This is the kind of terrain I hiked yesterday – getting on and off this boardwalk was challenging, this is when we are happy we have a sturdy walking stick to help balance as we walk the planks (logs)
Don’t think “I can’t” from the start. Begin by taking the first step, then you’ll be able to see what comes next and a path will open.
The boardwalk above, was the one at Old Quarry Trail, if you have not been on that trail, it hooks up with the Trans Canada trail, which I discovered when I took a turn to the right instead of to the left. ( gave me many extra Km, to walk to get back on track to find my way back to the parking lot off Eagleson)
Also note.. the trails I’ve been on, the two yesterday were very VERY wet, muddy, and the boardwalks were slippery and in some places in need of repair, be careful, and wear your gum boots or good hiking boots!
my reward he visited with me while I was on the boardwalk! Yes this is on the same trail where I met the porcupine.
I watched the little beggar cross my path, and waddle over to the tree and begin to climb it. I had my Canon with me and not the Nikon. By the time I got the camera out and tried to find him.. zip.. finally I did see him sitting calmly on a very high branch looking down at me and now a couple of other hikers.
he was not a figment of my imagination
I’ve never seen a porcupine up close, never had one within my space, this was a big deal. I knew to give him/her space, I was very taken with every detail of his/her person. Talk about a slow and deliberate mover… even so, I have to find another way to carry the Canon or not use it and stick to my Nikon. Both of the cameras tho’ are not really good at getting close ups of birds /animals that are not within easy reach.
The little guy was not as clean and his colours were not as bright, but he had yellow shading, his latin name is Erethizon dorsatum.
taken from wikimedia
Not going to say he/she was pretty, but it was exciting for me =^_^=. I came across this critter at Old Quarry Trail off Eagleson in Kanata. It was my third stop of the day, I was a busy bee this morning.
Earlier I had retraced my steps to where I had seen the Egret (bird) yesterday, nothing, it was cloudy overcast, and very damp, you would think perfect for ducks, geese and fowl, but nope… I saw few there or at the Hope Side Road location.
My fascination today, was watching the porcupine climb high into a tree.
Egret? I couldn’t get closer, I tried but she/he flew away
Listen carefully and speak clearly. A good relationship starts from truly understanding each other.
Perfect Liberty 2021.5
It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else will affect its successful outcome.
William James
I was beyond happy at sighting this bird.. I so didn’t expect it. I had stopped to check a small area of water off a road, saw lots of geese, and was turning to go back to my car, when I saw a spot of white in what looked like a run off, that ran under the road. Its times like this I think I need a better camera.. thankfully the moment passed.
these were only some of the geese in this location, it obviously was a happy place for them
Good morning everyone.. yesterday was a blur, I allowed myself to be distracted “by the call of the wild” wonderful as it was, it did cause me to miss my 10 a.m. service at church. I told myself I was where I needed to be… the rushing water, the moisture laden air, the budding vegetation, new surroundings, (I had never ventured down the path further than the main observation area) ….I was saturated with the exhilaration of a new discovery.
All that said, in living an “artistic life” one still has to deal with .. fact … no one can be in two places at one time. =^_^= ahhh the little inner voice says… back to choices eh ….. well… once made, the moment passed, and can’t be reversed. move on..
Today is Monday a start to another work week for many… May it be a productive one for you !
Improve yourself to have a kinder heart. Do what you can to be caring and considerate to make others happy.
Perfect Liberty 2021.3
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
Agility not being on my side today, I did make noise as I determinedly made my way through the brush along the shoreline to try to make my way to the end of the peninsula.
I climbed over fallen branches, dead trees, slipped down the embankment into the mud, even crossed a car length of water on a tree limb and a make shift stepping stone with a wooden plank to get to more of the peninsula. I was tired and getting weary, but I was determined to get to the end of the bit of land I was exploring.
My reward was that as I went the last few steps, I saw a Canada Goose out in the water, using my zoom I tried to bring him in focus, while keeping my balance on the uneven terrain. I was having a bit of a time, it was very uneven and full of overgrown brush and vegetation. Something made me aware that I was not alone, I cautiously looked to either side of me, but didn’t see anything… then I saw that the Goose was heading back towards me, and I looked down, just a few feet away from me, sat his partner.. staring up at me.
The queen herself, watching me, wondering what this silly human was doing in her space.
I know I like to explore, and I like being in places where I’m not likely to meet any other person on a walk, I suspect that they had chosen this place because it was far from human traffic, for sure, it was not an easy journey through the overgrown vegetation and dead wood that was everywhere. but, this crazy lady came to visit. They were both actually very calm about it all. You can see, when he got closer and saw that I wasn’t a threat, he stopped to primp himself. Needless to say, I was thrilled to the bone. I felt like I had just won the lottery.
Happiness is, a day out in the world, being ONE with nature, yes, I had to scramble over logs, deep holes in the ground, watch for branches that reached out to block my path, stumbled over dead roots reaching up out of the debris that littered the ground, but I was alive, and I was focused on every moment of my experience. The memory of that moment where her eyes looked into mine, will stay with me forever. She was so close, so near, and so unruffled … her serenity in the moment, was a gift//blessing.
Be very careful about doing things you really like. Do everything in moderation, when you overdo, you’ll lose your balance.
Perfect Liberty 2021.26
This is a good one for me to pay attention to. I have a tendency to get carried away if I start doing something that I really like doing. I can get lost in the project/moment, creating an issue or lack of time for something else I “should” be doing.
For instance today I was headed for Jack Pine trail, I wanted to add it to my list of nature trails that I have to too .. and to start a file on it… that I can expand on as the days/months roll by, Driving by Lime Kiln I thought to take a quick look at the cut trees that had been downed the other day. The quick moment turned into a better part of half an hour. There were black birds in the area I was .. I started to focus on getting a good picture of them.. then realized that if I did that, time would be taken from my trip to Jack Pine.. why did I have to watch the time… … I’d been to Costco, and had items in the car that needed to get to my freezer… like duh.. multi tasking has its own set of problems one has to watch for and pay attention to.
TAOIST Life is Art (Perfect Liberty precept #1)
contact info.- via blogs
--- there are two energies, Yin and Yang = ONE
---to have balance we must live each moment
of our lives.. with Makoto (sincerity)
The only constant in life is change. I am grounded in the reality of Living.
This is true, in all worlds. RL or virtual. I am me and only me.
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