I have a strange connection with our landscapes, one that is hard to define and put into words. Originally born and raised on the prairies, I find Vancouver Island provides a constant source of discovery and wonder for me as we travel up and down the ribbons of highway seeking something that definitively expresses life on the island.
Farm – Cowichan Valley BC Canada
People have lived on the west coast of Canada for over 10,000 years. By and large the impact of that existence is subtle, and in many cases entirely invisible. Since colonization and the population boom that it brought with it, we find the landscape is going through changes as man and nature live in harmony.
Some of these changes take on deeper meaning for the observer. Items used for years are left where they last functioned, likely with the notion that at some point in the future they would be repaired and brought back to life and service. Sometimes these thoughts come from a place that is overly optimistic, and time continues its relentless march forward. With it comes an ever-changing landscape that when noticed in specific vignettes helps to form the character of the place.
Farm – Cowichan Valley BC Canada
A horse in a pristine field is juxtaposed against the distinctly man-made elements around it. Power lines, rusty barrels and barbed-wire fencing try to contain and shape the world. It’s an endless struggle, one we are destined to lose.
And in this ever-changing landscape we find that which defines us as a society and community. This is who we are and how we choose to live on this tiny spec of an island. It’s all part of the very fabric we love and call home.
Photo Credits
All photos are © Scott Johnson – All Rights Reserved
Photos originally featured in blog post – One Truck Pony
Recent Scott Johnson Articles:
- A Settler’s Story
- Sweet Desolation
- The Second Life Of A Rusty Tugboat
- Reaching For The Heavens
- Greet The Morning
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