I typed in "Paradise" and "beach" into my google search engine and here's a sample of what came back.

I've not yet travelled to the Carribean. But, I'll buy that image of paradise in a flash. Mind you, I didn't ask for trees. But the tall trunked, broad leaved dance partners are a nice touch. I've always been partial to trees. They have a very unique energy and add character to an otherwise two dimensional land, or in this case seascape. And, how's that for spacing. Perfect hammock width, I'd say. But, I digress. What interested me in the links that came back was the variety of vistas that easily fit into the pool of what can be considered paradise. It made me ponder over all the times I felt lost, or rather found in a perfect moment. On the Pacific Coast highway north of Carlsbad, I stopped to acknowledge a flawless moment. On the hills overlooking Rome at 2am in ealy June....the chills of joy consumed me. But, I don't believe Paradise is reserved for the grandious. Icecream at the foot of royal york easily paints a brush stroke on that warm and fuzzy canvas. So too does CalliopeHill on North Tea Lake, Sandbanks with my dog, the shoreline of Lac Labelle, fireflies on Cyprus Lake, the grotto on Georgian Bay, the Automotive building at Freakin '98, Buena Vista Park in SF, Gerswin on 51st, dawn at 1500ft, the window view on a transatlantic.... It's as though paradise isn't really a place but a feeling, a perspective, a state of being, a whisper of love that amplifies as it washes over you, the wonder in the newly discovered, the realization of dream that supercedes anything previously imagined. I suppose that's why I love to travel, walk new roads, meet new minds, run boldly into the unknown. Because, through all the wasted efforts, and failed attempts, there is the possiblity, dare I say even probability of finding paradise where you least expect it. And, the only thing better than finding Paradise, is sharing it. So, I hope I meet you on a sunlit, sweetly scented day journeying down that treasured path to Shangi-la.


"Somewhere there's a happy ending, where the sand and sky are bending towards the sea of Paradise.
And if I have to spend a lifetime, chasing clouds and sipping sweet wine, is that not the perfect price,
to finally find the perfect moment, finally dream the perfect dream,
finally catch a little piece of heav'n here on earth, to share it with you when we meet."

Silence...well, almost. It's one of those nights where my fingers' dance on the computer keyboard resonates with the subtlety of a lame night watchman hobbling down the hall. Where the swoosh of passing cars scream like a vortex consuming my thoughts. Click, click, click... The dish washer seems determined to make me aware of every minute spent labouring on my pots and pans. And, then a lull. Sweet silence.... almost. There's a gentle hum. Is it the incandescent light overhead? Clack. It's off. But, the hum sings on. An almost indiscernible melody hiding just below the audible. A whistle from the street below, more clicking from the maytag. Everything accounted for. A familiar tune.... But, I want to raise the volume on the city's hum.. hard to hear from up here. If it were any earlier, I'd venture out into the night. Just walk and look and listen. Taste the air. Smell the breeze. Connect. Become. It's something I used to do a lot. Just walk. Turn when it felt right to turn. Stop when it felt right to stop. Follow the hum. It always leads me somewhere new. It takes my hand and shows me things I've only dreamed or only just forgot. And, when I’m done my tour of wonderland, somehow it always sees me home. I think I'll reserve part of Saturday for a random romp, a soulful sojourn, to recharge and reconnect and fill the silence with new life, new sound, new inspiration. For now I'll end this dance and rest upon the silence that marks this lonely night. Sweet dreams.

You litterally had to climb through this hole in the ground (through the overhang) to get down to the cave. But, it was so worth it. The water was pretty cold...But, it was soo warm outside.. I stayed in the bay for a long time. There was a smaller lake closer to our camsite too which was much warmer. I swam a lot this weekend. After we packed up on Sunday, I drove to my sister's cottage in Southampton and swam in lake Huron with my niece and nephew. It was a great day of catching up with family I hadn't seen since Christmas. Another three hours of driving the back roads on midwestern Ontario and it was home sweet home. I'll sleep when I'm old. ;)

Welcome to the "grotto". This picture doesn't even do it justice. But, the real thing was a slice of Paradise capping off a very busy and exciting week! Last Wednesday, I woke up at 3:15am to race into work for the morning show. I was loaded down with luggage because right after the show...it was a taxi ride to the train station and a little via1 service.. Destination: Kingston. We filmed all day and cut a story before crashing at 11pm. Tourism Kingston put us up at the 4points. It was verrrry comfortable lodgings. The next day I was up at 4:30am and setting up at Fort Henry at 5:30 for morning and noon broadcasts. What a view! I was also hopped up on caffeine. So, I wasn't in too bad shape. At 2 we boarded the Island Queen for a 3 hour tour of the 1000 Islands. I even got to steer the boat. hehe. We had a great dinner on the tourism board at the Chien Noir...saweet. Then a bit more editing before crashing again at about 11:00pm. Up at 4:30am and down to confederation Park to broadcast from the waterfront in the midst of Busker's Rendez-vous....so much fun. After a great brunch to wrap up a great escape to Kingston...we were back on the train. We arrived at Union at about 4pm. I grabbed a rental....chnged clothes and then it was off to Midland to see the folks. The next morning at 8am I was on the road again...this ime to join Katherin, Eva, Tanya, Justin and Fiona at Bruce Peninsula National Park. I arrived at 12pm and within minutes we were off on a caving and hiking expedition that lead to the Bay. Above you see the grotto. Belove you will see the cave. It was amazing. The light was coming up through the water...as an underground passage lead out to the bay. It was like being in the Greek Isles.

Another new beginning

Life.... a house built on the foundation of small wonders and new beginnings. Just when you think you’re about to master your own reality, something or someone enters your life to send your thoughts to brave new worlds.
Meet Mohave, my cousin’s 4 month old. He just came back from a summer spent tavelling Europe with his two moms. I would really like to have a chat with him. "Some pablum for you thoughts", I’d say. I think he’d just smile and wait for me to make silly faces. But, deep down I think he holds some answers to the road that lies ahead. Maybe when he’s old enough to form his gurgles into coherent sentences, he might teach me how to build a bigger house built on the foundation of small wonders and new beginnings.

Trying to figure out the picture/profile thing...bare with me. :)

A New Beginning

Change can often feel like sudden death and rebirth! It can be destabilizing and intense and wonderful at the same time. It can creep up on you...Sometimes it comes in small doses. And, sometimes it rocks your world. But, at some point...there is the change like no other that propels you somewhere you never imagined...opens the doors on strange new worlds from which it would be near impossible to find your way back. You turn to the past but see nothing familiar. You look to the future and see only your dreams.
There is terminology in meteorology called "point of free convection." It is the point where clouds no longer need support from anything lifting them up to fire into thunderstorms. They start to explode upwards on their own momentum..(because condensation creates heat, heat rises, rising air into colder air produces condensation which creates heat and so on)....It only happens at a certain point of altitude based on air temperature and humidity. But, until they reach that point, they need to be propelled by some external factor.. Before that, they are simply waiting for fate to just give them a push. No matter how intense their desires or dreams...they just drift and float.
I think life works like that sometimes too. You can work incredibly hard....dream incredibly big....but it seems it's up to chance or opportunity or fate to guide you to the door behind which everything ignites. That door opened up for me three years ago September. And, what a wild ride it's been. Sometimes it feels like I died the day I took a chance and walked away from a predictable future. Maybe part of me did. But, as I'm about to rocket forth one more time I wont stop to ask if I am dead or dreaming. I'll just enjoy the Vanilla Skies.
Have a beautiful day!
"Whatever you do, or dream you can, begin it, boldness has genius, power, and magic in it." Johann Wolfgang van Goethe