Yes!

Windsor is "Helping Africa Help Itself"

Linked above is my article written for Ourwindsor.ca about Joint Aid Management, a South African founded humanitarian organization (where I used to live as an early teenager!) Yea. Dear to my heart of hearts.

JAM Angola Trip 2011 from Brett Michael Innes on Vimeo.

Seattle.

Capilano.

Built in 1889, the Capilano Suspension Bridge stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above the Capilano River. Kind of ssshaky.

Vancoooouver...

I went to the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre with my brother, sister-in-law, and niece and nephew. BEST! Here is my niece, Molly, completely bedazzled by the Beluga Whale. She is such an amazing little girl who can apparently woo the whales by her charm and beautiful singing voice! I'm constantly amazed at the brilliance of this child. She's only 5, but she has a heart and soul waaaay beyond her years.

Whissssstler!

In the words of John Keats, "The poetry of the earth is never dead."

Go West Young Woman!

I love being in four cities within one evening! Started off in the homeland of Windsor, crossed the border to the D, had a brief landing in Denver, and now I'm in Seattle. Woot! It's 1:34 a.m. and Sea Tac airport is way too quiet right now. Eerie. Specifically, it's just me here at Gate A8, along with some guy in a white polo and plaid shorts, reading some book. I turned around to survey the terminal to see who was left, and he gave me a weird little wave. I awkwardly smiled and continued to look extremely busy blogging about important matters on my laptop...

John the B

Currently doing a little study about John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets, a real ascetic of his day.



"an ascetic life": austere, self-denying, abstinent, abstemious, self-disciplined, self-abnegating; simple, puritanical, monastic; reclusive, eremitic, hermitic; celibate, chaste.

"a desert ascetic": abstainer, puritan, recluse, hermit, anchorite, solitary; fakir, Sufi, dervish, sadhu; archaic eremite.

How can the practices of an ascetic life be relevant to Christians today? I believe that there's a lot to learn from the benefits of such a lifestyle.

Hmm.

37.2°C!!!

So, apparently Windsor reached a high of 37.2°C today! HOTTTTTT like Kolkata. Wait, Windsor was even worse because Windsor is humid as hell. Since my apartment doesn't have central air, I'm trying to embrace it. I'm just sprawled out on my bed with a fan blowing directly on me. I like it. Really, I don't mind it. My skin is actually detoxifying...

You can read the madness here: 37.2 C heat breaks record

The article is ridiculous.

Ohhh, wait...another: Windsor breaks daily temperature record - Windsor - CBC News

Just when you thought Windsorites weren't cool at all!

Hardee har har.

Uni-GLORY!

Christmas Day.

"Mountain Man"

My brother introduced me to this band. I guess they toured with Jonsi. I'm really enjoying this song called, "Animal Tracks". This song is so simple, yet the harmonies are just so beautiful. Enjoy! Oh, and HAPPY NEW YEAR! Maybe I'll blog a little more than usual this year. Yeeeeah.

Brother, Christmas.

Joy to the World (!)

To men and women
Dreaming to work the line again,
And to children
Working but hoping to dream again.

Joy to the World (!)

To drunkards
Washing their fears down, regretting
yet another year gone by -

Joy to the World (!)

To the simoniacs
Preaching on Christmas morning,
And to the families,
Counting their blessings, regretting
yet another plate go by -

Joy to the World (!)

To those who are lost,
And to those who think themselves found.

Rejoice (!)

-Luke Frenette

"The Vote", "The Curse", and Josh Ritter

First off, Eddie Francis has been re-elected as the Mayor of Windsor. Hmmm. Alan Halberstadt won for city counselor for my ward (Ward 4). Not thrilled, because I didn't vote for the guy. Oh well. Is Windsor off to a good start? We shall see.

More exciting, below is my brother's last filmed "In-Studio" as The National Post's Arts Editor (before his recent move to Vancouver). It's so sweet that it was Josh Ritter! I love this guy. His music reminds me of the quiet, cold nights spent in Winnipeg.

Oh, Winnipeg.

It's Jenny and Michelle with a new song! I lived with Jenny in Winnipeg, and met Michelle along the way. My time spent in the prairies now feels like a far off and distant past... Here is "You Don't Hesitate" . Sultry.

nightly showers (bring may flowers)

It's raining lightly right now. Anticipating a bittersweet drive to Toronto in the morning. 5 a.m. start. You know, the kind of drive when it's still dark outside and your internal clock is confused as to whether or not it's day or night...

(Yawn, stretch, goosebumps. Flip heat on, sip coffee, switch to 103.9 for some risky, French jazz. Pinch cheeks to ensure awakey-ness. Inhale and GO).

I hope it rains during the drive so that my insides can finally relax and the tension in my facial muscles can slowly soften. The rain always does this to me. It makes me feel cozy and calm inside, like when I'm swaddled in a wooly blanket or drinking chamomile tea with honey and lemon wedges. It makes me want to have a deep, romantic conversation with someone, cuddle with a fluffy puppy, or try to understand someone else's point of view even if I don't agree with them. Rain is truly remarkable like that. Kind of like a mild sedative. It's like the raindrops gently tug, tug, tug until you have no choice but to feel a strong sense of...something....while feeling pretty chill all at the same time. It's like what Billie Holiday said, "Don't threaten me with love, baby. Let's just go walking in the rain." Well, okay then! I'm in.

Yaa I Get It.

Some old friends from Toronto are in this new Shad video! Bah... I miss you guys! And, yaa I get it. This song is bomb. At times, I miss the blinding lights and the roar of the city. Still, I'd take the quiet moon and stars over the city any day.

Agelaius Phoeniceus!

I was out for a hike on one of my favourite trails when I spotted this young chap. I had no idea that The Red Winged Blackbird is sexually dimorphic; the male is all black with his famously attractive red and yellow shoulder, while the female is dark brown with some black markings on her tummy! I also learned that its name in many Ojibwa language dialects is called "Memiskondinimaanganeshiinh", literally meaning "a bird with a very red damn-little shoulder-blade." Seriously! It's interesting because I discovered this little guy close to a nearby park called "Ojibway". Hmm. I wonder if he's yelpin' for his momma.

And, so, in the words of John Keats, "The poetry of the earth is never dead." No wonder I feel so alive when I explore it.

Springtime is for Luvahs

Old Love.

Happy Valentine's Day.

1,070 Kilometers.

Today, Jenna and I went for a lovely Saturday afternoon walk along the Assiniboine River, which runs all the way through the prairies of Western Canada (through Saskatchewan and Manitoba). We went despite the "River Trail Closed" sign (probably due to the unexpected amount of warm sunshine this morning). But, you know, that was just a minor detail. We went anyways, en route to see our friend who is currently house bound on crutches in Osbourne Village. EPIC Winnipeg-ers.

Warming Huts!

I'm so excited to see these at The Forks in Winnipeg!

WHIM vs WINDS of Time!

Good-bye, y'all. Tomorrow I board a Greyhound westward to Winnipeg, Manitoba, where I'll start an entirely new life! *GASP*! So far I have a place to live, along with a small, and instant, community. Beyond that...I have no idea! However, I do know that today's weather forecast for Winnipeg had me all tickled and excited... -22 degrees with the wind chill at -36...uhhhhhhhhh....(WOOLEN EVERYTHING!!!) At least I have a wicked wool cowl that my sister-in-law knitted just for me.

What will 2010 bring to YOU, my friend? Huh? Huh? (Please note: I'm writing this silly blog post at pretty much 3am, hyped up on black, honest-to-goodness fair trade coffee because I still need to stuff the good 'ol Woods pack with warm sweaters and long johns for the Winterpeg ahead!)

Panama!

World Nomads...

I was shortlisted for the World Nomad Travel Photography Scholarship to Antarctica! Uhhh...this doesn't mean I won. I wish. But I surfaced to the top 30, which means that the dude from National Geographic reviewed my portfolio! The title of this blog links to the site...scroll down the site to us "shortlisted ones" to find my name and to view my photographs (as well as some pretty fantastic applicants!) I was SO close to exploring Antarctica. They're killing me.

Pacific...specifics.

Turbulents, lost baggage, and annoying airplane passengers... I need excessive sleep and I have too many itchy mosquito bites to concentrate properly. Once I'm convinced that I DON'T have Dengue fever, I'll hit ya with some travel stories thus far and perhaps some pretty photographs.

Uhhh...happy Halloween?

A Conversation with Dr. Jane Goodall...

My brother, Brad, interviewed the amazing Dr. Jane Goodall for a recent National Post article in Toronto. My sister-in-law, Tanya, illustrated... Check it out: the title of this blog links to the article. B & T are like some sort of creative superpower. Unreal. How inspiring, that Jane Goodall. She makes me want Africa all over again...
In other exciting news, I've been quite pensive. Basically, I'm in transition and leaving for Panama City via Houston in less than two weeks. I'm eager to take off again, but I also get all moody and reflective and stuff before I travel. You know, I don't want to dive into a culture without knowing anything. I never want to be that "white, privileged Canadian girl" that can't even say, "No se hablar espanol" properly without sounding completely lame altogether. I also get all moody when I think about the poverty I will see but can't change, maybe only in the small ways that end up feeling like nothing at all. Anyways, I've been visiting my friend, The Blue Heron Lake, a heck of a lot more these days to clear my head of these jumbles and knots. It's one of my most favorite spots around these parts, and the sunsets there deliver every time. I've never enjoyed the time between 6:30pm and 8:00pm so much in my entire life. God seems to rock the skies between those times...and I love it. "Then the new Heavens and Earth shall be where righteousness shall dwell indeed; There shall be no more blight, nor need, nor barrier of the sea; No sun and moon alternating, for God shall be the Light thereof; No sorrow more, no death, no sting, for God Who reigns is Love." -Christina Rossetti.

And my heart goes...boom!

Conversio Passiva

Not-to-have-God and not-to-wish-to-have-God is like a turning away from the undeniable, eternal pull...the force that I've heard even Atheists and Agnostics acknowledge. It's like a reluctance of the creature to be drawn to God, a resistance against grace itself. Without this grace, how on earth could I see these sweet, fleeting moments of my life? It would be like death. These tiny moments, either captured in photographs or just purely remembered, constantly convert me over and over again. God is real and is so very present in all things. Convince me otherwise, and I'd be deeply shocked. Does this sound narrow-minded? To a lot of people, probably so. Many might stop reading after the opening sentence of this little rant. Honestly though, and maybe it's just because I'm in transition and appreciating life a hell of a lot more these days, but look around you. Seriously. (Blowing my mind...) Yes, there are many disturbing things happening in this world that are confusing and gut-wrenching, yet, pain only endures for a time. Its role is to purge us and to make us know ourselves, ultimately becoming stronger for these dark and ugly times. "Surely, then, God's will is set to wither the tentacles of my unkindness, when they are twisted round my neighbor's throat." (Austin Farrer, 1904-1968) Seeing the beauty in each other, regardless of differing world views or religion, can certainly help us to love one another more and untangle the fear, jealousy, anger, timidity, egocentricity, and unforgiveness that has the power to divide us and hold us all back...from...

LOVE (and everything else we were created for).

Amen.

Ooo, ooo, child...

This afternoon I was stressssssssed until my niece, Cleah, handed me a special, folded letter... Just for me. When children start to write down their thoughts for you, especially with messy Crayola markers, it's pretty much the most amazing feeling ever. It's like traveling down a secret passage way that leads inside their sweet, little baby soul. It's probably the purest soul that we, as human beings, could ever encounter. So darling and so incredibly honest. This is just soooo soooo soooo Cleah! I love this child! Never grow old! Or, at least, stay just as bright-eyed and curious as ever...

Geez Magazine

If you're a subscriber to GEEZ, which you probably aren't, than turn with me to page 34. There you'll find my brief, awkward excerpt entitled, "Gangly, somber and sickly". It's my subtle attempt to raise awareness about thoughtless word choices in our society. The excerpt is published in the Summer '09 issue sent out only to subscribers, but you can check out the Winnipeg-based magazine online (I've linked the site under my "Things I Like" column). You should subscribe and support a good, thought-provoking, independent press. Or, better yet, let's go out for coffee because I have an extra copy! Just a little bit of shameless self-promotion since it's the only thing I've got going on, unless you consider gross amounts of psych research something worth talking about...

Nancy Johns Gallery

I now have a little summer contract with Nancy Johns Gallery! A few new pieces are up now through September 4th.

4755 Wyandotte Street E.
945.2222
(just east of Pillette in the New Pillette Village!)

National Geographic!

Ooooo! Follow the link above!

F.A.M. Fest + Windsor Women = !!!!!!!!

From April 1-30, eight of us local women photographers are joining forces with F.A.M. Fest and showcasing our stuff at:

MILK Coffee Bar
68 University Ave W
519.256.1414

Everything is cash & carry, so come out and support some local goodness!

Ah, Spring. Bring it!

Regardless of how rainy and chilly Spring has been thus far, the sun randomly shows up every couple of days. There's been just enough warmth for me to snap some shots to prove that Canada actually isn't a frozen wasteland...