The birth of this diary has been a long time in coming. I enjoy writing and
reflecting and have thought about various entries; however, I do not often sit
down at the keyboard (or with paper and pen).

We have just had two framed photographs come home to us from our first
juried multimedia art show in Toronto. The theme of the show was
"creation" and one image is of a Milkweed Pod in her full splendour; the
other is of a lovely fragrant water lilly in a pond of water at Beaver Marsh.
We have visited Beaver Marsh, near Providence Bay, on Manitoulin
Island many times over the course of years and have thousands of digital
photographs of Beaver Marsh life alone! I would love to build a home on
stilts right in the midst of the Beaver Marsh! Okay, please include full
bug proof suits for us and our dogs; other than that it would be nearly
perfect! There is a season of blackflies, prior to them gorging on crazy folks
like us, where they aren't biting, just crawling everywhere! All over the
camera (including on the lens), in ears, eyes, noses, mouths - get the
picture? It's amazing to experience!

Our next immediate project is for Joe to print a few images and for us to
frame them and choose four from the batch for entry into another show
coming this Summer. It's called the LaCloche Manitoulin Art Show;
locals often continue to refer to it as the Willisville Show (it was born in
Willisville, an amazing little spot with an amazing history on Highway
#6 south of Espanola on the way to Manitoulin Island).

Of my close to 40,000 digital photographs (all of Manitoulin Island),
the two mentioned above are the first we have seen matted and framed. I
know that sounds rather stupendous, but it's true! Now, I am imagining
using our very high ceilings as a gorgeous gallery, and if some sell off of our
walls, they can always be replaced. The overwhelming number of images
that we have is boggling when we start talking about particular ones that
we want to live with on our walls for a while.

Spring is bursting forth here with incredible force! The earliest trees are
blooming and appear to be "frosted" (almost with a hue of hore frost). I
am in the midst of working nights and drive to work in the early evening.
The light has been so magnificently beautiful that I have had to be
vigilant in keeping the car on the road. The wind has been perfectly calm
(not all that common here on the island) and I have the joy of driving
back roads through fields, by a lakeside, and through some gorgeous
swamps (beaver territory). The reflections of the trees and old bull rushes
jutting both upwards to the sky and straight downwards through what
seems to be perfectly translucent water have been captivating. The light
of the sky has a lovely hint of both pink and gold, which, of course, is
intensified in its reflection! And, the spring peepers and loons and various
song birds are singing their hearts out.

It is supposed to rain starting on Friday; I hope that Friday evening is
just like the past two have been as it will be my first opportunity to head
up towards work (never getting there) with my camera in the early
evening! I certainly will not return home until all light is gone!

Until next time ...

SLaf>