It is 6:00 am when I arrive at Bennett Bay and head down the trail towards the rising sun in the Gulf Island National Park Reserve on Mayne Island, British Columbia Canada. No other human is here yet. Today is Earth Day. I am celebrating by taking my camera and going for a walk at dawn. If you are a regular reader this will be a familiar stroll. We have been here together before…
Morning song birds, honking Canada geese, cries of eagles, the bark of a seal, and seagulls intersperse between a gentle wind coming off Georgia Strait into the firs, arbutus, gary oaks. Feeling the soft ground through my shoes I notice the dampness starting to seep under my sweatshirt searching for the places open around the edges of my turtleneck. I spy a lady slipper but it is too dark under the trees to share her with you. Walking purposefully I am soon at Campbell point.
Low cloud over the Mainland.
Vancouver hidden in cloud
Georgeson Island begins to warm.
Seagulls feast on a starfish breakfast.
Sun on the shore catches my attention.
I sit for a while feeling the rough sandstone cold beneath me as I watch the waves, smell the sea, and hear the sounds of earth waking to another day. Then it is time to head back through the gary oaks.
Between the arbutus.
And past the big firs.
The morning light through the trees is filled with mystery.
Close to the entrance of the park there is a swing reminding me that humans are part of Earth and it is this relationship between the two which leads us to celebrate Earth Day.
View and purchase full resolution image here.
I hug myself. I spin once slowly with arms outstretched… another day – yes another glorious day I get to see dawn in her slip before she has a chance to dress for the sun’s rising. Lucky me!
Sprout Question: Does Earth Day play any part in your creativity?
© 2010 Terrill Welch, All rights reserved.
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Creative Potager – where imagination rules. Be inspired.
From Mayne Island, British Columbia, Canada
Creative Potager 
beautiful photographs Terrill! thanks for the beauty.
Thank you Tobin… they are pretty much only softly edited due to timing – except for the last one of the tire swing. I took the time to render it as an oil painting because I just loved the effect of the lighting on the composition.
Yours is such a lovely walk. I find myself drawn in, following you down the wooded path. When I saw the seagulls & the rocks, I was missing only the sounds of the waves hitting them… Happy Earth Day to you!
Thank you so much Kathy! There were just a few small waves lazily rolling in this morning. Still feels I like was there just a moment ago.
I am there in mind and a few paintings may be inspired by the photos at some point!
Every day is Earth Day for me as Artist I get my inspiration from the landscape but to focus peoples attention on our fragile world it may be a good idea
Chris I feel very much the same and I’m inspired as well from the landscape. I know if I was in the city though I would find inspiration there. Sometimes I even take my camera with me when we go into urban centres to try and a catch my experience. I love the little gardens and how the buildings never quite fit together in either time or space. Thank you for your sprout.
Chris I was just over to your blog and I really like today’s painting “The Lady in White on the Cliff Path” You keep a playfulness in your work that draws me in.
Earth Day?? I don’t know.
I just returned from florida where i lived from age 9 till 16 where i spent considerable time reflecting on how much things have changed there. I kept coming back to my grandfather telling me how different it was when he would visit Florida in the late 50’s. ie the price of land, how abundant the fishing was ect.. I had the same feelings about how much every thing has changed.
Jerry
Hello Jerry – there is always that change thing isn’t there? Here the elements change the shoreline and tree lines regularly. So even if people are not making the changes, the environment still is. Sometimes I like to watch period movies just to stretch out in the hamlets instead of feeling like an ant between the towering building. But change it does and change it will continue to do. Thanks so much for your sprout response… and sharing a bit of your time away with us.
Great shots – I love the tire swing – man I have not seen one of those in a long time- brings back memories………. 🙂
I know epicswife I just loved that swing! I have now posted the image on redbubble… will update the post with the link in a few. Thanks for stopping by.
Your have no idea how much I enjoy your photos and stories. Living in suburbia in Chicago gives me totally different pictures to take, almost as if I am on another planet compared to the views that you have close by.
WOW
Kim
Thanks Kim glad you enjoyed your walk with me… Chicago… it is a place in novels to me – a place Emily Carr went to by train. Do you take your camera with you when you are taking that new puppy for walks? I would love to see what you see, hear, feel, smell and experience in Chicago.
A beautiful place, beautiful images – thanks for sharing!
Thank you Randy – glad you dropped by.
You live in such a beautiful earthy place… Being a morning person and sensitive to variations in light, I especially felt a tug at my heart seeing your ‘mystery filled morning light through the trees…’
Well, well Barbara… another morning person:))))) I love early mornings most days though I need to go to bed early or have a nap if I otherwise I don’t wake up until 7:00 am which this time of year is too late to be called “early morning.”