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July 23, 2018

The Value of Going Camping.

I am not really an avid outdoors person, but I do value Nature in its many forms: the human contoured backyard gardens that my wife and I have created for our own daily enjoyment, the common spaces further afield such as Provincial Parks where we can all have access to places and geography that are not in our own backyards, and the great spaces set aside by Federal governments for the enjoyment and good of us all on grander scales preserved by visionaries who also appreciated what Nature can bring to the health and enjoyment of all of us.

Although we have daily access to the space we have in our own backyard, and it is a space of calm and beauty for our spirits and minds, there is something worthwhile in the process of planning and managing a camping excursion. Each summer we have planned and enjoyed several excursions to our Provincial Parks in Ontario. Our first forays were to pretty civilized campgrounds with a lot of amenities. It was a good start for us as we learned what we needed to manage a few days away from the comforts of home. We became a little bolder last year and went to a site that was a little more off the beaten path of mainstream campers. We even tried a trek into the wilderness, to see what it might be like to venture even farther into Nature. This year, we returned to a Park with more amenities ;)

July 23, 2018

The Value of Going Camping.

I am not really an avid outdoors person, but I do value Nature in its many forms: the human contoured backyard gardens that my wife and I have created for our own daily enjoyment, the common spaces further afield such as Provincial Parks where we can all have access to places and geography that are not in our own backyards, and the great spaces set aside by Federal governments for the enjoyment and good of us all on grander scales preserved by visionaries who also appreciated what Nature can bring to the health and enjoyment of all of us.

Although we have daily access to the space we have in our own backyard, and it is a space of calm and beauty for our spirits and minds, there is something worthwhile in the process of planning and managing a camping excursion. Each summer we have planned and enjoyed several excursions to our Provincial Parks in Ontario. Our first forays were to pretty civilized campgrounds with a lot of amenities. It was a good start for us as we learned what we needed to manage a few days away from the comforts of home. We became a little bolder last year and went to a site that was a little more off the beaten path of mainstream campers. We even tried a trek into the wilderness, to see what it might be like to venture even farther into Nature. This year, we returned to a Park with more amenities ;)

July 23, 2018

The Value of Going Camping.

I am not really an avid outdoors person, but I do value Nature in its many forms: the human contoured backyard gardens that my wife and I have created for our own daily enjoyment, the common spaces further afield such as Provincial Parks where we can all have access to places and geography that are not in our own backyards, and the great spaces set aside by Federal governments for the enjoyment and good of us all on grander scales preserved by visionaries who also appreciated what Nature can bring to the health and enjoyment of all of us.

Although we have daily access to the space we have in our own backyard, and it is a space of calm and beauty for our spirits and minds, there is something worthwhile in the process of planning and managing a camping excursion. Each summer we have planned and enjoyed several excursions to our Provincial Parks in Ontario. Our first forays were to pretty civilized campgrounds with a lot of amenities. It was a good start for us as we learned what we needed to manage a few days away from the comforts of home. We became a little bolder last year and went to a site that was a little more off the beaten path of mainstream campers. We even tried a trek into the wilderness, to see what it might be like to venture even farther into Nature. This year, we returned to a Park with more amenities ;)

"New Thinking

For A New Year" Audio Messages

Terry Wigmore

Songwriter/Educator/Explorer of the Arts

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Terry Wigmore

Jul 31, 20182 min read

July 31, 2018

It is not my usual comfort zone, wandering around fairs and markets. However, once in a while, my wife successfully tows me along on an adventure or two.

This weekend we visited the local fair at Kawartha Settlers Village and this outing resulted in renewing a few older acquaintances at several of the tents, as well as being drawn to one new vendor's stand. It was a display of finely hand-crafted journals that caught my eyes and I slowly wandered out of earshot of my wife and over to inspect the journals.

I suppose it is because I love to write in my own collection of journals that my mind wandered as I looked at this vendor's work. There were so many themes, so many colours, and so many styles that I was absorbed.

I started a casual conversation with the vendor, and in no time it felt as though we were old friends. Cher Edwards seemed delighted to explain her craft and book binding techniques and after explaining a little about my interest in her journals and my belief in the value of journaling, both as an educator as well as in my own personal practice, I think she knew I was a supporter and fan of her work.

I managed to maneuver my wife closer and introduced her to Cher. It was an instant, palpable connection between us and the world of art and writing. My wife was drawn to a specific motif, an ancient fertility goddess image that Cher had emblazoned on a few of her journals, and my wife quickly settled on an earth-tone, clay-like colour. A sale! A Prize! That journal was used as soon as we returned home that day.

Attached below is a photo of the journal, with a turkey feather from one of the many hens that pass through our backyard. A quill, emblematic of all the writing and original thinking that will eventually fill Cher's journal and lead to another encounter and another sale in the not too distant future.

Cheers to Cher and her desire to create original covers for her journals, and gratitude for a chance meeting at a local fair :)

TW.

Cher Edwards can be reached at one of her sites below:

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