“Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together”
The above wording could not be more on point. Last year was a year of transition, changes, & a whirlwind of unknowns. Last year I wrote "in these past few months, and upcoming months, I have been, and will be, under going big changes in my life". But I had no idea what those changes would be, & what they would mean. I underwent one major change before Earth Day last year, which included a sudden career path readjustment, & I knew that shortly after Earth Day I would be leaving behind a community I loved growing to be a part of during that year. I had no idea what I was moving to, and what was going to happen. I had no current work lined up that I was moving for, & was still on the job search trail with many applications floating around in the job search world. I had no idea which one would turn from application to work, & if amoungst those applications was a career path I would enjoy & follow.
To my pleasant surprise, & very good fortune, I ended up landing two amazing job opportunities last year. Both, to my enjoyment, were surrounded by agriculture. Though neither what a person would consider a "direct" agriculture job, but both being a perfect fit. I first got to work for a dream organization of Parks Canada, & enjoyed a job in "agriculture/history tourism". With one call on a sunny Friday afternoon while I unpacked my things in my new place I got word about the job. I was very excited,& thankful, lady. It was certainly a summer to remember, & working for Parks Canada will always be to me a "Job of a Lifetime". I would write more on it, but instead I encourage you to check out myprevious post on the amazing experience.
It would also be the summer that Fish Girl Photography grew from a solo operation, to a partnered one. My Shadow came into my life at the end of June, & has been at my side ever since. It has been amazing to have a hiking partner, & with my luck I even have a partner who loves plants as much as I do! We have many grand adventures together, & he has become the focus of many of my photographs. You can check out some of my favorite ones here. I am really excited for the upcoming year & all the adventures we are going to have together.
It would be during the summer, & during my job of a lifetime, I would get word about another big change in my life. I got word about another job application I sent out in the job seeking universe. I had been the successful applicant for a Range Agroloist job, & I would be moving to Dawson Creek come fall. The ultimate career path job was now mine, & I was excited to begin the job. Though, I was also sad because I knew I would miss my beloved home province of Saskatchewan. The knowledge of the move ahead had me dropping many things in favor of experiencing my favorite things in Saskatchewan. So began the experience of my "Last Saskatchewan Summer". Though I know it was not, & is currently not planned to be, my last Saskatchewan summer experience I knew I needed to make the most of the last time I would be a "Saskatchewan resident" for an indefinite amount of time. It lead to many great experiences this past summer, & will not be a summer I easily forget.
I was lucky to see so much of Saskatchewan's amazing beauty this past year. Right from the start of the year with my Walk for Wildlife, right through to the end of the year. The trips back home this year delivered beauty I was very lucky to experience in the trips that were, & will always, too short. In my Walk for Wildlife last year I was even lucky enough to spot a Wood Duck in Saskatchewan! They are an amazing bird, & I am glad I got the experience. Of course though, I can't forget to talk about the amazing landscape that I had moved into in Northeastern British Columbia. Dawson Creek, with it's strong agricultural ties, reminds me so much of my favorite places in Saskatchewan. Though, it has the extra ultra cool factor that when I travel an hour out of town I can see the Rocky Mountains & waterfalls! I know that I will have many amazing experiences in the upcoming year as I explore more of this beautiful, under appreciated, part of British Columbia.
Things have certainly changed in my life, & I do not yet know what all those changes will mean. I know I am excited to explore my options for starting my much talked, & dreamt, about farm here in Northeastern British Columbia in my coming future. I am extremely appreciative to everyone that has been in my life this past year that have filled me with knowledge. I am grateful to have a job that challenges me, along with letting me indulge in both my passions of conservation & agriculture at the same time. The opportunities that are ahead of me are great & I have the many people in my life to thank for that. My mind is excited, grateful, & ready. I am truly grateful for those that have been with me in the past & continue to teach me as I step into the future, even if some of that will occur at distance. The distance does have me scared, but I know I will be able to bridge the gap. I know I will miss Saskatchewan dearly this summer, but I am optimistic that Northeastern British Columbia, & the Peace District, will win over more pieces of my heart as I get to experience my first summer here.
As I close this blog, & review of my past year, I want to express a thank you to all the people that have been a part of my past, & to all those that will join in my journey forward.
Cheers to another year! Thank you for all your support in this past year, & upcoming support. Every like, comment, & follow, means the world.
Happy earth day! Happy #farmvoices, & best of luck in the upcoming year!
0 Comments
It's the beginning of January, & with it has come the cold temperatures. So I thought it was time to share some images that should hopefully make you as "warm & fuzzy" on the inside as they made me. Of course my Last Saskatchewan Summer included some much needed time out on the farm. I was lucky enough to be able to explore not only my own, but also had a few people welcome on to their farm. I learnt a lot this summer as I explored different places than my own, & different from this previous years. From seeding right to harvest there was a blossoming of color that painted every subject I looked at this summer. I was able to get out to experience a branding day yet again this year. This time at a brand new location & where I got witness an actual fire brand placed. The calves as always were cute & there were many moments that will fill my memories for sure. The landscape I got to experience it in was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. It could not have been a better place to experience a branding in my Last Saskatchewan Summer. The family was very welcoming & I thoroughly enjoyed my time there. To be honest I would love to head back to that property to explore it more, & to capture more of the beauty that I saw in the amazing place. The summer went from one burning smell to another one entirely. With the fires burning in the forest to the North, Southern Saskatchewan was covered in a smokey haze. As the canola bloomed it created a very interesting look on the landscape. It was haunting in it's beauty. Made a person all to aware that there is more to Saskatchewan than the open fields & pastures. It reminded me of the Saskatchewan North; the trees, & the people. The smoke subsided though, & beautiful unfiltered summer colors blossomed through. Fields, pastures, flowers, & gardens bloomed with flowers of color that tempted a person to think that perhaps just this summer will stick around at least just a little bit longer. I enjoyed taking in these landscapes as I traveled back & forth from one destination to another. Of course I had to take up my seat next to our yearly oat crop & soak up the sun, barefoot & all. My ShadowDuring this exploring at the farm however, you will notice I had a new little friend. At the beginning of July my life was changed in a great way as I welcomed my Shadow into my life. I am now the happy owner of one full of energy, smart, pile of love of a dog. A mix of breeds my little farm dog became my walking partner, & I soon found a lover of alfalfa, & plants, as well. The little lady girl at the farm found herself with a new, & fast growing, playmate to explore the farm with. He was a happy addition, & one I am glad to have chewing away on one of his toys, ready for adventure, while I write this. As always the the colors did change, & soon I found myself enjoying the onset of harvest colors as August found it's way into my life. I am so glad I got to enjoy my favorite month in some of my favorite places. Watching the harvest come & begin (& end on our farm) made me ready for a change. However, I will forever miss seeing the simple beauty that is to be found in the month of August in Saskatchewan. Perhaps, I will need to request from Range Boss some time during August so I can still enjoy it no matter how short. So closes Part 3 of my Last Saskatchewan Summer, & I come closer to starting to tell tales of my new life in the Northern Prairie. I am excited to know, that as I leave these Saskatchewan prairie scenes behind I will fill my life with new ones to experience in this upcoming year. I am excited to see what this summer holds as the region I have settled into is home to the largest agricultural region in British Columbia (with close to 2.5 million acres in production). I am sure to enjoy all that agriculture has to offer, however in a nifty Northern package. I am excited to see if I will love August as much as I loved it back at home, or if a new month will claim my heart. So many new adventures to be had alongside the comforting scenes of "home" (i.e. agriculture). Agriculture will always be my "culture", & I am glad I get to see the many sides to it as I do. I am truly lucky to be able to experience things most people are removed from (sometimes by generations). It is my blessing, & my passion.
As Christmas season is upon us & I get ready to visit with my Saskatchewan family, my thoughts drift back to my "Last Saskatchewan Summer". As I moved away & now carry a very blue licence I can't help but think back to the amazing landscapes I left behind this year as this year winds down. I was blessed to have such an amazing summer to be my "Last Saskatchewan Summer". I take solace in knowing that it will in fact not be my last summer in Saskatchewan, & looking at these photos just makes me eager to start planning my vacation time (Sorry, Range Boss). I started out this summer/spring, with my usual walk for wildlife. If you recall from my previous, & sporadic, posts on my walk this year was all about the birds. I saw so many birds every time I stepped out of my house, & I took extra notice of these beautiful creatures. See, most of the time like most Saskatchewan residents I take them for granted. I am not what you would call a "bird person", so I don't tend to go out of my way to see them. However, with the knowledge that I wouldn't be spending another summer day in and day out, everyday, back in this feather filled province I seemed to pick them out. In Saskatchewan, we are blessed to have a home filled with not only a high number in variety of our feather friends, but also in sheer population numbers. This was something during my time at university that I took notice of, as I found during my homework of "bird watching" the numbers in British Columbia's north bird population to be a terribly disappointing while away at school. The numbers we get to see fill our prairie skies are something to always be thankful of. This summer I found myself living within Regina's city limits & like a good Regina resident I spent a lot of time wandering the edges of the Wascana (both lake & creek). Wascana Park, & trails, were amazing spots to run away to from the city streets. The beauty found in the valley, along the water, & hidden beside the paved in city trails was a place my mind could go to to rest. The sunsets, the animals, & all the plant life I found living in these areas were a treat. Definitely one of Regina's best assets is the beauty that is held within the Wascana. Of course, like every summer I made sure to make some time for my fishing rod. Not nearly enough, but I still found myself pole in hand on a lake's edge. From the beautiful Last Mountain, to Buffalo Pound, I enjoyed taking in some new fishing spots. The sunset over the beautiful lakes is always a great sight to behold, & the moment is made even sweeter when you notice a fish fin waving in the distance. However, being able to visit one of these fishing spots on horse back was just the cherry on top. This summer was not a summer to forget, & delivered in Saskatchewan beauty like none-other. The stormy skies that took too long to get there for the summer were well worth the wait. The stormy skies colored the Saskatchewan skyscape with an amazing assortment of colors & clouds. There was Northern Lights, & flowers bursting to bloom all summer long. Everything I could have asked for as I sat down to enjoy the Saskatchewan landscape. So much color, & so much vivid life. I am very excited to share even more of my views from the summer. This little snippet, shows only the beauty I was able to capture in my walks, drives, & quick fishing ventures into the province for the summer. There is much more to my "Last Saskatchewan Summer" & this is only the beginning of the story... setting the stage if you will. As I step into this new year, & to share my new life, I first will recount the world I left behind. Giving thanks for its beautiful bounty, & the honor the life that gave me the solid base I needed to take the next step I am taking. I will always be proud of my "Made in Saskatchewan" roots, & this last summer was a perfect climax to the amazing life that I found in my birth province. So... I have not kept up as well with updating on my Walk for Wildlife as I had last year. Sorry! Things have been pretty busy in my personal life as I have been trying to get settled in my new home. I will also admit, with great disappointment, unlike last year I have not been able to get out everyday to capture wildlife looking amazing. I have done my best to get out at least half of the week, but unfortunately I have been missing days. So the photos you are seeing in this blog post are taken during that time. I am still sharing one photograph for each day of the walk, but some of these may have been taken on the same day since I was unable to capture any great wildlife photographs on the remaining days. It has been approximately a month since I have last posted on the walk, and lots has still happened to me. There have been an abundance of opportunities for me to catch multiple bird species this year and I have been truly thankful for it. While taking a walk in one of my favorite places in the Qu'Appelle Valley I was able to capture my first ever Wood Duck. It stunned me with it's beauty, and I am over the top glad I was there to be able to capture it. It is such a stunning duck, and is often seen as North America's most beautiful waterfowl. One of the reasons I was so happy to capture it was due to the fact it is rarely seen on the prairies. I couldn't be happier that Mother Nature afforded me this opportunity to capture such an amazing animal. The theme this year for the Walk for Wildlife is all about "Wild Migrations", and mother nature has delivered many feathered migratory animals to appreciate. This walk for me is becoming known to myself as the "Year I Walked With Birds". You can see it by how many feathered friends are the main points to my pictures. This year was also the year I had a Downy Woodpecker decide to "wake me up" to capture a sunrise (photo below; read about it here). It has been a magical winged adventure this spring. Between all the feathers I have managed to see some animals of the furry variety. I did manage to spot river otters again this year, but was unable to capture an appropriate picture of the cuties swimming. The deer this year have not been as cooperative for pictures as the blessed abundance of forage has not left them clinging to forest edges unlike last year's harsh winter, and snowy spring. Though it has made my job difficult to capture them I prefer the challenge knowing that this year Mother Nature may be giving them a rest, and providing them with a year they can truly recover their numbers in. All in all, I am very thankful for everything I have had the chance to enjoy in the limited time I have gotten to enjoy them. I am thankful for those that in their wisdom have protected the lands that I have used to capture the photographs I have. I can't wait to see what will come out in my last two weeks of the walk. Bring it on Mother Nature! I can't wait to see what you have for me... I am listening. ^ Why it is always good to listen when Mother Nature comes calling in the form of a Downy Woodpecker. 2015 Walk for Wildlife
The Challenge: Walk everyday from April 10 to May 31 to 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. Any money gained from my top photographs will go to a Saskatchewan group that is working to help protect Species At Risk in Canada. This year's theme is "Wild Migrations", and I will do my best to capture species making their migration back to the prairies this spring. Thank you for *your* support. I hope you enjoyed seeing the photographs from my last 28 days of the walk! So I just had to say this... I think... I think.... Spring is finally here! I am so excited, and so very pleasantly surprised as it came a whole lot quicker this year. This winter had a case of the milds and truly I did not mind that one bit. March came in, and I watched as the first day of spring by the calendar actually LOOKED like a the first day of spring! I was a very happy woman. Though throughout the month of March, and up to pretty much a little over a week ago we were still experiencing bouts of snow. This snow would come just when I thought we had finally seen the last of it, but it didn't last long... sometimes less than a day. The snow hung around tightly as it could this year not wanting to give up its spot on the prairies. In all the dark places where the suns warmth could not hit you could find it and its accomplice, ice. Though go it did as the warm spring sun found its way to thaw the winter world, and wash the prairies with its warmth. The golden color of the sun made this springs welcoming sparkle on the landscape, and made one feel warm even if the wind blew cold. Spring in all her beautiful glory has been here I dare say a month, and it looks like she is truly here to stay... if I jinx this snow-less run I apologize already for getting prematurely excited. The skies have been so welcoming with their warmth, and down below everywhere the light touches it brings that spring in a little stronger. The landscape is still quiet though as it is awaiting that first spring rain to help wake up the fresh greens for the year. In some spots I have been blessed to find the first sightings of this years green, and I can't wait for it to take over the landscape again. I explored every nook and cranny I could find as I watched the snow disappear. I even found myself out on the Trans Canada Trail this spring in a spot I haven't visited for a couple of years. It was there I found the Easter Bunny! The Easter Bunny was quick though, and I was unable to ask it for it's picture. I was able to capture the beauty of the whitetail deer coming down to enjoy the spring sun. However, even they showed me their tail pretty quickly and bobbed back up into the hills. With the coming of spring also comes my 2015 Walk for Wildlife The Challenge: Walk everyday from April 10 to May 31 to 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. Any money gained from my top photographs will go to a Saskatchewan group that is working to help protect Species At Risk in Canada. This year's theme is "Wild Migrations", and I will do my best to capture species making their migration back to the prairies this spring. Thank you for my support. I hope you enjoy the next 8 pictures from my first days of the walk! Over the last couple months I have had the pleasure of taking in multiple events that span over the many different ways people can have a relationship with horses & cattle. I took in a reining horse show, a multiple discipline horse show, a calf branding, & a couple rodeos. Since it is "Western Wednesday" I thought would take some time to reflect on all these disciplines. In May I took in a Reining horse show. Reining is defined* as: " Reining is a judged event designed to show the athletic ability of a ranch type horse within the confines of a show arena." A reining horse is defined* as: “To rein a horse is not only to guide him, but also to control his every movement. The best reined horse should be willingly guided or controlled with little or no apparent resistance and dictated to completely. Any movement on his own must be considered a lack of control…” *as defined by the National Reining Horse Association This is what you see being displayed in the first two photographs above. Specifically, you're seeing the "big finish" slide that is the pride of the reining pattern. It is an amazing site behold, & shows just how strong, along with talented, both horse & rider are. In the third photograph you see the horse I spend my Monday's learning to ride properly. The final end game of my education however is not to learn reining, but instead to learn how to work cattle. One area of this I am currently learning about is cutting horse work. Cutting is defined as: "During the two and a half minutes of work, a rider demonstrates the ability of his horse to out-think the cow with terrific short bursts of speed, the ability of turns in mid-air, fabulous foot work and coordination between horse and rider that is unexcelled in any other arena event." " It then becomes the objective of the contestant to quietly pick from the herd an animal that will give him maximum play and sustained action to test and show the ability of his cutting horse. Along with action goes the risk of penalties; out of position, reining, and many others, not to mention a severe penalty if a cow is lost back into the herd." * as defined by Canadian Cutting Horse Association As you can see the two different styles of working a similar horse in a similar area can be quite different. One is about control of horse through reining abilities, & the other actually has reining listed as a penalty. Too be good in both styles it takes great equitation skills, & lots of time to improve these skills, along with the allotted skills needed for each style. The remaining pictures above, including the top picture, display yet two more different events in which on can participate in. The two styles above would be a Tail class & an example of an English event class. A definition of both can be found on the American Quarter Horse Association website, along with the many different competition classes one can participate in. The horse competition world is varied, & each type comes with its own history that connects it to the working world it developed from. All share one thing in common that the people & horses that participate in it work hard to be able to display their talents with pride. There is something for every type of person out there, & there is tons of knowledge to learn. I am looking forward to spending much of my life learning all I can about the various styles out there. This past month I got to also take in branding (without the iron brand). It was a very interesting day as I got to see just how hard of work ranching activities can be. I got to enjoy the faces of many young calves, & watch how they interacted with all the people that worked with them. The people there worked through all kinds of weather, & it was an interesting, along with enjoyable, experience to say the least. I will forever value the things I had a learned while out there. Finally, in the last couple weeks I got to take in one my favorite sporting events, Rodeo. As I watched from the side lines I enjoyed the power I seen out of all the animals & the skills that I had seen displayed. I thought back to everything I had experienced in the past months, from the horse shows & to the branding. I could not then, nor now, understand how one is allowed to share challenging activities in such varied ways in one area but not another. There are some out there that say rodeo is not based on anything, but from my time out the branding it was made very apparent that rodeo is in fact based on a ranching history.
I won't argue that doesn't look different, because in fact what happens in a rodeo area looks different than what happens in a cattle pen. However, the difference to me seems t0 be the same amount there is between each of the varied horse competition events. It has the same amount of difference that each of those events shares with the history they are based on. Rodeo also shares in common the drive to be best in the skill sets it takes to accomplish each event. I have yet to meet a rodeo person who doesn't show respect for the animals they work with, or take any easy way to do their event that would harm the animals they work with. They show the same amount dedication to their sport, event, & teammates that I have seen displayed at horse shows. I will admit I fell in love with rodeo because it doesn't look as "pretty" as the other events. There is no doubt that rodeo is rough around the edges. However, the part that wins my heart is the way that the "rough around the edges" personality of the animals is allowed to run free in that rodeo arena. Every animal is bred, trained, & encouraged to do their best to deter the rodeo contestant from completing their job (exceptions to this would be the working horses, barrel racing & chuckwagoon/chariot racing). The sense of pride felt from the stock contractors & from the contestants can be felt everywhere around the rodeo arena. Pride in themselves, but most importantly the pride in the animals. There are people in society that think when rodeo personal discuss their animals that by calling them "animal athletes" this somehow belittles the animals. Where this thought process came from I will never understand, since I have seen nothing but empowerment come from that way of seeing the animals. By using this term they put the animals they work with equal to themselves, even the calves. This respect for equality & acceptance of the rougher side is what won my heart over, & over again. It has allowed animals to be truly what they are, & take pride in it. If you ever had the pleasure of watching cattle in a rodeo I hope you made note of the pride displayed in every animal that did it's job well. I have seen many bulls, steers, & even calves, prance around the arena as the contestant sat in the dust. The horses are always busting out of themselves with excitement to get the job done that it takes great handlers to be able to rein that horse in until it is time to be unleashed. I am very proud to be supporter of the sport of rodeo & because of this you will find me, with every opportunity life allows, up against the fence capturing the event with my camera. I was very proud in the last few months to be able to take in & capture all the events, in their various forms, that I did. I am glad to share this world that many don't get to see, & hopefully be able to tie people back to a past that wasn't long ago apart of many people's day-to-day lives. As the clouds hang low it is a perfect time to go catch all the flowers blooming. The grey skies give a whole new feel to the greening valley. You can feel the water in the air, & if you're lucky enough see you will see it on the petals. The gloomy skies give a whole new backdrop to the amazing flowers that can be found outside this time of year. Many of them native ranging from anemone’s, to pea vines . The colors are start to really bloom as the purple, pinks, & white come forth. Sometimes easy to miss if one is not paying enough attention. I was lucky enough to catch on that Friday a doe grazing along the quad trail. I was able to get pretty close to her before she noticed me. We stood there & watched each for a bit, while I edged closer. Unfortunately, at one point I got too close & she took off. The quad trails are looking more beautiful by the day with each soft touch that beautifies the trail.
The valley in it's greys & greens opens into a magical world that did not exist a few short weeks ago. The transition from white, to brown & yellow, & now to grey & green has been an amazing transition to be a part of. I am so happy to live so close to this magical valley & be able to experience any chance I get. On May long weekend I found myself on the road, & I had my truck pointed west. I was on my way to big beautiful British Columbia for the weekend; a 5 day round trip. That traveling day out to B.C. was as interesting, as it was beautiful. The weather would change from rain, to sun, & there was even a tornado warning at one point. The sights I got to see on the way up were amazing, & the roads were quiet. Traveling on a Thursday of a long weekend is a brilliant idea. I stopped many times along HWY 16 to stop & take in some of my favorite sights. I was extremely thrilled when I found myself to be one of only a handful of travelers on the road while I passed through the Robson Valley & McBride country. The area around McBride, B.C. is hands down one of the most beautiful landscapes in British Columbia in my opinion. Every time I travel through my heart skips a beat, & my breathe catches at the beauty that is found in that valley. It was made special that day since I could drive slow & didn't have to keep up with traffic to go through, also I was enjoying the green scenery that Saskatchewan was severely lacking at that point in time. My final stopping point on the road that day was Prince George, B.C. to visit with a dear friend. Prince George welcomed me with one of the most beautiful sunsets I have seen while being there. I also got greeted with a good hug, & one very cuddly puppy. It felt great to be "home" again. On this visit I also got to capture a reining event, & watch as some talented riders (& horses) showed off their skills. It was an awesome weekend of capturing spins & big stops as rider & horse worked seamlessly together to complete the prescribed pattern. I also took some time to soak up the local beauty that is the Prince George region. I enjoyed some time down by the Fraser river, attempting to catch frogs. The only one caught was caught by a friend who handed it off to me however, my skills were not up to par. Later during the trip I took a tour of a local farm, & got to spend some time with some farm animals that completely stole my heart. I have to admit that I was sad to leave that beautiful country side, in all its green glory, so soon. The trip home I made sure to soak up as much of that wet, green scenery I could while I prayed that Saskatchewan would greet me with the same site. As always, on the drive up & drive home, Jasper National Park provided an excellent break to the trip as I got to take in the sights of the mountains & wildlife.
I will admit though I was happy to be home when I arrived back at my real home. The province of Saskatchewan will always be my soul mate, & even though I love to travel, I do love coming home. When I arrived home I guess Mother Nature heard my prayers, & Saskatchewan was happy to have me back, because when I came home I found fresh green leaves, & a beautiful sunset to welcome me home. Last Monday started out with one can call, a terrible case of the Monday's. Though it was Monday morning fresh out of a weekend I found myself feeling very tense, & not at all like I had just finished a relaxing weekend away from my work life. Last Monday, however had a beautiful surprise waiting for me. It started after my workday at my "day job". While on my way out to my Monday horseback riding lessons I stumbled upon some very beautiful yellow lady slippers in the ditch. Of course I took the time to "stop & smell the flowers". This was step one of the surprises Monday held for me. Time around horses has always found a way to bring a calm to me, & last Monday was no exception. While out Monday some extra time was given to me by my riding instructor to just let everything go, & relax. This was probably the best thing that could have happened that day for me. After my lesson I felt very refreshed, & knew that I just wanted to keep this relaxing state going.
So after I got a bite to eat I set out to get some fishing done. One of the most calming moments in my life is when I am out casting a rod. Fishing will always be one of my favorite forms of personal therapy. To be outside, next to the water (perhaps in it), & flicking that line out just slows my life right down. Mother Nature was a beautiful helper that night as she gave me a beautiful show of birds & sunsets to keep me entertained while I just relaxed. For the first time in a couple weeks I just slowed down to enjoy being outside. I didn't think about the 101 things I had to do, or the 100's of pictures I needed to go through. I just breathed the calm air in, enjoyed my surroundings that had limited people, & let myself be amazed by the changing light around me. Sometimes Monday's can be the best weekends. I hope this Monday finds you well, & if it doesn't at the start I hope that it finishes on a good note like my did last week for me. “Green was the silence, wet was the light the month of June trembled like a butterfly.” ― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets June is an amazing time of year as the sun shines a little warmer, & for a little longer. The rain kisses the earth, & from those kisses beautiful plants now grow. They add a special touch to the landscape with all their colors. They come in all forms, from native plants to human planted. Gardens are planted, & farms are seeded. Young calves run over the landscape. Their cute beauty bringing a sense of youthfulness to the fresh green landscape. As you travel the back roads you can see them out enjoying the pasture as they run. The face on them that I can't help but fall in love with every time I see them. Along with the renewed landscape the beautiful Saskatchewan Skies begin to paint the skyscape with a whole new set of colors. The clouds hang heavy with rains that bring all the color, and make the landscape sparkle with a fragile beauty. Summer in Saskatchewan also shows the fragile beauty if your keep your eyes peeled for the little fluttering beauties. Butterflies arrive in June in full swing to remind us all how fragile the season's beauty can be as it flies out of our life as quickly as it flies in. Butterflies come in all kinds, & enjoy all kinds of flowers. June in Saskatchewan is the gentle month in between spring & summer. A space where it is warm & colorful enough to get us excited for the upcoming summer. June brings all the summer colors, & extended days. With its storm clouds & long days it gives us many Living Skies to appreciate. It's fresh leaves, wet with warm spring rain, gets us excited for summer that is to come into full bloom soon.
If I had a second favorite month June would take my heart. As it is a time that reminds me to get out there and appreciate all the new, reborn, beauty that Saskatchewan holds after a long winter. Mother Nature is kind enough to give us some extra-long days to enjoy it in, between the rain. |
Categories
All
|