Month: May 2014

Turquoise and Jewels

Good morning brave hearts.

The adventure of opening the great wild to tourism was a profound feat of national significance.  What lay at the heart of the lofty mountains was a prize of dollars and sense.  The magnificent wild opened an opportunity for the Canadians to explore the great land, with it’s unending beauty and prizes of health and fitness benefitting the soul, the body and the mind.  Unrivalled magnificence of stellar views, of grand landscapes with carpets of flowers, magnificent wild beasts, forest and birds and mile upon mile upon mile of exploration, adventure and discovery.  Another superb mountain pass, a glimpse into the unending mountain chain, life and travel, peace and rejuvenation.  The heart melts at the great beauty of the awesome great Earth, and the soul sings in praises of the almighty planet.
Joy!  Joy in the discovery of yet another crystal clear lake, the colour of emeralds and turquoise.  Jewels of the earth splashed onto the landscape with colour so rare and brilliant.  Waterfalls and great glaciers, rugged, uncompromising land.  The brave came forward for the thrill and excitement of discovery, to challenge their skills in the fabulous pursuit of mountain adventure.  To climb the highest peak, to paddle the turbulent waters, to conquer the rapids and to proclaim their triumphant success. The challenge was so exciting and the adventure was so grand, that a call was heard at the  highest office of the land.  “More!”  cries the spirit, as it soars with the eagles at the top of the mountain.  A unnamed peak, so cleverly climbed and an expedition that can see for miles.  “There’s more!  We want more!”
The persistent horseman had travelled into the frontier, exploring and cutting trails for business and curiosity.  Setting up camps  and marking routes,  their travels becoming documented feats of early exploration,  where  no man had gone before.  They were the first to travel into the heart of the mountains and with their discovery came reports of more and more and more.  Land for preservation, land for protection, land for tourism and business and wealth.  Properly protected, the land becomes a haven of international acclaim.  Mountain climbers and thrill seekers, artists and adventurers all swarm to the mountains to lay claim to their rights. To be the first to capture that title, to paint that view, to write that log and to name that peak.  The race was on!  To be the first, and with that title, to capture their place in the history of the nation.  To be the praises of that song, to be the heroes of the day, to be the champion of that title.  To carry gold in their pockets and bragging rights, forever!
The pastime of a pursuit of a new national dream, captured their imaginations, their hearts, their minds and their destiny. In 1886, awesome Yoho with it’s fossil find, and fabulous Glacier National Parks, in British Columbia were formed. In 1887 the boundaries of Banff National Park were expanded.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/yoho/index.aspx Yoho National Park, British Columbia

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx Glacier National Park, British Columbia

With the formation of these two new national parks, Canada was now pursuing a legacy of national wealth in the preservation of the great outdoors.  A conscience developing in the Canadian people, to marvel at the magnificence of the great land of Canada, to be the proud owners of special, protected places.  A step into the lives of the early explorers is to witness a life of thriving good health and fitness.  The dauntless being who returned victorious from that triumphant mountain expedition, reaches to us from the thriving brilliance of yesteryear.  The earth saves us, oh human, and our history still claims us.  The system of national parks is for environmental protection and for the health and vitality of the people.  The great land calls us and from our beginnings we search and protect those significant areas that demand preservation.
For us, in Canada, the great wild has always been the fortune of our existence. Fortunate us, to have the great land and it’s outstanding wild places and wild creatures, to call us to health, fortitude, adventure and freedom.  Yes, said the awesome great powers of the day.  We will give you these grand landscapes of freedom, forever, for you to enjoy, oh Canadians.  In health, in wellness, in joy.  The new national dream was secured.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 27, 2014

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More National Dreams

Good morning you awesome human.

So the world turns in it’s mysterious ways and the rights to wealth are bestowed upon those who were lucky. Their qualifications in tourism, at a moment in time, when the world was young and waiting to be discovered. The railway across the country had been completed, and the west was a destination for eager world travelers, who needed new experiences and challenges. The awesome beauty of the mountains and the legacy of adventure that they contain, enticed the inspired traveler to a destination of joy. Rugged adventure, pristine environments, wildlife and mountain climbing, splendid views of previously unseen, grand landscapes. Unknown waters and lakes, valleys and mountains. Unnamed plants and flowers, to be drawn and catalogued. The mountains enticed the privileged, the educated, the adventurer, the fortune hunter and the tourist. All so eagerly swarming to the newly formed national park.
Banff was an island of tourist fortune. A small, 26 square kilometer haven of environmental integrity. The Cave and Basin hot springs, a discovery of international acclaim, lay at the heart of what became a thriving tourist meca of natural wealth and resource.
The players in this wondrous venture, earned their rights to business enterprise and fortune. To this day, the legacy of these people, carve a niche in the thriving Alberta landscape. Here, in the far west is a land of stunning contrast. Superb vistas at high mountain altitudes. Rolling foothills to endless prairie. Wildlands and badlands, pond to desert, dinosaurs to buffalo jump, the great Alberta land has it all.

http://travelalberta.com/Places%20to%20Go.aspx Travel Alberta

The pioneers of the day, brought with them, horsemanship. Cowboys and outfitters, explorers and ranchers, the relentless invasion of the great wild, brought wealth and delight. More dreams, more daring, more farming and tourism. The pioneer of the time dared to demand the promise of hard work and success, of grand ventures and great achievement. To dare the dream of thriving in a new land, with new promise of great success. The venture into a national park system for Canada, was new to the young country. Only ten years old and Canada was carving her niche in environmental conservation policy. A legacy that would become a grand oasis of national parks, historical sites and marine conservation areas, setting aside vast tracts of land in this brave new world.
From small beginnings, come great achievements and the accomplishment of the national park system is still an ongoing and ever expanding development of national heritage. From the wonder of that tiny animal, born in the great wild, to the wonder of an awesome view from the top of a high mountain peak, the land and it’s fantasy draw us to it.
Dreams of adventure, of exploration, of athletic pursuits, of videos and photographs, of roadside wonder and scenic drives. Who saw that mountain top and claimed first prize? Only you. For each of us that ventures in to the national dream of national parks views that superb landscape from the eyes of the early pioneer. Untouched, still unspoiled, the precious dream lives on.

http://www.banfflakelouise.com

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 25, 2014

Ah! The Spa.
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Ah! The Spa.

Hail, you awesome human!

In 1883, wealth and riches captured their imagination. The luxury of the land, for them, the discovery, the awesome, awe-inspiring find. No more harsh work, no more scheduled hours, no more dictators and slave drivers. No more sunrise risings and sun set endings. The long and tiresome day has come to an end, and wealth now lies before their eyes. The glittering prize of dollars, cast in the heated pool of water, was immense wealth to these lucky, entrepreneurs. The back breaking toil of constant work, ends with this discovery.
Shall it be a hotel, a resort, a day spa? The hot pools of the Banff hot springs was a discovery like no other. Close at hand, and surrounded in beauty, the hot pools rested in the mountains, somewhat close to Calgary. A perfect place for tourists and yes, they would come. All the way out to the mountains of Alberta, to soak in the mineral rich waters of the hot springs. Health and wellness would follow as the mineral content of the pools was investigated for healing and curative powers. A superb discovery, a marvelous, accidental find. To explore, on a day trip and discover the very point of tourist marketing in that part of the mountains. A claim was laid, a plan discussed, the excitement grew and grew. Rich! They were rich! It’s all mine, they exhalted! Then, it was disputed.
Others came forward to lay claim to the riches and the joy and merry making became a dispute. The squabble was so loud it reached the heights of legislative power in the country. Hot springs in the mountains! Gold!
Curiously, the powers that be, stepped in to investigate the claim. Yes, it was real. The claim was laid, the co-ordinates were correct and the find was legal. Still, there was a dispute, so how to resolve it so that everyone would win.
For all Canadians, you say. Maybe more, for all of the world to enjoy. That part is obvious, but how to win the claim. They wouldn’t part with it.
To the legislator it went, and into the hands of the Canadian people fell the rights to the first hot springs discovered in the Canadian Rockies. For all of us to enjoy. Of course there would be an admission charge, but no one would be able to claim exclusive rights. The rights to this land, belong to the people of Canada, and hence, the first national park in Canada was formed in Banff, Alberta, in 1885.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ab/caveandbasin/index.aspx cave and basin hot springs, Banff National Park.

Banff National Park is a milestone in Canadian history. Superbly beautiful, now a UNESCO site, this mountain national park is one of four mountain national parks in Canada. Glorious Banff, with it’s superb climbing, mountain huts, spectacular views, tourist destinations, hiking, mountain biking, rivers, boating and white water rafting. This gem marked the beginning of wilderness preservation, environmental conservation, wildlife protection , and it is still, a pure tourist delight. A fine example of the awesome splendor of the vast and wonderful nation of Canada.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDan4o8T04s Banff National Park, The Canadian Rockies, Tracker Productions.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 16, 2014

It Calls Us
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It Calls Us

Hail to the almighty human!

The awesome planet sings the praises of its being. The life springs forth from the rich earth and the world sings with the songs of spring. A paradise of co-habitation, plant, human, animal, contained in a small space of grand proportions. Life, live and joy in this great part of the earth, where all things live in the beauty of the great landscape. The majesty of the magnificent mountains, the lush, green forest, the sparkling waters and the clean, mountain air. This is the land of the almighty human, where athletes soar in competition and sport. A playground of adventure where the trails lead to precious views of unrivaled beauty, and the mountains dare the climbers to try them.
“Come!” calls the great planet. “Come to the joy of your being!

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/index.aspx the nation’s first National Park, Banff National Park, established in 1885

Test your strength oh brave hearts! Stretch your legs in the vast wilderness of parkland that entices you. Listen to the call of the wild, as it sweetly sings in your ears.
The birds call their courtship melody as we pass by their homes. Busy and intent, they build their private homes to protect the precious, demanding lives of their offspring. Soon there will be babies. Soon the roadsides will be bustling with delighted tourists, as they meet the wild and their wild new born. The brave bear with its tiny young, the sheep and goats with their nimble kids, and the deer and elk with their calves. Soon the wild will give birth, and the land will change to a robust new beginning.
The quiet of winter is past and for the next few months a new generation of life unfolds.
“Come to the wild!” calls the great planet. “Here the world of the daring adventure begins!”
Since the dawn of our beginning, the wild of the earth calls to us. The mighty oceans demand a crossing. The pinnacles of mountain tops, demand to be reached. The forest lures us to views, and challenges the senses with unknown obstacles.
“Reach for this height!” calls the mighty glacier, where the well waters of our rivers are born. Now, in the spring, when the world is divine, when the congenial planet warms us with warm, spring breezes and the deep chill of winter is past, now we venture forth into the land that was too precarious in the winter.
This is the land of the almighty human. The land, brought to us by the daring fur trader, the skilled negotiator and the kind and compassionate human who saves it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5NW3h6_VYw the bluest lakes on earth, by David Huting

The land whispers to us as we pass under the branches of the greening trees. Hail brave hearts, protect these great lands, for you and only you, can save it. The adventure of your lives has always been in the great forests, the great landscape and the great wild of this nation. The great peace is among us, the great negotiation of land and people, of adventure and fun, of wealth and beauty. Remember the past, oh brave hearts, the negotiation saves us still.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 13, 2014

Dear Mothers
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Dear Mothers

Good morning Brave hearts

The celebration of life and love is a gift to you on the day that we celebrate mothers.
Dear mothers, a moment of your time, a life of care and nurturing, a protector, a supporter and a keeper of our memories. Our childhood moments of daring and brilliance, of adventure and imagination, of creativity and spontaneity. For us, the passing of time as we learn and explore. For our mothers, the moments of cherished memories of a child, so young and adored, so carefully nurtured. A being, brought into her life, with a purpose and destiny of it’s own.
Dear mothers, the light of that life dawns in the early morning and persists until the evening quiet and dark. The time consuming effort of endless hours spent in loving and hugging and kissing the infant. The demanding child, so
needing and fragile. The reward, to be a lifetime of gifted human love and compassion.
Dear mothers, you rock the cradle and the world listens, as you proclaim your love for your offspring. Happy child, nurtured child, hurt or brooding, the humanity persists in zealous comforting. Rich or poor, the mother gives whatever she is capable of giving. The constant demands of society, to raise this child to its potential. The demand to fulfill the duty, to herself, the family, to the socially accepted norm.
Dear mothers, the matrimonial pledge extends even moreso to the child, in sickness or in health, for richer or for poorer, until death do us part. The child is that part of us that we can’t let go of, that can’t be erased or replaced. That sums of money don’t equal, that can’t be negotiated, that’s carved in stone. Nurture and care, oh wise ones. The world is watching, and your precious offspring are your major calling.
Dear mothers, as you watch the growing child, with pride for their achievements, for always getting up after a fall, for forever running and playing, studying and befriending, the growing human becoming an adult. The work, the devotion, the endless play and support, the all time consuming act of nurture and love, to be lavished upon this blessing, this child.
Dear mothers, it never ends. The child grows and becomes an adult, a champion in your eyes. The effort was painless, the life so fulfilling, a reward just to meet your aquaintance. Mother and child, a bond never ending, a life time of companionship, of conversation, of devotion and care.

http://globalnews.ca/news/1321783/were-celebrating-mothers-day-all-wrong-according-to-holidays-founder/

Now mother, we look upon you with praise and adoration, with gratitude for affection, for time and for energy, for teaching, for nurturing and for love. The time spent surpasses the endless days of endless chores, of duty, of routine, of work and social demands. The time spent in teaching, in learning, in conversation and in play. For in mother there is beauty and grace, knowledge and skill, intelligence and love.

http://www.forestofflowers.com/

So on this day, dear mother, we praise you and thank you. A day set aside for you.
Happy Mother’s Day.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 10, 2014

Spring Beauty
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Spring Beauty

Good morning Brave hearts

The slow passing of winter, when the earth sheds its cover of the protecting layer of snow, to reveal the tiny shoots of green below. The generation of life, of another season of promise, of hope that the earth will care for us again and fulfill its duty to feed us.
Dutiful planet, the demands of mankind are high. Climate change encroaches and what once was, has become the unknown. Weather patterns interupt our plans, the cycle of change is no longer so predictable. The earth is moving more slowly to sheds its winter garments and to thaw its freezing soils. Tiny seeds, put into the ground, promise of a food source for healthy living. The garden is the source of organic vegetables, fruit bearing trees and shrubs providing healthy, nutritious food. The garden is the source of food production, of an escape to the quiet of your own making. Centuries old man has cultivated his garden for food, pleasure, entertainment and quiet. The garden is a joy! That one small plot of well tended, well cared for space, is an enhancement to our lives.
The joy of the green grass, the tiny buds of leaves and flowers, getting ready to bedazzle us with their showy finery. A jewel of precious colour, the flower competes for the attention of the pollinators. Showy cloaks of marvelous design, fabulous colour, an array of height, size and fragrance. A dazzling performance of non stop delight, as the earth introduces its beautiful performers. Early spring flowers, nodding and waving, in the cool spring breezes, greet us with colour and charm. The earth sends us its shoots of promise and the early flowers, dance and wave and greet us with their nodding heads.
“Hail mankind!” calls the planet. “The spring is late, but it is here! Behold, my dazzling beauties, with their freshly painted gowns, their sensual perfumes and their welcoming waving. I’ve sent my early troops to provide a paradise for you. A paradise of colour, fragrance and spring music.”
“Hail mankind, sighs the aging planet, spring has come! For I am weary and aging, but I still live and love and reproduce, and send my offspring to the surface for your comfort and joy!”
“Yes!”, calls the planet, “I will save you again!”
The deep chill of winter is passing and the warmth of the sun has cast its heat to the earth and the land creeps out from under it’s warm, winters’ blanket. The hibernating animals come forth, seeking the fresh spring air and the fresh new produce. Food! Organic, nutritious food, for the hungry wildlife, prepared and served by the planet. Organic delights of greening grasses, new shoots of tender spring growth. The great wild is coming forth, and it is with relief that we count their presence.
The calling birds sing and flock to us, their melody of song ringing in our ears. Fortunate human, to hear the music of the planet, to taste the wonderful produce of the garden. Spring is upon us and the joy of living resounds throughout the world.

www/thesustainabilityplanforfood.com

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
May 6, 2014