the tides, and how it came to rest here, and who sat on it, and what stories it carries….
If you can’t identify this small treasure, look in the lower right of the frame amidst the logs….
As the sun filters through the canopy, a bit of light falls on the huckleberry…. Moment by moment, as we walk through the forest, small beauties and larger ones are lit up. I never tire or walking the trail, as its always different as the angle of light shifts with the time of day, and with the seasons. Even on gloomy or rainy days, a walk in the forest trail is a deep joy.
Walking at the Bluffs in the winter, even on an overcast, drizzly day, offers a feast of colour, texture and shape. The trees are clothed in mosses, and draped with lichens. Here what caught my eye was the twists and curves of the Garry Oak. They were almost luminous with the deep greenness of the mosses, though much darker than the tangle of lichen covered branches in the foreground.
When the clouds are hanging low, the trails in Bluffs Park take on a different and more mysterious look. The mossy beauty is awesome. This particular trail (Moss Trail) winds through a spectacular portion of open forest, and is a visual treat on a foggy day. Or any day!
While the clouds were hanging low, and the incessant drizzle tempted us to stay inside by the fire, the awareness there was a new trail to explore drew us out. We put on our best wet weather gear and headed for the spot we'd heard of, and were rewarded with a magnificent adventure, getting yet another perspective on our lovely island.
The trail curved downwards through large cedars and firs, ferns and salal, and then a patch of wetland, before emerging on the sloping sandstone of the north east coast of Galiano. Though the trail isn't long it took us some time, as we kept stopping to admire the curves and shapes and the rich beauty around us,
Today's a dull and rainy day, so I've been looking back through photos from last year about this time. This one is to me hugely appealing. The mystery of what's just around the bend...
I love the frosty rosehips, and the dried grasses that bound the trail: soft wintery colours.
Each morning, when I take the dog out for her first walk of the day, I venture out to the Point for a clear view of the morning’s light. If it has rained at all, I note the measurement in the rain gauge, and then empty it for the next 24 hour monitoring. And I take photos.
Every day is so different —the light, the angle of the sun, the patterns and textures of the clouds, the tide’s height in its constant ebb and flow, the way the waves are meeting the shore, the presence of various shore birds, gulls, otters and seals. Occasionally, on a very still morning, my attention is caught by the breath sounds of a humpback whale, and I see the spray of it’s powerful exhalation far out in the distance.
For over a year I’ve been documenting the mornings under the title ‘The Point this morning’. I had intended to do my photo project only for the 6 months from winter solstice to summer solstice, to note the wide varying of the sun’s position at sunrise. But these daily photo glimpses became such an important part of my day’s beginning, I carried on. Now, I can't bear to give it up so I’m thinking I will contimue for the time being and see what happens...
The curves and lines in this image have been intriguing me since I captured it on Friday.
What keeps me looking is the contrast between the long clean lines that have been so carefully drawn in this garden, and the rough 'imperfect' lines and curves of the tree and its shadow. The intersection of these lines— their juxtaposition— provokes all sorts of thoughts for me.
I wonder what it suggests to you?
