Big Life Changes (and good omens)

There’s a place I’ve been going to for decades.

A place where I go when I need to clear my head, when I need a good dose of Vitamin Nature or the fresh air of the forest.

It’s one of my favourite places on Earth.

A nature reserve east of Peterborough.

Petroglyphs Provincial Park is a chunk of wilderness east of Peterborough just south of Highway 28.

I normally visit the park in the winter time and have only once been to see the petroglyphs themselves during the open season.

Just stepping onto this land, it’s hard not to notice the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.

There’s an immense sense of history and culture in this area. Only a few minutes down the road lies the Quackenbush Provincial Park, a non-operating park where its actual location is a mystery. The park is protected for its historical significance. The Indigenous village that lies buried there has connections to the Iroquoian culture.

There’s a pull here, trust me.

One way road into the park.

Once I accept the eerie feeling of being watched, I totally connect here with myself and the land in a way that I haven’t been able to do anywhere else. I’ve been coming here for over decades.

In November, my husband and I came back to gain some perspective for some big life changes happening in our lives. An 8km hike certainly did the trick.

A big inhale as we begin one of our hikes in the park.

Of all the dozens of times I’ve been here, I haven’t actually hiked any of the trails. I usually have time to walk in on the road and back out.

I was blown away by the forest on the West Day Use Trail! I have never seen a natural stand of so many red and white pines TOGETHER. Normally I only see small stands of red pines along the shore of a lake, or in the middle of a forest.

But here? HUNDREDS of red pine. And old mighty ones too.

Deer crossed our path many times along the way.

Grandmother pine.

B sizing up this white pine.

It’s a special place.

The last time I was here to gain some perspective and heal my heart was in the fall of 2017. I was so angry. An anger that I needed to let go of. I knew this was the only place I could go.

It was mostly because of the college strike going on at that time. I was in my last year of a 2-year photography diploma program and it was WEEKS being locked out of class.

I also was pregnant with Severn at the time, first trimester and really needed to just breathe in that air into my lungs and let her have some of that healing power in the womb.

Just a stunning wetland we hiked around.

This time I had a few things to let go of as well. And with another babe in the womb, I needed to breathe that same air into my lungs for their benefit as well. I guess it’s a thing with my pregnancies.

I could have just stayed in the spot for hours looking out over the wetland pictured above.

I was finally starting to feel well enough to even do a hike! First trimester exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks and I’ve been pretty quiet on social lately.

Driving out of the park we saw a bald eagle perched on a tree limb. She let me photograph her.

What a gift!

The beauty was so willing to let me photograph her.

Do you believe in good omens? I do.

I have a book called Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews. It’s only of my most loved books on the shelf.

Whenever I receive a random sighting or occurrence of seeing a particular animal, I look it up in this book. The accuracy of meaning is mind-blowing.

According to the Animal Speak, eagles are the Illumination of Spirit, Healing and Creation. “The eagle is a symbol for the vowel “A”; and also a symbol for the soul, the spirit and the warmth of life.” And, “The bald eagle is often a symbol of the feminine, while the golden symbolizes the masculine. The white feathers of the bald eagle especially are often treasured as they are links to Grandmother Medicine - tremendous wisdom, healing and creation.”

I love reading into the many interpretations! Of course I saw this eagle near my healing place and the meaning of creation is obviously referring to the human growing in my uterus.

There she goes.

My husband and I spent the rest of the weekend at the camp on his parent’s property (that we lived in for a year in 2011/2012).

I was obsessed with photographing goldenrod in the evening light.

Golden goldenrod.

Ugh.. the goldenrod just looks like frost everywhere!

It was the frost or beaver moon while we were there and I snuck out just after midnight to photograph the camp in the full moon light.

Feeling much better after my forest healing session and spending some time near a woodstove.

I hope you’re doing well.

Remember to slow down this holiday season and rest. Society tells us to amp up this time of year.

Take care of yourself.