Place Where You Live:

Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada

An unfair rendition of an all-star cast

I recently had the honour of travelling to Williams Lake with the horse and bike riders from the Tsilhqot’in communities of Tl’etinqox and Yunesit’in. As is often the case, it was the small things I observed along the way that made the experience so memorable. One of my favourite memories includes watching the way the Aspen stand trembled at our first camp: for a brief moment, when the wind was just right, those Aspen staged a mesmerizing show, like flickering silver-green flames teasing an insouciant sky. As a forest technician, I’ve spent quite a bit of time around Aspen, observing them throughout the various ecosystems of this region as they transition through the seasons, and I’ve never seen them present such a performance. A photo could never do it justice and by the time I had my equipment ready to record a video, the wind had died. So, all I have is the footage recorded in my mind and my best efforts to translate frames to paper – an unfair rendition of an all-star cast in action.