Tuesday, March 31, 2009

High Places


I remember, when I was a teenager I did a fair amount of wandering around the woods on the outskirts of my town. There's a strip of woodland that runs the length of West River road. The Grand River Valley has steep sides carved by the rushing glacial melt waters of the last Ice Age.


There are some spectacular views at the crest of the hills at the top of the valley, I remember, on one of my walks I came across a sitting area that consisted of two old Adirondack chairs side by side facing out across a beautiful vista. High on a nearby tree there was a sign upon which was written the name of a man that I can't remember, but beneath the name was written the phrase “He loved, good music, conversation, and high places”.


I remember thinking that the man must be long dead, for the condition of the chairs were poor, they were nearly falling apart.


He's been dead that much longer, because its been nearly thirty years since I came across that sacred little spot.


The things that he loved, the dead man, the man who's name I read, but cannot remember, the things he loved live on in me, good music, conversation and high places.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Work


It feels good to work with my hands. Connecting thought to movement and movement to shaping a form. I have missed it, the creativity of it.

I can smell wood on my hands, hickory, red elm. Red elm has a nutty aroma. When you work hard maple with a block plane, golden curls fall to the floor, each one a beautiful song.

Oh, I could immerse myself in this kind of work, but there is a chance it will not pay. Do I need a salary? This work may fill all need, except the worldly. 

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Thursday, March 12, 2009

The Measure of a Man


How does a man measure? I mean, what system to use. I have no problem ordering 500 grams of fish. I fill the mighty Toyota with 40 litres of gasoline. I know that I could run 5 kilometres before collapsing.

None of these things have an emotional or personal dimension to me, but if they did, they would be measured using the old imperial system.

If the world does not beat me down, I will always stand 5'7 inches tall. My weight may fluctuate, but I will always report it to my doctor in pounds. If I were to build a home I would frame it on 16” centres.

When I travel by car I calculate time and distance in kilometres, but if you are a person that I love, and I can't be with you, you will always be miles away.

The picture above is of me at about half of my current age. I'm sitting atop Dundas peak looking out at the railway corridor that passes through that area. You can bet that if I'm sitting there thinking of the romance of trains, my mind was not in a metric mode.  

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Green


The promise of Spring is finally seen.

The colour of Hope is often green.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

need a title


One picture, no primping. There you have it. Excuse me Georgia, I must go trim my brow.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Of Eden

There is something just west of me, something wonderful I know.

For when the sun is through with me, that's where light is want to go.