Every winter a blanket of snow settles on Manitoba. Any lingering snowbirds swiftly point themselves southwards and most warm blooded creatures delve into the deepest burrows they can muster. A rare few venture out to establish themselves on the bleak landscape, in pursuit of the cold blood that lurks beneath their feet. Walking on water, they hunt with an auger and a fishing rod.
Each hunter carefully chooses a spot on the frozen expanse that is Lake Winnipeg and,…
Life has a certain way of gaining momentum. We choose a direction and then keep our heads down as we move forward, trying to keep our feet beneath us while navigating through a chaotically complex world. Any orienteer worth their salt knows that this sort of approach is a surefire way to get lost, whether in the woods or on the divergent paths each of us individually walk from birth to death.
Our internal compasses need to be recalibrated from time to time; honed back in …
Japan’s roots go deep. Stemming from a volcanic foundation surrounded by turbulent seas, the character of both the land and those who live upon it is entirely its own. It is widely recognized that, along with Ethiopia and Thailand, Japan is one of the few world cultures to have never been colonized. As such, it is uniquely intact. Even as the country steps forward and leads the way into an emerging technological future, there remains a thread connecting the modernizing…
The compass always points northward, and like its needle I inexplicably feel a pull in that direction wherever my dusty boots may happen to be. Situated northwards from my home at the top of Manitoba, the town of Churchill sits at the edge of the treeline and on the breezy shores of the Hudson Bay.
Returning is a beautiful thing; the same place at a different time, adding up to a wider perspective. This was my third return to Churchill (here is some field work from visit number…
There is a subtle beauty in everything, unasking of our attention but wholly deserving of it. The deep joy of appreciation can only be found by eyes that see, and so the cultivation of eyes that clearly see is critical. If we can find a place of calm in the mind – beyond stories, distractions, and thought – we can drop into the simple experience of what is and begin to see clearly.
I’m about to embark on pilgrimage to Japan. This is the third time I’ve planned this trip (once …
Nestled just off the east coast of Canada’s mainland is an island all to itself; a land farther apart than one might first think. Jutting out into the North Atlantic, its endless rocky coast was the first land encountered by seafarers venturing from the far side of the ocean. Vikings and settlers, historic and modern alike, continue to come upon these rough shores with appreciative eyes; sanctuary after a long crossing. Newfoundland is a name given to these rocky shores,…