I never tire of walking trail along the sea. I hope you are not yet tired of my images from these walks. The photos today are from a walk that you won’t find on any map. The walk is only known by locals. It is on private land and permission is granted at your own risk. It is a privilege and a honour that I do not take for granted. So I am not going to tell you exactly where this is on Mayne Island. If you know, smile wisely and enjoy the photo essay along with everyone else.
Come with me….
The trail is rugged in places. I often stop to be able to look up from placing my feet carefully between tree roots and sandstone sticking up on the rough trail. In the next few years, you won’t see many photos like this one where to show the trail in the deep shadows, the sea and sky over exposed. We will all know how to do HDR... but when we look in real time we must choose what we can see at one time… so I have also chosen in this photograhy.
As I walk, a sea lion surfaces off the shore. I know it is there because when it breathes I can feel it on the back of my neck. I look. There she is. I do not try to take photos as past experience tells me, my lens won’t reach. She rolls up to the surface. Breathes. Then rolls her long sleek body over and down she goes, surfacing again many yards ahead of me. I don’t see her the next time she surfaces.
About 45 minutes later I make my way to the point.
The sandstone is warm from the sun. I sit and wonder at the beauty of its shape.
Looking over on the other side I catch a wave coming in.
And then I think I know…
High tides and winter storms have carved out such a place where I now admire its beauty.
I don’t want to go. I want to stay and be part of the sandstone and then part of the sea, then part of the sandstone… until day becomes night and night day and time has no relevance.
I do go though. I am not sure what makes me leave, but I do.
Two hours later, I am putting the key back into the ignition. I go home. I make lunch. I leave these images in my mind until last night… or rather early this morning as I was still editing at 1:00 am. Now I have savoured them long enough… I can now share them with you.
Sprout Question: If you could do only one more creative of work in your life time – what would you do?
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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
I’d do a painting on a giant chalk cliff with all the dreams I can remember and the faces of the people closest to me – a long lasting and beautiful goodbye that would be I hope…
Jonahh, thanks for leaving today’s first sprout… “a long glasting and beautiful goodbye…” I’m smiling and enjoying the word picture you have created.
What beautiful photos Terrill! Love how you captured the waves crashing over the rocks. 🙂
I would put together the biggest canvas I could handle and then would dip my brush in paint and simply let inspiration and intuition guide me. It would probably be of a distant and abstract landscape that included glimpses of my beloved trees in the forest. I’m sure I’d capture some of the sky and clouds as well. Then when it was all done I’d let it dry and would sign it “A gift to all those that have known and supported me – Itaya”. 🙂
Wow! Lovely Itaya… I can seen it now:) Thanks as always for coming by:)
You’ve done a fantastic job at capturing the Beautiful journey, Terrill! Wonderful pics! Lucky you to be able to venture the ‘secret’ trails! 🙂
Life is Art to me, so only one last creative work seems indeterminable at this juncture 😉
Happy weekend, Lovely Lady
Thank you Antonia… great sprout… all you need to do is remember to hit send!
Hi my friend
beautiful photos as always
i love the top one with the wee path heading off
last art work
i think it would have to be a wee film about the travelling life
Hello Andy been thinking about you and that maybe your the black bus is out of the snow… or at least it is melting. Thank you so much for your sprout and dropping in.
Breathtaking walk and photos of the place where the forest meets the sea… it made me feel like I was actually there walking in your footsteps.
What a wonderful way to wake up this morning!
Hello Mary and from your latest blog post I can see you know something about the spirit of the sea. So glad you stopped in.
Terrill – Thank you for taking us with you as you hiked your trail along the sea. It’s breathtakingly beautiful!
Sprout Question: If you could do only ONE more creative work in our life time – what would you do?
As you know, I eagerly wait for your posts and sprout questions and am usually quick to respond. This one I’ve had to sit with for a while.
My mother taught me by example that how we live impacts how we die. She lived a life of courage, beauty and integrity; she died in the same manner.
I would like my last creative work to be to meet my exit point in a way that shares with others that death is not something to be feared. Rather, it is a beautiful continuation.
Laurie what a great way to answer the question… it so fits with the work you do. ummmm I am just going to pause and take that in. Thank you for ponder the sprout question for as long as was necessary.
Yet another miraculous post here, including a bevy of sensory photos that escort even those in urban areas into this island paradise. This site is the perfect escape for anyone needing to call on nature for a respite, but even more to appreciate the beauty that’s out there and just how much introspective satisfaction one can gain from a simple “walk.”
To answer the sprout, I must see Shakespeare’s birthplace in my life, and in conjunction with my intended plans at some point to bring the family to the UK to visit my site colleague Allan – who lives in Kendal – I will take my own walk on the sacred ground of Stratford-von-Avon. Or so I hope.
Thanks Sam for your feedback and sprout. As always – most appreciated.
Late at night I’m reading your blog. I wonder what last creative thing I’d choose to do. I wonder about writing a play and seeing it produced. I think that would be very satisfying. For one thing, my books are filled with dialogue. I’ve always tried to have the dialogue carry the action forward. If I wrote a play, it would be almost all dialogue. I’d be able to see my characters outside of my imagination. Maybe that’s where I’ll put some energy, when this book’s finished. Thanks for your inspiring sprout question.
Glad you found a late night companion in this post Amber. Thank you for your sprout that began its journey in the dark and is shooting up brightly in this morning’s sun.
wow!
Thank you so much for taking me on that walk by the sea with you.
The photos are amazing and nostalgia and yearning welled up in me (I briefly lived by the sea and will never stop yearning for it).
Libby I feel that way too every time I move away from the sea and to a lesser extent every time I leave the shore. By the way, I slipped by your Divinity Withinity Blog… I can see you are another creative being. Thank you so much for coming by and leaving a sprout response.