Blitzed By The Beauty

This morning...I went to Beacon Hill Park...one of the lovely spots in
Victoria...with its Gary oaks...and flowers of many kinds in bloom. The dew was
still on the grass...as I meandered through its appealing sights...stopping from
time to time to take a picture of low lying blue flowers growing out of
crevices in boulders...or fields of daffodils ...combining with the light pink
of cherry blosoms. Took a few pictures from the top of Beacon Hill...but then went
down the hill towards the water...to get pictures with the yellow of the
blooming gorse in the foreground...the wide expanses of the Straits of Juan de Fuca
...and the mountains of Washington State...on the other side. As I was telling a
relative...I came here...camera in hand at the perfect time of the year with
so much bloomimg going on. For instance...many of my pictures of swerving
shore lines...and distant points pushing out into the water...have been framed by the
vital yellow of gorse...that at another time of year...might not be in bloom. I
returned to my home away from home...with my senses blitzed by the beauty of the vistas...and the bloomings I had seen...and also the quiet of certain spots...only
punctuated by bird calls...at times. Feel as if my trip has been more than
worthwhile...already..................Quester.

Trip...Random Notes 1

Yesterday was a beautiful day for coming over to Vancouver Island. I took many pictures of mountain...island...and water vistas. I won't be able to post any of them until I get back to Vancouver. Was warmly welcomed and made to feel perfectly at
home. This morning I discovered a wonderful beach off Dallas Road...which seems
to skirt the water a lot of its length. There was hardly anyone there...and the gorse
was in bloom on the cliff above the beach. Headlands curving outwards into the water
also...contributed to a bonanza of pictures. This afternoon I spent time at the
harbour in Victoria...but didn't take as many pictures there. Up ahead is meeting with more relatives and friends. I've always enjoyed coming to Victoria...and this time is no exception.

Sailing At Last

In a little while I'll be heading out to take the ferry from the mainland...over to
Vancouver Island...one of my favourite ferry trips anywhere...with beautiful vistas
of water and mountains all around. For me this trip to the Big Island...in and of itself...gives you the feeling you're on holiday before you ever get to the other
side. This time...I'll have my tiny trusty camera with me...and hope to return home
with some good reminders of my time..."Sailing at last"..........Quester.

Ophelia Floating On The Water

A relative of mine on seeing this picture said..."Looks like Ophelia floating on the
water". I was thankful for this particular remark...because at moments I've wondered
if I was being carried away...as I saw all kinds of faces and shapes in some of the
pictures I've taken. This is one of the things I look forward to taking and editing
pictures...wondering what new mysteries I'll find in them...that I may not even have
seen at first sight. I think from early times in our human journey...our brains have
had a natural tendency...to see images in clouds...on rocks...on the water...and more.
Yes...there is some evidence to suggest that we are all natural picture makers...that's
why...some years ago I decided to develop this potential...and started painting pictures. These days...by just observing closely...what's around me...and clicking
away...I've become a "quicker picture maker"...with my primary tool...not a brush...
but a little digital camera...I am very thankful... that particular artist's tool...
has come into my life...............Quester.

I Create

At a gathering in London...after my third album of songs came out...a country man kept
saying to me..."But do you have any hits?"...not long ago in Vancouver a poet
said to me..."but what is this writing you're doing for...?". Both these
people were speaking from a universe I do not live in...that reduces creativity to
what it can get for you in the world...in terms of fame and money. This way of thinking
dominates our world...but I've lived in aother world for a long time...that does not
give away my power to forces outside of myself...to decide about my work as an artist
...or my life. This is because...despite making 24 cd's of my songs...and publishing
5 books of my poems and song lyrics...and having my "fifteen minutes"...on more than
one occasion...I have experienced...first hand...the tremendous enrichment to my life
I've received from creating...in and of itself. I want to share this well kept secret with others...who have
been dominated by the notion of...creativity only for external reward. Creativity exercised...has helped me to think for myself...it has liberated me
from a colonial boy's brain washing...made me confident that I can decide about all aspects of life for myself...helped me to see the beauty in Creation and in other People...and to understand the pain of others who share this Earth with me. There are
many more benefits to exercising creativity...beyond its material rewards...but for
now I'll close by saying...its also kept me young in spirit...regardless of the lines
on my face. What I've said...and more...is why i am always for ...not creativity tied
to some reward in this world...but for bringing the power of "Free creativity" into
our lives................Quester.

Launch...Random Notes

[This post is for Monday March 27th. Picture taken at the Astrolabe...Ottawa...in the
90's] Today's account of the launch will not be the p.r. version...but about how it
felt to me. Random notes...Early on a nice clump of people from Guyana arrived...it
was a pleasant surprise...then there were other earlyish birds. However we were late
starting...as we waited for several other people who had said they were coming. We
waited...and waited...but they never showed. I hear the Norwalk virus is around...that
could have been the reason for their absence. We finally started...showing a video of
excerpts of film...video...and tv projects I've been involved in...in my "vinyl days". I was sitting right at the front...so I couldn't see psople's faces...but I could hear a pin drop...so I knew they were looking and listening...and I could hear some laughter too...at relevant moments. I then introduced three friends who performed beautifully and helped to give me a lift. I was dead tired...and disappointed...at those who were going to come but didn't...but...as always...knew that I was thankful for the good nucleus of people who had come. It took me about three songs to warm up...and later
a songwriting friend joined me on the piano...and we did some blues...and "Black
Berry Time" at the end...which really helped us to end on a lovely note. After...
several people came up...acquiring cd's...and a young woman with a soulful face...
and offering much empathy...reminded me that if you really connect with one person
in a situation like this...that suffices. Seems there was more than one fine
connection this night...including...to my surprise...the owner of the launch site...
animatedly asking me for one of my cd's...which she immediately played over the sound
system. So...out of initial disappointment...some great overcoming was done...and
there was much help and encouragement given from friends present. This morning...I'm
thinking...I might actually do this again...up ahead............Quester.

Under Dawn Skies

[Words from song: "Under Dawn Skies"...Copyright-SOCAN]
"We move under dawn skies...
where the free eagle flies...
and where stone faces tell many stories...
By bays where the loon wails...
over Ojibway trails...
will the Song of the North...
reach us through the trees...?
and echo long through our souls...
as the old story unfolds...
of how small we really stand...
on the Land..........."
...............Quester.

Launching Day

Today is the launch day for my new cd..."Autumn Moon"...after starting work on it last
August. It wasn't a case of flat out work on it since then. The time taken to get it to
this day...was punctuated by obstacles...and my having to overcome my own inertia
about pushing it to the finish line. How do I feel?...I feel glad that the day is here
...but not over excited...having been here many times before. Earlier this morning
...it came to me...that what I was most looking forward to...is the meeting together
with friends...and people I like...and making some good energy together. I am
confident...that will come to pass.............Quester.

Pictures Of Another Time 7

[Words from song "Old Fashioned Immigrant"...Copyright-SOCAN]
"Play the old music...we'll dance once again...
like we did long ago...
When winter was only a thought on the wind...
and we danced long and slow...
The fire still burns in my blood...
though my birthland and I've been apart...
An old fashioned immigrant...
hearing the beat of his heart...
So play it sweet and slow for me...
your southern fire sets me free...
from all the worry and the pain...
to dance my rumba once again..."
........................Quester.

I'll Take The Rain

Twenty one years ago...when I told a friend from Calgary...I was going to live on the
West Coast of Canada...he said only two words: "Terminal mildew". Despite these words
of encouragement...I did make the move...and am now well acquainted with the often
wet reality of living in this part of the world...that my friend...and millions of
others who live elsewhere...make cracks of one kind or another about. I'm...of course
...reminded of this because...once more...the rain has returned today. Yes...it does rain a lot out here...but I will take the wetness...along with the great beauty...
which I can see a slice of...from my front windows...with my mountains always there
to console me...correction...except on rainy days when they usually disappear. Today
is one of those rainy days...when they are still visible...and for that I am thankful.
Right now there is a tremendous bounty of flowering trees...with more to come with
each day. The sumptuous way flowers...trees...berries...and the rest grow here...and the greenness of the winters...I figured out not long after arriving here...are all because of the rain. Havihg suffered green deprivation...East of the Rockies...as I
recessed deeply into my "soldier mode" in order to cope there...I know now...I will
take the rain here...and relish the brilliant sunny days the more...when they do
come...which they actually do..............Quester.

Locked Out

Early yesterday afternoon...I returned home to find that on my trip out...my building
and apartment keys had vanished. A neighbour let me into the building...but I found myself in front of my apartment door...with just two inches of solid material...effectively blocking my way into my oasis from the storms. It was a horrible feeling...being so
near and yet so far...I was tired and it was the last thing I wanted to deal with.
It was a great wake up call...about about what a treasure it is to have a home...when
not too many blocks away...there are people toughing it out...day after day...on the
sidewalks. I felt naked and bereft...as I turned away from my door...and went back out into the rain...to work out a solution to my problem. After making phone calls and checking out about seven scenarios...that didn't offer any relief...I finally decided to spend the night at a relative...where it took me a long time to get any sleep...with fantasies going round and round in my mind...about getting dozens of extra keys...and plscing them in flower boxes...under stones...or duct taped to out of sight places...around my building. This morning the office manager had returned and she let me back into my nest facing the comforting mountains. I entered with a giant feeling of relief...and a renewed appreciation...of the place I call home...and with a secret plan...never to return to the feeling I had standing outside of a door I needed to enter...but couldn't open..............Quester.

My Spring

[This picture was taken by me...yesterday...the "first day of spring" which...for me...
has been going on for nearly two months]
Poem: My Spring........"February afternoon...the sidewalks are bathed in a golden
tinged sun light...that promises much after so much rain. Spring out here starts in
January I tell people...who have not noticed the witch hazel...cherry blossoms...and
snow drops,,,blooming since the end of January...or before...and are waiting for
March 20th...to give themselves permission to experience spring. This giving away of
our senses and faculties...to powers outside of ourselves...before we can decide...
what songs...poems...or books we like...or whether the season unfolding around us...is
happening...rather than developing our own ears and eyes...and imaginations...is not
for me. I prefer...to make up my own mind about things...as I walk and breathe...while
the Seasons...and Creation...unfold around me...still wide eyed...after all these years............."
..................Quester.

Pictures Of Another Time 6

After spending my first twelve years or so...as a bare foot boy...mainly...living
on the banks of a wide river...in the countryside of Guyana...I entered into a
completely different kind of existence...going to high school...in Georgetown...the
capital city. In my first class...I was honed in on...by the precocious city boys...
wise in the ways of tormenting any "weak links"...they might encounter. They sniffed
the air...and identified me as the "boy from the bush"...and got into some rigorous
testing of my metal...including one particularly foul mouthed boy...who sat behind me
...telling me the nastiest things he could come up with...hoping to get a rise out of
me. I managed to survive the tests...in class...and on the play ground. One poor boy
didn't...breaking down in tears one day...and for the rest of his high school days...wore the stigma acquired from that...and was picked upon...on and on. This picture was taken early in my high school days...when I still had my "boy from the bush" smile...
...........Quester.

Pretty Brown

[Verse & Chorus of song "Pretty Brown" from cd of same name-Copyright SOCAN}
"Let your black hair hang down low...
Dance like we did long ago...
And the beating of the drum will set you free...
Just give it time...
Soon you'll do fine...
Your sun will shine once more...Pretty Brown...
Pretty Brown you're a song...
That I can't keep from singing...
Pretty Brown as you move...
You don't know that you're winning...
And your eyes say you're lost...
like an autumn leaf spinning...
Turn around...dry your eyes...Pretty Brown..."
..............Quester.

Pictures Of Another Time 5

I call today's picture...my "Unhappy Camper" picture. It was taken very early on in my
musical career. The place in Toronto...had a "Caribbean" decor...the band playing there
was made up of white Canadians...in "Caribbean" costumes...and I...was the closest
thing the owners could get to a "Caribbean" person...who sang and played guitar. The
band went on to become a well known "Irish" band...and I...well...that is indeed a long story. I call it my "Unhappy Camper" picture...because even early on...earning my living doing "music"...I knew deep down...that I could never be a lounge or bistro
singer permanently. I've known people who became trapped on that scene for life...
having passed the point of "no return"...without being able to wriggle out of it. I am not blaming them for that...I know how easily it can happen...and it's my writing of songs...hardly engaged in at the time of this picture...that finally helped me to escape the low lit...stale smoke and alcohol vapoured...dens of the world. My "not smiling on stage"...because I didn't feel there was anything to smile about...is very
evident in this picture. I think our "unhappy camper" phases in life...if we recognise that's what they are...and resolve to find a way out of them...can be
turned into lesson learning opportunities...and lead on to better times.....Quester.

The Pull Of The Water

Late yesterday afternoon...I went down to English Bay. The "big water" has always
pulled me towards it. Maybe it's growing up on the banks of a wide river...maybe...as
some would suggest...I am a "Pisces"...maybe...given it is said...that that is where we come from...all human beings experience that pull. I know in my own case...it is very strong...acted upon...it relaxes me...tells me "everything is alright". From time to
time...when I'm by the water...I give thanks for living in a city...with so many "being
by the water" possibilities. Yesterday...I went there with my "new eyes"...appreciating
being there...and taking pictures of things I may not have paid close attention to in the past...the interfacing of stone with water...ovoid and other patterns on the
surface...gulls on rocks...and...of course...the play of the sun...writing in silver on the water. As it darkened...I returned home...with a feeling that all was well...and
some pictures of the slivers of beauty experienced...to remind me...that "all is not lost"...if I should ever forget............Quester.

Creativity Rules 5

[This is the post for Thursday March 16th]There is a line from a Beatles song...and possibly from eastern wisdom traditions...
that says..."there's nothing you can do that can't be done"...it goes on to say..."it's easy". Well living the creative life from the age of twenty three...I haven't found it "easy"...perhaps I haven't transcended as highly as I should have. However...from my early days as an artist to now...I've lived the first part of that statement to the hilt...being totally self taught in my five creative idioms...without attending one class or seminar about it...knowing at a deep level that if you can "do" it...you have no need of such baggage...that might even end up curbing your creativity...given it is a "wild bird"...and doesn't like having its wings tied by any prisons. After I'd simply got on with creating for many years...needing no extraneous stuff to help me do it...I decided to look at what some of the book writers had to say about it. It was good to engage in this exercise...because it underlined for me...once and for all...that doing research about creativity...and hearing what different people have to say about it...is never a substitute for living an actively creative life. That is what matters about the
creative artist's life...doing the actual creative work...not researching about it...
dreaming about it...talking about it...or trying to gain notoriety doing a little bit of it...but engaging in heavy and protracted schmoozing...and it's shadowy relatives
...in order to make a little go a long way. None of
those things matter. Exercising your creative potential...is what matters...not
posturing as a creative person...who is more interested in acclaim...than doing the
actual work. Continuing to focus on doing artist's work...is where I choose to make my stand...it is only one man's approach to creativity...but it's a place that
all the smoke and mirrors in the world...cannot obscure from me...that...and continuing to know that..."there's nothing
you can do that can't be done"............Quester.

Pictures Of Another Time 4

After yesterday's sombre post...I thought I'd redress the balance today. The other day
I was out at the back of my building...making use of the seldom sun light...to take
digital pictures of my photos...I remember chuckling out loudly as I came upon this one...with me flanked by three nephews and a brother-in-law. A neighbour heard me...and said..."What are you doing?...you're laughing!". I told her I was taking pictures of pictures. This is very much one of those pictures from the "good times" in our lives. That day...we didn't have to force smiles...it was my
niece's wedding day...and we were giddy getting up to some spontaneous "dress up"
antics...no doubt egged on by our female relatives...to use as blackmail later on.
Yes...it was one of the "good times"...deserving to be captured in a picture. Besides...there are not too many pictures around with me wearing a tie...albeit very loosely...what can I
say?...it was my niece's wedding day...and I just couldn't let her down.......
............Quester.

What Is Valued

Last night I sang at a poetry gathering. I sang early...which is my request to the
organizers...when I sing anywhere these days. It has to do with my knowing how easily
"glazehood" can set in on some of these situations...and when it does I want to be free to leave. It didn't take very long for it to happen on this night...and using my two feet I exercised my remedy for being somewhere I no longer wish to be. Who knows what all the reasons were for my early exit. Probably...some "been there done that" was present...probably having left 9 to 5 at the age of 23 to become an artist...relying on my ability to somehow survive making music...without "hedging my bets" first...with a nice regular paying job in place...before I start dabbling. When I'm sitting in an audience...and there is no evidence that anyone else present has taken that approach...I guess it sometimes makes me feel like the "odd man out". I think it's the "Course in Miracles" that says "you're never angry for the reasons you think you are"...I wasn't angry...but the same thing may apply to feeling "dissonant'. Anyway...last night I got home early...and processing it all after...this verse and chorus of a song I wrote some years ago came back to me: "For what is valued in this world...doesn't mean too much to me...for I've watched the fools it's made of men...who were no longer free...So I will watch the race go on...I will watch the shallow game...that is played out everywhere I turn...for power...gold...and fame. Who I am...was born to fly...free of chains up to the sky...Who I am is mine to say...not give my power away".....................Quester.

A Healed Place

Months ago I posted a poem called...if I remember correctly..."East End Oasis". The
poem was written about four years ago...only months after this place had been ravaged
by bull dozers...and it was still in the process of healing from that. At the end of
the poem I looked ahead to the time when the healing would be done. From time to time
I return to this place...after all it's only about five blocks from where I live.
Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and I went there. I think I can say that the healing has been done by the resilient Earth in this spot. The new trees were all grown in...and some were flowering...there were ducks by the score...and even a grand old heron...giving his...or her approval...to the return to nature...of this place. There were a handful of humans...some with children...there too...signifying that up to this time this is a quiet natural place...to get away to. The Earth...as I knew it was...is indeed...a very resilient planet..............Quester.

The Blessing Of The Wall

Yesterday was sunny and blue skied. I went for a neighbourhood walk...with my camera
tucked in my vest pocket...and my eyes wide open to catch the pictures I knew would
likely be presented to me along the way. I saw a woman with a good sized dog conversing
with someone on a street corner...and crossed the road...as I sometimes do...when I'm
not sure of the friendliness of the dog...or am not ready for it's exhuberant displays
of unsolicited affection. On the other side of the street I found myself in front of
a tennis court wall...that intrigued me with the patterns wear and tear and moss over
time had painted on it. I was sizing up which would be the most suitable spote to take
pictures of...when the dog seen moments before across the street...appeared right
before me. He wasn't interested in me though...he was very interested in the wall.
Sure enough...it didn't take long to find a spot...that was suitable for his mission.
He raised a hind leg in watery salute to my wall of many pictures...I let out a loud
guffaw...as I twigged to what the dog thought of my "pictures everywhere philosophy"...
that must have startled his owner somewhere behind me...and the whole neighbourhood.
The thing is...having some insight into "dog mind"...I knew what he was going to do...but was too gentlemanly to take a picture of him in the act...so you'll just
have to take my word for it. Today's picture for the "blessing of the wall"...was
taken seconds after the deed was done...and slightly to the left of where the dog
had marked his territory............Quester.

My Egg/CD Picture

When I painted this picture some years ago...the ovoid shapes in the picture...were
meant to depict "the egg"...as evolution's reason...underlying the dance men and women
do...as they come together...to make sure "the race goes on". In my work as an artist
I am always looking for symbols and metaphors...to rise above the mundane.
The creative...and sometimes mischevious mind...is likely sometimes...to fly from "up"
to "down" too. Looking at this picture the other day...it occured to me...that this
picture would work too...in announcing a cd launch...with the "eggs of potential"
turning to "cd's"...and the "dance" one of celebration...rather than one about mating.
After a torturous journey overcoming obstacles in the making of...my most recent cd...
"Autumn Moon"...then battling the swamps of inertia...to launch it into the world...
I will be having the long postponed launch...in Vancouver on March 25th. At last...I am free to use my "egg/cd" picture...and that in itself...is worth the "price of admission".................Quester.

First Staying Snow

I looked out of my window late last night and was surprised to see it snowing. This
morning the snow has stayed on the house tops...making this...if memory serves me
correctly...the first "staying snow" of the winter. Snow always seems to catch people
on the West Coast off guard...with drivers predictably slithering off roads...and
bringing a sight I've always appreciated seeing here...but have never seen East of the Rockies...people walking on the snow on the side walks...with their many coloured umbrellas bobbing above them. What's a defense for the rain out here...is by reflex action...deployed against anything that comes down from the skies. My camera...of course...was active this morning...catching this fairly unusual sight...on this coast
...where palm and bamboo grow...and snow can be appreciated for...its once in a while
appearance................Quester

Under One Flag

[Words from song "Under one flag" on new cd "Autumn Moon"
c2005-SOCAN]
"Why do we wait for catastrophe...
to show each other we really care...
then in a day or two turn away...
and let our love disappear...
when all the time we could be...
living on Earth peacefully...
helping each other along...
until we all become really free...
But there's another way to go...
Where there's no friend
and there's no foe...
Only the family we know...
under one flag..........."
..................Quester.

Cormorant City

Once saw a documentary about the importance of the cormorant in certain parts of China.
In these places...cormorants are passed down from generation to generation...as one of
the most prized possessions a family can have. The prized cormorants are bred with
tender care...by their "masters"...and are prized...because of their prowess at fishing. This ability is aided by their owners...who tie their throats in such a way...
that it prevents them swallowing the fish they have caught...after diving as deeply
as they need to...then returning them to their human over lords...standing...pole in
hands on a slender raft...providing sustenance for them...and a marketable commodity.
It seems...apart from the throat tying...they are treated with respect...and are
given part of their catch. Sometimes...when it has rained in Vancouver...it seems...
for weeks on end...one would be forgiven for calling it..."duck city"...but I find that
name too unpoetic. Much preferable...is the name "cormorant city"...cormorants and
water go together...and they are often to be seen...next to the many fingers of the
ocean...that penetrate...even into the core of Vancouver.........Quester.

Gifts Of The Tide

Vancouver is a city of many beaches. A few years ago...my "creative eye"...honed in
on the "gifts of the tide"...otherwise known as driftwood...awaiting my exploration.
From then on...and for a good while...I would roam some of the city shores...with my
eye out for "candidates for walking stick-hood"...more about them later...or for
interesting "drift wood entities"...that could either stand on their own...or be
combined with others. So...I began carting home...all kinds of drift wood pieces...sometimes on crowded buses...and experiencing sanity questioning looks...from passengers in office attire...or tourists
whispering to each other...as they pointed to evidence of "west coast craziness"...
close at hand...and in a strange way...the sight...making their day. Once I had a stump with...all...it seemed...of its root system intact...that I was hoping to do something special with ...but reluctantly moved out...during one spring cleaning...from my balcony. Today's picture...is of my "Survivor Drift Wood Entity". The central challenge with it...was not chiselling away at it...over long sleepless nights...but finding a way to make it free standing...which after all...every good survivor knows...is what it's all about............Quester.

Declarations Of Eternal Love

I've been taking pictures of graffiti recently also. It's one way of checking
out what "grass roots" people...with an exhibitionistic streak...have to say.
I'm not sure whether I do the message in today's picture a disservice...by
including it under the "g' word. After all declarations of "eternal love" are as
ancient as the mountains...although painstakingly chislled on stone...or carved
on an oak tree...they tend to have a longer shelf life. I'm not sure how long
this particular one will escape the notice of the graffitti taliban...before
it's expunged from the public landscape. This one...seems to contain a mystery.
Nowhere "inside the heart" with "BRW" and "JMC"...is an "F"...as in "Frenchie".
Have I stumbled upon a hopeless triangle here?...or is "Frenchie" a term of
endearment like..."muffin"...or..."honey pot"...for one of the two inside the
heart?. None but the twosome...or...threesome...will ever know...and anyway...
January 22nd...06...in these troubled times...was a long time ago.....Quester.

Lily Lake

This city I live in...has many special places to go to...when you need centering
or need to get away from the traffic and busyness. There are lovely paths where
you can walk by the water...with the mountains across the way...lifting your
spirits. There are viewing places...from which you can get exquisite views of parts
of this mountain and ocean country. Then there are places...somewhat hidden away
...even in the heart of the city...where you can feel you are somewhere out in the
countryside. One such place...after a walk through straight...tall...trees...is
Beaver Lake...in Stanley Park...it's surface covered with water lily pads...and
ducks...revelling in their pretty surroundings...no doubt well supplied with food
and lily leaves to rest on...when they are no longer hungry. Of course...it's
special to go there when the lilies are in bloom...as when this picture was
taken...probably...on a lyrical day in summer.............Quester.

The Dancer

I come from dancing people. Dancers have appeared in my songs...such as...
"The Dancer"..."King of the Dancing Fools"...in my paintings...such as "Bliss
Dancer"..."Spring Ritual"...and many more...in poems...the names of which I can't
recall. As a writer of words...dancing...or dancers...are about rising and
moving with grace to the beat of life...not about the sleep walking...we often
let...take over our lives. Dancing...is about liberation...rather than
enslavement...or simply settling for the status quo. As a picture maker...with
brushes...pixel painting...or camera...dancers...represent grace and power...in
a way I don't thing apples and peaches in a bowl...can. Is it any wonder...that
dancing shapes...are among the first I see...as I look around me...even etched
on a wooden fence...on a February afternoon...........Quester.

Shadows On A Temple Wall

My neighbourhood is an interesting one...it's shops...restaurants...gardens...
and the faces you see on the street...showing the diverse influences...of those
who came here...from distant places...like myself. Across the street from
me is the red and blue neon sign of a Vietnamese acupuncturist...next to the
main entrance to my building is a Mexican restaurant...and on the outskirts of
my hood...there is a Budhist temple. On a sunny recent day...I was walking by
the back of that temple...when something caught my eye. On the large back wall
...there were two central silhouettes...an echo of one of them...and nothing
else to clutter the picture. I...of course...took it. I wanted to return
to the scene of this picture. The next day I did...but the tree shadow
and the echo...had vanished. Without the light of the sun...such shadows...
disappear. All that was left in front of the wall...was the little curved top
iron fence...that had cast its shadow on the wall the day before...bringing me
back to "reality". Some would say...so much of the time...what we think we see...
is...only illusion...even pretty ones...sometimes..........Quester.

Lucy Whiteloon

Years ago...I was commissioned by the Ojibway Cultura Foundation on Manitoulin
Island...Ontario...to spend time there...and write songs about the Native
People there. One misty morning...on the West Bay Reserve...where I was staying...
I looked out of my front window...to see this small figure...pulling a trolley
behind her...with large containers on it. She caught my attention...as I
wondered what it was she was doing...so early in the morning. I asked around the
reserve...about her...and was told...that every few days...she went to White
Fish lake...which was some distance away...to fill her containers with water...
although...near to where she lived on the Reserve...there were people with
plumbing in their houses...where she could have gotten water from close by. This
inspired me...and I knew I had to write a song about her...especially after I
heard her name. I did get to know her...and her grace and humility...filled out
the picture...to add to what I'd seen of her independent spirit. One morning...
I took this picture of her on her way to the lake. Years later...after I had
moved to the West Coast...someone told me...she had moved on to the spirit world
...and at her funeral...they had played the song she had inspired me to write...
bearing her memorable name...Lucy Whiteloon..................Quester.

Scar Flowers

When you look closely at every day entitities...you usually pass by...you begin
to see some of the myriad shards of beauty to be found in Creation. In addition
to the pictures you're privileged to take of some of them...some images you
lucked into...can become your teachers. Yesterday...on a long walk...I focussed
in on the trunks and branches of trees...I'd passed by obliviously before. I
found some astonishing images and patterns there. One of them...has struck me particularly strongly. It is...the places on trees...where someone in their wisdom
or plain anthropo-centric-ness...decided what was best for a tree...and lopped off
one of its limbs. I took several pictures of these places yesterday...and I
couldn't help but notice...the trees magnificent responses...to being de-limbed.
Among them...is the making...of what I now call a "scar flower"...I could even
call it a "scar sun"...with rays coming out of the central place where the wound
happened...a pattern that can be seen used in certain sacramental vessels...and...
of course...the sun itself. What a symbol...among other things...that is...of
rising above suffering...to let your light shine upon the world..........Quester.