A Circular Path

These images come from an urban nature centre that has, basically, one path. The path goes from the nature centre to the “bog,” which is mostly wetland, with some trees, now being overwhelmed by domestic blueberries. Every year the walls of this pathway, which in many places crowd in around you and stand several feet tall, are generally impenetrable. Here and there, are a few animal trails, very low and very dark. The walls are trimmed back each fall and in the spring new green growth peeks through here and there. Sometimes like a few misplaced hairs, sometimes tendrils that have a menacing look to them. The images are too full of detail, making them as impossible to understand as the walls are to penetrate. These images are part of a set collected at several similar sites over the past five years.

Early Morning, I Visit the Twins

I find the idea of twins something that is foreign to me. But they are everywhere. I walk by these two trees quite often and think about how they started growing at about the same time. I suppose they were planted when the old-growth forest was cut. Very few old-growth trees remain, they are worth many thousands of dollars each. Much more than you would expect. But even these two were planted with an expectation they would sometime be cut and used for something. Sometime, a long time ago, someone started walking between these, and something about that space said “Here is a good place to start a new pathway.” The evidence that we walk through forests and follow pathways tells us we have something inside us that recognizes this is the place to walk, not over there. Here. Not to the left or right. And there is something innate inside us that senses this. Like these trees, we seem to be related.

The Sidewalk at Night

At night the city has a different feel. Objects seem to become something other than what they were during the day.

Under the Bridge at Daybreak

Early morning, following the pathway along the creek. The bridge allows in just the start of the day.

The Garden Hose

Today was over 115 degrees F, at times up to 121. It was so bright I had difficulty seeing what was in front of me. Still, in the garden, there were quiet, cooler green spaces where a breeze and some shade made a difference. These gardens present as natural dioramas, carefully planted to signal random growth and development….but there is nothing natural about them. You still feel the hidden hand behind the scene. And occasionally, when a water pipe, hose, or small sign enters the Fram you realize things are not as they appear.

The Old Pool at the Bottom of the Hill

The old pool at the bottom of the hill, at the edge of the urban woodland in Montreal, Canada.

Summer Has Ended, Even in the Window.

Summer has ended, even in the window. Slowly the artificial lights, which are more yellow and red, seem to be the predominant colour. Some plants dies away, no matter how much light we give them. Other seem to stop for the next three months and just wait things out. Some plants seem to be unaffected. Lately I am looking more and more towards small images to take here in the studio.

Near The Wire Fence in the Forest.

There is a wire fence in the forest, I suppose it is to keep you away from the edge of the river, and away from the protected areas of the forest. Here the light barely comes through. Still, things grow, sometimes smaller and slower than you would expect. But they grow.