The Meandering Trail - Daytime to Nighttime

 

My second book contains many photos taken a few days after those in my first book and includes a story about the Sydenham herons alongside the original unedited version of "the inspiring sight of heron mates in boundless flight"(the low-resolution version is published below for this blog). Still inspired by that magical morning walk, I lucked out with another beautiful day along the Cataraqui Trail and Sydenham Point. Looking back I was inspired to write some new poetry and stories to go along with the photos I had almost forgotten I had.

An excerpt from my poem-

An Ode to The Meandering Trail

Daytime

Oh would you go a-pedal-ing

Upon this trail beside this lake,

When others a trip to town they take

At the trail gate, we’ll set our brake.

 

To share the daytime hours wonder

As children explore and parents lumber,

And breathe the fragrant air now sweet 

With lilac blossoms, pine, and peat.

 

Oh would you go a-pedal-ing

A-pedal-ing with me.

                                                                                                                  by Eliza Ralph-Murphy

The photo above was taken during a little photo shoot with my Mom & her dog JT playing frisbee in Sydenham Lake. While following JT's frisbee, my eye was drawn across the lake, and there, flying past the Sydenham Point, were the two "heron mates in boundless flight." Still armed with my camera, I began to snap, snap, snap. I could see the herons together, my eyes had framed a perfect photo of their flight, but unfortunately, I was unable to catch the pair in the framed perfection I hoped for. The best of my photos had cut off the rear heron’s feet. I originally published an edited version of this photo; I wish I hadn't, but I suppose I did so because I didn't think my amateurish attempt to catch the two herons together was a good enough representation of what I had witnessed that day. I've learned that life is not perfect, and attempts to make it so diminish the beauty of those imperfections and create a false illusion and example for ourselves and others to strive for. In the future, I will leave "fairytale" photos for my fantasy books and comics and strive to share my imperfect reality here on the Meandering Trail.

JT looking at "our" Mom who is just out of the photo; he never took his eyes off of her. She led him from behind with hand signals, body language, and voice commands. She'd use both English and French because the shorter the word the better, so "come here" was shortened to "ici". As she slowed down she had to figure out a way to keep up with him because he was one of the fastest dogs on the Agility circuit. When she ran beside him like the other competitors did with their dogs, JT could only run as fast as she did. Her competitors were faster than her so no matter how fast JT was, in the end, he was only as fast as she was. Being the great competitor she had always been as a Horse trainer, she learned and adapted a training technique to lead from behind. That way JT was actually able to run faster than his competitors which is why they made the National Team when she was 73. JT was taken from us some time ago, and my Mom just recently passed. Looking at these photos is bittersweet because it reminds me of how much I loved my Mom, how much I miss her, and how much I didn't appreciate her when she was here with me. The photos can't replace her, they are just a reminder of how much she meant to me and inspired me, and how she made me the person I am, and that just maybe she was leading me from behind also.

This is JT on the dirt hill which is just across from the pond on the trail playing Frizbee.

This is them near the old Willow tree, note JT's pointed stare. Though they weren't attached together by a leash, they were stuck together by an invisible sense that only those who love each other and trust each other share. 

Jane & JT

My Mom Jane and her dog JT love coming to Sydenham Lake to play Frisbee and ball, it is a great exercise for them both. They travel all the way from Gananoque just to play in the lake because of the clean water and clear shorelines which are unavailable to the public anywhere else, she claims. And if you think she just comes just to see me you’d be wrong; she comes if I’m home or not. Luckily this day I was home, so we all took a meander down the Cataraqui Trail. At the second gate, there is an easy entry point to the lake, with a second one being approx. 50 meters past. It was a stunning day and I captured these fun photos of them playing on the dirt hill and a beautiful portrait of JT in front of the old willow tree. Btw, JT is a champion agility dog who competed for Canada alongside my Mom at the 2012 World Agility Championships, in Texas. He was also born in the area, at a farm on Sydenham Road, and comes from a champion sheepherding family.

Twilight to Sunrise and Ode to Sydenham Lake & The Cataraqui Trail

 

I have been working on a series of 3 books of poetry, photography, prose and comics. The first of these is a series of photos I took during one early morning 2-hour walk beside Sydenham Lake upon the Cataraqui Trail. This walk inspired a poem, and while working on that poem and others, I rediscovered and saw with new eyes, the photos I had take that morning so many years ago. 

Below are a few of those unpublished photos plus excerpts from the book and new poem.

An exerpt from my poem, 

"Sunrise Hour"

Oh would you go a-paddle-ing

Beside this trail upon this lake,

To feel the silent stillness break

As stroke of boat cuts rippled wake.

To spy the creatures low and high

Who soar and zip and flipper by,

And hear the stirring sounds reprise

Of croaks and chirps and squawking cries.

 

Oh would you go a-paddle-ing

A-paddle-ing with me?

                                                       by Eliza Murphy

"I headed home on the trail, looking back now and again to snap a photo from the shoreline, is when I became interested in how the trees and homes were also reflecting on the lake. Even then, I still didn't realize what a perfect morning I had stumbled into and just how rare and magical it was."

"Continuing my meander home and rounding the first trail gate I looked back from where my journey had begun just a few hours earlier and took the last photo of the morning. The sun was just above the Cataraqui Trail and creating a halo of sun bubbles bursting in the morning sky, it is a magical photo to end what was a magical morning walk on the magical Cataraqui Trail."

 

New website TheSnowmanofSydenham.ca

A Title Page in Progess

The Meandering Trail – Twilight to Sunrise

- An Ode to Sydenham Lake and the Cataraqui Trail

By- Eliza Murphy

Oh, would you go meandering

Upon this trail, beside this lake,

Before the others dare to wake,

At the trailhead we’ll set our stake;

To share the Twilight Hour’s wonder,

As Day awakens from his slumber

And breathe the fragrant air so new,

Sweet with lilac blossoms and dew.

Oh, would you go meandering,

Meandering with me?

Oh, would you go meandering

Upon this trail beside this lake,

To feel the silent stillness break,

As jumping fish cause rippled wake;

To spy the creatures low and high,

Who scamper, scurry, and slither by

And hear the Loons share haunting cries,

As Trumpet Swans stir Sun to rise,

  

Oh, would you go meandering,

Meandering with me?

Oh, would you go meandering

Upon this trail beside this lake,

To catch the Heron and his mate

In boundless flight a double-take;

To hold my hand and welcome Day

And take our role in Morning’s play,

That I may gaze into your eyes,

As you behold Dawn’s blushing skies.

Oh, would you go meandering,

Meandering, meandering,

Please, say you’ll go meandering,

Meandering with me?

Copyright © 2020 - All Rights Reserved.

The Snowman of Sydenham

I am working on my new Book "The Snowman of Sydenham". Here are some early sketches of the 3 main characters, The Snowman of Sydenham, The Full Snow Moon, and Lord Sydenham. The story is about a snowman made from the post and clothes of the Old Scarecrow, who takes his job of clearing the snow to extreme measures.

It was the last day of school,
As winter holiday had begun,
But you wouldn't know it in Sydenham,
The village was green and glum.

And the Snowman of Sydenham,
Was so proud of this sight,
Keeping Sydenham green,
Was his one and only delight.

So the man in the moon swooped his chin down low, 
And scooped up all of Sydenham's snow.

In 1839, Lord Sydenham proclaimed for all time,
That the village with his family's name,
Forever would remain the same,
A place full of laughter, fun and joy,
A wonderland for every girl and boy.

Natural Selection, Intelligent...

My Head for Numbers!

Quick Changes

Harmful Rays!

Keeping up with the neighbors-itis!

First Snowman of the Season...2020!

The First Snowman of 2020 will look like the first of the season with the recent thaw and melt in the Kingston area.

Sticks Up!

I have been going through some old drawings that for some reason I never published. Funny how things look different to you after some time has passed and you see them with new eyes.

A Tiny Bench

The commemorative bench placed in memory of my Mother-In-Law Fran Murphy sits near the eastern shoreline of Georgian Bay in the Township of Tiny, Ontario. Placed beneath an old oak tree at the perfect angle to enjoy a view of Blue Mountain, a slowly passing sailboat, the setting sun or a shooting star. The bench is just a hop, skip and jump away from where Fran owned a cottage on the same stretch of beach. The memories of our days there together will be with me for always. 

Miss you Fran,
Love Eliza  XOX

In Memeory of Mary Frances Murphy. 1942-2015

As you cherished this shoreline and it's mountain view;

Today another will sit and contemplate it too.

Loved my thousands around you will forever remain,

The "Glorious Lady" of this Tiny refrain.

An alternate version of the Fran's Poem. I have inserted parenthesis where you might consider changing and personalizing the poem.

A Tribute To

Frances

Will-Murphy

1941~2015

As you cherished your time here(this place)
And it's special( ) view;

Today another will sit( )

And contemplate it too.

Loved by thousands around,

You will forever remain,

The "Glorious Lady"
Of this ex-ample( ) refrain.
                                                
                                                        By Eliza Ralph-Murphy
                                                                                     copyrighted Oct. 12, 2018           

Update-

I took some photos of the bench this past summer. I felt the bench looked happy basking in the summer sun, but I worried about the winter and how the pine might be affected by the snow and ice. I was considering changing the location or perhaps requesting a new home for next winter. Although, Fran did appreciate the driftwood that found its way onto her shoreline, so perhaps the weathered look is the way to go.

me "contemplating the view"

no beach this year

I made a card of this photo for my father in law along with the poem.

a photo of Fran's cottage

Rest In Peace Mr. Heron

Mr. Heron fishing on the waterfall at the dam in Sydenham 20 ft from where I found him on the side of the road.
R.I.P. Mr. Heron, you will be missed.

I

SNOW ME

2 Trails Down 8 to Go- Doe Lake Trail Loop

Ok when the brochure said the 3km trail would take 1.5 to 2 hours to walk I thought that sounded like they thought people would be stopping for a picnic. Well it took us 90 minutes and we didn't stop for snacks. A few pauses to enjoy the view was about it. No really, it took us 90minutes to walk 3km. 

As you may have noticed in the picture I decided to buy the summer park pass and picked up a park map we can mull over at home before we set out for our next trail adventure. I am rethinking bringing the dog next time as the remaining 8 trails will have us out there for more then 3hrs.

Hmm and I am wondering how these hikes are going to affect my running training.  I did have a recovery run afterwards and was thinking the hike was a bit of work for my already tired glutes.

1 Trail Down 9 to Go- Arab Lake Gorge Loop

1 trail down 9 to go;-)

(see trail info at the bottom of this post or here).

When I informed my daughter that we would be going to Frontenac Park  after I finished up some work the first thing she asked me was if that was the park near the Go-Carts or batting cages? I told her neither and she informed me that if it was a walking park she didn't want to go, "Walking is boring". I knew there was no way to convince her that walking on a trail was more exciting then go-carting but knew she would join me anyways even if she'd be moaning about it the entire way there. Luckily after I informed her that there would be some preparing to do ie. pack water for the dog and drinks and a snack for us she perked up immediately and began getting things together. She is my little organizer afterall and likes to do things like that and it was the turning point I was hoping for. Still as we drove further away for our little village and hence much further away from the "Big City" and the go-carts she did manage to point out to me that the drive time to the trails was about equal to the drive time to the go-carts.

I had been to Frontenac Park before in the winter for a snowshoe race a few times but things looked alot different now with the snow gone. Everything was locked up for the Easter Monday holiday so we looked around for maps and found the entrance of two of the shorter trails in the Park which luckily began right beside the Office. I was hoping she would opt for Doe Lake Loop, the longer of the two trails, which at 3km would be a doable distance for her and Brady however after noting the 1.5km distance of the Arab Lake Gorge Loop, Rhiannon wanted to get this walking thing over with ASAP and headed down the trail running. Leaving me with the dog, the backpack of snacks she packed(enough for an all day hike at that) and my rather large camera I grudgingly had no choice but to follow behind her before she got swallowed up by the trees never to be seen again. "Slow down", I called to her as she trotted down the long and winding boardwalk into the interior of the park. I must say I was amazed at the boardwalk which had been built so that we could go to a part of the park we might not be able to enjoy otherwise.

After stopping for a snack(yes, I was informed it was snack and water time for after only 5mins) she was off again, stopping briefly to look at the beaver's dam where soon after the boardwalk ended and it was clear dirt trail from there on in. I, still with the supplies of the day and dog could hear myself calling, "Stay on the trail", "Don't climb those rocks", "Get out of the tree", "No, don't walk on the downed log, or up that cliff ". After listening to myself for 5 minutes or so I realized she was having a blast and I was being a big party pooper at her party. 

OK hiking is fun, why did I think hiking was so serious. Stay on the trail, go off the trail, eat when your not hungry, climb an old rotten tree that might not be able to hold your weight, what could go wrong? So I bit my tongue, hoped she wouldn't break her arm, or neck, scrape her shin or stub her toe because I knew if she did any of those things that the odds of getting her out on that trail again would be less then even, maybe 1 out of 4. So I had to play my cards well, cheer her when she made it to the top of that cliff and hold my breathe as she slid on her ass down to the bottom.

I have no idea how long it took us to walk all of 1.5km. Perhaps 45 min to an hour but we popped out at the Park Office building without a scrape between us and Little Miss "Walking is Boring" was beaming from her accomplishment. She couldn't believe how the trail was more like an obstacle course then a boring walk in a regular park. I kinda felt bad for the dog who had to stay on his leash and watch his sister enjoy herself to no end. Sure I could have pushed her to take on another loop or trail but I thought ending it on this high note, not pushing her into doing more then we had planned was the perfect end to the first trip of what I hope will be many for both of us this year to Frontenac Park.

Arab Lake Gorge Loop DONE
•Loop distance: 1.5 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 0 km
•Approximate time to complete: 40 minutes


This loop is serviced by and extensive boardwalk and gives visitors an excellent close up look at the flora and fauna of the Arab Lake Gorge.


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Arkon Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 13 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 1.6 km
•Approximate time to complete: 3-5 hrs


This loop occurs on the west of the Park. It features excellent views of Arkon and Birch Lakes and their adjacent forested hills. This loop also includes the Arkon Lake Bog, a fine example of a ring Bog.


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Big Salmon Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 19 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 3.3 km
•Approximate time to complete: 5-7 hrs


This loop goes completely around the shoreline of Big Salmon Lake. The trail features the shoreline forest and cliffs of the lake and includes several lookouts.


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Cedar Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 15 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 1.6 km
•Approximate time to complete: 4-6 hrs


This loop features the largest complex of wetlands within the park. All phases of wetland as well as ridge succession are evident along this trail.


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Doe Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 3.0 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 0 km
•Approximate time to complete: 1-2 hrs


This loop skirts two beaver ponds, climbs to a spectacular lookout over Doe Lake and returns along the shore of Otter Lake. The trail explores some of the landforms found in the southern zone of Frontenac Provincial Park.


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Hemlock/Gibson Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 11 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 7.5 km
•Approximate time to complete: 3-5 hrs


This loop follows the original route of an old logging road for part of its length. The trail examines the geology of the Hardwood Bay area on Devil Lake. The site of an old logging shanty near Hemlock Lake and a log cabin on Hardwood Bay are also featured.


Note that there is a little confusion about this loop. On the trail the signs refer to this loop as the Gibson Lake Loop (11 km). Hemlock Lake Loop (6 km) is a small loop around the circumference of Hemlock Lake as shown on the sample map. At the Park Office, the Hemlock Lake Loop refers to a combination of the Gibson and Hemlock Lake loops. Confused?


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Little Clear Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 9 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 6.5 km
•Approximate time to complete: 3-6 hrs


This loop examines the sites of several abandoned homesteads developed in the 19th century in the area of Little Clear Lake.


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Little Salmon Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 15 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 2 km
•Approximate time to complete: 3-5 hrs


This trail explores the area of the park around Little Salmon Lake and features an excellent view of Moulton Gorge.


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Slide Lake Loop
•Loop distance: 21 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 3.3 km
•Approximate time to complete: 6-8 hrs


This loop is located in the most rugged part of the Park. The trail crosses Labelle Gorge and passes a series of waterfalls which drop 16 metres from Slide Lake to Buck Lake. This loop features an excellent view of Mink and Camel Lakes and the ridge and trough landscape of this area of the Park.


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Tetsmine Loop
•Loop distance: 12 km
•Distance from the Park Office: 8.6 km
•Approximate time to complete: 4-6 hrs

This loop explore an area typical of the Park's northern zone. Marble ridges, rock outcrop and mature deciduous forests are featured. This loop also examines man's influence in the area. Portions of an old log slide, abandoned mica mines and the remains of the McNally homestead on Kingsford Lake are evident along the trail.