Archives
“Around the next bend, the forest glowed in rusty orange, inviting me forward from the snow-filled pines. It truly feels like a time of fire and ice.” – Ed Lehming As I sit and write this post, the world outside my window is filled with ever deepening snowfall. A major winter storm came in last night and continues this afternoon. So far, over 40 cm have fallen, and though the end is… Read More
“Nothing matches spring’s first colours; bright greens, yellows, and reds fill the forest with freshness and joy.” – Ed Lehming I do tend to spend a lot of time looking forward and down, hoping to discover some new wildflower. On this day, I looked up and was greeted by a virtual ‘fruit-salad’ of spring colour. In the foreground, oaks in red flower and in the distance maples. This spring flush is also… Read More
“Mid Morning in February, and the winter sun beams brightly between the pines; the world stands in silence.” – Ed Lehming This season, I have experienced something altogether new; mornings in the winter forest, and it is spectacular! You see, in the past, I would wait till afternoon to venture out onto the trails, giving the sun some time to warm the air. I really did not feel I was missing anything;… Read More
“There are times to rest and times to keep going, it’s good to have a choice.” – Ed Lehming I’m still working through photos I made over two weeks ago on that magical December second morning. The overwhelming beauty of that day is still with me, though I’ve travelled these trails several times since that. The way the freshly fallen snow transformed the world that day was indescribable. The trail, within Uxbridge,… Read More
“There are few things more soothing than the bright colours of autumn and a handful of bright, warm days. It feels like the world around us is beaming with joy and it’s contagious.” – Ed Lehming I continue to review the images I made on my many autumn hikes. Today, I look on a drab, rainy, and dull landscape, so reflecting back on the colour and light of recent weeks is refreshing…. Read More
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” ― Anne Bradstreet This day, February 29, a leap day, was yet another opportunity for me to get outdoors and spend some time enjoying the fresh fallen snow. It was a rather crisp day, with a temperature of -13 C, calm, and bright. I figured that the… Read More
“Winter is not all bleak and gray, if you look closely, subtle colours abound in the most wonderful places” – Ed Lehming Well, after a long hiatus, I have returned to my photography and writing. Last year was ‘disruptive’ at best. Too many changes came at me too quickly and left me overwhelmed and uninspired. I was ‘retired’ from work briefly and It took me some time to come to terms with… Read More
“The colours of Autumn turn the world into a wonderland of colour, sound, and scent. There are times when I feel that I have left reality and entered the land of fables.” – Ed Lehming As I beheld the scene before me I was filled with an absolute sense of awe. The mid-afternoon sunlight filled the forest with a soft and wondrous display of light and colour. I literally felt like I… Read More
“The difference between darkness and brightness is how you thrive on those moments and how you use such circumstances with goodwill in your spirit.” ― Angelica Hopes I find myself, on this day in early March, wondering where time has gone. It’s been many weeks since I felt inspired to sit and write. I’ve been out making photos, but the days have been cold, dull, and largely uninspiring. Today, I set forth to… Read More
“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.” ― Barbara Hall During our journey along Iceland’s Ring Road, we took many occasions to satisfy our curiosity by hiking off the road when the opportunity presented itself. One of these opportunities was this… Read More
“It isn’t enough to pick a path—you must go down it. By doing so, you see things you couldn’t possibly see when you started out; you may not like what you see, some of it may be confusing, but at least you will have, as we like to say, “explored the neighborhood.” The key point here is that even if you decide you’re in the wrong place, there is still time to… Read More
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” ― Pat Conroy This image, while slightly darker than some of my prior posts, represents so well my typical experiences on the trail; bright sunshine streams between the branches light above, the canopy has a slight yellow tinge, as the days shorten, there are… Read More
“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin Scenes like this are one of the reasons I hike. I’ve referred to these dappled pools of light as “God-Light”, to quote C.S. Lewis. These small patches of golden light, like pools of energy seem to appear on all but the most overcast days. They are but one… Read More
“Never forget that anticipation is an important part of life. Work’s important, family’s important, but without excitement, you have nothing. You’re cheating yourself if you refuse to enjoy what’s coming.” ― Nicholas Sparks Part of the enjoyment I get from hiking is the anticipation, the ‘unknown’ about what’s around the next bend. Though I’ve hiked these trails for years now, there is always something new to discover. On days where I feel uninspired,… Read More
“Let me bring you songs from the wood: To make you feel much better than you could know Dust you down from tip to toe Show you how the garden grows Hold you steady as you go Join the chorus if you can: It’ll make of you an honest man.” – Jethro Tull Strangely, the Jethro Tull song that I chose for my quote kept going through my head for much of… Read More
“It doesn’t matter whether you are looking for a reason to be happy or sad, you will always find it.” ― Kamand Kojouri In this hectic world, I am usually looking for things that bring me peace. I find this peace in simplicity and often in the most obscure things. Last weekend I went out with the intention of going on an extended hike and make some photos of my experience. It’s been… Read More
“My love affair with nature is so deep that I am not satisfied with being a mere onlooker, or nature tourist. I crave a more real and meaningful relationship. The spicy teas and tasty delicacies I prepare from wild ingredients are the bread and wine in which I have communion and fellowship with nature, and with the Author of that nature.” ― Euell Gibbons Every hike seems to bring a new discovery. As… Read More
“Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts — it starts with a shift in consciousness. ― Ian Somerhalder This image invokes two thoughts for me: First, I’m loving the fact that the dull greens of winter are becoming for vibrant, and secondly, I’m ever conscious of just how fragile these forests, that I enjoy so much, really are. I am made even more aware of this as the snow melts and the… Read More
“There is always danger for those who are afraid.” ― George Bernard Shaw I could not resist the quote. I am told over and over, “Be careful on the trails, they are icy.” I get it from family and other who hike these trails in warmer days. I have never considered the trails dangerous, it’s just a matter of adjusting to the conditions. I avoid the slickest, uneven sections, particularly those on steep… Read More
“Art never responds to the wish to make it democratic; it is not for everybody; it is only for those who are willing to undergo the effort needed to understand it.” ― Flannery O’Connor Well, back to reality. I live in a land of four seasons, often extreme and more often, surprising, offering unexpected gifts. I got out on the trails again. The trails, at this time of the year, are downright treacherous,… Read More
“You think winter will never end, and then, when you don’t expect it, when you have almost forgotten it, warmth comes and a different light.” ― Wendell Berry Warm, merely describes the spectrum of the light, certainly not its effect on the surroundings. Once more, this winter, I find myself drawn to the trails, despite the bone chilling -20C temperatures. Despite a few days above freezing, winter was swooped back and locked the… Read More
“It looked like the world was covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon.” ― Sarah Addison Allen As autumn progresses, the brightness fades by degrees. To capture the stunning light of the past weeks is proving more of a challenge over a few cloudy days on the trails. It all fits into the theme of this, my “Shift to Shiver” series. By now much of the once golden canopy has… Read More
“Hidden in the glorious wildness like unmined gold.” – John Muir Here we are, the end of October nearly upon us, and I’m out hiking in a tee shirt and shorts. The past few weeks have been so incredibly mild that it’s hard to believe it’s autumn. Yet, the leaves evidence that the natural cycles continue. I have many photos from the past few weekends to review and post in a series that… Read More
Time spent alone, not lonely; Untrodden trails, my footsteps, singular; Unspoiled, for my eyes alone; Newness, freshness; Never seen before, yet fleeting; Nature surrounds me, and astounds me; I am renewed. – Ed Lehming A surprising splash of colour in a predominantly white landscape. I finally had the opportunity to get back on the trails today. We had a few days of unsettled weather, including some freezing rain, a particularly unwelcome visitor for… Read More
Ed Lehming Photography 
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