texture

A few weeks ago we had a warm spell and PK and I went out to the beach for a walk. I was feeling a little cranky for some reason, and had left my camera at home, perhaps thinking "same old beach, same old photo opportunities, blah blah blah..." We drove down the long entrance road to the nature preserve, past hordes of people walking along the sides of the trails and generally clogging up our progress. The road turned to dirt, and we dodged potholes full of thick grey mud that splashed over the windshield and smeared across the hood. Eventually, we left the crowds behind and made our way out to the end of a lonely spit of land. As we walked around the corner of the beach, the sun slipped down on the horizon, and I kept finding my attention drawn to the little ripples of windswept sand. Over and over, I "borrowed" PK's camera and lagged behind, watching the way the sand grains moved with the wind, caught on a ridge and sank into one another. Though I never quite captured the moment, I realized the importance of letting go of preconceived notions and sinking in the moment and its opportunities. Such a simple idea, but one that is too easy for me to forget...

let the sun shine in...

This morning I was running late for work-not horribly late, I was just on track to get there 20 minutes early instead of 40. Usually I drive to work in a bit of a daze, numbed by the cold and the dark and whatever horrible tragedy is playing out on the morning news. This morning I noticed the world changing from black to grey to a beautiful pale blue as the sun started coming up over the distant trees. I haven't driven to work in light since early fall, and it warmed my brain to have some exposure to sunshine before entering the flourescent false daylight of school. Once again, I am awed by the earth's cycles and feeling re-energized by the return of spring. It must be time to start planning this year's garden...

"There is a vitality, a life-force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time this expression is unique. and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost. The world will not have it! It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."

-Martha Graham

Another Mountain New Years

Once again, I spent New Year's Eve on a mountain, watching the snow fall quietly down, landing in whispers and hush. It was a long trek in, made longer by my heavy pack of warm clothing and 0 degree bag, but as I climbed the steep slope of the last quarter mile of trail, I was rewarded with a temporary break in the snow, and a view of the mountain valley that stretches beyond the hut.

The sun began to set just after I arrived, and I settled myself down to while away the old year with a great group of friends. Laughter was more frequent than words, and I was often content to just sit back and listen to the happy chatter around me. After a long while, the clouds parted again, and we had a single glimpse of the full moon, the second of the month, and I had many reasons to be thankful that I have the warm gift of friendship from such wonderful, creative, adventurous people-not just on the blue moon, but all the days of the year.

Inspiration: Gregory Colbert's "Ashes and Snow"

This pair of beautiful short films are a compilation of images from artist Gregory Colbert's nomadic art exhibit "Ashes and Snow". Colbert's work is a multimedia exhibit that incorporates visual, musical and written elements, and portrays man and animal as partners in a graceful dance of life.  More information on the exhibit can be found here. I can think of no better way to start off the new year than drawing inspiration from Colbert's incredible films and unique vision of the world around him. The first clip is an introduction to the concept, and the second a much larger collection of images. Happy New Year!