Zorita (Portuguese Sorraia x Sulphur Mustang) and Esperanda (Portuguese Sorraia x Kiger Mustang)
This is the fourth autumn the Ravenseyrie mares will be experiencing down on the Twinravens range in Tehkummah, southeasterly Manitoulin Island. Do they miss living up on the East Bluff of Gore Bay were Kevin and I and the bachelor band of Sorraias continue to dwell? We certainly miss them and treasure those days when our conservation efforts included having an intact family band of wild horses showcasing their amazing equine culture day in and day out. Unfortunately we learned 360 acres is not enough space (both physically and psychologically) for more than one wild living family band of equines. Perhaps in the future there will come to be a large tract of land somewhere on the island or elsewhere in Canada where the males and females can live together in complete autonomy like what occurs on Sable Island. For now, we must be content with knowing we continue to safeguard these horses in non-breeding groups.
Pinoteia (Portuguese Sorraia x Spanish Mustang)
I continue to reserve my precious Mondays off from work to make the hour's drive down to Tehkummah and visit with Bella and Belina and Zorita and Fada and Pinoteia and Esperanda and Altavida and Rija. It makes my heart sing to see them in such good form and in an environment that is able to naturally sustain them most of the year. Being on a limited range, however, they do need hay supplemented to assist them in surviving the harsh winters Manitoulin Island experiences. In early autumn local farmer, Larry Cress, drops off large round bales of dried summer in the front sector of their range, while Kevin and I stock the mares' forest shelter sector with large round bales we bring from home.
Until the landscape is deeply locked in with snow, the mares prefer to dine upon what their range offers them naturally. In the photo below, Rija purposefully selects dried thistle stalks...a delectable treat, or for medicinal purposes...she did not say which! (see her eating these prickly plants in the YouTube video link below)
Rija (Portuguese Sorraia x Spanish Mustang)
The mares coming up from the back range for treats and a visit.
Rija (Portuguese Sorraia x Spanish Mustang)
Rija tells Akina to skedaddle.
Our Majestic Mares! How much a part of the landscape they are!
In this video, back at home, our purebred Portuguese Sorraia, Altamiro and one of his sons come up to say hello. How different their lives are without the presence of the mares...I am sure they miss them being on the home range as much as I do.
On the East Bluff viewing the West Bluff
Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada
My husband and I have been living on Manitoulin Island for twelve years now. For us, creating a life here with a rather limited income necessitated quite a number of lifestyle changes and a dedication to minimizing expenditures. We have no regrets! We happily made a shift in what "wealth" means and feel incredibly rich to dwell in a very humble home with its million dollar views.
A million dollar view at Ravenseyrie on top of the bluff
A million dollar view at Ravenseyrie at beach level
One of the ways that we have done well at saving money is shortly after I opened my studio and art gallery we purchased a bicycle for me to commute to work upon.
Biria Easy Boarding e-bike above the clouds overlooking the
bay on a gorgeous day for bicycle commuting on Manitoulin Island.
An exceptional view of your author's commute
MapQuest detailing of your author's commute
We live up on the East Bluff and my gallery is down on the waterfront, near the marina in the village of Gore Bay, an 11 kilometre trip one way with some appreciable hills. This, coupled with my not at all being a "super-fit athlete in spandex" had us choose an early model Biria Easy Boarding bicycle (3 speed with coast brakes) from JV Bikes in Vancouver (via their online store). This particular model had been wonderfully outfitted with an electric motor in the front wheel. We call the bicycle, The Black Mare.
"The Black Mare"
The Black Mare is an "electric assist" bicycle which means that it does require pedalling (it is not like a motorized scooter) and I do feel my muscles straining in a good way when going into the wind and up the hills even with the assistance of my wonderful electric motor. Nevertheless, this "e-bike" makes it possible for me to make the commute in around 35 minutes and arrive at my destination without being a wilted, sweaty mess. I love the combination of physical exertion and ease of use!
I ride "The Black Mare" to work most every day, unless the weather is particularly inclement. I am exposed to rarified air and exhilarating scenes. I don't stop and take photos often as I typically am wanting to get to work earlier than later, but sometimes the scenes are so compelling I absolutely have to pull over and get out my iPad to capture the headiness of the experience.
Bicycle commuting prior to spring break up. A view of
the bay from the East Bluff Lookout.
A view of my destination - the Harbour Centre -
from the East Bluff Lookout on an early spring bicycle commute.
My commute along Scotland Road is filled with fragrances and sounds as well as delightful sights. Wood duff, Spring Peepers, sun-touched bog water, Bobolink chortlings, Apple blossom perfume, the dashing of shy deer, magnified-vibratory-prehistoric-croakings of the Sandhill Cranes, the tang of the inland ocean and the ever present Ravens, to name just a few!
Often the Ravens vocalize as they pass over me "flying" on "The Black Mare"
Here are two video clips rom this past summer. It is so incredibly heady to see the storms off in the distance and to hope that I make it home before those rain clouds pummel the bluff! These are short clips, but may take a minute or so to load. Once loaded click to view it full screen if you can - it is the best way to feel like you are standing beside me looking at these wonderful scenes!
Sometimes, others have done the photographing of my commuting experience.
Just round the curve at McDougall's Point
photo by "Sharon"
Bicycle commuting on Manitoulin Island,
photo by "Sharon"
So long for now!
photo by "Sharon"
Leaving for work, photo by Kevin Droski
Out the drive on a frosty morn,
photo by Kevin Droski
See you later!
photo by Kevin Droski
Sometimes the spectacular scenes I experience while on my commute inspire me to capture them in watercolours as well as with the camera. This particular scene made for a nice large painting which I also used for one of my fine art notecards.
Scotland Road at McDougall's point
Scotland Road - Almost Home
Original Watercolour by Lynne Gerard
Fine art greeting card, from the original watercolour
by Lynne Gerard
I wrote a wee poem especially inspired by this particular scene from my commute home on "The Black Mare". It reads:
Fear finds no place to linger when
your heart is devoted to Love and Beauty.
Look for a road that inspires you,
then boldly follow it.
--L.Gerard
Back of fine art greeting card by Lynne Gerard
Along the route, there are two sponsored observation sites frequented by tourists and favoured by photographers. One is the Hindman Trail Lookout and the other is the Harold Noble Lookout site. Last year the Town of Gore Bay and Randy Noble created the Noble Nature Trail which is a fabulous hike route that provides lovely views from the top of the bluff down to the bottom. Kevin and I walked it earlier this autumn and were wonderfully impressed with the all of it.
Noble Nature Trail
Gore Bay
Spectacular view on the Noble Nature Trail
Gore Bay
One of several resting spots on the Noble Nature Trail
Gore Bay
Good signage on the Noble Nature Trail
Gore Bay
Looking northwest from the Noble Nature Trail
Gore Bay
Looking at Gore Bay from the Noble Nature Trail
Once down at the destination, the fabulous Gore Bay Harbour Centre, my creative work day begins.
The Gore Bay Harbour Centre
My studio and gallery are on the backside of the building, facing the water.
The Gore Bay Harbour Centre, lakeside
Most days, some of my feathered friends are on hand to greet me.
Lynne Gerard arriving to work on "The Black Mare"
photo by Helen Siksek
Stevie, the Crow
Travis, the Gull
Travis and Stevie and the wonderful view of the bay and the North Channel
Gorgeous light outlining the East Bluff from the vantage
point of my studio balcony
And now it is just about quittin' time here at work. There have been flurries on and off. I have to layer up my woollens and get myself heading on back up the bluff. I have a special island farmer who will be waiting for me. The gate will be open and after I pedal on though, he will take "The Black Mare" and put her in her "stable". If the weather isn't too nasty tomorrow, I will make the commute again!
Update, autumn 2018
Have been able to acquire a wonderfully weatherproof outfit for bicycling in the rain! The Rainwrap skirt and Bronte jacket are designed by the mother/daughter duo known as Georgia in Dublin, are assembled in Poland and marketed in fine shops in Europe. I purchased the Rainwrap direct from Georgia in Dublin and was able to buy the Bronte jacket on sale from Cyclechic. This weatherproof ensemble (which they call "The Full Bronte") has managed to keep me dry even when cycling in pouring rain and gale winds with no maddening flapping of fabric like my former rain poncho. I have been wearing the Rainwrap even on dry days because in the chill autumn air, the fabric of the wrap skirt keeps my legs warmer than when riding in my regular skirts alone. And the outfit is SO irresistibly stylish, it makes you actually look forward to riding your bicycle in the rain!
The "Full Bronte" rain ensemble from Georgia in Dublin
Rainwrap and Bronte jacket by Georgia in Dublin on rainy day at the Ravenseyrie Sorraia Mustang Preserve Manitoulin Island, Ontario, Canada
Your author, well insulated from an autumn downpour in rain gear from Georgia in Dublin
Ancient Influences
Palaeolithic-style Rock Painting
by Lynne Gerard
Paleolithic art is a silent touch from distant ancestors, their marks a reminder of our own vitality and mortality, a prompter to savour our present in this ancient arena of life...A seer throws the old ivory carvings, kneels, and reads them thoughtfully: "They say, 'Wake up, you are on; we have had our time and this is yours.'" She smiles and -- I thought she was mocking, but perhaps not -- goes on to say that the truly good message from Paleolithic art is "that one would be wise to play: play physically, play mentally, and, above all, play artfully." (from THE NATURE OF PALAEOLITHIC ART by R. Dale Guthrie)
This is a special time! Summer wanes and autumn begins to assert itself with all the marvellous variety of fragrances and colours that one season yielding to another generates. Foot traffic in the gallery is reduced and the constant necessity of printing and assembling my handmade greeting cards is not so intense. This in-between seasonal magic provides me the opportunity to rekindle my love of painting on the amazing rock "canvases" that I collect from the Ravenseyrie beach along Lake Huron's North Channel. I have written just a little about my exploration in rock paintings in these blog entries: Rocks That Speak, Signature, Seal, Chop and Influenced by Love and Familiar Forms. In today's journal entry, I thought I would share some recent rock paintings I've completed and put in the gallery.
First I will share the information card that accompanies every rock painting I sell and tells a bit about how I go about making these paintings:
Here is a snapshot of what my little rock painting station looks like:
"It is very possible that the paintings would have become mediators between an art reflecting the visible world and another world, which, though supernatural, was nevertheless present in people's daily lives." (from The Cave of Altamira by Pedro A. Saura Ramos, excerpt from the essay by Antonio Beltrán)
And now some images of the recent works:
Whitefish Glissando
by Lynne Gerard
Her Ancient Soul
by Lynne Gerard
Her Ancient Soul
detail
Her Ancient Soul
detail
Perfect Poise
by Lynne Gerard
Perfect Poise
detail
Perfect Poise
detail
Perfect Poise
by Lynne Gerard
"The cave painters may or may not have had the idea of art as we understand it, but when they chose to draw an appealing line instead of an awkward one, they were thinking and acting like artists trying to create art in our sense of the word. That's why it's valid for us to respond to the cave paintings as art and not merely as archaeological evidence, although they are certainly that as well." (from THE CAVE PAINTERS / Probing the Mysteries of the World's First Artists by Gregory Curtis)
Shamanic Cat
by Lynne Gerard
Shamanic Cat
detail
Mythic Undercurrents
by Lynne Gerard
Mythic Undercurrents
detail
A Raven's Aura
by Lynne Gerard
Chickadee and Wind
by Lynne Gerard
Trout Enthusiasm
by Lynne Gerard
"In Paleolithic art, horses dominate. In some spots, they can be outnumbered by bison, deer, or even rhinoceroses - or felines at the very beginning, in the Chauvet Cave - or much later, the mammoths at Rouffignac. Nonetheless, horses are numerous, no matter the styles, techniques used, period, and region. The subject of the horse to some extent forms the basis of parietal art." (from THE SHAMANS OF PREHISTORY / Trance and Magic in the Painted Caves by Jean Clottes and David Lewis-Williams
I will leave you with a 16 second video clip giving a better view of "Ancient Influences", which is painted on a most intriguing stone. (patience, please...it may take a little time to ready itself for playback.)
