The Source

Self portrait of a thirty year old woman with train-hatted child in a very old house. We had just come off the Prairie Dog Central train upon arrival in Grosse Isle, Manitoba. July 2016.

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It has been many a moon since I have felt compelled to share anything from this corner. After a good spell of breathing mountain air, I am relieved to find myself back at this familiar space. Little cream metal writing desk, hello to you. Wrists resting on the old cream girl. The entire collection of Margot Pollo musings have been written at this desk on this old computer called Destiny. Proud of it! Someday I will graduate to a new set up but this one serves me well in the interim.

Out of the corner of my eye I spy two rolls of Delta waiting to be processed. They rolled out from my 6x9cm Voitlander Bessa collapsible camera (shot over Christmas to present). In my mind's eye I see two particular portaits Iain and I shot of each other while standing on his folks frozen swamp. I see a portrait of a woman called Tina standing with her daughter Nova and their horse Odessy in a circle pasture overlooking Kootenay Lake. When I tripped the trigger on that old camera while looking at the strong ladies before me, I felt a wave of release go sailing down the mountain, into the deep blue landscaped bowl below.

Grieving material things does no good for the spirit, this I know. On October 30, 2017 my Kiev died in my hands. I felt her go as I advanced the very last frame on a colour roll of portraits I was shooting at the time of my friend Kelsey and her family. It was an intense feeling; that knowing gut feeling that our time was up. What a courtesty to wait until the end of the roll to pass on. I will miss that camera and the intuitive dance we shared so oft' and easily. There is no doubt in my mind that the next camera that I take on to learn will be one that accomodates glass plates. For now I am choosing not to replace the Kiev, rather putting my other cameras to work when need be. It feels good to gear down in the photography department. My hands ached for the weight of the Kiev while cruising through the Kootenays with Jillian and Lisa. Those women took me to a beautiful hot spring at Ainsworth, BC and oooh baby did I ever cleanse my spirit at its source. My own source coursed in gratitude. Under a hot spout, I felt the weight of the past few months wash away. Good bye Kiev. Good bye the rest. Hot weight coursing down from a mysterious spout burrowed in the rock. Nature's gift. I love a good, hot nature bath.

Now it is well past midnight. My body is enjoying that funny limbo time feeling as it adjusts back into the regular rhythm of life after a few weeks away. Alert and nimble digits. As I sit and consider the last week, visual memories flash in my mind's eye. Last week at this time I was trudging up Gray Creek Pass with my lady Jillian. Last Tuesday I woke in a cozy bed in a sliver of Jillian's round cedar house. Coffee was on, a simple power-up breakfast spread awaited. We ate and laughed and readied ourselves for a long hike up the mountain in her backyard. I followed in her deep footsteps and we slowly moved up the magnificent mountain blanketed in heavy snow. The snow underfoot was damp and formed well under our boots in convenient little stairs. The air was heady and fresh in that moist forest of Balsam, Cedar, Hemlock and Pine (and lord knows what else). We walked until we reached a man called Darius' home high up. I asked for his portrait midvisit and he obliged in his green corduroy pants and matching green wool sweater. I captured his portrait on Delta 400 film running through my old 6x9cm Voigtlander. Who knows if it will come out at all. I hope it does as his eyes were a gift from the universe! Darius, the mountain gentleman living in a humble house with his pup One Eyed Jack.

I found these photos in the stack this evening and I felt the urge to share them with you here.

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Effie, Noam &myself on our way to celebrate Leo's fourth birthday. Winnipeg, MB; December 2015 Photo thanks to IDP  / Pentax 67