What I Did This Summer
It’s hard to believe that it’s already mid August, yet here we more than half-way through the summer of ‘24. It’s been a summer of rain, heat, sun, and more rain. As someone who gardens, it’s been nice not to worry about watering plants. As someone who hikes, bikes, kayaks, camps, and works outdoors, it’s felt like a little more rain than is strictly necessary.
Since April, I’ve spent a few days a week tending the flower gardens at Island Lake Conservation Area. It’s a lovely way to spend a work day. In the past two years, I’ve learned a ton about plants that are native to the Great Lakes region and their benefits to the ecosystem. If you visit Island Lake, I’d recommend taking a walk on the Memorial Forest trails. It’s a beautiful and quiet part of the park, and the main trail between the Sugar Bush and Memorial Forest trails goes past some very nice gardens, if I do say so myself!
I’ve always loved learning new things, so this past June, I decided to take up playing the trumpet. My dad Sheridan used to play brass instruments, and is a big fan of online auctions, so he’s kindly bought me a whole pile of brass. I’m about two months into playing, and so far my progress has been steady enough to be quite satisfying. The first time I put my lips to the horn, I couldn’t play a single note, where as now I can play a whole scale. Just as I advise my students, I’m practising every day for between 15 and 20 minutes. That’s about all my cheeks can handle so far!
It’s really cool to be playing an instrument that’s so different from guitar, bass, piano and drums, all of which I’ve played for decades. I’m planning on taking some lessons this fall, once I’ve built up enough basic skill to handle playing for half and hour at a time. Besides the trumpets (yes, plural) my dad has also given us a trombone and a baritone, so I’ve got my work cut out for me!
I’ve read a lot of books this summer. Some of the titles I’ve most enjoyed include The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, In Ascension by Martin MacInnes, Utopia Avenue, Cloud Atlas, and Ghostwritten, all by David Mitchell, The Overstory by Richard Powers, and The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson. The last two mentioned (The Overstory and The Ministry for the Future) are both amazing books that grapple with the climate crisis and our changing world, while still remaining optimistic about humans’ capacity to adapt.
After taking a break from making videos back in April, I’ve started planning and shooting some new stuff. The first video I’ve finished is an instrumental cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Never Going Back Again, filmed at the newly opened Goodyear Memorial Scout Camp Bruce Trail. This is a must-see for anyone that enjoys hiking in this area. The remains of the Scout camp are scattered throughout the forest, slowly falling apart and being retaken by nature.
The video was filmed in the old outdoor chapel, which is hauntingly beautiful in its state of decay. The cicadas joined in as a stand-in for a string section. Many thanks to my darling Liesje, who helps me with everything, and doesn’t complain about hauling a rather large pile of gear all the way down to the bottom of the valley over rough trail, sitting around in the Mosquito Forest while I play take after take, only to turn around and carry everything right back up the hill!
And now I get to look forward to seeing all of my awesome students again after summer break! I hope everyone has had a great summer too, and hopefully everyone gets to do some fun stuff in these last couple of weeks!