MYSTICAL VOYAGE

Ocean fog

towering trees

the voice of the wilderness

calls to me

Kids, you are in for a visual treat this morning. All week, through his photos, I have been traveling vicariously with my son, Jon, and his wife Zenny, around Northern Vancouver Island. North Island is as yet undeveloped, minimally settled with small communities, and largely pristine. Glorious wilderness.

Jon has loved the wilderness since he was a boy and he and Zenny camp every chance they get, even when there is still snow on the ground. Jon called last night, all choked up, telling me this trip has been so amazingly beautiful, it  was "mystical". 

This spectacular spot is Quatsino. Notice the brilliance of the light on trees and water. That is what ocean living is - a different quality of the light. It is what I miss so much, living in a town, away from the morning fog and evening mist. Camping does not get any finer than this! His photos make me homesick.

They fished to their hearts' content, at times struggling  to land the giant fish with seals stealing them on the other end of the line. They lost a few that way.

Alice Lake

Jon, snorkeling, Smokey standing guard

Camping Dude

The family tradition of dressing up dogs continues.

My work here is done, LOL.

Marble River, near Port Alice

When they chose Smokey, (from a rescue group), they wanted a dog who would enjoy camping and fishing, and he certainly does. As a puppy, he even went ice fishing with Jon in 40 below weather. (They live in Regina, Saskatchewan, where winters are Siberian in their magnitude.

At one of the campsites, Smokey gave his warning bark and they didnt know what he was barking at. They launched their boat, pushed off and looked back to see a black bear 50 feet from where they had been. Good dog, Smokey. Thankfully, we now know he wont actually chase the bear and get himself into trouble that way. Smart dog. I swear he has wolf in him. He is so intelligent. And at home in the wilderness.

Telegraph Cove

Telegraph Cove is a beautiful small settlement on the ocean. Here, Jon and Zenny saw a pod of orcas, including a baby, while they were out in their small zodiac.

They have seen eagles, a bear, orcas. Ocean fog and mist swirling.  In Telegraph Cove, they had to keep Smokey leashed, as a cougar had attacked a dog there recently. 

Oh, how these photos speak to my soul. How the wilderness calls to me, ceaselessly, "Come home, come home."

ODE TO A '92 TOYOTA

Little blue car,

we both are

more tired than God.

We both lack the luster of earlier days,

have our fair share of dents and bruises,

carried our full load,

and have clocked 500,000 miles

of bumpy road.

But every morning,

we both Start.

Some fuel, 

now and then 

a little oil for the creaky parts,

and, apparently, indefatigable 

and indestructible hearts.

I climb in.

We point our noses firmly 

towards Tomorrow.

I bless you for still

Getting Me There,

along the Highway of Hope,

and skirting the edge of Sorrow.

Ha. Looks like Little Blue Car could benefit from some soap and water. But I am tired, and I need a minion! The yellow bumper sticker was created by a friend of mine and it says "Money is a Drug. Heal the Spirit." He also made one that says "Money Rules. The Spirit Liberates." Awesome wicked cool. 

It is the weirdest, and most comforting thing. In the smudges and dust of the back window it looks like Pup is sitting there in the back, where he so loved to travel. I'm going to believe he is. 

Always a New Moon, Rising

The Wise Woman's Stone

image by Linda Apple

globallightminds.com

depicting the East, the guide to

growth and introspection

I am well water, salted with tears.

I am the chill in a September morn,

through an open door.

I am Memory

of other chilly autumn mornings,

come full circle,

as the many seasons pass.

I am evening closing in early.

I am bathing in

the reflection of the moon,

rising silver and serene 

in the evening sky.

I am a new blade of grass 

pushing up through the earth,

and I am the bent and brittle 

straw-like, yellow stalk

at the end of life's road.

I am river-breath and ocean-fog

and an old weary, wondering spirit, 

rising.

Looking through my eyes

is the one who is 

doing the looking,

the one who watches, still and quiet,

as I cavort about like a bumbling fool.

She knows. I know that She knows:

fire and rain, joy and pain,

and always a new moon, 

rising.

Storm-Tossed

chestermanbeach.net

The roar of the waves pounds

the dunes, feet from my door,

little two room cedar shack,

friendly old growth trunks 

out every window,

enduring under the lash

of wind and rain.

Upstairs, tucked, warm, into my bed,

I listen to the roar of the surf,

hear the March winds howl,

feel the rain pounding 

the cabin walls,

and my heart

soars.

for Susan's Mid Week Motif prompt at Poets United: Stormy Weather. I exceeded the 55 word limit by a few........I adore winter storms at the beach.

I love winter at the beach, the weather so dramatic, elemental, powerful and ever-changing. The wind would blow so hard, we walked on an angle trying to stay upright, rain sluicing off our fisherman's rubber hats and raincoats. I walked many a wild beach, exulting, through those years of winter storms.

I hope to catch a few this winter.

Jeans for Poetry Jam

I owned my first pair at 27.

Before that, I wore polyester, 

trying  to be a perfect wife and mother of three

before I had even learned how to be Me.

Then I divorced, walking that fall day 

through the leaves in the West End,

realizing my life was finally my own.

Bought my first jeans,

wandering Gastown in the '70's

in my buckskin jacket with fringe 

to the strains of Elton John,

read Desiderata, took a lover,

had my first orgasm,

watched Jonathan Livingston Seagull and Siddhartha,

burst out of my cage,

life exploding in all directions.

I am still feeling the reverberations,

all these centuries later,

and remembering the look and the feel

of my first pair of jeans.

for Laurie's prompt at Poetry Jam : jeans in 20 lines or less. 

HOMECOMING

Well, kids, I fell in love this weekend - with a beautiful 11 month old wolf-pup! Smokey is my newest granddog, a rescue, who came along with Jon and Zenny, on their trip home to the Island. They live in Regina these days, for the sake of good jobs. But they are Island people, who miss the forest, mountains and ocean of the West Coast. Not to mention the mild climate!

We went to Stamp Falls, one of our favorite spots, the wildest place I can find around here. Watching Smokey discover the wild smells and beauty of this place, I had tears in my heart. This is the spot that saved Pup and I, living here and missing our wilderness home so much. He has been gone almost four years now, and it is only this summer that I have been able to go back there. I miss him so much all the time, but especially there, where we shared so many 
happy hours.

Jon has loved the wilderness, hiking, fishing and camping, since boyhood, and Zenny enjoys the lifestyle, too.  They get out camping at every opportunity, year-round, even ice-fishing in the winter, which sounds very cold to me. 

Smokey looks well pleased with the river!

. 

Then we took Smokey  to the lake, for a swim, and came back home for a family barbecue. A great day!

It gladdens my heart to see happy, well-loved dogs. Zenny calls him "my puppy-boy" which reminded me of Pup, always "my boy", forever missed, in my heart.

We had four dogs at the barbecue. The highlight  was Smokey making an agile leap, from standing, right  up onto the center of the picnic table. Yikes! He didnt spill a thing though.

 I  was so enraptured by Smokey's beauty, I had to remember to include some photos of the humans.

Frisbee in the yard - fun for dogs and humans!

The table was bountiful - that's how we roll, around here!

 A great big armful of wriggly puppy joy.

I swear this dog is laughing, all the time.

This morning they headed north-Island, which has a few small communities, and much beautiful wilderness, as yet untouched by the tourism and development that makes  the rest of the Island so busy. I wanted to hop in the car and go too!

Was so good to see them and to get the family together. Sigh. I miss them already and they've only been gone a few hours. Smoke reminds me of Pup. He has the same wolfish look, the intelligence, the humor. A happy boy, who thinks each day is a new opportunity for joy.  And, with him around, it is!