What A Saucy Fellow

 By Maryanna Gabriel

The snow is melting and spring is in the air. I know because a robin keeps trying to get into the house. He is bashing away at the windows, beating his wings and smearing them with little robin kisses. The only windows where he is doing this, is where he can see me, a little weird. I think he is in love. The video above shows you how hard he is trying. He curls one foot upward as if he is excited. 

Yesterday I was out walking and a robin followed me for a couple of hundred meters. When I returned from the beach he was still there. I thought, "This is a little odd." He then followed me back. I don't expect you to believe me but I am telling the story anyway. There is more robins than meet the eye.

I am not taking it personally. I believe he is enamoured with his reflection and wants to mate with himself. This happened once before. It went on for days. A robin robin displayed similar behaviour with my car headlights. I was worried he was going to damage the glass so I used the remote to unlock the car to frighten him off. He still did not stop. This is the power of well, what do you call robin love, anyway? A bit Hitchcock.

Day Of Love

 By Maryanna Gabriel

"Love is patient,
love is kind.
It does not envy,
it does not boast, 
it is not proud.

It does not dishonour others,
it is not self seeking,
it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs... 
It always protects,
always trusts,
always hopes,
always perseveres."

        - I Corinthians 13:4-8

Bushed

 By Maryanna Gabriel

Yesterday I woke up feeling antsy. I think I was bushed. I began to pack for the ferry to nearby Victoria. I needed some things and fruit from hot warm places that was not green, hard, and bruised, was on my list. With spring taking its time and the pandemic dragging on, I knew I needed to feed my soul.

As fate would have it, I spotted a woman who looked familiar sitting outdoors at a coffee shop on Cook Street. I recognized by the book she held in her hands, that we were from the same master's program at Dalhousie University. Trust me, I was excited - a real person instead of an online classroom. We talked and talked. I came away feeling invigorated. 

Today the snow is softly falling and soon I will have to shovel a path out to my studio. I had no idea yesterday that the weather would change. Sometimes, I wonder what force orchestrates an intuition that bears such fruit. There was a fated sense to the encounter and our deep conversation. I feel I have made a new friend. Today, I can be bushed without feeling bushed. I am off now to chop wood. 

Kicking Up My Heels

 By Maryanna Gabriel

Well, not really kicking up my heels. My knees are a mess with a slipped meniscus. Other than that, the day is bright and the sap is running. Almost at the speed of light, I hobbled to the ocean. Okay, maybe not quite the speed of light. These are photos from my morning walk.