A lovely cool morning to check out the progression of the season at two of my favourite spots – Fortune Lake and the pond near Parking Lot, P8. Arriving at around 7:30 a.m I discover that I’m not really ‘early’: The cyclists were already gathering in P8 and filling up the parking lot. Also, I […]
Everything really was just so ordinary. Waiting in a parking lot in Meech Creek Valley to set out on a hike. Wildflowers in the ditches and surrounding the lot. All just so ordinary. And yet, the sun was shining on it all at a low angle drawing my attention, and everything was covered in moisture […]
I feel such relief now that the heat has finally broken. It smothered me and discouraged any enthusiasm for any real hiking, and sadly, photo taking. I was in survival mode – walking only in the very early morning and to spots where there was some water for Callum to drink and to cool off. […]
Callum and I had just finished walking the North Loop and were checking out if the Geese and goslings were hanging out. The sun had just fallen below the escarpment and the mosquitoes were pestering both of us. Yet it felt so peaceful. I literally could feel my body settle and my lungs expand and […]
The last time I was in the Gatineau Park was March 23, 2020. I had planned on going spring skiing the next day as it would be sunny and warm, and the snow cover was still solid. Sadly, the Park was closed to any use on Monday March 23, at 9 pm that evening […]
I haven’t been outdoors hiking or skiing for 4 days, and today, noticed the impact on me: I’ve been living in my head, which, in my experience, is the worst place for me to be. I’ve allowed myself to be addicted to ‘knowing what’s going on’ to the point that I watch all the news […]
I received Carrie Newcomer’s March newsletter yesterday which included a lovely new poem. I didn’t know Carrie until Parker Palmer introduced her to me – the two of them collaborate on a number of ventures. Carrie is an American singer-songwriter, poet, author at the intersection of folk, Americana and progressive spirituality. I love her music […]
This was a great week for me – four outings in the Gats and two of them with my dog! Today Callum and I hiked back to the Carmen Lake lookout where we’d been on Wednesday afternoon, but this time we went in at dusk and came out by the light of the full moon. […]
I don’t usually ski on the weekends, but the morning after a heavy snowfall, such as this morning, I can’t hold myself back, especially this year when there’s been so much rain ruining the ski conditions. I like to avoid the crowds. My story is that they’ll interfere with my ‘communion with nature’. This morning […]
I ‘ve been sort of ‘grounded’ for the past 10 days, living with a cold and laryngitis, so today it felt important to become ‘grounded’ in a more positive way, before stepping into our family Christmas celebration. So, Callum and I went for a hike in the Gats. We didn’t see another soul as we […]
