Hunting

I went hunting tonight.

The cormorants have gradually been returning. On one of my walks I spotted 16 of them.

Last night when my friend and I were walking, we saw a new kind of water fowl. By the shape of the head, we thought we were watching baby loons. But no, it was the cormorants. I had not seen them in the water before. They are actually quite gracious and great fishers! Like a loon, they dive under the water and you wonder if they will ever surface. All of a sudden they pop up a little ways off, often holding a fish in their mouth. On the tree they look menacing...in the water, they really are rather comic.

So I went hunting tonight to see if I could capture a picture for you. They have pretty well stripped the top foliage from their present resting spot and tonight I saw one landing in a new tree. I wonder how soon they will ravage it.










It is all part of the natural cycle of life, and I guess I feel privileged to be able to observe.

EVENING CALLED

Nature called,
Come walk with me.
Drink in evening's bedtime beauty,
Bask in the reflected mirror of the night,
Reach out and touch her dusky silhouettes, her silky shadows,
Dip your fingers in the crimson palette tossed across the sky.
Come walk with me,
And let creation touch your soul.

Big Box Story

Last evening I had a rare privilege...one of the things that I love about Stratford.

A senior student from Stratford Central Secondary School wrote a musical called Big Box Story. It was a sell-out hit when they put it on at the school this past year. Our mayor approached the Stratford Shakespeare Theatre to see if they would work with the students to enable them to re-create it on one of our professional stages. So 38 of our teens had the opportunity last night to perform in front of a packed and cheering house at the Avon Theatre. All of the proceeds from the evening are going to the Foundation for the Enrichment of Education. It is a win/win situation for sure, one that shows the spirit of this wonderful community.

Keep your eyes open over the next few years for the upcoming career of Britta Johnston. She seems destined for great things! Her first musical was amazing. Who knows what will be next!