Walking

[vaneramos]

In an effort to reconnect with the Earth, I have begun walking for 15 minutes first thing every morning. I used to do this years ago, and it had a profound psychological effect. That's how I came to identify so personally with the Eramosa River. Now that I'm working regularly, it's a difficult habit to reestablish. I am not a morning person anymore.

I bargained myself into it partly by taking along my camera, because photography is something I do for joy. Those first few mornings, the thought of that remarkable morning light falling on spring flowers was enough to draw me out of bed. The other bargaining chip was to establish a daily photo journal with images drawn from these walks, because I am process-oriented, and the idea of an artistic and nature-oriented ritual appeals to me.

Starting on a fine morning in April was easy, but five weeks later the obsession is going strong. May has been a fine month, and I haven't yet needed to contend with inclement weather. The daily journal begins to reveal a patchwork of places I have slept: Poplar Bluff, Delaware Avenue, Easton Mountain. The other day Sue Richards at Blog Guelph chose one of the photos (shown here) as the Friday Gem, so this project seems to be serving the main purpose of resuscitating my creativity.

The greater challenge will be to maintain this process through less pleasing weather, because one cannot truly know nature while avoiding certain of her moods. I do not hate winter the way I used to, but it remains to be seen whether I can abide it at 7 a.m. on a January morning when I would rather sit and sip something hot. The prospect of a challenge can be more invigorating than the reality. The prize will be a deeper intimacy with the places where I live.

Comments

[bearfinch.livejournal.com]

I have my walks through the park and little pond nearby, on the way to work, and notice the changes in the plants, birds and water level every day. It's like a form of meditation.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Meditation, exactly! This is the first year I've taken the time to pass the same lilac bush practically every day, from the first day the flowers opened until now, as they start to fade.

[ink-ling.livejournal.com]

Wow! That is a gorgeous photo!

I love the meditational and creative quality this exercise promises. I think I'll do something similar once we relocate to Maryville (where I teach). Maybe I'll be able to walk in the college woods each morning before going to class.

Like you, though, I doubt I'll be much for a winter morning!

Wonderful to hear your thinking here, bub!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I can imagine Maryville would be a great place for this kind of thing.

Man, it was just two days spent in conversation, but do you have any idea how much I miss you? So many things I have wanted to tell you. Which I could easily do, so I'm being silly.

I have a dedicated writing partner now, and you might remember how badly I wanted that. This has been a hard year, and also one of the best.

[ink-ling.livejournal.com]

Man, Van, I think about you often, too, having so much enjoyed the wonderful time we got to spend here. (Of course, please feel free to call me or email me anytime. I always enjoy hearing from you.)

Also, there's a strong possibility Duane and I may get up Toronto way for a few days for vacation this fall. Maybe we can meet up for a meal or something then?

Wonderful! to the writing partner thing! How's the writing coming along?

[missprune.livejournal.com]

Van, that photo is stunning - just stunning!

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Thank you. One of my favourites, too.

[songdogmi.livejournal.com]

These are fine, fine photos. I admire your eye for composition.

Are you still using the Canon PowerShot? I have one too, same model as yours (thinking back a few years when you wrote about acquiring yours), but I get unpredictable results from it. It's likely my fault more than the camera's, I suspect. I'm wondering if you've run into any issues with yours.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm still using it. I practically stopped doing photography for a while, though it wasn't the camera's fault. I was preoccupied with other things.

For more than a year I had an artifact that kept appearing whenever I photographed a clear blue sky or other solid, pale background. It first appeared after the camera was badly jarred, so I thought I had damaged it, which was awfully discouraging. You can see the mark in this picture:



I took that photo the morning of Mom's memorial celebration. That was the last time the mark showed up. It vanished and hasn't returned. Danny says I must have had a hair on the sensor.

So I don't have any complaints, however I don't have much experience with other cameras to compare. What kind of problems have you had?

[bixie.livejournal.com]

that's really lovely.

I'm glad to hear you're getting back into this kind of practice. I've been writing morning pages and going for a daily walk for the past couple of weeks, in addition to attending the weekly group sit, and I'm really feeling the benefits in terms of creativity and energy and calm. I'm happy to know that you're on a similar path. :>

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

That's great! What is the weekly group sit?

[bixie.livejournal.com]

it's a weekly sitting meditation group run by the folks with whom I took the sitting meditation course a few years ago (http://www.stillwatermpc.org). it meets on thursday nights at the place where I/we get acupuncture, and it's 25 minutes sitting, 10 minutes walking, 25 minutes sitting and then an hour of dharma talk. the leader is a teacher in the school of thich naht hahn (I have no idea actually how to spell his name, apologies) so it's more 'mindfulness' and less 'zazen' but I like the group.

d. agreed to try it with me for a while as a personal practice for us (peaceful space, unwinding, being together without working on the house) and to explore getting to know other likeminded folks and be part of a larger community. we went twice before going out of town and it's been good. I've been intending to go for years, but having the car makes a big difference (15 minute drive v. 45 minutes on the train at 9pm really helps tip the balance).

[sorry for not replying sooner, we're still in ontario, going back early tomorrow]