Category Archives: Poetry

Photography, Poetry

Come Sit With Me

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ChutesProvincialPark_2705

Come sit with me

By the meandering stream

That flows through the forest

Listen to the water

Flowing freely among the rocks

Listen to the wind

Singing in the tree tops

Inhale the rich earthly smell

Of the forest around us

See the dainty wildflowers

Nodding in the wind

An array of vibrant color

A moss coloured log

Lies before us

Rich in green and brown

Slowly being reclaimed

Back to the earth

The voice of a songbird

Singing his colourful melodies

Amongst  the low growing shrubs

Declaring  his everlasting love

To his nearby mate

High up in a Red Pine

A noisy red squirrel

Chatters and scolds a chipmunk

With puffed out cheeks

Sitting  on a stump

A cotton tail rabbit

Hops into the clearing

Feeding along the forest edge

Always alert to danger

A chorus of song

Can be heard by the stream

It is the music of frogs

Quietly a whitetail doe

Steps from the forest

Approaches the streams edge

Alert for danger

She turns her head

Two spotted fawns emerge

From the forest shadows

To join their watchful mother

The doe lowers its muzzle

To the clear cold stream

Quenching her thirst

As the fawns explore

Then silently as they came

They faded into the woods

Evening is fast approaching

The woods are darkening

The sun is lowering

Soon to be gone

Shadows have lengthening now

It is time to head home

The trail beckons us

The stars will guide us

On our journey home

This poem is about slowing life down and enjoying the intimate world of nature.

To enjoy your surroundings and a relaxing way to observe the woods in your area away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The above photo was taken in Chutes Provincial Park.

There was a nice bit of color on the far shoreline.

Using the rocks in midstream of the Aux Sable River as my lead in I created the above composition.

Well the weather has changed here to rain and in the upcoming week snow flurries. The temperatures are now dropping.

So until next time happy trails

Photography, Poetry

A Mind in Time

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Recollet_2653

Sitting upon a flat rock

As I relax on a warm

Summer evening

The sound of running water

Is music to my ears

The sun is lowering

Towards the westerly sky

The French River is cascading

Over the historic Recollet Falls

The portage before me

Brings thoughts of ages past

As my mind goes back in time

An Ojibwa warrior dressed in skins

Appears around the bend

With his birch bark canoe

Upon his broad shoulders

Followed by his  wife

Packing over their belongings

Two young children laughing

And giggling as they near

The end of the portage

The canoe is soon loaded

The warrior, paddle in hand

Looks at his children

Seated among their belongings

With a smile on his face

He tells them gi zah gin

As he launches the canoe

Into the flowing river

To quietly disappear around

The next river bend.

The evening lighting was dwindling

As I looked around me

The shadows were creeping upon

The surrounding hillsides

A mist appears on the river

The French River ever flowing

As it has for many ages past

Well that is it for now. A great time to be photographing. The Fall colors are still coming on. The weather is co-operating for the most part. Until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

Gichigami ( Open Water )

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_MG_3146

Gichigami

A land of raw beauty

With hidden coves

And beckoning bays

For the wayward traveller

Wind swept shorelines along

The moody blue waters

Of a large inland sea

Mist shrouded hills

As far as the eye can see

A land born of fire and ice

In an age long past

The flow of molten lava

Sculptured the ever changing terrain

A receding glacier that

Gorged and marred the surface

Scaring the exposed bedrock

A land of low rounded hills

After eons of erosion

A broken coastline constantly

Pounded by relentless waves

And ever changing winds

To create a land of raw beauty

The shallow soils of

The worn down hills

Are home to the Jack Pine

That dominate the horizon

White Birch and White Spruce

Cover the slopes of the hills

The tea stained waters

Of the coastal streams

Wild and rugged as they flow

Swiftly through rocky terrain

To join the inland sea

This is a land of raw beauty

At the mercy of Gichigami

A huge inland sea

Called Lake Superior

I am on my last day at the French River Visitor Center. So until next time happy trails

Photography, Poetry

Brilliance Of Color

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CameronFalls_0142

Late evening of a warm summer day

The sky is cloudless

The sun is low

Somewhere  on a Northern river

The river runs low

The water is pure

The boulders turn chromatic

The scene becomes dramatic

The slow moving water

Is saturated with color

A reflection of gold

With a splashing of blue

The surrounding rocks

Glowing from the diffusion

Of the surrounding colors

Creating a spell-bounding scene

The evening light is fading

The brilliance of color

Lost in the shadows

Of the oncoming night

The composition above is a dramatic micro scene that can be found in and around waterfalls.

You have to look close to find them.

They are  something to behold.

More so when you have it up on your computer screen

Keep a sharp eye out.

On Saturday May 11, I will be at the Rubber Boots Festival in Noelville , Ontario.

I will be set up from 12:00 to 6:00 in the arena with my photographic works

Along with my books.

For more info on the Rubber Boot Festival  go here

http://rubberbootsfestival.com/festival-2013/

While I was in Noelville I checked out the Backstreet Gallery

Great gallery to visit.

http://frcic.com/the-backstreet-gallery/

Well that is it for now.

The weather is beautiful here now

Until next time happy trails

Photography, Poetry

Nature’s Spirituality

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Johnscreek

You have had a bad day

Your body is tensed

Nothing has gone right

It is time to relax

Off you go along the woodland trail

Following a meandering stream

Till you come upon a pool.

Scrambling carefully across the rocks

Made slippery by splashing water

You edge down by the pool

Unlacing your hiking boots

Slowly easing your feet

Into the cool pool water

The stream is cascading

Over water smoothed rocks

To drop into the pool

Close your eyes momentarily

Listen to the sound

Of the ever flowing stream

Splashing and bubbling

Every fibre in your body

Slowly loosens to the rhythm

Of the small stream movements

You are now part of the spirituality

That a person feels

When you let go

To the senses of Nature

That completely surrounds you.

This is one of my favourite photos. The color, texture and form of the rocks are captivating. The yellow and orange lichen. The yellow leaves can only add to the appeal of this scene. The scene was captured on John’s Creek at the ladder. This small falls drops down in elevation in a series of drops like rungs on a ladder. The hills close in fairly tight. While that is it for now. So until next time, happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

Out of The Mist

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Morning is slowly evolving

From the darkness of night

The wind is calm

A heavy mist is present

Over the ever flowing river

Islands and rocky points

Can barely be seen

The strains of song

Muted in the mist

Becoming louder and louder

With each passing moment

The dip of paddles

In rhythm with song

Can now be heard

The sudden parting of mist

Reveals the misty outline

Of an elegant Montreal canoe

Paddled by stalwart voyageurs

Singing to the rhythm

Of their glistening paddles

The mist suddenly closes

The sound of voices

Receding in the distance

Ghosts from times long past

The sun has crested

Chasing the far shadows

Sunlight pierces the mist

A refreshing breeze blows

Dissolving the morning mist

The river having revealed

Its ancient history

Leaving one spellbound

To have been part

Of that long ago past

The idea of this poem came to me when I spoke to a number of local people on the French River.They talked of almost hearing voices on the French River on certain days.With that in mind I created this poem.

The French River is steeped in history.This river was the main transportation route by the First Nation people,early explorers,Jesuit Missionaries,Voyageurs and much later the lumber men.
Well that is it for now.Thank you for comments.So until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

I Am

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I am a White Pine

Perched high on a ridge

With a panorama view

Of the pristine waters

That flow below me

I am a prodigy

Of Mother Nature

I am old before my time

Stunted,bent and twisted

By the ravages of time

My roots like tentacles

Struggle to gain hold

On the rocky ledge

I am deprived of nutrients

In the shallow soil

I am a perch

For my feathered friends

A squirrel feeds on my seeds

But I am strong in spirit

With the will to survive

The above photo was taken at the Cranberry Bog in Killarney Provincial Park.The small pine tree attracted me along with the granite rocks.Using the grass and Lilly pads as a lead-in I created the above composition.

I would like to thank everyone for visiting and for those who have left a comment,thank you.So until next time happy trails.

 

 

 

Photography, Poetry

Streamside

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Sitting by a pool
Of a slow moving stream
Not a breath of air
Stirs amongst the trees
Wispy clouds floating overhead
A Swallow-tailed butterfly yellow and black
Skims the water’s surface
The mosquitoes and black flies
Are now abundant
With the approach of dusk
Sunlight filtering through the trees
Brush the stream side shrubs
With a touch of gold

The pool is now
Like a painter’s canvas
Reflecting the surrounding landscape
Of yellow and green
A scene of beauty and harmony
To be one with nature

My good friend Gerard Leduc and I traveled up the Westbranch behind Webbwood   a few days ago.It was a beautiful evening to be out.As we drove along the Wakanasin River,we noted the low water levels.Our first stop was Gordon Chutes to allow Gerard to do some photographing.

We continued our journey North.Every once in awhile a logging truck passed us in cloud of dust.This meant we had to pull over until there was visibility.Being early in the evening we were in no hurry and at about the 80 km mark we pulled over for supper.I always carry a cooler of food,thermos of tea and my camp chair.We had parked by a small lake.Spending a relaxing half hour here,we soon head back the way we came.

I had a location at a small stream that I was trying to get a good photo.The problems had always been  with the wind,water level too high or the lighting was  just bad .After a very short hike off the road we arrived at the said location.The water level was good allowing for a nice reflection.The wind was non exiting.The lighting was awesome.

The result was the above photo.By watching your lighting as the sun dips further to the horizon you can observe different effects as to what the lighting will do to the landscape.By taken many shots you can determine the composition you like best.This particular composition took 2 years to accomplish.Patience is the name of the game.

It was not long before we lost the lighting effects.Packing up our gear we headed back to the truck knowing that maybe we had some good photos to work with.

Well that is it for now.So until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

La Cloche Mountains

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Like strokes of a Painter’s brush

A swath of color here

A dash of color there

The mountains come alive

In the early morning light

The surface of the lake

Awash in reflective color

Of the surrounding hills

A touch of mist

On the far shoreline

Fallen leaves drifting aimlessly

Before the morning breeze

As the sun emerges

Over the eastern horizon

Splashing its golden glow

On the emerging mountains

From the shadows of night

A far rocky point is awash

With tentacles of sunlight

The sun now reaching

The depths of the shoreline

The trees alive with morning light

A small pine tree

Alone on a near point

Glowing from the sunlight

Like a warning beacon

To attract passing canoeists

Thus concludes a wonderful

Fall morning to be found

Amongst the La Cloche Mountains

The above photo captured what is a common site in the La Cloche Mountain Range on a beautiful Fall Morning.The mountains are awash in there colors of orange,red and yellow along with the various shades of green.It something to cherish when you can have this opportunity to enjoy this wilderness beauty.To breath in the cool crisp air and smell the surrounding forest in your nostrils.

The photo was taken at O S A Lake in Killarney Provincial Park.This beautiful lake is nestled amongst the La Cloche Mountains.Well that is it for this week.Thank you everyone for stopping by for a visit.Until next time happy trails.

Photography, Poetry

The Legacy of a Pine Tree

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A dry warm wind

Caresses the rocky shoreline

Of a far Northern lake

Upon the wind a seed

from an open pine cone

Is borne along

To settle among the boulders

Scattered along the water’s edge

In time a small pine tree

Protrudes from the shelter

Of the surrounding rocks

The years go by

The struggling pine tree

Is now stunted and gnarled

Bent to the onslaught of the wind

Its existence at the mercy

Of the ravages of Nature

Then one fateful day

On a stormy dark night

The gale force winds

Churning the surface of the lake

Toppled the struggling pine tree

To lie among the scattered rocks

Its existence no more

The photograph you see above is a creation of my own doing.The rocks were beautiful in form and texture.As I was walking the shoreline of OSA Lake in Killarney Provincial Park I came across the remains of a pine tree lying along the shoreline.I picked it up an set where I wanted it to be positioned.I then searched around for some pine cones to add in the foreground.I placed them on a patch of green grass.Thus I created a bit of a story line which the poem is a creation of.The pine tree comes from the seed out of a cone to its final resting place where ever it falls.

So I hope you have enjoyed this post.I also would like to thank everyone who came for a visit and I enjoy the comments very much.If you are ever out my way stop in for a coffee.Check my link to FAA for available prints for sale.So until next time happy trails.