Out beyond the place where we lived – a restaurant, a home, a gathering place – there was a stretch of landscape, deep ice and snow, a river and pathways still in the clutch of winter’s deep freeze.
There I found Gerald’s body.
As I stood there, feeling the violence inflicted on First Nations people again and again, he began to rise up – an ascension, a resurrection.
His back was towards me as he floated up into clouds and sky.
* * *
I turned over in bed, the disoriented waking of the morning, all identity and story still clinging to the whispers of strange images, oblique narratives, and there amongst the sheets I found a small slip of paper, the size of the paper fortune from a Chinese fortune cookie.
How sweet!
Where could it have come from?
Perhaps the library book disheveled in one corner of the bed?
Which would mean some sweet inspired soul had written it on a piece of paper and slid it in the book to be found by strangers…
* * *
It seems I’ve been in a deeper hibernation than usual this past winter – a number of people have been in touch asking: Where the heck are you? Are you still there???
On the one hand I’ve been intensely quiet, burrowed down inside like a bear in winter, reluctant to venture outside now that I’ve set up my studio at home…
And with a bit of a breather on the work front, just one slow-moving independent film job on my plate for the moment has meant there are not too many obligations around town…
Yet on the other hand there have been a number of planes, trains, and automobiles – a few wee winter adventures, opening up horizons and yielding the nurturing influx of friendship and art –
One, a retreat with my beloved dream teachers in Vermont
Another, a week puttering around NYC with a friend, a place I haven’t been in far too long, exploring the great city in all its glory and looking at as much art as we could…
And then a packed full long weekend in Montreal with dinner parties, vernissages, and the unfortunate news of the loss of an old dear friend made bearable in the bosom of so much love and creativity…
I’m hoping this very quiet stretch is almost over, and like a caterpillar that has been naught but a gooey cocoon for months, I’ll emerge resplendent and colourful with the coming spring, posting up a storm about dreams and painting and, with any luck, a little more travel…
We will see 🙂
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Superb to see you around!
Hey buddy! Great to see you!!! You have been a little quiet lately as well, methinks. Hope all is well. The news coming out of Brazil is never dull… How did the water situation in Sao Paolo get worked out? 🙂 K
Rain god returned… so in typical Brazilian style, everyone has gone back to wasting water.
Ah…. Human nature, I suppose.
Hi Katharine
Long time no read.
I’ve sent you emails that seem to have found their way nowhere.
How are you doing?
I like your horsy head. Last time, if I remember, it was a lion or a tiger.
Love your photographs as well.
Do take care
Maurice
Hi Maurice, glad you are well. Best, K
Glad to see you’re back at it. I’ve been a bit of a blogging slacker for far to long myself. Though of late I’ve been making an effort to get back on something resembling a regular and frequent writing schedule.
Aha! So I am not the only one… But I think you have been hiking and taking photos all the while, is that right? I seem to have stalled a bit on the desire to do the processing piece of the photos so I’ve been trying to not take quite so many…
I never really slowed down with the picture taking, that I try to make time for as often as I can. It’s actually become easier and more joyful since my switch from Canon to Fuji a little over a year ago. I just love carrying that little camera(Fuji X-T2) around so much more than the big heavy Canon 5D MkIII.
The blog itself just kind of fell behind as I wasn’t making the time to sit down and write something. I’m trying with moderate success to get back on a regular writing and posting schedule, aiming for at least once a week.
Good for you. Sitting down and writing is not as much fun as climbing a mountain to catch a sunrise, so I totally get it….
No it isn’t, but it’s my blog more than pretty much any other online outlet for my photography that has brought me the most success.
I too have missed the one of a kind, beautiful you.
*blush*…
So good to read you, K, I could scroll on and on through your musings and images forever.
Hey lovely you, thanks so much for kind words…