Watching (Tobermory, Ontario)
Why are they staring at me? … I think about it for a while, and then I realize … it is their job!
I am standing on the shoreline at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, where Lake Huron and Georgian Bay meet. The dolomite rocks I am standing on were created more than 430 million years ago and, as such, have witnessed everything that has happened here over that period of time.
Humans have passed by for millennia, other animals even longer. Countless storms, seasonal changes, and other natural events, large and small, have occurred. These rocks have observed it all. What an enormous stack of memories they must have! In indigenous belief they are the knowledge keepers. They hold the history of everything that has ever happened here.
I am now part of the history. I smile and move on. The rocks continue … Watching.
Water & Rock (Tobermory, Ontario)
There’s a face … weird nose. Beside it, a scrawny tree … or maybe some kind of bush. Over there, a figure that looks vaguely human … maybe not, perhaps some sort of animal … by a pool of water. Is it really a pool of water … or the open mouth of a large fish?
These shoreline rocks have been here for hundreds of millions of years, subject to wind and wave action, snow, rain, ice, meltwater, yearly freeze-thaw cycles, and whatever else the weather systems could bring to bear. They are not uniform in composition. Certain sections erode more quickly and easily than others, so it is no wonder that the surfaces we see are not consistent and, in fact, are made up of different shapes, forms, colours, and textures.
What a treat for our imaginations. So many possible interpretations. What changes will the next year bring … to the rocks, … to our way of seeing?
To view image gallery: Click here.
Why are they staring at me? … I think about it for a while, and then I realize … it is their job!
I am standing on the shoreline at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, where Lake Huron and Georgian Bay meet. The dolomite rocks I am standing on were created more than 430 million years ago and, as such, have witnessed everything that has happened here over that period of time.
Humans have passed by for millennia, other animals even longer. Countless storms, seasonal changes, and other natural events, large and small, have occurred. These rocks have observed it all. What an enormous stack of memories they must have! In indigenous belief they are the knowledge keepers. They hold the history of everything that has ever happened here.
I am now part of the history. I smile and move on. The rocks continue … Watching.
Water & Rock (Tobermory, Ontario)
There’s a face … weird nose. Beside it, a scrawny tree … or maybe some kind of bush. Over there, a figure that looks vaguely human … maybe not, perhaps some sort of animal … by a pool of water. Is it really a pool of water … or the open mouth of a large fish?
These shoreline rocks have been here for hundreds of millions of years, subject to wind and wave action, snow, rain, ice, meltwater, yearly freeze-thaw cycles, and whatever else the weather systems could bring to bear. They are not uniform in composition. Certain sections erode more quickly and easily than others, so it is no wonder that the surfaces we see are not consistent and, in fact, are made up of different shapes, forms, colours, and textures.
What a treat for our imaginations. So many possible interpretations. What changes will the next year bring … to the rocks, … to our way of seeing?
To view image gallery: Click here.