Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Trying to shake it off.

I've had some crap happen in my life recently, and suffice to say, I've been left feeling unmotivated and uninspired, so my sincere apologies to anyone coming to visit and finding no explanation for my absence. My blog felt unimportant in the big picture. This is the place I go when I want to share my inspiration, and I didn't have any.


I did get to go to Ontario for a week at the end of June, and be with four of my five brothers and sisters. That felt really good! It was a trip to visit my father, who's health is failing. That's a hard one. I love my Dad.

We grew up on a one hundred acre farm. What a rich childhood. This little swampy area, at the end of our driveway was still there. We sat here a little while and were drenched in birdsong.

There was a bit of the foundation of the barn left standing. Our barn was torn down long ago, but I recently found out that some Mennonite farmers had salvaged the wood. I felt good about that because, our barn... It was so huge, it was a big giant friend, it had presence and history.

The silo was the only structure still standing. The lay of the land had been changed so much, the pond ploughed over, hills moved, that if it weren't for the silo, it would have been difficult to judge where our house would have stood. It wasn't heartbreaking. The grassy fields had been replaced with dark green, undulating rows of corn. Hey, it easily could have been a suburb!

We were also able to visit my beautiful mother on Manitoulin Island. We took the Chi-cheeman ferry through the mist...

Hey! Don't be feeding those seagulls... even if they fake having one leg and make you feel completely sorry for them!

A few minutes from my Moms doorstep and you have this!

The visit to Ontario was too short. I loved my time there... my family, the country side, all the stories and memories and especially all the good laughs.

6 comments:

trailbee said...

I have been checking your blog every single day for weeks. Welcome back. Sorry about your dad's situation, but he helped you all create this lifelong memory. You will feel grateful forever. The photos are just wonderful, and the narrative nostalgic. You described your trip perfectly. All your creativity was poured into your trip, the photos and the memories. I'd say you were a mite busy. Thank you for the post.

Annie Jeffries said...

Becky, I'm so glad to see you BACK. I've been dealing with parental health issues too. It isn't easy. Your photos are wonderful. The foggy boat is a favorite. Welcome back.

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you are back. I love your blog. I hope that life treats you kinder and whatever your problems are...they get better.

Jeremy said...

Welcome Back.
I hope your trip gave you lots of inspiration. I'm glad you had some good laughs there too, even though life hasn't been easy for you.
As usual, your photographs and commentary convey the atmosphere beautifully.

PJ said...

Thanks for bringing us along. I liked your revisiting the memories of your past. 'Silo ..like an old friend' love it!

Coleen said...

I know exactly what you mean. I want to say so much, but it seems everyone is so positive on their blogs that I might scare folks away. I'm sorry to hear about your father's health. I hope it helped to look at the photos of your childhood home and think of all the wonderful memories you had there with your parents. Beautiful photos.