So many things we saw were gifts...
wild mint in the lake-moist shoreline
lightning illuminating the noir of night
the shimmer of a breeze blowing through the tops of the poplars
a twilight transforming the sky, blue to red to purple to black
whitecaps on wind-shifted waves
a swimming dog fetching a stick
berries in so many shades of red and purple
granite-grey rocky fingers of land
the slapping of a beaver diving
the semi-transparent whitenest of the ghost mushroom
tiny blue flowers nodding gently on fragile green stems
embers and smoke drifting up like fire-flies
laughter and stories shared in the outdoor dining room
a skinny fish caught triumphantly
swirling eddies of a rushing river
abandoned beaver dam piled high and efficently
schools of minnows in the thousands gliding under and around us
a frantic squirrel leaping up the tree
pale pink bulbous rosehips
black pools of shiny water
multi-colored lichens cling to trees and rocks
water showered down, drifting as it exploded on the lake
rain splitting the forest
ferns and beaver-felled trees under a deep green canopy
cedar needles crushed, oily and pungeant
a floating dock rocking gently under our feet
the hull-sliced wake of the water flowing behind the tiny boat
dinner eaten in the rain under the umbrella of a pine tree
a rainbow in the late afternoon sun
the golden illumination of a distant island surrounded by deep water and
grey sky
fallen logs slippery with moisture
the sheer face of the rocky side of hilly terrain
white skin naked and slick with sweat in the afternoon sun
rocks slipping 6 inches under the canoe
logs being split with sure and and strong arms
so many stars lighting the night
a heavy copper moon slanting streaks of light across the still lake
the sounds of the loons calling mournfully
whirling black birds spinning and spliting the azure air
stormclouds coughing out jagged bands of light
wheat and sky as far as your eye could reach
salt flats and tiny lakes
huge disks of golden hay
the crooked contours of tiny carrots
fresh cilantro growing waist high
long fields of canola, brilliant yellow flowers
tiny horses grazing lazily
one heron perched immeriously on a silouetted tree
the beautiful garden surrounding a tiny cottage
cows standing chest high in water
three geese winging low in low light
pelicans diving for dinner
long wide winding roads threaded through the forest
berry-stained lips, moist and sweet
clouds chasing us, roiling and coiled
three kids and two dogs squirmy on a too small seat
patient and attentive males piloting on grass
graceful sails billowed with breeze