Tag: nature

Thanne Longen Folk …

When Chaucer (left) wrote the Canterbury Tales in the 14th century, it was still largely ‘pre-first contact’ times. Spring meant similar things to people in England as the W̱SÁNEĆ people living on the islands in this part of the world. But the ways in which they were expressed, as in The Thirteen Moons of the W̱SÁNEĆ Year (right), were worlds apart!
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These Waters, This World Around Me

The sky on Monday evening was hazy, smudged, colourless. There were no clouds and no promise of a “sailor’s delight.” You could barely see Stuart and Waldron Islands through the murk.

I stood knee-deep in the water on our little beach at the foot of the cliff. The tide was unusually high. Despite several days of scorching temperatures, the water was as icy as ever.… Continue reading

The Sea Lion on the Rock

Steller sea lions are common in the Gulf Islands

The morning birdsong, the great harbinger of Spring, has been magnificent the past few weeks! Is it as spectacular as ever? Or reduced in some way due to climate change? To me, the birdsong is as splendid as it ever was, like legions of earthbound angels celebrating the light and warmth of Spring.… Continue reading

The Ocean Within Us

The water temperature was 7ºC yesterday when I went for a late afternoon swim. Colder than usual, but the water was flat, calm, reflecting the pink and orange of sunset.

These were luxurious conditions for a long, slow cold-water swim. A flock of gulls circled and dove at the water out past the Living Rock Island.… Continue reading

A Water World

Even during the recent days of fire-smoke, I relished my late afternoon swims. The tide is high. The water is clear and flat, often with barely a ripple on the surface. I stand knee-deep on the foreshore, looking out at the pink sky or into the smoky murk. I’m surrounded by the familiar landscapes, the rocky cliffs behind, the Living Rock Island in our little bay, the rocks 30 feet offshore I like to swim out to.… Continue reading