Tuesday, September 27, 2005

au nord de notre vie...

...is the title of a record by a well-known (at least during the mid 1970s and early 1980s) Canadian progressive-folk band, Cano. It can be roughly translated as "our life in the north", or maybe "our northern life". And so, during the last week of August, 2005, I found myself in my northern life, my life in the north.

If you have never been to the Canadian East Coast or North Bay, or Algonquin Park in Northern Ontario, there is nothing that can prepare you for the stark beauty of that region. You can get a glimpse of the wind-shaped trees against the barren vistas and the rock formations carved by the visiting tides from the works of the seminal Canadian artists collectively known as the Group of Seven. These paintings capture the all-too real scenery better than any photograph can, capturing the spirit on the north, and the power hidding in these lands.



A week before Labour Day – actually that last weekend in August - I decided to drive up the coast of Maine and into New Brunswick, with the idea of crossing over, either by boat or by driving around, to Nova Scotia. I managed to get to New Brunswick after passing up couple of opportunities to get to Nova Scotia, the first at Bar Harbour, ME, which would have lasted about 4 hours, the other from St. John, NB and into Digby lasting about couple of hours.

Once I got to St. John I was unable to leave. I was running short of time and there were so many places to visit and see. A trip to Nova Scotia would have required another week at the least to do it justice.

I hope the photographs below, alongside some of the Group of Seven paintings, display, even though poorly, the powerfull beauty of the Great North. One can only imagine the emotions such scenery evoked in these artists to allow them to express their wonder through their eyes.


words that touch the soul...

In the dark of the night
Those small hours
Uncertain and anxious
I need to call you

Rooms full of strangers
Some call me friend
But I wish you were so close to me

In the dark of night
Those small hours
I drift away
When I'm with you

In the dark of night
By my side
In the dark of night
By my side, by my side, by my side
I wish you were
I wish you were

Here comes the clown
His face is a wall
No window
No air at all

In the dark of night
These faces they haunt me
But I wish you were
So close to me

In the dark of night
By my side
In the dark of night
By my side, by my side, by my side
I wish you were
I wish you were

In the dark of night
These faces they haunt me
And I wish you were so close to me

Yes I wish you were
By my side
INXS - "By My Side"


You do something to me, something deep inside
I'm hanging on the wire for a love I'll never find
You do something wonderful then chase it all away
Mixing my emotions that throws me back again
Hanging on the wire, I'm waiting for the change
I'm dancing through the fire, just to catch a flame
an' feel real again

You do something to me somewhere deep inside
I'm hoping to get close to a peace I cannot find

Dancing through the fire just to catch a flame
Just to get close to, just close enough
To tell you that.....

You do something to me something deep inside.
Paul Weller - "You Do Something to Me"

Saturday, September 03, 2005

let's all try and help...

...the hurricane victims in Mississippi and Louisiana! There are many ways we can help, not just with money but also by donating clothes and even used cell phones we have gathering up in closets and drawers. The Red Cross and The Salavation Army are accepting monetary donations, but there are many more other legitimate organizations as I have posted in the sidebar that will accept other types of donations.

Peace, Love and Understanding

Friday, September 02, 2005

words that touch the soul...

Simply brilliant CD. If I could, I would dedicate this song to all the women I see walking by but will never meet...


You're Beautiful
James Blunt, "Back To Bedlam"

My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw you face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

Yeah, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Fucking high,
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last till the end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw you face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.
You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.