I love to go to Waterton National Park and, by extension, to Glacier National Park. They border each other on the Alberta-Montana border and form what is known as an International Peace Park.
When I go to Spokane, I drive past the turnoff to Waterton and it brings back by fond memories each time. Kathy and I spent part of our honeymoon, roughing it in a tent, in Waterton. The scenery is beyond spectacular and, when we are in settings like this, the poet in is spoken to.
The first day we were there in 2012 this deer was in the townsite unconcerned about human presence.
We traveled down the big lake and crossed the Canada-US border. This was the boat we took. Despite appearances, the boat is over 90 years old and was refurbished.
Joining us together
Offering a hopeful message
Carrying peace each day.
Once we got to the American side of the border, we stayed and hiked into Kootenai Lake. We had our passports, cleared customs, and were able to take a later boat. Along the way, I saw some great sights. Having said this, the brush along the trail was so heavy we could not get off of it and I wondered what we missed.
Nature’s cathedral
Dancing lights mingle with shadows
Peace’s benediction.
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About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms.
I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders.
I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs.
I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry.
I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry.
I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.
Beautiful, thank you for sharing, I needed this today. C
You are welcome Cheryl. I am glad it came at a good time. Take care and be well.
Sending peace and all good things Ivon ☺️🤓 beautiful post and critters ~ smiles Hedy
Thank you Hedy. Right back at you. Take care and stay well.
It seemed to me just a few years back there was an International Peace Garden where you could cross freely between the borders. I’m thinking it was North Dakota but I could be wrong. It was a beautiful garden with the walls filled with wise sayings…something I always enjoy. Someplace I still have a booklet of those wise sayings that I purchased there.
I will have to look into that. I wonder if it has changed in terms of free passage? It does speak to the way the border has evolved over time.
Beautiful and the deer is so sweet.
Thank you Gigi. And, there is a difference between the town and country deer. The town ones do not worry about humans the way the country deer do. The latter keep their distance.
Great place to visit! I love the picture of the deer.
It is a beautiful place to visit. He/she was a town deer and seemed more accustomed to humans. Once we got out of town, they were more wary of us and kept their distance.
Hey Ivan,
What a companionable set of talents you have: photography that inspires poetry. And such an extraordinary part of the world you live in to prompt the inspiration of both gifts! Thank you for sharing these shots of a Park I knew nothing about until I visited here. Blessings, Alia
Thank you Alia. It took a few years to figure out what we had in our backyard. It is amazing stuff. Take care and stay well.
so love your photos. so serene, so breathtaking. and the prose you provide! so lucky i found your site.
Thank you Charly. I am glad you found your way here.