haibun elegy for a jazz musician

from an email to a friend:

 I visited Callaghan’s Rapids for the first time in over a month this chilly morning. No signs of ATVers getting in anywhere (yet). First I went to the falls and found a small bit of trash in the fire pit, but forgot to take a pickup bag. Then I walked the new trail beside the river back to the centre trail. There was some deadfall, but the trail was mostly clear and had obviously been used over the summer.  

Then I took the shortcut trail from the first beach to the bridges. I checked out the small side trail I made in late winter which cuts off that trail, and it had been used as well. 

By the bridges I met Dale, who knows you and was very grateful for all the work you’ve done to protect Callaghan’s from the ATV vandals. He was going back to his spot in the area near the caves to spend a quiet day. 

I don’t know if you met Alan Kingstone, the retired jazz musician who bought the tiny old schoolhouse on Tiffin Road? Yesterday a checkout woman told me he died recently. I believe he was only in his early sixties. I had stopped to visit him several times on my way home from Callaghan’s. He was a very private person, and neighbours finally checked on him when they hadn’t seen I’m in a few days and found him dead. Possibly a heart attack. We never got to play our game of scrabble. 

I stopped by his place on my way home today, and it was sad to see his old blue Subaru, same model as mine, still sitting in his driveway.  

chickadees

crowd the bird feeders

of a dead friend

Alvar trail at Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area

I decided to visit Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area today. The Christmas holidays aren't my favourite time of year, and it's been a bleak, almost snowless December so far. Visiting the woods and river always lightens my mood and spirit, and this walk was no exception. As it was overcast, there was no reason to take a walk where there was more possible sunlight exposure, so I chose the back trail, or as I'll now call it, the alvar trail.

Last winter Doug and Marc took me for my first snowshoe hike on this trail. I've previously walked it annually by myself for several decades, and I'm sure most years there have been no other hikers, as the trail was gradually being overgrown and obscured by brush and dead fall trees. There was still a trace of the one recent light snowfall, and the temp was below freezing last night. The first test was to see if the large puddle at the start of the trail was frozen. A large dead fall tree from the many climate change windstorms blocked the start of the trail, so clambering around the tree meant I was able to avoid the puddle, frozen or not.

The walk was counter clockwise, while usually I walk it clockwise, starting by the rapids. Marc had chain sawed several large dead falls to clear the trail, and I used my trusty maple walking stick to knock dead limbs off some others. Marc has helpfully cleared a short trail to the alvar which we visited last winter, as I wasn't sure of its exact location. An alvar is a rocky, swampish patch of barren land in the middle of thick surrounding pines and hardwoods. It's maybe one or two acres in a circular shape. A fox's delicate trail led the way when I entered the alvar, and I stood at the far side and reminisced about last year's visit. On the way back to the main trail I carved my shaman sign on a tree for future reference, a silly habit like the soldiers who scribbled "Kilroy was here" during World War Two.

The visible trail ends just before reaching the Crowe River bend, and I had to go cross country for a few hundred yards through a field of thorny scrub. I reached the haunted den woods, with underground streams and caves everywhere. It's always dangerous going through this rocky and hilly section, with dozens of sinkholes as well as many small den caves. I followed the river back to where I usually start the trail by the main falls. A friendly sight greeted me there:

solstice snow cap
on small secret inukshuk          

river wading spirit deer

old man
on a rock ledge
by long rapids

rapids roar
sends memories
floating

upriver a shadow
emerges from brush
a doe drinks

the doe wades midstream
stops to wind scent

old man watches
reminiscing decades
of wading this sacred river

the doe moves
wades the shallow river
to the far bank

doe climbs ashore
walks a few yards
reenters the cool water

old man has never
witnessed a deer
aimlessly wading like himself

many minutes pass
the doe disappears
behind a far bend

 

Deer are herbivores. Sort of like very large rabbits or very skinny cows. There was no logical reason for the deer to wade around aimlessly in the river for at least ten or fifteen minutes. The riverbed is scoured with troughs and ledges. If the old man were to slip - which he has done and torn his big toe ligament - he will recover. If the deer were to slip and damage her delicate legs, it would be a death sentence for her.  

 

My friend Doug, who is a professional nature videographer, says it's too bad I didn't have a video camera to record this scene (better than bad haikuish*).      

*At one of the early meetings of Haiku Canada at Eric Amann's apartment one of us asked a respected visiting Japanese haijin what the Japanese call poetry which looks like haiku, but isn't - "haikuish"!

small secret inukshuk

 
Another sunny and unseasonally warm late September day. I decided to visit Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area to celebrate finally being off tilt for the first time in years. On tilt is a poker  term for being emotionally and mentally off balance, and 1 1/2 years with an energy draining colon tumour was followed by a major cancer operation during the pandemic. On the anniversary of the operation this June I was viciously attacked by a neighbour's dog ("dog bites summer" post). When I finally began recovering from the deep wounds, my bank manager "forgot" to renew my small savings deposit, and it took over a month to learn my life savings were safe.  aarrggh

To start the visit I walked the short trail to the Crowe River. I only remember one rainy day this September, so the river was much lower than usual and a lot more of the limestone riverbank was dry. I was able to hike upstream beside the river to the old CNN bridges area, enjoying the quiet solitude. I decided to walk back downstream to the rapids on the trails, enjoying the peace of the mixed forest.

When I got to the rapids, I stepped down to the lip of the low falls and considered resting, perhaps meditating, on a convenient rock ledge. Pausing to enjoy the roaring sound of the rapids, I looked back up the bank and spied a miniature rock inukshuck hidden in the brush. Its delicate secrecy gave me a kundalini head rush. I thought of Tibetan monks hiding spiritual scrolls in remote rocky nooks, awaiting centuries for discovery. Decision made - definitely a sign to meditate on this sacred spot.  

I haven't done a formal mediation in ages. The light breeze, carrying a tang of low tide saltiness, the beautiful day, and the early fall colours combined to settle me into an immediate relaxed and deeper than expected meditation. The crown chakra kundalini flush spread down through the body chakras, and quickly I was visiting many realms - a colour realm, pure land bliss, a psychic hello to the thousands of other practitioners, mostly indigenous, also sitting by water falls, on mountain tops and in forests holding this fraying "reality"/ bardo together.

Reflections on how similar Turtle Island inukshuks are to Buddhist stupas, both manmade creations honouring nature and the true nature of mankind. I'd promised myself a half hour meditation, and when I stole a glance at my pocket watch, I was very surprised the half hour was almost completed.  

When I returned to the parking lot my friend Marc's SUV was parked beside my Sube. As soon as I stepped onto the short trail Marc and I hailed each other. He toured me around the parking lot, showing the major cement pour he'd done yesterday with help from three Crowe Valley Conservation Area employees. A  friendly end to another day at magickal Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area.



Summer visitors often build huge rock inukshuks in the shallows above the rapids. I've built a few myself. But none of these labours matches the power of the secret inukshuk.

much gratitude
to the builder
small secret inukshuk           

The War for Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area Continues

  I wrote this update for The Land Between Charity website

One of the first water accessible natural areas I discovered when I moved to the eastern edge of the Kawartha Lakes area over thirty years ago was beautiful Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area. I remember exploring a few kilometres south of busy highway #7, which connects Toronto with Ottawa, to discover what would become a personal refuge. A ten minute walk on a dirt trail led me to an amazing site - a woman sunbathing in a reclining chair in half a foot of water perched on the lip of a pouring waterfall.

The Crowe River is wide and shallow here and and runs from old railroad bridges crossing small islands in the north end (now a major all terrain vehicle route) through the center of the 400 acre conservation area to a series of small rapids at the south end. Cottages surround most of the shoreline of the smallish lakes here, so it's difficult to  find access to uncluttered areas like Callaghan's where one can swim and wade, kayak, picnic and enjoy unspoiled tranquility.  

This eco-paradise was basically benignly neglected and unspoiled for decades. It is under the management of the Crowe Valley Conservation Authority, which primarily oversees the control of several dams and maintains the water levels of the series of lakes the Crowe River flows through. CVCA has a small staff and a smaller budget from the several municipalities the Crowe flows through, and after a pair of wooden change rooms/outhouses were burned by vandals decades ago, the CVCA has had little interest or ability in operating at Callaghan's.

Callaghan's remained unspoiled and off the beaten track until the old  wooden rail bridges were rebuilt as part of the Eastern Ontario Trail Association system. The original goal of EOTA was to provide trails for the many snowmobilers who enjoy the areas interconnected trails in winter. But a new menace to the sanctity of Callaghan's has been popularized, the all terrain vehicle - intended for farm and hunting use, ATV's have quickly become the summertime plaything of a new group of riders. Unlike snowmobiles, which are almost exclusively trail ridden, the ATVers like to "explore" and drive their noisy buzzbombs wherever they can. One of the ATVers favourite pastimes in recent years has been to drive up and down the shallow Crowe riverbed through the heart of Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area. I've found a dead mother snake with tire tracks across her belly. Bass nests in the shallows, and snake, frog and turtle habitats have been churned up and destroyed by the riders.  Signs forbidding such illegal and harmful trespassing be damned!!!

Two summers ago an informal group of about thirty cottagers, adjacent year round residents, and concerned locals met in the Callaghan's parking lot to discuss the many problems which have developed. Number one is the invasion of the ATVers, but there are also issues with illegal camping and littering. An OPP representative attended an early meeting, and initially seemed helpful in ticketing the illegal ATV trespassers and campers. The OPP attended one weekend and did a ticket blitz, but soon lost interest. Apparently now when area residents complain of ATVs zipping around destroying wildlife habitat the OPP ignore their calls.

There are many, perhaps too many, overlapping groups invested with the care of Callaghan's. The buck has been passed back and forth between the CVCA, several of the area's municipal councils, the OPP, and EOTA. Leaders have come forth from the informal citizens group, and become frustrated at the lack of progress. Currently one member, a retired engineer, has taken on the daunting leadership task almost singlehandedly, and has already accomplished the enlarging and barricading of the parking lot from ATVs and other motorized interlopers. Marc has also established good relationships liaising with CVCA,  EOTO and the local councils.

There are many rare and endangered species within the boundaries of Callaghan's, including butterflies and orchids. The first battles to protect them and the many unique natural habitats within Callaghan's have been won with the parking lot restoration and the building of brush barricades across illegally built trails by the ATVers, but the war is far from over.

I wish I could write that the war is being won by a unified group of concerned citizens, and that the responsible organizations are finally taking a full interest and assuming their responsibilities for protecting and preserving Callaghan's. But the truth is, the future of Callaghan's Rapids lies on the shoulders of one extremely concerned and efficient citizen. If there is a good citizen medal, Marc certainly deserves to receive it in spades.

Here's Marc's addition to the update:

Thank you for the accolades. You are correct that the battle for Callaghan's is not over. The most important project is Phase III, or the EOTA trail barricades. Without these barricades, ATVs, jeeps and pickup trucks will continue to descend upon our quiet refuge. This also facilitates unwanted camping, partying and riparian zone damage. I estimate the mucking trail damage at over fifty thousand dollars for example. The mucking trail project or Phase I will not be complete until the ruts are backfilled with moss and saplings have been planted throughout the trail. Though I have shouldered a lot of the heavy lifting, several volunteers from the Crowe River Group, funding, staff and equipment from the CVCA and from Horsing Around Ranch were instrumental in the execution of Phase I and II. Many thousands of dollars from a few patrons was donated to the CVCA to fund Phase II. They too deserve a lot of credit, so please include them in all your future communications. This initiative has morphed into a community driven project that includes the Crowe River Group, the CVCA, the Municipality of Marmora and Lake, EOTA, agencies at the Provincial level such as the Ontario Geological
Survey and others. Bobbie has indicated funding for academic science research may be possible.  As time goes on, the list of contributors will get very long because we need as much help and expertise as we can get. For example, the CVCA has indicated that the McGeachie Conservation Area infrastructure is so well done, that we will copy it for Callaghan's. This will make implementation simpler and foster a kind of "branding" within the CVCA parks (McGeachie, Callaghan's and the Gut). Therefore, the group that designed and implemented the McGeachie infrastructure indirectly facilitated our efforts at Callaghan's.

I am in the middle of the needs analysis, final design and specification for Phase III. I anticipate completion of the specification by the end of January. This specification will be forwarded to general managers Cindy Cassidy (EOTA) and Tim Pidduck (CVCA) for final review and acceptance. Then the specification and request for funding will go to their respective boards (an agenda item) for approval and appropriation. If I have done my job well, they will see fit to make funding available for the completion of Phase III before April 1, 2022. Hopefully, Don Barrons Excavating will be available to complete the work in early May in time for the new season. This is the project management hat I wear and sometimes use that title, but is only one of many hats I wear.

The other hats I wear are that of a park ranger and naturalist. When I am not doing project management, I am keeping the trails clear of fallen trees, random security patrols, and forest management tasks. This is a forest ranger hat. I am also photographing and identifying animal tracks like a resident lynx and snowshoe hare. The main difference between Bobcat and Lynx tracks is not size, but the characteristic trailing edge left by the Lynx because of its furrier rear paws (shown below). This fur also helps the Lynx stay on top of powdered snow. No blood letting yet!

I will be at this for ten more years. The more people I can get involved in this
project the better. The project manager work and barricades are the highest
priority for 2022. Without the barricades nothing else counts! Next in line
is the forest ranger work. The park must be maintained and kept safe and
clean. This work is "blue collar work" and requires a strong back and a lot
of hands-on skills. The naturalist work is more cerebral, but requires good
bush savvy and observation skills including but not limited to nature
photography. Let the world know what skills are needed, and also they
must be prepared to do this for free: volunteer work. It is my humble opinion
that identifying rare species at this time is not a good investment. They
cannot thrive (if any at all) without securing the periphery of the park and
regular maintenance.

Thanks Chris

Marc
The Mad Hatter!

Upgrades to Callaghan's Conservation parking lot Oct. 25/21

 
I met with Marc this aft to double check major plans are still on schedule, which they are. I know a lot of members of our group have been feeling disheartened because we haven't been meeting, and many members aren't aware of what has been going on 'behind the scenes' with Marc's coordination. However, a lot of very major upgrades are either in progress or are about to happen very soon, which should lift everyone's spirits!

A major upgrade to the parking lot is about to take place during the week of October 25. Callaghan's will be closed to the public so a local contractor can enlarge, upgrade and fortify the parking lot from entry to the conservation area by illegal motorized vehicles. The $7K needed to do this major construction work has been arranged. The contractor has facilities very close to Callaghan's at Tiffin Road and Highway #7, so the transportation cost of moving heavy equipment has been lessened.   

Marc has also been meeting with members of Marmora & Lake Council, EOTA (Eastern Ontario Trails Assoc.), of course Tim Pidduck with CVCA (Crowe Valley Conservation Area), and several other related groups. We're anticipating that once the expensive parking lot upgrade has been completed it will encourage EOTA to do their share of protecting Callaghan's from illegal ATV riders entering from the trans-Canada rail bed by fencing off access to the area next spring.

A CVCA staffer has been assigned to work under Marc's supervision on the ongoing mudding trail project. The brush barriers have been successful in keeping ATVers out of the 100 metre mud road they illegally built paralleling the river. Most of the summer Marc and CVCA staffer Liam have been hauling loads of soil and sphagnum for the arduous job of filling in the deep ruts. Several members of our group recently transplanted pine saplings at the northern entrance to the mudding trail. Restoring the natural habitat of the mudding trail is an ongoing process, and I suggest members take a look at what has already been accomplished there.

The protection and restoration of our favourite conservation area is definitely alive, well and thriving thanks to the support of our large membership group!


thanks & best wishes to everyone,

Chris (Faiers)

 

Brush barriers stopping ATVer destruction of Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area - I stand corrected!

Hi Anna,

I got the same report, with pics,  from Wayne, who lives right across from the rapids. He said it's crazy with ATVers on the weekends. I've only been going during weekdays, so I very much stand corrected that the ATV activity hasn't esp. been lessened by the barriers. Wayne sent me some borderline shocking pics of the weekend wackiness - bathers casually wading below the rapids with several ATVs zipping around them.

Thanks to both you and Wayne for pointing out the problem is far from solved   :  (

I just received a follow-up email from Wayne, and he said the OPP knows about the problem, but basically they  just laugh it off.

Chris

                                                               ~    ~    ~

 Hi All,
I've been going to Callaghan's every other day during the heat and humidity wave. I usually wade around for 2 or 3 hours to relax and gently exercise, soak up some sun, and casually monitor activities.
I'm pleased to report the barriers are proving very effective in keeping the ATVers out of at least the southern part of the river. The very high and fast water flow, which is unusual for this time of year, is probably also helping.

I didn't fully grasp until yesterday how important the illegal mucking trail was key to the ATVers access to the lower river, esp. when the water is high. Yesterday the high water blocked an ATV which drove up to the second rock beach where the mucking trail begins. The barrier must have put an end to their downstream journey, as that had seemed their initial intention. Perhaps the out-of-area ATVers who arrive via the Trans-Can rail bed don't know about accessing Callaghan's via Tiffen Road or other access points. Anyway in my six August visits so far I haven't seen or heard an ATV south of the blocked mucking trail! Much congrats and thanks fo Marc and Peter and anyone else adding to the barriers.  

Chris

Chris