the great wild

The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas
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The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas

Hail Brave Hearts

The great wild is calling,  An adventures awaits.  Dutifully we don our apparel for yet another great holiday in Canada.  It’s summertime, and the sun shines gloriously on long days of warmth and outdoor activity. Canoes and kayaks entice us into the waters of lakes and rivers.  The iconic Canadian transportation system, lures us into the paths of our history.  Build your canoes, build your kayaks, follow in the steps of legendary people who navigated the waters this way.

The great wild calls us to develop the skills of history makers who charted the seas, mapped the coastlines and stamped the approval of the ownership of this land.  This is ours.

The great lands of the Haida, tucked away in the northern islands, north of Vancouver Island.  Isolated and rare, a gem of discovery.  This land is our land, protected by a great nation of peoples, the Haida people of Haida Gwaii and the Gwaii Haanas National Park.  It belongs to them and their stories fill the islands.

We arrive by plane, for the trip of a lifetime, into the land of the Haidas.  Remote and alive, the area fills with eagles.  The ocean is calm and the days are warm.  We’ve packed for a week long kayak adventure into Gwaii Haanas.  This area is a paradise of wilderness ocean adventure.

Seagulls meet us, reminding us that God is here.  In the call of the birds, we clearly hear Gods name.  Seals bask on the rocks and a river otter swims past.  An Oyster Catcher stops us.  His antics catch our attention as he jumps around on the rock in a aa unusual dance.  His five chicks huddle close together in the nest and his mate slumber close by.  He is a father and proudly shows off the nest.  A thirteen year old bird, whose making a noise that sounds like Barack.  We name him Barack then, pleased that he’s shown us his fine family

Black Oystercatcher Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Our luck with the weather holds for this trip.  There are seven of us on this  July excursion, with a guided kayaking and camping company.  The Pacific is mainly calm and peaceful towards us as humpback whales surface and feed in our sights.  One comes close to us.  It’s a pleasure.  The wildlife sightings are superb, with black bear, dolphins, orcas and sea lion to add to our list.  The bird life is unusual to us as well.  Ancient Murrelet,  seagulls, falcons, puffins, rhinoceros beaked birds and red footed pigeon guillemot to add to  our list.  It’s a list of some rare bird and animals  in an area filled with ocean life.

Then, there’s, the people.  We visit the Haida of the ancient totem poles.  to see for ourselves the carvings of great masters and to hear their stories.  A far flung people, out in islands in a remote Pacific location.  An area of impressive beauty molding a nation of seafaring people, who live from the sea.  The builders of ocean going canoes paddling the great seas.  A people of unique culture, surviving in an area of wildlife wealth.  The ocean provides.

This was a dream holiday in our great land.  So much to be proud of, so much to enjoy.  The land and the people, the ocean and the wildlife.  A place of unusual prosperity.

parks.canada.ca › pn-np › bcGwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine …

The sun shines brightly on Haida Gwaii and the warm summer breeze encourages outdoor adventure.  This was a wonderful, unique  holiday in Canada’s superb wilderness backyard.  We congratulate ourselves for this choice of adventure.    We’ll be back

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 27, 2023

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National Herbalist Day

Hail Brave Hearts

Enjoy the nutrition of the land and the many medical marvels that it reveals.  It’s a new day dawning for the Herbalist.  A day of worthy mention.  National Herbalist Day!  Wow!

The subject matter is superb.  Now that spring is here, the welcome backyard medicine cabinet is opening it’s doors.  New spring teas from fresh shoots, leaves and plants.  Lovely.  Fit for any larder, the beautiful abundance of natural goodness is in your yard.

The most obvious, killer weed, that notorious Dandelion.  Awesome!  The nutritional value of this plant is a keeper.

Plantain, St John’s Wort, Daisy and many more.   A special day for those of us, who seek natural remedies for those aches and pains.  I’ve been lucky with Nettle, Red Currant, Apple Leaf and Rose Hips, but these are just a few of the many natural wonders of the wild world.  Home made salves and soaps, fragrance and tea.  Natural healers to boost energy, to calm, to induce sleep, to improve circulation and help achy joints and achy pains.  Your garden is an Earthly delight.  Those pesky weeds, so hard to get rid of , might freshen your breath, improve your eyesight, add luster to your hair and make it shine.  The self indulgent gardener might even find a cure for what ails themselves.  There are many good gardening books which will help to plant an herbalist garden.

But are natural remedies important?  They are, if you want them to be.  Do they actually provide cures?  Yes, they do.

To quote Chris Dalziel at Jobillee Farm.  who has a  book Growing Abundance, the Garden You Harvest in a Week.

Monday is National Herbalist Day!  It’s a day to acknowledge the herbs that keep us well, help our gardens grow better, make our food taste better, and give us abundance.  Its also a day to recognize the herbal mentors in our life.

Who taught you about using herbs in the kitchen, the garden, and the apothecary?  Did you learn from a mother, a grand parent, a neighbor? Are you self-taught from books and the internet? Did you take a class? Or are you just beginning to learn about herbs as an adult?

Learn about Plantago major — Plantain

I love teaching children about herbs.  My 2 year old granddaughter knows to look for plantain (Plantago major) if she gets a bee sting or a mosquito bite.  “Plantain” comes from an old French word meaning “sole of the foot”.  It grows in compacted areas, where the footprint of humans or animals have compacted the soil.  Its a healing plant for the soil as much as it is a healing plant for us.

Often plantain is the first herb that people learn to use.  It can be an “a-ha” moment, when you hand them a leaf and tell them to put it on the “ouch”.  Relief is fast.

I’ve had the privilege of introducing plantain to tough motorcyclists, stung on the hand while riding, hikers, farmers, beekeepers, wee toddlers, and grumpy teens, mowing a lawn. Plantain is just one of the many gifts that God gives us to nourish and heal us.
Gun Control
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Gun Control

Good Day Brave Heart

It’s seldom a bad day with so much to do.

Exit the warm contentment of the cozy, familiar structure to the bright snow-covered future that awaits you in the outdoors.  It’s a fantasy world of snow laden trees, martins leaping along the way and birds chattering to each other.  What do they say?  Only your own spirits will determine their message.  The sundog shines in a glorious ring around the sun, indicating a weather pattern on its way.  The brightness of this glory world is the psychedelic wonder of yesteryear.  It’s no wonder that they thought that LDS was safe.

Minds bend in the staggering difficulty of the task.    The unfathomable human experiment of the day.

Hunting and trapping, the need to survive, the human is a new predator in this place.  Now the competition for the food supply has increased and new hunters are on the land.  Hunters with families and small mouths to feed.  Tiny tots with growing pains, hunger pangs and shill cries.  Feed us! cloth us! save us! The howls stop when the hut vanishes in the snow and the hunt for animal tracks begin.

This new human brings a new kind of weapon to the wild world of big game hunting.  Gone is the bow and arrow, now it’s the rifle.  Guns.  Guns to protect us, guns to hunt with, guns to be dependent upon.  Guns for survival, guns for livelihood, guns for trade and barter.  Guns.   Only the need for ammunition is a drawback in the use of guns.  Stock the larder with as much provision for the winter as you can, and don’t forget the main one, your gun.

Unlicensed weapons have as many as you want to.  No one is watching.

The stealthy aboriginal makes his way to your shelter.  Maybe you don’t have to hunt today.  Maybe all that you have to do is to trade him a good gun and a round of ammunition for a side of moose, a rack of elk and a hind quarter of deer.  Maybe he will give his own much needed furs, from that rabbit, for a gun.  The indigenous people need the fur more than the fur trader do, but wildlife is plentiful, and trade brings wealth to this family.  Wealth to one, survival to another, a deal is struck.  It seems like a win, win situation.  The stealthy aboriginal so experienced in the ways of this land, looking to improve his own lot in life.  A gun for his hunt, a gun for his prosperity and a gun to protect him from the devil.

The homesteader is saved.  No more psychedelic sunshine.  No more mind-bending winter exposure.  No more lethargic, seemingly drug filled indecisive wanderings.   He is saved.  Saved by the aboriginal bell of necessity.  The gun is more powerful than the bow and arrow.

A shot rings out on the still land.  The skilled new hunter has already conquered.  More will come looking for this kind of trade.  More will seek the European for guns.

Guns for survival, guns to protect us.  Guns.  A new way of life.

The Wild Canadian Year: Canada’s toughest season, with only the hardiest prevailing – Winter – YouTube

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

 

 

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Need More Gardens?

Good Day Brave Hearts

During the cold and dark days of winter, we rise to the challenge of a nutritious food supply.  The fall canning season filled the larder with a precious stock of daily living that will take away the winter chills and stave off the winter flues.  A nutrient packed diet from your organic garden to save you all winter long.  It saves the pangs of hunger, it warms the body, it cures the winter chills.

Your food supply is your health and wellness which feeds your mighty brain and helps to cure your aches and pains.  Food to cure the common cold, food for the brain, food for aches and pains, food for your social happiness.

There is a  long list of comfort food that nourishes the mind, heart and soul.  It’s divine and the time is now.

Those special little seeds that were stowed away last fall, come to the forefront of the mind.  Each little one, packed with the energy to produce a bountiful crop of fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs or spices.  That decadent nasturtium, so showy and bright in the garden, yielding a powerful pack of seeds full of earthly delight.  Those spunky little violets, such a gorgeous floral treat decorating those cupcakes.  Winter is gone, bring on the harvest!

Bring on the watercress, the chocolate mint, the sunflower, the basil.  This year’s garden will be a splash of colour and dietary indulgence.  Oh the yellows!  Nasturtium, sunflower, pumpkin, squash (flowers) and tomato.   The reds of rose, dainty cherry blossoms, and olive.  Purple violets, blueberry and saskatoon.  White of potato and apple blossom.  The garden comes alive with colour and nutrition.  The food supply is back!

15 Brain Foods to Boost Focus and Memory – Dr. Axe (draxe.com)

Plant your pallet of garden colour.  A pallet of herbs, vegetables, fruit, flowers and spices.  The choices of fragrance to add to the show.  Musky black current, fragrant rose.   The garden of earthly delights is as aromatic as it is healthy.  Enjoy a sip of summertime wine, made for last years wild rose petals.  Indulge in sorbets of fruits from the vine, sip that delectable apple leaf tea.

We are blessed.

From our small properties, filled with natures harvest, we dine.  Dine with fine delicacies from our own backyard.  This oasis of healthy bliss to indulge ourselves in.  Choose your flavour, choose your colour, choose your diet, it’s just divine.  That backyard of ours, so pretty and colourful, so full of natures wonderful diet.  Enzymes, and nutrient, vitamins and minerals, all from carefully selected plants, flowers, herbs and spices.  The garden cure all.  It cures your senses, so fragrant and welcoming, the garden tantalizes us with beckoning gestures.  Come in, come in, it calls us to indulge.  Plant the seed, plant for what cures you.  This organic garden could save your life.   Plant with anti-oxidants to stave off cancer, plant with brain power to retain your fine mind, plant with cures for heart disease and arthritis.  Yes, your garden is heavenly.

The backyard is not just a playing field.  That land has a useful life.  Not just the trampoline, but also the garden of earthly delight.  Pick your flowers, pick your colours, plant away and enjoy the benefits of a well planned garden. Plant, enjoy, harvest, enjoy, this is a stellar room with a view.  That room which pulls us out of the house.  Out to the great outdoors.  To till the soil, to enjoy the land, to mix and meddle with the array of botanical inspiration.  Not just a flower garden, not just weeds, those are precious edibles that garnish soups, mix with salads, add colour to the plate and surprise us with yet another flavour.  Something nutty, something spicy, a bit peppery, maybe sweet.  Your internal chef might be inspired.

It’s time to plant, forage on.  This is spring and it’s time to garden.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 23, 2022

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That Fabulous Snow

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s an awesome day in wonderland.  The winter snow is fresh and soft, calling us to our great outdoors.  Adventure again, into the wilderness, for a day or two of winter play, winter fun and the joy of the playground of white.  Sliding skis push us past the open potholes of water.  We squeeze along narrow snow bridges that keep us out of the drink.  Along, along to a fine destination of winter backcountry fun in an isolated, remote chalet, ours for a couple of days.

The pristine great wild, in it’s outstanding winter splendor, welcomes us to fresh snow and warm winter temperatures.   A balmy -5 in mid January is a bit too warm for this time of year, but we welcome the change from the deep chill.  It’s selfish though.  Those days of -30 kill off overwintering bugs and larvae that ruin the forest and the forest itself is part of this great adventure.

We have the good fortune of seeing a female moose and her calf, three ptarmigan in winter white plumage and dippers flying under the snow bridges along the river.  We feel blessed.  Blessed for a Canadian holiday in one of our wild, protected places and blessed for the foresight of mountain pioneers who loved to roam the snowy slopes and who placed a fine chalet in it’s midst for our safety and enjoyment.  This is rare and the historical archives serve us well, in keeping these small huts open.

The day is warm and sunny and sun tanning in snow pits is an eternal joy.  The fabulous white blanket  covers the land and we happily try our best ski moves in this fun filled adventure.  Never too old, never too tired.  Die hards are we, and we relish the good fortune of years of practice for these special moments in these special places. Luckily, someone else has the responsibility for the maintenance of these isolated huts.  Tucked away in hard to find places, obscure locations that are hard to find, the upkeep is a chore but the reward for us is fantastic!

We meet other enthusiasts, heading up into the high powder bowls for a day of ski touring   Perfection!  Winter at it’s best.

This is the winter that we long for, the winter that we crave.  So many sports, so much activity, so many ways to enjoy a beautiful winter’s day.  The bright, shiny, clean snow.  The marvelous wildlife, the fun filled sports and enthusiastic company of humans who live to enjoy this annual promise of snow.   But with this unusual warm spell, brings another environmental concern, global warming.  It’s only -5 today in January.  An unheard of mild winter warm spell that lets us play for hours outdoors is also an unfortunate detriment to our winter wonderland.  The play is fabulous, but the winter won’t last during warm temperatures like this and rain will arrive sooner to wash it all away.

What is Climate Change? Crash Course Geography #14 – YouTube

Take the precautions to save us, oh great human.  There is still time.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

 

In The Forest
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In The Forest

Hail Brave hearts

Ah, the forest.  The adventure is sweet.  It captures us as environmentalists, athletes, artists and nature seekers.  Fabulous forest, for beauty, for shelter, for warmth.  The myriad of species that inhabit these lands.  The wild lands.  The massive tracts of lands for trees, vegetation, wildlife and us.  The forest holds its secrets, prime fishing holes, a hidden lake, vast meadows of wildflowers, a campsite, a trail, a precious sought after climb, the view.  This is a wonderland to us.  So much to see, so many trails to follow, so much room to explore.  Our hearts sing.  The day is long, the journey rewarding, the wilds lands treat us to so much earthly pleasure in Gods wonderful, always outstanding, creation.  The joy is magnificent.  So much simple pleasure, so much to learn and so much knowledge to share.

The ever changing forest, from spring beauty, to awesome autumn, from warm summers evenings, to cold winter trekking.  The forest brings us a continual challenge of skills and expertise.  Paddle the pristine lakes, kayak the whitewater, drift in quiet solitude of the still waters.  Listen to the sound of the great wild as it echoes across the land.  This is the forest, with all of the wonders that it holds.  All across the surface of the forest there is  a secret hiding, to be found only by  those who know what to look for.  The experts who have the knowledge of herbal remedies.  Here in these trees lies the medicine cabinet of the  land.

Trees sway softly is the swirling winds, birds call and animals scurry away.  Flowers nod and wave their heads and beckon us to enjoy our day.  In this fabulous forest, there’s something for us.  It’s in the trees.   Healing trees, nurturing trees, trees that hold the secret to natural remedies and cures.  There are many.  The mighty spruce, with it’s vitamin C, provides a healing tea which  is the  one that cured the early explorers of scurvy.  This is just one, there are many more.

10 Medicinal Trees That Heal Virtually Everything – Off The Grid News

The bountiful forest gives us many things.  It gives us a captivating wonderland to explore, a bountiful world of healing cures and natural wisdom.  The forest is alive with so many precious treasures.  Animal life and vegetation galore!  An array of colour and light, a pleasure to our senses and a quiet in our stressful lives.

For the gardener, a tree could hold the cure to an ailment, a remedy of homemade cleverness.  Perhaps a cup of tea could save your life.  Choose wisely oh dear ones, these same trees have cured us for centuries, save them and protect them.  The forest is more than just trees, it is yet another garden of earthly delight, filled with food, medicine and healing, health benefits.

Come to the forest, oh awesome human, where the trees give us shade, adventure, the quiet wilderness and a healthy life.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

September 25, 2021

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Those Divine Weeds

Hail Brave hearts

Still exploring, still living that awesome adventure, still looking forward to the next great day.  Still working those muscles, still struggling with pain.  Not so!  Your diet could save you.

On and on the canoe is paddled, on and on, those muscles work.  Through rapids, portages, endless days on the water, trap the fur, bring it home, make a fortune for that clever, illustrious businessman.  Be the vehicle to their desires.  Work your body, your mind, your spirit to the bone.  Leave your loved ones, travel with courage, bring home that cherished dime.

The difficult life of the courier de bois, the homesteaders that followed them and the settling of Canada.  The price that was paid in life and livelihood, as the courageous Canadians make their way into the great wild.  Survive you must.

The land takes it’s toil and exhausts us.  The strain and stress of this life is full of great challenges.  There are dreams of gold but hardship is plenty.  Tell us your secrets.  How did you survive?

In the great wild, there is plenty, if you know what to look for.  There was game to catch, fish in the streams, fruit, berries and edible plants along the way.  Some of this is medicinal and works to cure that obvious.  Vitamin C for scurvy, vitamin A for your eyes.  The long days of sunshine gleaming off the water, the eyesore from reflections from the water without sunglasses, the sunburn, the pain of it.

Somewhere in the wilds of Canada is medicine for all of this.  Salves, ointments, tinctures, treatments for cuts, bruises, scrapes and burns.  Somewhere there are treatments for pain, vision loss, inflamed joints, sore muscles, pulls and sprains.  Somewhere there is treatment for disease and mental impairment.  Our healing is abundant and our forefathers prove it.  Somewhere in the great wild nutrition is abundant and the natural world gives us relief from aches and pain, from disease and keeps us well.  Somewhere in the wild, there is food that will save us, if you know what to look for.

 

Lambs Quarters:

Why was Lamb’s quarters used as an herbal remedy?
The plant was used traditionally as an herbal remedy for eczema, rheumatic pains, gout, colic, insect stings and bites. Also a decoction made from the herb was used to treat tooth decay. The sap extracted from the plant stems was used to reduce freckles and treat sunburns.

Lamb’s Quarters Uses in Cooking and Benefits as a …

http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/lambs-quarters-he…
See all results for this question
Why is it important to eat lambsquarter leaves?
Lambsquarter is an important source of food that can be considered a key staple, while at the same time it is also an extremely valuable medicine. When the leaves are chewed into a green paste and applied to the body, it makes a great poultice for insect bites, minor scrapes, injuries, inflammation, and sunburn.
  • https://www.joyfulbelly.com/Ayurveda/ingredient/Lambs-Quarters/267

    Lamb’s quarters contains more protein, calcium, and vitamins B1 and B2 than cabbage or spinach, making it a wild edible fit for Pop-Eye, our favorite green vegetable hero. It is also rich in iron, phosphorus, and vitamins B1, B2, C, and A. Lamb’s Quarters warms your mouth, is slightly salty, sour, and mildly spicy.

  • Lambs Quarter – Wild & Edible www.thegypsythread.org

    https://www.thegypsythread.org/lambs-quarter-wild-edible

    2021-07-27 · Internal uses range from treating diarrhea, relieving stomach aches, and for scurvy (due to the high Vitamin C content.) Lamb’s quarter tea is also known for decreasing inflammation and increasing circulation. Lamb’s quarter poultices are said to relieve itching, swelling, and relieve burn pain.

    Yarrow

    In short, Yarrow has the following medicinal uses:

    • wound treatment
    • stops bleeding
    • digestive herb
    • diuretic
    • anti-inflammatory
    • anti-spasmodic
    • anti-catarrhal (removes excess mucous from the body)
    • diaphoretic (reduces fever)
    • lowers blood pressure
    • stimulates blood flow in the pelvic area (especially the uterus)
    • antimicrobial
    • used for hemorrhage
    • used for treatment in pneumonia
    • used for treatment in rheumatic pain

    Purple Aster

    • Principally used in the cure of rheumatism in the form of infusion or tincture; recommended, however, in hysteria, chorea, epilepsy, spasms, irregular menstruation, etc., internally; and used both externally and internally in many cutaneous diseases, the eruption occasioned by the poison rhus, and in the bites of venomous snakes.

      Wild Asters medicinal uses | V I Farms

      Are there any medicinal uses for wild asters?
      Wild Asters medicinal uses. The warm infusion may be used freely in colds, rheumatism, nervous debility, headache, pains in the stomach, dizziness, and menstrual irregularities. This, together with A. cordifolius, has been compared in value with valerian. Aster aestivus …is recommended as an antispasmodic and alterative.

    •  Aster aestivus…is recommended as an antispasmodic and alterative. Principally used in the cure of rheumatism in the form of infusion or tincture; recommended, however, in hysteria, chorea, epilepsy, spasms, irregular menstruation, etc., internally; and used both externally and internally in many cutaneous diseases, the eruption occasioned by the poison rhus, and in the bites of venomous snakes

    • Aster Plant Uses – Learn About The Edibility Of Aster Flowers

      https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/asters/edibility…

      2020-08-30 · The flowers and leaves can be eaten fresh or dried when eating aster plants. The Native American people harvested wild aster for a multitude of uses. The roots of the plant were used in soups and young leaves were cooked lightly and used as greens.

       

    • Daisies

    The Medicinal Herb Daisy The herb may be used for loss of appetite as it has stimulating effect on the digestion system and it has been used as a treatment for many ailments of the digestive tract, such as gastritis, diarrhea, liver and gallbladder complaints and mild constipation.

    Wild daisy is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicinal tea. People take wild daisy tea for coughs, bronchitis, disorders of the liver and kidneys, and swelling ( inflammation ). They also use it as a drying agent (astringent) and as a ” blood purifier.”

    The young flower heads or buds can be added to salads, soups or sandwiches; or the flower heads used to decorate salad dishes. The leaves can be eaten raw despite their bitter aftertaste, but are better mixed in salads or cooked and might be used as a potherb. The buds can be preserved in vinegar and used in cooking as a substitute for capers.

    Nutritional profile

    It is both an anti-inflammatory herb and a vulnerary (improves circulation) herb. Drink daisy tea for the plant’s health-giving and restorative properties. A modern study of wild edibles used during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992–95) showed that daisies contain 34 mg of vitamin C per 100 g.

    Common Thistle

    The roots have been used as a poultice and a decoction of the plant used as a poultice on sore jaws. A hot infusion of the whole plant has been used as a herbal steam for treating rheumatic joints. A decoction of the whole plant has been used both internally and externally to treat bleeding piles.

    Save yourself, with the delicious, nutritious weeds of the wild!  Our great ancestors had nothing else to eat.  The knowledge  of the food value and medicinal value of these weeds offered to us by the aboriginal people of Canada, saved us then and could help us now.  Eat, drink and be well.

    written by Dr. Louise Hayes

    August 22, 2021

     

A Day for Planet Earth
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A Day for Planet Earth

Hail Brave hearts

It’s still out there.  The adventure awaits.

April brings us warm, sunny weather.  A perfect day for a perfect outing.  Into the great wild we go.  The conditions are perfect for us today,  snow pack, snow bridges, flat trail.  The river crossings are easy and the destination is close by.  A mere 5 kilometers of snow covered terrain.

This is an easy destination for the adventurer, in a time when exploration of the area was crucial.  The need to know the area, so that the land is familiar and accessible.  The need to know every inch of the surroundings, so that we can travel safely, intelligently and explore the land.

We’re on a seldom used and little known trail.  Awesome!  Lucky for us, that we are the explorers of this day.  We travel easily. The terrain is flat and accessible, opening up to a world of stark beauty.  A flock of pretty robins flutter in the forest and run along the snow.  It’s a surprise to see them, especially in this location.  Then we spy it, our destination, the glacier.  The source of our water supply, the beginnings of the rivers.  Since it is a warm day, we watch avalanches slide off the glacier into the moraine below.  We are silent.  Only us, in this great wilderness place, all to ourselves, on this fine day.  Perhaps the crowds of tourists have come before us, but we know they haven’t.  There’s still some wilderness left in the great wild.

A few days later, we hang up our snowshoes and go crocus hunting.  It’s an unusually cold spring.  Global warming?  Climate change is a better phrase.  Sometimes we see these early spring flowers at the end of March.  This year, they’re still struggling to appear and it takes until mid April for these showy purple heads to blossom.  Once they start, they’ll carpet the fields and hillsides in glorious purple.  More wonders and beauty to behold, and so easy to find.

The protected wilderness areas are a significant contribution to our health and lifestyles.  A daily walk in the park to spectacular views,  precious wildlife, blooming wildflowers.  The joy of the living planet, giving us air, supporting our lives, giving us recreation and wonder.  It gives us peace and clears our minds to wander in the great wild.  Always a fantastic scene to behold, sometimes by accident, sometimes by creation.

This great day is Earth Day.  One day, for our awesome, awe inspiring planet?  Only one day to take a look at the marvelous creation of this great planet Earth.  This day is every day.  A day for the joy of your senses.  A day to breathe the fresh air and cleanse your soul in the beauty of the earth.  This adventure is not just for today, but for all of your time here.  Time to explore, time to live, time to enjoy the life on this Earth.

Lucky mortals, to be alive on this great planet.  Intelligent mortals, to save God’s great, good earth.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

Earth Day, 2021

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Happy Birthday to Us

Good Day Brave hearts

A Happy Canada Day to you.

Today we celebrate the birthday of this great country. A village from the forest. A dream of national identity. A work of unity of life and lifestyle in a land so vast and diverse. The land, the people, the projects, all individually styled for an outcome of diversity and praises for all of it. The great land with its majestic mountains, it’s sweeping prairie, it’s thousands of lakes, it’s forests, it’s tundra, it’s landscapes so unique and awesome. The great land, filled with great people, great places, great adventure and great belonging.

Fill your cup, with the endless opportunity of Canada! The opportunity for exploration is immense, with so much enjoy. We are the second largest country in the world and have so much to see and to discover. The valuable history of sharing and caring for each other. The widespread plains of homesteaders striving to build a country from sea to shining sea. The great north, so wild and free.

This is our Canada. A vast and brilliant home to us. A place of nurturing our spirits, of learning, of wisdom. This is the country that we made ourselves, from our skills, our intelligence, our passions, and our sense of community. We built this. We chose this. We collectively decided that this is the Canada that we want, that we love and that is our home. We made this place special to us, ourselves.

This fabulous world of the wilderness and the great wild, is home for us. We save it because we adore it. It speaks to us, to adventure, to explore, to challenge ourselves to be smart, educated, strong and daring. This great land calls us to retain ancestral roots which tie us to a past time of athletic adventure, community and ingenuity. It calls us to the present, of eco tourism, the food supply, the great cities. It calls us to our future, to retain it all, to be proud, to learn from each other and to share our knowledge with each other. It calls us. Each and every Canadian, to do our duty of care for this great nation. This great country that we call our home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDluztBSaBc

It is with great pleasure that we celebrate this birthday. 133 years of a community of people spread out over a vast countryside of unique places to live in and to visit. The differences in cultures, in heritage, in ties that bind us. We are not all the same, but we are. We are all different, but we are one. We are all diverse, but we are the same. This is how we choose to be. Individual, healthy, strong, with a courage to be culturally diverse and still be united. To live together in multicultural unity. This is our goal and one of our freedoms. Respect for each other and for the intellect that brings us peace and opportunity under a flag that flies so freely.

Happy Birthday Canada. May our dreams remain alive. May our hopes be fulfilled. May our way of life survive us. May we be filled with the glory of this great nation. Happy Birthday, Canada. May you live forever!

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

Canada Day, 2020

by

The Great Planet

Hail You Mighty Ones

Praises!

Awaken to the abundance of the joy of the planet.  The spellbinding intricacies of creative wonder.  The minutest detail of life and survival.  The tiniest speck of miraculous life forms.  Here in the midst of the chaos of the galaxy is the genius of the planet Earth.

Wondrous great planet of divine creation, your placement in this galaxy is no accident.

In hunger we till the soil and in gratitude we harvest the crop.  In relaxation we bask in the warmth of the sun and in recreation we explore the fabulous landscape that we love so dearly..  Each race, chosen for the place  where  they reside.

The races are specialists, living in natural adaptation to the world they live in.  Natural coloration, natural aptitude, natural curiosity and connection to their land.  The races of people are part of the natural world and belong to the ecology of the planet.   The human is as connected to bio-diversity as the plants and animals in their ecosystem are.  All in balance, protect it all.  Protect the natural world, the natural balance of life and living.  Everything in the ecosystem is precious.  Everything is a gift from the Earth.  Life on the planet is the life of the planet.  The planet lives through it’s creation of living life forms.  The trees and plant life breathe  for us and through photosynthesis create oxygen.  Their survival in all species is imperative.

The great good Earth creates it’s lifeforms with interconnectivity in its ecosystems, all interrelated and created for its own purpose.  The races of humans dwell in their land for their own special contributions to that place.  Their civilizations are unique and brilliant, their adaptation to the land is remarkable.  The animal life that dwells in these places  all over the world, are specially adapted to these environments as well.  Unique people in unique lands sharing with the plant and animal species of these places.  All are specialists in this environmental ecosystem.   Lands set aside for human habitation, lands set aside for wildlife preservation.   Balance.

The world is for all of us.  Fabulous mankind, with their ingenuity and intelligence.  Fabulous wilderness with its magical array of landscape, wildlife and majestic beauty.  The sound of the wild, the call to travel those untamed paths.  The good fortune of a photograph of the wild inhabitants of special, protected places.  The good fortune of the health of the people, who choose to live a life of earthly splendor, marvelling at the fabulous creativity of the planet.

The healing Earth, with it’s wide array of lifeforms, tantalizing us with curious creatures and landscapes.   Knowledge and education seep into our minds as we gather information about our area.  The teaching planet, reminding us to be mindful of the soft and delicate, the large and aggressive, the cold and the heat.  Nurture and care, oh great human.  This paradise in our galaxy is changing.  This paradise needs protection.   This fabulous great Earth is becoming paradise lost.  Fragments are vanishing.  Entire ecosystems are dying.   One day for this planet?  How many days to ignore it.  Earth Day is every day.

Still the planet spins it’s mysterious web of life with creativity and abundance.   It spreads it’s awesome wonder for all of us to dwell in and marvel at.  It creates it’s species and environments with specialization and adaptation.  It creates it’s species in all environments from mountaintops to prairie, dessert to ocean.   Plants and animals, some bountiful, some rare, spreading all over the planet in ecological harmony.

The joy of discovery, the thrill of a lifetime.  To capture this rare moment in time.  A bird is calling to it’s mate, a turtle has laid her eggs on the shore, the coyote pups emerge from their den.  The animals smile and sing.  This is for all of us.   This is the creativity of the planet, sharing it’s special treasures with us.  The message is clear.  We are a part of this magical, life giving force.  We are the caretakers.  Nurture and care.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 22, 2020