The smoke poured in from the hallways. The fire below raged like a huge demon. They could die of smoke inhalation. They could die in the flames. They could die when the floor collapsed under their feet. Or they could be free. They made a choice. Perhaps for some there was a wild glimmer of … read more Flying, falling
Tag: beauty
Roll of the Dice
When I was about 6 years old, my sister Maggie accused me of cheating in Yahtzee. Although I was a smart kid, cheating at dice was out of my league. Maggie was just mad because I was lucky. I’m not the kind of lucky where I can pick the winning horse at the track. Not that … read more Roll of the Dice
Saturday night date
It’s Saturday night. So we went out. Tom slipped into the wheelchair with amazing ease – just one day of rehab did that. We signed out and took the elevator to the first floor. No chaperone. “This is a DATE, right?” I said, our old joke. I pushed him outside, and showed him the outdoor … read more Saturday night date
Bodies of light
I’m a window person, not an aisle person. When you’re 35,000 feet above the ground, you can see how small we are, and how big the earth is. I want to see that every chance I get. The clouds from the window on the flight yesterday were spectacular. Towering bodies of bulky white, spirit formations … read more Bodies of light
Isn’t she lovely?
This pretty orb weaver has a body less than half an inch long. She’s built a nice web on my deck in a perfect location – where I won’t walk into it, but she’s catching plenty of insects to eat. We’re both happy. She has been a touch of beauty in an otherwise terrible week … read more Isn’t she lovely?
The old sourwood
I heard the BOOM and went upstairs, but I didn’t hurry. I knew what it was. A tree that falls on a road or hard ground makes a particular kind of BOOM. Once you hear it, your memory hangs onto it. There was a sourwood at my house that was leaning over the road. It had a … read more The old sourwood
The most lush spring ever
Self-centered creature that I am, I’ve been feeling as though this spring was designed and built JUST FOR ME. With a long winter of struggling through recovery from brain surgery, I felt shrunken and afraid. Then the flowers bloomed. And bloomed. And kept blooming. It has been a spring of tremendous abundance. I hoped to see one … read more The most lush spring ever
Elevation gain
A week ago, I tackled the steep mountain trail that goes to about 3,000 feet, and was delighted that I did the uphill half in 53 minutes. Wanted to do a little better this time. Another objective was to capture a photo of the flower that I was unsure of last week. Today it was clear: When … read more Elevation gain
What hurts about beauty
I slept too late and moved too slowly. When I gathered my seven pieces of colored paper, the shapes would not play. They sat stiffly in their rectangles and triangles, and waited for the time to pass until the daily call from Pakistan came and I had to answer it. After a lot of commotion, I … read more What hurts about beauty
None can compare
When I see bright, fluorescent pink in the forest, it’s usually leftover trail blaze tape or an empty Energy Gel packet. I was huffing along the trail, trying to finish my eight-plus miles in three and half hours. Looked like I’d make it. I didn’t. Because of the pink. No, it wasn’t FIRE PINK. It was … read more None can compare