The Haunted Lakeland Over The Four Seasons

A beautiful frosty morning a few months ago along with Hook Rock River on the Jones Road.   A perfect blue sky, freshly fallen snow and the path of the river starting to open as spring approaches. (PHOTOS AND QUOTE BY FRED SCHULZ)

MUSKOKA AS WALDEN POND - THE HAUNTED LAKELAND

TODAYS BLOG WAS INSPIRED BY AN OLD AND DEAR FRIEND, DAVID BROWN (HAMILTON), ONE OF THE PROVINCE’S WELL KNOWN OUTDOOR EDUCATORS. IN A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE, AND AS HIS BIOGRAPHER, I USED NUMEROUS QUOTATIONS FROM AMERICAN AUTHOR, HENRY DAVID THOREAU, AND HIS LEGENDARY BOOK, "WALDEN - OR LIFE IN THE WOODS." WHEN I WAS COMPOSING THE TRIBUTE TO MY FRIEND, THERE WAS NO OTHER SOURCE THAN WALDEN TO BEST SUMMARIZE THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THIS ONTARIO EDUCATOR. EACH TIME I READ THOREAU’S WORK TODAY, I STILL THINK BACK TO THOSE WALKS IN THE WOODS DAVE AND I TOOK, ADMIRING EVERYTHING AROUND US, AND FEARING ONLY THAT IT MIGHT ONE DAY DISAPPEAR TO SATISFY THE CAPITALISTS’ DREAM OF PAVING OVER EVERY INCH OF PARADISE.

"OUR VILLAGE LIFE WOULD STAGNATE IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE UNEXPLORED FORESTS AND MEADOWS WHICH SURROUND IT. WE NEED THE TONIC OF WILDNESS - TO WADE SOMETIMES IN MARSHES WHERE THE BITTERN AND THE MEADOW-HEN LURK, AND HEAR THE BOOMING OF THE SNIPE, TO SMELL THE WHISPERING SEDGE WHERE ONLY SOME WILDER AND MORE SOLITARY FOWL BUILDS HER NEST, AND THE MINK CRAWLS WITH ITS BELLY CLOSE TO THE GROUND. AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE ARE EARNEST TO EXPLORE AND LEARN ALL THINGS, WE REQUIRE THAT ALL THINGS BE MYSTERIOUS AND UNEXPLORABLE, THAT LAND AND SEA BE INFINITELY WILD, UNSURVEYED, AND UNFATHOMED BY US BECAUSE UNFATHOMABLE. WE CAN NEVER HAVE ENOUGH NATURE.

"WE MUST BE REFRESHED BY THE SIGHT OF INEXHAUSTABLE VIGOUR, VAST AND TITANIC FEATURES - THE SEA COAST WITH ITS WRECKS, THE WILDERNESS WITH ITS LIVING AND DECAYING TREES, THE THUNDER-CLOUD, AND THE RAIN WHICH LAST THREE WEEKS AND PRODUCES FRESHETS. WE NEED TO WITNESS OUR OWN LIMITS TRANSGRESSED, AND SOME LIFE PASTURING FREELY WHERE WE NEVER WANDER."

AS FOR MY OWN LIFE’S WANDERINGS ABOUT THESE HAUNTED WOODLANDS, THOREAU ONCE AGAIN IS MASTER OF THE PEN....."AH! I HAVE PENETRATED TO THOSE MEADOWS ON THE MORNING OF MANY A FIRST SPRING DAY, JUMPING FROM HUMMOCK TO HUMMOCK, FROM WILLOW ROOT TO WILLOW ROOT, WHEN THE WILD RIVER VALLEY AND THE WOODS WERE BATHED IN SO PURE AND BRIGHT A LIGHT AS WOULD HAVE WAKED THE DEAD, IF THEY HAD BEEN SLUMBERING IN THEIR GRAVES, AS SOME SUPPOSE. THERE NEEDS NO STRONGER PROOF OF IMMORTALITY. ALL THINGS MUST LIVE IN SUCH LIGHT."

THIS IS THE MESSAGE, THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND MY BLOG-SITE, DEDICATED TO THOREAU AND DAVID BROWN, WHO GAVE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTRY A CHANCE TO VIEW NATURE FROM THE INSIDE OUT. TRULY, HOWEVER, IT IS DEDICATED PRIMARILY TO THE CONSERVATION OF THIS BEAUTIFUL DISTRICT OF ONTARIO.....A REALITY THAT APPEARS EVERMORE THREATENED AS DEVELOPERS CARVE UP THE LANDSCAPE, AND POLITICIANS MAKE EXCEPTIONS TO WHAT SHOULD ONLY BE THE GOVERNANCE OF SENSIBLE PROPORTION; NOT ON THE SOLE MOTIVATION OF CAPITALISTS INTERESTED IN EXPLOITATION, AS DRIVEN BY GREED..... NOT BY NECESSITY. EXCUSES DON’T BRING BACK WETLANDS AND FORESTS, OR CONSERVE THE QUALITY OF OUR WATER RESOURCES. GREED IS THE ENEMY OF MUSKOKA. WE MUST BE PREPARED TO SAY "NO!" TO THOSE WHO WISH TO TRANSFORM MUSKOKA TO THE URBAN PARADISE OF THEIR MAKING.