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| A view over the water to the Nova Scotia shores in the distance |
Saturday, I attended a "Nature of Words" workshop for writers, facilitated by Deborah Carr. We worked all day on skill-centered focusing exercises. One required us to sketch a nature scene, including as much detail as possible from memory; we couldn't go outside at that moment...it was bucketing down rain. Using the sketch as inspiration and as a memory aid, we wrote about the scene, encapsulating as much detail as we could about the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and emotions evoked.
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| The storm surges last winter tore out the roads and beachheads along Route 960 |
At the completion of the exercise, group members shared. It helps to gain feedback from other writers. After several people had read, Deborah asked how many of us had sketched and written about water scenes. All but one of the ten raised hands. A burst of knowing laughter!
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| Beaches with road rebuilding at Bayside through to Upper Cape |
We are Maritimers after all. Water is part of our natural world, part of our daily scenery, part of our sense of ourselves, part of what we hold dear.
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| Bayfield looking out at the Confederation Bridge |
Whenever my husband and I want to relax and enjoy a delightful autumn day, we drive the coastlines of New Brunswick. On Sunday, we took the motorcycle and journeyed Routes 960 and 955 along the southeastern coast from Bayside, Upper Cape, Cape Spear, Cape Tormentine through Murray Corner to Shemogue and back along to Shediac, through Scoudouc to Moncton.
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| Bayfield with Confederation Bridge in background |
The air was redolent with scents of sea salt, sun-warmed beach sand, fields of clover and hay. The breeze still held the summer warmth, but there were hints of the crisper fall temperatures. The wind-stroked fields rippled as we passed, mimicking the waves on the waters. Whenever we stopped to rest or to take photos, we heard the water slipping over the beaches and retreating, gulls screaming, crows squawking and the dying grasses rustling farewell to summer. Sunday made our hearts glad; summer lingering and leaves just beginning their bright colours.
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| Shemogue Marshes |
As we rode, and as we stopped to enjoy the seascapes, the browning marshes, the fragrances, the sounds, the taste of salt on our skin, I thought again of our laughter at the workshop. Yes, we are Maritimers and we are most at home near the sea, the bays, lakes, marshes, rivers and straits.
We are a water people.
For more information about Deborah Carr's workshops go to: http://www.natureofwords.com/
For more information about Deborah Carr go to:
For more information about these locations in New Brunswick, click here.
4 comments:
sounds like a very interesting and worthwhile workshop!
It was indeed, thanks to Deborah's facilitation skills and background experiences. I learned new things and re-learned things I had forgotten that I knew.
Well...thank you, Carol! I'm honoured that you wrote about the workshop. And I'm so glad that it inspired this lovely post with your beautiful photos. Coincidentally, I also have some of the Confederation Bridge over that field - however it was ablaze with dandelions when I captured it. I expect we are not the only ones to appreciate it's perspective.
The drive was indeed a delight, Deborah. I can well imagine that many stop at that particular spot to make photos; it presents a magnificent view. Thank you again for the writing workshop. I learned much that is helpful to me, under your capable guidance.
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