Winter sunsets

Inlet Beach is so beautiful. I hope it stays this way.

Heart of the Matter

When a tree goes down it is usually quite a cataclysmic affair. Lightning, fire, even old age. This tree's heart has decayed. Its death starting from the inside. It lived a full life. Many burls on its trunk. The sound of it coming down must have shook all around it.

Today was the perfect day for me to find this treeheart on my walk. I have been reading a book about aging. Last night I read a passage that says most people close up their hearts because of fear. Fear of the magnitude of their feelings.

Fear of the magnitude of their feelings. When I found this tree those words rang in me like a bell. Then it started to rain.


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In My Neighborhood

Grant Park is such a beautiful place in the heart of our neighborhood. Lots of people come and have family picnics. This is a common sight on a Monday afternoon. I used to think this was a malicious act but after a conversation I had the other day I am rethinking it. I spoke with an employee at Home Depot who was talking to me about grills. He actually said that charcoal was biodegradable. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. I told him about the petrochemicals in self-lighting charcoal. He honestly had no idea. So now when I see this in our park I know it is because people just are not informed.



Lichens in the waning light of day.













Remains of rampant ivy on the tree on the corner.









Sunset walk, sunset colored hibiscus, marsh mallow.










Crepe paper end of day crumpled flower.









Click on images to enlarge.

Out West

Recent trip with my friend and her two sons who are my godsons. Much unspoken about being a godmother. The spiritual path can only be glimpsed when the door is open. This trip helped us at least find where the door is.

This seemed to be the most classic Old West photo of all I took. Even if it is shot at "High Noon."




I loved the palette and the weathered patterns. Muted light in the shadows of big rock formations at Arches National Park.






A rustic old log cabin from early settlers in the area that is now the National Park.









Changing light on dried grasses.

Uptown

The opening at Uptown Gallery went well. uptowngallerynola.com Everything flowed. The space is an old Victorian home converted to a gallery. Deedra and Dan and Renae in these photos with me. Thank you to you wonderful people who were there for me/with me. The show continues to November 14th.

Just Passing Through

Many unforeseen things have happened in the last few weeks. Glad that there was a wedding to go to in between the funerals. Just tell the people that you love, how much you love them. Now.

Urbania

Woke up with a start last night. I knew something big had fallen but was too tired to get up to see. This morning when I walked outside I saw a big limb from one of our Silver Maples was down. It had been hit by a truck in the night. There are scars on the branches hanging over the street where the truck had hit it. This is the second time this has happened in the night. The big old Dogwood took a hit a few years back. When it was hit it sounded like a bomb going off. I chased the truckdriver down the street at one in the morning. The old trees in our neighborhood are threatened on so many levels. They are here so long and live through so much. Pictures of trees on the California coast and of the trees in Pensacola after Ivan.