

photographed september 20, 2020

We were packed in the car with the windows down. I swipe at the mess of hair blowing around in front of my eyes and sit up tall so I can see out. A sharp curve takes the car over the hill, and we pass cows out to pasture. A wire fence, tall weeds along the side of the road, and Queen Anne’s Lace.
A long time ago.
winding road
hair flying every which way
grassy hills and open fields
farms and cows and weeds
everything a kid could see
I’ve never been to Paris. Or Rome, or Hawaii. But … I have looked up from a spot near the end of the beach to see the Milky Way, suspended across the sky on a dark and moonless night.
On the last day of June, I took an evening walk along a trail through the woods. All around me, here and there, I saw flimsy wildflowers like the ones in these pictures. They grew along the path. And, in the distance, there were pockets under the trees, out in the deeper parts of the woods. You’ve probably seen them where you are too, in the woods or along a road. It was already sundown and the light was fading when I noticed them. Small bright forms out there among the dark green tones of the forest.
Do you remember those little tree spirits from Princess Mononoke? The Kodama? Bright, almost glowing. Tiny, almost shapeless. Cute, but almost creepy. Odd wide-eyed creatures perched high on the tree limbs and lined up along the mossy grounds of a Great Forest that existed centuries ago, somewhere in the ancient folklore of Japan.
My mind wanders when I write. That’s a long way from Paris.
Photographed June 30, 2020
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They may not be used elsewhere or reblogged.
Please visit my other blog, Clover & Ivy, https://cloverandivy.wordpress.com.
I post mostly nature photos there.