Earth Day

Earth Day

Hail Brave Hearts

April 22 is Earth Day and who deserves it more?  The fabulous creativity of this great planet, so full of awesome wonder.  A place for all of us, great and small.  This magnificent planet, orbiting in a universe of immense space, with no other planet as creative.  No one, but our own great planet, with the perfect combination of everything, to give life like the life we live.  We are the fortunate ones, who live so bountifully, in a universe otherwise devoid of life.

A planet which takes care of us, from nutrition, to clothing, to shelter.  A planet which provides adventure, excitement and discovery.  A planet which feeds our brains with discovery, curiosity and aptitude.  A planet with feeds our bodies with nourishment, mastery and skills.  The ability to care for ourselves and each other, not just the human, but all of the Earths creatures, adapting to their environments and thriving in a world for themselves.

Earth 101 | National Geographic (youtube.com)

But the dark side of life is looming, as war, climate change and global warming threaten us.  Pesticides, pollutants, emissions and spills, make us and the environment unhealthy.  Environmental agencies race to save a species in peril, but environmental change and disasters are increasing, leaving destruction in their wake.  Costly clean up efforts abound, as earthquake, volcanic eruptions, hurricane and tornadoes, sweep across the planet, ruining much.  It leaves us in peril.

Our responsibility in saving ourselves is immense.  Our duties are the highest.  We must act in a manner which protects the Earth and the environment, in order to save ourselves.  Our actions are loud and sometimes scary.  We plunder and fight, killing much and leaving destruction all around us, destroying ourselves, the environments that save us, the soil, water and air.  War is killing so much.  Our obligations are high.  We are not alone on this great planet.  We share with so many other creatures, that all of our self destruction, ruins other species as well.  Sometimes nothing can be repaired.  The loss of a species, the vanishing rivers, increasing deserts, soil erosion and increasing glacial melting.  Once gone, these might never return.

Our duty of care is enormous.  Only one great planet, only one place in this universe for us.  This is our home and our destiny.  Live and die.

The escalating loss of wildlife and wilderness torments us.  Forest fires and drought ruin habitat necessary for natural species and for us.  The natural world is Earth’s world.  Plunder and die.

Of course, there’s always the bright side of life.  The wholesome side, where each of us makes that important decision to save our planet, every day.  Some small initiatives like reduce, reuse, recycle can make large impacts if supported by large numbers of people.  Reducing the square footprint of housing,  turning down the thermostat, driving less and walking more or taking public transport.  Clean air and clean water are healthy for us, and are healthy for the Earth as well.

Celebrate this Earth Day with gladness.  Planetary health is essential for us.  Saving our world saves ourselves.

Happy Earth Day.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 21, 2024

National Wildlife Week

National Wildlife Week

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s National Wildlife Week and of course, we celebrate!  We  celebrate what is good for all of us.  The fabulous great wild and all of the wonders of nature that it supports.  The landscape, the sea, the air, the land, the wilderness, the wildlife and that fabulous, awesome view.  That incomparable view of a mountain, a lake,  prairie, field, river,  stream, swamp, forest, marsh, rock, ocean, beach, waterfall,  jungle, icebergs, sky and sometimes just thin air.  The view, and all of the wild that it supports.  Our wildlife are the living, breathing, existence in such beautiful places, that we strive with all of our being to get to.

A remote location, with that rare beauty of a flower.  The locations of fossils, in high, alpine places.  A rock turned over by a hungry bear.  An early crocus peeking out from nearly frozen land.  Waves cresting on the beach.  Our love for these special places, of play, sport, solitude, and curiosity.  This is the marvelous world of wildlife.

Watch them swimming in the oceans and scurrying along on the sand.  Some have shells to pick from the ever changing tides, washing them ashore.  The hungry birds swirling in the air, looking for the catch of the day. A dainty butterfly lands on a hand   The brilliant colours of it’s wings, shimmer in the sun.

Wander along the stream, picking a route along the rocks,  to the tumbling waterfall with a  view of the tumultuous torrent of cascading water.  This could be a swimming pool in an untouched area, preserved for enjoyment and fun.

A chattering squirrel sits on a branch and a robin passes by.  A deer springs onto the road and sails, speedily to the other side.  A massive bison blocks the way.  Outstanding!  Fortunate are we, to have these places of preservation, to appreciate the wonders of the natural world.

Canadian Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Week 2024 (cwf-fcf.org)

It was with foresight of our needs as human beings, that natural areas are protected.  Those special places, housing an intricate ecosystem of life beyond our doorstep.  The wondrous life, for curious minds, who delve into the environment of anthills, snakes, pond life and more.  The experts, still looking for birds,  animals, fish and amphibians and all of the terrain that they occupy.  An educated mind, wandering to find that rare species and to count again it’s population in its wild domain.  The amateur,  just enjoying the sparse knowledge they have, but feeling the pride of a trail to walk, with diggings, droppings, prints and maybe a sighting of an elusive creature, hiding shyly in the bush.

This is the wonder of nature, a world so impressive it requires protection and education.  The perseverance to come forward, to research and publish and demand the ongoing right, to the privilege of enjoying the environment, that supports the life of the Earth’s creatures.  World Wildlife Week is not a week, it’s a lifetime.  A lifetime of supporting the care of the planet and the brilliant wonders of the natural world.  The world that supports our very existence through sport, play, relaxation and enjoyment.

Our world is a fragile place.  It’s environments are in dire need of care.  Walk the great wild with compassion for it’s creatures.  They belong here.  This is their world.  This planet Earth belongs to them as well.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 11, 2024

The Oystercatchers of Gwaii Haanas

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

Gun Control

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

 

 

Your Backyard Holiday

Hail Brave Hearts

Survive we must! In this blistering heat of summer with the quiet lakes to ourselves. The calm, the serene, the peace, the solitude. An unusual turn of the times. In this fine scenario of beach, less is more. Fewer beach goers to take over the sand, fewer families to splash and play in the water, fewer pets to avoid. Instead, it’s all for us. The Canadian holiday tourist is the new normal.

During a season which is constantly full of international guests filling every room for rent in the community, the chance for a Canadian summer holiday has been hard to come by for some. Last minute cancellations are rare.

The highways are quiet, we own the road. Drive to those scenic locations, there’s no one in sight. Easily find a table at the restaurant, there’s room for us. It has it’s beauty. We have our own special places to explore, unhindered. It has it’s beast. Finance.  It has another beast.  The bustling, busy beach scene is anything but quiet.  Our thoughts that this is for us is true, but so many of us!  

The quiet, the solitude, the peaceful Canadian get away, so special, so serene, so back to nature, so much to ourselves.  The jam packed tourist industry is all us.  All us!  The rush to save our relaxing and serene holidaying selves drives us to vacation madness on Canadian beaches.  Every inch is claimed.  Save us almighty dollar.  Spend your money at home this year.  The economic crisis of a pandemic virus has curtailed all of our luxurious international travel.  The resort haven of an idylic tropical getaway, forsaken for the vast remoteness of our own Canadian dreamland.  

https://www.parklandcounty.com/en/index.aspx

The food is divine.  Culinary delights abound.  There are endless opportunities for the sports enthusiast.  We meet and exceed international standards in so many ways.  Run  the trails, climb those mountains, paddle the lakes.  This year has been a pasttime of recreation and leisure, for those who were able to go out.  The great Canadian get away has been a pleasure, right outside your own back door.

A drive along a remote country road to a surprising little shop in nowhere.  A clean, immaculate hamlet way off the beaten path with surprising prosperity.  The endless recreation of lakes, parks and adventure.  The thrill of discovery of the history of this land, of who we are, who settled this place, who comes here.  The discovery of diversity, a mixture of agriculture beside industry, of recreation beside a bustling city, of unique culture  and diverse peoples all occupying the same land. The mixture of wilderness and sport, of wildlands and human populations.  This is us.  We planned it this way.  We planned this fun and enjoyment, we planned for the relaxation, we planned this unusual adventure.  A drive along a dusty gravel road to a restaurant in an unheard of village.  The pleasure of the local cuisine and the local people.  There are so many places to go, so many roads to travel, rails to ride, people to visit.  To spend our hard earned dollars in this magnificent country that has so many delightful treats for us to find.  

The pandemic has given many of us time.  Time to explore.  Discover it for yourselves.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

September 26, 2020

 

 

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

Saint Marie Among the Hurons

Hail Brave hearts

It is with great courage that we settle this country, filled with new adventures and difficult times.  It is with bravery that we meet these new people in their own homeland and on their own terms.  It is with faith and prayer that we negotiate a peaceful settlement, and with determination and recognition of the mission, that is required, proceed to our duty.  To the new land, and to the people of it, we meet.

Such is the sturdy vow of the missionary, the Jesuits who landed to fulfill their duty.  Bring the people religion.  Bring them to Christianity.  It is the solemn vow of the faith, these people must be saved.  Saved in the eyes of God, save their everlasting soul.  Save the people, even in death.

The mission was built in Huron (Wendake) territory, 1200 kilometers from Quebec.  Started in 1639 and lasting only 10  years, it was the first settlement in New France, in the province that is now Ontario.   It was set on a large tract of land between Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay, in  Huron territory.  The the mission itself was on the Wye River.

Only a small group of men made the long journey from Quebec City to this remote place.  All martyred for their faith.  The Huron themselves, were curious and peaceful.  They allowed the mission on their land and allowed the Jesuits to preach to them.  Some converted, some did not, but pursue the faith is a must.  Fulfill the mission of their lives, they must.  Bring religion to the people.  Serve God.  No matter what the price is , it is not too high.  Serve God.  Bring Christianity to the people with the intention of everlasting peace.  Peace on Earth, goodwill to your fellow human.

Canada’s first Christmas Carol, the Huron Carol, written in 1642 probably by Jean de Brebeuf.

Saint Marie among the Huron is a historical place of hope, dreams, hardship and abandonment.  The security of the Jesuits, lost to the increasing hostility of the Iroquois in the insistent war with the Huron.  Iroquois with guns, Huron with bow and arrow, missionaries with prayer.  Peace among us, oh mighty human.  This territory belongs to the Huron, the land of the Wendake.

http://www.saintemarieamongthehurons.on.ca/sm/en/HistoricalInformation/TheSainteMarieStory/index.htm

But the dreadful incessant war proved the Iroquois to be a stronger and more aggressive people.  Intent on murder, they continued their assault on the Huron and would not leave.  Some of the Huron  who survived  fled to neighboring tribes, and to Quebec to re-establish themselves, on Ile de Orleans , just east of Quebec city in 1650.  By 1649 the mission was in ruin, burned by the Jesuits so that the Iroquois couldn’t inhabit it.  The Huron had departed, the Jesuits were gone.  Gone, but saved.  Other peace remained.  The fur trade was still active, with trade and negotiation still intact.  With the loss of this mission is an uncanny coincidence.  The city of Montreal, founded in 1649.

 

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 10, 2020

Enjoy the Winter

Enjoy the Winter

Hail Brave hearts

Oh to the lucky ones, who walk these paths.  The great mighty river has presented it’s wonder.  The uproar of nature, a beautiful site, it catches us off guard.   It’s so impressive and different and interesting.  A phenomena of sorts, with it’s unusual beauty, we walk these paths often and have never seen this before.  The freeze, the thaw, the freeze, the thaw, the mighty river flows.  The enormous upheaval of ice and water, breaking up huge chunks of ice, as the river starts to flow.  This is January and a mild spell during the winter has created an unusual scene.  This area should be frozen solid and the thickness of the ice proves that it was, but the mighty river flows.  These ice pieces are about one foot thick and have been heaved all along the river bank.  It was a marvel to look at and to speculate the dramatic change that would have caused this.  For us, this powerful act of nature is new.  It’s exciting and beautiful and the power of the water is awesome to see.    This kind of ice break up is what happens in the spring, but this is the dead of winter, with temperatures hovering around zero.  Too warm to keep the river frozen and to keep the ice in place.  We should be able to walk along this river, but we can only walk along the ice shelf by the river bank.  Global warming and climate change are presenting winter to us in a dramatic new way.

It was only  a few weeks ago that we saw that the river was frozen and planned for a winter afternoon excursion. There’s value to seeing the park from the rivers.  It gives us new photographs and a new perspective of the mountains and the terrain.  Sometimes the walking is easier and with careful consideration of the dangers of ice travel, we stay near the shore, travel in groups and pay attention to the changing surface.

The river heaves and swells and the ice forms in dramatic flows like waves.  It’s dangerous and we stick to the shoreline.

We need the winter, with it’s cold and snow.  The fluffy white stuff is full of fun and winter is a favorite season.  The warmth has made it more fun, with less inside time drinking hot chocolate and  more outside time on the ski hill.  We play more with temperatures like this and it still snows!  The winter activity is good for our souls.  It pushes us to outside sports and to cautious winter travel.  It teaches us about nature in a different way, about weather and avalanche, snow travel and preparation.  It teaches us to be hardy and strong and to learn survival skills.  We love it this way!  The great white north, with all of it’s beauty, it’s back country cabins, pot belly stoves, tracked trails into the wilderness.  All of this presents it’s own dangers, thrills, unique experiences and exhilaration.  It’s magical and wonderful and full of winter fun.

https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/winter-camping.html  –  Winter Camping

But now, something unusual.  Travel cautiously, oh brave hearts and enjoy the great winter.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

January 30, 2018

 

In The Forest

Hail Almighty Human

Scream, as the terror is with us.  Strike a match, ignite the fire, burn and burn and burn.  We watch in helpless  horror as the forest fire rages.  Pillars of smoke and flame that engulf the trees, lay waste to the land, destroy our hopes and kill our lives.  The shock, the death, the despair.  No more fire, we scream in fright, as one of the worst years for forest fires is now starting to pass.  It was everywhere.  The smell, the cold, the choking fumes, hundreds of kilometers away and still it affects us.  The sky is a fog, the mountains vanish, the sun is gone and the light is dim.  Properties gone, their fortunes fade, one deathly blunder and our lives are changed.  Sometimes forever, sometimes for years, the horror of fire leaves a wake filled with tears.

Fighting against it, fighting the odds, the perils of a task so immense to complete.  Save our homes, save our lives, save our destiny, try, try, try.  The screams of terror, as it all lays to waste, the burden to rebuild, to be strong in it’s face.  The plight of the people, as smoke fills the air, of all of life running, to save what it can.

As the autumn is coming,the fall colors are hear, hoping that snow will make everything clear.  The cold and the wet, the snowfall might do it, put out the fires that humans can’t manage to.  The constant struggle, the constant fear, this has been one of the worst fire records, of all years.

The forest succumbs, it takes lives with it, those too tired, too slow, too young, too old.  The toll of the fire is much more than property.  The loss of the forest, the loss of the land, the goodness and value that go hand in hand.  The life supporting forest, that we all need and love, is the doom of the wild, when it burns to dust.  Gone is the wild song, the singing, the praises, the love of joy, of living, that saves us.  When the world is quiet, there’s a sound no more, the sound of hearts beating to build and restore.  The sound of the quiet is a deafening tone, of mountains without life, where all is just stone.

http://naturecanada.ca/what-we-do/NatureVoice/endangered-species/know-our-species/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIqvzSpuW81gIVAZF-Ch060wN5EAAYAiAAEgLx__D_BwE

The quiet, too quiet, it reminds us of something.  This is the great planet, full of life and living things.  They should be talking, we should be listening, to hear a slither, a crack, a croak, or a twitter.  Here in the quiet, there isn’t any talking, no one to hear them, they run from something.  Even without fire, smoke is in the air, it’s too much for many and the quiet is result.  A world without the great wild is a world without care.  No songs to sing, from birds out there.

The elk now call, they start to rut, another life cycle, in a forest, with luck.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

September 23, 2017

Settlers in the West

Settlers in the West

Hail Bravehearts

Come out of your houses, come out to play, search for your destiny, fill it this way.  Joy for our lives, filled with our passions, educate yourself in many ways, don’t settle for small rations. Here in the mountains was a new way of life, carved from the environment, full of love  and strife.  Back in the day, when the nation was growing, came a homesteading family with a history, worth knowing.  Migrate to the mountains, fill up this land, settle this area, prosperity is at hand.  Work and strive, build your home, grow where the deer and the caribou roam.  Mighty are we,we own this land, wrought from the skills and tools of our hands.  Building a house and shed for our needs, makes us the Moberly’s and we are Metis.

Look at this beauty, this fabulous land, nature has given us her golden hand.  Flowers and scenery, game galore, all right outside our open front door.  A fabulous view, so much desired, we planned to pass this along to our descendants to admire.  In the heart of Jasper, a national park, lies the trail to our cabin, in a meadow that’s marked.  Come to our land, follow the trail, to a Canadian adventure in homesteading tale.  Brilliant flowers now nod their heads,where a family with children once softly tread.

Ancient are we, in a land we admire, full of perils and hardship and landscape that’s dire.  Mountains and crevices, rock falls and forest, fill our lives with the wild lands of birds chorus.  Settle these lands, farming, hunting and fishing, trading with explores is how we make our living. Earning our right to clear the land, is how we survived and thrived with our band.  A family are we, brothers and wives, making a living with strong family ties.

http://www.mountainmetis.com/pages/henry_john_moberly.html

The west was being opened with adventure and more as the trading posts flourished throughout our world.  Settle the nation, fill your hearts, with the bountiful prosperity that  trading starts.  A nation rich, with people so smart, that they discovered routes to join us together, not keep us apart.  From coast to coast a path was laid, and along the way, some homesteaders stayed.  Explore this world, discover this land, a nation is forming with peace at hand.

Markets and trade, influence our lives, building a homestead where families can thrive.  Open these routes, help find the path, the adventure is growing, it will stay and it lasts.  The west is fought for, it belongs to us, brilliant and daring, the exploration is a must.  Join the coasts, find a way, for this land to become a nation one day.

A place in history, is only a name, but cabins in the wilderness, is this families fame.  Interesting and ancient, when all went well, meeting travelers and explorers, is the story they tell.  Building connections, building ties, enter the landscape where this family once thrived.

Now a national park, intensely protected,whose worth to the world was UNESO`s projection. Visit us here in this world famous place, the mountains and wilderness of Canada`s grace.

Jasper National Park.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

July 13, 2017