Grace and India may not have been the first things I would have put together in my mind when thinking of this large country bursting with people, commotion and poverty. But grace is what I found.

In September I travelled through Kerala in the southern tip of India where I found verdent greens ...

large stretches of rice paddies,

wide, expansive rivers..

and plantation 'forests'.

The people - natural,

Two of the skippers on my river cruise. 

My gracious and friendly host on my home-stay at his plantation. 

proud

Near by villagers.

....industrious.

Bathing the elephants

A personal demonstration on how rubber trees are harvested.

I loved watching the graceful way in which people went about their work.

Workers seemed happy at what they did. 

Wise...

My wise doctor at the Aryvedic camp in Northern Kerala. 

and friendly.

Nearby villagers who graciously invited me in for something to eat.  I was assured by my guide that these humble abodes were no measure of wealth.  I concur - but my understanding of 'wealth' has grown. 

It was a wonder to visit Kerala where the literacy rate is higher than most western countries and where employment - also very high - is considered a privilege regardless of the occupation. The noise level was highest in the ayruvedic retreat where nightlife nature screamed during the night and murmured lazily during the day. Otherwise the India I visited was very quiet and contemplative.

The clinic where examinations, consultations and all  massages were done.   (I had two different massages every day)

Each visitor had their own cottage. 

Yes there is noise and commotion on the highways and in the cities, but to counter that, there was an extraordinary insularness in the quiet confidence of the people -

A bird sanctuary..and not another living soul throughout the park.

My guide was an interesting young man who had an uncanny instinct for finding  birds .  He was extemely knowledgeable and even the most experienced bird watcher could find no fault in his intense passion for nature and the birds that live here. 

Can you spot the birds in this foliage? 

A mystical landscape 

The lotus flower rules along with the birds - when the water recedes.

A fitting find for the end of an amazing adventure in the bird scantuary.

One wonders if the land dictates the nature of the people living in it. I cant help but appreciate the grace of the Keralan Indians amidst abundant, pulsing, noisy nature against the intensely disciplined wildness of Balkaners in the harsh uncompromising extremes of their climate and terraine.

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I have laid my camera down to rest...

I have laid my camera down to rest these days - mostly to process the deeply moving and dynamic images of the Balkans that remain with me - but once in a while a surreal image imposes itself upon my usual perception...and the camera just finds itself in my hands...










While waiting for the ferry which would take me to Victoria to see my friend Alison in early March, I was enthralled by this typical westcoast mystical scene. This major shipping port is transformed into a fantasy scene ...







Island time changes everything ...











This area is well known for it's restful inspiration. and casual lifestyle. However, this part of the 2 hour trip is treacherous for ferries who squeeze by each other in this narrow passage called "active pass". For passengers it is titillating to be part of the drama as two ferries 'dance' their way through the narrowest neck of the passage. Often Orca whales can be seen along the way.















I could have sworn I was somewhere in the UK - but no, I pinched myself again. I am here in the smallish coastal campus of Royal Roads University on the west coast of Vancouver Island.























I thought you should see some of the forest the west (wet) coast is famous for... this is NOT a rain forest, but close enough. Rain forests have very high and impenetrable canopies that create creepy dark shadows and mossy green undergrowth - very difficult to take pictures if you are not sophisticated enough. So I had to lighten this on my computer after the fact.















The south arm of the Fraser River looking towards the bush plane charter section of the Vancouver international aiport, my son Jeremy and I enjoy an Easter Sunday walk along the Richmond Dike - me wishing I had my wellies to get through the tidal muck to take this shot. I am situated just off the 'dike' in Richmond - a municipality built on delta land surrounded by this singular walking and bike path that follows the marshlands where blackbirds and many other species of bird frolic about during the ebb tide - and which protects the burgeoning skyscrapers and apartment blocks from tide surges and storms. From here the river empties into the Juan de Fuca Strait. Most of the float planes service the gulf islands and the remote northern sections of the province.

















The building of a controversial (what isnt these days) ice arena for the 2010 olympics. (I live so close!) An overwhelming majority of citizens feel it was placed in the wrong area for future accessibility. However, it promises to be an interesting building with a pagoda style roof that fits with the City of Richmond which is where many Asian citizens live.




Where are the mountains you ask? The ones that British Columbia - is known for? ... I have none that do justice to these magnificent bumps. So I will save that for another time... ;-) Suffice it to say that from downtown Vancouver we can see the towering snow-capped peaks of the "Lions" in all their glory on beautiful sunny days - which are not too often in the winter. From then on - until one is past the famous Rockies in B.C. and Alberta - there is nothing but mountains, valleys, rivers, mountains and more mountains.