Cracked But Not Broken

THE EARTHQUAKE last Tuesday in Italy is yet another example of the fragility of existence.

I created digital art (left) for Earth Day and am re-posting it now, suspecting but not knowing to what degree humanity plays a role in agitating earthquake prone zones.

Warring factions disregard how interconnected the planet is and how exploding bombs in one area can destabilize the underground in another. In this age of conflicts, our earthly home can seem as breakable as an egg shell being tapped by a multitude of spoons. (Postscript September 3, 2016: See how fiddling beneath earth's crust to produce oil and gas also plays a role HERE.)

The loss of precious life, and the historic buildings that survived the ages yet now crumbled into ruins, is heartbreaking. A tourist in Italy once, I was awed by its beauty, historic importance and strong resilient people. May they find strength now and support from around the globe.

Later in the week I took a solitary walk through Kwomais Point Park in South Surrey to clear my thoughts. Birds were chirping in the forest and, for the moment, everything seemed right with this part of the world.

Boundary Bay is at the path's end. The sun brought sparkle to the water that recently changed from gray blue to greenish and more tropical aqua hues. Perhaps this has something to do with warmer sea temperatures and how algae is growing. You can read about it HERE.

A sweet lingering fragrance from a forgotten bouquet was at a railing overlooking the scenery. People like to get married at Kwomais Park this time of year and I wondered, since relationships can be fragile too, if the bride and groom together will find the integrity, compassion, humor and resiliency needed to withstand the challenges sure to come their way.

I visited Elgin Heritage Park with my husband at the end of the week. This was a great place to to see the seasonal changes. Summer is clearly on its way out and autumn is beginning.

A sailor who found no breeze to move his boat pedaled rather than paddled along the bordering Nicomekl River.

A spider caught in a sunbeam was rebuilding its web yet again.

Continuing our walk throughout the park it seemed to me that, yes, there are cracks in life but the spirit does not have to be broken.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

2015 Starts Off Like A New Pair Of Shoes

THE NEW YEAR stretches before us like 365 bright pennies twinkling with promise of good days ahead. The symbolism of newly minted coins (in Canada, no longer pennies), spotless calendars and reinvigorated resolutions is as buoyant as a new pair of shoes destined to flatten with wear.

Even if hardships and disappointments from 2014 have not faded, hope is often at its peak when life grants us a fresh calendar year. That is when we are more likely to see the world anew as if through the eyes of a child. The picture (above) shows a slushy day brightly conveyed by 15-year-old artist Kyra. Her painting was in a calendar given to me after paying our yearly car insurance fee at the Automobile Association (BCAA). Each month shows a different child’s drawing making it one of the year’s most charming calendars in my view.

Surveying the skies, I spotted these two characters (above) during my New Year's Eve morning walk.

The crows were oblivious to human joy and suffering or the need for footwear.

Each species perceives the world differently, which makes existence deeply fascinating and a tangled mystery seemingly impossible to unravel.

In the evening, I went for another walk to find 2014 coming to a close beautifully and peacefully at Kwomais Point Park.


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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Hooked On "Ethical Addiction"

WHAT IS an antique meat hook doing in a clothing store? It is just one of the eclectic artifacts mingling with the t-shirts in a new apparel store that has just opened up in the neighborhood.

Curious about the huge stuffed teddy bear sitting on an electric motorcycle and ancient Viking helmet showcased on a shelf, I learned that the local owner is not only a collector of unusual things but also incorporated a significant green theme to the family run business.

You can learn more about the company on their facebook page HERE.

Amid a reminder that electric run vehicles are viable, I found home decor, sports accessories and racks of clothing made from bamboo organic cotton. A film about bamboo The Wise Man's Timber shows its many usages HERE.

I like the idea of getting addicted to things that are positive for the planet and consequently ourselves and hope that this business flourishes.

Local businesses need community support and face great challenges with mammoth chain stores around every corner.

Ethical Addiction, with its passion for the natural, I suspect will be left standing years from now.

I thought of the store later when photographing evergreens at nearby Kwomais Point Park that survived a recent wild windstorm. Somewhere in the midst of the towering trees is smaller growth no less worthy of our attention.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Pondering The Improbable Sky

HIGH UP on a tree branch at Kwomais Point Park an eagle watched the pre-sunset sky.

Clouds rolled lazily over the darkening sea. I wondered if the bird was as spellbound as I was by the grandeur before us.

The horizon was just beginning to turn a rosy hue and infinity stretched out far beyond our view. I thought of the Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield who until recently gazed at earth's sky from his perch in a spacecraft. His fascinating journey increased the wonder most of us share when we stare at the sky.

As science fiction author Ray Bradbury once said, "We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.”

It seems marvelous yet unbelievable to me that random specks of improbable life can not only witness, ponder and explore but also inwardly soar when awestruck by what it sees.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Surprising Discoveries Down The Rabbit Hole

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

Although I didn't plan to take in an art show, something compelled me to step inside the community hall where 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 hadn't 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. Turns out she's not only a terrific artist but a prolific thought-provoking writer. I learned about her blog The Tao In Art and looked forward to visiting it soon.

After exploring the work of others and snapping a final picture of a basket filled with Carolynn's bird drawings, I set off for 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.

Penelope Puddle Meets A Rabbit

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

The Labyrinth At Kwomais Point Park

THE WINDING CIRCULAR pathway I recently followed at Kwomais Point Park provides a process for reflection and is a compelling metaphor for life. Meandering through the twists and turns one can become lost amid the uncertainties of its direction.

There are no dead ends on this snaking trail and the head does meet the tail eventually. Ironically, this can make going forward seem more like a step backward.

The symbolism of a labyrinth is open to interpretation. In ancient times the confusing intricacies of interconnected tunnels and passageways were built to baffle mythological monsters and neighboring enemies that were all too real.

A labyrinth today is often a meditative tool that puts challenges into perspective and shows that personal progress is not linear. Even though we finish our journey near where we started, we hopefully gain deep insights and are wiser for all our adventures and experiences along life's way.

There is an ancient saying on the stone overlooking a smaller stone that says, "As above so below ... as within so without." The words suggest that we have a mysterious connection to all of existence that is far more profound than what our mortal minds have imagined.

The labyrinth at Kwomais Point is due to a collaboration between the Labyrinths of Hope Society and other groups. It was named Eagle's Nest because of the bounty of eagles that make the forested area their home. Not the first such structure at the park, it is a promise kept by the City of Surrey.

The original labyrinth made of simple stones was not encircled by a forest but was perched on a bluff overlooking the sea. It was removed during upgrades to the park but its essence remains at the core of the current creation.

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Lovestruck By Life

ON VALENTINE'S DAY, February 14th, the pretty candles that were Christmas gifts finally were lit to decorate the table that was set for our dinner. Perhaps it was the glow of the multiple flames in single hearts that illuminated memories of loved ones lost too soon and unexpectedly over the years due to illnesses.

The next day there was news of an asteroid hurling uncomfortably close to the earth reminding us that the world as we know it could randomly end. A few hours earlier on the same day a large meteor exploded over a small Russian town injuring hundreds of people.

Sometimes it seems as if all life has been sent on a perilous journey pieced together with only a wing and a prayer. Thankfully, we don't often think about the vulnerabilities, especially when fully present and in the moment.

There is wonder and a sense of oneness with the universe to savor: bare feet stepping on grassy floors, toes wiggling in the gritty sand of mysterious shores, sunsets dissolving like lemon drops into oceans, rain tap tapping on roofs as we drift among the stars on a green globe that never stops revolving. From the gentle swoosh of a bird's wing to the mean surprise of a bee's sting … each wink in time is a Valentine. (February sunset, 2012, Kwomais Park.)

Planets and people will crumble into dust. The stubborn ideals we treasure for both good and evil will fade into mist and our struggles and glories melt into insignificance. Although there is no use in dwelling on the fact that existence could be snuffed out like a flame in an instant, the possibility does beg for perspective, humility and a wholehearted leap into the here and now.

As an unknown author once said, “Don’t ever save anything for a special occasion. Being alive is the special occasion.”

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Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Nature & Its Magic Carpet Side

A STROLL THROUGH NATURE can feel like traveling through tapestries woven with fabulous fabrics and threads pulled from fringes of the environment.

Casting its spell at every corner, nature as art comes to mind when searching for a word that begins with "N". Swirling patterns snake through muted browns dabbed with green. Creatures (can anyone spot a real snake in the picture above?) blend into the scenery ...

and plantlife, like this caterpillar look-alike, model animal forms.

From floating charcoal grays to sunset bolds, every angle, shape and color takes us on a different magic carpet ride. The photo above of a September sky over Kwomais Point Park reminds me of a fingerpainting.

Whether gazing up at clouds or down at the art plastered to a road ...

nature leaves us starstruck with its range of colors and fleeting patterns.

Contrasting this carefully arranged collection of lovely shells glued on a car with the scattered shells below shows ...

brushing color onto canvas or molding sculptures out of clay rarely achieves the effortless symmetry of nature's random designs.

Whether viewed from near or far, nature's brushstrokes are messy, fluid and never contrived.

The haphazard compositions are appealing despite the clashes of textures and conflicting splashes of warm and cold palettes. Not surprisingly, the natural world beyond art is also a masterpiece of contradictions. As poet Horace expressed in ancient Roman times, "Nature is harmony in discord."

Artists throughout time have tried to replicate and also interpret nature with their own styles to convey their enchantment. American artist Milton Avery once said: "Nature is my springboard. From her I get my initial impetus. I have tried to relate the visible drama of mountains, trees, and bleached fields with the fantasy of wind blowing and changing colors and forms."

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

This post showcases the letter "N" for nature. If you think words are fun and enjoy playing with the alphabet, visit ABC Wednesday.