Autumn Came

Autumn came while I was gone
And cast her gems upon the lawn,




Gold and garnet, emerald too,
And those of flaming crimson hue.


Autumn came, although unseen,
Her vestige masks the summer's green.

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!

Art in the Park

Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 am to 5 pm, weather permitting from June to September, you will find an array of artisans exhibiting their work on the greens along Lakeside Drive between Front Street and the Arena. For forty-one years now this unique show has allowed regional artists to display and sell their creations in a beautiful setting under the trees. Photography, paintings, sculpture, jewellery, wood, clay and glass are all for sale.With the artists being present to chat and share about how the pieces were created, for any art lover this show is definitely worth the drive to Stratford.

SHADOWS OR LIGHT?

This morning on my walk I was captured by shadows. Intricate patterns tossed like quilts on the ground casting beauty on pavement as much as on the clean cropped lawn of my neighour.










Life has its moments of shadow...layoffs, illness, accidents, death. Is there a way to look at these life events and see the light creating patterns on the dark, rather than focussing on the darkness obscuring the light?

This is the walk my pastor's family treds right now. As Ben is getting weaker, they are choosing to focus on life. In the words of his mom, they brought him home to live, not to die. Instead of existing in the hospital, they are living together at home. What an inspiration they are to us all...a lesson on facing life's challenges focussing on the light.

Mirrored Pleasures

This morning dawned crystal clear and the river beckoned. As I walked down the Nile Street hill, the water displayed an absolutely perfect reflection, a sight we often don't get to see. The rain that we've been having lately has done a better job than Windex in shining up the mirror Avon.

Reflected landscape


Mirrored water fowl











Reflected dragonboats and heron


Reflective thoughts:

On my way around the river I met a new acquaintance who chose to walk with me for a while, and later I encountered two friends whom I hadn't seen for a long time. My Stratford is indeed a place where pleasure often seems to come in double measure.