I'm not dead, just distracted

Honest... its been insanely busy with me basically working as much as psychologically and physically possible... and I expect this state to continue well into September and maybe for the rest of my life. A few interesting tidbits to share though. I've got tickets to the David Usher Show on Oct. 18th in Toronto. (YEAH!!) It should be awesome is anyone else is interested in going... I think there are still lots of tickets. My garden is mostly thriving, although I haven't figured out how to keep the squirrels from targetting any plant I especially care about - but I'm thinking I might try blood (aparently it gives them the heeby jeebies and they don't dig near the smell.. Now all I need to do is find a good source of dead carrion perfume. I'll let you know if I have any sucess. The newest additions to the garden are my Day Lily Bed (pictures to be added just as soon as I find the charger for my camera and I am hope when there is light to take pictures). I have 10 different varieties of day lillies including this fantastic peach coloured one and a few nice blood red ones and classic orange and yellow ones. It'll be way more amazing next year once they all settle and bush out I'm sure... if the squirrels don't kill them first. Grrr! I want to hire that stick throwing camp consellor! Other additions include 2 primrose and 3 raspberry and a few cranesbill geraniums. I've actually run out of space for the year I think. I need to save something for next year. I want to design and install a woodland garden section... we'll see though... It may not come to pass.

School - I'm nearly done my project for my last course ever (and I hopefully mean it this time) and then its fieldwork continuously for the next month or so. I hope to be a survey genius when I'm done. I could use a few volunteers if anyone wants to tag along with me sometime. I can do weekends too.

Other news.... not much... I thought I had another piece. I bought a new jean jacket that I totally love - but that isn't exactly exciting news :D... ah well, hopefully I'll remember it for next time.

Jenn

Goose on the Loose - Deep River

Deep River Harbour

The Monarch Reins

Stately perch upon
A fuscia septer waving
A warm breeze bows low

Before there was sun

The morning of the wedding was overcast and threatening to rain (as the weather forcast had been suggesting all week). But miraculously, by the time we went to the church the clouds left a perfect blue sky for the proceedings, but the overcast morning had helped to keep the temperature quite pleasant.

I also had a pleasant surprise. I took off a ring (a recent purchase and my sole momento from Tampa) to wash my face and left it on the bed. When I rushed to pack up and check out and head to breakfast, I missed seeing it. Fortunately, when we were at breakfast, some of the folks were teasing the groom about not loosing his ring and telling stories about men who'd lost their wedding rings on their honeymoons. This prompted me to notice that I couldn't remember packing my ring and that I wasn't wearing. So, I returned to the Deep River Motel right after breakfast, but the room had already been cleaned and the owner, who had cleaned it had headed out for supplies for the day. Friday, I got a letter in the mail, they had quickly mailed my ring back to me. I had figure that I'd dropped it and lost it forever. I'm deeply thankful for their kindness in so quickly returning it to me.

The Marks of the 80's on my Soul

Its the new millenium, but here stands I, a product of the 80's - learning wisdom with Daniel-son with guidance from Mr. Miawgi (?sp) or at least how to look cool while standing on a rock. Not that I needed much help with the mountain behind me (I think we are in Canmore). I wonder how this generations heros differ from mine. Ah - what is a hero indeed and who are we but the pale reflections of our heros. Flyings a neat trick, but villians can fly too. What heros have is integrity, ethics, courage and the strength to take the hard path, no matter how tempting the easy path looks. I've joked that my religion is fantasy fiction - but sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be a bad idea afterall. I've always had a soft spot for heros with flaws. But then if you read David Gemmel's "Morningstar" then you have to scratch your head about the idea of a hero, certainly the other characters did, but then Wintrow believed that "Sa could fit his hand around any tool." (Wintrow is from Robin Hobb's Liveship Trader's Trilogy")

Can you pray through dance? art? breathing in the smell of the forest? Can you learn wisdom for people that never existed? Can you face the hard path better, having read the example of others, some as flawed as you? Can you distill an understanding of the meaning of life from tales of bravery and hardship and triumph over evil?

Who am I? Who am I? Am I the echo of every bit of information I've absorbed from my experiences or more like a soul soup made of all the beliefs I've interpreted in terms of the things the speak to me? What do I want from life? Is it wrong that I dont' know? Do most people my age know, or are they as torn as I am? Perhaps my life will reflect that of my poor lupine, to be planted and dug up, tucked back in and uprooted again? Will I have a guess how the story ends before I'm safely tucked in my grave. What part of humanity is brilliance and what part sheer madness? When we sing - what parts of our souls leak out in the music? When we listen, does it change the patterns within us - do we stop changing? If we do, is it because we've stopped living, even if we are still breathing?

Jennith

View of the past

I got suckered into a conversation about places to live in Fredericton and suddenly I realized how much I missed being able to walk anywhere and for someone who frequented it so rarely, I have a surprising amount of nostalgia for the Tannery. But more, I miss the places I used to bike and hike and shopped and hung out. I miss UNB's pretty campus and the D level enterence to Old Head Hall with its air of past glory (its all old wooden scroll work that could use a bit of refinishing - but still speaks of a once very regal entrance when it was in common use. These days its sort of an auxilliary entrence) Oh yes, I also miss the markets.

Ah well. This pic was taken for our senior project presentation in the early spring about 2 years ago. The construction in the foreground should now be a new residence building.

Jennith

Ciquefoil in the Sun

Also from Marmora Gardens near the Crowe River.

The Gardens of Marmora

I had the pleasure of visiting the Marmora City Gardens en route to Ottawa last week. They are a lovely mix of tidy gardens and feature a lot of native perrenials too. I also was lucky to speak with the head gardener (a volunteer from the local gardening society). I thought to share his advice on the combatting of powdering mildew - currenlty attacking my columbine and having devestated both of my bee balms - he suggested using soapy water and spraying the leaves with that. I haven't had a chance to try it, but I'll let you know if it works. If anyone has advice on squirrels I'd love to have some. I have one digging (especially in my hanging pots) and near my hostas (growl). Yesterday one savaged a hanging fan flower plant and destroyed my brave little lupin that I'd been nursing back to health after its last attack. I picked up the completely uprooted plant and once again tucked it back into the soil, and amazingly it seems to be rallying, but I don't know if it will make it. It has been dug up twice in the last couple of weeks. There isn't much to be done for the fan flower. I stuck some of the less wilted looking bits of stem back in the dirt, added some more dirt and then watered it well. I'm not hoping too hard though.

Cheers,

Jennith

Diefenbunker Demo

Here is J. and P. at the Deifenbunker. We had a wicked-enthusiastic guide. Neat piece of history.

Sisters Standing Smiling - Together

One of those lucky shots without a tripod and at full zoom in a fairly shady church - a special moment. I'm not sure what it would be like having a sister, instead of 3 brothers. I'm lucky to have inherited 2 or so via my brothers. It was a neat church with an A frame peaked ceiling, but some neat work to create to large windows to let a fair bit of natural light spill across the stage. The minister was nice too.. he actually made a space-balls joke... How geeky is that!

A Lonely Tree on the Beach

Such a dismal sky, such a lonely looking tree. But fear not, there is a small copse of trees nearby, and its roots have deep connections to the earth and water. The tree may look small under such a sky, but it is resiliant and stubborn and has survived the tough stage of life when its roots were shallow in the sand. Prevailing is garentees, and the sky will be bluer soon.

Point Point Beach - Sunward Side

Wild Skies

Another photo taken at Pine Point Beach, a few minutes out of town.

Pretty on the Outside too!

This shot was taken after eating my first Phily Cheese Steak outside of the museum. I Unfortunately never went outside in front of the building to capture that view. There is a neat series of waterfalls that cascade from step to step. Above is a picture from behind the falls.

Gaurdian Demi-Gods

Here is one of many totem poles displayed in the grand hall.

The Museum of Civilizations - WOW!

My last stop in Ottawa was the museum of Civilizations. I don't think I did it much justice in the 4 hours I was there, but I did enjoy it. They have a knack of creating mood and settling around their artfully displayed artifacts. However, I wasn't up to digesting all the fine print, so after the first floor, I mostly just looked at the artifacts and only read when something caught my eye. This grand hall is in front of the first nations and west coast native exibits. It is far more impresive then it looks, kudos to the architect and designers.

First Dance

Here they are - impressing us all with their hard earned skills :D

MMMMMMarried and Carried Away

Here is the bride, groom and best man shortly after the wedding ceremony. I was really impressed by the friendly welcome we recieved from everyones else. It was a blast.