Posted on July 9, 2013 under Storytelling with one comment

Can you imagine a piece of the universe more fit for princes and kings …” – from Song for the Mira by “Allister MacGillivray

It is only a short stroll from “The Main” to arrive on the doorstep of paradise. Cross the railroad tracks, turn right, park your car and take a deep breath. It is hard to believe that something so wonderful is so close to town and easily accessible. Welcome to the Antigonish Landing.
Tidal waters from the ocean backfill into the confluence of the West River, Brierly Brook and Wright’s River. I believe they call this an estuary. We used to call it a place to drink on weekend nights. It is much, much more than a walking trail. Yes, it is a place to get your heart rate up but it is also a place to get your mind to slow down.
You see a lot of people at The Landing. There’s an early morning crew that enjoy the crispness and chill of that time of the day. Many people spend their lunch hours there. And many like to go there and shake off the woes and frustrations of a day at work. When the university is in session, it is not uncommon to watch romance unfold under the watchful eyes of the eagles that nest in the area.
If you are a naturalist there’s plenty to see, hear and smell. Local birders are often seen wielding their binoculars. On any given day you might encounter turtles, snakes or beavers. If you are moving slowly enough, you might spot butterflies in all their magnificence and notice the many varieties of wild flowers.
Besides the walkers there are bikers and lots and lots of runners. And canoeists. And, apparently, this is canine heaven as well for the many dog owners who frequent the trail. In all my years, I have never once encountered dog poop at The Landing. These animals are either very well trained … or their owners are. And speaking of fecal matter, the main reason that we can even spend time at the Landing is the foresight of former Mayor, Collie Herman, whose vision created the sewage treatment plant on the doorstep of this sanctuary. My kids affectionately refer to it as the Poop Plant.
There are times of the year that the Landing just won’t let you in. In early spring, the combination of rain and thawing ice creates lakes where the trail should be. In winter the path becomes a rough and rutted skating rink.
The Highland Games 5 miler wends its way through the Landing every July. It is always unbearably hot but Scots are a robust lot. I guess the promise of the beer tent at the conclusion of the race is all it takes to get 300 or more hearty “soles” to toe the mark.
When I walk or run through this trail I’m often found humming that old Eagles classic “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. I’m not the most spiritual guy in the world but whenever I need a soft landing from life’s trials and tribulations, I know just where to go.

Posted on July 8, 2013 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

What a spectacular weekend! It is very uplifting when everybody is in good cheer and getting out doing things. It seemed like everyone took advantage of the fabulous weather and attended music festivals, barbeques or went to the beach. We took our granddaughter to Arisaig, looked for fossils, had a great swim and went over to the lighthouse for an ice cream. Well, two of us did. I just completed a 30 day challenge to go without sweets and am happy to report that I am well on the way to kicking the sugar habit.

It is Highland Games week and there will be lots to do. I went to the mass for the opening of Games yesterday at the cathedral. I took a video of a lone piper standing outside the church piping people in. He gave me permission to post the video, which I will do later.

I will also re-post a short video about my upcoming story on the Antigonish Landing. I have also added a new video that I took at 6:30 yesterday morning at the golf club. I hope to write a story about golf in the days to come.

The book project is coming along nicely. The stories are undergoing final editing and if all goes well, the book will be ready by mid September.

Your comments are always appreciated and some of you have given me some excellent ideas for stories. The best part of story writing is receiving the feedback. It is interesting to hear your take on my stories because we all see things differently. And don’t forget, if you happen to enjoy these stories, there are tons of them in the archives on my website.

Coming up next, ” A Soft Landing”. The Antigonish Landing remains one of my favorite places on earth. I never get tired of walking, running or biking the trail. You see something different every day. It will be the scene of the Highland Games 5 miler on Friday. If you haven’t been down there lately, may I suggest that you go.

Have a wonderful week!

Posted on July 7, 2013 under Storytelling with one comment

When was the last time that you couldn’t sleep because of anxiety?  Was it the night before your wedding? Or, how about a final exam or a job interview?  In most cases, a person tosses from side to side but it can be much worse than just restlessness.  The worry factor can be so high that you may break out in a sweat, or worse, your unsettled innards compel you to make several trips to the loo. Welcome to the start line of a race and in particular, your first race.  I’m talking about running, lest you think I am about to don a helmet at Riverside Speedway.

It matters not if you are running your first 5K race or stepping up to run your first marathon.  Firsts are firsts, no matter how you cut it.  It’s hard to describe what it’s like at the start line of a race unless you’ve been there.  A first timer will experience a range of emotions from pure excitement to utter panic, and everything in between.  Fear of failure is probably high on the list but, as I’ve told my children ad nauseum, there is only one thing worse than trying and failing.  And that is not trying.

What you sense most when you stand in line with hundreds and, in some cases, thousands of others, is this incredible pent up energy.  With ten minutes to race time, the runners are pawing the ground like caged animals.  It`s little wonder that they call this holding area “the corral`.  As the minutes creep by, you wonder if the starter will ever fire his gun.  I have often thought that some inventor should come up with a device that could be attached to runners in the starting area.  The energy could be transmitted to a nearby generator that could power the lights of a small hamlet.

Just when you think you will explode from anticipation, some perky young thing is up on a platform exhorting you to stretch and get pumped up. Really?  You think that this particular group needs pumping up?  And then they always… always … play Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger”.  If I hear that one more time at a race, I will single-handedly go man to man with that tiger and strangle the son of a bitch.

You will see a dazzling array of spandex at the start line.  For many, it seems to be a fashion show about to be marred by sweat.  Like an ostentation of peacocks prior to the courtship display … apologies to the peahens.

And you will also see a lot of port-o-potties.  Please review paragraph one.  Easily the most important piece of equipment at a race.

Mercifully, the executioner holds up his hand and in the time honored tradition utters the words, “on your mark, get set…..”  Before you know it, you cross the start pad as a thousand timing devices go off simultaneously.  And then it is your time.  You and your thoughts.

“This is the moment! 

This is the day,

When I send all my doubts and demons

On their way!”

(from This is the Moment – Jekyll and Hyde soundtrack)