Winter – Page 35

Who are we?

Who are we?
Who are we if we have not learned with all those who have gone before us?
Our lives are not fully lived if we are not willing to die for those we love and for what we believe.
Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma AL.

Can we find our way home?

Who are we if we are not willing to die for our children?

Who are we if we are not willing to protest, non-violently, against injustice?

Who are we if we turn a blind eye to the injustice that separates those of one color or heritage from another?

Who are we if we ignore our sisters and brothers and those who identify with neither of those gender designations, as there is only one certainty, and that certainty is that justice will not be available equally to all?

Who are we if we ignore who ends up on the streets? Who cannot find work? Who fills the jails?

And who gets to travel? Who frets about what can be taken away from them? Who has nothing to fret about, except where food and shelter from the cold will come from this winter?

Can you see in the darkness?

Can you see beauty even when there is no future to see?

Who are we?

And who are you?

Who am I?

Can we see the water for the weeds? The ice for the snow?

Will we find the safe path through what is before us?

Are you, are we, am I able to love your/our/my enemy as your/our/my neighbor as your/our/myself?

If you/we/I are/am unable to love unconditionally, even the enemy, then who are/am you/we/I anyway?

As for me and my household, since I am only one, I will serve the Lord,
and if that means I will die, then I will die for those I love and what I believe.

There is little sunshine among the treacherous cold rough waters ahead.

But I believe justice needs to be equal for all.

I believe by grace alone we all still stand

as long as we can still stand.

April Skiing

April Skiing

Out on the flats, the spring snow covers what was bare most of the winter and the skiing is smooth, not so cold and wonderfully sunny.

Then the sky clouds over with billows and pillows and I’m without my camera.

The view is too large to capture, but with stitching it comes together, but the lines are evidence the cell phone is not up to the job of careful stitching.

Just to be sure of a somewhat good photo, the sky as much as possible is captured without stitching.

The sky, my dear the sky, is alive with all that can be.

It is only a few who are missing out on the joy.

Small towns, big ideas, great hopes, reality is narrow.

Simple Spring Snow

Simple Spring Snow
As the heavens poured out the white, winter, down-duvet-split-open-softness on to our heads and campsite and woods the colours and light danced so quietly
as my boots crunched, the water gurgled and Karin’s beer spray protected us all from invisible rye and malt humour.

So is the bed of peace and hope.

There are a few children missing, but nothing more than what is being done can be done. So pray with us, for us, for them.

There are views of life that are so subtly similar, yet a step to the right, left or ahead provide a completely different perspective, seeing in through the cracks that are in everything the light that is Grace and Hope.

The Trees, alive with light on the walk out of the warmth into the wilderness.

Water the source of life, the wonder of life, the beauty of life. Green. Why?

Not because it’s cold, but because it is not cold enough to keep the glaciers from melting.

Glowing, white streams in the green of gorgeous. Can you see it here, too?

The River looking onto it from various points, perspective that changes light and subject, all the same yet completely different.

Turtles, of the snacking kind were at the table the night before, and here they appear again, a bit molded and quiet, looking not to be eaten anymore.

The soft look of fallen snow and fog on the mountains beyond the river.

Rocks … below and …

Rocks below … and …

Rocks beyond …

The River Upstream

Turning 180°

More turtles and …

Rocks and …

Rocks … until …

There are no more rocks in view as one looks downstream to Pyramid Mountain.

The path back to coffee and breakfast.

As the snow hangs tight but loosened by melting, waffles wait with syrup from trees and butter enough.

The light and the drips of water frozen in place the evening before.

The Pine trees up-close, frozen mid-drip.

The victory.

River in the Mountains

River in the Mountains

The River is far enough behind the trees that we neither heard the water, nor could we reach the water without little hike through the trees, down the hill and then over and down the bank of the river. Then across the rocks and ice to see the water up close.

The water running catching light in swells.

Looking upstream the clouds hung swift in the way pointing to the peaks covered with snow.

Rocks Clouds in the Valley

Downstream the river provides a great foreground framed with trees on the shore pointing to Pyramid Mountain.

Rocks to Pyramid with Trees

Of course there are numerous ways to see the view and put it into a photo.

Rocks to Pyramid

While we park the view is not of other trailers, nor the mountains clear across the open parking lot. Instead we were in the quiet of the trees, with between them a view even to the tram.

Trailer beneath the Tram

Look to the upper right through the trees, there’s the tram.

And a close up through the trees reveals the perch on top the mountains.

Tram on the Mountain

Night & Light

Moon Crescent cannot illuminate nor focus one’s soul, but it can let you know there are obstacles everywhere,

The obstacles are not always threatening, but frame a view of beauty.

When the moon is replaced by the dawn light on the cold lake crystallized to return to frozen from beneath the liquid but frozen water beneath, the sites are organized chaos.

Paths melted by the repeated travel of tires filled with water and then frozen in hard crystals pieces reflect the light well amidst the mud from the dirt road leading to the lake shore.

And this was the setup that allowed us to wake and shoot photos in bathrobes, on the ice, comfortable at 0°C.

You have not really lived until out your door, having slept in the warmth of a bed covered with a luxurious duvet, you can watch the sun rise over the ice.

April Fool’s Sunset

Nothing of a Fool’s Day took hold this day.

I simply returned to a sunset over familiar territory, wishing it would be well, all well, most marvelously well, again.

The sun disappeared early behind some clouds and I ran to catch the light before it was all gone. Just minutes after the first this was so different.

Out on the lake the melt of the last few days have recorded every vehicle’s path and movement, soon enough to all disappear into the liquid of the returning lake water.

The expanse of light reflecting ice tracks under the wedge of broken clouds held one in awe, that this light was available all around.

And then this is truly all around.

One can of course play, and playing create something not real, but at least a bit interesting.

Walking on Water, for Real!

Walking on Water
Year in and out after the lakes freeze solid enough we all can walk on water, or ice.

But the spring days when a melt is on and the ice is still VERY thick, though covered with water, the ability to walk on real water, with ice beneath it by a few inches is simply that much more delightful.

The light at sunset after a hard day working give opportunity to see the light from above and below, and behind the grasses standing tall even after a long winter.

Threesome.

More some.

My perfect lodging for the evening, to stay in the clear air, watch the lake at night, and sleep in the great quiet. Later when it warms the beach will be crowded, but for now … solitude.

And a peaceful night.

Sunset Break

Sunset

Simple

Quiet

Light

Lake

Tree

Track

B&W Track

S Tree

B&W S Tree

Wife – Grace-filled, Dancer, Companion …

Spring Break

Spring Break
Skiing is a bit of work to find the right place, but they are numerous near Cold Lake. There are a few people who would love to see this with us, but they are busy, so out we go to enjoy the day by ourselves.

Nestled under the pines, it is quiet and warm under a bright March sun.

We take a break to go skiing, what else is Spring Break for?

Across the Lake we take a short break. Nature’s wonders provided by man-made structures.

The Lakeview is marvelous.

From Shore to Shore to Shore: So Canadian

Most spectacular in panorama.
One really needs a 20’screen to appreciate the whole view.

Mystical Morning Matters

There are moments that become available just because one seeks some fresh air for a night.

The landmarks stay the same, the fog and light shift as the sunrises.

And it is just outside our door, because we can haul the front door around behind the truck, along with a bed, table, stove, fridge and even a kitchen sink. A bit much for a guy who loved backpacking into the outback where no one else ventured to disturb a good night’s rest. Now we haul a toilet and electricity with us, not least of all to power a 27 inch screen to edit photos on.

Luxury. Well it may easily become my home permanently, so not really, not at -40° and +35° C.