Inspiration Part 7 - Forests

Welcome back!

As I mention in this month’s Current Projects post, I lost all of the photos that were being saved up for future Inspiration articles when my laptop had an unforeseen BSOD issue. Until I can go out and get more pictures (or at least revisit the sites I had gone to), I will be forced to use older pictures I had saved elsewhere, or content from other sources.

As for a subject, it came to me after having written a few posts for November. Earlier this month, I was at a loss when it came to a theme, but one finally surfaced as I was revising my Current Projects and By the Book entries: Forests.

© Linda Little 2015

    One of my favorite spots in the world is the Opeongo Mountain resort, where our family goes camping every year. The pictures which will be displayed here are from the various woodlands on or surrounding the campground, taken during different times of the year (between May and October), so they will vary in appearance. Hope you enjoy them.

    First, we will take a look at the most prominent aspect of a forest: trees. I won’t go into extreme details on the components, types and such, or else this post would be taking up several hundred pages. Besides, how many of us actually know all that much about trees? These are details that not every character in the story you are telling should know. So instead, I will stick to what “Joe Everyman” would notice at a glance.

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

Paying close attention to trunks, branch formations, bark texture, shape and color of leaves, are all details than can help scenery descriptions in a story. Unfortunately, since most of these photos were taken in the same general area, I do not have a large variety of flora to show you.

What is most obvious from the following pictures is the difference between trees in a forest, and trees in a field. When surrounded by something that is obstructing their source of light (like other trees), a trees will shoot straight up in order to try and get as much light as possible. Whereas trees in the middle of a field or lot will spread its branches in every direction.

Before using descriptions of vegetation in your story, I recommend doing research online or, even better, go out and get a closer look yourself.

Next we have water. The following pictures will show different bodies of water found near Opeongo Resort, such as Clear Lake and Bonnechere Valley River. Water will look and feel different depending on the source, so it is important to pay attention to it when trying to describe it in writing.

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

Again, I did not have much variety in these pictures from camping (just one river and one lake), so in order to add a little more contrast, I included a few pictures of a swamp called Mer Blue Bog (photos courtesy of Linda). The pictures help give us a better idea of the difference between standing and cascading water.

For the last section of this post, I included a few random close up shots. These pictures really help us appreciate the details we can find in nature.

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

© Linda Little 2015

Getting a good feel for describing a forest setting can be important to a large variety of stories, such a Sword & Sorcery type fantasies, Horror stories taking place in isolated settings or Historical tales which happened before the arrival of technology.

That is all for this month's Inspiration post. In closing I would like to thank my wife Linda, for helping me by supplying some of the photos that were used in this post.

Until next time.

Cheers

Patrick Osborne.

Inspiration Part 4 - Abandoned shack.

Welcome back!

    This months Inspiration post is based off of another abandoned location I randomly came across. This small yet eerie shack is not too far from the side of a road my family takes when going to our camp site. We have been driving past this location for over a year now, and it wasn’t until earlier this spring, when all the leaves had yet to grow, that we actually spotted it.

    Now I can’t exactly reveal where these pictures were taken because this structure is located on private property, so I have to keep the exact location secret.  If you figure out where it is, please respect the owner and ask for permission before inspecting the area.

Both of these pictures were taken at different times of the year. The first was in early May, as the local foliage had yet to fully bloom. The second was later during the summer, where you can see the forest had taken over the shack. We can better understand by looking at these pictures, why it was so easy to miss in the past.

    This small structure has three entrances, one of which is no longer accessible because of the collapsed roof. The main entrance that faces the road, still has a door attached to it, barely. Standing in front of the building, is what appears to be a telephone pole. I am not sure if this was its true purpose, since there are no phone lines area. The sole purpose of this pole now, seems to be to hold up the “Private property, do not trespass” sign.

    Here we get a better idea of what state the building is in. The tin roof in the back of the building has caved in after a branch fell on it.

    Here we see the inside and what is left of its contents. An old boiler, a few tools, some paint cans, and the most interesting object found here; an old tractor engine.

    Looking at a site like this, it reminds me of some thriller type stories. This area feels like the perfect location where a killer would take their victim; deserted and somewhat innocent looking. Thinking outside the box, I could also see this structure in a “coming of age” story or something of the like. The kind of place kids would run off to, maybe to play in or simply to hide from the world.

Hope you enjoyed today’s exploration. I look forward to posting more pictures of my future explorations! Until then, get out there and get inspired!

Cheers!

Patrick Osborne

Inspiration Part 1 - Wool Mill Ruins

Welcome Back!

        Over the past few months, I have been helping my lovely wife Linda with her new business. One of the ways I assist her is with vendor events; I load up the car, drive her to various locations and help her set up her booth. While she is doing her thing, I am left to my own devices. Up to now, I have been using this time by reading or writing.

        Recently, I have discovered another interesting way to pass the time: exploring! Many of these vendor events are in small towns and rural villages. Many of which have historical sites, abandoned vehicles or deserted buildings. I have found that this sightseeing can be good inspirational material for writing.

           So with this in mind, I came up with a new type of post: Inspiration! These entries will contain photos of my travels, of interesting locations i have come across or just other randoms things that help get my imagination going.

        My first location was a historical site in the town of Merrickville, Ontario. Some parts of these old ruins were blocked off to the public for safety reasons, but other parts were open, allowing me to get inside the actual remains.

  

 

        Some parts of these ruins give me the impression of being a castle that suffered an attack, it’s walls broken down. But this location was actually a mill. Here is the details on the historical plaque:

“Built in 1844 -Woolen mill leased to Thomas Watchorn - later bought - ran until Nov. 1, 1954 - 106 years - standing on the upper floor, you could feel the floor move as the shuttles were thrown back and forth in the looms - there had been 2 fires and so the mortar had become unstable, resulting in its closure.”

        Hope this has inspired some of you! I look forward to posting more pictures of my future explorations!

Until next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne
(edited on 2015-12-22)