It was a blessing for me to spend a lot of my time with my grandparents on the east coast of Canada.  I was blessed with a grandmother who adored animals--domestic, farm and wild. Her devotion to God’s creatures has been a staple of my life ever since.

      I enjoyed watching the family horse stick her nose through the open window in the kitchen to eat her molasses covered, stale bread from our dish pan. I marveled watching the four oversized cats as they climbed all over Grammy as she cooked, especially Fiffinella who would wrapped herself around her neck and waited for a hand-out. Hair; what hair?  No one complained, even when we extracted a fiber or two from our mouth.

      My grandfather was not as dedicated to animals as Grammy but he knew every boy needed a dog, so he saw to it that I had one.  That’s how Blackie became a part of my life. Blackie, like many a cocker spaniel, enjoyed a roll in cow dung, dead critters he’d find in the barn yard or road kill. He was an equal opportunity roller and baths became a standard part of raising the pup. But he was my dog and I loved him dearly.  Blackie and I, like Jack and I today, traveled everywhere. Today Jack and I are spoiled, traveling miles in our modified pick-up.  Back then Blackie and I made our daily rounds in the horse drawn buggy, my mode of transportation from the age of five to the day I discovered girls, about sixteen.  I was a late bloomer.

      Loving and caring for animals was a direct result of my grandmother’s modeling which allowed me to see the beauty in the wonderful world of wildlife today…I call “The St. Francis Principle.”

      St. Francis of Assisi became my patron saint, figuratively speaking.  As I grew from childhood to adolescence I became familiar with the teachings of this great Catholic saint and the love he shared with nature and its continuation through his order of priests, friars, nuns and fourth degree members.

      Serving mankind with the innocence and outpouring of love, like the free-spirited wildlife he adored, and living with minimal handouts from compassionate believers allowed Francis and his shepherds to administer to the poor, needy and helpless of the world then as now. Much of what I was taught by Grammy was straight out of the St. Francis book of logic and Good  Samaritan, not only to humans but wildlife as well. She taught by example while devoting herself to me and her family. She gave her undying love which helped guide me through the trying and challenging years of adolescence.

      Every summer morning she had me out of bed and fed by the crack of dawn before we headed to the Catholic Church on the hill where she delivered me to the priest as his altar boy for the morning mass. Talk about indoctrination and spirituality?  It helped and instilled in me an awareness of God’s laws for outreach to the needy. It awakened an awareness of right and wrong that remains with me today.

      As I developed into a nature photographer later in life I realized there was a way to create excellent images in the wild by using the St. Francis Principle.

      Animals in the wild fear man and have vivid memories of many of the atrocities we have perpetrated upon these unsuspecting creatures.  However, as Francis demonstrated if love and affection is displayed at all times to our fellow man and wildlife they respond accordingly, without fear or apprehension.

      When I began to invade the tranquility of the wild I was told to avoid leaving my scent or making too much noise and to cover up with the latest camouflage so as not to be seen. Remain still for as long as possible and the unsuspecting animal will emerge and enter the cross hairs of your weapon and then you can “harvest” it.

      The only harvesting I wanted to do was capture an image of the creature in its natural state doing what it would do naturally…be itself in front of my lens. Understanding the writings of St. Francis drew me to a simple yet effective approach to positive interacting with my subjects: enter, leave as much scent as possible, move around quietly and avoid erratic movements, be as free as possible and become one with your subjects. It doesn’t take a wild animal long to realize that you are one with them and a part of their environment.

      The concept worked and I have had many an interesting interaction with numerous species of wild undisturbed creatures. Migrating shorebirds crawl over me as I lie on the sandy beach as they search for food on their annual trek to their summer breeding grounds. Fathers of beach nesting birds bring their newborns up to me to show them off. Does do likewise with their fawns and mother raccoons have no fear bringing their pups close to this friendly human as they feed in the evening. Opossums, muskrats, rabbits and others do likewise, and it allows for great image creation.

      I sit peacefully and allow creatures to enter my space, feed and carry on as they would normally. Even the click of the shutter, which used to startle them, has little or no effect now.  Hopefully they’ll eventually be eating out of my hand.

      Grandmothers are great teachers and I thank God every day for mine and the gift she gave me, which allows me to love all God’s creatures and bring them to you as naturally as possible.

      St. Francis had a prayer he offered and it is my daily mission to honor the words contained within it. Allow me if you would to share it with you:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light, and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

To be understood, as to understand;

To be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive,

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. 
 

Thank you for being a part of Nature-n-Focus.