Saying Goodbye at the Edge of the World

We collected smooth, flat rocks from the beach at the edge of the world--or, at least, the edge of our country. We collected them because we brought crayons to write messages about Aunt Linda in memory of her. I received the phone call that morning that my sister-in-law had finally been taken home by God and I had no way of packing up camp quickly and driving three hours to comfort my husband and family right at that moment. Since three of my kids were with me, we decided to make a memorial right there at the tip of Canada by throwing the stones in the Lake and praying for comfort and peace for all of us who loved Linda. We knew she was made whole and healthy and full of inexpressible joy the second she entered heaven, but we were sad for those of us who were left behind to go on without her. 

We did pack up and leave a day early to be with our family but, the two days at Point Pelee on Lake Erie were memorable. We camped with my mom and step-dad, roasted marshmallows, desperately searched for any birds who were stragglers from the many flocks who'd recently migrated all over Canada after landing in that very spot only a couple weeks before. We'd postponed the trip twice and so we knew we were a little late. Nature wonders to behold everywhere anyway.

Gratitude:

1809. opportunity to travel

1810. how he still holds my hand as we walk

1811. how she trained my sisters and I to take our cameras wherever we go

1812. spotting this black-headed tern--new for me!

1813. turtles, turtles everywhere at the marsh--love them!

1814. this creepy little bird which I admire and dislike at the same time (barn swallow)

1815. for swamp sparrows

1816. the way that butterfly net amused him for hours

1817. how he'll jump into a selfie without a complaint

1818. how she must walk Mama and Papa's dog every time she sees her

1819. sleeping in the back of the truck with Molly for two nights--painful but adventurous!

1820. narrowly escaping the wrath of the red-wing blackbird (he attacked and slammed his body into my head three times before I knew what had hit me! defending his territory)

1821. loving the s'mores, avoiding the smoke

1822. how they can't wait till this time of the evening

1823. reminiscing about this one at a year and a half with sticky "washmellows" all over her

1824. how she always cooks the perfect toasty brown one for the adults before she makes her own

1825. finding a skink

1826. stretching without complaining on the very long walk

1827. how God has healed her! three years ago she had her accident and, although, still in pain, she walked all day with us on the trails

1828. how that magnifying glass opened his eyes to new things

1829. fascinated by everything

1830. how she pointed out countless things to me, then... dropped

1831. the way coming late to Pelee has its benefits... solitude... no crowds

1832. the song of the Common Yellowthroat (look it up and listen, if you get the chance)

1833. how resting still results in exploring

1834. the marsh boardwalk and how it seemed to go on forever

1835. how happy he was that he could put three new stickers in his bird book

1836. being 42 years old at the 42nd parallel :)

 

1837. knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will see my sister-in-law again

1838. tossing in our rocks and saying our earthly goodbyes at the edge of our little piece of the world

Everybody Does Their Own Thing

It's a small window of time till those birds can no longer be spotted as easily and so we lay down the books and take advantage of the weather and the barely budding trees. As long as we bring along scooters, a bike, and snacks, everyone is happy. Everybody does their own thing and it makes for an enjoyable adventure!

 

Point Pelee is the birds' first landing place after a long and tiresome flight and so, my friends, Annie, Cathy and I cottaged there, hoping to catch them before they dispersed north. Two days of staring through binoculars brought me a little closer to the Creator as I stood many times, marveling over the intricate details of colours, lines and feathers. Breathing in the fresh air, walking for eighteen hours between the two days left us tired, peaceful and hopeful for what we'd soon be capturing in our binoculars at home.

This one likes to have her photo taken :)

Somehow, every little thing becomes a gun.

We received a sweet welcome from this Common Yellowthroat the other day.

Identifying the subtle differences between each Thrush keeps things interesting.

Aw, how cute is this Bay-breasted Warbler?

This Mourning Warbler flitted down beside me while the "professional birdwatchers" were looking for him at Pt. Pelee.

Sweet Redstart

Funny, how my friends were searching for this Wood Thrush and when we got home, we realized I had a photo of him on my camera :)

Tiny Yellow Warblers at Pt. Pelee were as plentiful as Robins are here.

Trying to view a flycatcher. We call this the "neck-breaker".

Friendly Chestnut-sided Warbler. He followed us around.

The little Loft Cottage we stayed in at Pt. Pelee. It overlooked Lake Erie.

I had never seen a Scarlet Tanager before!

This Northern Goshawk landed on my neighbour's roof the other day.

Picking flowers makes life lovely.

Loved hanging with this knowledgeable lady.

Funny Green Heron, oh, how you make me laugh!

Beautiful Bird-Nerd (Annie)

Married outdoors-ys :)

Mama-walks

I call this Cedar Wax-Wing, the Captain of the Guard.

My little birder. Oliver puts a sticker in his bird book on every bird he's spotted. He's my most interested kiddo.

Three of these Elegant Indigo Buntings in two days? My surprise from God.

Togetherness is the most important ingredient in all this nature-hiking we've been doing lately. I'm so thankful we can each enjoy our own thing while remaining within close proximity to each other and to the living, breathing creation. If you're not a nature-seeker, I encourage you to get a magnifying glass and binoculars and get out there! You'd be surprised what you're missing in your area!