Thoughts from Chickadee Lane

These past few weeks I have been walking through the valley of death.   My oldest brother, Robert, who lived in PEI, had been unwell for the past few years and hospitalized off and on for the past few months. On March 17, I received word that he would be receiving ‘comfort care’ only. On March 18, a crazy weather day of hail, wind, rain, sun and rainbows, word came that my brother’s soul took flight. It’s strange this thing we call death. We know we are all going to take that trip. For as someone said, it is the “high cost of living.” Still. In recent years my brother and I were not particularly close. Time, distance and different interests, took us into different circles. Still when death happened, I became that 7 year old little sister and tears and memories flowed. Memoirs of playing ball with big brother. Building forts in the woods and hay loft. Walking home from the one room school house. Picking potatoes on cool September days.   Memories of driving in his first car. Walking dow

Today I begin with one of my favourite pictures, that of my mother and grandmother heading off to market.  Meanwhile thoughts of many amazing women who have been and continue to be my guides come to mind. There are the school teachers, Sunday School teachers, piano teachers, professors, Women’s Institute friends, Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT - I never did figure out what we were in training for) clergy and 4 - H leaders.   Other women are known through literature or social media where an abundance of poets, authors, scientists, theologians, musicians - courageous women of all walks of life expand my heart and mind. As I read their work on paper or screen, listen to their music, and witness their passion for equality, I am inspired by the many ways they live a vision of love and justice for all Creation. For instance, this morning I attended the annual Kennebecasis Valley International Women’s Day celebration. The theme this year - Inspire Inclusion 2024.   While we bemoaned the rea

For over 23 years, on most Thursday afternoons, you would find D ave, D avid and T ed, the DDT Team, gathered in Ted's workshop to build something. There you could find almost every tool known to humanity. Sometimes in triplicate! They would build things, complain about the state of the world, curse a few politicians and end the afternoon with a beverage often fortified with rum. The strength of the rum would vary as Ted sailed the seven seas - offering access to a diversity of flavours.   Construction projects began from a need. For example, Ted needed to haul heavy logs out of the woods, so their first project, a ‘yankee yarder’ winch was built.   Construction plans were discussed. Drawings created. The welder fired up. Metal bent and twisted. There you have it - a powerful piece of equipment ready to move any size log anywhere.    Earth needed to be moved. So the DDT team built a utility trailer. The strongest utility trailer you will find in NB. A trailer you could tip with one

What an incredible planet we share! On Wednesday this week, I was back on snowshoes. The sun shone on this cold winter day as once again I tried to keep up with Gig Keirstead of Elmhurst Outdoors as he led us to the top of a hill overlooking Belleisle Bay.   At one of the rest stops (Gig does stop occasionally) a friend, Claudette, turned to me and asked, “So, what were you doing last Wednesday, Elizabeth?”   She knew I had just returned from beautiful Costa Rica after two weeks of enjoying the sun, sand, beaches, jungle… and friends.   I had to think for a moment. “I was at Montezuma Falls. That’s where I was last week.” That realization made me pause in wonderment at the diversity of this planet. Last week, at the falls I was bathed in 38 C. temperatures! This week, in the woods on snowshoes, it was a balmy -6 C!   Still, the same sun shone upon us.   Montezuma Falls is a ‘good’ hike from the Bohemian beach town of Montezuma. You will find it on a map at the southern tip of the Nicoy

I thought was in reasonable good physical shape… until this week when I went walking with Gig Keirstead or I should say snowshoeing with Gig and about 30 other outdoor enthusiasts through the fields and woods at Elmhurst Outdoors, Erbs Cove, NB (owned and operated by Denise and Gig Keirstead).   Gig and Denise love to share their passion for the outdoors. So, among their many programs, every Wednesday morning Elmhurst Outdoors, offers a free Senior’s Program, for beginners or experienced, to “enjoy the serenity of the forest through one of their scenic snowshoe trails. Actually it was a marvellous morning. Wednesday’s snow/rain event left just enough snow to make snowshoeing possible. It was an exercise in mindfulness - my first outing on snowshoes this season.   Gig lead the caravan of snowshoers over hill and dale, though the woods and along a rapidly flowing babbling brook.   Along the way Gig drew our attention to the diversity of trees. Pulling a twig from a nearby evergreen, Gig