Tag: Nature

The Joys of Spring: New Life, New Perspectives…blog 142

I love spring!
It brings renewed hope, freshness, new perspectives, and the reminder that after the darkness of winter, the promise of new life always returns. I cherish every part of it—rain or shine.

Spring is also the perfect time of year to celebrate those women in our lives who have had such an impact. Whether or not you are a mother, or provide support and love for others…I celebrate you!

A Symphony of Scents and Sights

I don’t know where you live, but here in British Columbia, my bike rides are filled with the sight and scent of flowering trees and shrubs in full bloom.

The white, pink, lavender, and purple lilacs make even the finest perfumes seem dull by comparison, blending harmoniously with the sweet, honey-like fragrance of the Oregon grape’s yellow blossoms. Riding through it all feels like gliding through a fragrant flower shop.

Sunshine, Scotch, and the Simple Joys

Spring feels like emerging from the cozy comforts of indoors to breathe in life’s freshness.

Time to clean off the patio chairs, lay out the bright cushions on the Adirondack chairs, pour a shot (or two!) of scotch, sit back, and smile at the sun. Pure bliss.

Nature’s Reminder: It’s Time to Begin Again

Spring speaks of new birth.
We see it all around us: buds opening, grass once buried now sprouting fresh green blades, chubby robins tending to delicate blue eggs, and trees becoming concert stages for returning songbirds.

But I believe spring also invites us—as humans—to embrace new beginnings, fresh perspectives, and personal growth. Each new beginning is as unique as the person experiencing it.

A personal win: an audio recording and a second book

On a personal note, I’m excited to have produced an audiobook from my first book What if…? Finding adventures through life’s obstacles.

AND I’m thrilled about the upcoming birth of my second book, Between Here and Where: Embracing Life’s Transitions.The cover design is complete, and the final edits—thanks to the amazing Darcy Nybo—are done. Next up: sharing it with a few beta readers, then on to publishing!

Looking ahead: travel, connection, and ocean breezes

I’m also looking forward to traveling and exploring over the next few months. The thought of spending time with family and friends—creating new memories and building on shared experiences—fills me with joy. Add in some time by the ocean, and my anticipation reaches epic levels!

Embracing change and finding hope

Of course, life continues to throw us curveballs. Change and transition are part of the journey—sometimes beautiful, sometimes challenging.

But even in the tougher moments, those changes don’t define us. They invite us to dig deep, hold onto joy, and let the warmth of past memories and hope for the future guide us forward.

They remind us to live with a sense of expectancy for the good that life still offers.

A few questions for you

So, I wonder—
What are you hopeful for as you witness the wonders of new life around you?

How are you growing and learning in this season of your life?

What thoughts linger in your heart on those joy-filled days—or on days when joy feels just out of reach?

As 2024 comes to an end…Blog 140

I’m sitting in my home office, gazing out at a very gray day. We had snow last evening, but mild temperatures and light rain have turned the fresh blanket of snow into a dull, mushy mess.

Winter isn’t my favorite season—my soul seems to hibernate, awaiting the awakening signaled by the first buds of spring appearing on the trees outside my window. These buds signal new life.

In summer, we slow down to soak up the sun’s warmth, shedding cumbersome jackets, socks, and ‘whole shoes’ (as our daughter used to call them) to make way for sandals, sundresses, t-shirts, and the ever-present sunnies. At times, the sun’s heat becomes oppressive, prompting us to seek the perfect shade under which to sip a cool beverage, dreaming of storing this glorious heat to be slowly released during the cold, frigid winter months.

Then autumn arrives. How I love this season! The summer heat fades, leaving warm days and nights that call for the cozy embrace of light sweaters to fend off the evening chill. The greens of summer transform into vibrant reds, ambers, and crimson leaves, drawing me in like the crackling flames of the fires my mum used to set in the evenings back in Ireland.

However, without the winter months that prompt us to hunker down and reflect on the gifts of new life, warmth, and harvest, we might miss the lessons nature offers.

I believe the four seasons—winter, spring, summer, and autumn—are a rich metaphor for life, especially when we consider the changes each one brings. Over the past year, I’ve been working on a book about change and transition. Initially, its focus was on transitioning from full-time employment to part-time, contract work. This transition would bridge the years between the workforce and possibly leaving paid employment altogether. As I wrote, I realized that life is, and will continue to be, filled with various transitions, each with its own intensity. This process has made me reflect on the many changes and transitions I’ve experienced and consider how successfully or unsuccessfully I’ve navigated each. Transitions stem from change; some are self-initiated, while others result from decisions made by others that impact us. Some transitions bring wonderful opportunities filled with adventure and excitment, while others may lead to loss, grief, and anxiety.

During this winter solstice season, as I reflect on the past year, I remember moments of joy and laughter, delight and pleasure, beauty and wonder, awe and curiosity, peace and stillness. I also remember moments of deep sadness and tears, anger and fear, loss and grief. This is life; these are the seasons of life that shape us into unique and wonderful human beings living amidst its messiness.

One of my favorite Broadway experiences was Rent. From the opening number, I was captivated by the stories of a group of young bohemians endeavoring to live fully. It chronicles a year in their lives. The opening song, “Seasons of Life,” asks, “How do you measure the value of a year in a person’s life?” A big question! But is it really? Looking back over 2024, how would you describe its value in terms of your accomplishments, contributions, and what you’ve received? What gauge or criterion might you use to evaluate its worth? I believe this question, posed by songwriter Jonathan Larson, provides a simple yet profound foundation for closing off a year and setting intentions for 2025, marking it as a year of great value.

What do you think? How might you measure the value of 2024?

Travel with all your senses…Blog 136

I really enjoy spring and summer. There’s something wonderful about the bursting forth of new life, the many shades of green, and the blooming flowers that turn so intently, yet gently to smile at the sun. Who can blame them after a long winter’s hibernation?

Green truly is my favourite colour. Growing up in Ireland, the Emerald Isle, may have left a greater imprint on my psyche than I imagined. Even now as I watch travel shows or movies that feature my homeland, there is something deep inside that calls out to me, an internal connection that can only come from deeply seeded memories of years gone by. Memories of times spent roaming among the purple heather on the Mountains of Mourne, walking along the shores of the Irish Sea and climbing the boulder sized rocks close to my grandparent’s home in the small fishing village of Annalong. Long days filled with picnics, swimming, sandcastle building and simply lazing at Tyrella Beach in County Down. And not to be forgotten, swimming lessons in the frigid waters of Pickie Pool in Bangor; the water was so cold it forced the breath out of my young lungs, propelling me to the safety and warmth of the edge of the pool where Mum crouched with a cup of hot cocoa. I just needed to reach her!

Green, as I sit writing this blog from my deck in Kelowna, BC, my eyes again get to feast on the many shades of green: cedar hedges, maple trees, manicured lawns, tree covered hills, grasses in patio containers, and of course herbs, ready and waiting to add an element of freshness to my morning smoothies (or to be eaten by my youngest grandkids before making it into the house).

I’m currently reading “The Heartbeat of Trees” by Peter Wohllenben. To be honest, it’s not the kind of book I traditionally read, but when you have grandkids who are committed to learning about and preserving our planet, they have a tendency to open your eyes and truly take in the beauty and creation around us. And to realise how much we need nature to live healthy lives.

Early in the book, the author speaks to how being in the forest, among those stately and life giving trees, can benefit our very health. He says:

“It’s a good idea to give your nose, palate, and gut a break every now and again by going out into the forest and spending a good long time there. Everything that flows over your senses when you are in the forest is exactly the kind of compound your body is made for. If you take along a snack of natural, minimally processed food without additives, then your time spent forest bathing will be even more beneficial.”

As you know, my blog, Probe and Ponder is all about travel and learning. Now, I don’t travel for the sole purpose of education, although that certainly is an amazing byproduct of travel. But I do want to be intentional about being aware of what’s around me, of utilizing my senses. What am I seeing, what am I hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling through touch?

Those who know me well will confirm that I can only fully see something when my sense of touch is involved (yes, even having to touch those sacred fresnos and statutes throughout Europe!). Needless to say, I was thrilled to read Wohllenben’s reflection on research regarding how touching helps us think. I get it!

So, as you head out on your travels this summer, let me share a suggestion from “The Heartbeat of Trees”.

“The next time you are walking outside, try touching a variety of objects. The feather lying by the side of the path is just waiting to be picked up. Even the slippery rock covered with algae offers unusual experiences of contact and motion.”   

In other words, experience the forest, the seaside, the mountains the way you did as a child. Or, perhaps, rather than getting frustrated with the slow, exploratory ways the little ones in your life go for a walk, take a moment to look at the tiny bug walking along the sidewalk, explore the many beautiful shells strewn across the beach, stop and smell the wildflowers on the mountain side, help them gather the ‘nature’ they encounter along the way and bask in the moment shared with those who have not yet lost their sense of wonder. 

Pics by me

Travel, food for the senses…Blog 135

When you travel, what are you looking for, or expecting? Excitement? Adventure? Challenge? Direction for life? Rest? People connections? What about refreshment or rejuvenation? What about an opportunity to take time to breathe in — deeply breath in? What about finding space to simply hear your own thoughts without the incessant noise we face on a daily basis?

Where are your go-to places to have these desires and needs met? Think about that for a moment. Think about your last getaway. What were you hoping for? Did you find it? 

Take another moment to put yourself back in that location and see if you can relive the memories. Can you hear the sounds, smell the smells, recapture your surroundings, perhaps taste the delicacies you treated yourself to? Breathe it all in and give yourself permission to savour the memory.

Our most recent trip was to Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Specifically, Victoria. Our drive from Kelowna to the ferry in Tsawwassen took us through some of the most spectacular majesty of the Canadian Cascades. The view was simply breathtaking as we drove over the highest point of 1,728 m on the Pennask Summit, then proceeded to take in the beautiful Bedded Range that surrounds the Coquihalla Highway all the way to the Chema Range as we moved through Chilliwack towards the call of the Pacific Ocean. 

Mackenzie Beach, Tofino, BC

Then there was the ferry ride. What could be more perfect than a 90 minute ferry trip from the mainland to Vancouver Island? Gentle wind on your face warmed by the heat of the sun, the unique ocean smells and sounds, expectantly watching for sea life as the captain expertly manoeuvred the Queen of New Westminster around some of the Islands in the Salish Sea enroute to the Swartz Bay landing. And then another mountain range to feast your eyes upon — the Olympics Mountains in the Olympic Peninsula of the Pacific Northwest of the US.

This was not my first trip to the Island, in fact, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve taken that same journey, and yet I remain awe struck by the beauty of creation that provides such a banquet for the senses.

And that’s only the trip to get to Victoria! I think spring time is when the city shows itself best. The flowers! Oh my…so many blossoms that once more treat your senses to yet another delight. Trees in full leaf in so many shades of green for which I’m not sure we even have names! In his book “The Heartbeat of Trees” author Peter Wohlleben reminds us that …”the color green calms our minds and promotes healing processes in us.”

Pictures taken at the Abkhazi Garden, Victoria, BC

Then there’s the ocean — my happy place. Sitting by the ocean is its own delight. Childhood memories of growing up in Bangor, Northern Ireland come flooding back, times sitting by the ocean and just breathing in its healing power in places like Carvoeiro, Portugal, or Brighton, England, or Ibiza in Spain. I recall being reminded of the ocean’s power as we watched the North Shore Pipeline on Ehukai Beach on Oahu’s North Shore, as well as the peaceful eb and flow of the waters on the beach shore of Naxos, Greece.     

Pictures from our travels

These days, what I most look for when I travel are places where my soul can be refreshed. For me that will always involve nature, top of list being oceans and forests. I remember a good friend telling us about shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. Full disclosure, I thought it was a tad ‘out there’ for me. I have since changed my tune on that one. The origins of shinrin-yoku dated back to 1980 as a physiological and psychological exercise. According to National Geographic (add link), the practice was birthed in Japan as an eco-antidote to tech-boom burnout and an effort to inspire residents to reconnect with and protect the country’s forests. It’s a practice that became more widely embraced, and, as they say…the rest is history! 

As I sit and reflect on this most recent travel experience, it’s easy to close my eyes and relive the memories. I can hear the sounds, smell the smells, recapture my surroundings, and taste the delicacies I treated myself to. I can breathe it all in and give myself permission to savour the memory. 

University of Lisbon, Botanical Garden

Vacations, holidays, travels are times I will never take for granted. However, these memories can be made right where I am — I just need to open my eyes and ears to see and hear. I need to make time daily to get into nature. I need to take in the green of the trees outside my window, watch the growth of the herbs and flowers we just planted on our deck, ride along the Greenway and listen to the water flow, take in the tree-lined trail, the occasional eagle, herron, and a multitude of birds singing their songs of worship to the amazing creation we are privileged to care for.

What are you breathing in today? What are your senses longing for? Can you close your eyes for a moment and take in the nature around you…even if it’s just a house plant that can trigger those past memories where you took in all that you needed for the moment. Breathe, listen, and remember.

“With the sense of hearing, we listen to creation.” John O’Donahue

Victoria, BC