Wednesday, April 08, 2015

Where Time Stands Still



Imagine a small island in a very big sea. Rocky cliffs on the south are carved by waves beating against the shore. Gnarled trees stand as witness to the prevailing winds.

A different world exists on the northern exposure. Sheltered by a larger island a mere canoe ride away, the land slopes into gentle bays where shellfish cling to rocks. Ducks and gulls paddle and dive for food. 
 

 Just steps from the water, a family once lived in a white wooden house with green shutters, and planted an apple orchard and a large strawberry garden. Years passed. The family drifted off the island and the land became a park.


The house drowses now in the sunshine, shut up tightly against the winter rains, waiting to open in summer when descendants of the original owners come to stay and provide information for boaters who stop by.

I stand in the long green grass and listen to hundreds of bees in the blossoms, busy about their work, unmindful of time and its effects. I think of all the bees that have buzzed over millenia and of the women who have stood, listening, while the warmth of the spring sun caresses hair and head. We hold that in common, those women and I: the desire to be in the moment, to take note of the change of seasons, of the aching beauty of our planet that is so often at odds with the horrors mankind inflicts upon it and upon each other.


A chorus line of daisies smiles up at me from the grass, innocent and cheerful regardless of any acknowledgement or scorn.
 

Grape hyacinths stand tall under an apple tree. Who planted them, I wonder? Did a child collect short stems in chubby hands and bring them as a gift to her mother?

 
Clumps of bluebells sway gently. In the cold morning a sleeping bee loses his grip and falls off his perch. He'll sleep until the sun's warmth awakens him and then he'll be about his work.



Flowering red currant is a spring time sight, beautiful bits of color among the forest's greens. We talk, we laugh, we explore. The past is very present. Time is suspended as we wander in wonder.



Russell Island is equally as beautiful in the spring as it is in the fall, featured here.

31 comments:

  1. Lorrie, what a good writer you are! Your words pulled me into the pictures and onto that island and the abandoned house where the woman lived and listened and the child with chubby hands brought flowers to be put in a jam jar.

    It's not easy to remember to live in the moment, to not always be looking for the next day, season, event. This post made me remember that I too want to be there for the moment I'm in. So many simple joys around us, aren't there, if we only open our eyes and see.

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  2. Love your last line. You expressed it all so well--words and pictures!

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  3. Oh a secret island is even better than a secret garden. Will there be berries to harvest as you were able to gether apples last November? It just looks like such an intriguing, beautiful spot. You could write a book about those early settlers!

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  4. Beautiful, thoughtful words. You're right, the beauty is at odds with the pain sometimes.

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  5. I want to go there. Beautiful, Lorrie.

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  6. What a lovely post - I could see the island's beauty even without the photos.

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  7. Such a beautiful peaceful place! I could live there--forever.
    Blessings, Aimee

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  8. How insightful you are to remind us to always remember the now.
    Your imagination pulled me back in time to that peaceful place and simpler times, thank you.

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  9. Poetic and beautiful post. I am with you on the thoughts about the beauty of our planet being at odds with the horrors mankind inflicts upon it and each other. Ifg only we could all see things as you have here perhaps we would stop some of the dreadful things we as a species do. We need all the beauty we can get these days don't we to counteract the horrors.

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  10. As though time stands still, just for a while.

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  11. What a perfect place for a Spring walk ... a story beautifully told.

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  12. Hello Lorrie! I've never been to Russell Island, I know where it is and have passed by it on the way to Fulford - is there a dock there or are you on the hook? Lovely photos, thanks for sharing!

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  13. Hi Lorrie,
    your photographs are beautiful. Such a lovely and peaceful place.
    Hugs,
    Karen B. ~ Todolwen.

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  14. Such a lovely post.

    SOMETIMES I think the wind or the birds plant grape hyacinths! Last spring there were myriads of them in my neighbor's front yard, scattered all through the grass, and they'd not been planted by human hands :)

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  15. Beautiful images and thoughts. Have a wonderful day. Tammy

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  16. A truly beautiful post...in image and word!

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  17. I love to think of what life was like for those who went before us. I was really taken with it when I was on the Isle of Skye in Scotland 2 summers ago now. I stood on the spot where my family line started. What was their life like back then?

    You wrote of it beautifully and your photos are wonderful.

    Deanna

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  18. I remember when you visited this island in the Spring. I dreamt of living there then as I will dream of living there now. To find flowers growing there makes it all the more special.

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  19. What a beautiful, thoughtful post, with lovely word pictures. Together with your photographs I could quite picture it. Such a blessing to slow down and be able to enjoy the beauty around us.
    I mentioned your magazine swap in my post today. Thanks again, Lorrie.

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  20. A beautiful, evocative post, Lorrie. I loved the sense of place and its history, as well as the gorgeous photos.
    Wishing you a lovely weekend.
    Helen xox

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  21. Lorrie, this is such a beautiful post. With your words, photos, and thoughts I can see this peaceful little place vividly. You are so right about Mother Nature and her generosity towards us. At our farm, we try to be good stewards to our land. We try to bring back the natural balance of the land so that we can coexist with the wildlife that surrounds us. Thank you for taking the time to create this post. Have a lovely weekend Lorrie.

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  22. Almost poetry here today Lorrie.

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  23. Lovely narrative of this little island adventure!

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  24. What a lyrical lovely post. And stunning photos to go with it!
    Amalia
    xo

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  25. Oh, so tranquil and lovely. It is a wonderful place to leave the worries and the realities of the world behind for a time and just enjoy the handiwork of God!

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  26. What a beautifully written post, Lorrie! You put me right there on that rocky island in the sun, with green grass, buzzing bees and spring blossoms all around. It sounds heavenly. Thank you.

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  27. What a charming journey, I just took with you, loved it all, just beautiful~

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  28. What a beautiful story! The narrative is so wonderful, makes me dream. You are so talented.

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  29. Wow, that must have been incredible to live there! Such lovely photos and a great story. :) Kit

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  30. What a magical place you have discovered! I missed your post on this last fall so I looked and saw all the apples in your hood. It looks like it was once a well loved location, and perhaps the spirits of those from the past are delighted by your visits and the care you show for it's beauty?

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  31. Thank you for reminding me of our human kinfolk, those women in particular, who have paused to feel the sun on their heads. I hope I will think of them more in the future. Blessings to you, Lorrie.

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Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

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