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The Turtle Pond

I am blessed and thankful to be surrounded by nature every day.  My drive to and from town includes a long stretch along one country road.  The turtle pond – long called this because of the abundance of turtles one can see sunning themselves on warm spring, summer and early Fall days, is also home to a myriad of other wildlife including beaver, frogs, otters, mink, ducks, the occasional goose and great blue heron, insects, and on rare occasions, deer.

To some it’s just a pond, but to me, it’s an amazing oasis to be admired and appreciated every day.

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Lilacs – My Spring Passion

For as lpiZap_1560193049979ong as I can remember, lilacs have occupied a special place in my memories and appreciation of spring.

Growing up in the big city, I remember a bank of lilacs that bordered our backyard. There was a treasured swing set that was positioned parallel to the lilacs and to this very day, if I close my eyes, I can still feel myself swinging while smelling that intoxicating fragrance wafting through the warm spring breeze.  

I have long since left childhood behind, but some memories, like those lilacs, remain imbedded in my mind as if I were once again swinging to and fro on that swing. 

IMG_20190610_075651Lilacs are my spring flowering shrub, the one plant that I long to see, long to smell, and the one plant I couldn’t bear not seeing this time of year.

So in honour of this passion, I drove around Parry Sound last weekend, photographing some of the stands of lilacs that pepper the town.

I wish lilacs would bloom all season.