This lonely tree stood all by itself on the crest surrounded by the pretty ones.
A true survivor
Separate from the crowd
You are on your own.
The elements take a toll
Your hair is thin
Your skin pale.
Yet, you stand straight
Limbs reach forward
Belief in something more.
Valued for who you are
Individual, non-conformist
Separate from the crowd.
Lonely, but not alone
Spacious solitude
Create your own beauty.
It was a perfect day. We wandered in Jasper, enjoyed great scenery, and I was with my favourite person.
We found the best at the end of the day. I posted a picture of a bull elk on Yellowstone 2005 in May. I took the picture from about 15-20 metres. Today, Kathy duplicated this with a picture of a cow elk chewing her cud. She seemed aware of our presence, but we were quiet and as others joined us in a secluded area she posed. The wall is about 1 metre thick wall and a similar height.
We hiked for two hours in the Valley of Five Lakes and could have spent more time exploring the small lakes. We crossed the Wabasso Creek and its valley before beginning our ascent. What is surprising about this hiking area, is it is only about 10 minutes from the town site.
We had no easy access to the first lake (they are unnamed), but I used the trees to frame the lake and its prettiness. One of the things we noted about all the lakes was the way they mirrored their surroundings.
The second lake mirrors the mountains and trees vividly in shimmering waters below.
The third lake is a deep green and is very deep in the middle. This lake reflected clouds and trees. The green appeared to be algal growth and not from the source of the water.
We could not get a good angle for pictures of the fourth lake, but it was the home of frolicking dragonflies. Kathy captured this one with amazing patience.
We only got glimpses of the fifth lake. Thick foliage and steep banks surrounded it. We tried several different paths but to no avail. One thing along the paths was the frequency of large rocks left by glaciers which formed this valley and its small lakes.
I enjoy Robert Frost’s The Road Less Traveled. As we began our hike, we saw this path and wondered where it went, but stayed on the main path. As we climbed back out of the Valley of Five Lakes we had a choice: go right or go left. We chose right and found ourselves on the path we wondered about almost two hours before. We took the road less traveled. It was a challenging part of the trip physically.
And, at the end,
We emerged at the beginning
At the trail head,
Mountains rediscovered
Blue skies gone
Clouds not only threatened;
They delivered a promise
Like our day.
Kathy and I are in Jasper for a couple of days. It was a great way to spend the Sabbath.
I find it deceptively spectacular here. In Waterton, did a lot in three days, but here you have to choose; there are so many places to go. It is a larger park with a much longer connected set of trails.
We took the first pictures a few kilometres inside the park. This is looking east and downstream on the Athabasca River. The Athabasca originates at the foot of the Columbia Icefield. It joins the Peace River and forms the Slave River, which flows into the Great Slave Lake where the Mackenzie River discharges and flows to the Arctic Ocean. From the source of the Athabasca a drop of water flows about 6200 km.
This is an upstream view of the Athabasca River. What looks like a ‘saddle’ on the mountain in the middle, is actually two mountain peaks. As we drove closer to town, the angle shifted and the distinct shape of both mountains became visible. Further upstream, people wade a 100 metres out into the river and, depending on snow melt, there is sometimes only the main channel of the river. Today, it is running high.
We don’t stop very often for mountain sheep. They are fairly common along the roadside, but we don’t often get an opportunity for a picture of a ewe and lamb.
We don’t often get this chance either. It appeared as though the little ones were learning climbing skills. This one stopped and posed; looking straight into the camera.
Mount Edith Cavell is a prominent feature in the Park. It is visible from a variety of locations and has many hiking trails. Park officials closed the mountain to hiking due to a recent ‘avalanche.’ The dark spot between the two large white areas was a large block of glacier which recently collapsed. We took the picture on Highway 93 (Icefields Parkway) which is the highway to Banff.
This is Mount Kerkeslin which is on the opposite side of the Highway 93. We took this picture later in the day with shadows and it had become overcast with rain showers popping in and out of the area.
These are some palisades that tower over the valley a little further south of Mount Kerkeslin.
Today, we are off to do some hiking and sightseeing in Maligne Canyon and the Valley Five Lakes Loop.
I am off for my Sabbath and perhaps an extra day. Kathy and I are going to British Columbia via Jasper National Park and Mount Robson Provincial Park. I suspect there will be some pictures forthcoming. My mother celebrates her 88th birthday and it is an important event each year. She is the last of her generation in our family.
Fireweed is a common plant which grows in temperate areas of North America. It is hardy and is often planted in areas which are disturbed i.e. fire or oil spills. I am using it to carry me into my Sabbath and help heal the spirit.
It’s common enough
Beside paths I traverse
Lights the path homeward.
God paints the world
Gentle touches
Full strokes
Vivid blends
Vibrant colours give life
By the path grows
Nature’s tool.
David nominated me for the One Lovely Blog Award.
Thank you to David at Lead. Learn. Live for acknowledging my blog. I enjoy his sense of humour and advice he shares.
This morning, when I got in the car The Sound of Sunshine was playing (Michael Franti is a wonderful singer/songwriter) and I felt energized. Just like a good song, I receive a gift each day from blogs I follow.
Here are seven facts about me.
(1) I’m a terrible swimmer (I stole this from David. Swimming is an alternative to drowning for me).
(2) My favourite breakfast as a hockey player was warm beer and cold pizza.
(3) I am a goalie in hockey which explains some of my quirky behaviour.
(4) I watch Simpson reruns and learn something new each time.
(5) Teaching is my second career.
(6) I was a banker in my first career.
(7) Kathy and I met in Prince George BC, but were born in Alberta. We moved to find each other.
I mentioned I struggle with this rule on an earlier post. I follow amazing blogs and feel I am leaving someone out. I nominate the following for One Lovely Blog Award.
To accept the award, the rules are:
Kathy went to the farm yesterday and walked in from the road. Although it is overgrown, it is full of memories. One can think of the farmhouse as uninhabited, but visitors still abound. We sat at the kitchen table many mornings, watched the barnyard, and viewed assorted wildlife that found safe haven. Yesterday, this deer visited while Kathy visited and stirred memories.
The farm is in west-central Alberta and on clear days (yesterday was not) you can see the Rockies in the distance at various points on the drive out.
Sense serenity
Surrounded
By nature and memories.
Some visible
Others invisible
Each appears.
A home for being
A work place
A learning place.
A deer poses
Momentarily safe,
Human memories stir.
I awake each morning
Smile into the day
Soak in each moment.
Pause
Find calm
Let calm find me
Amidst the turbulence.
Since arriving home, it has been a slow process. I resist the routine or rut I was in when we left for Spokane. It is hard work, but one thing I noted today, I am not alone in my travails. It seems universal and I am glad for company. As I went through blogs I recognized transformation is a patient process, a slow process, and a personally purposeful process. I looked at the pictures we took on our travels and for all of nature’s ability to change rapidly, most change is slow and transformational.
I wait
Often impatient
Desire for something better
Lean into my steps
Transform
Slow, patient, with purpose
Without plan
An invisible blueprint.
Journey
With one’s self
Often with companions
Break bread together.
Trust
Moments of devotion
To each another
Change together.
Embrace
No need to explain
Words sometimes fail
A smile assures.
Turn back
A worn path emerges
Look ahead
Share paths.
I am unsure whether I will be back today. We are sorting out our home Internet issues. We think the router blew up in a recent storm. This was good, because it was an unplanned daily Sabbath for me.
On a routine morning drive, I observed the sun rising in my rear view mirror with the moon still visible. It was early in the school year and I had just returned from BC. I began that morning’s haiku class with poems which described phenomena I took for granted most days. I try to emphasize for students poetry is the routinely observed. Poetry lifts it to the extraordinary nature of things often taken for granted. I try model this through poetry chosen and shared i.e. Pablo Neruda and Mary Oliver and I write poetry on what I observe in life.
Majestically,
Touching endless sky above
Roots firmly grounded.
Greeting and adieu
Sun and moon share the one sky
Guide our daily drive.
ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 