There IS a bigger picture……

Thursday July 2nd, 2015………it’s around 4-4:30 and Fran and I are the only ones left at the shop…..we have heard lots of sirens from our local firehall and, as any small town dweller will admit to, we were wondering where the boys are going in such a rush. You pray it’s nobody you know and pray for whomever it is. It didn’t take long for us to see the plume of smoke……and didn’t take much for us to realize it wasn’t small……our prayers shifted to our town as a whole.

Now I have Pictures……lots actually……and for the most part I haven’t published most of them. I have been trying to piece together “Why?”…….I had to get the shots, I went out everyday of the fire to get a visual of what progress was being made. I marvelled in how fantastic this little town is and how proud I am to be part of the collective……but yet the photographs sit on my card…..unedited, unseen. Why?……

I couldn’t catch the reality. The truth could not be translated in one solid shot. How do you depict Fear, crazy panic, death, nurturing, humbleness, support, acceptance, love and loss in ONE single photo? You can’t.

There are to many parties that this effected, in and out of community. 

Death makes angels of us all and gives us wings where we had shoulders round as ravens claws.

~Jim Morrison

The collective changed…..solidified if you will……as the news of John Phare passing reached people. It wasn’t just “news” it was reality snapping everyone back ….and if that wasn’t enough, Mother Nature reminded us by sitting breathless long enough for us to choke on the bi product of our own doing….. 

As I sat in the smoke fog with all of the lower mainland, with fires burning up our back yard and family and friends mourning a Solid Sunshine Coast man…I wondered how many around me were awaken to the fact that this is daily living for others? 

We are spoiled here on the coast…..our rain forests are not typically this active. For those North of us, that is not the case. They pray for smoke to clear to see sun…..for weeks, MONTHS sometimes….not days. 

Yet I heard so many people complaining and bitching. All I could think was “Hello, I’m standing right here beside you. It effects all of us, not JUST you”

But then again maybe the fire would never have started in the first place if “it effects ALL of us, not JUST you” was applied to begin with…….

Will I ever do anything with the pictures I have taken? I don’t know, I think the lessons I have learned through this experience just can’t be formed in This format……..you have to SEE the bigger picture…..you can’t SHOW it…….

 

Feed the adrenaline, starve the fear!!!

  The horse can lend its rider speed and strength he or she lacks, but the rider who is wise remembers it is no more then a loan ~ Pam Brown This weekend was an incredible experience!! We are coming home with SOOooo much more then any ribbon or top score can EVER be compared too.  Now let me give a small back story. This is Shelby and Burning Desire’s (Aloe) first year going to shows. Aloe has been under saddle for a year and is turning five next month. These two have been working hard all winter and building a great bond…..so great that when They were going over jump number seven in stadium and the rein malfunctioned and came undone at the bit, They were able to navigate through it and both horse and rider went straight to Coach Sarah Bradley after to get it fixed and a confirmation to continue. Which they did…..four jumps later.    I have spent the last couple of days looking at the photos and re-watching the video and I am still in awe. At 15 years of age for the rider and turning 5 next month for horse…..TRUELY what we witnessed was not the norm. The outcome should’ve been much worse. All I ever hear about is the “Bond”…….this weekend I witnessed it.  It followed through when they headed out of the start box for XCountry. Of all the horses I would trust my child to be on hurdling across acres of jumps, hills and water it is Aloe! Also of all the riders to be on this young mare it would be the gentle but firm hand of this 15 year old rider.     They may not of brought home “high point” or a fist full of ribbons….non of that compares to what they did bring home. They proved to themselves that they are a strong team that is growing. They have an incredible bond. They also proved that is ALWAYS better to Feed the adrenaline, starve the fear.  Keep going Girls!! Enjoy the rush!!!