Posted in biographical sketch

Exploring the neighbourhood

Posted on by maherrv

Heather has a book Waterfalls of Nova Scotia. On Sunday, we decided to walk the trail to Tupperville Falls (both photographs). A short hike.pic_waterfallBob Lalonde’s guide gives directions and descriptions to one hundred waterfalls in the province. We have also hiked into Eel Weir Brook Falls, up behind Lawrencetown on South Mountain.pic_waterfallBob_2

From Heather’s career as a botanist, we possess a significant collection of non-fiction guides to the flora and fauna of the province. This includes books by Todd Boland and Carl Munden on the wildflowers and orchids.

Another non-fiction book, one copy stays in the car and another at home, is The Nova Scotia Atlas, Seventh Edition. On Saturday, on our drive through the Rawdon Hills, we were able to navigate a new direct route from Cheese Factory Corner (Hwy 14) through Mill Village to Shubenacadie on Highway 102.

bookCover_scotlandStreetSeriesIn response to my recent blog on Swallows and Amazons, Brent Hall sent me two links to books on the other life of Arthur Ransome. Meanwhile, Andrew Ronay sent a photograph of his collection of the Alexander McCall Smith 44 Scotland Street series.

McCall Smith is Emeritus Professor of Medical Law at the University of Edinburgh.

‘Even when travelling, he never loses a day, turning out between 2000 and 3000 words (a day) – but more like 5000 words when at home in Edinburgh.’

According to WordPress, this is my 200th blog under the label Ernest Blair Experiment. During the COVID pandemic, I have been steady at two posts per week. I hope they prove entertaining and informative.

Postscript

Check out today’s Brain Pickings on the subject of moss.

Acknowledgements

Heather for her photography and giving access to her large collection of botanical books. Brent Hall and Andrew Ronay for their feedback. Edward added the graphics.

References

Benoit Lalonde, 2018. Waterfalls of Nova Scotia. A Guide. Goose Lane.
Todd Boland, 2014. Wildflowers of Nova Scotia. Boulder Publications.
Todd Boland, 2012. Trees and Shrubs of the Maritimes. Boulder Publications
Carl Munden, 2001. Native Orchids of Nova Scotia: A Field Guide. UCCB Press.
GeoNova, 2019. The Nova Scotia Atlas. Seventh Edition. Formac Publishing and Province of Nova Scotia.
Roland Chambers, 2010. The Last Englishman: the double life of Arthur Ransome. Faber and Faber.
Christina Hardyment, 2007. Arthur Ransome and Captain Flint’s Trunk. Frances Lincoln.

Posted in Art, Creative writing, Poetry

One, Two, Three

Posted on by maherrv

Sandra Barry from Middleton sent me a notice on the Elizabeth Bishop Society of Nova Scotia (EBSNS) Virtual Exhibit 2020 fundraiser.banner_EBS This year’s exhibit, Two Arts, is comprised of twelve Elizabeth Bishop inspired drawings by Natallia Pavaliayeva (NP) from Minsk, Belarus. Sandra curates the exhibition and also interviews the artist.

EBSNS
“Elizabeth Bishop is known as a poet of geography and place. How does your own sense of place influence your response to Bishop’s work ?”

NP
“This is one aspect of Bishop’s poetry that resonates powerfully with me. I love travelling very much – and I fully understand Bishop’s keenness for changing places, along with the opposite keenness to have a ‘home’, a place where she belongs to.”

From Sandra Barry’s curatorial statement :

“It was a difficult task to select only twelve images, but the idea of ‘home’ and ‘journey’ anchor the selection. Bishop once said that the poet carries home inside, and her sense of home comprised in a large part from elements and memories of Great Village and her childhood.”

From One Art, Elizabeth Bishop Letters, I was interested in her final collection of poems (1976). “It is to be called Geography III and looks like an old fashioned school book.” p.602.

“The poems in this small volume are some of the most important of her life: In the Waiting Room, Crusoe in England, The Moose, 12 O’Clock News, Poem, One Art, The End of March. They are also some of her most directly autobiographical poems, contemplation of her life as an artist.” p.96 Sandra Barry.

From here you can join the dots to Harry Thurston, Keeping Watch at the End of the World.bookCover_ThurstonEndOfTheWorld He has a poem ‘Geography: on first discovering Elizabeth Bishop in a Used Bookstore in Manhattan’. Dedicated to Sandra Barry. It starts:

“Geography III
(So plain but for the oddity
of Roman numerals),
I lift it down and begin,
by chance, From narrow provinces … “.
p.100

Thurston lives in Tidnish, Nova Scotia.

Andrew Spacey (online) provides an analysis of the poem ‘One Art’

“Elizabeth Bishop’s poem One Art is in the form of a villanelle, a traditional repetitive poem of nineteen lines. In it she meditates on the art of losing, building up a small catalogue of losses which includes house keys and a mother’s watch, before climaxing in the loss of houses, land and a loved one.”

pic_ladySlipper
Cypripedium acaule (Lady Slipper Orchid)

Postscript
This week with the rain showers we are seeing more flowers. On my walks with Siqsiq along the Annapolis River, I found the Pink Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium acaule).

1-2-3

One Art, Two Arts, Geography III

Acknowledgements

Sandra Barry for her curatorial work on the EBSNS web site and blog. Edward Wedler for his artwork. Heather Stewart for her love and support.

References
Robert Giroux (Ed.), 1994. One Art, Elizabeth Bishop Letters. Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.
Sandra Barry, 2011. Elizabeth Bishop: Nova Scotia’s Home-made poet. Nimbus Publishing.
Harry Thurston, 2015. Keeping Watch at the End of the World. Gaspereau Press.

Posted in Event Review

Swallows and Amazons

Posted on by maherrv

On Tuesday, I returned to Great Expectations, Books and Antiques, café and hand-made chocolates in Annapolis Royal. I had three goals:bookCover_ransomeBooks

To pick up some Arthur Ransome books.
To pick up some Alexander McCall Smith books.
To obtain a copy of One Art, Elizabeth Bishop letters.

On my previous visit, I had noticed a number of Arthur Ransome books in the Swallows and Amazons series. I remember reading them as a child in England. From Wikipedia, I learned that ‘the twelve books are set in the Interwar period and involve adventures by groups of children, mostly during the school holidays.’
The books are set in the Lake District and the Norfolk Broads. Indeed, in the Coot Club, there is an accurate map of the Norfolk Broads. The Swallows and Amazons series enhanced the tourism business in these regions. Imagine a similar situation in the Annapolis Valley. Or imagine visiting England with grandchildren, bringing along these books.map_norfolkBroads

bookCover_ladiesDetectiveAgency234Arthur Ransome was a war correspondent in Russia who gave up journalism in 1929. Between 1930-1945 he wrote the Swallows and Amazons series for children. How does one make that transition?

Heather has been reading Alexander McCall Smith, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. Fortunately, at Great Expectations, I was able to obtain #4 and #5 in the series. Plus the purchase of a small gift of hand-made chocolates.

bookCover_oneArtI had noticed the Elizabeth Bishop letters on the shelf during the previous visit. Fortunately, it was still there.

‘One Art stands for the art of poetry to which she devoted Her life. William Butler Yeats believed that “The intellect of man is forced to choose / Perfection of the life, or of the work “ And Elizabeth Bishop chose the latter.’ p viii

‘One Art also stands for the art of letter writing, which she practised more casually and with more prolific results than composing poems’. p.viii.

This relates to my next blog on ‘Two Arts’, the EBSNS Fundraiser 2020 and the work of Natalia Pavaliayeva.

Postscript

Watched Haida Modern on the BC Knowledge Network; a forceful reminder of our excellent time living on Haida Gwaii.

Acknowledgements

An appreciation of second-hand bookstores, open again at Great Expectations in Annapolis Royal and the Blue Griffin in Middleton. Edward Wedler, an ex-bookstore owner and graphics contributor. Sandra Barry for her enduring interest in Elizabeth Bishop and her work.

References

Arthur Ransome, 1934. Coot Club. Puffin Books
Arthur Ransome, 1940. The Big Six. Puffin Books.
Arthur Ransome, 1947. Great Northern? Puffin Books.
Alexander McCall Smith, 1998. The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency. Penguin Random House
Robert Giroux (Ed) 1994. One Art. Elizabeth Bishop Letters. Farrah, Straus and Giroux.

Posted in Book Review

A Sense of Humus (Part 2)

Posted on by maherrv

As promised, I have read Bertha Damon’s book, shared by Jane Nicholson.

pic_mermaid
Our Mermaid in the Mulch

At the beginning of Chapter 9.bookCover_senseOfHumus

“The importance of humus in human economy seldom receives sufficient emphasis. Suffice it to say that it probably represents the most important source of human wealth on this planet” p.95.

Damon published the book in 1943 during the Second World War. It is a collection of twenty-two chapters. Besides Humus, other topics include Spring Doings, Plowing and Planting, In Defence of Weeds, Apples Old Style.

“To have a sense of humus is to have an appreciation of the past, to realize that to discard the achievements and virtues slowly built up through long periods of human society and to attempt to live solely in the present is like throwing away humus and trying to exist in more or less inorganic hardpan.”

“One who works much with humus sees it to be a symbol of democracy, in which many work for the good of one, and one works for the good of many.” p.101.

From Apples Old Style, Chapter 21.

“I have found that at least twenty two different varieties, well enough known to get into books, originated in New Hampshire.” p.230.

maher_apple_1This compares with the four varieties in our small orchard: NovaMac, NovaSpy, Liberty, MacFree.

After my earlier blog post, Brian Arnott made the comment.

“Is the mind a kind of compost pit? Do we break down ideas to create more potent matter? Yes, probably.”

On Friday afternoon, I had the opportunity to meet with both Roger Mosher and John Wightman. John kindly lent me two books by Thomas Raddall, “The Dreamers” and “Halifax: Warden of the North” as well as Will Bird’s, “Off-Trail in Nova Scotia”.
In these COVID times, books serve as a medium for sharing ideas, to add to the ‘compost pit’.

Postscript

Having a sense of humus, reminds me of the important role of elders in our society, without them, we are left with the inorganic hardpan. I also think of the work by Maria Popova and her web site, Brain Pickings. Check it out.

bookCover_wisdomOfTheEldersThis led to the following exchange with Edward Wedler.

”If society sees elders as simply ‘old people’ then we are missing out on the opportunity to harvest/apply this mental humus.”

Edward replied “There exist many cultures that value elders (Japanese and Canadian indigenous communities come to mind). David Suzuki once co-authored a book ‘Wisdom of the Elders’ where he explored this question.”

Acknowledgements

Brian Arnott, Roger Mosher and John Wightman for their contributions. Jane Nicholson for sowing the seed. Heather for her help in the garden. Edward for his feedback.

References

Bertha Damon, 1943. A Sense of Humus. Simon and Schuster.
Thomas H. Raddall, 1986. The Dreamers. Pottersfield Press.
Thomas H. Raddall, 2007. Halifax, Warden of the North. Nimbus Publishing.
Will R. Bird, 1956. Off-Trail in Nova Scotia. McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
David Suzuki and Peter Knudtson, 1993. Wisdom of the Elders. PenguinRandomHouse.

Posted in New thinking

Beginning Again

Posted on by maherrv

I had intended to review, “A Sense of Humus” but Heather was looking for some light reading this week. Her review suggests that it will be a worthwhile read.

bookCover_beginningAgainMeanwhile, I went to the bookcase and found “Beginning Again: People and Nature in the New  Millennium” by David Ehrenfeld. While written in 1993, looking towards 2000, it holds true in 2020, looking towards a post-COVID world.

I think it was Tuesday. I was preparing the bed to transplant some tomato plants from the greenhouse and discovered a common toad.

Ehrenfeld’s second essay is titled ‘The Roots of Prophecy: Orwell and Nature”.

What was Nature to George Orwell?

Ehrenfeld lists three qualities:

  • honesty
  • reliability/continuity/durability/resilience
  • beauty and serenity

bookCover_commonToadHe also makes reference to Orwell’s thoughts on the common toad’. For example,

“At any rate, Spring is here, even in London N1 and they can’t stop you enjoying it. This is a satisfying reflection. How many a time have I stood watching the toads mating, or a pair of hares having a boxing match in the young corn, and thought of all the important persons who would stop me enjoying this if they could. But luckily they can’t. So long as you are not actually ill, hungry, frightened or immured in a prison or a holiday camp, spring is still spring. The atom bombs are piling up at the factories, the police are prowling through the cities, the lies are streaming from the loudspeakers, but the earth is still going round the sun, and neither dictators nor bureaucrats, deeply as they disapprove of the process, are able to prevent it”. p.6

Here is my second observation. Heather feeds the kitchen vegetable waste to her worms in the basement. We use the worm castings to add to our soil in the greenhouse. One of the by-products from the worm humus is that it is full of tomato seeds. The seeds and skins are separated in the making of tomato sauce. Those are the tomato plants which I transplanted into the garden, under the watchful eye of the common toad.

This raises a larger question. What are the memories of earlier lives and events that build up the human humus? Time to read Bertha Damon.

(It is interesting to note that George Orwell was born in 1903 and died in 1950, aged 47 years. He saw the end of the Second World War).

Returning to Ehrenfeld:

“If this alternative way of living grows and prospers, I doubt that it will do so by some master plan or protocol…..

“Nature will have entered their lives at an early age and will remain as a source of joy and as a measure of their best and worst efforts. They will welcome the challenge that Orwell hoped for, a simpler, harder world in which machines, like their inventors, are understood to be limited. They will devote their first energies to the places where they live. They will come to authority not by violence but by their evident ability to replace a crumbling system with something better’.” p.193

Acknowledgements

Heather for her commitment to life and Nature. Edward for his collaboration and creativity. Jane for starting this conversation.

References

David Ehrenfeld, 1993. Beginning Again: People and Nature in the New Millennium. Oxford University Press.
George Orwell, 2010. Some Thoughts on the Common Toad. PenguinRandomHouse Books. Great Ideas #99.
Bertha Damon, 1943. A Sense of Humus. Simon & Schuster.

Posted in Book Review

A Sense of Humus

Posted on by maherrv

bookCover_senseOfHumusThis week, I picked up the book ‘A Sense of Humus’ from the post office in Bridgetown (Lawrencetown is closed). It had been sent to me by Jane Nicholson. She thought that I would enjoy it. Written in 1943 by Bertha Damon.

“It describes the pleasures of living in the country, the vicissitudes of gardening, the small lovable satisfactions of working on one’s own land.”

“If the reader’s own personal soul is winter-chilled, war-torn, tax-parched or just plain tired, ‘A Sense of Humus’ will do it considerable good.”

The book is set in New Hampshire. Written during the Second World War, there are parallels to COVID-19. I will offer a proper review, once I have finished it.

bookCover_landscapesAndMemoriesMeanwhile, Saturday, we went for a drive to Annapolis Royal and Victoria Beach. At Great Expectations Books and Cafe, I was able to pick up John Prebble’s Book, “Landscapes and Memories: an intermittent autobiography“. I am familiar with Prebble because of Heather’s Scottish heritage. Prebble wrote The Highland Clearances, Glencoe and Culloden.

It was wonderful to discover that the town is reopening. We stopped at Lola’s cafe and were able to purchase Cornish pasties and a roast lamb dinner for Sunday night.

The drive gave us a well-deserved break from the garden. With the black flies, the best time for planting is 6 am in the morning. After the heavy rain, we were able to transplant the tomatoes from the greenhouse and sow seeds: beans, carrots, beets, spinach and lettuce.

After the rain, the apple trees in the orchard were in full, white splendour accompanied by the sound of the bees.pic_orchard01Jun2020

Congratulations to Jane and Adele on the fourth anniversary of AIRO!

Sad news, writer Silver Donald Cameron died on Sunday night. He will be remembered for his Green Interviews.

Acknowledgements

Jane Nicholson for sending along the book. To Great Expectations for opening up the bookstore and cafe. To Lola for delicious food. Heather shared the road trip. Edward for his artistic talent.

References

Bertha Damon, 1943. A Sense of Humus. Simon and Schuster.
John Prebble, 1993. Landscapes and Memories. Harper Collins

Posted in Opinion

A New Economy

Posted on by maherrv
pic_orchard29May2020
As promised, I post an image of the apple orchard in blossom.

Two emails arrived in my Inbox this morning (Wednesday, May 27).

 

  1. Google Alert on Gordonstoun from Anne Crossman
  2. Natural Climate Solutions meeting from Nina Newington.

“BBD Education, the UAE school management consultancy, has announced it will help one of the world’s leading schools, Gordonstoun School, to support its brand expansion into Nova Scotia, Canada.”

“Earlier this year, the highly-coveted private school announced expansion plans in China with BBD Education support.”

The expected opening of a Gordonstoun School in Nova Scotia is in 2022.

For the Natural Climate Solutions meeting, there were three attached submissions to the European Union over Burning of Biomass for Energy.

From Norris Whiston, Earltown:

“Where I live I am presently surrounded by clear cuts and listen and watch trucks pass my home with logs of various sizes on their way to mills and chipping mills.”

The Gordonstoun announcement and date 2022 reminded me that there will be a post-COVID world. The Norris Whiston quote reminded me that our forested landscape is still for sale.

Can we not use this time to rethink our economy?

Do we have to destroy our forests because they represent jobs in rural Nova Scotia?

Currently, the lobster fishery is on hold because of the lack of a market in China.

What are the economic values behind the Gordonstoun project? Is this another example of the Nova Scotia landscape up for sale?

Is it a coincidence that BBD Education is expanding into China and Nova Scotia at the same time?

I am thinking that it is time for Nova Scotia (Canada) to re-examine its values in a post-colonial, post-COVID world. We could use the two-year window to help re-define the philosophy of education at Gordonstoun School within the context of community — an ethics of place and in a new collaborative global economy.

logo_centreForLocalProsperityFinally, tonight, I notice in the newsletter from the Centre of Local Prosperity, they are hosting a virtual retreat on “Pandemic and Climate Crisis, and the Uncertain Future of Local Community”. Seems to match my thinking.

Acknowledgements

Anne Crossman for sending the Google Alert. Nina Newington for material for the next Natural Climate Solutions virtual meeting. Edward for his input and graphics.

References

Google alert email
Natural Climate Solutions email
Centre for Local Prosperity newsletter. May 27, 2020.

Posted in Creative writing, Nature

Road Trip/Spring Flowers

Posted on by maherrv

On Sunday, it was time for a road trip to New Glasgow. Heather had baked two pies: a spinach and bacon quiche, and an apple pie with crumble topping. This time, after Truro, we headed to Earltown, Brule and River John.bookCover_2books_hermitSpar Passing by Nuttby Mountain, we remembered the Hermit of Gully Lake, written by Joan Baxter. Further along the Berichan Road, I was reminded of Peter Sanger’s book Spar: Words in Place. We also recalled attending ‘Read by the Sea’ at the Firehall in River John.

Left at 7 am home by 7 pm. We spent the day with Great Grandad John and managed to FaceTime with all six great grandchildren. Siqsiq, the lone Inuit sled dog came along for the ride. It was an excellent day.

On Monday, I wanted to check the ephemeral Spring flowers that grow along the banks of the Annapolis River. It is a special habitat under Red Oak and White Pine, on riverine sands and gravel.wildflowersAnnapolisRiver

3wildflowersWe found Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), Nodding Trillium (Trillium cernuum) and Bellwort (Uvularia sessifolia), undisturbed on Andrew’s property. This reminded me that now is a good time to rediscover these special botanical places, along the River, as well as in the beech woods on the slopes of North Mountain.

With the late frosts and dry, sunny days, it remains a challenge to plant out seedlings from the greenhouse. We really do need a couple of cool, rainy days.

Acknowledgements

Heather for the baking, travel companionship and botanical expertise. Edward for the technical graphics.

References

AE Roland and AR Olson, 1993. Spring Wild Flowers, Nimbus NSM.
Joan Baxter, 2005. The Hermit of Gully Lake: the life and times of Willard Kitchener MacDonald, Pottersfield Press.
Peter Sanger, 2002. Spar: Words in Place, Gaspereau Press.

Posted in biographical sketch

Waiting for Blossom

Posted on by maherrv

The orchard is prepared; will send a photograph later of the apple blossom.pic_orchard21May2020 This week it has been all about Spring and gardening.

In the meantime, from the Internet, I offer three links to explore.

From Emergence Magazine, listen to Sanctuaries of Silence.
banner_sanctuaryOfSilence

From Brain Pickings, read Walt Whitman on the wisdom of trees.person_waltWhitman

From England, check out Planted’s first newsletter on the greening of cities.banner_PlantedNewsletterNo1

Acknowledgements

Edward for making the linkages. Heather for the gardening work.

References
Emergence Magazine, May 21, 2020
Brain Pickings mid-week, May 19, 2020
Planted. May 2020 newsletter.

Posted in Opinion

The Ethics of Place

Posted on by maherrv

This week, I was in contact with the municipal councillor, Gregory Heming, about Aldo Leopold’s land ethic and the forestry practices in Annapolis County. Gregory was kind enough to share a presentation he made before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development in 2006.

But first, let’s revisit Aldo Leopold.bookCover_sandCountyAlmanac In The Sand County Almanac, there are a series of essays, including the Land Ethic (p.237-264) and Wilderness (p.264-279).

“A land ethic, then, reflects, the existence of an ecological conscience and this, in turn, reflects a conviction of individual responsibility for the health of the land. Health in the capacity of the land for self-renewal. Conservation is our effort to understand and preserve this capacity.” p.258.

Heming put forward four notions.

1) If CEPA (Canadian Environmental Protection Act) does not tie directly and pragmatically into community life, into rural civic life, it is not likely to gain the support of the people.

2) from David Kemmis,
“ it would be an insult to these people to assume that they are incapable of reaching some accommodation among themselves about how to inhabit their own place”

3) from Wilkinson,
“An ethic of place respects equally the people of a region and the land, animals, vegetation, water and air. An ethic of place ought to be a shared community value.”

4) from Erica Jong,
“Take your life in your own hands”, she said. “And what happens ?” A terrible thing “no one is to blame”.

Today’s reality. We have the Minister, Nova Scotia Lands and Forests talking about the practices for harvesting crown land on South Mountain. What will be the impact of these practices on the citizens living within the Annapolis watershed?bookCover_AnnaCoForestry2018

How can the ethics of place espoused at the municipal level be reconciled with the industrial forestry espoused at the provincial level? Edward Wedler reminded me about the Annapolis County Forestry report. We should evaluate it from the perspective of an Ethics of Place.

In these pandemic times, it is even more critical that we do not lose the voices of the citizens.

For supportive views on the ethics of place, check out the writing of Gary Snyder and Wendell Berry.

A Place on Earth (Berry)
A Place in Space (Snyder)

Postscript.

Watched Ellen Page 2019 documentary on Netflix about environmental racism in Nova Scotia, “There is something in the water.” Very relevant and thought-provoking. Highlighting Shelburne, Boat Harbour and Shubenacadie.

Acknowledgements

To Gregory Heming for sharing his 2006 presentation.Edward Wedler for his technical support. Heather Stewart for her moral support.

References

Aldo Leopold. 1966. A Sand County Almamac, with essays on Conservation from Round River. Ballantine Books.
Wendell Berry.1983. A Place on Earth. North Point Press.
Gary Snyder. 1995. A Place in Space. Counterpoint.
Gregory Heming. Presentation to House of Commons Standing Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development. 2006.
Municipality County of Annapolis, 2018. Forestry Report.