Song for Friday...lovely

From the first time I saw Lisa Hannigan's video of 'I don't know' in
Dickie Macs pub in Dingle, she had me.
Now she's stolen my heart again with her new cd 'Passenger'.
Right now my favorite song is a lovely ballad called 'Paper House'.

"Oh we walked in a hallowed place back then,
on the edge of Dublin,
on the edge of May and June.
Oh to live in a paper house again,
where we grew by the light of the moon."

Unearthed...

We had been buried under rich forest soil, leaves and moss for many years...

And then on a warm October day, we heard it!

The footsteps and rustling above us...someone was digging us out!

A curious woman who saw the glint of glass in the sun, poking out the side of the creek bank.

She brought us up into the light, wrapped us gently in her jacket and took us home.

We looked a bit rough after all this time.

Some of us dating back to the 1930's...

Rain and snow and mud covered our shine and kept us hidden from view.

Dirt became embedded in our creases...

Then she stood us all up in a line to get a good look at us...

Maybe we look a bit rough now, but back in the day!...Oh we were bright!

And important!

Placed high up on shelves, we had purpose!

Coloured liquids filled us up, medicine, perfume, food and whiskey!

We had special tasks...each and everyone of us, until one by one, we were emptied,

tossed into the dump and eventually plowed over the banks of the creek.

Long forgotten, some of us broken beyond repair and recognition.

Until this fine Monday afternoon, when Lady Luck smiled on us and brought us back to life!

Cleaned us up with warm soapy water, man! did it feel good!

Now we sit gleaming in the sun with new life...

Even one of our little corks was saved...

Re purposed once again, even if it's just for show...

Just knowing that somebody out there cares!

What a day!

On Sundays....

Today is Monday and the traffic on my road is back to it's weekly routine...the school bus

rumbles by, commuters make their way into the village and the city, service vehicles driving

to and fro. There's the distant sound of machinery and the general sounds of 

a work day begin in earnest.

I don't usually walk Griffin along this road during the week, it being a bit busy with

no safe shoulder .

But Sunday....glorious Sunday morning!!

 I can feel at ease strolling right down the middle of the road and all is quiet...

We've had some fairly good frosty mornings and this early time of day shows

off the magic before the warmth takes it all away...

This time of year, people around here burn yard debris which has piled up all summer.

Forest fire season has passed so it's safe to have big bonfires during these cool crisp days.

The lingering smoke,  along with an atmospheric condition called an 'inversion',

plays with the cool fog and the rising sun and is music to my eyes...

It's this quiet time of morning when most are still in bed, lazy with their Sunday morning dreams

when I love to get out. I can hear the birds...see things before the rest of the world wakes up...

This turkey vulture quietly scanning the road for a morning snack.

And when I went back after the sun was up, he was still there, patiently keeping a vigil

on some deer remains left behind by a hunter...

As each minute went by, the light changed again and again.

Places where I had stood 10 minutes before in the dusky grey morning, were transformed

into warm, bursts of sunrise...

A bush where I had walked past, was now adorned with silky bits of web, hidden before in the dark...

Tom and I were supposed to go into the woodlot to cut firewood but at 5:45 a.m, the old

work truck thought better of that and didn't want to start.

So there I was, making lemonade from lemons, enjoying the peace, thinking

of my sister...her and Steve would have celebrated 18 years of marriage this weekend.

It's a time of day that I relish.

I collect my thoughts, remember dreams, think of great things to create and generally

solve all of the problems of the world...

Maybe next Sunday the truck will be in a better mood with a new starter and we'll see 

what's beyond the logging road gates.

I remembered a beautiful spot on the river up this road many years ago before 

they locked up all public access. Now only for a short time, they allow you in

to gather wood, leftovers from logging. For $20 you can go in for about 7 hours

and gather and cut what you can fit in your truck.

Stay tuned, but in the meantime, enjoy the quiet...

harvest time...

Sometimes I spot an absolutely perfect photo op...

This time it was a gorgeous autumn day and the pumpkins were out in all their glory!

... basking in the October sun...

How could you not love all of those bald orange heads!

 ...just waiting to be picked, taken home, carved and

 to be the one shining it's light through a dark, fall evening ...

...or maybe turned into a thousand pies!

Nothing signals the end of October like these giants of all veggies...

There they sit in fields and gardens, after months of care and attention...

 ...along with crisp apples, the last of the harvest.

And just like that, I woke this morning to frigid air.

As I walked with Griffin, my breath swirled around in the morning light.

A light frost covered the leaves.

Is it really time to say goodbye to summer?

I would say so!

Hello to my woolen hats and gloves.

Don the leather boots and light the stove.



"They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;

But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur’ that no painter has the colorin’ to mock—

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder’s in the shock."

James Whitcomb Riley



Song for Friday...autumn

Van the Man making magic once again.

Have a great weekend all...

Thanks Giving...

This weekend we had a full house with family.

They came from the mainland  to celebrate a birthday, to eat, to drink, to tell stories and to 

be thankful for being able to share a few precious days together.

We joined the five other cousins, my younger brother and his wife who live close by,

as well as my older brother from the mainland.

The forecast was for rain but high above us the sun brought warmth 

and a gentle breeze, just the kind of day we hoped for.
You see we had another purpose for this beautiful autumn Sunday.
Down through the woods we scrambled...

... past the slough and over the little bridge...

Although most of the family was there, one was missing.
We came down here accompanied by her spirit.
To mark her life in yet another way.

We have been choosing places that my sister loved and scattering ashes here and there.
Some of her ashes will be upon the sand on this part of the coast.

Tracy loved to bring the dogs and kids to the seashore and let them run.
"Oh they'll sleep good tonight!" we'd say as we watched from our seats on big
abandoned logs.
Today the cousins were reunited once again and played together inventing
games in the leftover forts of someone else's day at the beach.

It always intrigues me how children just 'are' with each other.
As soon as they're out of the van, they're running and playing and telling
each other stories as if they were together only yesterday.

...already making plans for the next time they can be together.
We explain to them the reasons for coming here today and, although not grasping
the full understanding, they know that we are a family who are missing a piece
and making it possible for us all to have somewhere to come to feel closer to her.

Steve has been so generous with his efforts to allow us into this most difficult part of his life.
He has made this trip over here several times now, knowing how much we all want to remain close.
We all have different roles in each others lives now and he truly understands how
important the bond is and will continue to be in the coming years.

For those of us who come down to this beach often, it will remain an adventurous playground...

...but will also be a place to quietly keep Tracy close by.

Today I sit here in the house with the rain pouring down outside and once again I am
so thankful to have had such a perfect day to add another goodbye on this journey.

' You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.'

(Anonymous)