Bubbly Wateryness

I think I have begun an addiction to morning walks.  Even though I didn't have to get up and be out the door early this morning, I decided that I would be.  So, I left at 5:21 am to take a walk of approximately 3 kms. 

I was a little shocked when I made it to the river.  The water was very bubbly.  It looked like dishwater flowing, and I wondered, 'where is this coming from?  Is this from the cleaning that people do in their houses, or is this from factories or farms?  Is this even soap?'  How do we begin to trust that this is water that we could drink straight from the river?

I think it just comes down to what we care about, for ourselves, our children, and our communities.  It is my opinion that we are very quick to remove wildlife from our communities, so very few of us have had interaction with animals unless they were pets.  What would our community look like if the animals that lived in the area were considered part of it, instead of a nuisance, or a threat?

I know that we can't really stop using soap, but ensuring that I am using a soap that is phosphate free is a step that I have taken.  Phosphate promotes algae blooms, and as I understand it, algae blooms take lots of oxygen out of the water, leaving very little for the other forms of life that live in the water.  Phosphate free soaps are all over the place, but I am not sure about shampoos and body washes.  I have not been able to find any mention of phosphates on these bottles.

I know that there is more that I can do, but for now, one step at a time.

Heidibear Artist Profile

I was born in Kitchener, and grew up in Newton. As a teenager, my family moved to Atwood, and then from there I have lived in Listowel, London, Halifax, and Kitchener. Now, I reside in Listowel with my fantastic family. My husband is Colin, and we have 3 children, Julian (16), Liam (13), and Colette (10).


I try to live a creative life. This can be a little tricky at times because there are so many things that I am interested in doing. The framework that I use for this creativity is the practice of Core Shamanism. For the last 3 years, this has been the main tool for showing my heart the direction it would like to go. This has been the most important creative training that I have received because it helps to keep me focused and helps to show me what is important. The works that I create are mostly fibre arts. As a child I would spend hours doing what my Mother called corking. This required an empty thread spool, that had 4 nails sticking out of the top. To do this, yarn wraps and moves over the other section of yarn. What you have at the end is a long, round braid. As I was working, I used to dream and dream about all the things that I was going to make with this long braid. Then I moved on to crocheting, and now, for the last 5 years or so, knitting has been my biggest passion. This spring has me inspired to learn how to spin my own yarn, and to dye it with natural dyes, say from beets, onions, grass, or various other plants. I have heard of people using certain types of bugs, but I think I will stay away from that right now!

I also, at certain times, spend a lot of time painting with acrylics, and creating horror B-movies with my husband, Colin. I find that doing the makeup is a fun way to experiment with colour. It seems as though creating bruises with makeup is something that turns out well very often, but I also enjoy making zombies, and bite marks too.

This year has me working on a few things that are new to me. The first is that I have begun to write out patterns for the knitted items that I am making, and the second is that I am preparing for a 270 km walk so that I may listen to the Maitland River, and learn as much as I can about what it is that the water needs. The water is probably the biggest inspiration that I have right now. The state of the water of the world is in trouble, and the first step for me is to learn whatever I can about the struggles and successes of the Maitland River. So, I have begun some knitting patterns around the threatened species of the Maitland. The first will be available very shortly for purchase, it is a knitted toy of the Queen Snake.

I have also become involved in the Bead Journal Project. This project has very little in the way of rules, the only rules are that you have to commit to doing 1 bead project a month for a whole year, and that this project has to be the same size every month. I decided to start small, with a 1 inch by 1 inch square. This takes me about 5 hours with seed beads, and has turned out to be exactly the right size. At that end you may create whatever you would like with it. I think I will make a 2010 beaded wall hanging.

I am looking forward to continuing with the practice of Core Shamanism, so that I may continue to open and follow my heart path. Over the years, I am hoping to be able to learn the yarning process all the way back to caring for the animals and shearing. I also hope to learn as much as I can about the water, and through this learning be able to contribute to increasing the quality of the worlds' water, and sharing the gratitude that water inspires in me.

Canoeing is something I am itching to do again. I was out on a canoe trip 2 years ago, and fell in love with the way getting across the lake smoothly depended on so many variables. Dip, dip, and swing. Also, being trained in scuba diving is another hobby I think I would enjoy. It is one thing to see the water from above, and something totally different to actually engage it from below the surface.

The walk for the Maitland River, which I have tentatively titled, "We are all Children of the Water", will be beginning in the second week of June. I am planning on walking an average of 20 kms a day for 13 days. During, before, and after this walk, I would love to hear what you think about the river. What experiences have you had? What are your concerns? Your favourite memories of water? I would like to hear anything that you think is important.

There is also some room for others who are interested in walking or supporting the walk. Please contact me.

The Queen Snake toy pattern is coming!

I have been working hard getting the Queen Snake toy pattern completed, and it should be available for purchase soon.  This pattern is the beginning of a series of creations that are inspired by the wonderful Maitland River.  The Maitland River is me, my family, and my community.  The water of the world has the power to unite us.  It also has the power to divide us.  I listen with both sets of ears as I learn how to spread ripples of unity.

The Queen Snake is a small snake, growing no bigger than 58 cms.  It has a green or brown back, and 4 stripes on its belly.  It is nonvenomous, and loves to eat molted crayfish. They love to live in trees that hang over the water. This snake is threatened in the Maitland Valley watershed.  Often this is from habitat destruction or pollution.   

I am interested in hearing if you have seen these snakes, and would be thrilled to see pictures of these snakes in the Maitland River!