James and I are offering a FREE guided Poetry in the Park hike in Pavan Park on April 14, 2024, at 10 AM. We will teach people how to write Blank Verse on that day. Come prepared to commune with some native bird species and begin to look at life in a whole new way.
It isn’t terribly difficult – you just write rhythmically (although it may take some time to develop a good sense of rhythm). With Blank Verse, you don’t have to worry about rhyming. I’ll write out one of my Blank Verse poems below, so that you have an example of a Blank Verse poem.
Sharing the View
I got to see the sun (eclipsed) today
through glasses that some people passed around
at City Hall, at noon or there abouts.
At first, the bright noon sky just turned to black
(those glasses really cut the light right out).
I moved my head so I could see the sun
(and sure felt out-of-sorts while doing it).
At first, I didn’t know where I should look.
I just felt lost in all the blackness there.
But then a tiny, bitten peach shone through
the darkness, and I found my place again –
beneath that tiny sun, where I belong.
Learning to write poetry, starts with learning to maintain a rhythm. If you can’t command rhythm, you can’t honestly call yourself a poet. One must be humble and patient in order to learn how to write poetry. Poetry is an art that passive people can excel at.
Join James and I on our Poetry in the Park hikes this spring. You’ll find plenty of inspiration to write at Pavan (and all of the other locations I’ve chosen for Poetry in the Park hikes this spring). You’ll find the complete Poetry in the Park schedule if you check out the Poetry in the Park tab on this website.
James and I saw a Mountain Blue Bird while hiking on Wishbone trail on July 9, 2023. We hiked Wishbone on the way to the Vimy trailhead. We saw a lot of birds that morning.
We hiked “the great circle route” to Twin Lakes in Waterton Lakes National Park on Friday, July 15, 2023. It was a Poetry in the Park hike (a free guided hike we offered) but no one showed up to join us. James still managed to find many people to talk with at the beginning and latter part of our hike. It was just us and the flowers for most of the walk.
It will take me a while to upload the videos and put together my Highlights of Twin Lakes blog post. I will write it when I’m in better spirits. My spirits are brighter than they were first thing this morning.
When I woke this morning, I was worried about the escaped calf that I saw along HWY 5. Not being able to help the little guy made me feel helpless. I’m still worried about him.
Then going out to see my peat bale row flowers certainly didn’t cheer me up (watch the videos to find out why). Not everything works out perfectly. Yet, I was able to see that I really am very lucky after all. I do have people who care about me. I see many beautiful flowers every day. Some are in my garden; others are in God’s garden in Waterton Lakes National Park.
When I visited Waterton on July 15, 2023, I even got to see a flower that I had only ever admired in books. I saw a flower that I had never seen in the real world ever before and it looked even more beautiful in person. Once I get the Highlights post done, you’ll get to see what I found. I am truly blessed.
James and I hiked Goat Lake trail on Sunday, June 25, 2023. It was one of our Poetry in the Park hikes. No one showed up to hike with us, which I was thankful for. The weather was chancy and I really didn’t want to feel responsible for leading hikers to potentially be struck by lightning. I felt uncomfortable being up on that naked rock, by times, myself.
I really wasn’t on top of my game while hiking that day anyway. A woman asked me what a flower was (while pointing to a Pearly Everlasting) and I told her that it was a Pussy toes. She looked skeptical but was polite.
Even though my Goat Lake trail flower quest was a struggle, I had enough energy to make dinner at home afterwards and then I wrote a bunch of poems in the evening. I have included one below. I have divided up my stanzas with videos.
Goat Lake Flower Quest
I hadn’t found the Broomrape I
had looked for while I climbed so high
to finally get up to Goat Lake.
I didn’t know which trail to take
to find an orchid near the shore.
Would there be none? Or one? Or more?
It didn’t seem I’d find a one.
I saw the trail was nearly done,
as James was standing near its end.
It’s nice to always have a friend
to share excitement when we see
we’ve made a new discovery.
I said (too loudly) “look, it’s here!”
I looked, and no one else was near
and no one else had heard me call.
Most wouldn’t think a bloom so small
would motivate a soul to climb
up high and spend a lot of time
to find it but I would again.
I doubt that there are many men
who’d join me on a flower quest.
So, James must be the very best
companion for the hikes I take
like this one taken to Goat Lake.
Our next scheduled Poetry in the Park hike is Thursday, June 29, 2023. We’ll be hiking the Alderson trail (the lower half of the Carthew-Alderson trail). It won’t be anymore difficult than Goat Lake trail. We’ll start at 8 AM at Cameron Falls (where the Carthew-Alderson trail ends). We will likely see a few orchids along this hike.
Silky Scorpionweed has a beautiful flower so it is certainly one that is noticed on a Waterton hike in June. I sung my song to a Silky Scorpionweed found in Bellevue in May. I have seen several other of these in bloom along every hike I went on in June so far but I may not see some in bloom on my way up to Goat Lake on Saturday. There are Silver-leaved Scorpionweed plants along Goat Lake trail (and they look completely different).
The weather forecast keeps postponing my hike to Goat Lake. James doesn’t want to hike up to Goat Lake with a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm (it’s pretty exposed up there). I just looked at the weekly forecast and it looks like Mondayis now the best day for a hike up to Goat Lake. We will be hiking on Sunday, though. There is a chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon so we will have to keep an eye on the sky (and might have to head back early).
James and I are offering a free guided hike up to Goat Lake (from Red Rock parking lot) on Sunday, June 25, 2023. We will begin our hike at the parking lot at 8 AM. This hike is not terribly short and much of it is quite exposed (so come prepared).
I put up a post about Yellow Penstemon last so I was thinking about the bloom. That triggered a poem (which I’ve included below). It isn’t one of my better ones but all exercises lead to improvement.
I expect to see many of the flower types that I have already seen on my Waterton hikes this June. Every time I get a chance to review the flowers, I better know them. The better I know them, the more they become a part of me.
Waterton’s Trail Companion
The Yellow Penstemon is found
in bloom in Waterton, around
each trail we’ve hiked along this June.
Though those will finish blooming soon,
at lower elevations there,
just climb and soon you’ll be aware
it’s such a common bloom to see
on Goat Lake trail, where it may be
in bloom in August, way up high.
All summer long, these blooms are by
your ankles, just like “man’s best friend”.
So, don’t be sad as some blooms end,
because some other blooms will come.
Climb Goat Lake trail along with some.
Goat Lake trail hosts more than a hundred flower species. Silky Scorpionweed will probably not be along Snowshoe trail (the bicycle path from Red Rock to the Goat Lake trailhead) and will not be found on Goat Lake trail. Striped Coralroot, Broomrape, and both Calypso and White Bog Orchids may be found along Goat Lake trail, though.
There will likely be White Globe Flower, Glacier Lily, and Alpine Buttercup around the shore of Goat Lake right now. If we are lucky, the Beargrass White Bog Orchid, and both types of Monkey Flowers will be starting to bloom there. If they haven’t started yet, the shoreline will still be beautiful (and we’ll have a great reason to return at a later date to hike this beautiful trail again).
There were still Yellow Penstemon flowers blooming along Wishbone trail (in Waterton Lakes National Park) when I visited there on June 16, 2023. There were also many Yellow Penstemon blooming along the Sofa Mountain trail and Horseshoe Basin trail when we hiked there on June 18, 2023. They are coming near the end of their flower season there (so you’ll have to climb higher if you wait too long to try and find these flowers very soon). Wishbone trail is a great trail to see these and many other wildflowers in June. Sofa Mountain trail is even better.
The highlight of our June 16, 2023 Poetry in the Park (Wishbone) hike was the show of Woods Lilies. They were just beginning their flower season so they were brightly coloured and unblemished. They even outshone the Slipper Orchids and Twining Honeysuckle along the path. The Woods Lilies inspired a couple poems. I have included Wishbone’s Woods Lily Wishes below.
If you would like to see the Woods Lily in Waterton, Horseshoe Basin trail is another place to see them (and many other flowers) in June. The HWY 6 ditch is an even better place to see them. You can spot them while driving. The Waterton Woods Lilies look great right now.
James and I plan to hike to Goat Lake on Sunday, June 25, 2023. We will start at the Red Rock parking lot at 8 AM. All of our Poetry in the Park hikes are free this June. You don’t need to book ahead; just show up. There will not be any Woods Lilies along this trail in Waterton. There will be Yellow Penstemon.
If luck is on our side, we may find a few less common plants (Broomrape and one type of orchid). Since we haven’t had luck with the weather, I expect we will get a lot of exercise and the views of the waterfalls along the trail that we are accustomed to seeing (without the exotic plant species). Fingers crossed, though.
Wishbone’s Wood Lily Wishes
I thought of Wishbone’s Lilies there –
like Tiger Lilies on our farm.
Mom’s Lilies got her loyal care –
exchanging lovely Lily charm
for weeding plants around each one
so they’d be sure to get some sun.
Mom worked to help her Lilies grow
and works so hard for everyone.
Her life is bleak. I wish she’d go
and find a life within the sun
with Lilies, like the ones that grew
near Wishbone – vibrant red and new.
I hope I live to see the day
mom blooms before we pass away.
Since we’ve had to postpone our hikes this week, I have been getting a lot of gardening done. I have also been watching too many movies from the Lethbridge Public Library collection and eating too richly. I really need the weather to cooperate with my hiking plans for Saturday.
If you would like to see Cusick’s Paintbrush, head to Waterton Lakes National Park in June. The only places you should expect to find it in Waterton are along Horseshoe trail and Bellevue. Horseshoe is the better trail to hike to see many flower species.
I have found Cusick’s Paintbrush between the parking lots near Red Rock Canyon (and I have spotted it while riding as a passenger along Red Rock Parkway), so Cusick’s can be found outside of the Horseshoe Basin trail. However, if you are on a quest to find a flower, it’s best to go to a spot where it is known to be blooming in. So, go to Horseshoe for Cusick’s.
James and I will NOT be heading back to Waterton for another Poetry in the Park hike on Thursday, June 22, 2023. We will be hiking up to Goat Lake (start time: 8 AM at the Red Rock Canyon parking lot). Our Goat Lake hike had been postponed (due to a risk of thunder showers in the afternoon). The weather forecast doesn’t suggest that Sunday, June 25, 2023 will make for a great hiking day to Goat Lake. We’re tired of waiting for ideal weather, though. Unless I send another update, we will be doing the hike on Sunday (same time and place).
If you would like to learn more about the flowers you love or learn how to improve your poetry, just show up to join us there.
James and I hiked Horseshoe (up to the first creek crossing) on Sunday, June 18, 2023. We have been hiking on Tuesdays and Fridays in Waterton (offering free Poetry in the Park guided hikes). This week there is rain predicted for Tuesday and Friday (I would normally take this weather forecast as a sign that James and I should not be offering to do the Poetry in the Park hikes). I love doing the hikes, though.
Perhaps I should consider changing the hiking days permanently (to offer one weekend day). I don’t like hiking on the weekends (most people seem to prefer it). In any case, we plan to hike in Waterton only on Thursday this week. If you are interested in seeing Goat Lake and many flowers on the way there, just show up.
I have included some videos from our most recent Horseshoe experience. There may have been as many flowers blooming this time as when we’d hiked it earlier in the spring (many are different flower types: the white thistle and orange false dandelion weren’t blooming last time, for example). Many that had been blooming earlier in spring have finished blooming in Horseshoe.
The thing is, we had hiked the Sofa Mountain trail earlier on June 18, 2023 (and it was amazing). Horseshoe just doesn’t compare to other Waterton trails that are now in full bloom (especially not the Sofa Mountain trail, which is amazing).
Are there any reasons to hike Horseshoe right now rather than almost any other Waterton trail?
Cusick’s Paintbrush is still blooming on Horseshoe. Cusick’s Paintbrush is also blooming in Bellevue (but Bellevue is less impressive than Horseshoe). Cusick’s Paintbrush is only found on these two trails in Waterton. Not only will it finish blooming soon, but Horseshoe becomes less impressive the longer you wait to hike it in the spring.
You will likely have Horseshoe to yourself (besides the resident bear).
I have included a poem that I wrote after having hiked Wishbone on June 16, 2023 (our last Poetry in the Park hike). It’s called Wishbone’s Self-heal. I hope you enjoy reading it.
I performed my song, Common Yarrow, while I was resting on a local urban hike. You will find the video-link attached below. I have attached a poem that I wrote, Lethbridge, below. I have noticed that the Yarrow is in bloom along Waterton trails I’ve been hiking lately. If you want a change from the Lethbridge scenery, Waterton Lakes National Park is just a short drive to the south/west.
James and I are offering free Poetry in the Park hikes in Waterton this June. If you would like to hike with us, we will be hiking along Wishbone trail this Friday (June 16, 2023). There is no need to book ahead. Just show up at 8 AM at the trailhead.
Wishbone trail may not have seemed that special (in comparison with other Waterton trails) years ago. Wishbone trail was not hit by the wildfires that torched many other Waterton trails a few years ago. Therefore, Wishbone has remained much as it was prior to the fires whereas so many of the other trails’ biodiversity has changed significantly.
There are sure to be plenty of Yarrow in bloom along the Wishbone trail (as there is along other Lethbridge and Waterton trails). There will likely be some flowers in bloom that you won’t see along a Lethbridge or other Waterton trail (such as two different types of beautiful orchids). If you want to see (and smell) orchids, your wish will likely be granted this Friday if you show up to hike Wishbone.
As we drove into Waterton, we noticed branches and mud on the road. It looked like someone had decided that the Bear’s Hump parking lot was to be used as a temporary quarry. Something had happened in Waterton but the RV lot across from the Bertha Lake trail was full, all the same. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen it so full.
We parked in the Bertha parking lot just before 8 AM and noticed that the trail was closed. I felt foolish for having not checked the trail conditions on the Parks Canada website before we headed to Waterton. I know better.
A couple from the United States joined us at the trailhead shortly after we noticed that the trail was closed. They had been staying in the RV lot for days. They’d kayaked the day before but didn’t know how they would fill the day ahead. Perhaps they hoped we would have suggestions.
They told us about the helicopters that were rescuing people from the mountain camping areas on Sunday during the flood. It must have been exciting to see (and more so, to experience first hand). It must have also been very expensive for the federal government to have had to air-vac so many people out of the mud slide areas on Sunday. I guess that’s why they closed the trails. They didn’t just close the mountain trails. They closed ALL Waterton trails besides the bicycle path that runs along the road into the park. They even closed Wishbone (I can’t imagine there would ever be mountain slides along Wishbone).
James and I were very disappointed, but tried to cheer each other up by reminding each other (and ourselves) that we only drove from Lethbridge to be disappointed. There was a whole RV lot full of people who had driven much further to be disappointed. James is social and spoke with many of them. Many were from the United States but some were even from abroad.
We decided to go on a driving tour towards the American border after a Visitor Center desk clerk told us that they’d be getting word about trail openings in the afternoon. We didn’t know if we’d just kill time and then head home again, or try to stick around to get more information. I imagine everyone in Waterton was feeling the same as we were.
There was no visible damage along HWY 6 (or reason for trail closure there). James figures that Parks Canada closed Wishbone because they figured people would try to access Crypt Lake trail via Wishbone. He’s probably right. Wishbone is just a prairie hike, though (not a slide zone).
We headed back towards the town site, desperate to find a “Waterton experience” but faced disappointment at picnic sites. We headed back to the Visitor’s Center. I asked about the trail closure status. Bertha was open!
We started the Bertha hike at 1 PM (the latest we’ve ever started that hike). When we got there, there were only two vehicles in the parking lot. We managed to get one of the shady spots. Although there weren’t many vehicles in the parking lot, there were several people on the trail (having just walked over from their RVs in the RV lot across the way.
James had a lot of people to socialize with and I had so much nature worth singing about. Everyone on Bertha had a great time. I have never seen people so happy on a trail in Waterton. I think we all felt blessed to have been able to hike Bertha trail yesterday.
Before the hike, I thought that the flowers would be the most memorable things from the day. I only ended up singing 7 songs to flowers on June 13, 2023. I did photograph many flowers but half of my flower photos were actually butterfly photos with flowers in the background.
There was an unbelievable number of butterflies on the trail. The butterflies were certainly memorable. As I hiked, I was certain that the butterflies would be the most memorable things from my Bertha experience of June 13, 2023.
As I write this, I realize that the flowers and butterflies along the beautiful Bertha trail were fantastic. The mountain, lake, and waterfalls that make up the backdrop of the ever-changing floral scenery was breathtaking, as always. The most memorable thing about my June 13, 2023 experience turned out to be the people.
I loved hearing James talk to a couple from Florida in the morning (before we even thought that getting onto the Bertha trail in the afternoon was a possibility). The woman seemed to see things about “race politics” in a similar way as I do. Hearing her made me feel less alone.
I loved talking with people along the trail as I returned from Bertha Lake. I loved seeing so many women taking photos of flowers (as I was doing). They seemed genuinely grateful to hear details and names of the flowers from me. One woman suggested that I look into whether Waterton has volunteer positions for people like me to assist others along the trail. I think I’d rather unofficially assist others along the trail (but I am thankful for her suggestion).
I love going to Waterton. I find other people like me when I hike the trails in Waterton. It makes a refreshing mountain hike even more refreshing.
It was still light out when we arrived back in Lethbridge. As I walked up the ally to my house, there were rhubarb leaves scattered in the ally beside what was obviously a fresh human poop. I imagine the pooper had snagged some rhubarb out of one of my neighbor’s garden, then used the leaves as “toilet paper”.
In the city there are constant reminders of people who are nothing like you. The urban sites can bring a person down and make them feel alone. You are never alone. There are people like you, and if you have made it down to the end of this blog post, you will find those people on a trail like Bertha in Waterton Lakes National Park.
I have typed up a couple haikus that I wrote while killing time in Waterton in the morning. You will find them at the end of this post.
Waterton (Post Flash Flood)
Visitors look lost
today in Waterton since
all the trails are closed.
Welcome to Alberta
Wild Rose petals caught
on grass within an unnamed
roadside waterfall.
NOTE: Wishbone is our next scheduled Poetry in the Park hike. I expect that that trail will be open on Friday, June 16, 2023 (since I saw no reason for its closure on June 13, 2023). We will be starting at the Wishbone trailhead at 8 AM. I will check the Parks Canada site for trail conditions tomorrow. It’s a go unless Parks Canada refuses access to the trail. The weather will be perfect for hiking Wishbone on Friday, June 16, 2023. If you want to join us, just show up. We’ll be hiking whether you join us or not.
NOTE: our scheduled Friday hike (up to Goat Lake) has been cancelled (due to serious forecasted rain). Our next Poetry in the Park hike will be on June 13, 2023 to Bertha Lake from the townsite. We will start at the trailhead near the parking lot at 8 AM. If you would like to join us, just show up.
Since we had time after Red Rock and Crandell, we went to Wishbone (we will be offering a FREE guided hike through Wishbone next Friday, June 16, starting at 8 AM.
We did a Poetry in the Park hike in Waterton Lakes National Park on June 6, 2023. It was excellent. I expected to find almost as many different flower types in bloom along Red Rock to Blakiston Falls, and along the Crandell Lake trail as I did in Horseshoe Basin on June 2, 2023 (I found 90 different types of plants in bloom there on that day). I did expect that many of the flowers on the trails hiked on June 6, 2023 would be repeats from Horseshoe Basin hike on June 2, 2023. I will highlight some of the differences for you.
I sang 16 songs to plants on June 6, 2023. That doesn’t mean that I found that many more plants on June 6, 2023 as on June 2, 2023. I may not have had those songs with me (or cared to sing them) on June 2, 2023. I haven’t uploaded any of my songs that I sang while doing the Poetry in the Park hikes. I don’t know if I will do so until fall. I don’t care to spend my time indoors uploading videos. I do enough of that already.
Bears were a common theme at the park on June 6, 2023. After having seen one on the way to Red Rock, we were heading up from Crandell Lake to Akimina Parkway while a woman was descending towards us with her two dogs (and bear spray). She told us about the bear that she’d just passed less that a kilometer in the direction we were going. We decided to just turn back there rather than having to worry about the bear on the trail ahead.
I wasn’t keen on going from Crandell Lake to Akiminia Parkway and back anyhow. Since we finished earlier than expected at Crandell Lake, we headed over to Wishbone to fill up the rest of the day. While there, I saw very fresh evidence that a bear had just been there on the trail. Then James and I heard the bear crashing around in the woods beside the path. We didn’t have any trouble with the bear, though. We just spoke loudly. We have never had any trouble with bears while hiking.
Aside from bears, there were many mosquitos, ground squirrels, and a deer near Blakiston Falls; there was a very large black and orange jumping spider and a chipmunk near Crandell Lake; and a dark bird with copper (very shiny) wings in a tree at Wishbone with many other birds.
While we ate snacks in the car with the doors open, a Yellow Warbler kept flying by. He definitely wanted our nuts. I thought he might fly right in to get them. We felt bad. He likely thought we were being greedy by not sharing but everyone knows that you can’t feed the wildlife in National Parks (everyone besides that Warbler, that is).
James’ highlight was meeting a sister of a hockey player James knew about. James likes hockey. They talked for a very long time while I played with the spider and looked at flowers. I also spoke to the couple a fair amount. They were friendly and I felt comfortable with them. Perhaps I’m getting to enjoy socializing with other humans more as I age.
Dame’s Rocket
While on a hike to Crandell Lake,
a purple flower seemed to make
the best impression for the day.
We finished, then went on our way
to Wishbone for another hike.
A picture of that plant we like
was posted on the boot brush there –
a joke, it seemed we both could share.
As it turned out, we did see as many plants on June 6, 2023 as we had on June 2, 2023 (at Horseshoe Basin). Many were “reviews” and many were “new” but all were a treat to see. The Dame’s Rocket find brought some humor to our hike but finding the orchid turned out to be funny, too.
I was trying to find the mystery bird with the shiny metallic wings and was looking in the opposite direction from the orchid. I looked down and there it was, like it appeared out of no where. We laughed, having nearly missed it while looking for something else.
Finding that orchid on Wishbone was a wish come true. I’d been worried that all of Waterton’s orchids were destroyed by the fire that took out the trees a few years back. James and I had just been talking about it with a couple we spoke with on the Crandell Lake trail.
Had we not spoke with the woman who’d come across the bear on Crandell Lake trail, we wouldn’t have turned back at the Lake. If we hadn’t turned back, we wouldn’t have went over to Wishbone trail to fill up the remaining hours of our hiking day. If we hadn’t hiked Wishbone on June 6, 2023, we would not have seen that orchid. Life is magical.
Where: Red Rock Parking lot, Waterton Lakes National Park. When: 8 AM, June 6, 2023. Why? James and I are offering to share our lifelong love of poetry and nature with others. James is an excellent poetry teacher and I know a lot about native Waterton plants. If you would like to learn more about flowers or poetry, just show up to join us for a walk in the park.
NOTE: There is a 30% chance of rain predicted for Waterton this Tuesday. We plan on going anyhow (30% isn’t worth worrying about for us). So, Red Rock is still on for tomorrow! However, Friday’s hike to Goat Lake will likely have to be either pushed ahead (a full day of rain is expected then) or back (I will let you know on Wednesday what our plans are).
On June 6, 2023, we will be hiking from Red Rock to Blakiston Falls. Once we have finished that we will be heading over to do the Crandell Lake hike. We plan on starting at the campground (which is currently closed) at about 9:30AM.
James has five fractured vertebrae (compression fractures caused by his multiple myeloma cancer being caught far too late by the medical community). James has found that he can handle strenuous hiking days at Waterton by taking several breaks. Since James needs breaks just to keep hiking, and I take a lot of breaks for the flowers, we figured we could fill those breaks with poetry instruction and plant I.D.
Before vaccines were available when the Covid-19 pandemic hit Canada, James and I had to avoid everyone (he has a very low immunity due to his cancer type and treatment). James taught me poetry, with a new assignment each day. We also we out to hike locally. I started learning how to identify native plants in the nature parks in Lethbridge. Our months isolated away from others turned out to be the best months of our life.
I’ve continued on with the poetry and native plant identification over the years. Life has been great. I feel healthier now than I was ten years ago. I think James feels the same. We’d like to share some of the things that have improved our life with others.
If you are interested, just show up and hike with us. You don’t need to book ahead. We’re not charging for the experience of hanging out with us this June. We plan to do a different Waterton hike each Tuesday and Friday. We plan to do Goat Lake this coming Friday.
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