Clambering and sliding

[vaneramos]

Ice palace under Victoria Road Bridge


Suddenly I have a boiler under my ass. Yesterday and today I had unfamiliar, wonderful, industrious energy and yet felt more myself, actually doing things I wanted, instead of just wishing. This morning I rose, ate breakfast and headed to the gym at 9:15, with enough time to return and write morning pages before going to work at 11:30. This p.m. I worked on the chapbook, intermittently knitting a hat for the silent auction at this Saturday's choral concert.

Yesterday afternoon this energy took me walking in softly angled sunlight. Under Victoria Road Bridge runs a cascade, but only on mild winter days. To get close I crossed the river and circled under the far side of the bridge. This necessitated edging down a steep icy slope, my boots barely gripping, feeling backwards, slipping, building momentum, finally striding out of control to the bottom. Later, climbing up was difficult, straining back and thighs, but my momentum worked forward; it was far less nerve-wracking.

I wanted to report a lesson from that, but cheap analogies lead to misguided spiritual clichés. I should just let things be what they are.

It's hard work going up, but scarier sliding down an icy cliff.

Comments

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Scarier sliding down an icy cliff--not to mention while holding a camera! ANother absolutely glorious photo. ALmost makes me regret that we here have no ice to photograph.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I invested in a cheap camera case a long time ago. It's invaluable for situations such as these!

Are you having the same weird, mild winter as we are? There was hardly any ice on the river yesterday. Just these amazing icicles where some runoff cascaded over the cliff.

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Here it is really more like March than January. Warm sun today. Probably not good, but so enjoyable.

Re: Oh, and...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of people who use observations of nature to demonstrate moral arguments, e.g. the destruction of New Orleans demonstrates that God hates fags.

Re: Oh, and...

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

I hadn't heard that one. Blacks, yes. (but I suspect that that may have more to do with where I live)

Re: I just have to say...

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's still knocking my eyes out, too. The ice formation was amazing.

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

wonderful photo, Van. actually, we're not built for
going downhill, so more energy is expended in trying
to keep our balance when walking, or sliding downhill.
i never believed that was true until i walked into and
out of The Grand Canyon.~paul

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I never noticed it quite as distinctly as yesterday. I certainly couldn't get down facing fowards. Of course I'm getting a little older and more careful. Once upon a time I would have just slid down fearlessly, but I'm becoming more mindful of my bones and joints.

[ciddyguy.livejournal.com]

Wow Van, mild winter or no, that is indeed one stunning picture.

As for winters, it's been about average around here but the only snow we saw this year was rather fleeting and it was last month and didn't stick around long.

The past couple of days have seen temps in the low 50's and today it actually was sunny for the first time since mid Dec.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Sounds a lot like the weather we're having, but of course that is far from average for us.

[avad.livejournal.com]

holy gorgeousness. that one took my breath away:)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

It's one of my favourite shots from this winter, so far! :-)

[poetbear.livejournal.com]

treat your joints well, and they'll
treat you well!~paul

[dakoopst.livejournal.com]

Wonderful picture...

And on a more shallow note: Suddenly I have a boiler under my ass.

I can think of better things to put under there...*waggles eyebrows, laughing*

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

And if I had to name my favourite thing to put under it....

[queenmomcat.livejournal.com]

I think I have gardening on the brain; I looked at that lovely photo of the ice encasing the branch and thought "Oo, the curve of the branch (and the ripply icicles) reminds me of my bleeding hearts!"

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I can see that, too! I'm considering getting a city plot this spring, mostly to grow a few vegies, but some flowers for colour, too.

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

The first time I ever visited London, for my interview here, I went out for a walk at a city park and ended up sliding and tumbling down an icy slope. I couldn't help but think that it was a portent of either how the interview would go or how my life would go if I moved down here.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Where did you move from?

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

From where did I move?

Peterborough, Ontario. I miss the area sometimes, very hilly and scenic compared to London.

I posted some pictures here from our trip up last summer...

http://www.execulink.com/~tacicub/hometown/ptbtrip.html

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That was a nice photo tour. Very nostalgic! So you grew up in the country, too. It reminds me in some ways of the country roads and farmland around where I grew up near Harrow, but of course the land is utterly flat there.

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

I miss the hills a great deal. Peterborough is on a drumlin and esker field and so the whole area is rolling hills.

On a somewhat related topic, Dave and I are probably going to visit the Cambridge Butterlfy Place (Wings of Paradise) on either Feb 18 or 19, and we will probably go to the Guelph Arboretum as well. We'll likely bring a friend, tim_e_bear with us.

Would you be interested in joining us for a walk?

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Brenna (my younger daughter) will be here. I was actually thinking of taking her to Wings of Paradise that weekend, although we've gone several times, so I would need to run it past her. I wouldn't mind meeting you, just depends on whether you guys are comfortable with that. If not, I understand. We'll have other opportunities to hook up.

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

I'm good with it if you are. We're thinking the saturday of that weekend because our guest will have to head home on sunday.

Wouldn't it have been funny if I hadn't mentioned our plans to you, and we all ended up at Butterfly Place anyways? :)

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Saturday would be great.

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

Excellent. The 18th then.

I guess we'll have to settle on a time as well.

Is it possible we could exchange contact info? I'm hesitant about leaving my number/email here...