Did the Snowdrops Tremble?

I woke up late this morning and stayed under the covers, thinking for a great while about what I wanted to write about. I had this sweet little image of snowdrops that I took yesterday and wanted to post, but I had no words. My thoughts were then interrupted by a gentle shake. Then about three seconds of low rumble, and then another quick shake. No one had a hand on my shoulder trying to rouse me out of sleep.... my house was shaking.

I live in an area that is very earthquake prone. I have experienced 5 or 6 of them since moving here ten years ago...each one very different. I remember way back when I started blogging, I wrote a post about how much I loved little earthquakes. Just the little ones, because they were kind of exciting. My feelings have changed over the last few years. We islanders know that we live on a massive fault line...and that we are overdue for a big one. And I mean Big... a 9 or so on the richter scale. And while I know that this could happen anytime between now and the next 200 years, when I hear a low sound or feel any kind of vibration, my body freezes, and my heart starts to race.

I absolutely love living here. I couldn't imagine leaving. But I hate living in fear over this pending doom. It's not a question of if it will happen, but when. And considering I want to grow old here, chances are, I will probably experience one major shaker in my lifetime.

But you know, despite the fear, I have always wanted to experience the feel of an earthquake under my bare feet. I wish I could know when the next one is about to happen so I can go outside and stand in a field and feel the earth literally move under my feet. What would that feel like? Would the grass roll under my arches like the thumbs of a masseuse? Or would it be more of a tremble? Better yet, what would it feel like to lie down on my back? Would I be calm enough to do this? Probably not. I figure, a field would be an ideal place to be though. No trees or buildings to fall on you, and as long as the earth doesn't crack open and create a canyon right under you, what could go wrong?

If only I was psychic and could predict the timing of these things. For now, I will take the little 3.4 quake we just had, and be grateful it was so small. It was just the thing to get my lazy butt out of bed this morning.

Ice Cream Rescue Mission

What's a girl to do when she's stuck at home, waiting for the fridge repair guy? Why, take pictures of things around the house, of course!

I was happily editing away, while he was taking apart, then reassembling something deep inside the abyss of my refrigerator... and now that he is gone, my ice cream is turning back into a solid state. I'm so grateful for people who know how to fix things. Everything is quietly humming the way it is supposed to...the obnoxious sounds radiating from that thing this past week were pinching a nerve.

As I type, I look outside my window to discover that I am floating inside a cloud. The fog is thick and milky outside, and the inspired half of me is ready to put my coat on and take pictures of trees fading into the dreamy white. But the smarter half of me knows that the falling drizzle is not good for camera equipment.

Besides, it's getting dark out there. I think I'll stay in. I have a few indulgent hours to settle into the pages of my book before I head off to the playhouse. It is supposed to be a performance shrouded in mystery tonight...how very fitting with all this fog.

Winter Woes are Fleeting

For those of you who are winter weary ... who's knees are deep in snow and who's heavy hearts are yearning for the hope of spring, I went to find you some today. Not to worry.... little buds are opening, there are slight floral fragrances in the fresh January air, and hearts are finding their subtle way into my field of vision. Little messengers of hope, they are. They tell me that this long stretch of cold and dark is passing through, and behind it lies a wash of pastel hues and tender breezes. Each day, the sun becomes a little more hesitant to leave. It won't be long before we can feel her warmth on our skin once again.

Beach Assignment

I had a serious craving today for taking pictures. It didn't look promising. The wind was howling, the rain was unrelenting and the dark sky made the morning look as though dusk had fallen. But, I walked with a friend and her little girl in the rain and took my camera just in case.

As I was driving home, this beautiful rainbow was directly overhead. It was though the universe was trying to tell me don't give up just yet...the day is still ripe for pictures. I stopped my car immediately so I could catch this rainbow, and then decided to take a spontaneous visit to the beach. Hope was restored.

I was telling a flickr friend a month or so ago, that there is a beach about 5 minutes down the hill from where I live, and even though it's so close, I never go there. I go to many other oceanside haunts, but for some reason, I neglect this particular beach. Well, she told me that was my next assignment.

So Kiersten, these pictures are for you...

Doesn't that orange kelp look like a tree? I found them strewn all over the beach. Well, there was an extreme high tide this afternoon, so there wasn't much of a beach, but I did my best.

On the way back up to the road, I walked along a stone wall covered in moss and lichen. I was awed by what I discovered through my macro lens. I am so glad the weather turned around today!

Assignment.... complete.
Craving....satisfied. For now.

Out of the Bud

Hello, my lovely blogging friends. How are you keeping? I have a lot of catching up to do with you...I've been away awhile.

I feel as though I have been cheating. On my blog that is. You see, I spent the last week creating a new blog. Not so I can leave this one behind, because I quite like this one, and I love each and every one of you who come to visit, even you quiet ones who sneak in on tippy toes and choose not to leave your words behind. I am so grateful that you have found my space here and that you visit in whatever way works best for you.

This new blog is for my photography business. A place to put my portrait work. For clients to come and get a sneak peek at the photos from their session. I will create lifestyle posts there too, so that people can get to know me on a more personal level, but I just couldn't find a way to merge this blog and that one into one. They are entirely different.

So now I have two blogs to maintain. *gulp* What have I gotten myself into? But as daunting as it seems to me right now, I am very excited about it. So much so, I bought myself some pretty little white flowers today to put in my windowsill. Aren't they lovely? A quiet celebration. And perhaps, my soul is longing a wee bit for spring as well. And it's only January.

But so far, this year is full of hope....and it has already gifted me with new things. I feel balanced and happy, and that happens when I stay connected...to friends, to my passions, to my love for my work, to my health. I have made no resolutions, and I have not come up with a word for this coming year like so many of you do. I think I am someone who will choose freedom at any opportunity. I don't like being confined to a word, or to a task I have committed myself to. I prefer a more gentle approach. I will do what I choose to do at any given moment, and I give myself the space to change my mind. But I have general ideas about how I would like to shape the coming year. I think, most of all, I want to be kinder to myself. Just that one thing. How I will do this will evolve with the seasons, I am sure. And I love that.

So, I do hope you will visit my new space from time to time. I would be so happy to see you there. And I will make my way to you very very soon. I can't wait to immerse myself once again in your words, your images and your uniquely creative ways that inspire me so deeply.

See you soon!