Dec 9, 2004

Dec 9, 2004
9 a.m.
at home
Sunny and bright, almost warm, quite a change from the past few days that have been blustery, cold and wet.

Coming back to the house after dropping off the kids for school, I notice how nice the light hits my unkempt garden. So I start my day with art.

After noon, Antelope Community Park -

The joys of an over-exposed image! I can't believe how much all of my camera paranoia has gripped me, maybe I can begin to shake it off now.

Now I'm sitting on a log in the sun - better than the bench in the shade - off the path to the far right of the photo above.

Birds chirp, chick, tweet, whistle, squeak in the trees around me yet remain largley unseen. Searching with my eyes I've spotted a magpie, scrub jay, a couple blackbirds and plenty of unidentified movement among the oak leaves. I hope they all stick around once the park is "developed." A bond measure for the desperately-needed new high school finally passed, and is slated for the adjacent property. There are plans for ball fields and skateparks and parking lots on this land, I pray they do it wisely.

Lovely little toadstools I came across - nearly stood on my head to get this shot, or so it felt.

The little toadstools make a contrast with the oaks -

Now a tiny beetle lands on my page, tries to take back off, flops back onto the page several times, then finally succeeds in flying away. Sometimes I feel like the toadstool in the shadow of mighty oaks or like a tiny beetle that can't manage to even take flight. At least I know that as long as I'm on God's page, I'm in the right place - (oh Lord, that sounds so corny!)



Meandering around, I come on this oak - the image I saw so much grander than this and if I were so inclined I could work it again to show you - but as I came closer there was a little ladder that caught my eye. I had been thinking that I didn't need to hide the fact that this lovely tree lives in suburbia, like I'd done in images before, and then I truly saw the heart of the matter.

This tree had been the source of dreams and great adventures. What youngsters, maybe aided by an elder, had been lured into the arms of this lovely giant? What secrets have been shared here? What hopes - what dreams - or naughty schemes? No matter, this tree would not have lived such a social life out far in untouched wilderness, and we would not have enjoyed it so.

Then, up farther, more obscure among the branches and golden leaves, a newer home of a different creature, a large nest made of twigs. Whose nest exactly, I'm not sure, but it doesn't really matter. This is nearly a magical place where people and animals have come together.

I hear too much about the evils of suburbia and sprawl and our car culture but it isn't all that bad. Some of us enjoy more space and less urban living where we can breathe a little easier. And just sit and listen to the birds.