August was a wonderful month. Its usual richness of growth has been stunted this year by drought conditions, but the blue skies are a sight to see.
Mid month a friend and I serendipitously formulated a day for an adventure.
The tide was full and we hoped its regular departure from the confines of this ancient river would help pull us out to sea in a red canoe.
A light southwest wind was up and the two forces battled each other to make a day of gliding along in Acadian harmony, towards the basin. We endeavoured to stay in the lee of it, criss crossing only when the shoreline snaked its way to the basin.
Five kilometers of waterway that regularly flushes and fills, was a naturalist’s delight. Birds crossed our path; heron, an eagle, cormorant, plovers, crows, ravens, geese and of course gulls. Three paddlers made for less work but more weight. The wind and a few fishermen’s wakes created some dramatic obstacles to our easy progress. Fun.
We pulled in at a shaded, sloped cove to have our lunch. While we rested and ate our packed lunch, the water quietly slipped away, a full three feet. Tide was on its way out. You couldn’t see its progress with the naked eye but if you turned your head away from it for a few minutes its progress became obvious. This tidal river, off the Bay of Fundy, (grand champion of tides in the whole world) is a marvel of nature.
We chased the windess lee of the steep, foliage covered banks and watched the light chop crescendo to our right. We kept port side and even traversed a small rip tide at the crest of a sand spit at the best clamming cove of the course.
Soon our final destination was in clear view and we paddled against the wind for the last part of our journey. The memory of this day will remain and serve as fodder for all the ensuing water based artworks I create. The flow, the breeze, the company are an adventure I’ll not soon forget.
Stepping out of a comfort zone is a necessity of us all but for artists, any creator, it is a must. I was comfortable with the journey if not the company. I knew that my familiar vantage point of the river would be irrevocably shifted, and it has. Risk is what creatives do, we test the waters (so to speak) We garner new perspectives by chancing new ways and means. We move ahead of the tried and true to discover new paths and angles to view the world. We turn our heads to rather sides and we look back to get perspective in transition. We do it for ourselves, we do it for you, the viewer.
Tell me, what is your newest perspective, your latest adventure, your best discovery and new found comfort zone?
