My Week in Pictures -- and Words

There is no more beautiful experience than that of being in nature. The feel of the winter sun as it begins to share its warmth. The first signs of spring. The calm of a frozen river, covered in a sheet of pure white snow, disturbed only by tracks from passing skies and daring footsteps. Trees, stripped of their fall finery, have had a chance to recover, now slumbering peacefully. Soon they will be awoken by the sun's growing warmth, and the sap will begin to flow. This has its own surprises.

On Sunday, I visited the beautiful Montebello resort with some of my friends. We relaxed for the entire afternoon, settled in the hotel (built from British Columbia pine logs) with the dim lights and classic lobby music, away from the hustle and bustle of every day student and professional life, safe within the rustic contours of this star-shaped building. Some of us went swimming or skiing or walking; but there were moments of quiet rest, settled comfortable between the cushions of a sofa with a good book. (Side note: I'm reading "People of the Book" by Geraldine Brooks - right down my alley, if you ask me!). When I wasn't reading, I was outside watching the slowly setting sun sparkle through the trees.

The resort was built on land that belonged to Louis-Joseph Papineau, a not-so-reknowned Rebel leader of the Lower Canada Rebellions in the 1840s. He fled from the area of the rebellions when he became known as a rebel fighter, and eventually settled on this beautiful piece of land along the banks of the Ottawa River. His 1850s mansion still stands not more than a kilometre or two away from the resort. It is his land that sparkles and shimmers with several feet of snow. 

Most of these images reflect the somber and beautiful and relaxing time that one can have on a relaxing excursion such as this.  

However, this last one reflects simply how life can be relaxing and peaceful in spite of the continuation of studies and professional life. There is a time to step aside and have a work-rest balance. But at home, such a balance is important and necessary as well. But in the right moments.  

Love until it Hurts

"I have found the paradox: 

if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, 

only love."

-- Mother Teresa

Historical Detective Work -- The Art of Surveying

He thrives on patterns,

his marks and monuments

transform a wilderness

and by his carefully tagged

and numbered squares,

neat roads, correction lines

and small cadastral lots

he clothes in certainty,

in geometrical designs,

man's ancient rights.

He scans the skies,

reading some far-off star

by which he plots

meridians and makes his maps,

stitching a new-found world

into a patch work quilt,

a net of metes and bounds,

so lands may know their own

and live in peace.

-- Don W. Thompson, "The Surveyor"

I am fascinated with this poem because it captures my new obsession and potential career: that of a "detective historian". Actually, the poem talks about surveyors and the work they do to map out the topographical, geographical, and other -graphical aspects of a land. But it is connected to that of a "detective historian" because we have opportunities to study topographical and surveying instruments, maps, artifacts, etc. that were used by surveyors for a variety of different purposes. 

Interestingly enough, I am working on a project right now with the Canada Science and Technology Museum, through a seminar with the University of Ottawa, to uncover the provenance of a medical kit which was possibly lost or left behind by a group of explorers with the H.M.S. Alert in 1875 or 1876. This kit was discovered by two scientists (Hattersley-Smith and Blackadar) in 1953 a few miles south of Cape Sheridan (in the Arctic). There is little we know about the kit yet...the file is virtually bare. This poem stands out as a link (for me) between surveying (particularly within Canada) and the vast number of artifacts that have (or have not) been discovered and still need "detective work" to uncover the stories behind the objects. All very fascinating stuff!

If interested, you can see pictures of the medical kit artifact here.

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Inspiration

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

-- George Eliot

I love this quote! I think there are so many things I could be if I had the courage. And so many things I want that may not be for me, but that I should still try. We cannot really know who we could be unless we try things, experiment, learn from our mistakes, and trust the people who matter in our lives. 

This gives me inspiration for today.