culture

Action!
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Action!

Hail, you awesome human

For beauty is as beauty does and you all do it so well.  Test your skills and competitive edge, test your knowledge and constant training, test your fortitude and your companionship, test your ability to train and command.  Hail, all you beauties.  The judges watch in eager support, the crowd cheers at the dare devil within and the champion of this match is an unrivaled and much heralded success.  Glory and honour to this golden crown, the skills of the beauty are unsurpassed.  A pageant queen that has never been questioned.  No one disputes the necessity of this  test, or the rights of these women to compete.

A test of skills and nerve and fortitude, an inspiration to all who watch and to those who jealously eye the crown.  The secret to success is the fabulously well trained body and the perfection of the match.

He listens closely  to the voice in his ear and responds immediately to the command.  A match of perfect unison as they plunge headlong into the race.  Over and over, the practice was perfect, now only to attain the unbeatable speed  that will send them on to victory.  Hours of training, hours spend in competition, train your body, train your mind and harness the superior beast.

Quietly down in the rolling countryside, where a days work begins at dawn and life is a routine of milking the cows, feeding the chickens and harvesting the crops.  The peaceful country life, ideally set in the picturesque landscape.  A life, so seemingly simple, that anyone could do it.

Canadian Cowboys’ Association Ladies Barrel Racing Highlights- Canadian Western Agribition

at http://www.RodeoCanada.com, from http://www.youtube.ca

But from that land of simple charm, comes an athlete of a different proportion.  Tall in the saddle, high in their ability, the twosome walk into center stage.  The drama unfolds.  Like their forefathers of yesteryear, the cowboy is still the same.  A bull rider, a bronco buster ,a  barrel racer, a calf roper and a highly skilled athlete.

Now it is the ladies turn, a competition of their own.  To train and command the powerful  horse and to demand the speed and agility for this course.

The quiet of the country, so peaceful and so dreamy.  Where all of the rush of the  rodeo comes from.  A country life with it’s own unique culture, it’s own unique identity, privileges and heroes.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 27, 2015

The Quiet of the County
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The Quiet of the County

Hail Bravehearts

To bravery and skill and monumental tasks, to competition and necessity and getting the job done.  Those were the days of heady exploration, of building a country of home on the range.  Those were the days of cattle drives and opening up the land.  The days of ranching, homesteading and the cowboy.

Those were our yesterdays.  But still, in the quiet of the land, in the rolling countryside, in the far off place where only the dirt roads go, lies the key to our past and our splendid present, the future still holds this truth.  The land of the cowboy, where steer wresting and bronco busting fills a part of their daily lives.

Rise to the songs of the livestock rustling, of the wind blowing through the fields and the quiet of dawn. The world sleeps at this hour, but the morning sun is rising and the daily chores must be done.  Oh lonesome cowboy, of song and spirit, the day calls to you to earn your daily bread.  Come out to the pasture, a new day is calling, come out to a day’s work of home on the range.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nht3bMUebzI  mini bronc at the Edson Stampede

The chickens proudly display their treasure, a new gift of food to their delighted owner.  Chuckling and prancing their days work is done, as a new egg lies gleaming in the early morning sun.  The cattle line up in their stalls eagerly waiting, their milk has come and it must be taken.  Their gift, their treasure, more food for the farmer.  The family farm where no one starves.  The fields grow tall with grains for bread and a days work of harvesting lies just ahead.  The fruit tree ripens and sends it’s gifts to us, the bounty of the harvest lies in the basket.  A forage through the garden reveals the tasty lettuce, the carrots and spinach awaiting the platter, a days work is done when the weeds are pulled and the  ground is bursting with delicious, nutritional plants.  No more the hungry, no more the worry, the life of the farm is wholesome and ready.

At the end of the day, when the sun still shines brightly, brings a time for rest and relaxation.  A time for the energizing sport of the days of yesteryear, a time when the cowboy and ranching and riding filled their lives.   Livestock herding and breeding and taming the wild.  That horse out yonder, who must be rode, that sport for dollars and it makes sense, if you know their custom and their culture, the rodeo is a must.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3M4xhx42tc  Saddle Bronc Ride at the Calgary Stampede 2015

Ride,  you sportsmen, ride.  Break that wild horse, who  must listen.  Tame the beast to be your own and ride, for your life, you cowboy, ride!  It is not just  sport, it is not just a test, it is the taming of the wild as the horse must be ridden and taught to do a job.  From here, the training persists and the quiet of the country fills with the joy of yet another day in the saddle.

 

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

October 10, 2015

A Simple Country Life
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A Simple Country Life

Hail Oh Brilliant Ones

Muscle and brawn, determination and might.  The power of the body and the mind in a challenge for victory for us all. Strength and will, focus and mindset, the power of the objective is a lure of contentment.  Bring on the bull, bring on the market, bring on the challenge that proves the might of this power.

Ride for your lives, oh glorious ones, a challenge unusual, but necessary for a culture of unique bravery and unique courage.  The fight between man and beast in a contest of wills to tame the savagery out of the wild.  Bring on the bull, the market is waiting, for this is an animal of fierce power and fierce mindset.

As in all wild things, the thought of taming it,  is an exciting interest to some of us.  The challenge to ride an unusual animal, who’s interests are for protection and preservation of it’s own kind.  Bought and paid for, the bull is owned, but not really tame.  A bull is a powerhouse of strength and musculature, with a brain focused on survival.  He is the fittest, the rightful, the protector of the herd and his temper and adrenalin flair with anger.  From intruders and strangers, the bull protects it’s land with seething contempt for outsiders.  Nostrils flair, stomping and pounding, steely gaze and snorting breath, the bull challenges.  Run, you cowards, save yourselves!  This animal will not allow a trespasser.

A mild farm animal, to the unwitting and unknowing, this is an animal of unpredictable nature and immense girth.  Stay away, stay out of the paddock, don’t go near the bull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocX5EXgHmGU  bull riding in Canada

Hop on board, you daring cowboy.  Ride the vicious bull.  Tame the wild beast of farmyard passivity.  The quiet country way, the rolling landscape, the picturesque farm nestled into a hillside, the pastures dotted with grazing animals, all tame and well fed, all quiet and calm in the peaceful countryside.

A challenge is upon us, to beat a vicious and untameable foe, an animal of fierceness and endurance, power and meanness.  The bull will fight for it’s life and kill it’s adversary.  Stomping and flailing, sharpened horns and massive body, who will ride the bull?

An interesting and exciting diversion from quiet country life.  The birds sing in the trees and nature plays out it’s everyday fascination.  Ponds filled with ducks and waterfowl dot the landscape, marshland is preserved for it’s own sake and the wild encroaches with timid apprehension.  Sometimes foxes, sometimes deer, the pastures in the farm attract the more daring of the wild, who linger along it’s fringes.  A simple co-existence, usually without distress.

But the bull is an adversary.  A wild and difficult animal.  He exists for himself. For his powerful genetics win the show ribbons and he’s the champion of them all.

Ride on, oh cowboys.  Laughing and daring, rope in hand.  Farm life is not for simple minded folk.  Your own  strong, agile bodies, tested against the steel of a bull headed animal. Determined and stubborn, willful and massive, ride on, you cowboys, to glory and courage and to conquer the wild of the farm.  The massive bull.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

September 20, 2015

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Ironman Day

Hail Bravehearts!

To formidable strength on this great day.  Hail to perseverance, to dedication, to repetition, to study, to achievement  and to your success.

Hail bravehearts to a day of glorious competition, to enormous effort, to personal bests and to the fortitude of your fabulous minds and bodies.

Here it is, the day is now and now your hard work and training will pay of with the supreme efforts of your glorious bodies.  Strong and mighty, hard and flexible, the body responds to the focus of your determined mind and obeys the call with duty to the will of the master.  Be the master, oh champions of sport.  This is not a small feat for mankind, but a fabulous recognition of the power of sport, the power of competition, of sportsmanship, of culture and of dedication.  Sport is a world of it’s own and the masters of these worlds are  formidable, well disciplined competitors.

Powerful bodies, powerful minds.  The repetition, the demands, the focus for this achievement is far beyond the call of the ordinary mind.  Push, push yourselves to the extreme.  Extend your limits.  Rise and fly.  Stretch and feel the strong response of well conditioned muscles ready for this day.  Muscles of steel, fire in your blood, reflexes sharpened to a cutting edge.  Over and over, the practised body has learned to obey the masterful mind.  The tireless demand of the focused mind, in control.  Yes, body, you will obey and shine in this athletic event.  Yes, body, you will obey your master.

Hard work and training is the order of this day as competitors flock to yet another outstanding athletic event.  Yet another difficult and strenuous day of championship competition in the great outdoors.  Awesome human, with minds so clear, so focused and so persistent.  Awesome human with bodies so strong, so flexible, so nourished and so light.  The strength of your training will show off on this day and you fly with the wind and soar.

Flex those strong muscles, this is no easy challenge and no one will accept defeat.  Swim, bike, run!  These sporting events  draw sports enthusiasts and athletic champions to outstanding areas all throughout the country.  A world class destination, for a world class competition.

Praises almighty ones.  The course is your focus, your mind and body are partners, locked in together to present to the world, the cutting edge of will and determination.  Perform, strong body.  Meet this goal.  Be the champion.

These athletes come from all walks of life, from ages young and old, from young adult to seniors, flocking to these events for prove the stamina of mind and body.  To prove the ageless fortitude of a good, well disciplined team of mind and body.  Perform!  calls the mind.  And on this great day in sports and Canadian culture, your fabulous body will respond to your perfect mind. ” Oh master, I will!”

http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/canada/athletes/course.aspx#axzz3h0uK3PHm

 

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

July 26, 2015

Proper Awesome
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Proper Awesome

Good Day all you almighty ones!

The glorious days of summer are upon us.  Global warming is changing our world.

In an area where 30 degrees is a sometime thing, we have reached record highs in May.  The result?  A new kind of splendor.  It might be dire, but for the holidaying visitor, the new kind of splendor is an awesome grand new experience for us.

http://www.parkscanada.ca

The snow is still clinging to the mountains in places, the high glaciers, still holding their place on the peaks of those far off places, the rivers, still streaming from those sources and the avalanches still crashing down.  The quiet of the day in a remote location, broken by the sound of avalanches crashing and rumbling down a mountain side.

Spring has come early  here, with the wildflowers showing their elegant blooms, the birthing mothers showing off their delightful offspring, the warm, lush landscape brimming with vegetation and the northern lights playing and dancing in the sky.

Here is the remote wild.  A far off place where nature sings and calls to us. Venture oh wise ones, hear our call, come to visit and to know us , come to see how we live and come to understand the awesome need of the great wild.  Come, oh wise ones and bring your children, come to play in the great outdoors.

The warm, soothing waters of soft glacial fed lakes, the pristine clarity of the water and the warm, bathtub temperatures to sooth the aching stress of highways, traffic, pollution and busyness.  A warm dip in a warm lake of glacial fed water, blue and shimmering and still.

The wild orchids show a fine display in the shaded forest.  The birds sing and call to the glory of the day.  The animals watch with curiosity, then hide in the forest.  The awesome summer, with it’s warm and brilliant days is upon us.

These splendid, special places, where the Earth shows its finery, its majesty and it’s awe, have special meaning for us.  Ecological integrity, bio-diversity, unique areas of cultural and environmental significance.  Places where time stands still, where you can still see the view that the fur traders saw.  You can still navigate the rivers and portage the land.  You can camp near historic camping spots and fill your cup from water, today’s first water, melted glacial water,  the water that will enter our rivers and flow to the oceans.

Here, in the great wild, is the birthplace of many.  The birth of the rivers, the lakes, the watershed.  The birth of the wild animals, the great forests, the mountains themselves.  Here is the new beginning for you.  A step into the land of the wild.  A cultural place, a privileged place, a place of sanctuary and life.  A place where the history of the people presents itself in preservation, in endless land, in an unusual meadow.  A place to learn about our protected places, the events that built them to their glory and distinguished them from other, lesser known areas.  Here we sing and laugh and play in the heart of this beauty.  Our special land, our special life, our immensely special love.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

July 3, 2015

Is It a Calendar?
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Is It a Calendar?

Good morning, all of you brilliant ones

Today is one of our solstice days.  A day of long summers light and warm summer sunshine.  Today, we discover our ancient past and peek into the lives of an ancient people.

Hail bravehearts.  Come to Canada!

Come to a land of intrigue and mystery.  A land of ancient people living in conjunction with ancient peoples all over the world.  Come to a land of discovery, where the early aboriginals rival the intellect of peoples world wide.  Come to Canada where the ancient world is opening it’s doors and showing itself as a marvel of ancient wonder.

Some call it a medicine wheel, some call it glaciation, but another scientist has researched the site and credits it as a  huge sun temple.

5000 years ago on the plains of southern Alberta, the ancient Oxbow people gathered their strength and might and formed a huge circle of stones, 26 square kilometers wide, with features that represent the sun, the crescent moon and the morning star. This vast calendar was placed by them, as a means to view the changing seasons and to watch the moon phases.   These ancient people, built their vast temple from stones with a similarity to, but 700 years older than the Stonehenge site in England.

http://canadastonehenge.com/2009/01/sun-temple-discovery-in-alberta-informs-stonehenge-research/Canada’s Stonehenge in Alberta

The still evolving discovery of this place is being researched, with pictures catalogued to prove the possibility of a calendar, which marked the changing season and the changes in the moon phases, as light is cast upon the Earth.  Ancient man, trying to tell the time and to prove the date, the length of a year, the changes in light in each season for the hours in a day, the number of days in a year, so that they can predict the seasons which is so important to their survival.

This particular area of Alberta is known for ancient and prehistoric life, being in the vicinity of the dinosaur dig as well.

written by Dr, Louise Hayes

June 22, 2015

The First day of Summer
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The First day of Summer

Happy Solstice!

Hail bravehearts, to the dawning of this new day.   A day of light and summer.  A day of celebration.  A day of wonder and awe.  Today the sun shines most brightly on the great planet and casts it’s warm rays of heat and light upon us. Today is the longest day.

Here, in our part of the world, we will have daylight till after 11 pm and the sun will rise brightly  early in the morning.  It is a day of joy and celebration as the great Earth spins its way into another summer.

Summer!  The season of holidays, heat, gardens, barbeques and  the great outdoors.  This is the season where we also shed our warm winter attire and bask in the glorious sunshine.  A season for sunscreen and insect repellent, beaches and bathing suites. The time of year of the carefree summer days, the long and relaxing days of summer life and summer play.  The warm sunshine calls us  from our homes and beckons us to leave our comfortable nests and step into the world of the great outdoors.

Summer!  The blessings of the sun as it shines upon us and fills our world with green and color.  Warm.  It is now the time of warm!

The feeling of your body as it wakes to a dawn of bright light.  Come!  calls the sunshine.  Rise and shine with me.  Come outside and play in the warm, dazzling light and feel the splendor of this great new day.  Come, feel the joy of summer, the blooming of the Earth, the warmth of the lakes and the cool of the fresh waters.  Come outside to feel the joy of summer, with it’s heat and fragrance and the freshness of the rain.  Smell the newly cut grass and the warm summer breezes, feel the warm wind in your face and the cool splashes of rain water.  The planet has changed itself again today, and the lazy air of restful summer is upon us.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-33211353  summer solstice at Stonehenge

From the time of ancient man, the dawn of summer has been celebrated on a day in June, when the day is the longest.  A day when all of the crops are planted and the time is marked by the long length of daylight.  A day to celebrate the life that the earth gives and the superb placement of this celestial planet as it passes near to the sun in it’s yearly orbit around our life giving  shining star.

The reason for stonehenge is still a mystery,  but the placements of the stones indicate the celebration of summer as the sun rises and it’s light shines in a specific path. The huge rocks placed in a sort of circle where people can gather  to watch the rising sun and marvel at the brilliant idea of this festive day.  To be a witness to the first light shone upon the Earth on this glorious day of sunshine and daylight.

Lucky for us to be in such a place, in such a time, to live in such a place as this.  A world full of wonder and history.  A world full of awe and excitement.  A world where mysterious ancient man, rose to celebrate the first rays of dawn on the longest day of the year.  Lucky for us, that today is a new day,  a new season.  Welcome to summer!

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

June 21, 2015

Dream of Peace
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Dream of Peace

Good Day, you Awesome Human!

Splendid day. Warm and snowy. The birds are singing gaily from their roosts. The elk lie in the meadows, relatively calm, after a long autumn of elk battles and rutting. The peaceful does with wombs full of the promise of another successful spring of calving. The big horn sheep, also resting, caring for the silent burden of their soon to be offspring.
The great wild! The drama of the wild as it plays out its role, in the never ending cycle of creation. Born to this place, the wild entices us, with its riches of spectacular views, muscle strengthening climbs, varieties of lifeforms and the gift of providing us with natural wonder to explore.
A peek into this place, of grand beauty and grand design, which fills out hearts and souls with wonder. Oh mighty planet, to give us this gift, from a highway, cut through the mountains. Those of us who have time, will exert ourselves more and climb to a pinnacle on a well traveled trail, for a look at what lies on the other side. A steep bit of climbing, a scramble, an effort, but where it takes us is to the grand view of the wild. A view of what lies on the other side of that mountain range. More forests and rivers, cascading waterfalls, animal tracks, mountains and valleys to explore. We are the hungry. We thirst for more and more. Show us your splendor, oh great planet earth, as we strive to reach your mountain tops and intrude into the land of your wildlife, to photograph those elusive species, and brag.
The world turns for us, on these snow covered days, as we strap on snowshoes and venture out to play. A daunting world of snow and ice, but for us to trudge through, a winter’s delight. Animal tracks. There’s plenty of life in this snow covered domain, but no one shows their faces today. Instead, it’s us, joining the tracks in the snow, plodding and chatting and breaking trail. These small few hours of exertion, to remind us of by gone days and years of exploration, as the well traveled adventurer set off to discover this new land. Tracks of snowshoes in the forests, tracks along the winding creek. An easy day of healthful activity, to fill our lungs with pure, clean air, to strengthen our bodies and refresh our minds.
The luck of an easy day of refreshing activity. The joy of adventure into the quiet winters solitude. A brush with nature as she plays out her part. The wild calls us and the wild whispers. Save us, oh mighty ones. Don’t plunder here. Spare us from the weapons of mass destruction and a world of madness and we will give you the peace of a quiet winter’s day, with snow on the mountains and the crisp, crunchy snow beneath your feet.
Let this stand of the earth be your playground, oh great ones, and may you forever venture into the wild and breathe.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
January 19, 2015

Those Grey Days
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Those Grey Days

Good Day Bravehearts.

Welcome to this bleak, wintry, grey day.
Get out your snow shovels and start working. It’s the crack of dawn at 8 am and the weather is socked in for the long haul. Pull on your boots, your warm mittens, coat and hat and with shovel in hand,start your day off right,with a little vigorous exercise.
The cool wind blows damp flakes into your face. Your hair and eyelashes freeze. Your damp breath creates a fog around you and the shovel slides a few inches in the ever accumulating snow.
Paradise! This is what winter is all about.
While we lay dreaming in our snug, warm beds, the soft, wintry white stuff was falling gently outside. Swirling flakes of powder to hide the frozen ground. A winter wonderland of snow covered land to entice us outside to play. The shoveling continues and the path to the road is nearly complete. We’ll be doing this a few times today, as our spirits start to soar, with the possibilities that this climate presents. It will have to stop snowing soon and then we go out to play.
For us, the fabulous cold, is not a harsh, dreadful climate, but rather a change of life. A new joy of living. A chance for a new adventure. The snow presents a new challenge in sport and fun. For us, this is awesome. It’s not all that cold, and snow is fun. Joy! for what this season brings. Strap on your skates, your skis or snow shoes, pull on you boots and build a snowman, drag your sleigh or toboggan to the hill, pile up your defenses for a snow ball fight and smile. The cold, frosty, white north, is a superb play land. When this snowfall lets up, we’ll be raring to go, for we pride ourselves in the skills of these sports. What was once survival, is now a calling. Come on out of your houses and enjoy this day!
The raw elements burn our cheeks and the fresh, crisp, cold enhances our complexions. Rosy cheeks and rosy glow. Beneath layers of insulating fabric, our bodies remain warm against the chill and the adventure of the day starts to begin.
Now, as the flakes are piling up again and the seemingly endless task of digging ourselves out of the house resumes, the exercise bike and barbells lay in wait, as our strengthening task becomes the monotonous shovel, shovel. Will it end? Not until spring. And thankfully, spring is a way off, months of endless winter play away.
The barbells and weight rooms lay in wait for us as we gladly clear our path to the road. The temperature is a balmy -12. Warm enough to be outside for hours.
Now is the season for those much desired national past times. We put on our hats and coats with pleasure and slip into the peacetime of winter escapes, winter sport and winter fun.
written by Dr. Louise Hayes
January 7, 2015

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The New Year’s Resolution

Good Day Bravehearts

A brand new year! A new beginning, a new awakening, a new start. Cast off the old 2014 and bring in the new. 2015 will improve our lives.
Oh brilliant bravehearts, what changes will you make? Will you be daring and bold or more cautious and thoughtful. Will the year bring in a brave new you or will you persist along a path of current successes. An invigorating new year with promise and aspiration. Fun and frolic, work and achieve. The self fulfillment of an accomplished goal, the joy of success, of learning and knowledge. A bar set high enough to be out of reach, but reach for it you must. Goals and resolutions, standards of achievements set high enough that you must strive. Work for it! The unattainable star is a goal to reach for.

http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/personal-development.html personal growth

Who will you be in this lofty new year? Your goals are your own personal quest. A goal that you can achieve gives you confidence and satisfaction. Done! A reward for the efforts of knowing who you are and utilizing current skills. Now another goal. Another small one that you can manage. Achieved! More success, more self confidence. A step towards the ultimate goal. That shining star that brightly guides you. Another goal, but maybe a bit more difficult. A goal that challenges you to use more skills, more knowledge, perhaps making new connections. It might take a bit more time, but you can manage it. Maybe you need another course, more research, ask more questions.
The New Years Resolution is an interesting idea. Everyone needs to improve themselves. Set a goal and focus on the achievement of this goal. Every year, you set a goal, with mindful attention to it. Every year, your self fulfillment progresses. Be a better you. Fulfill that goal. Focus and strive. Concentrate your effort. Don’t give up on it. Even if you only partly manage it, set it again next year. It needs more courses, it needs more research, it needs more focus, it needs more help, more collaboration. Even the attainment of small goals, puts you on the right track.
That large looming star that shines so brightly on you, guiding and lighting your path, does not diminish. Follow your star. It’s the beacon in your life. If it tells you to redirect your route, put faith in it’s wisdom. No achievement accomplished is a loss to you. It only builds more and more skills. Skills that you will put to use to attain that goal. That course was necessary for you. For example, a course in cooking leads to to the goal of being an accountant. How so? Perhaps your business will be more successful if you entertain your guests. Maybe you need to run that marathon, so that your clients know that you have other interests. Maybe you need to volunteer with the business community so that they know who you are and that you care about them. Why would they support you if you don’t support them, or it they don’t know who you are.
All of your fine education lost for lack of contacts.
The New Years resolution is an idea on focusing on goal setting and on personal growth. A cultural phenomena that all are encouraged to participate in. Is it worth your while to set a goal? All around the world, people do it. What about you?

written by Dr. Louise Hayes
January 1, 2015

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