strangers in the house

"In my lap I had my dear little pug, the smell of whose ears will always be sweeter to me than all the perfumes of Araby and the scent of heliotrope combined."

— Kathryn Davis (Versailles)

The pugs come for a bit of playtime. They run amok in the yard, while Baker watches. He is not curious or even interested in playing but rather just sits and watches, wanting them to just leave his space. I get this, as I am often the same way. Give me the quiet of the house or garden and I am a happy woman. Lately we have done a bit of upgrading to the house and there has been strangers in and out, working in my peaceful place. I am happy they are done.

After the pugs leave I watch as Baker checks out the new smells these two deposited in his yard. Later, as we are settled in to relax, he sleeps between us on the couch, relieved it is just the three of us once more.

***

what i am after

“The things we felt most are hardest to put into words. Hate is always easier to speak of than love.
How shall I make love go through the sieve of words and come out something besides a pulp?”

― Josephine W. Johnson, Now in November

I take photos of things I love, things that move me in some way or manner.
I am not always centered, or in a good place mentally, but I seek out the photo anyway.
My camera is not always set to deliver the sharpest image, or the best, in truth I am never after that.
What I am after is a way to capture the mood, the feelings, the awareness, and the love, that lies deep inside of me.

change

“It's frightening when things you love appear suddenly changed
from what you have always known.”

― Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible

I make a list of things I would like to change. . .
habits I would like to break . . .
thoughts I would like to let go of . . .
I am not sure what is more frightening -
the possibility that I might be a tiny bit successful -
or the thought that I won’t -

with grace

"Rain is grace; rain is the sky descending to the earth; without rain, there would be no life."

- John Updike

The rain pours all day, and well into the evening. I watch a movie, read a bit, and contemplate how I might fill the long rainy season ahead. Contemplating how to balance loneliness with love, gracefully.

***

bird watching

"Autumn leaves don’t fall; they fly. They take their time and wander on this, their only chance to soar.
Reflecting sunlight, they swirled and sailed and fluttered on the wind drafts."

— Delia Owens (Where the Crawdads Sing)

Black-Eyed Junco

I sat outside in the late afternoon with my camera. He had raked the last of the leaves and the red maple was almost bare. I pulled my hood up over my head, allowing only the lens to peek out. It didn’t take long for the birds to settle in.