A Walk in the Woods on Election Day

I wanted to get away from screens and the news today, so I left on the metro early this morning for Parc Angrignon, and took a long walk along the ponds and in the woods, with my sketchbook and watercolors. Didn’t end up doing much sketching, but the walk did me worlds of good. This is the first day we’ve had that’s well above 60 degrees F. On Sunday I walked through sleet to get to the metro. Montrealers are so ready for spring!

There are no leaves out yet, on the trees, so there’s lots of light on the forest floor. This is a veritable carpet of dog’s tooth violets (or trout lilies, or adder’s tongues - depending on where you’re from).

The same wildflower, up close.

Dog’s tooth violets and red trillium (also known as “wake-robins”).

We’re in Canada, after all.

Sketching the bloodroot leaves.

And a patch of bloodroot, seen from above.

A brief encounter. (He/she didn’t want to move, and I didn’t want to disturb). Besides this fine painted turtle and several others of that species, I saw and heard many songbirds, a pair of ospreys, geese and ducks, and a grebe, and resolved that I will try to visit this park much more often than last year. It’s wild enough that you don’t feel like you’re in the city, and at an early hour, it’s just you and a few joggers and walkers, and the wildlife, trees, plants, water and wind.

I never want to forget that we live in a world like this, among creatures that know nothing of our human preoccupations. The paths were muddy and mucky, the sun warm on my face, the smell of wet earth and waking plants strong; nesting blackbirds scolded me from swaying reeds, and song sparrows and white-throated sparrows made music as beautiful as any I can imagine. I will miss going to the lake this year, so it’s important to me to find places and time closer to home where I can leave urban life behind for a while, rest, and recharge my senses and spirit. Meeting that turtle’s beady eye renewed my faith in nature, if not humanity, and that was enough for today!

Now I’m back home, awaiting the results of our Canadian election. Turnout has been heavy, and I feel confident that the result will be a strong, positive decision for the country.