The Challenge: Walk everyday from April 6 to May 22, and capture nature & wildlife looking excellent. The Reason: To participate in the Canadian Wildlife Federations Walk for Wildlife & raise money to help support species at risk in Canada. Find my donation page here Preface: I am almost 2 weeks late on posting this update and I apologize (I have been pretty diligent about posting a picture a day to help track the walk on my tumblr page though on a positive note!). The second week of my walk for wildlife went beautifully. Though it started off with some snow left from the previous week it gave me a sunset on that first day that I couldn't help but fall in love with on the way home. After that the week was a bit nicer, and the beginning of the week started off with some very gorgeous setting sun moments in the valley that I spent watching the whitetail deer explore the valley hills. Then just as quickly as the warming sun, and the feel of spring's warmth came in it disappeared again mid-week. In true Saskatchewan spring fashion Mother Nature gave us a reminder of the type of precipitation we were leaving behind. The middle of April brought us some wet snow, however with the temperatures still warm it wasn't that bad. While exploring new places I was blessed with the chance to get see some Sandhill Cranes that were bedded down to wait out the snow and weather. A faithful reminder from powers at be that taking the road less traveled is always rewarding. They looked amazing, but as I tried to inch closer and closer they eventually decided to pack up and fly to a new spot. In truth, the snow looked quite pretty on the landscape. That may be due to my knowledge of knowing it was not here to stay. The week progressively got warmer after that. The last bit of ice in sloughs, and ditches, was melting away and water was running even faster. Things were looking nice and warm again in the sun setting light. As the week ended of course Mother Nature had the last laugh, as again she dropped a pile of snow on us. This snow was not as friendly as the previous snow. This snow dropped with force, and came down with the force of winter's storm. It buried the landscape, and reminded us all of the season we were trying desperately to leave behind. I can only hope that this is the last storm of this kind, and with the fact we are now coming into the last two weeks of April that I hope Mother Nature thinks the same thing.
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The Challenge: Walk everyday from April 6 to May 22, and capture nature & wildlife looking excellent. The Reason: To participate in the Canadian Wildlife Federations Walk for Wildlife & raise money to help support species at risk in Canada. Find my donation page here Preface: I am almost 2 weeks late on posting this update and I apologize (I have been pretty diligent about posting a picture a day to help track the walk on my tumblr page though on a positive note!). The first week is all wrapped up, and I will say it has been an amazing one. It was fantastic to get out, and be able to watch spring blow into the valley bright & warm. I got to see water running off the landscape while the snow disappeared with beautiful Canadian Geese were flying above. An all round perfect way to spend my April welcoming in spring. Each day I was out more snow was gone, and the river began to open up more and more. The sunlight warmed the valley bottom, and brought out some very friendly deer. The first day of my walk I was stunned to see all the geese & deer that I did see moving around that day. It was a beautifully warm day, and I guess everything was as excited to get moving in the spring sun as I was. As days of the week passed I was impressed by how much the valley had changed in such a short time. When spring comes in, she comes in fast! I couldn't resist myself and decided to play in some o the running water I had found... though it may have been a smarter option to do this in my rubber boots rather than the hiking shoes I was wearing. There are two things that always strike me as the most beautiful things of spring:
This has been one of the most rewarding challenges I have done in a long time. It has helped me in so many ways, and all these reasons have to do with getting out daily with nature. To take in these sites every day is to watch as nature "changes". As a rule I do spend a lot of time out in nature, but I haven't spent such consistent time out in nature during a seasonal change quite like this. I suppose that is the one benefit to being done school. I can't wait to spend many more days out in nature like this year round. Spring is such an amazing time of year. All the rebirth on the landscape, and the rebirth that occurs within myself. It is such a positive time of year. This week was no exception to that rule. Each day was amazing, and I was lucky enough not to experience a truly dreary day till the end of the week. But the rain that falls on the landscape in spring is so refreshing.
Everything about spring makes my soul soar with excitement. It makes my soul feel as free as the birds enjoying breeze. Good-Bye Winter, It's been a quite a season you've been colder than I could have imagined You were quite beautiful at times With frost that made the landscape sparkle Snow that washed the world in brilliant white And full of crisp nights that made one feel the warmth of the moons embrace Winter, I know our relationship is complicated I hate your cold I hate the way you make me wear layers when I want to play I hate the way you freeze the water The water that holds my fish friends & daydreams ... But I do love your sparkling beauty The way you wash the world of the past year let it rest let it recuperate let Me rest, let Me recuperate I am sad to see you come I am sad to see you leave Good-Bye Winter You will always be Too much yet Not enough Good-Bye Winter I hate to see you come but I hate to see you leave Good-Bye Winter I will remember you and Jack Frost fondly Until next November Today is Earth Day, and that means two things: 1) Time again for another big #FarmVoices day, and 2) it is Earth day. This year I am very excited that I got to actually spend my time really appreciating some natural beauty that I am in love with. The beautiful Qu'Appelle River & Valley. Today I got wander along the banks, with a friend, explore, and leave my prints next to where those of who have been there before me left theirs. It was an amazing afternoon down by the river. This past year has been a year of big change for me. Last year I kicked off this blog with the #FarmVoices movement, and so much has happened since then. I have watched the seasons change, I have been a part of watching things grow and be harvested, and I have watched the landscape of my life change before my eyes as I moved from one place to another. I went from one small town on the northern hills of my watershed, and now I enjoy the valley & the river. It is amazing how our lives can change, and just how that change can occur. Last year while on the FarmOn website I came upon a talk from a Gregory Schroeder about Seasons in our life. It is amazing how right he was when he discussed each Season of life, and how we will experience many different "planting years" within our life. Our life will only change, & grow, as fast as it can for the season it is in. If last year was a Season I would say last year was Winter. Nothing I worked on really came to bare full fruit, but lots of planning for upcoming year occurred. Lots of things that needing tending & repairing got the TLC they needed. I researched, planned, and attempted to figure out where I needed to be for when the new season came upon me. And come upon me Spring did. Somewhere in the last month Spring blew into my life with its warmth embrace, waking up me & my life. All that planning, repairing, and preparing I did is finally being put to good use. Things are starting to roll ahead for me. I may not be living on my farm yet, but I have a home that lets me hear birds sing, frogs croak, and watch sunsets over a hay field every night. I may not have my farm yet, but I am learning skills now I will need to work with the many animals I want to work with. I may not be a farmer yet, but each day I know I am getting closer. Each day, I talk with more and more people who love doing what I want to be doing. I get the benefit of slowly becoming part of the agricultural community I dreamed of. One day I will have my farm, and I will be able to be a true agvocate by putting words in to practice. My story is just beginning, but my love for agriculture, & stewardship, will be written on every page. This past year was a year of waiting, planning, learning, and preparing. Now is my time to start planting all the seeds I have picked that will bear the fruit of my life. I am incredibly blessed to be doing that somewhere I feel so free, and encouraged. I am blessed to work a job that keeps in the community I want to be a part of. This year was a big one for me. I found my way back home, and repaired myself there. I found my way back home, and found a way to start again on the path that I want to try. I will finish this blog by saying, don't rush your season. Accept your season for all the beauty, and purpose, it holds. The right season is coming, I promise. Please take a moment to enjoy some of my favorite shots from this past year. I hope that you can see my love for agriculture in every one. This is the story I want to tell the world. This is what I want to share. I hope you will enjoy hearing it.
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