You know how once you become aware of something, you see it everywhere?  Like when we bought our new to us car not so long ago, I started seeing the same model of car everywhere.  Well, community was like that for me this week.  It’s been on my mind a lot.  And, because of this, I’ve noticed it and its impact everywhere. 

This included two very good conversations I had about community.  One with a local business owner and one with the manager of a local event.  In both cases, the talk focussed around our attitude to community in this area.  (When I say this area, I am talking about the metropolitan Owen Sound area which includes the town and the smaller communities around it - the elephant’s ass, for those of you who understand my reference).

As I sat in my thought tub this morning having my coffee, I had a sudden realization that perhaps our trees are trying to teach me something about community.  You may remember that the lot next door to us was recently cleared of most of its trees.  Shortly after, a wind storm brought down even more, including a tree at the end of our laneway that took down two hydro poles.

I can’t say that the lot clearing was at fault for all of the trees falling, but the vast majority of the ones that fell, came down right along our property line where they were no longer protected by their family of trees.  And some of them, including the one that landed on the power line, came up by their roots, which suggests their foundation had been weakened.

Which brings me back to the conversations I had this week and the problems that were identified.

1) Our community can be very cliquey.  Often, the people who get most involved in running things come from a very privileged position - this makes sense as they have the most free time.  But they also have the most supports to stand alone.  The problem with this is they sometimes seem more interested in planting and nourishing a small cluster of trees rather than the whole forest (I was reminded a couple of times this week how narrow-minded some of my “open minded” friends can be).

2) Some who live here are very quick to “talk shit” about our community.  I’m not talking about bringing up genuine concerns; I’m talking about making unnecessary comments that serve no other purpose than to get a reaction.  Just this week, I posted a photo of downtown Owen Sound and almost immediately comments were made like “Owen Sound sucks” and “Where are the crackheads?”  To me, this is like going into the forest with an axe and taking a few chops at a tree here and there.  Weakening the trees (in the name of ego) for the next time the wind blows.  And, in the end, like happened here, weakening the whole forest.

So, in the end, what lessons can we learn from this?  We are only as healthy as our entire community?  We all have a role that should be valued?  We need to focus more on solidarity and less on “rugged individualism”?  If nothing else, perhaps we should stop trying to cut others down to make ourselves stand out.  Because, in the end, we might bring down the whole forest…including ourselves.

Sunday’s Community Thursday!

Owen Sound and area has been very good to me. Because of this, much of what I do is an attempt to share my love for this community. And because of my photography and writing I’ve come to an even better understanding of how important community is to all of us. Which has become an even greater focus of mine.

So I was excited when others who feel the same way reached out to offer support. The first to do so is Sunday’s Ice Cream Parlour, a locally owned, community minded business that has generously offered to partner with me to celebrate our community.



So, for the rest of the Spring and Summer, regular old Thursdays will be transformed into Sunday’s Community Thursdays where, each week, I will celebrate something about this community that we are proud to call home.



Please give some love to Sunday’s Ice Cream Parlour for generously supporting what I do.
You can find their locations on their website.  Follow them on Facebook.   Or Instagram. 

Or, if you’re in downtown Owen Sound, stop by their Parlour that the arrow points to in my photo to try some of their delicious treats.

Thank You, Sunday’s 

Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.

- Mary Oliver

Okay. Here is my favourite eclipse photo that I took - you’re going to have to click on it to see the eclipses as it is very tall. I originally wasn’t going to share it because it’s a little too computer generated for me. It’s actually 2 photos, each one made up of 3 bracketed shots, stitched together.

However, as many of the most popular eclipse photos are composites (the CN Tower and Niagara Falls photos where the eclipse didn’t even appear at totality immediately come to mind), I figure at least I can still call mine a photograph.

A welder does some minor repairs on the Chi-Cheemaun today. I love the improvised rain shield.

I wrote a piece for Escarpment Magazine on the Chi-Cheemaun . I haven’t got my hands on a hard copy yet, but the digital version is here. The first photo, that extends across two pages in the magazine, is my favourite. I look forward to seeing it most.

My favourite thing about spring hikes is being reminded how quickly nature returns.

There are a lot of “C” words that are connected to being a good teacher (and maybe a good human being?) - compassion, courage, cooperation, community. But the most important, in my opinion, is curiosity.

Holding on to your curiosity in the face of the many forces, including school, that try to program it out of us is no mean feat. And, perhaps, it is the root of many of the other “C” words mentioned above.

Curiosity is both humbling and awe-inspiring. And, like so many things, it is paradoxical in nature.

Tom Lutz, in a piece I listened to yesterday, describes it this way:

“This is the paradoxical nature of a literary education - we read because we don’t know and what we learn is that there is much more that we don’t know than we had guessed. The unknowable points at a real emotion and committed readers get hooked on this feeling. It is a legitimate emotion. In part because, no matter how much we know, the world remains a foreign thing and as such a ‘marvel to the spirit.’ Reading is a sure-fire means of encountering that marvellous unknown. And the more difficult the text…the more certain it is that we will be rewarded with the vastness of our unknowing.” 

“Knowing” is limiting (another paradox?). Especially in a world where so much of what we “knew” has been uprooted. But rather than being afraid of this unknown, as many suggest, get curious. 

The Abyss of Possibility Awaits.

I did some things I don’t normally do on Saturday night. I ventured out on my own. To an all vinyl dance night. The DJ’s were two former students. I was likely the oldest person there. And I danced. And I sat. And I watched the psychedelic light show. And I didn’t really talk to many people…by choice:). But the few interactions I did have were highly enjoyable. I stayed fairly late. I had a really good time.  And I took some photos.

Yesterday was a tough day around our place. For over 20 years, we were lucky to have the run of the acreage next to us. Last year it was sold and yesterday the new owners started the building process by clearing the forest. We understand why they have to do it, but it was still hard to see so many old, majestic trees whose company we’ve enjoyed come down.

Of course, there was also the feeling that we were losing some privacy and shelter from the world around us as we can now see our neighbours if we try hard enough.

However, this was also a good lesson for me, as my daily sit included this reflection from Sam Harris on negative visualization (I am paraphrasing):

Identify your lowest moment in the day and reflect on how much worse things could be. And consider all the people who would think their prayers were answered if they could change places with you.

So, I did this. And I imagined having a conversation with them. And thought that after I had explained what was happening yesterday, they would probably respond with some of the following:

- “You have acreage?”

- “You have a house?”

- “You have privacy?”

- “You have trees?”

“We are so lucky to get another day to live on this earth. Enjoy it!”