Saturday, 31 January 2015
Winter
Wednesday, 28 January 2015
The Girl in the Tree
I turned east today on my beach walk, a direction I seldom take as it is more manufactured park
than natural beach but it does lead to better things if one perseveres.
I walked on the Boardwalk which is neither board nor do many actually walk.
I was passed by many joggers puffing their way to their eventual knee and hip surgeries.
Decked out in the latest spandex, wires dangling from their ears, sucking water bottles and
grimacing with effort while checking their pulse.
Why are you here?
Did you not see the flowers, do you not feel the wonder of the woods?
Did you not see the Great Blue Heron standing in the shallows?
Did you see the Girl in the Tree?
A Dinghy "Walk"
No walk on the beach today.
I am at the Toronto Islands on the boat for the weekend and the beach there is
not one of my favorites being clothing optional.
I am not a prude but some behaviors are best left to others.
Instead, I took the dinghy and puttered through the canals to Wards Island where
some folk still cling to the few homes spared from demolition by those who would
turn it all into the ersatz parkland of concrete benches and manicured grass.
There is a little bridge where you must duck your head to get under and then you are
in another world where time stood still and the developers have not intruded.
The water is clear, weeds hide fish, turtles sleep on logs and the sun peeks through
the leaves of tall trees. Soon, too soon, I approach the older homes that remain from
an earlier time. There is an old dock and I spy a Snowy Egret with lunch in his beak.
Though the rest of my quiet ride is enjoyable, the sighting of the Egret makes my day
memorable.
A Beach Walk
There are many things to do while beach walking,,,,look at birds, study the sand, view clouds and boats on the horizon. But, in the midst of it all this activity, frequently the most important thing is to do nothing. Sit for awhile on a bench; delight in the day's beauty, the breeze, the sunshine and how lucky you are to be here now. I forget for the moment the frenetic bustle of life and delight in the sound of waves, the wind and enjoy only the moment.
Walking the beach has always restored my mind and my soul.
Beach Glass
It was cloudy and dark walking the beach today and the wind off the lake was chill. One bright spot of sunshine though was that my granddaughter walked with me today. We looked for beach glass, those remnants of long ago beach parties when we carelessly tossed bottles and thought not of tomorrow. Today those shards have been tumbled by the surf, sometimes for decades, until they are now frosted pebbles in green, brown and clear.
We found a few today of each colour, and I enjoyed her thrill of discovery, but the rare aquamarine of early Coca Cola bottles and the rarer blue of Noxema jars eluded us.
They are hiding there, on the beach, for another day and another walk.
The Black Swan
I walked the West Spit today.
Most of the leaves are gone and the wind carries a hint of winter to come.
The last of the migratory birds are passing through and soon we will have
only those that have adapted to winter here. The swans are amongst those
that winter over in our bay. Their numbers are swollen by others that come
here from nearby harbours less winter friendly. Mute Swans with their bulbous
noses and the elegant Whistling Swan are both here to winter over.
Today I spot a rarity, a Black Swan is amongst the group of almost fifty.
They are native to Australia and the Indian Ocean so I can only surmise that this one
is an escapee from a zoo or private pond. The others keep him away from the main
pack yet he stays as close as possible, cautiously seeking company.
Nature is cruel, he will not be accepted.
I hope he enjoys his taste of freedom for I doubt that he will adapt to the cold
nor learn to forage before he is too weak to survive.
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