Garry Fen

A fen is low land covered wholly or partially with water; boggy land; a marsh. Rather banal as such, but Garry Fen is so much more — a rich ever-changing canvas, teeming with colour and life. Farming dominates Glengarry, but at the fen, one gets the impression of having been transported deep into the boreal forest, immersed in extensive wetlands that few traverse.

Generally, the St Lawrence Lowland mixed wood forest dominates, but here, tamarack, cedar, spruce, birch, hemlock, push hard into the maple and other hardwoods. The only species missing to complete the northern effect is black spruce. Then again, one easily finds to find pitcher plants all along the shore, occasionally along with the another orchid, the pink lady slipper.

I have watched osprey circle above, scared American bitterns from their shore nests, watched geese and mergansers fly off the lake, listened to numerous warblers and other forest birds. Once, a very angry beaver circled round and slapped his tail numerous times, hoping to send me away, and I have had to carefully walk past large snapping turtles sunbathing on the boardwalk.

Yet, the most entrancing spectacle is the play of water, forest and sky. I have shaken my head in disbelief numerous times in wonderment at the daily variation in character, from nuanced subtle muted tones to exploding shards of vivid textured colour. So often, I have been in this gallery on my own, awestruck and grateful for my good fortune.