Dare to walk beyond the boundary...

Chapman Creek Photo Ramble - April 12, 2011



Doesn't look like much does it? End of a logging road. A little turn around. A burnt-out car seat and debris from past rambunctious shenanigans engaged in by those who engage themselves thusly....

but what happens for those willing to enter into the woods? To get off of the main roads and step out of their cars? Well.... lets see shall we? ;)

You may find many varied types of life both flora and fauna.
And fungus.


Take a friend, and their dog (Roman) along for camaraderie (as well as to provide scale in all of your photos) (and that dog is just so dang cute. Don't worry. You'll see more of him later)


Ramble and explore amongst the forest
walk around corners
down paths and up trees



Scramble down between roots and fractured rocks
Moss festooned upon any perch it can find
Ferns bursting forth as they have since the dinos
Green and wonderous



and learn from a dog named Roman. Who finds fear and, instead of stopping and leaving, finds a different angle to tackle the situation. Then finds fear again and gets support from friends.. before continuing on to get where he wants to go.



Alongside a creek in the forest.


Where it can be quiet and still
though the log jam debris speaks of times more turblulent with higher waters hurtling logs like bathtub toys.



Turbulent times indeed.



But there is a beauty to engage and embrace from whichever your precarious location. Though for all of our mothers' sake use caution.

For water does not know compassion. It is the giver and the taker.
The means by which we live.



Do we respect water enough?
I think we take it for granted around here. But that's old news.

And some can't bear to look, to see, to notice the commodification of water in the world. Just like how they say the super-villain, Dominic Greene, in the last Bond movie didn't really seem that threatening.. or have much pizazz.

Do we look away?


Or look ahead in the face straight on.


This is just about a dog right? A cute dog admittedly.

Or do we all strike various poses in our day


and try not to think about that odd feeling niggling away in the back of brain boxes that says... still there is better.

Easy enough to say something's broken. But to talk about better? to ponder better? to move forward and progress to better? What is this better? Is it false hope? like so much hope that came and went and came and went? Is it better?

I say that the pondering and talking about this issue.. is a fraction of an action of better.

A taking notice. A cool salt laden blast of fresh air blown in on the wind that makes you remember you're actually breathing right now. Our lungs are exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide back and forth and we live. Better? We do not know how to fix every ill that ails a person. But we know more. And we learn more.

Though this acquisition of information is not to be the sum of our goal and aim. We would likely all admit that data alone does not answer all problems. This doesn't mean the quest for knowledge is wrong... or misguided.. but that it merely is not ALL. Learn learn learn and delve the mysteries and wonders of creation. It is a fascinating place that we get to explore.



So what do we add to this knowledge, this intelligence, this gathering of fact? Is it the journey of the depth of character and awareness? Is it the pursuit of questions like what are human rights? how do my actions impact those I am connected with? what is honour? what is it to realize the common shared humanity of all of us linked in laughter and pain and wonder and suffering and victory and glory on this spinning giant system of systems in the middle of space with which we cruise the cosmos?

Compassion. Empathy. Wisdom. Awareness.

Pain is a common language that all of us speak and have known.
And no matter the difference in ideology or hair colour or station in life,
our lungs still take in that carbon dioxide and exchange it with oxygen.

We can look around and see that things are not perfect. We can deconstruct. We can poke out eyes and toss hate and shun and strike those that are not like us....

Except.. they are like us.
What we are doing to others we are doing to ourselves.
That pain you inflict you have felt. This is part of the world we live.
And an opportunity to reach out, sometimes not with words, but a smile, or eye contact, or a conversation. For we too have felt pain.

And we're still here.
We still smile when he hear a child laugh.
When we see a sunset.
When someone walks alongside us. With us.

We move forward, we can. It is an option before us we can choose.

To stand alongside one another and explore this earth, and to seek knowledge and to choose to create and develop better ways.



To call or text or email a friend and see if they and their dog would like to head outside for some CO2/O2 exchange.






And now some various random things that may or may not be connected..

An exhortation to go explore outside


A Man and his dog - with waterfall and log jumping action


I walked really close to some coyotes on my way home from a work a couple days ago