cycleyogini

Do not deprive me of my age. I have earned it. May Sarton

On Tuesday, I officially turned 65 and claimed all those Senior’s Discounts!! Some you can get as early as 50, but most all of them are now available to me! Graves Island has been the perfect place to celebrate this transition–beautiful surroundings, the ocean to contemplate the mysteries of life, and Zander completely happy wandering the trails and chasing small little critters.

It is my opinion that enjoying yourself in the present and loosening your definition of time slows the ageing process. Frederick Dodson

My favourite poet while studying and working in Japan was Basho who regularly walked throughout Japan to remind himself of the impermanence of life. His haiku was brilliant for capturing what could not be captured. I have a book about him on this trip, which is so fitting for moving toward accepting whatever has to be and letting go of what cannot be. Of enjoying transitions and impermanence. And of reminding myself that there is “no way” but only our own way as we move through life. Cousineau, in The Art of Pilgrimage, suggested that writing a poem a day solidifies the memories of the day. We have seen cold and windy days, trees and flowers bloom, the change in insect populations, the hint of fruits to come in the fall, and now rain and fog. So, with time to observe, write, and travel soulfully, here are some haiku from Graves Island June 2014:

ant runs across white page
no visible traces
saying everything

loons haunting call
traveling the Milky Way
Sliver of a new moon

tree uprooted in storm
trunk once cut
pink and white blossoms bloom

fiddleheads tightly coiled
into backbends of feathery ferns
open to the sky

The day itself was warm and sunny filled with chores (getting all my clothes cleaned and groceries), a fresh lobster sandwich and iced mocha coffee at the Kiwi Cafe while watching the filming of “Haven,” small conversations with people gardening in Chester, and a long walk with Zander. One of the wardens of the park, who has taken a shine to Zander and watched him while I take showers, brought me chocolate brownies as a surprise! The hospitality of Nova Scotia and its small towns has been amazing!

If every day is an Awakening, you will never grow old. You will keep growing. Gail Sheehy

Today (June 4) is cooler, but still warm, and alternates between foggy, misty, and rainy. It took me hours to get Zander out of the tent–the downside of me not enforcing walks in the rain at home! We finally did get out in a very light drizzle, and he loved all the smells! The bay is socked in with clouds! A great day to catch up on reading, writing, and contemplation. The new two-person tent is ideal and gives lots of space for Zander and I.

With the end of the academic career appearing somewhere on the horizon, new projects emerging, and a deep feeling within me that something is brewing for the next chapter of my life, this trip is shaping up as time to ponder those currents. It comes as an interesting force — much like Goethe described duende: a dark and quivering companion to the muse and angel. The Spanish poet Lorca say it as a deep sadness and dark force that portend tenderness from brushes with mortality. This trip has been filled with interesting images of older houses and architecture in various stages of disintegration and renovation, bursts of regeneration, opportunities for accepting what is and letting go of what cannot be, and glimpses of the circle of life-death.

dark rain-streaked bark
leaves strung with droplets
world shrouded in fog

loons echoing
solitary sea gull soars
I alone planted on earth

Zander’s Nemesis

Tomorrow, we wander down toward Mahone and Lunenberg.We will miss the brave and pesky squirrel that keeps Zander alert. We will get a ride with Freewheeling to the west coast of Nova Scotia to the Annapolis Valley. It is too risky given the long distances, the uncertainties of the weight and my energy, and Zander’s unease with long days. More time to explore individual places along the way, seek out the “soul” of each area, and enjoy time with Zander.