Surprising Discoveries On A Sunny Afternoon

THIS COLORFUL painter's palette by the side of the road caught my eye when I was running errands in Ocean Park on Saturday afternoon.

Although I did not plan to take in an art show, something compelled me to walk inside the doors of the community hall where the creative members from A Breath Of Fresh Art happened to be showing their work.

The first person I noticed was a local artist and friend. I have not chatted with Carolynn Doan for quite some time so it was a nice surprise to see her there and to catch up on the news. It turns out she is not only a terrific artist but a prolific and thought-provoking writer. I was happy to learn about her blog called The Tao In Art and look forward to visiting it often.

After exploring the work of others and snapping a picture of a basket containing Carolynn's drawings of birds, I was off to my next destination.

I did not expect to see another bird later that day when I took a spontaneous walk through the forest at Kwomais Point Park.

I have heard this owl hoot for many months if not years without ever actually seeing it. What a pleasure it was to find it perched in the branches. The thick greenery of the forest surrounding the bird gave it an emerald glow.

Soon after, I stumbled onto another sign. I followed its trail to discover a wedding underway at the bluff area of the park. I learned the theme of the wedding was "down the rabbit hole" from the Alice In Wonderland stories by Lewis Carroll. Although I did not know them personally, it was clear to me that the couple about to get married were imaginative and playful.

The white rows of chairs carefully positioned in the open air would soon be filled with people anticipating the arrival of the bride and groom.

I kept a respectful distance but was able to spot the Mad Hatter who (in keeping with the Alice theme) stood out significantly while sitting in his chair.

The wedding unfolded beautifully like the composition of a well conceived painting. The bride entered the scene in traditional white. There was no breeze to flutter her veil or cloud to keep the sun from her face.

The attendants looked lovely in their finery. Splashes of brilliant red sashes or shawls made the dresses of the bridesmaids come alive.

Casual strollers in the neighborhood, and even their pets, seemed enthralled by the unforeseen yet joyful event unfolding in their midst.

Although my day got off its intended path and I did not accomplish all I had planned, the impromptu moments of the afternoon lifted my spirits. As creator of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories A.A. Milne once said: “One of the advantages of being disorganized is that one is always having surprising discoveries.”

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Friend Bids Farewell To White Rock

MY WALKING buddy, friend and neighbour is returning to Newfoundland after living in and around the White Rock area for many years.

I thought it would be nice for us to take a stroll along the pier before she travels back to the eastern province.

We were surprised to find the pier was closed that day for upgrades.

While the crew assigned to the task were hard at work others were relaxing and enjoying the rain-free day.

We wondered how one mom managed to wheel her child's stroller onto the spongy beach floor.

Luckily there is always something to explore near the shore. The tulips carefully planted by city gardeners were ablaze with color.

A familiar statue called Metamorphosis by Joan Miriam Adams made us ponder. The 1989 work shows a woman transforming into a bird. Chiseled from an 8-foot block of granite it needed a second and third look to fully appreciate.

It seems that physically morphing into a bird can be as tricky as it is to grow wings from a symbolic point of view. The lovely bend of her head gave my neck a twitch the way it tends to do whenever I see it.

The clock overlooking the pier seemed to say that the time to share outings with my friend was running out but fond memories would remain.

As she gazed into the distance I wondered if her mind was already on the Atlantic coast, thousands of miles from the Pacific coast, on the eastern shore.

Born in Newfoundland her journey is winding back near to where she started much like in the labyrinth I wrote about in an earlier post ... no doubt wiser now and with a wealth of experience to draw upon from the sea to sea.

The statue of a transforming woman, my friend returning to the land of her birth and the circular patterns of the labyrinth and clock all brought to mind words by Nelson Mandela, "There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Why Is Skipping Down The Lane Just For Kids

WHAT IS WRONG with grownups skipping down the road the way these cute kids did at Crescent Beach recently? When did it stop being okay?

I am allowed to jog, run and walk briskly but if I started to leap ahead bouncing on one foot and then the other I would likely get some strange reactions.

When my daughter was small I had the freedom to skip because I could pretend it was she and not me who wanted to travel this way down the road. Now she is all grown up I need to borrow a kid in order to skip. Otherwise, people would think I have lost my mind.

Although the stretching and hopping motions are natural and helpful to the development of growing children, I am tempted to try it as an adult ... perhaps when no one is looking. Life feels lighter when the body is buoyant and when skipping with complete abandon it is impossible not to smile.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms