linden – linden in shade
almost 20 years old, our linden refuses to grow in all the shade we have provided … the linden is the low ‘tree’ with the heart-shaped leaves
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It sprawls by the garage, our linden. Its leaves are heart-shaped, and its small yellow-green flowers are held in leafy bracts. Hardly a tree, about four feet tall, but twenty years old, surely beyond sapling stage. An adult linden is fifty feet tall, heart-shaped in sillouette, a shape-clone of its leaf.
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We dug the linden as a seedling in 1997. Not a happy year. We were attending a funeral in a series of funerals. We decided to remove ourselves from the crowd, salvage some living thing from the day. We dug sprouting horse chestnuts and young linden saplings, growing snug in the grass.
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If I had planted my seedlings in sun, they would have flourished and today we would have two lovely trees. But, because our yard is a crowded place, only the shade-tolerant survive. My horse chestnut seedling died from lack of sun. And our linden sprawls by our garage, stunted and misshapen. Wanting light, it may never grow to a full-sized tree.
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – Milkish Inlet
We continue to drive around to look at covered bridges in New Brunswick. Eventually, I would like to write a series of poems about the plants and animals living in or around a covered bridge.
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Last Saturday we visited a covered bridge on the Kingston Peninsula at Bayswater. The Milkish Inlet #1 (Bayswater Covered Bridge) was built in 1920. At 66.5 meters, it is the longest covered bridge in Kings County, New Brunswick. It is by far the busiest bridge I have seen – it was hard to amble through the bridge since there always seemed to be a car going through and a car waiting.
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The bridge crosses the Milkish Inlet at Bayswater. The water here is under the influence of the tides.
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Swimmers, wanting to dive from the height of the bridge, have removed a section of the bridge’s wall boards.
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There are many carvings inside the bridge, including this rather charming L. P.
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Another covered bridge once crossed Milkish Creek, but it has been replaced by a causeway.
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I wondered about the name of the Inlet. The water is not ‘milkish’ in colour!
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I have discovered the name is from a First Nations word meaning ‘the place where food is dried’ (Source: http://coveredbridgevic.com/festival/Bridges.htm ).
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
writing a novel – draft by draft
Title: Unknown
Working Title: ‘Crossing at a Walk’
Setting: a writers’ retreat – the renovated Landing Church, the hall and the rectory – now used as a Learning Center, a Sleeping Hall and a home/base of operations
Characters: main character Sadie, a writer and manager of a weekend writers’ retreat; her husband Tom, a retired welder; people from the community; writers participating in the first weekend of the writers’ retreat
Plot: Some of the participants in the writer’s retreat become interested in the carving of a woman’s name in a local covered bridge
Story: Sadie works to make the first writers’ retreat go smoothly, but forgets to keep her own life on track
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Wheaton Bridge (Tantramar River #2) in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. This is the bridge where I found the PHOEBE carving in 1992. We re-visited the bridge in early June and the carving no longer exists, probably lost to necessary bridge maintenance.
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As I complete work on the fifth draft of my novel ‘Crossing at a Walk’, I am planning how to further improve the book. I am now at about 82,000 words. I have defined the story and the plot. Now I have to complete the editing phase.
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This blog has proven to be a valuable tool in writing. It helps me to check my progress against my first book, and to make sure I don’t forget steps in the editing process. To help with this process, I have made the table below to chart my progress through the various drafts.
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| Number of words | Tools used | Objectives | |
| Draft #1 | 32,000 |
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| Draft #2 | 54,000 |
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| Draft #3 | 65,000 |
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| Draft #4 | 77,000 |
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| Draft #5 | 83,000 |
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| Draft #6 |
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| Draft #7 |
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During Draft #5, I began reading my book to my husband and to the members of my two writing groups. Reading aloud is the first test of my audience and helps me find many errors. In particular, I am able to hear words I have repeated in near proximity to one another.
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Also during Draft #5, I have used a tool I found useful in the writing of my first book. This is SmartEdit for Word (http://www.smart-edit.com/) a ‘first-pass-editing tool’ designed to help identify errors and problems with writing. It is Word compatible and works directly with my Word documents. It identifies clichés, adverbs, repeated words and phrases, punctuation errors and so on. Although it doesn’t take the place of a human editor, it shows the writer possible areas for improvement. SmartEdit for Word can be used free for 10 days or can be purchased for a reasonable price. I have found it to be trouble-free and worth the cost.
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As I begin Draft #6, my objectives are to make elements in the book consistent. This includes listening for the way characters speak, making certain settings are described completely, and ensuring the story arcs are coherent. I also have to think a little about the third book in the series, so I know what characters I will need and know if I have to make small plot adjustments.
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Have you ever used editing software to help with your writing?
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
Carving of the name Phoebe on a beam of the Tantramar #2 Covered Bridge near Sackville, New Brunswick
in the shelter of the covered bridge – love stories
Moores Mills Covered Bridge (Trout Creek #5) – one of New Brunswick’s 60 existing ‘kissing bridges’
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A covered bridge is also known as a ‘kissing bridge’ – a place where a couple can steal a caress in privacy. A covered bridge has always been a good place to leave a message about affection for one another.
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During our covered bridge visits over the weekend, we saw lots of examples of these messages …
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At least two notations of love in the MacFarlane Covered Bridge (Ward’s Creek #2) …
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Ron and Trish, 2014 and WR and EE, years ago … MacFarlane Bridge 2015
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And another way of linking two sets of initials in the Marven Bridge (Belleisle Creek #2) …
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A heart links J G and CW on the Marven Bridge 2015
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‘Just Married’ in chalk in the Moores Mills Bridge (Trout Creek #5) …
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a chalk message in the Moores Mills Covered Bridge 2015
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And, back in the MacFarlane Bridge, an incomplete notation. Who did LANA love?
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LANA + in the MacFarlane Covered Bridge 2015
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – messages left in the bridge
On our latest drive to see the covered bridges in the watershed of the St. John River, we visited four bridges near Sussex.
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The Urney Covered Bridge (Trout Creek #4) is a relatively small bridge (20.1 meters in length) built in 1905.
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The Urney Covered Bridge (Trout Creek #4) in Kings County. New Brunswick
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The water of Trout Creek is clear and cold – at one end of the bridge is a small sandy beach. The bottom of the stream is mottled with bands of pink bedrock.
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sandy beach along the Trout Creek, at the Urney Bridge 2015
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When my husband and I visit a covered bridge, we look for three things. First, we look at the structure of the bridge (is the roof sheathed in metal or cedar shingles? what is the roof type? do the timbers show signs of damage?). Next, we look at the plant life growing in, on and around the bridge, and any signs of animals using the bridge. Then, we look at the markings on the bridge.
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The roof of the Urney Bridge is rafter construction with a ridge board. The roof is sheathed in metal.
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Markings tend to be of three types: carving, paint and chalk. To me, some of these markings are more destructive than decorative – spray paint in various shades of fluorescent paint is more and more common. Carvings made in the wood with knives or other sharp instruments seem more decorative to me. Chalk is more ephemeral. All have historical statements to make. I think the spray paint is a commentary on ‘modern’ times – a tendency to choose the quick and easy. Carvings take effort and are characteristic of a less time-constrained age. All these ‘tags’ tell a story. The stories I like the best include initials, an indication of relationship and a date (J. T. + G. T. 2015).
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A symbol in spray paint on the Urney Bridge.
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Some of the messages left in a bridge are unique. I like the simple carving below. Perhaps it is meant to represent a house or the covered bridge itself. It looks unfinished, as though the carver was interrupted, or meant to return to finish the carving. To me it is a portrayal of the importance of shelter in all our lives.
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simple carving of a shelter on the Urney Covered Bridge 2015
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
walk on the shore
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ignition
Sea-rocket (Cakile edentula Hook.)
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clumps of Sea-rocket
are splashes of lime on sand
missiles from lavender flowers
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pepper to tongue
pungent breath of Cakile
cardamom and caraway
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flavour our laughter
giggles of gulls cross sober sand
intervention in sluggish lives
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launches from Cape Canaveral
moon-walking on the beach
splash-downs in Sargasso Seas
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most days are moth-eaten –
paper cuts, missives, e-mails to answer
problems, resolutions without teeth
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the seawind smooths its sand
begs for someone to take a stick
scratch out a love song
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
summer on the river
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St. John River, south of Fredericton
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drinks on the patio
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the setting spins
on the river
golden while the mayflies dance
with gilded wings
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this is conversation!
a cold glass
singing ice
white wicker
umbrella shade
the hills
wistful beyond the gauze
of mayfly dancing
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you are dazzled by the play of sun
and words on water
your voice
your smile
who cares what you are saying
as long as the lines are long
and the tone is light
and the mayflies stir
the air above the river
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I listen
with a nod of my head
a flutter of my hand
the corners of my mouth lift
to smile
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my ears and eyes
have better things to do
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the sunlight slides on cobwebs
spun across the river
our voices slur
while the mayflies dance
the rise and fall
of their glass bodies
and your laughter
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liquid on water
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St. John River, south of Fredericton
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Published as ‘drinks on the patio’, Pottersfield Portfolio 17 (3), Spring 1997.
Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
washday
A few years ago, we took a vacation to les Îles de la Madeleines, also known as the Magdalen Islands, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and part of the Province of Quebec. We loved the ferry rides to and from the Islands, the endless white sand beaches, the artisans, and the demonstrations of wind sailing. Most of all, I loved the colourful houses. I always planned to try to capture the beaches and those houses in a painting. I finally completed my tryptic called ‘washday #1’, ‘washday #2’ and ‘washday #3’.
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June 9, 2015 ‘washday#1’ Jane Tims
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June 9, 2015 ‘washday#2’ Jane Tims
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June 9, 2015 ‘washday#3’ Jane Tims
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And the three together:
June 9, 2015 ‘washday’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – hummingbird hawkmoths
At one end of the Benton Covered Bridge (Eel River #3) is a large Lilac bush.
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Lilac by the Benton Bridge
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Since I was looking for wild life in the vicinity of the bridge, I was delighted to see what appeared to be bumblebees or hummingbirds busy gathering nectar from the Lilac blossoms.
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moth getting nectar from the flowers – you can see his orangy body and dark antennae
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As we approached, we realised these were not bumblebees or hummingbirds, but a type of ‘hummingbird hawkmoth’. They behaved like hummingbirds, darting among the flowers, backing up and slipping sideways. Their transparent wings were a blur, they moved so fast. Their bodies were striped in gold and black and their bodies were very hairy.
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hummingbird hawkmoth, his wings a blur, gathering nectar
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Although my photographs are not very clear, with help from the New Brunswick Museum staff, I now know these are Hummingbird Clearwing moths (Hemaris thysbe). Although I listened carefully, I could not hear the sound their wings made, since the rippling of the water in the river was so loud!
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There were hundreds of moths in the Lilac bush. The hummingbird hawkmoths shared their feast with a group of very nervous Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterflies (Papilio canadensis).
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The Lilac scent was overwhelming, thick and sweet. If that scent was a room, it would be a Victorian parlour. If it was a textile it would be deep-purple satin. If it was weather, it would be a sultry August evening. If it was a light, it would be a Moroccan lantern … and so on.
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – Stonefly nymphs
These days, I am having a great time visiting some of the covered bridges in New Brunswick. I have visited many of the bridges before, but mostly to learn about their history. Now I am planning a project to look at the plants and animals living in or around covered bridges, so I am trying to get a feel for the subject to see what species I am likely to meet.
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Benton Covered Bridge (Eel River #3)
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This weekend, we visited the Benton Covered Bridge (Eel River #3) in west-central New Brunswick. Benton is a small community on the Eel River. The bridge, 31.9 meters long, was built in 1927.
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Benton Bridge on Eel River showing part of the community park on one side
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The Eel River is a pleasant shallow river. When we were there, people were fishing with rod and reel. We noticed a digger log had been installed in the river, often done as a way of encouraging the river to dig deeper pools and improve fish habitat.
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Eel River – a digger log has been installed in the river, the long line of flowing water above the center of the photo, running from 8:00 to 2:00 – the log causes the water downstream to dig a deeper pool and simulates the action of fallen trees in a natural river
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My search for wild life in and around the bridge was rewarded by the discovery of Stonefly nymphs clinging to the wooden walls of the bridge.
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Two Stonefly nymphs on the wall at the end of the bridge – the cerci are hard to see – they are a pair of extensions at the end of the abdomen, pointing upward in the photo, between the hind pair of legs – the cerci are almost as long as the insect itself
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Not particularly beautiful to me, the nymph is a life-stage on the way to the adult form. Stoneflies (Order Plecoptera) are identified by their narrow bodies and the long pair of cerci at the end of the abdomen (cerci are long appendages on the rear abdomen of many insects). I was never any good at insect identification when I worked in the field of water quality, so I am not certain which Family of the Order Plecoptera they belong to.
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There were Stonefly nymphs all over the bridge walls, inside and out. I was happy to see these insects because they are an indicator of good to excellent water quality. Anglers love to see these insects in a stream or river because it usually means good fishing.
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inside the Benton Bridge
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I nudged one of the nymphs with a pen and he did not budge a millimeter. In spite of his inaction, I am certain he will be the hero of a future poem about life in the shelter of the covered bridge!
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Copyright 2015 Jane Tims
nichepoetryandprose 