The woods are silent this morning. Still. A gentle fog has rolled in from the lake, shrouding the world in misty silence. It is beautiful. Serene. Mystical.

And in their mysterious sheath, heroes walk. Heroes of everyday makings. Heroes who serve and help and smile as they go about doing their everyday business with extraordinary style.

Yes, it is Saturday. Time to celebrate heroes in our midst.

Ula, one of our hosts here at Barry’s Bay is a hero. Yesterday, we went off to discover leaves falling and reflections on the water in Algonquin Park. C.C. and I rented a Mustang convertible for our journey. Electric blue it’s sleek and powerful and on a day like yesterday, a real attention getter. Especially if the roof is down and your passenger is wearing a knitted hat that resembles a dog’s face complete with grey furry ears that flap in the wind!  (I’d post the photo but can’t from this computer — later!)  We had a blast and Ula made it even more fun with her outrageous get-up and welcoming smile where ever we went.

Ula is a hero.

We were too late for lunch at Killarney Lodge but the gatekeeper didn’t hold it against us. While ‘outsider’ guests are not generally welcome outside of meal times, he let us on the property so we could wander the trails and take pictures of the flowers and trees. “I like your car… and hat,” he added with a welcoming smile.

The gatekeeper and everyone who keeps the area so beautiful and serene, are heroes.

On our way back from gawking at the leaves yesterday we stopped for a late lunch at the Mad Musher Restaurant in Madawaska. At the table beside us a young couple shared a meal and oohed and aahhed over their young 8 week old son, Ryder. Watching that couple, chatting with them, witnessing their love and excitement over their child, I felt wrapped in a world of possibility. I remembered those days of new born awe. Such beauty. Joy and trepidation all wrapped up in one. And always, the knowing that what you are embarking on is of great importance to the world. Shepherading in a new birth, a new life to this world of wonder is a significant and courageous task.

New parents everywhere are heroes.

And…. how can I not give a shout-out to Nature? Her magnificence. Her beauty. Her stunning display of colour, texture, tone, depth. Yesterday, surrounded by leaves turning, by blue sky soaring into infinity, by water stretching from tree lined shore to tree lined shore where birds flew high and squirrels and chipmunks chittered in the trees and deep in the forests unseen beasts roamed, I breathed deeply of nature’s bounty and was grateful. Deep within the rapture of the moment, I felt nature wrap her arms around me as I fell into awe with the wonder and majesty of the world all around.

Nature is a hero and those who safeguard her forests and lakes are heroes too.

And… to set the mood for celebrating heroes and nature all around, below is a video of David Arkenstone’s Magic Forest.

David Arkenstone and all those who create music and art to celebrate nature all around us are heroes.