the furrows of the day

Today my friend Sylvie is here.
We are having all these different experiences,
that don't really relate.
All connected as they made up one whole day,
I will write down here some of those furrows that we followed a bit.
Not in any order, but as they flow on the page.

drawers full of unread hours
written on pages of fire
catching flames at inconvenient moments
dispersing smoke with love fragrance

(a translation of one of Willem's poems.)

(As we are doing art, while painting the next poem comes up.)

Spring flood of emotions
french woman
moving her frost heaved heart
towards love
becoming the goddess
she is meant to be
lines in her face
the furrows of an aapa mire

In the morning.
Going for a walk; first the road, then through the swamp. As we missed the early hours of the day, it's already hot and the mosquitoes are out.
Leaving the beautiful swamp flowers for what they are, we quickly move towards a ridge. Not that that gives as any relieve.

(Sylvie, getting hungry, is cooking a meal, telling me to tell you, that she is very much enjoying the view from the kitchen window)

Back in the woods, my goal today, is really not to far, a group of rocks, where i have only been once. Overcome by the heat we almost give up. We point to a spot, higher, that seems like a clearing; "That is how far we go."
Once we reach it; we see the rock face!
Only a little more climbing, we can do it.
And it is worth it! The view, the mountains in the south with their patches of snow, the incredible sky, with picture perfect clouds. The valley below, with a blue green lake. Sitting on the big boulders.


On the way back, light thunder. We happy with a sprinkle, turn, on the spur of the moment, into a neighbors yard. The fence is open, meaning he is home.
And so he is, we catch him on 'an inconvenient moment':) as he is just leaving for Montreal. Leaving his house in progress to the swallow.
They in French and i in English, we do have a very pleasant conversation.
And I learn that the rock we have been sitting on, is
Annie Ned Granite Batholith
A thin strip of geological land coming from the coast.
Not only do i live in an ancient lake (close to shore mind you)
I also live on an even older island, maybe 100km wide, right in the middle.

Wild Strawberries

mmmmmmmmm... i picked two cups. One for winter (in the freezer now) and one for dessert and i ate some, like the ones i took a photo of. Their size half an inch or 1.5 cm.
I don't want you to think now...
Some even think one is crazy to pick anything that small,
I know i am crazy, but there is more wild strawberry pickers out there, yes?

I will also post them on my Yukon Wild Berries blog.

Yet another blog i have, which really i have to work on some more. I have more pictures on file, of the different stages of the plants, that i want to add.

Anyway, i picked for over an hour. Which says two things; That it does take a long time to pick any amount. And it does say; really i am not much of a picker, i know people who pick for hours loving it.

And it is not that the bugs chased me away. Today they were much better behaved, maybe you scared them Christopher, thanks.
Also thanks for the birds and Dragonflies, who were around me.
I even did some gardening today, that is watering and weeding in the vegetable patch.

No photo, but worth mentioning,
A Sulphur is on the wing. I saw it first two days ago, a beautiful, rather big, bright yellow, butterfly.
Lifting my spirit.

After the rain

Yukon Beardtongue

Everything looks fresh.
All the smells wonderful.
And lets not talk about mosquitoes,
they're everywhere today, even here now, in the house
I walk North, all is still purple, from the Lupines, at the end of there bloom.
Lots of water in the creek, the only dogwood bush, i know of here, is blooming.
Later i come upon one little patch of our more common dogwood, little white stars upon the forest floor.

As i started typing the sun was shining, now it is raining again. So it is all day.
I do like to get out in my garden, for some weeding, it looks like i have a good excuse. I also wanted to pick wild strawberries, they are ready! but they need to be dry, for picking.

To continue my walk; on the path through the swamp, there are the little tofieldias
in abundance.



The purple/red; Eskimo Patato.
In the swamp here and there tiny orchids and an abundance of a red/purple louseworts.
Too many flowers to all mention.
Upon the ridges a silver/purple wash of Showy Locoweed, with a few of the above,
Yukon Beardtongue. Moosekull Lake below is very very green.
hmmmm today the mosquitoes do bother me.

Rainbow

last night around 11pm

Screaming birds

In my most beautiful yard, my lawn is a meadow full of flowers, beside it where the outhouse is, a big patch of the wild roses and in the 50 feet high poplars that contain this area, mmmmmm The Western Wood-Pewee is occupying her nest again in a high branch right in front of my open outhouse.
Last year i posted many photos of a successful nest.

And of course first thing after being back, i wanted to see how the swans are doing.
The new ones, in that most secretive, but really easily accessible spot.
For you Dutch people all this not so interesting as i have seen several swans with young last week, from a few meters distance.
Here the birds not always so open to strangers. Count out the Gray Jays, a dark young bird talked to me this morning, while hanging up laundry.

Anyway yesterday i tried to approach the area unseen. Not so easy. soon enough everybody is screaming at me and the swans wondering what's going on.
The Red-winged Blackbird, alternately screams and sings his song, flying frantically from tree top to treetop above the willow thicket. And flying towards me trying to scare me off.
The Red-necked Phalaropes, fly like jet-fighters around me. Did they make a sound? i forgot what. There seem to be many of them, some quietly swimming, see picture below.
Ahh and there's the Swans.
3 cygnets and obviously enough water to raise them. ahhh i am happy for them.
They notice my presence and swim off, so do other ducks.



In my wild flower blog i will mention all the new flowers i encounter. I did at the moment of walking among them, feel quite at loss, not wanting to identify them, but just enjoy them.
Ah, but they got the better of me (how do you say that?)
And i do know some of there names now. I even encountered a dandelion!
Ahhh a native species that is, very exciting, i am not kidding.

I gotta go.
See you shortly Robyn!
Happy birthday.

Great Horned Owl

What did i say yesterday?
About freedom?
Today i feel people pulling at me
always wanting attention
that's what drives me crazy

Ha, i like to say about myself;
i rather be cold and shivering
being out and about
then warm and stuck inside the house

i like to add today;
i rather be lonely and crying
being free
then loved and stuck with you

Noooo! why am i always lying?


I met an owl today
sitting in a tree beside my path
a branch broke
swiftly, silently, he flew off
A great brown body
giant wings
on the way back
same tree
total silence as he fled
if i was with you....
we would be waiting
sitting, silent
in the grass
till he returns
again


I met many more creatures in the woods today
and will write about it in a next post.
As my off-spring
demands the computer now
grrrr...

wild roses

only briefly i go out of the house today
to walk among the roses
its fragrance
sweet and heavy
blown away by wind
i unable
to really catch it
like a sun ray
i cannot fold into my hand

this is my first day in a month
to be truly on my own
nothing needs to be done
so i cry
not so much
for my father who has died
or for my mother on her own
but more for me
for all and everything
that left me
standing

the music loud
till my head bursts open
i dance, i swirl
till i collapse
i scream
i scream
why did you let me go?
i wish i cried
hot tears
strings of my hair
sticking to my face
my hair
your hand
that ruffled it
don't you know?
i cannot live alone

or was it me?
abandoning myself
always wanting to be free
too eager
to live
to love
hmmmm....
all those
roses along my path