It brought back memories of my travels to Alaska, after completing field work in the Canadian Rockies in the early ‘70’s. Merton died in Bangkok in 1968.
The book includes essays on ‘Community, Politics and Contemplation’, ‘Prayer, Tradition and Experience’ and ‘The Life that Unifies’.
The book provides background to the recent Emergence Magazine article ‘On the Road with Thomas Merton’ by Fred Bahnson. Within the article, there is a link to a film by Jeremy Seifert, under the same name.
”In May 1968, Christian mystic Thomas Merton undertook a pilgrimage to the American West. Fifty years later, filmmaker Jeremy Seifert set out to follow Merton’s path retracing the monk’s journey across the landscape. Amid stunning backdrops of ocean, redwood and canyon, the film features the faces and voices of people Merton encountered.”
Source: Emergence Magazine (photo by Thomas Merton: California 1968)
”The film shares a remarkable geography, as well as the perceptions of Merton who took his first extended trip away from Gethsemani Abbey, his monastic home in Kentucky.”
This week, I received the 2023 calendar from Esri Canada.
Image Source (front and back covers): Esri Canada, Marketing Communications
The new calendar includes a map of “Sable Island” by Lost Art Cartography (November 2023), “Marine Stewardship” initiative by MakeWay (December 2023), and “Old Growth Forest” for the Indian River watershed (March 2023).
This week, I also received the Year in Review from Shorefast, Fogo Island. Programming highlights include ocean stewardship, community hub, diversifying our economy, Art and Climate Change, and Network building to strengthen community economics.
At Bookmark, I found three chap books by local authors, FOR FREE, under their Readerity program.
Alexander MacLeod. Re-reading J.M. Barry’s Peter and Wendy. Deidre Kessler. Indigo Bunting in a Date Palm. Sheree Fitch. A child with a book in a tree.
Finally, at the Halifax Public Library today, discovered Oliver Sacks, The River of Consciousness. Ten essays were outlined in the two weeks before his death. They include Darwin and the meaning of Flowers, Sentience: the mental life of plants and worms, the Creative Self, and the River of Consciousness.
While recovering from my heart surgery, I am enjoying excellent medical support in the city. Over the Christmas period, we shall have to evaluate the two communities: rural and urban. For now, we appreciate the connections in the urban environment.
Effective November 14th, Heather and I have lived together at Bishop’s Landing on the Halifax waterfront. This means learning a new geography.
Watercolour by Edward Wedler of the Halifax skyline as seen from the boardwalk.
The starting point is walking from Pier 21 to Historic Properties along the boardwalk. In Historic Properties, Carrefour Atlantic offers an excellent selection of Atlantic Canada literature. I picked up three books to tide me over my convalescence.
Both were reviewed by Erica Butler in the current issue of Atlantic Books Today, No. 96. Under the title, Literary Human and Nature. How our stories help us understand our Place on Earth, p.8-15.
The third book is Daniel Paul’s, We are Not the Savages. This is taking much longer to read and digest.
I was reading Michael Pacey‘s poems based on quotations from Thoreau’s Journal, when Frank, an old friend from the Valley dropped off a gift, The Pocket Richard Jefferies. Passages chosen from the nature writing of Jefferies by AH Hyatt published in 1906. Jefferies’s writing is set in the British landscape. Thoreau’s writing is set in the New England landscape. Afterward, I was keen to see what Gary Saunders had to offer about the Nova Scotia landscape. Saunders lives around Old Barns, outside of Truro.
Given our forced migration into the city of Halifax, I was intrigued to read the following passage:
“The Old House: Honeymoon and after, p.193-197.
”Yet this old house is full of memories. And it has taught me plenty. To sell it now would feel like betrayal”
‘Assuming other rural householders might feel the same way I proposed a householder series to Rural Delivery editor, Dirk van Loon, himself a farmhouse dweller.”
”Make it seasonal and you’re on,” said he.
Clearly, we cannot afford to rent a furnished waterfront condo in Halifax every year. but perhaps we can find a small town, with shops within walking distance, and with good access to health services. That is the challenge ahead of us.
Certainly, other friends and colleagues have found this solution. BTW, I have upgraded my old Samsung for an iPhone. This makes me compatible with my iPad, and Patrick and Laurel for technical advice.
I noted too that my last blog for GoGeomatics, in November 2020, addressed the same issue “A Sense of Place“. Perhaps Jon Murphy would add this blog to the next edition of the online magazine.
After PEI, I read two books about Anne of Green Gables and LM Montgomery.
Catherine Reid’s book focussed more on the gardens and flowers in PEI. While including beautiful photographs, the text did not really address the variety of landscapes in the province.
From a geographic perspective, this includes the extent of the Acadian forest, the different soils and geology, plus the nature of coastal wetlands and shorelines.
The second book is a collection of essays by LM Montgomery on her career as a writer.
It was originally published in 1917. It describes her craft, her story and her time.
The title The Alpine Path comes from a verse that had been her inspiration during the long years when success as a writer seemed remote, and only dogged determination kept her on “The Alpine Path; so hard, so steep, that leads to heights sublime.”
It was nearly ten years after the publication of Anne of Green Gables. This will be my next read.
This Labour Day weekend, they are re-opening the cafe. It will be wonderful to have this resource, just five houses east of us, on Highway #201.
Finally, it is “stop the glyphosate spraying season“.
Map compiled by Shanni Bale
Two years, after the initial encampment, there are again plans to spray the parcels on South Mountain. The Extinction Rebellion group are marshalling their resources. From the provincial map, it seems there are even more parcels designated for spraying. Again, citizens and communities must voice their concerns.
The province, regardless of the party in power, continues to see the landscape as a collection of resources for exploitation. This does not bode well, as we attempt to respond to climate change.
Acknowledgements
Nina Newington provided the link to the map of parcels scheduled for glyphosate spraying. Edward added other links and graphics. Heather shares the Green Gables reading.
A few weeks ago, I discovered a reference to Trevor Goward and his work, in Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life (see blog post, Entangled Life).
It made me realize that the definition of a lichen species was much more complex than I had previously understood.
This led me down the road to question the classification by Carl Linnaeus as well as Darwin’s work on evolution.
This week, I had to spend several hours waiting at the ER at Middleton Soldiers Memorial hospital (I have no family doctor). I took Entangled Life with me. Previously, I had been stuck on the ‘magic mushroom’ section.
Reading the last three chapters Wood Wide Web (in contrast to World Wide Web), Radical Mycology and Making Sense of Fungi, en route, I visited the writing of Peter Kropotkin, Robin Wall Kimmerer and Ursula Leguin. The book is meticulously referenced. The writing is excellent, as witnessed by the praise from a wide range of commentators.
As we recognize that a stand of trees is so much more than what we see above the ground. Likewise, we start to appreciate the three-dimensional complexity of our natural landscape.
With grandchildren arriving in Nova Scotia for the next few weeks, a blog break should allow me to fully digest this seminal work.
Postscript
This week I did manage to catch Margaret Atwood on CBC Ideas, talking about George Orwell and 1984. Meanwhile, I continue to search out Iceland and Crossing Thames by Peter Wyman, in the Endless Shores books.
Finally, this is the Annapolis Valley Exhibition week, August 15-20th. In Lawrencetown. King’s County Museum hosts the SHORT BRUSH plein air paint-out in Kentville and the Miner’s Marsh, where about 30 artists paint on Saturday morning 20Aug2022 then display their works.
Acknowledgements
Heather encouraged me to return to the Entangled Web. Its focus on fungi connects well with our organic gardening. Edward added the graphics and links.
Saturday afternoon, I stopped at Endless Shores Books, Bridgetown. Under local authors, I found two short story collections by Peter B. Wyman, both published by Cardigan, Little and Crow, Annapolis Royal.
I picked up Nymphalis Antiopa (Mourning Cloak) and left Iceland for another day.
It contains seven short stories, set in the region. 168 pages in 6 ½” x 3 ½” format.
A Visit from Mars, Broken Angel, Mourning Cloak, Safe Home, I’d Rather, Gallery St George and Radio Silence.
The reason that I picked out Mourning Cloak is simple, these beautiful butterflies visit our flower garden. It proved to be an excellent choice. Each short story leads the reader back to the history and geography of the region.
I checked online, and asked a few friends but, to date, the author and his publishing company remain a mystery.
On Sunday, I stopped at the Upper Clements picnic park, sat at a table, and enjoyed reading the last two stories, Gallery St. George and Radio Silence.
Other books by Wyman are Six Friends and Crossing Thames.
Postscript
At the Sissiboo Coffee Cafe, Annapolis Royal, I picked up a copy of Edible Maritimes. The Artisan Issue, No. 3 2022. It contains an article, on page 29, For the Locals. Jon and Erin Welch of Sissiboo Coffee Roaster on creativity and community.
From page 30:
“In 1989, Ray Oldenburg published a book called ”The Great Good Place: cafes, coffee shops, bookstores, bars, hair salons, and other hangouts at the heart of a community”. He was concerned with a growing ’problem of place’ – a loss of public spaces and increased isolation. The antidote, he suggested, are ”third places” – those public places where people gather informally, outside of home and work, where everyone is on common ground and conversation is key. In rural communities, these are typically community halls and churches. Throughout the Maritimes, there is a growing resurgence of ’third places’. “
The challenge, as noted by Heather, is access to transportation in these rural areas.
Mexican Sunflowers in our garden. How to grow and care for them HERE.
Acknowledgements
Sunday, Heather joined her Shambala Group in Annapolis Royal. I had the chance to finish reading Mourning Cloak. Edward added the graphics.
References
Peter B. Wyman, 2022, Nymphalis Antiopa (Mourning Cloak), Cardigan, Little and Crow Publishing.
Other short story collections by Wyman: Iceland, Six Friends and Crossing Thames. All self-published by Cardigan, Little and Crow Publishing, Annapolis Royal.
After breakfast at the Green Elephant in Kingston, we stopped at the Middleton Library. It was very busy, and hard to find a parking spot. We picked up three books, a pedometer and a white spruce sapling.
I tested it out this afternoon. This is part of my endeavour to increase both walking and bicycling. It fits too, with the ‘search for agency’. With so much news, beyond our control, it is important to focus on the small things.
Today, I had to agree with Heather about the selection and vibrancy at the Middleton Library.
Another bedside book is David Chernikoff’s, Life, Part Two. He offers seven keys to awaking with purpose and joy as you age. The first three chapters cover Embracing the Mystery, Choosing a Vision, and Awakening Intuition.
I am stuck in #4 Committing to Inner Work That leaves Suffering Effectively, Serving from the Heart, and Celebrating the Journey.
Acknowledgements
Heather continues to champion her botanical interests, as we await the completion of the studio. Edward continues to support us with his graphics.
The last time I was in Wolfville we stopped at the Odd Book. It was a Saturday. We had to go to the Farmers Market to pick up the last three bottles of Hunter brandy.
I found a signed copy of Stephen Wadham’s book, “Remembering Orwell”. Wadhams had produced “George Orwell: a radio biography” for the CBC (Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3).
This led to the book being published in 1984. It included an introduction by George Woodcock and five chapters.
To Burma and Back In Search of Poverty The Spanish Crucible The Road to Animal Farm 1984
The book describes Orwell and his life through the eyes of individuals who knew him and who were interviewed by Wadhams for the CBC radio biography.
It is remarkable to realize that Orwell (Blair) was born in 1903, and died in 1950.
It is remarkable to realize that Orwell (Blair) was born in 1903, and died in 1950. My interest in Orwell, in part, relates to this blog ’Ernest Blair Experiment’. Eric Blair used the nom de plume of George Orwell. Thus, this became a play on words. Another interest besides his writing was his lifestyle and geography. He spent his last years, living on the island of Jura, off the Scottish coast, where he wrote 1984. Previously, he lived with Eileen in Wallington, Hertfordshire. He is buried at Sutton Courtenay.
From Rev. Gordon Dunstan. A request from David Astor.
”And he asked if I could help him bury a friend. The friend was George Orwell, whose love of England and the English countryside was such that he wanted to lay his body to rest in an English churchyard.” p.219.
Postscript
My last inter-library loan request for Jaki Fraser was Convenient Season, by David Manners. “It is a tale of a farm in the famous Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, where grow the best apples in the world…“
Acknowledgements Heather shared the trip to Wolfville. Edward added the graphics. Best wishes to Jaki Fraser, our Lawrencetown librarian. She retires this weekend and heads west to live in British Columbia.
Reference
Stephen Wadhams, 1984, Remembering Orwell, Penguin Books. David J. Manners,1941, Convenient Season, E.P.Dutton.
It has been a hot weekend in the Annapolis Valley. On Saturday, we took a break from gardening and went to Aroma Mocha, in Bridgetown, for a morning coffee.
Had to stop at the Endless Shores bookstore. Heather found Isabella Tree’s ‘Wilding’. It describes a ’rewilding’ project in West Sussex. This challenges farming practices in the UK, and raises the question about agricultural practices in the Valley.
I found Scott Milsom’s “Voices of Nova Scotia Community: A Written Democracy“. After a Foreword by Silver Donald Cameron, it describes Milsom’s work with the Coastal Communities network. I have started on the Evangeline Trail, travelling from Yarmouth up towards Canning. Given the suite of public meetings on County Planning, it offers useful insights.
On Sunday night, we went to the Tragedy Ann & Basset concert at the Dawn Oman gallery. This was a beautiful surprise, within the restored church, surrounded by Northern artwork, we listen to folk songs by a young duo from Southern Ontario. In the intermission, we picked up their latest CD, Heirlooms.
After dark, we returned home to a chorus of tree frogs from the vernal pools in the forest. Earlier, in the afternoon, we had been serenaded by a sapsucker, beating out a tune on the wooden pergola. Above, in the birch trees, hummingbirds take a rest; the azaleas are in flower and attract both the hummingbirds and the bumblebees.
One last book review.
In the Inside Story, Heather found “Alone on the Trail“; a new book by a young Newfoundland author. We are savouring this one. It is a novel, describing a trip by a small group along the Long Range Mountain trail in Gros Morne National Park. Heather and I used to run back-packing trips through that geography in the early 1970s. What a coincidence!
Postscript
We stopped at Button Brook farm on Hwy #201, outside of Bridgetown, at their farmer’s stand. One can buy fresh vegetables, as well as seedlings for the garden. They opened this weekend.
Acknowledgements
To Dawn Oman and Scott for bringing Tragedy Ann to their exquisite venue. Sadly, in times of COVID, it was a small audience. Heather shared the experience and time away from the garden. Edward added the graphics.
In New Glasgow for Easter, there was the opportunity to catch up on Saltscapes.
Two short articles caught my attention because I am familiar with the landscape. The first was tied to Grand Pré and the poem of Evangeline. The second concerned the geology of Western Newfoundland, particularly the Tableland in Gros Morne National Park.
The Saltscape magazine reminded me of the importance of the landscape perspective. This supports my criticism of Joan Dawson’s latest book on the history of Nova Scotia’s inland communities. It includes Paradise, Bridgetown and Middleton; not, however, within the larger context of the physical landscape of the Annapolis Valley.
A recent discovery, to me, was Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book, Gathering Moss. This natural and cultural history of mosses sits well with a number of other recent acquisitions, adding to Heather’s library.
In the Preface, “Seeing the world through Moss-coloured glasses”, Kimmerer notes:
”In indigenous ways of knowing, we say that a thing cannot be understood until it is known by all four aspects of our being: mind, body, emotion and spirit.” p.vi.
One last book, jumped down from my bookcase, Mary Catherine Bateson’s, Composing a Life.
”A masterwork of rare breadth and particularity, encompassing all the rhythms of five lives and friendships, and interweaving their stories in ways that reveal grand social truths and peculiar personal graces.” The Boston Globe.
Time to read it again, methinks.
Acknowledgements
Heather provided access to her botanical library. Edward returned from Florida and added the graphics.
References
Saltscapes, April/May 2022, Darcy Rhyno, Walking around in a poem. p.32-35.
Jen Thornhill Verna, ”Really old rocks” in Gros Morne. p.23-25.
Ernest Blair Experiment 