Louis' Serenity

There is a lake, here in Montreal - precisely in Pointe-Claire (Clear Point) past Dorval called Lac Saint-Louis (St-Louis Lake).

It's a delicate and beautiful area of the island, if you know to appreciate it's unique beauty.

In the middle of the day - in summer - it's a children playground for those who love to adventure on it's soft waves with small floating embarkations like canoes, sailing boats and such. It's also a romantic sight for picnickers if you stay safe on the shores on the luxurious green grass boarding it. It's a gold mine of beautiful landscape with intricate details for photographers who love the natural vibe of the half wild without having to leave the city. From herons to ducks and cardinals - if you pay attention, you'll be amazed and thrilled. Sometimes, if you are quite lucky - you can even see the carcass of a huge fish on the shores - where you can also collect shells ;)

From Du Collège metro station, hop on the 202 Dawson and enjoy the ride until you see the lake. You cannot miss it - the bus goes right along it for a long while - but I suggest you get off at the beginning and walk down the rest to fully enjoy it. The bus ride home stops right on that side and transports you safely back to the metro station.

These shots were shot on Good Friday 2010 around just past 8 AM - to capture the delightful mood of the lake's awakening.


Can you feel the serenity ? the calm - the peace ? the simple joy of a moment caught in time ?


one of the shores of the lake (view from the "beginning" of the Lakeshore or Lakeview street - right about when you would hope down from the bus to appreciate the landscape. There is a bird feeding Lighthouse construction - you cannot miss it.


Since this is very close to Dorval Airport (now known as Pierre-Eliott Trudeau airport) - you will see quite a lot of planes ! but that's a great occasion to snap a few if you are a fan :D They are quite low enough so that you can get amazing pictures of very good quality !


A sight like this - the early sounds of the day - make it worth the detail that I had to get up at 5:30 am to be there in time and shot this series


Serenity of the waves - undisturbed - calm - and those gorgeous soft pastel purple tones were just amazing !


This is a little down the path, midway from the Bird feeding Lighthouse and the boat docking area - one of those sights which just naturally frame themselves if you have the eye to appreciate natural beauty.


Back to the first part of the lake - the sun a little more present and stronger


Bending over to kiss the soft waters of the lake these trees are bending like this for a long time - a somewhat eternal promise of tender love - lit by the early golden light, it was just a sight to see and snap !!


One last shot at the lake - now in the full golden light of around 9 am.

What is this thing called love ?

Love is like an abstract photography of light dust particles floating around you. It's shiny, it's beautiful, it's exotic and it swirls around you like indistinguishable fairies.



Yet, the more you observe the floating light particles, the more alive they seem, are they, perhaps winged fishes out of their element ?



And one of those flying fairy fish fly towards you, and it seems, it looks you straight into the eye and vanishes at the speed of light.



But you already had grown comfortable around these mystical creatures and your only friend of this exquisitely dreamy creation has disappeared and you feel abandonned and left alone again, in a strange glowing darkness. Is it your memory or is it your pain, this light in the depths of your heart ?




And suddenly it becomes clear. The flying fish fairy had just dove into your own heart and illuminates you from the inside and you feel that cozy warm comforting and caring sensation like a soft fire wrapping it's flame-y arms around your soul.

Time is like a river

These last few days, my mother (who approaches 60) has decided to make her time useful and work on these handy works which are custom in my village (Roteni, Tirgu-Mures, Transylvania). They are part of our culture, of our little villager life - nothing fancy, nothing huge, but useful and pretty in the smaller details. These things have a feel of the homey old styled comforting way of life, when in a day, you had time to do all your tasks and still sit on a bench outside the house, go down to your neighbors, where the elderly gathered and chit chat about this and that and the good old days.

I find it comforting and sad at the same time to find my mother working on these. I find it comforting because it's her way of life, her ancestry, her legacy, it makes her happy to dream and hope of the day when she'll be finally able to lay these on the various parts of the furniture, cupboards and tables where these are meant to be and be in peace and happy. I find it sad, that, while it's comforting to her, it is mainly the only other thing that does actually give her a sense of pride, comfort and accomplishment. (The other being cooking enormous amounts of food and get her beautiful dishes out when my sister, her husband and daughter come around every 2nd or 3rd week ends). I find it somewhat sad, that she - by fate and life - had to change her comforting grounds, leave the village, the country, the people she knew, at the age of passed 40 to come establish herself with her husband and children in a new foreign country and finding it very difficult to adapt and be happy in the new environment.

She sits there, by the window, letting the sunlight gently warm her up, give her light in her work and count the little squares to respect the pattern, make sure it will fit and look as it should. She turns the television off, and if I am not around, she's in that perfect silence, working on her things, making me wonder about what she thinks - at her age, in her situation, about life, about what is now past and done, what is in the future and left to be done. I feel sad, at the loneliness I sense in her, in that position. I truly feel sad that she can't socialize with other women her age - because of the language barrier, though she tries hard and every day to, and the financial restraints and cultural too. She was raised a certain way and most of her life was lived in that fashion, it seems odd and impossible for her to change all that now. I wish I could change all that and give her true moments of happiness. Some day.


My mom, working on her handwork, sewing project


Example of the larger type, these usually serve for the bigger tops of furniture in the house.


Example of the smaller, thinner type, these usually go on tight spaces, smaller width places but always on furniture.

~

Time is like a river flowing away, especially in the spring time and this year we are blessed with an early spring, a beautiful early spring even ! I don't remember a winter/spring in Montreal where in March (!!) most of the snow has already melted away, where the grass is already starting to grow vigorous and green.

In the spring, small floodings can create the most fascinating perspective over life itself. I had the pleasure to witness and record that yesterday (March 8th 2010) when I randomly walked to Parc Jarry where I shot a few pictures, in the first tenth of the superficial of the park (from Jarry street entrance and not even reaching the skate rink !) because I had sport shoes on and the flood at some spots was just too big for me try to cross it.

Life reserves great winks of beauty if you only would look down to the ground ! The sun, like a lover finally reuniting with his lover was strong and gave water a most romantic and vibrant glow and appearance, like liquid crystal.


It may only be water flooding the grass, with bits of leaves from last fall, but where would you see such vibrancy ? Such nurturing waters in a metropolitan life such as Montreal city ? And when would such a flood be of good and welcomed omen ?


Detail - close up of the water gently, caressingly flooding the grass and earth.


And than, at the glance towards the opposite, where the water seems to flow with more vigor and passion, life, chance, gives you an opportunity to capture something truly beautiful and unique, like this leaf, bathing in the spring waters.


Or it shows you that after the long slumber of winter, life emerges, even the last year's dead tries to enjoy a last glimpse of the sun, a refreshing mouthful of water, letting life wash away the past, gently, while the sun gives a new promise of eternal life.


And lastly, when you are about to turn around and go back home, your eye is caught by this gorgeous flowing movement of water, made liquid crystal in your own home town by the sun, it's flow mystical almost and simply gorgeous to look at. Especially when randomness of lives gives such a perfect subject in such a gorgeous setting.