There is something special about Found Time. Time is something easy to waste. I often lose track of time, but this weekend, I was fortunate enough to have found time.
I was supposed to be volunteering at the Fall Colours Marathon in Ottawa, however the email from the organizer to volunteer Saturday for a Sunday race meant that I had suddenly found myself with a free morning. I had the gift of found time, to do anything that pleased me! The weather was too perfect to waste. We were right in the middle of a brilliant Indian summer – gorgeous sunny days with summer like temperatures. That was it – kayak loaded and camera in the dry bag – I was off to paddle in Wakefield.
The beauty of found time is that it comes with no expectations. Just enjoy! As life gets so crazy busy and planning becomes a four letter word, it was so wonderful to just get out on the water, float along, watching life around me wake up! The only other people on the river when I arrived were two fishermen. The river was mine. As I paddled south, activity along the river started to come alive – I watched a family load their seaplane before taking off for their weekend adventure, other boats started to arrive, both canoes and kayaks, as families and friends got out to enjoy the day.
The fall colours are out. They are becoming more vibrant every day. It was a perfect morning to relax.
I found a rock platform in the sun to sit on, pulled out my notebook and contemplated time.
Before you knew it, and far too quickly, my found time came to an end…..time to paddle home and start the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Found time – kayaking in Wakefield
What do you do with found time?
Where do you go to contemplate?
Here are a few more photos from my morning of found time.
love it!
Posted by blisstravelsnews | October 9, 2011, 9:08 amThis post certainly describes our modern lives; time becomes an enemy sometimes. Found time is a surprise gift. Whenever I get this wonderful present I get out into the mountains or head for one of my favourite city places to think, walk and shoot (photos of course). Nothing rejuvenates the soul like a few minutes or hours of found time. Great post!!
Posted by Steve | October 9, 2011, 10:50 amThanks for sharing your time full of magical moments. It is a pleasure to watch your photos and appreciate your philosophy to see the simple things in life.
Sorry for my basic English.
Adiós¡
Cruz
Posted by 1cruzdelsur | October 9, 2011, 11:32 amGracias Cruz!
Posted by Anita Mac | October 9, 2011, 2:33 pmLove the post – looks like a blast:) I find the hiking trail a great place to relax and think. There is nothing better than getting outside and becoming one with the outdoors and nature – love it!
Posted by Renee | October 9, 2011, 5:03 pmThanks! It was a blast. I love to hike too – especially at this time of year! Looking forward to getting out in the trails while we still have all the leaves! Very gorgeous right now.
Posted by Anita Mac | October 9, 2011, 8:07 pmHola there,
I really loved your post about found time – what I found is that you need to have something like that every once in a while, take time to sort out all those thoughts which have not been contemplated yet, for otherwise you are going to drive yourself crazy one day. I just made that experience a few weeks ago – and once again realised that there is a great difference between simple sleep and real rest and relaxation.
Whenever I need to contemplate something, I normally ride my bike from Marburg to Amöneburg (in Germany) on a nice, clear day, and then sit on the ruins of the castle of Amöneburg for a few hours. Amöneburg is a city on top of the only “mountain”, so to speak, for a few kilometres, so on a clear day all you see is a wide expanse of land and a blue, blue sky. My father once told me that in order to find a new perspective in your thoughts, it helps to change your physical perspective too, to find a place which allows you to overlook a certain stretch of land – I found that this idea is really true.
Furthermore, going there by bike really helps as well – the trail along the river is beautiful, and when you keep going at a certain speed and only concentrate on driving, all your “junk” thoughts slowly wash away until you are able to focus on a single, important idea – like meditation, only based on activity. It’s more my style, I need to get rid of all the excess energy in my body, so I go swimming and running a lot.
Maybe you should add that biking trainl in Hessia in Germany to your bucket list – it’s a beautiful country, especially in spring or late summer/early autumn, when it’s not as hot as in July.
Have a great Thanksgiving! Bis dahin,
mylady phoenix
Posted by myladyphoenix | October 9, 2011, 7:17 pmI hear you – love to get out on the bike! Still hoping to travel to Germany – and I love castles! Will look into the trail – sounds like fun.
Posted by Anita Mac | October 9, 2011, 8:06 pmYou might really want to go and visit Marburg then – it’s inner city looks quite medieval, with a lot of old Fachwerk-houses, narrow alleys and quaint little shops. And, of course, it’s also one of the few town which actually has a castle on top of it. It’s one of the reasons why chose to go there for my studies – the city has a feeling of past times and timelessness to it, an air which is different from all those modern towns I was used to before I moved there, so that as a classics student, I feel quite at home in Marburg. Amöneburg is smaller, and the only remains of the castle are some ruins, but the view is absolutely incredible. When I am back home from Canada (I’m on an exchange at MtA right now, one of the first things I’ll do is explore both cities and “connect” with them again.
Have a great Indian Summer and enjoy your next travels! Bis dahin,
mylady phoenix
Posted by myladyphoenix | October 10, 2011, 10:55 amSo thoughtful and true. I often race from one thought to the next while on route from one activity to the next. My husband recently forced me into some found time and I loved it. An hour alone in a coffee shop with my favourite drink and a newspaper. It was heavenly!
Posted by mypostcardsfromhome | October 12, 2011, 8:50 am