Becky Till - Day 8

The big event day 

Well I got people to come and get their photo taken by this tree for a while

Even the mayor thought it might be nice idea

But, to be honest, shifting that tree around was about as close as I got. Not much of a moment. But I did get to see almost my entire family. And although they might not count as a "natural space", not much else makes me feel more grounded, more rooted, more belonged. They are my clan, my pack, just as wolves in the forest, we are bound.

Also, I ate delicious food for dinner. And that made me feel grateful for food, and food comes from nature.

Dani K - reflection

1. Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there?

I have been going to different places everyday - taking advantage of getting to know my own area and what it has to offer, heading out to explore the mountains and the beaches and all things unique to living in this particular city. The draw is that I get to give myself time to think, read, feel, explore all things that are both of the moment and that I have been carrying with me during the week. This challenge has been a sort of guided meditation - the guidance being the impetus to walk out the door.

2. What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment?

Clarity. Taking time to outwardly appreciate where I live, where I am, and allowing myself a little extra understanding. Self-care. Really noticing the joy in others. And that feeling that I had as a child when I was constantly hunting down the best hiding spots at a time where nothing was just yours.

3. How have you been feeling after your moment?

A blanket of calm. A willingness to let my life be imbued with more moments such as these because they inspire me to create more balance and appreciation in my life.

4. What is standing out? What, if anything, has been unexpected?

Even on the rainy days, I still achieved the same feeling. That there is a joy in getting bundled up and enjoying something my former self might have been hesitant about.

5. What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge?

Being slightly more aware of how I spend my days. Where is my division of work, play, self-care and social interaction.

Dani K - Day 5,6,7

I will have to be honest....day 5 consisted of making an effort to interact with my class at lunchtime in the playground and watering our bean plants by the windowsill. I might have only taken a fraction of a moment that day.

Day 6 was a little more promising. I dropped my car off to be serviced in the afternoon and I had an hour and half to devote to having my moment. This called for a chocolate chip cookie, a hot beverage for dipping, and a park. After a short walk, I settled for the public sitting area outside of JJ Bean on Main Street - instead of a parking space, there are benches and tables free from the pressure of having to purchase an item to sit there. Though not necessarily in the middle of nature, it was a pleasure to witness people taking time out of their day to have a peaceful moment in the middle of an urban area - a meeting place, a pondering place, a spot to regroup before heading back out there in this world.

Day 7 was like cheating time. I only had work in the afternoon, so I actually had a whole morning to enjoy. I was staying in Kits and I remembered that I had an old old pair of running shoes in the trunk (missing an insole, holes in the side - you know the kind) and so I begged, borrowed and threw together a piecemeal running outfit and headed out the door. The magic of Vancouver is getting to witness its beauty at times when the streets are practically bare. I ran along Kits beach and I only counted 12 other people out at that time of day. The sun was making a concerted effort, the waters were calm and the air was sprinkled with that scent of all things growing. Before I turned around, I gazed upon this fine city of ours and remembered a promise I made at age 20 with an old roomate from the prairies - I swear to never get bored of a landscape primed with giant rocks and salty water.
I pinkie swore. (and I believe it was with the same pinkie that has been through a lot lately, so you know, everything is connected....)

Becky Till - Day 6

Sometimes all you need is a new route home.

Becky Till - Day 7

Does this count?

Friday I had the lucky job of picking up 20 trees from KJM nurseries in South Vancouver. I got to pick each tree and hang out with the resident goat. It seemed ridiculous, ironic, wrong and hilarious to be trucking around a mini forest. But there I was, ripping down Granville street off-setting my carbon with every kilometer.
Oh, I also stood in the rain waiting to get this truck back from the towers. I resented the rain and the tow company the entire wait. 

Escape from school!

I have enjoyed spending my little time with nature these past 6 days. Mostly it has been my excuse to procrastinate from working on school work. I have been writing papers and much to my benefit I have been much more productive when I return from my little nature excursions.


When I am at home I spend my nature time at a park near my house. I usually come here during the summer when I have the time. But I have made a point of going to the ravine that runs through it and have noticed the beginnings of spring. The usually brown is being sprinkled with green and the birds are silenced as a walk past, then resume their incessant chirping once I pass. The ravine as always bubbles and creates a ver calming noise that almost drowns out the road 20 metres away. I am excited for spring/summer to be in full bloom, the trees and the bushes create a much more escapist feel.


When I am at school during the week I have visited two different nature spots. One is by far my favourite, the stepped pyramid in the middle of AQ at SFU. I climb to the top and sit there and marvel at the "lovely" grey sky. I have a good view of most of the campus and when I am here as opposed to the park by my house, I find myself calm and enjoy just staring at the sky (when it isn't raining).


After I am done these little excursions I usually have to go back to work on my school assignments and would rather stay in that moment of stillness and calm. The reality of the urban environment comes back when I walk up the steep path and head back to my house and have to cross the busy streets till I am home.

Cheryl & Jim Ferguson - Reflection

Cheryl Ferguson
Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there?  Walk downtown to go to Church
What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment?  Nice walking weather
How have you been feeling after your moment?  Blessed
What is standing out? Traffic What, if anything, has been unexpected? Heavier than normal
What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge? None

Jim Ferguson
Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there?  Power walk along Seawall for exercise
What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment?  Weather
How have you been feeling after your moment?  Re-energized
What is standing out? Nothing What, if anything, has been unexpected? No
What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge?  None

Michelle Simpson - Reflection

1. Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there? 

Been taking advantage of our natural spaces in the city – beaches, green spaces, even the green space in my own yard.  What draws me there – wanting to get outside

2. What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment?

World stops for a moment – a defined sense of awareness – peacefulness, contentment and a feeling of joy

3. How have you been feeling after your moment?   Happy, appreciative of the time spent

4. What is standing out? What, if anything, has been unexpected?  Feeling of peacefulness & contentment stands out.    Unexpected – how much more i enjoy it if the weather is nicer.  

5. What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge?   Can’t think of a change

Janet Moore - Reflection

Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there?

So it is clear to me so far that i definitely 'access nature' more on

the weekends than the weekdays. it is also clear that weather is a

huge factor in vancouver. On the weekend we got the beach at Jericho -

put our feet in the sand, ran down the docks to the the crab

fisherman. marvelled at sea stars. full skies. vancouver perfection.

we also went to the aquarium in stanley park and took a bike ride and

spent time checking out gardens in our hood. i could write a book of

reflections on the aquarium but that's another story for another time.

the kids had the dolphin play with them through the glass for about 15

minutes - trying to unpack what that means and how it connects to our

relationship to nature is mind boggling.

last night if we had warmer dryer weather we would have played in a

park or in the garden but instead we went to the pool at the community

centre. it made me wonder - is a pool my way of accessing water? it is

too cold to swim in the ocean so the pool will have to do.

really though the week has been rainy and busy and so my moments have

been on my bike ride home.

What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment?

I did take a moment leaving the community centre to breathe in the

trees of little mountain. I do like that about this challenge. That I

am reminded each day by Becky's voice in my head that I should 'take a

moment'. I have been doing this riding my bike home - noticing a

branch covered in moss. I stopped to take in the magnolia tree

blooming on 10th avenue. Humungous pink leaves scattered on the road.

Today I am at my office and I am now thinking I'll ride home via the

seawall to take an extra moment with the sea birds that hang out on

false creek at this time of year. I noticed them while biking earlier

this week - spent time thinking about them more than normal.

How have you been feeling after your moment?

I feel good taking an extra long breath - so that is a good thing. I

do feel like this is something that I'm not doing fully - perhaps the

'accessing' nature feels like too much - that 'appreciating' nature

might be a challenge I could get a gold star for. i do like winning

and so far I don't feel like an access to nature winner.

What is standing out? What, if anything, has been unexpected?

I think the noticing is standing out. That subtle changes can be big

changes. I notice that wanting to stop and take a picture while I ride

home feels like a disruption in the act of getting home. I've been

trying to stop on my bike when I think about the access to nature

challenge and take a photo - perhaps this is a good way to document my

moment. The moment becomes longer - stop the bike. take the photo.

take the breath. that is a huge branch covered in moss in the alley.

What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge?

I'm looking forward to the weekend so i can access nature again.

 

Becky Till - Reflection 1

1. Where have you been going and what has been drawing you there? To the closest and easiest place possible. I am taking moments on my ride home, at any place close to school, or in my backyard. I suppose convenience has been drawing me there and the commitment I made to this.  

2. What have you been noticing while you are taking your moment? Once I am in my convenient location I notice how busy my brain is, how much I don't like doing things just because I have to, how skeptical I am of natural spaces in a city, how hard it is to slot in time that does not feel productive when I am at my busiest time. And I also notice how nice it is to just slow down, how strange it is that I have to slot in "taking a moment", how climbing, jumping, and hiding are still natural to me once I get near some bushes and trees, how I get a burst of energy as soon as I am walking outside, how loud the natural spaces in this city are, how moments of privacy are few in the outdoors of the city, how sad living in the city can make me feel, how busy schedules don't make for appreciative lives. 

3. How have you been feeling after your moment? It varies from calm to energized to frustrated to totally happy. But mostly I feel good things. 

4. What is standing out? What, if anything, has been unexpected? This is way harder than I thought it would be. Weather and time play such a big role. Sunny days make for more successful moment having without a doubt. I really wonder how different this challenge would be if I had more open/wild/people free nature to access? Even without that, I'm surprised how little alterations in my schedule, that ask me to slow down and take note of pretty little nuances, actually have an impact. Taking a new route home and stopping to look at some new budding flowers and taking a walk around the block has been teaching me more than I thought it would.

5. What changes, if any, are you noticing over the course of the challenge? I wonder even more now whether humans can live in cities and still be connected... we live a fast life here, and I have became part of that, I have sped up, have synced in with the pace of this place... I haven't noticed that change in a big way during this challenge, and I wanted it to.