Adios Testidos Banditos

I lost a special friend today 

the kind you can't replace, 

and looking at her empty bed 

I still can see her face.

I see the endless energy 

the sparkling puppy eyes, 

Not the tired, fragile friend 

I had to bid goodbye.

I remember how she'd run to me 

to play her favorite puppy game, 

And how her ears would perk right up 

When she heard me call her name.

But as those precious years went by 

And we both aged and grew, 

I'd find her often slowing down 

Yet we had still so much to do.

My Tessi was a special dog 

I know she gave her best, 

But as I looked deep into her eyes 

I knew it was time, for her to rest.

It will truly be a struggle 

I don't know how I'll face each day, 

I have to let her go--I know 

But in my heart she'll always stay.

2013! Hope it will be a good one.

Trees are much like human beings and enjoy each other's company. Only a few love to be alone.  ~Jens Jensen

It has been a while...

We returned from our trip to Arizona in late October,  November flew by and here we are in mid December already. I want to share a few titbits of our trip, but first a word from Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the US:

The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. 

Photographically Arizona did not disappoint.  My highlight was the over night expedition to White Pocket on the Paria Plateau. It was exactly as I had imagined it from seeing Art Wolfe's Travels to the Edge photo documentary. Our guides Mike (professional photographer) and Chris (outfitter) from http://thewaveandwhitepocket.com/white-pocket-tour.html were wonderful, interesting folks.

Canyon de Chelly was the other place on my Bucket List, and it too was impressive. I took the "shake'n bake" tour of the canyon floor in an open truck. The cottonwood trees glowed in the sun, but there was a fierce wind storm all that day, which blasted me raw.

Due to high winds, we abandoned the idea of kayaking Lake Powell and drove to the north rim of the Grand Canyon instead.

Monument Valley, the icon of western movies felt like a tourist trap. I did not feel a connection to the land, partly because access is restricted by the Navajo to the scenic drive and a wrong turn landed us in trouble with the natives.

The Valley of the Gods, however, was a gem. Located on BLM lands, (federally owned, but not formally managed), this miniature version of Monument Valley allowed us to park anywhere for free, and to wander at will through dry washes.












Petrified Forest National Park was a serendipitous last minute detour. Amid spectacular badlands of the Painted Desert lie logs of petrified wood, some extremely colourful and some so realistic  one would think the axeman had just finished chopping them.

Autumn reflections

Autumn is a season followed immediately by looking forward to Spring...

Burleigh Falls

I love fall, the mild days followed by crisp nights. 

          The flamboyant colours which are so ephemeral, but which call out for attention.  

                     The mature smell of vegetation just past its prime, the moist earth receiving a rich harvest of organic matter.  

                              The wind, which can be balmy, softly teasing one day, then changes overnight to a cutting blustery chill, as if to sweep the world clean.

Near Lanark

                                  This year, the fall colours crept up on us, 

                                                      they suddenly exploded in their glory 

                                                                        and then nearly overnight they were gone.

It was one of the shortest seasons I can remember.  Seeing this, I dropped what I was doing and went for a drive to soak up the fleeting beauty.

The pace of technology

Modern beaver

The beaver, unofficial emblem of Canada, has adopted new technology to allow him to stay informed and entertained. Let us hope this patriotic rodent will not succumb to the lure of the information age and neglect his work. Still, a few episodes of the National Geographic on cold winter nights might pass the time more pleasantly.

Time to reconnect as a family

We spent the Thanksgiving weekend in a cosy cottage I rented just for the 4 of us. We played games, hearts and boggle in particular, and the girls worked on their assignments. The weather was cold and windy, but the view across the lake was restful and the leaves in the forest glowed in their autumn splendour.

“Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin.”

Mother Teresa's words resonate with me; I have recently taken steps in my life in hopes of following her advice. 

And so I begin. This blog is meant to chronicle my journey, with my reflections from the past, my hopes for the future and my actions in the present.