Sunday, February 17, 2013

Familiarization

I have lived in Victoria for almost five months. And it seems as if the move occurred just yesterday. I must admit I remember little of the ordeal; one day after another required some detail, some mundane task related to moving, that absolutely took priority over any time to myself.
Service shed across the road

The last tie to the Cariboo was broken, when we sold our home there within a couple of days of listing it. Again, I felt conflicting emotions...even as the climate attacked my body, I loved it there. I am so grateful for the opportunity I took years ago to live in that wild land of contrasts, where I learned so much. But...it is done.

And so. Now I go on.

Water everywhere...this feeds our little Stream
It is as if I have moved to a different dimension. As I write, the garden is filled with the greenery of rising Bulbs...oh! so many! It is a delight, one filled with surprises, since I am not familiar with this Garden. I greet each sprig of green with celebratory happiness...up North, Mother Earth will still be sleeping for a few months yet...and, on the Saanich peninsula, Spring is making her slow way there, by touching the land here with a fine brush first, as the consummate Artist she is.

There are Puddles everywhere on this morning's walk
Once again, I have Moss, a great companion for me from the Plant Kingdom, growing everywhere, in a glowing green that touches my heart and cracks it a bit, leaving lovely streaming green tendrils... 

It is one of the earliest of Plants to show new growth in the Spring and I have always considered Moss to be a true herald. I look out over the little garden shed roof, which is covered in Moss, from the porch and marvel at the tiny Worlds that inhabit each soft pillow of growth.
Cross fencing and Blackberries

All Winter long, Lucky and I go for our morning walks, only missing a few colder days. We do not beat any time clock, the two of us, since Lucky will insist on sniffing every Leaf, Log or 'suspicious Thing', in our path. But I don't mind. I take note of the changes each day, becoming a part of this place, knowing it.

Greening Fields and red Barns and White Fences
We greet the Horses from the training school. One, whose colouring is very similar to Lucky's, thereby establishing some sort of bond, gives a soft nicker each day when she sees us and wanders close to the electric fence. She places her nose as close as she can to the fence, her nostrils widening as she takes in our scent. She knows us now, too.

Many of the Bird species we had visiting our Bird feeder North of us have been here all Winter. Listening to the Bird song in the late afternoon takes me away to the late May days of recent years, when just this sound had my heart soaring. It still soars...it is just, joyfully, earlier in the year.
Horses next door waiting for breakfast

Speaking of soaring, Eagle has made his presence felt in many ways. I smile as I write this. 

At first, I was so entranced. Eagle would fly over at around the same time each morning and settle himself at the tip of one of the giant Firs growing right next to our home. I would watch him watching us and the surrounding World, until duties called when I'd leave him to it.

More Blackberries...closer to Home now
But then, I discovered the gifts he left behind. On the cobbled stones, the cars and even splashed against the gate were the amazing results of an Eagle's digestive system. They were all quite awesome renditions of abstract art...

I also discovered once all those splashes, a few indicating fur and tiny bones, dried...they hardened. It required some scrubbing to remove them from the gate and stones. And I imagine I can look forward to more of this exercise...just this morning I found a new 'painting'!

For those who are interested, I found a website wherein the author explains about Eagle's habits in this regard. You can find it here. I had no idea Eagles "shoot their poop", for one thing...No wonder the gate managed to be targeted!

The Camellia Bush, outside the fence, was filled with Blossoms. I had not seen so many on any Bush in years and each day, I would marvel anew...until the morning arrived when suddenly, there were hardly any. 

Deer and I have begun our association in a bad way...

It's all about who you know, I've been told. In my case, I know their larger cousins, the Mule Deer from the Cariboo very, very well...and I am not above calling for reinforcements. I warn off these tiny Island Deer, in my imagination, at any rate! 

The message will be received...and I will look forward to Camellia Blossoms next year. Ever the optimist!

Lucky begins to drag his feet...Home is just around the corner
By the little Stream, Frogs are beginning to croak and sing. I hope Water in the Stream-bed will continue to flow long enough for any  Eggs to hatch. What a treat that will be for the grandkids!

In this dimension, we visited the family in Port Alberni for lunch last week. Next week, we'll go to the twin's birthday party.

In this paradigm, Milk is delivered once a week...in glass bottles. And there are farm stands up and down the road, selling everything and anything...even bags of aged Horse manure for the garden!

When we moved North, many of the conveniences which were a matter of course were no longer available. We grew accustomed to it...and so now, I am amazed at the quality and amount of service available here, in an urban setting.

Here, there are old friends to connect with, visits to arrange. Life is busy, in a different way...a more social way, perhaps, than in previous years. 

Mossy Maples across the street from Home
Over the past five months, pain from Fibromyalgia and Arthritis has greatly diminished. The extremes of pain, the knuckle-under kind, have disappeared, and in its place, a rather benign kind of pain has surfaced. Sounds strange, I know, but whatever it is, I am intensely grateful for it!

And this is how it is. Day by day, I know more and more about this latest transition in my life and understand more and more why it has occurred.

It's time, now, to rejoin the living. Time to play, time to find out who I am and what I want to manifest further in my life. I'm careful with my thoughts now; thoughts are creation and very quickly, too! 

Life is good.       

 

39 comments:

  1. So happy to hear from you, Marion, and glad you are feeling so much better. Thank you for your always lovely photos--and for eagle facts I'd never once considered. :)

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    1. Still haven't picked up my new camera...my old one actually cooperated on this day. But it is on its last legs and I can't wait for the new one! Saving my nickels, since we have no more pennies, haha! xx

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  2. Wonderful to see a new entry, Marion! I can almost smell the spring there. Here we are still pushing snow around the yard, the driveway, and the road with the farm tractor.

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    1. After living in a climate like yours, I know what it's like. Hopefully, it'll be an early Spring and you'll be in mud season before you know it!! xx

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  3. there is so much i could say. most of all, i revel in reading this! hello my friend. i am so glad to know this is where you are that your pain has diminished, that you are soulfully making new friends. i think you are right that this time and this transition will lead you well. i feel this for me too, marion

    the area looks very beautiful. it seems you will have the farms and gardeners and freshness that i have where i live. but how is it that there are buds shooting up already? no snow?

    i love you to the moon and back, marion.

    xoxo
    kj

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    1. Victoria rarely receives any snow; the weather is temperate and mild. It has the distinction of being the driest area on the Island, but still, there is a lot of rain. Right up my alley!! It's been so long...

      There are snowdrops blooming everywhere! So charming along all the roads...I think this Spring is going to be one to remember!

      Looking forward to seeing you (when circumstances permit)...you will love all the winery tours! xx

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  4. Marion, I'm so glad you're settling in and enjoying a much earlier Spring this year! It's such a pleasure discovering the 'nature' in a new place. I, too, am thrilled that your pain is lessened.

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    1. It's truly lovely and so warm! Lucky doesn't like the rain much and tends to den up when the weather is inclement...but not me. My dry Cariboo skin is soaking up the moisture and allergies and sensitivities are much better...guess I just don't transplant well from an Island setting...xx

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  5. A wonderful *Early Spring* Surprise to hear from you! Your new home is just as beautiful as your Cariboo one.....you will (and already are) making friends (two and four-legged), enjoying the gentler clime - and moving on with this new chapter in your life. Lucky is doing well too....and I am sure he appreciates the weather, as well as the new sights and scents.

    I love your Eagle info...It's news to me and made me smile as I pictured you - and the discovery!

    Most of all, I love that your pain has lessened....

    Love your photos too.... they show a different sort of beauty than the Wild Cariboo - I can't wait to see Summer and Autumn photos too!

    Welcome Back - you have been missed!

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

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    1. Lucky hates the rain; the tiny skiff of snow we had in November left a small patch of white in a shady corner. Lucky found the patch of snow and lay down upon it. It showed me how much he missed the familiar snow and ice in the Cariboo. It was a sad moment...but he does love the sunny days and the patches of sunlight and warmth on the deck. He's getting old...he's 12 now.xx

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  6. So nice to see you posting again, Marion! There is no end too the puddles across the way in my part of the world and I have become quite fond of the pictures I find in them. I hear that some folks who suffer from Fibromyalgia, however, do not tolerate the West Coast dampness well. Hopefully, that will not be the case for you as this looks to be a wonderful place to wander. Also, how lucky to have horses nearby. They make lots of gestures with their tails, etc. and I have no doubt you will learn to read their movements very well. :)

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    1. Ahh, another horse person. I grew up with horses and know their language well. One of the horses has definitely formed a bond with Lucky and I...she will come from the bottom of the field when we walk by and we'll stop and visit with her for awhile.

      We thought when we moved to the drier interior that fibro would be better. It was worse. Still not sure whether it was because of the cold/hot dry climate, the altitude where I lived, or the cold...or just because I've lived on an Island at sea level for most of my life. Asthma and blood pressure were an issue as well in the Cariboo...I am off bp medication and asthma appears very rarely here.

      It didn't happen immediately, but over the months I noticed most of the difficulties I had up north have lessened a great deal. So thankful! I'm not even wondering why anymore! xx


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  7. Marion, It has been too long since I had a visit here. You have been on a journey, I had no idea you had moved. It sounds like it has been a good move for you and I am so glad. Happy you have less pain. Your new home is lovely.
    I have been on a journey of my own, the death of my mother and a month of being very sick, but I am coming out the other side and I too have to get back out there with the living.
    Have a very happy week.
    xoxo

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    1. Dearest Annie, my very sincere condolences over your mother's passing. It is not unusual to become ill after a death of a close family member...I certainly did, as well. I am glad you are seeing the glimmer of light...it will become brighter with time. Please give yourself a hug from me and infuse it with love and warmth...xx

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  8. Yay, a new post from Marion!

    Why has your pain diminished, do you think? I would have thought that moving to a wet environment might make it worse? Have you tried one of the SSNIs for it? Cymbalta has sure helped me, but, thanks to insurance changes, the cost for my next prescription will be over $600 for a three month supply, so I've been researching what to do, and found that Effexor does the same thing but comes in a generic, so I was sure one happy boy to discover that.

    Moss! Oh, yes, we too have moss, but I'm less enamored of it than you are. In fact, I tend to want to power wash it off of the block retaining wall I built. Peggy objected, so I've left it for two years now, but I sure don't like it. It looks good on the pile of lava that we christened "Peggy Mountain" though (we first called it Mount Peggy, but that just didn't sound right).

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    1. Ha,ha, for some inexplicable reason, Mount Peggy just does not sound quite as nice as Peggy Mountain.

      I recall, at the age of six or so, finding a moss-covered Rock. It seemed huge to me at the time, but possibly wasn't. I would lie down on it and received such comfort from the soft Moss and the steady Rock. I had recently immigrated from Germany; everything was very new to me, and the Moss and Rock gave me peace. I've not forgotten it...just the sight of a Moss covered Rock twigs my heart.

      The barometric pressure is rather more constant here than in the Cariboo. I am weather sensitive, and each weather change triggers pain. I am also sensitive to altitude, and the Cariboo is in the high interior of BC. xx

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  9. Hi Marion good to hear from you again and also pleased to hear that you are benefiting health wise from the move. Thinking that it was a privilege to have had the opportunity to live in the Cariboo is the way to look at it. I'm sure you will really enjoy and appreciate all the differences, especially the seasons, of where you are now. To live through those long hard winters certainly took some doing. So enjoy the new experience and keep us all posted. All the very best. Dave.

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    1. Dave, it is honestly like moving to a completely different part of the World. I feel as if I should be hunkering down before the fireplace at this time of year. I also find it odd that plants are budding and blooming...the gardening season crept up on me far too quicky, haha!

      A friend once said...What will you do with this opportunity or challenge?...I use this a lot to see my way clear! xx

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  10. Good to be reading your blog again! has it been 5 months? wow! Your neighbourhood looks just lovely. I am so glad that your pain has diminished, all timely for your more social season. I'm sure you're having fun with your grandchildren so close now. The twins are growing up so fast! Lots of love to you Marion.

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    1. Ah, Alison, thank you for visiting when your are in the midst of your move to New Zealand! I'm so excited for you! I can't wait to read your blog as you discover a completely different way of life...

      The twins are talking now...we just went to their second birthday party. Between you and me, haha, I still can't tell who is who, most of the time...xx

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  11. Delighted to be reading here again and such a beautiful post it is. You make me want to forsake all else and just go out of doors! Glad you are settling in happily.

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    1. So interesting and heart warming to read about your care of your wonderful grandkids. I'm not quite close enough to do after school visits, but I love being able to visit just for the day.

      Right now, we're going through a horrendous wind storm, so I'm inside, too. Too much debris flying around...xx

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  12. Sorry abt testing, just had to make sure you didnt have the robot thing before I typed my response.

    so glad your pain has diminished. your new place looks and sounds delightful. Oh how i long to be social again.! And in a more convenient area. The Eagle story is fascinating. Who knew? May you continue to find new delights in your new home. I am in awe that you already have blooms.

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    1. I wouldn't call myself particularly social...in fact, perhaps even close to opposite, but I do love to know friends are near. I discovered how important that is to me.

      There is nothing like the conveniences, for sure,most locally sourced. So love eating the early salad fixin's in the markets! And I am itching to visit a few nurseries, as well...xx

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  13. Wonderful post and pics hon. How fab is all that greenery! And the Eagles too! But mots of all tis the retreat of your pain, the change in it that's the best news. Wow.The whirlwind and chnage must have been very good for you methinks. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy :D xxx

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    1. Dearest Michelle...I shall enjoy life here to the fullest, I think...so many things to choose from, to see and do...I'll have to remember to just be.

      Hope hubby's getting better. Hang in there, sweetie...xx

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  14. you must be about two months ahead of us in the seasons, as the bulbs haven't even thought about showing their green heads here yet. it looks and sounds calming and soothing to be in that area. I'm glad you are feeling well and that some pains are lessening. Many reasons for that I'm sure.

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    1. So warm here, Mim. At least to me, haha...I'm sure residents here don't always think so. But I counted seventeen crocus blooming this morning and all the primroses, as well. And I can't believe the profusion of snowdrops everywhere,so pretty against that glowing green of the moss> I am trying to get down the road to get a photo of a very charming scene...xx

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  16. I know if I moved back up north, would be murder on my joints. Keeps me down south!

    Beautiful photos, as always!

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  18. Victoria is a beautiful place.
    I have a sister that has lived there for many years.
    I moved too, last summer to Denver, love it here!
    Really enjoyed your post.
    Take care, Marion.

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  19. "and so now I go on" says it well.
    The plantings and views of the previous occupants must be almost clear now and they come up into the warm.
    Moving is hard initially but we tend to grow into the new places . . . or they grow into us.

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  20. Very nice photo shot, thanks for sharing.

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  21. Looks like it's the middle of winter in those pics. Be nice to see how great it looks during spring when there is alot of colour around.

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  22. Glad I found you after having lost track of you. Do tell us more about life n Victoria (18th Century Canada?).

    BTW, I'm re-located to Blogland Lane for at least part of the warm-weather time of the year.

    Bears Noting
    Life in the Urban Forest (poetry)

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  23. I came upon your blog and found it very touching. I am an oft-transplanted gardener too and adore digging, planting and eating from the garden. I also am an iris devotee and during one move, had to leave behind several hundred. I am a blogger too. My blog is wearegod.com. It occurs to me that I should do some posts about planting and watching. It's a wonderful metaphor for life, isn't it? It's easy to think of the spiritual life as mostly on the meditation cushion, but I think it is also very much kneeling in the dirt. Thanks very much. I'll be following. Alexis Mohr

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