On Dandelions and Icebergs

So there I was, camera in hand in one of the most incredibly beautiful places in all of Canada, and what do I photograph? A sight that I can see in my own backyard. Or front yard. Or side yard. Or any field and ditch for miles around.

I guess what that says to me is that it doesn't really take all that much to inspire or amuse me. It's a fact that I'm just as attracted and amazed by the simple and common as I am to the spectacular and magnificent.

Dandelions and icebergs actually have far more in common than you might think. They both appear at this time of year, for a relatively short time. There are people who really dislike the dandelion ... and some of us who herald its arrival as solid confirmation of spring and new life. It's hard to imagine, but icebergs pose an irritation and inconvenience to some as well - to those whose harbours get blocked or nets and traps get destroyed. There are people for whom icebergs are so common and such an ordinary part of life that they don't oooh and aaah and get their get camera out when they see one.


AND ... they both are used for making wine. You can actually have wine made with iceberg water shipped right to your home from Aukland Winery in Twillingate.

They're also both very fleeting - here one day & then a wind comes and blows them totally out of sight, and all they are is a memory of Spring Past.

I found it interesting ... while the prime-time flower appears to be exactly the same, the mature Newfoundland dandelions look like they have thick little fur coats on, where our Ontario variety- wispy, fragile little things, only take a half of breath to dissipate.

Are dandelions, when you actually look at them closely, and think about how that tiny wee seed can sprout in the most adverse conditions, any less amazing than a big hunk of ice?

I love Spring. I love Dandelions. And Icebergs. And Ontario and Newfoundland. I love my home Here and There. And my friends Here and There. Travelling back and forth between the two makes me look at things closer and savour it all with a greater depth and appreciation. Perhaps one day I'll make some Dandelion Wine with Iceberg water ... I shall call it DandyBerg Whine ... I want it ALL to last longer!