See with Fresh Eyes

See with fresh eyes and be open to possibilities, ready to receive what is offered.  

Sit with the gifts, notice the seeds of photos and poetry. 

On Friday, the surprises were chickadees at the birdbath and a poem about reflections on glassy water.

The photography weekend continues to offer its lessons, the most wonderful being an increased awareness of the world inside me and the reflections outside me.

I am grateful for this attuned vision and for the delightful company of chickadees.  

Spectrum Beaver SS Ultralight, Big Tancook Island, NS

The first morning in our rental cottage

on Big Tancook Island, our breakfast was

interrupted by strange sounds.

When we went to the deck to check it out,

we saw a Spectrum Beaver SS ultralight

aircraft taxiing out on the southeast cove.

The pilot (neighbour Neil's son) spent some time

getting the feel of the plane before

going out further into the bay,

toward Ironbound Island

turning...

heading back towards the cove and shallower waters

while picking up speed.

He gained enough speed that he was able to lift off,

higher,

then higher, before descending

and heading back to the dock for a consultation 

with watching family.

He sat and floated while talking things over,

then he tried the water again.

When that didn't work, he returned a second time.

The family helped hook the plane to

the bucket of a second-hand

island vehicle which

they leveraged to remove the ultralight from the water.

We talked to Neil's son later in the day.

He had scared himself slightly 

with going airborne, his family as well.

He had plans to remove the pontoons

(which he had bought separately

and attached to the ultralight), to move 

them back further on the plane... 

or perhaps even to sell it.

After watching and worrying from the dock,

selling was an idea his father liked very much.

*The home-built Spectrum Beaver SS

(single seat) is similar to the RX-28,

but powered by a 40hp (30KW) Rotax 447

engine and a wing derived from RX550 Plus

design, with additional ribs.

Words in coloured text will take you to another site

 with additional information, if you click on them.

Surprise

Surprise.  Surprise carries sorrow or delight or sometimes both.

There is surprise and delight when sighting a red fox as it stalks insects, beetles or grasshoppers, perhaps voles or mice in the golden grass of a sand dune.  There is also sorrow or empathy for the captured prey, if it happens to be a small bird, or bird's eggs or turtle's eggs.

Life is full of surprises, full to the brim with delights and sorrows.

On the days when sorrow fills the cup, may there be equal measure of delight.  May the two find balance, this equilibrium which all of life seeks.

 Oh but, isn't this red fox gorgeous?

Text written in colour will take you to another site with additional information if you click on it.  These photos were taken by my sister and brother-in-law, last week as they vacationed in Darnley PEI.

Easter Weekend

My yard was full of bunnies,

bunny boys and

and bunny girls,

all playing Easter games.

Then Easter Sunday brought a surprise of snow.

The only creature outside was a robin

snuggled for shelter in a barberry bush.

Photos are mine.