We were surrounded by hawks and I was reading a book called H is for Hawk. I marvelled at the wildness around me while the narrator recoiled at the wildness she discovered within. Our day was fraught with coincidence it seemed. We had stopped at the end of Goose Lake road to get cell service … Continue reading Connie Sobchak goes hunting for cranes. And gets a story instead
I’ve been tidying up lately-getting rid of seldom used items and generally removing trash from as many places as I might find it. On daily walks, I carry a bag with me to collect whatever I can carry. I’m saddened by the garbage and the more I dwell on the disregard for the landscape, the … Continue reading What Will You Let Sink?
While sitting in a ditch off Highway 99 just outside of Lillooet I got to musing on the qualities of the meadow lark song. I was in the ditch because we had an hour or two to wait before the road reopened and we had decided to use the wait time to take some photos. … Continue reading Can you call your sorrows “a bounty of sadness” and feel richer for them, instead of burdened? Connie Sobchak explores the power of words and lark song
On the way to the Tsawwassen Ferry, as I inspect the trees at the base of the hill, I feel transported to a world where pterodactyls still fly in the skies: a colony of great blue herons live there. It’s hard to look at a heron without thinking of ancient times: their gangly legs, their … Continue reading A Siege of Herons: Connie Sobchak ponders the similarities between a heronry and a shopping mall
Yes…I like it…but what is it? I’ve heard these words several times with regard to scenes I’ve photographed or painted and I push myself to remember a favourite quote from Alfred North Whitehead whenever they are spoken. He said, “Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of … Continue reading Patterns
As the sun filtered through the blustery snowfall the other day, we pressed ourselves to get out of the house for a walk with the dog. "Winter has lasted too long," we lamented, "It’s time for spring." Our wish was granted. Over by Arn Canal, piileated woodpeckers drilled hole after hole in the cottonwoods and … Continue reading The Birds Know
Mom was an awesome cook. When she first moved to Pemberton, there were not many supplies so she figured out what to do with the basics. Her dad sent her a book with a title like, “101 Things to Do With Eggs.” It was there she learned that freezing eggs was possible. One night after … Continue reading Mom’s Baking
When I saw the little yellow dress in the window, I smiled. The burst of colour on a gloomy day and the absolute frivolity of the creation were a visual treat. I thought about entering just to fondle the material but instead passed by for more practical purposes: My dad had resorted to using the … Continue reading Retail Therapy
Surely most people can compile a humbling list of things they do not know. My inventory is mind numbing and often capable of deflating my motivation. For example, I might discover some tiny fact about a subject and offer it up as conversation fodder only to find that ten other people already knew ten times … Continue reading Things I Do Not Know
As I ran that day, I considered the odds of all the maple seed heads landing with the head facing north. It sure seemed like the majority of these helicopter like pods had ended up pointing north. (No picture, as I kept waiting for a good sunny shot but never got one.) Considering the concept … Continue reading Searching for patterns in randomness, and finding magic
The Wellness Almanac 