May 18, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

Am back up at the cottage for five more days of solitary work and hibernation. This is likely to be my last solo voyage to Poplar Beach as the cottage is getting sold soon! (boo.) But I am so so so grateful for all the magical and incredible times I have spent here over the last 15 years. I will never forget. I have been deep deep into my writing and studies this trip. It has been totally drippy wet and unfortunate out, so I haven't been spending much time running about the forests and beaches. Instead I have been focusing inward and soaking my brain full of new knowledge. Have been working on a bunch of new tunes- both vocal and instrumentals. Am writing a song in honour of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and my favourite poem Kubla Khan . It is for him and all other artists and poets who had -and still have to- go to the very deepest darkest writhing pits of torturous artistic despair in order to birth their great art. But I'd know nothing about that... xo, K

May 2, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

LOVE the spring, all the wee trilliums abloom and little birdies aplenty. Am at the cottage on Lake Huron for some more crazy-making creative hibernation. This always involves various kinds of writhing and flailing and tearing of one's hair out (and often -in the finer season- some serious barbecuing and triple-fermented beer-drinking) ...until you finally arrive at some crafty and glorious self-satisfied epiphany. Love that! Worth it every time. Makes me want to do gymnastics at sunset on a cliff edge, (see below) -o yeah!

Purrrr. xxo

February 28, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

Back from the "balmy" south to my winter wonderland of vast frozen lake-dom. Just got in from playing in the snow. How fun! Now, time to snuggle up with the fire and finish a new song or two... xxx

Edge of the Icy World... more photos

February 7, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

Well, the storm finally broke and it was a bad one. Spent 2 days without power in the frigid brrrr curled up close to the wood stove. Had to haul borrowed wood from 2 cottages down along the ferociously blustery shoreline cliff with the ice pellets blowing in my eyes and everything. My new official name is Svetlana Ice Princess of the North. Got to make biscuits over the fire, YUM and spent lots of time in the dark Thinking. But all is back to blue skies now and am so happy to have the power back- to grind my coffee. Yay for that.

xo
Svetlana, K

Snow-Angel

February 2, 2006
Poplar Beach, ON

Am currently in writing hibernation at the cottage on Lake Huron. Warm fires and cold crashing waves beneath the gloomy gloomy gorgeous grey sky... In the name of Groundhog Day woke up at the crack of dawn to see if I could see my shadow. So- No shadow: it seems that spring might cometh early, after all.

June 2, 2004
Poplar Beach, ON

How glorious Lake Huron is shimmering in the golden red setting sun... Full moon bonfire tonight on the beach. I've got some things to burn. (Let me tell ya.) Bring it on!!

burn baby burn,
xox
K 

The view from here...

October 9, 2003
Poplar Beach, ON

Oh Glorious Day!! My aunt and uncle have graciously let me come stay at their beautiful cottage while they gallivant about Italy. Lucky me. Soon as I got up here my whole body just went Ahhhhhh and I'm starting to remember about important things like breathing and resting and eating.... Mmmmmmmm. It feels SO good to be back in the homeland after six weeks on the road. The whole tour itself was an incredible journey of epic proportions with all the critical and necessary mythological elements: 

1) Hero leaves home on journey to save the world from evil (whilst looking super fine) and will hopefully stay alive long enough to throw the bad nasty precious ring into the fire pits of Mordor.

2.) Hero faces many challenges along the way and is waylaid by great tempests and the irreconcilable wraths of Nature. Next, Hero is stricken by thunderbolts blazing down from the hands of the Divine. Then, Hero encounters no-good evil-doers and small creatures in need of large amounts of saving.

3.) Now, Hero is forced to face the very darkest depths of him/herself and in the struggle is nearly lost forever.

4.) Hero has many subsequent enlightenment's, nearly dies only once or twice then surely manages to overcome all obstacles with irrepressible strength and will.

5.) Hero makes it to the final feared and coveted destination, has one last catastrophic moment of pivotal melodrama then manages to save the world from the undesirable encroaching apocalypse. Good one!

6.) Hero returns home in wicked need of a shower, has a delicious meal of roasted organic root veggies, gets many kisses from the dog, and will never EVER again be the same.

The End.