There is no time like the present.

Two months, what is the significance of two months.
To me these past two months have been the most bittersweet in my entire life. By the end of October we knew Dad would be pursuing as many rounds of chemotherapy his body would allow, and of course due to the state of his body and how advanced his cancer was we had our concerns. The rounds of chemotherapy were supposed to aid in relieving some of the symptoms of the cancer he had and prolong his life, very little of either occurred. I don't blame the chemotherapy for him being taken sooner, I do believe after the first round he had visible signs that he was feeling better, however after half of the second he went downhill rather quickly. In the back of my mind I knew I'd be losing him before Christmas, I had no physical proof, nor could the oncologist confirm this when asked, but deep down I had the sinking feeling, that crappy intuition that chokes the life out of your happy thoughts and prayers. One thing was for sure, I didn't want to see my father suffer for long, and he really didn't, the sickness could have continued for 6-12 months before he passed. The truth is, he wasn't himself for a long time, he stopped playing guitar, listening to his music, reading as much, visiting friends and family, he was sick, and he wasn't letting on. I love my Dad, I cherished every day and moment I spent with him from the day I was born, we were very close, there were really hard times,  but there were also really great times which outweigh the hard times. I've honestly learnt the most about myself through my Dad, he really challenged my thinking and decisions. He was the most warm person at times, and someone who really just wanted to be loved. I honestly think in 2007 when Nana died (his mother), Corey passed away and Pa was diagnosed with lung cancer (passed away early 2009) he began losing hope. He had Darlene, a very caring and loving companion for him, but he lost a lot of everything else he lived for... He passed away last Thursday at 8:45, I held his hand the whole time, told him it was OK, it was a very haunting experience, but for him, likely a blessing, he was at peace.
In the midst of all this I had the utmost support from my best friends and family. I could not have asked for anything more, and I promise one day to return the favour. I had my CGA convocation mid-November which Jacq flew in from Edmonton for, it was such a great day to share with some of my family. Another weekend in November I visited the Scandinave Spa with Amanda, she came from NS to visit. I also met the sweetest, supportive and talented guy who has added a lot of light to the days past, and I very much hope to come. All of these people in my life have reminded me of how important it is to take time for yourself, no matter what is happening, you have to live in the moment, day-by-day, and I'm much better off for doing so. Thank-you.
I am excited to see what the future holds, I know the celebration of life party will be great when we have it, there is no immediate rush because the weather has been awful (pretty, but awful). I am hoping a summer's night will suffice.

Over the past week I've snapped some shots of the ice storm, some from Vaughan, ON and the others in Annapolis Valley, NS. I flew home yesterday (Boxing Day) for a short visit. I won't get to see my Halifax friends, but I will another time. Enjoy.

Tobermory - The Grotto and Flowerpot Island

Just over a month ago (before things got really serious with Dad) I took a day trip to Tobermory, ON. This was quite the trek north, approximately 4 hours north-northwest from Maple. Beautiful drive, along the way there is a whole lotta country, wind fields and farms. There are parts of the drive that make you feel as though you're back in Nova Scotia. I had put a list together over the summer of all the fun things to do for day trips, obviously I haven't discovered all of the fun things, but I noted that Tobermory was one of the time places to visit in Ontario so I decided to check it out.

To the right is a shot of the wind turbines towards Owen Sound. There are almost 50 in the area, looks like more as you pass them because they're so large. Ontario has the most wind turbine farms of the provinces in Canada, not so much of a surprise with all of the open land as you drive further north. I am not an expert with wind energy so I don't have the specifics as to why Ontario has more, I bet most of it has to do with how many were approved by the county votes.

Once in Tobermory, there was a little bit of time before the boat tour to see the Flowerpot Island, and the shipwrecks in Lake Huron/Georgian Bay. They were truly beautiful sights. Grabbed lunch at place called the Crow's Nest in the harbour, their food was pretty good, definitely pub affair, reasonably priced. Below are some shots of Toberymory, the harbour, and the boats. There weren't too many people around as I was there when school season had begun, there were more adults then children. As you can see, there is always a spot in Canada for beavertails to fit the bill.

After touring around town, it was time for the glass-bottom boat tour. It wasn't quite what I expected, however it was really nice. The best parts hands down were seeing the shipwrecks and Flowerpot Island. I would like to go again next summer, hike around the island (you have the option to go in the morning and get off the boat and stay on the island for a few hours then get a ride back on the boat) and then come home. You can also camp on Flowerpot Island I believe. The waters were truly beautiful, they were so clear you could see seaweed and all of the beautiful rock formations through the shallow parts. Below is an example, these are some of the shots I took on the boat of the sunken ships, the island and the glass bottom so you get an idea of what it looks like (I expected a large glass floor :P).

After the few hours spent on the boat tour there was one other major highlight I had researched about Tobermory/Bruce Peninsula that I couldn't miss out on. This place is called The Grotto, it is within the Bruce Peninsula National Park, so there is an entrance fee to get in, however the trails are so beautifully maintained that it is very enjoyable to take this little trek through the woods to check out this splendor. On the way out I actually saw a bear in the woods but once it saw me it ran the other way, I consider myself lucky. This was my second encounter with a bear this summer/fall and this time I didn't have a whistle, bear spray, or a really brave cousin to help face it if it came closer. From now on in the latter of the summer and early fall I will hike prepared, I know about the dangers I just always say "if it's my day to die from a bear encounter than it's my day," not really smart eh?
You can camp at this park, it would be worth it, however when I was there, it seemed to be ruled by teenagers and an early 20s population who blasted EDM, techno and other music that is hard to be in the middle of the woods and want to listen to at 5PM, maybe later around the fire but not afternoon. Everything has it's place I guess.
The below shots conclude some of the time spent at the Grotto, honestly, one of Ontario's true Gems, the caves, the trails, the rock climbing, and the whole landscape is very dreamy.

When I first saw this there was a man inside who had climbed his way down through the rocks! Scary!

What would a day trip be without a beautiful sunset?

You'll have to forgive me for the next few busy months. I will continue to post as much as I can, however it is going to be a challenging period of time. Take care and enjoy what is left of this beautiful fall!

Fabulous Fall.. being aware

I am very aware of how long it's taken me to post something new here, or even finish posting about my trip west, however there are two things in the way; one of them  being that it is fall and it is my favourite time of year to get outside and take shots, the second being that my Dad has been sick and I've been so caught up in family and work that I haven't been spending much time on my self. I am also aware that when I do this (as it's happened in the past) I sometimes feel consumed by the energies of worry, negativity, doubt etc. I look to all of the strong things in my life when this occurs i.e. job, loved ones, freedom, and I remember how important it is to be grateful for how I've got to where I am and where it is that I want to go, all the people who have helped me along the way. I can honestly say that when things are happening in you life, the good, the bad, the happy and the sad, there are always people there for you, people who will relate to you, people who will fill your days with joy. I am quite terrified of what could happen with my Dad, I truly am, do I let that show everyday, no, am I thankful for everyday I have with people I hold close to my heart, yes.

Enough of the sap. For all of those who know where I'm at, I feel you too. Why does the heart grow so heavy? As if the worry isn't causing our brains enough trouble, the heart has, has, has to feel it too.

So!

Let's sum up the rest of my trip west so I can move on =) (this is going to involve posting more photos and letting them speak for themselves!). After day three we packed up the next morning, headed to Jasper. This day was full of shots of the mountains due to the drive, we stopped at the columbia icefields, peyto lake, athabasca falls and then hit Jasper. We had a wilderness tour in the evening. When we arrived at the campground (Whistler's) the park attendant working at the station bluntly noted that we should sleep in the truck if we plan on camping there, that they quite frequently have bears roaming the park on a daily/nightly basis because at this time of year the bears head north. So... if that wasn't enough to suggest that camping there in a softshell tent hoping there was not a scent of food on the truck or in the cab was not a great idea, I don't know what was. Jacq quickly offered to pay for a hotel room for the night, and I quickly obliged. We bartered a room at one of the hotels and managed to get a 15% discount. Good enough. The wilderness tour was somewhat worth the money we paid ($58/2 people) the tour guy told us where to go and what times the animals were active (dusk/dawn) so we ventured out in the tour bus, which was a bit crammed, and observed the animals. We saw an osprey, elk, big horn sheep and, deer. It was somewhat eventful, however the next day (our last day in the mountains) was much more eventful. We went to Maligne Lake, and hiked Bald Hills and ran into a bear on the way in, as well as mama bear with her cubs 25feet in front of us on the trail on the way out. It was alarming to say the least, I don't remember the last time my knees shook so bad... actually I retract that, the last time I was that nervous and trying to hide it was when I did my speech at my brothers funeral, that's how nerve racking running into a bear that close is when she has her cubs and she's walking towards you. I will give props to my cousin for her efforts in getting me to "face the bear" LOL, I will never for the life of me forget that moment.

So below are some shots from the rest of the days in the mountains, enjoy!