Ways of Expression

Everyone has their own ways of expression. I believe we all have a lot to say, but finding ways to say it is more than half the battle.

~ Criss Jami

I'm tying in a bit of miscellany here. Some of this post is about creativity and some about nature. The photos are from September through November.

Back in September, Peterborough Artsweek was in full swing. That meant that we could take day tours of artists' studios all around the city and surrounding area. We could enjoy a guided nighttime tour to various downtown storefronts where local artists displayed their work. And we could wander around designated areas in town and hear live music. All for free.

On this day, I had been heading toward home from touring some of the studios with my friend, Susan when I got a text from my dear friend, Carol Anne suggesting that we wander around her part of town where Porchapalooza was taking place. This meant that everyone gathered on and around the front lawn of a designated home where they'd be entertained by various performers. As each set was done, the audience would move on to another porch, where chairs were set up for a different performance. Susan had things to do, so I was on my own.

I was a bit late to the event but caught this one local artist - Evangeline Gentle. Her music was folksy, vulnerable and very impressive. She is the recipient of Peterborough's Folk Festival's 2015 Emerging Artist Award. She defines her songs as expressing "my queer bleeding heart," and I very much enjoyed her music.






The day was cooling down and it was going to be some time between her porch performance and the next, so I decided to wander back up to where I was parked to grab some warmer clothes. I saw a small cluster of sunflowers along the way.

From somewhere nearby, I could hear music and laughter. I followed the sound over to the Ashburnham Ale House where The Three Martinis were performing their jovial musical improv.


The lead singer was this guy, Dan Fewings and I'm not sure I can express how hilarious and entertaining he was. He made songs up on the spot based on audience suggestions for "never before written songs." I snapped a few photos and discovered that in some of them, Carol Anne and Michael were visible in the background enjoying his humour while trying to get my attention. I joined them for the next hour or two of pure fun.



 


Fewings had a way of engaging the audience and passersby alike - making their very presence and activities part of the song lyrics. This tiny dancer was as entertaining as he was amused. I would most definitely see The Three Martinis again if I had the chance. Each show would be entirely different because the lyrics are made up on the spot and incredibly funny, to boot!






The Pathway of Fame is a series of markers for recognized contributors (artistic, scientific, political.. etc.) to Peterborough, such as this one for Ronnie Hawkins, which can be found through the walkways of Del Crary Park. I snapped this one while strolling with my sister, Andrea and brother-in-law, Bill when they visited in October.






This is part of the property at Whetung Ojibway Centre in Curve Lake, Ontario - about twenty kilometres from home. I accompanied Carol Anne and Michael there on their quest to find moccasins. They were both successful, and I scored a simple dream catcher necklace. The colourful totem pole is one way to continue breathing life into our trees.






Like this one which filtered the mid-morning sunshine so beautifully on an exceptionally mild November day.






On that same mild day, these fall decorations probably knew their days were numbered and that they would soon have to make way for winter and Christmas finery. I did like the sign over to the right which was welcoming felines.






Windblown leaves and discarded poppies on a front step, just outside of the Curve Lake shop. Yes, I'm all over the place with this post!






This late blooming rose was soaking up the afternoon sunshine outside of a home near my place, on the last day of October. I was out walking with my friend, Lloyd when it beckoned to my camera.






And this is how a mid-November dusk appears outside of my window. The clouds were colourful in the eastern sky.

There will be more photos coming up before too much longer.

Beneath the Trees

The morning woods were utterly new. A strong yellow light pooled beneath the trees; my shadow appeared and vanished on the path, since a third of the trees I walked under were still bare, a third spread a luminous haze wherever they grew, and another third blocked the sun with new, whole leaves. ~ Annie Dillar

Can you guess that what this post is about, you clever people? Of course you can. So there's not much of an introduction required, is there? Let's go look at some trees.

The tree is more than first a seed, then a stem, then a living trunk, and then dead timber. The tree is a slow, enduring force straining to win the sky. ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

This interesting cluster of trunks was found along the the northern shore of Chemong Lake, leading up to the causeway which crosses over the lake and into Bridgenorth, just northwest of Peterborough

All our wisdom is stored in the trees. ~ Santosh Kalwar

The sad remains of a felled soldier in one of our parks.

If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason. ~ Jack Handy

Here's a closer look at its beautiful texture.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means waste of time.

~ John Lubbock

A friend and I took a walk around town, one beautiful late summer day and we sat for a while near the waters of Little Lake.

But down deep, at the molecular heart of life we're essentially identical to trees. ~ Carl Sagan

The tree ahead of us was leaning ever so elegantly toward the water.

The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ~ Nelson Henderson

Elsewhere, this gentleman sat himself beneath the shade of the trees so that he could enjoy the company and sweetness of ducks - and a couple of gulls.

Plant trees. They give us two of the most crucial elements for our survival: oxygen and books.

~ Whitney Brown

Same park, different day and a little bit closer to the water and to nightfall.

Trees indeed have hearts. ~ Henry David Thoreau

They say you're not supposed to shoot directly into the sun. But who are "they," anyway?

Let's take our hearts for a walk in the woods and listen to the magic whispers of old trees. ~ Unknown

This photo is actually from five years ago. It resurfaced when I was looking for something else and I thought it would want to join all of the other trees in this post.

Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky. ~ Kahlil Gibran

As the sun made its way ever closer to the horizon, the scene brought a photographer into view. Along with the trees, he made an interesting silhouette against the gold of Little Lake

It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanates from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

So come and have a seat with me among the trees, and we can watch the sun go down. There will Be more photos to take tomorrow, and I'll share those with you another day.

Among Trees

I am at home among trees.

~J.R.R. Tolkien

Spring is such an enchanting season. The sun is warm. The grass is green. Flowers are blooming. And the trees have both blossoms and leaves. Let's visit some of those trees, shall we?

In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,

Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

~ Jimmy Page, Robert Plant

This wonderful view of the Otonabee River is just a few minutes on foot from my place. At the time of this photo, its trees were just beginning to fill out with that lovely early verdant hue which I often refer to as "virgin green." It's a short-lived period of time, but when that early or late-day sunshine hits the leaves, the colourful sight is magical.

A tree is beautiful, but what's more, it has a right to life; like water, the sun and the stars, it is essential. Life on earth is inconceivable without trees.

~ Anton Chekhov

See what I mean? We were getting close to sundown one evening, last week. There were a large number of photographers out by Little Lake and I soon learned that a camera club had selected this location for their outing. They chose a good place and time as lots was happening in and around the waters but that will appear in another post.

In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect. Trees can be contorted, bent in weird ways, and they're still beautiful.

~ Alice Walker

Back in April, I headed back to my old haunts in Mississauga for a few days. While visiting with my past neighbours Caroline and Lloyd, we took a walk around the lake which yielded so many of my photo subjects back in the day. This tree has always been a favourite of mine. Over the years it has changed considerably as it has lost its branches but it still provides shelter for small creatures. Many a bird have dined on insects from its bark.

And see the peaceful trees extend

their myriad leaves in leisured dance-

they bear the weight of sky and cloud

upon the fountain of their veins.

~ Kathleen Raine

Another favourite is the weeping willow which towers over the dock. It lost a lot of its branches in an ice storm a couple of winters back but it persists as a beautiful landmark on Lake Wabukayne. It was a hazy day and the sun was having difficulty breaking through.

If what I say resonates with you, it is merely because we are both branches on the same tree.

~ W. B. Yeats

The newly-emerging leaves framed the hazy sun quite nicely.

On pavements and the bark of trees I have found whole worlds.

~ Mark Tobey

One last tree from that walk. This squirrels had begun shredding the bark when I lived here. They have clearly made good work of it since I've been gone. I imagine that the bark makes for good nesting material.

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they have to live than other things do.

~ Willa Cather

Back in Peterborough, a few weeks ago, this flash of red caught my eye from a distance. I can't say that I've ever noticed the Christmas bow up in the tree before, and now that the tree is in full leaf, it's unlikely that I will again.

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.

~ Albert Einstein

Although the bright bow caught my eye, the soft colours of new life caught my breath.

Trees are as close to immortality as the rest of us ever come.

~ Karen Joy Fowler

A couple of weeks back, I saw this guy inching his way along a less-than-sturdy branch which reaches out over the water and directly above some large, jagged rocks. I could hear the branch creaking with his every movement and my heart mimicked his progression by edging its way toward my throat.

All our wisdom is stored in the trees.

~ Santosh Kalwar

Thankfully, he decided to abandon his mission.

To be without trees would, in the most literal way, to be without our roots.

~ Richard Mabey

But then his buddy took up the cause. He didn't get quite as far as the other guy before he realized it was too risky. What was their quest?

The story of the tree is written on every leaf.

~ Marty Rubin

All I could see was this but they said that there was also a forty dollar fishing lure toward the end of the branch which would have never held their weight. I'm glad they determined that their safety was worth more than the lure.

Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky.

~ Kahlil Gibran

So many blossoms in bloom. The colours are both soft and vibrant. What season could possibly beat spring for beauty? Well, maybe summer. Perhaps autumn. Nah.. let's just enjoy the spring.

"Listen to the trees talking in their sleep," she whispered, as he lifted her to the ground. "What nice dreams they must have!"

~ L.M. Montgomery

The brief blushing blossoms of the striking magnolia tree.

A tree against the sky possesses the same interest, the same character, the same expression as the figure of a human.

~ Georges Rouault

No matter how early or late our spring season begins, the lilacs always manage to be in full bloom on May 21st. I have noted this every year since 1988 on the approaching occasion of my late in-laws, June and Ken's golden anniversary. June fondly recalled how there were freshly cut lilacs on the tables at her wedding on that date, fifty years earlier. They thought we were just going out to dinner to celebrate that night but we threw a surprise party in their honour at our home. I made sure there were plenty of lilacs from our tree on the table. To this day, I think of them when those lilacs are in bloom.

When the time has come, every leaf turns to face the sun!

~ Akilnathan Logeswaran

These are the russet leaves of the red maple trees as they make their first appearance in spring. The foliage will show off its true scarlet brilliance in autumn. These backlit beauties were wind-dancing for me in the early evening.

More photos coming up before too long.

Dreamful Autumn

Pale amber sunlight falls across

The reddening October trees....

Are we not better and at home

In dreamful Autumn, we who deem

No harvest joy is worth a dream?

A little while and night shall come,

A little while, then, let us dream...

~Ernest Dowson

A few days ago, a friend asked me if I wanted to join her for a drive out to nearby Warsaw, Ontario for the opportunity to snap some autumn photos. Well you know me - I didn't need my arm twisted. I charged up my battery and off we headed to the countryside.

Take heart and dive into the quiet maturity of autumn. ~ Kristian Goldmund Aumann

It wasn't the town itself which drew us so much as the drive there.

The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ~ Henry Beston

The day had started off sunny but by the time we left, it was mostly cloudy - making the fleeting appearances of sunshine all the more treasured.

I am struck by the simplicity of light in the atmosphere in the autumn, as if the earth absorbed none, and out of this profusion of dazzling light came the autumnal tints. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Barns tend to look beautiful no matter the season - but especially so in autumn.

It was a beautiful bright autumn day, with air like cider and a sky so blue you could drown in it. ~ Diana Gabaldon

This road kept getting narrower and narrower until we reached a point where we realized that the only way out was to back up.

Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year. ~ Chad Sugg

Even the already-bare trees looked beautiful.

Let us not forget that the cultivation of the earth is the most important labor of man. When tillage begins, other arts will follow. The farmers, therefore, are the founders of civilization. ~ Daniel Webster

Traffic jam - country style.

Autumn that year painted the countryside in vivid shades of scarlet, saffron and russet, and the days were clear and crisp under harvest skies. ~ Sharon Kay Penman

A cozy-looking scene.

Autumn carries more gold in its pocket than all the other seasons. ~ Jim Bishop

There certainly was a wealth of gold.

I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers. ~ L.M. Montgomery

We kept pulling over to the side of the road whenever one of these visual treasures dazzled our eyes.

Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees. ~ Faith Baldwin

We first stopped here when the sun was hiding and it was rather anti-climatic. As we were about to get back into the car, the sun teased us by filtering its light through the hazy clouds giving us this colourful treat.

The fallen leaves in the forest seemed to make even the ground glow and burn with light. ~ Malcolm Lowry

This scene seemed to radiate its own heat - almost.

It's a beautiful fall day. Gentle wind teases stubborn autumn leaves. Some defy the gentle wind and sway. A taunting dance. Come with me and look at the magnificence of the last dance. ~ Fidelis O. Mkparu

One tree bearing every autumn colour you could imagine.

There is something incredibly nostalgic and significant about the annual cascade of autumn leaves. ~ Joe L. Wheeler

A lovely wall of orange.

Horses make a landscape look beautiful. ~ Alice Walker

These beauties were out enjoying the autumn sunshine.

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom. ~ Sharon Ralls Lemon

The young one was curious about the stranger talking to them and clicking photos.

A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open. ~ Gerald Raftery

Somebody must have rung the dinner bell.

Now Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods. And day by day the dead leaves fall and melt. ~ William Allingham

A welcoming entrance way into the field.

Take this drink as a token of my disrepute and spin that hay tonight and tomorrow it will be shining golden bright in whatever heavy delirious weave you wish to make. ~ Initially NO

Hay, we're all done here.

It's been trickier for me to get around to visiting your blogs as often as I used to but I do hope to stop by to catch up shortly. Until then, thanks for joining me through the southern Ontario countryside.