Capture Your 365

For thirty days, I have been capturing one photo to post on Instagram with the #CY365 hashtag. Why? To cultivate the routine of taking at least one photo each day, document my year, increase my observatory skill, and/or retain the memory of something beautiful or important (and those two are not mutually exclusive). It's an entertaining hobby and far from routine. It keeps the synapses firing in my aging brain. I hope you enjoy some of what I share, but that is not my measure of success.

The only measure for me is this: did I take a photo today?

There are several apps and websites which help promote the photo-a-day concept. I use this one for photo prompts. Some people can do it on their own, I personally like to have a prompt, though I am not locked into that. If the prompt doesn't resonate, or if I find something more interesting, I simply hashtag it as #offprompt. I chose Instagram as my depository, but others have posted on Twitter, Facebook or elsewhere.

You'll find me on Instagram as @north59lite. I tell you in case you're interested, since you are here, voluntarily reading this blog. I have no marketing agenda, I'm selling nothing, I've no desire to build a larger platform of followers. I can't keep track of the ones I have. The odd nicknames mean I usually have to click a person's profile to figure out who they are in real life. And then there are those of you whom I've never met...

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Henry once asked me why I share things on social media. I didn't have an answer then, so I ordered two books I thought might help me answer the question for myself. "Why We Write" and "Why We Write About Ourselves" gave me some interesting reading by other authors, but also offered as many different reasons to write as there were chapters in each book.

Steve Bell, writing in "Pilgrim Year: Ephiphany," finally hit on something close to my own motive. He said:

"We all have interior landscapes that deeply long to be expressed." 

Steve tells how he was once moved to tears reading about the late-life longing expressed by Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. "As he neared his own death," Steve says, "the great writer was desperately trying to complete The Brothers Karamazov." Dostoyevsky reportedly said that if he could just finish the work, "he would die a happy man, having expressed himself completely."

That quote exploded like fireworks in my heart. It was my own sort of Epiphany. The longing to express oneself completely drives some artists mad. If we tie it to approval of what we have expressed, we get driven there a bit sooner. I determined long ago that I would offer my expressions to the world, be it poetry, prose, photographs, or music. I have been sharing via this blog since 2005, having published over 1,200 posts. That's an average of eight expressions each month for 13 years. Not prolific, but regular.

As someone else has said, "Just because it happened doesn't mean it's interesting," so I try to be interesting, not just self-indulgent. The key to being boring is telling everything to everyone. So, one photo a day for 365 days might is a somewhat interesting record to me of this year. We shall see if I can consistently persist in this. I'm quite aware that I like to try things and abandon them if I get bored. So far, so good. Thirty days in, I'm game to keep going.

Come along if you like!

A Year in the Life: 2018

Riding the Model T Ford at Greenfield Village

What I would tell you over a cup of coffee as I show you my photo album:

I am not an exceptional person. I am average, sometimes strong, sometimes helpless, desperately clutching on to an exceptional God. And when I'm unable to hold on, God still holds me.

I don't post many of my dark moments here. I don't usually tell you about my mistakes or the nightmares or how I am up and down some nights, especially when the wind howls. But I will tell you those times are getting less often, Part of the reason for that is I am finally learning to trust and rely on the love, care and encouragement from our dear friends and family members. We have seen so many of you this year that I hesitate to include pictures for fear of leaving someone out. Please, if you have one of us together, send it to me, yes?

When the dark times do come, and friends may not be immediately available, I know beyond any doubt that God is with me through it all, whether or not I feel it. I am learning to choose to TRUST this truth, that's why "trust" is my #oneword for 2019.

I have finally made it through my 2018 Joy Jar, then I browsed through my photos for the year and filled in some significant blanks. Not everything made the list, but I'd like to tell you about some of them. But, please keep something in mind if you choose to walk down this pathway of past days with me. Our human tendency is to compare our worst moments to someone else's highlight reel.

Please don't.

Each of us lives out our life and our calling as faithfully as we are able, as best as we can manage. There are fits and starts, there are dark days I wouldn't share with my best friend. So rejoice with me, for I have found joy in all sorts of places, mostly because I'm learning to look for it everywhere.

Playing Azul at Boardwalk in Abbotsford

Games We Played:
We love to play board games and card games. Some favorites include Crokinole, Dixit, Five Crowns, and Crib. This year Andrew and Rebecca introduced us to Azul, and Azul 2: Stained Glass of Sintra. We had fun learning the party game Code Names with LeBlancs and crew on New Years Eve.

Marcel Dionne at his diner in Niagara Falls

Memorable Restaurants:
Who doesn't love to eat, and the more amazing the flavors or atmosphere, the better we like it. Some of our favorites in Calgary include Ten Foot Henry, Rouge, Seasons of Bowness Park, Smugglers Inn, Vintage Chophouse (Calgary), Heartland Café (Okotoks), The Italian Farmhouse (Bragg Creeg).

The rest of this list comes from a little further afield, from our road trips this year. If you're ever in these areas, be sure to try these places: Porter's Bistro (Langley), Saba (Ft. Langley), Elizabeth’s Chalet (Surrey), Glass House Winery (Langley Twp), Hilltop Café (Langley Twp), Avishan Authentic Middle East Grill (Langley), Smith & Wolensky (Chicago), Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria (Naperville), Schmidt’s Sausage Haus in the German Village (Columbus, OH), The Blueline Diner (Niagara Falls. ON where the owner, famous hockey legend, Marcel Dionne was bussing tables because it's his place and they were short staffed that day!), Buddy’s Pizza (Livonia, MI), Bavarian Inn (Frankenmuth, MI), and finally, one we completely stumbled over on our long drive home: Doncker’s (Marquette, MI).

Cinema:
Of course, who doesn't love a good movie. It's been a while since I've seen one I'd rate 5/5, and only one did that for me this year. Here's my completely arbitrary and subjective personal ratings based on how intensely moved I was, the relative importance of the story themes, and the special effects/stunts/cinematography. Tell me, did I miss one you think is a must-see?

The Darkest Hour 4/5
The Greatest Showman 3/5
Paul, Apostle of Christ 4/5
The Black Panther 3/5
Star Wars: Solo 3/5
Incredibles 2  2/5
Mamma Mia  3/5
Christopher Robin 5/5
Mission Impossible: Fallout 4/5
Robin Hood 3/5
Mary Poppins Returns (VIP Experience) 3/5

Live Theatre/Concerts:
This is by far the most interesting part of entertainment in my book. Real people, singing, acting, dancing, playing. Human expertise at its best or in its infancy, quality live performances resonate deeply with me.

In February, for Black History Month, we attended the 32nd Annual Gospel Concert in Edmonton at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. A packed program with hundreds of performers in dozens of choirs and bands.

In March and April we visited Rosebud twice: once for the hilarious and incredible one man show, Wingfield’s Inferno and next for the endearing and funny Driving Miss Daisy.

On April 24, The Tallis Scholars, were the height of classical music, performing at Bella Concert Hall at Mount Royal University. "The Tallis Scholars have done more than any other group to establish sacred vocal music of the Renaissance as one of the great repertoires of Western classical music." Their close a capella harmony is an "exclusive sound, praised by reviewers for its supple clarity and tone, and to bring fresh interpretations to music" new and old.

 

Joel solos at Louis Riel Band Concert

Celebrating with the Warrens and Wynnes after Youth Singers

The spring and Christmas time also brought out school concerts and Youth Singers. We are privileged to be friends with several very talented young people whose concerts and plays we frequent with pleasure. We thrilled to Joel Warren's jazz trumpet at the Louis Riel Band concerts, Amy Warren's delightful performances in Lights on Broadway and Falaland with the Calgary Youth Singers, and Nicole Aronitz as a stunning Peter Pan at David Thompson School.

We of course love classic rock and music of all sorts, so were thrilled to take in The Eagles with Vince Gill and get our first look at the new Rogers Centre in Edmonton. We also loved attending an Andrew Allen house concert hosted by my friend Catherine Cadman, who also introduced me to the Calgary Women's Chorus at their outstanding Christmas concert. One other notable event was Wonder and Gloria by the First Alliance Church choir and orchestra.

Humberto Vargas directs Vivaldi's Gloria

Best of all are the plays and musicals. Henry played one of the Inklings (C.S. Lewis and friends) in a terrific production of Shadowlands. On our very short stopover in Chicago this summer, we were able to see Hamilton, the Broadway Musical, at the historic 1906 CIBC Theatre. The same day we were also able to score tickets to see 84 year old Carol Burnett, live at the Chicago Theatre. We also loved Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat in Rosebud; the Canadian Badlands Passion Play, Drumheller; and finishing off the musicals was The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, First Alliance Church.

The Inklings from Shadowlands

(back row): Brad McDowell, Frances Taman, Al Hall

(front) Greg McCombs as C.S. Lewis, Adam Ward, Henry Rempel

We finished out the last quarter of the year with a play every month. The captivating Every Brilliant Thing was presented on the Engineered Air Stage (Arts Commons, Calgary). This one-woman show involved audience participation and dealt with the subject of suicide in a helpful, uplifting and informative way. I am deeply grateful to the writers, the actor, and the joint sponsorship by Fire Exit Theatre and Burnt Thicket Theatre.

Finally, Christmastime was completed with Rosebud's show: Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Christmas Carol, a classic retelling of the classic story where Holmes is the Scrooge-like character. We finished the season with the traditional rendition of A Christmas Carol at Theatre Calgary.

Cathy and Peggy join me at Passion For Glass Gallery & Studio

Artistic Ventures:
This year, in addition to my photography and graphic arts, I took several needlecraft "sampler" workshops, had an unfortunate experience in glass fusing at franchise shop, so tried again at the studio of a glass artisan with my friends Cathy and Peggy. The second attempt went very well and I will return! Pamela came down from Sherwood Park the fall for our annual girls' weekend and we both tried our hand at watercolour painting. It wasn't quite the beginner's level advertised, but we had a few laughs and learned a bit.

Well I have to try to start wrapping things up here. Significant people returned to our life: Steve and Lisa LeBlanc came back from Winnipeg and Oly and Dianne Boersma moved back from the Netherlands. We've spent many occasions with each, as well as celebrating the following events:

Henry chats with the teamster while harvesting barley by horse drawn cutter at the Bar U

 Goat on the sod roof at Old Country Market in Coombs, BC

Significant Firsts:
Feb. 7, A visit to Glenbow Museum
Apr. 24, Driest Day in 50 years at only 8% humidity
May 25, A stay at Three Valley Gap Hotel, Museum & Ghost Town
May 30, We finally see goats on the roof at the Old Country Market in Coombs, BC
May 31, Meet up with Henry’s niece in Qualicum Beach
May 31, Watch the tide come in at Rothtrever Beach, Vancouver Island
Jun. 5, Attend Vespers at Westminster Abbey in Mission, BC
Jun. 7, Stopped (finally) at The Last Spike, Craigellachie, BC
Jun. 9, Astonished by a first view of Chaplin Lake, Canada’s second largest inland saline water body.
Jun. 18, Long awaited visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Jun. 19, Mind blown at Warther Museum & Carvers
Jun. 20, Got soaked on the Hornblower Cruise for Niagara Falls Fireworks
Jun. 28, Stumbled across the self-titled Home of Bigfoot (Remer, MN)
July 17, Camping at Akokiniskway Golf Course, Rosebud
July 17, Explore Dinosaur Trail and Horse Thief Canyon, Drumheller
July 18, Tour Atlas Coal Mine, East Coulee, AB
July 19, Last Chance Saloon, and the 11 Bridges, Wayne
July 20, Canadian Badlands Passion Play, Drumheller
Aug. 6, Pandas at the Zoo, Calgary
Aug. 10, Survived Calgary’s Hottest Day (36.4 C / 97.5 F)
Aug. 30, Visited Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies, Banff
Sep. 2, Stooking barley with Eau Claire Distillery at Bar U Ranch
Sep. 2, Made tea from rose-hips (pick, de-seed, dry, ground, steep)
Sep. 28, Towed trailer to BC and camped at Ft. Langley
Oct. 1, Stranded due highway closure at Canmore, camped in 2 ft. of snow
Oct. 20, Two day Watercolour Painting workshop at Leighton Art Centre with Pamela
Nov. 21, Knee Injection
Nov. 24, Dog-sat Blu

Some of my family at Murray's wedding

Notable Celebrations: 
Jan. 27, Pamela Forbe’s 60th in Sherwood Park
Feb. 10, Kevann’s wedding in Water Valley
June 6, My son Andrew’s university graduation and first year teaching grade four.
June 16, My nephew Murray’s Ohio wedding
Aug. 30, Our Wedding Anniversary #4, celebrated in Banff
Sep. 8, Joel Warren’s Baptism
Nov. 20, Henry’s birthday
Dec. 21, Joyce’s birthday
Dec. 31, LeBlanc’s New Year’s Eve

Well, that's not all, but there's not time to tell you about other church involvement, my garden, artistic endeavours, new writing assignments; Henry's books, motorcycle trips, handyman work, antique restoration, car project and puzzles; fun visiting with friends, siblings and extended relatives; the hockey games with our sons, and birthday celebrations with the family; the Calgary Flames being top of their division; or volunteering with a team of five to cook for 130 people at camp every day for a week. On the darker side were the horrible storms we couldn't avoid on our road trips, the ambulance call in the middle of the night, the root canals (one each), the knee injection, the myriad of doctor visits filling up our social calendar... those are just the stuff of life, showing our age and our scars and our gratitude for the fact we still wake up each day to God's mercies, new every morning. Most of all, we love our life together and are so grateful for this gift of love we share.

If you've stuck with me this far, your coffee is probably cold and you need a refill. Gracious. Retirement can be exhausting. What a list! Thanks for walking down memory lane with me. Why don't you create your own Joy Jar this year, and keep looking for all the events that bring a smile to your face in 2019! Then we'll meet again to compare notes, this time next year!

What ever you're looking for, you will find!

Henry's sister Elvira and brother in law, Ernie

 Celebrating the LeBlanc's return!

 Hockey with the guys

 With our daughter-in-law's family, the Buurmeesters

Lifelong friends, Murray & Pam Forbes, daughter Erica

 Pamela's party and the guys are in the kitchen?!

Henry's brother Abe and sister in law, Katie

 Beautiful Kevann

With Glen & Char visiting wineries in the Similkameen Valley

My Trio of Trust, Jean and Cathy

 Henry's niece, Janet

 Our cooking team at Camp Chamisall Week 7

Motorcycling with Richard and Lynn

 Hiking with Oly and Diane Boersma

Dinner at Gord and Jill's new villa at Glen Eagles, Cochrane

Nine strong women who've loved me a long time

 Hockey Mom Strong

 Grey Cup Victory Party: Calgary Stampeders 2018!

 Grey Cup Victory Party: Calgary Stampeders 2018!

My cousin Sylvia and Rick introduced us to Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria

Keith and Diane

Kirk visited us and we returned the favour this summer
in Ontario but I missed getting a picture of Patti.

Our friend, Amy Burks moved back to Ontario. We miss her.

The Harback crew. Lots of love and memories here.

Some of the wonderful women I serve with at women's Bible Study

Blu

Cindy, Kiel, Shaun, Henry, Bev and Jim - I didn't make them pose.

  ~Here's to 50 more years!~

Tiles of Time

Gratitude is the birthplace of joy. 

~Brené Brown

Ten years ago, while house-hunting on Thanksgiving weekend, I toured the house that would become my home. Two disparate things captivated me: the panoramic mountain view and the unique ceramic tile in the master bedroom with its indigo-and-linen pattern adorning the fireplace.

As I wake today from a rare Sunday afternoon nap, the low sun casts a golden spotlight through the open window onto those eclectic tiles that remind me (then, and every day since) of a warm, joy-filled vacation through Cinque Terre, Italy.

Much has transpired in those ten years: birthdays, holiday celebrations, graduation, empty nest, road trips, reunions, weddings, dear visitors, grief and loss, sleepless nights, tears, prayers. I strive to tuck each one into the cedar chest of life memories. Major events coexist alongside the innocuous beauty of brief moments: a gentle word, lingering sunsets, breathtaking sky, small blooms, tender glances, echoes of song and laughter, surprises, campfires, a first-year raspberry, juicy watermelon and faithfulness. Each one, observed, becomes a good and perfect gift, no matter how tiny, squirrelled away in a precious nook or safe cranny of memory's trove.

Treasures and sadness, light and dark, joy and mourning; these are not opposites, but complementary. I do not despise one for the sake of the opposite. One cannot exist without the other, not until eternity. I seek to embrace both extremes and all the various in-betweens, since we mostly live the greater fraction of our lives in the un-sensational middle-ground of Average.

For all of these gifts, and the mosaic they make of my life, may I be truly grateful. Amen.

One Word 2017

Do you have #OneWord for 2017?

What is it?

The #OneWord movement began as far back as 1999 and became a best-selling book. Co-authors Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page have been living and sharing the power of One Word since 1999. It is a personal choice to find, choose, or receive a theme for the year that is represented by one word. Resolutions don’t work, but many have found that #OneWord gives them the focus and simple clarity to make sustained life change over the coming year.

This post is not about the book. It's about my choice of #OneWord for 2017.

How do I find it?

I don’t want to get so mired down in the process of finding my word and “doing it right” (whatever that means) that I give up, so I’ve kept it simple. I looked at what others have named for 2017: hope, focus, anticipate, soar, fearless, enjoy, attentive, commitment, light, release, embrace and on it goes, as unique and distinct between humans as each individual and different snowflake that has piled up on my driveway. I needed to move them all out of the way to clear a path to sharpening my own focus.

My Word

Previous words in past years have included gratitude, presence, love. Each year the word is different and reflects the context of my current life. A few words that have lingered in my vision for 2017 include: discomfort, remember, tradition, laugh, build… but I have settled on my word for 2017:

Good.

As so many people have looked back on 2016, they seem to continually focus on the bad things that happened, “what a horrible year it was,” and all the celebrities that died last year. News outlets have become fear mongers and purveyors of bad news.

My own mind, negative narrative, self-talk, the inner mean girl, the enemy of my soul or just sub-conscious fears and anxiety like to rise (especially at night) and point out all the catastrophic things that can come of imagined realities. I can focus on worst case scenarios, or I can choose to tell myself the truth and seek out what is good.

One thing I know for certain is this: whatever you are looking for, you will find. 

If you continue to look for evidence that things are bad, there’s plenty out there. I also know if you look for things that are good, there’s even more evidence of that. Here's some initial thoughts:

God is good.

The first words recorded from God’s mouth were “It is good.”

God withholds no good thing from us. (Good by God’s definition, not mine).

God has shown us what is good: to seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God.

Look for the good, because whatever you are looking for, you will find.

Good is a four letter word.

Assume good will.

That’s good. 

Be good.

Ways to Keep #OneWord In Mind

There are numerous options, but I have to find what works for my temperament and attention-deficit tendencies.

I love the idea my friend Kendra used last year: Establish a jar to collect good things that happen during the year. Put brightly colored note paper and pen beside the jar and write down the good things that happen each day, each week, or whenever you think of them. Or just put things in the jar that remind you of something good. On the next New Year’s Day, open the jar and read them.

Make some kind of artwork with your #OneWord and hang it where you’ll see it every day. Perhaps a poem, a painting, a carving, glasswork, quilt, 3-D print, Lego build – the list is endless.

It’s a great idea to blog or journal around my #OneWord theme. It’s likely that I will write about the phrases above and other variations on the theme. Perhaps not. Either way, it’s all good.

If you want to know more

There is a book. I haven’t read it. It’s better that I keep things simple. But if you want to check it out, go to getoneword.com

I’m not trying to persuade you to do this or suggest this is an “Easy Button” to life change. It’s simple a clarifying tool that many have found helpful.

I’ll leave you with this video from YouTube. It’s good.

Potpourri

I don't watch much television, but when I do, I watch renovation shows on HGTV. I hate living through renos, but I adore watching mess to magnificent in less than thirty minutes (15 if I pvr the show and skip through the ads!). This morning I woke up to a wonderful video by Glennon Doyle Melton that uses some renovation terms like "sistering the joist". See if you don't appreciate this as much as I did - how important our sisters are in giving us strength:


The Best Part of Life by Glennon Doyle Melton from SALT Project on Vimeo.


Now, I also read an amazing post by John Lynch about depression and perseverance. If you struggled today to just get up and get going and need some strengthening in that area, take a read of this post right here.

Then I was off to Women2Women at my church where we're studying 40 Days in the Word. There's an app you can download if you just look on your app store for "FAC Experience". We're doing six different methods of bible study (one for each week of the 40 Day series), memorizing one scripture verse per week, engaging in daily readings and personal devotional time (you can download the workbook and join us), and discussing the study methods in weekly small groups. You can watch the weekend message on the app and view the teaching video for each weekly group study on the app as well. I get to double dip because we're doing it both in our women's group and in my evening mixed life group. Fascinating to see the different perspectives each person brings in helping one another see and understand fresh perspectives and deeper understanding of the scripture and of our precious Lord Jesus from what each one shares.

Finally, let's play for a moment.

Today as our group session finished, I was visiting with a friend when a couple other ladies walked past. A flutter caught the edge of my vision and I noticed something paper-ish floating down to the ground. It was cut out of card stock and it was the letter "O" (as in Oprah or orphanage or orange). I picked it up and chased the ladies who had walked by, thinking one of them dropped it from a craft they were doing or perhaps a bulletin board they were prepping. No one claimed it but we thought it could be a round halo slipped off someone's head or a missing letter from a children's classroom. How it got onto the floor in the lobby is a mystery.

So here's the game:

If you were given the letter "O", what would the letter "O" represent in your life today? Opportunity? Optimism? Organization? Offense? Occupation? Or is it "Ohhhhh!" as in a sense of wonder, surprise, expectancy? Something else entirely? A friend in college had "Oom" day, where their mother gave them presents for no reason at all.

Think about it. Comment if you like. Whatever you decide, have a happy "O" day.

Monochrome Saturday

I've strayed a little from this blog being about "living a quiet life" - partly because I'm actually living life in that way at this moment. But today, I share a snapshot, as if you and I were sitting down together in my studio sharing a dark, steaming cup of smooth hazelnut coffee and witnessing these every day moments together. Here's to your health. Here's to this one beautiful, precious life!

My back view in late autumn. The bird feeder sans birds.

Saturday’s monochrome sky mutes all the colours except the garish patio chair covers. Even then, on this cloudy day, they are easier on the eyes. I scan the garden with a keen eye for detail, then settle down on the loveseat (a $200 purchase from IKEA twenty-three years ago), armrests protected with my late sister-in-law’s matching crocheted doilies. The writing studio is a comfy place, accented with bohemian pillows and accessories, wall hangings, motivational quotes, miscellany furniture, and a collected 1860’s arrow back chair paired with a distressed antique white writing desk. The style is shabby chic along the lines of “traditional India meets prairie farmhouse”.

I read. A Real Book. A rare treat in a world of 140-character tweets and three-second SnapChats. And out of the corner of my eye, I watch for birds.

Yesterday a Northern Flicker made his house call, hanging nearly upside down from the eaves until I saw him ("Nature poses just long enough for the right photographer"). It would take me a thousand tweets to describe his clothing. Such a suit he flaunts: a striped jacket over a polkadot vest, a long beak and a crown of red flash. But that beak? I cover my eyes in fear and he flicks away.

The new bird seed draws them. Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and squirrels. Yes, noisy red squirrels and ugly black squirrels with crazy eyes. Perhaps at night, the mice come also. And the neighbor’s cat. I worry about the possible nesting sites nearby: under the cracked concrete no longer held fast by the bowed retaining wall, or below the neighbor’s deck: squirrel access at eye level where the lattice is broken (not my deck, I just live beside it, another post for another day).

A murderous magpie puffs up double size on the end cap of the back door neighbor's hip roof. “Stay away!” I think, (to the magpie, not the neighbor), recalling the brackish sounds of their fights outside my window pre-sunrise before I removed the third feeder, purchased in ignorance on a whim, where they and the very unwelcome, noisy Grackles, fought to gorge themselves with high-energy suet. Since that’s gone, they’ve generally been scarce. “Good riddance,” I murmur.

But now the Blue Jays have come. Oh, joy! Such coloring! Picking at the crumbs below the wild bird sunflower seed and corn feeder. A pair, unafraid, as I call for Henry to “Look, quick! Jays at the feeder!!” but scatter when I open the patio screen to zoom in with my Canon.

“I’ll give them a refill,” thinks the benevolent side of me, as I step into garden clogs, dismissing any embarrassment at going out in my pyjamas to retrieve the empty seed dispenser (the yard is quite private and if the neighbors do look, they’ll never wanna look again). Once the feeder’s full and back in place, surely they’ll return, so I can finally photograph them! And I must fill it now, when they’re in the yard. (The jays, not the neighbors).

One jay remains in the tree not ten feet away, watching. Smelling, perhaps. Do they smell? How else would they know the food is there? Keen eyesight? Intuition? They are bird brained. What DO they sense?

But after filling the feeder, cleaning up and settling down again with my book, I wait in vain and write this to prove you can lead a Blue Jay to crumbs but you can’t ensure he stays. Human presence, at least mine (was it my perfume?) disturbs any bird, hyper vigilant as they are. Nervous, twitching, flitting from this branch to that. (And I thought I was A.D.D.)! I’ve been unable to determine a predictable pattern on bird activity yet, since I’ve not really tried and I’m only one summer in to this bird observation thingy.

Passerine birds are my most common visitors. Logical, since it’s the category for half the birds in the world. I usually have visitors of black-capped chickadee, sparrow and finch, co-existing happily with the squirrels and not so happily with the cat (who is, of course, violating the city ordinance that cats are not to roam free). An entire sub-system of communication: chirps, tweets, songs and movement, often gracing the the largest spruce in dozens, clustering like pine cones or perched on the tips like Christmas tree ornaments on a holiday card.

And this is my greeting card to you, on a monochrome Saturday, a snapshot of a few creatures doing some Calgary dreamin’ on such a winter's day. I am now going to return to my book, ironically titled: “Bird by Bird" until the birds are back in town.




Photo credit: personal collection