Living In The In Between

Hey everyone! I hope you are having a good week. We have been getting spring here in the woods, but it's coming very slowly. After last week's meteoric temperatures, mother nature seemed to retreat back and decide not to get so crazy. It's been mild: not hot enough to bring on May flowers, but warm enough to make the ice on the lake finally break through.

This week, I spent a lot of time taking pics of the water from several different vantage points. I am loving the interplay between the old ice and snow of winter, and the fresh flowing water of spring. It makes for some really interesting, textured photos. This shot shows the ice floating on the water in beautiful s-curves:

Ice patch on the lake

And this the same area, from a different vantage point, you can really see the glass-like still quality of the water. I love the soft muted colours of this picture, You can also see a lot of rocks. In the early spring, the rocks tend to pile up on the shore. Later on, as the water goes down, much of this shoreline may turn to sandbar, and become a place suitable for swimming.

Ice on Lake Winnipeg

Lake Winnipeg shoreline

And in this scenic shot, you can see that there is unmelted snow in this secret little spot of wilderness, located only 1.5 hours from the city.

And so that is our life here in the woods: we are in the life of in-between right now: water flowing with life, but being impeded from full progress by the ice and snow of winter, who is not quite ready to give up his reign of this land.

It's sometimes depressing, as we long for green, and new life. But it's also beautiful -- it's the beauty of struggle, a picture of contrast and dynamic interplay of the elements.

We are living in a time of transition. And this reminds me so much of the transitions we often feel in our own personal lives. Sometimes we are trying to embark on a new venture, but it's just not quite time. We want everything to start blossoming, but we still have to take care of some business. And so we yearn for the new era and wish we were done with the old period.

But patient we must be to finish off what is in front of us, before we can fully embrace the new challenge.

I, too, am in a transition phase. At the end of the school year, I will be leaving my job to pursue full-time writing. My mind is pulsing right now with ideas for books and articles, but I cannot break through to the new phase until all the things are finished with my old assignment. But because I know it's close, I feel an urgency to get writing, and get things flowing. I can feel the excitement of my new adventure to come but it is not quite time to be set free.

Beautiful sunset off Lake Winnipeg

For the next two months, I live in the in-between. I love teaching, but I know that I must also prepare for my new life. So, I write and I teach, and it is exhausting. But it also beautiful -- the beauty of struggle. I am enjoying the last few months in the classroom, savouring each day with my students, but also knowing I will be walking away soon.

Are you living in a time of transition, and want things to be done now? Remember the lake which must slowly melt, and wait for all the snow to be gone, before it can flow comptely free. Remember the spring that comes slowly, and let the dream you are waiting for come to pass in its own time.

Dear reader, I would love to hear from you. Talk to me! Have you ever been been in a time of transition? How did you deal with it? Did you have any walks this week? What kind of views did you see? I would absolutely love to hear from you about this, or any other topic.

And finally, just to encourage you to get outdoors this week, I leave you with this information: a report by the  American Surgeon General found that walkers live longer than non-walkers. Sounds like a good bonus! Have a wonderful week!

Love Sharilee. Hey thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear your comments and input in the space below. Also, if you like what you are reading, sign up through my Facebook page. or receive posts by e-mail by joining here