Posts Tagged ‘covered bridge’
my new book of poetry available now!
Late at night in February 2015, as my husband and I crossed the Patrick Owens Covered Bridge on the Rusagonis Stream, we startled a rabbit in the middle of the span. The rabbit raced through the bridge in front of the truck. I can still see the shadow of his long ears and the scurry of his feet. Since the incident occurred during the February 21, 2015 conjunction of Venus and Mars with the sickle moon, I thought of all the legends about the hare and the moon. This led to the poem “conjunction” and a question about what other plants and animals find shelter in or around our covered bridges in New Brunswick.
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I am please to announce that my resulting book of poems ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ is now available. The book includes 21 of my drawings and more than 70 poems. The Foreword is written by my friend Brian Atkinson who wrote New Brunswick’s Covered Bridges (Nimbus, 2010).
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‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ is now available through my publisher Chapel Street Editions http://www.chapelstreeteditions.com and at upcoming readings. You will soon be able to find it at Westminster Books in Fredericton and Tidewater Books in Sackville.
I hope you enjoy the book and take every opportunity to drive through one of our covered bridges in New Brunswick!
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conjunction – February 21, 2015
Patrick Owens Bridge
Rusagonis River #2
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Venus and Mars
sickle of mid-winter moon
planet and moon light scamper
into crevasses
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headlights of the half-ton enter
overwhelm planet shadow
startle a winter hare
erect on haunches, paw lifted
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frosted by sky-gaze, worshiping
the sliver of moon, dismayed
at desecration, round glare
of the truck’s predatory eyes
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fright to stop a heart
or flight to mobilize
hind-legs straighten
before fore-legs turn
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long ear shadows
quit the length of the bridge
ahead of whiskers, chin velvet
and rabbit wisdom
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From ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’, Chapel Street Editions, 2017
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
New Maryland Fall Show – Jane’s books and paintings for sale!!!
Last year I tried selling my books and paintings at a local craft fair. I had so many ‘fears’. I wondered if I would sell anything. I wondered how it would feel, sitting there waiting for someone to be interested in my wares. I wondered if I would have any money when I went home (I saw so many things at the fair I wanted to buy)!
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I was pleasantly surprised. I sold both books and paintings. Sitting, watching the vendors and browsers, was very relaxing. And I loved meeting the other vendors and bought some items I still love!
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This Saturday November 4, 9AM – 2PM, I will be at the New Maryland Fall Show (held at the Faith Baptist Church, 525 New Maryland Highway, New Maryland, New Brunswick). I will be selling copies of my books and some of my paintings.
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my books:
‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ (Chapel Street Editions, 2017) – my new book of poems about plants and animals living in and around some of the covered bridges in New Brunswick (if the book doesn’t arrive from the printers in time, I will be taking pre-orders)
‘within easy reach’ (Chapel Street Editions, 2016) – poems about wild edibles and other local foods
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three books in my science-fiction series (CreateSpace, 2017):
Meniscus: Crossing The Churn
Meniscus: South from Sintha
Meniscus: Winter by the Water-climb
some of my paintings:
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I am getting close to my 500th follower! If you leave a comment on this post (WordPress or Facebook), you will be entered into a draw for a free, postage-paid paperback copy of my new book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’! One entry per commenter per post.
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If you live in the New Maryland area of New Brunswick, I hope I will see you on Saturday November 3, 2017 at the New Maryland Fall Show!
at the Faith Baptist Church on the new Maryland Highway, 9 AM to 2 PM.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
winter reading
Today in New Brunswick, it’s just a little colder than yesterday. Leaves are falling from the trees and there are lots of bare branches against the blue sky. Yesterday I switched our thermostats to auto mode. And yesterday we stopped at a roadside stand to buy a small store of pickles and jams for winter eating.
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My pile of winter reading is also growing. I am looking forward to days by the fire reading many of our New Brunswick authors.
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I can add to your winter reading pile in a couple of ways:
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A chance to win a copy (paperback, postage-paid) of my upcoming book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ (Chapel Street Editions). This book includes 73 of my poems about plants and animals living in the vicinity of 35 of our covered bridges in New Brunswick. The book also includes 21 of my drawings of bridges and wild life. To enter for the draw, just leave a comment on any of my blog posts at http://www.nichepoetryandprose.wordpress.com or the Facebook posting. one entry per person per post.
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Get a free copy of the Kindle version of the third book in my science fiction Meniscus Series from October 22 to October 25, 2017. ‘Meniscus: Winter by the Waterclimb’ will tell you everything you need to know about how to survive winter on an alien planet!!! Although the book is part of a series, it is also ‘stand-alone’. To get a free copy of the ebook, just click here.
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Enjoy your day!
Jane
new book about covered bridges in New Brunswick – coming soon!
In New Brunswick, we love our covered bridges. They are part of our history … a walk inside a covered bridge gives you access to one of the best ‘written’ pages you will ever read, the carved and scribbled notations of a century of passers-by.
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My new book ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ (published by Chapel Street Editions) is a tribute to the value of our covered bridges as part of our landscape and ecology. In the book are 73 of my poems about plants and animals living in the vicinity of the covered bridge. Many of the poems are about the ways humans use the spaces inside the covered bridge.
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‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ includes poems about 35 different covered bridges, most crossing the St. John River or its many tributaries. There are also poems about a few bridges in Charlotte and Westmorland Counties.
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My book is also illustrated with 21 of my drawings of covered bridges and the animals and plants that live there. The cover illustration is from my painting ‘apple tree, Malone Bridge.’
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I hope you will buy a copy of my book! I will keep you posted on the publication date and availability!
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If you would like to win a paperback, postage-paid copy of ‘in the shelter of the covered bridge’ enter the draw by leaving a comment here on any post of my blog from now until I get my 500th follower, sometime within the next few weeks or days. You can also enter by leaving a comment on any posting of my blog on my Facebook page. One entry per commenter per post.
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
fishing under the covered bridge
In the community where I live, there is one covered bridge, the Patrick Owens Bridge, otherwise known as Rusagonis River #2. At one time there were at least four covered bridges across the Rusagonis Stream.
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The photo below was taken in 1964 and shows my husband as a boy, fishing under the covered bridge on the North Branch of the Rusagonis Stream. In the photo, he is fishing with a home-made pole. That bridge was gone by 1978 when I first moved to New Brunswick.
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I have always loved covered bridges and I am pleased to announce that my new poetry book “in the shelter of the covered bridge” will be out later in 2017, published by Chapel Street Editions, Woodstock. The book is a compilation of my poetry about plants and animals living in the vicinity of some of the covered bridges in New Brunswick. The work was funded by artsnb and includes some of the poems that won the Alfred G Bailey Prize in the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick Writing Competition in 2016.
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“in the shelter of the covered bridge” will include poems about many of the covered bridges in the St. John River valley and is illustrated with my own pencil drawings. I’ll let you know as soon as it is available!
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
low, low water
This year, in New Brunswick, we are happy to see the rain at last. The dry weather means forest fires are a concern and groundwater levels are very low. We hope for regular, soaking rains in the fall, to help recharge our groundwater.
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low water of the Rusagonis Stream, viewed through the ‘windows’ of our covered bridge
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Many streams and rivers in New Brunswick are at their lowest flows. We were in a similar situation this time last year. Low water means wading only, no canoeing in the Rusagonis Stream. Some of the stones in the photo above have never been seen above water before. Low water is of concern for fish since the shallow water means water temperatures get too high for them.
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the brown crescents in the river are sand bars, only revealed at low water
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Even the Saint John River is so low we are seeing sand bars where deep water usually flows.
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We had a good soaking of rain at the beginning of the week, and there is more rain in the forecast, so I will end this post feeling optimistic, and by showing you a photo of my husband as a little boy, fishing below the covered bridge (now gone) on the South Branch Rusagonis Stream!
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Copyright 2017 Jane Tims
New Brunswick’s covered bridges … 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, we’ve seen 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
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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
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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
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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 2017 Jane Tims
in the shelter of the covered bridge – Plumweseep Bridge, New Brunswick
Plumweseep Bridge (Kennebecasis River #9) built 1911, not far from Sussex …
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The covered bridge in its setting … surrounded by trees, river running beneath, a field of ripened grain in the foreground, the rolling hills of the Kennebecasis Valley in the background.
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
last days of a covered bridge … French Village Bridge
More sad news for New Brunswick’s covered bridge heritage … In the past months there has been lots of discussion about the fate of the French Village Bridge, also known as Hammond River #2, near Quispamsis, Kings County.
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Built in 1912, the French Village Bridge is one of only 60 covered bridges remaining in the province. In October, 2016, the bridge was severely damaged when a loaded excavator broke through the decking and undercarriage of the bridge. Although the government began repairs, rot was discovered in the sub-structure. After holding public meetings to consider options, the government recently announced the bridge would be demolished and a modular bridge would take its place.
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The covered bridge is endangered in New Brunswick. In 1900, there were about 400 covered bridges in the province. By 1944, there were only 320. In 1992, when we visited some of the bridges for Canada’s 125th birthday, there were 71. In 2017, as I write this, there are only 60 remaining. Loss of the French Village Bridge will bring the number to 59. Vandalism, flood, accident, fire and age claim more bridges every few years.
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The French Village Bridge is one of those included as subject matter for my upcoming poetry book in the shelter of the covered bridge. As a result, it is one of the bridges we visited to gather information on the plants and animals found there. We are also interested in the human history of the bridge, so we took photos of the carvings inside.
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When I look at the small amount of information I have on this bridge, I am saddened and angered to know how much will be lost. Although economic considerations are important, the loss of built heritage includes loss of community character and part of our material culture. When ‘ROGER’ and ‘B’ and ‘E’ carved their names into the beams of the bridge, they probably thought the bridge would last many years into the future.
https://janetims.com/2016/05/16/a-drawing-of-a-covered-bridge/
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Copyright Jane Tims 2017
in the shelter of the covered bridge – Malone Bridge
As I prepare for my fall book and art sale, I have tried to bring some of my pencil drawings into acrylic-world.
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One of my favorite covered bridge drawings depicts a tree of green apples against the backdrop of the Malone Covered Bridge near Goshen in Kings County, New Brunswick. The Malone Bridge crosses the Kennebecasis River where it is hardly more than a stream.
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From this drawing, I have done ‘apple tree, Malone Bridge’. I think this is my personal favorite of all the paintings I have done. The painting is acrylic, 18″ X 18″, gallery edges, using Paynes Grey, Ultramarine Blue, Cadmium Yellow, Titanium White and Burnt Sienna.
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September 24, 2016 ‘apple tree, Malone Bridge’ Jane Tims
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Copyright 2016 Jane Tims
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