Day: November 17, 2019

Stream of Consciousness Saturday: Dream, November 16, 2019

Published on by Russell SmithLeave a comment

In a dream, I am underwater, trying to swim to the surface. It is cold. I am naked and so afraid of drowning. My lungs are bursting. I decide I can’t take it anymore and I inhale the water. Nothing happens. I can breath. I am a fish. I am free. The surface is no longer a destination. It is a barrier.

Voices calling from far away… my father, my grandmother, my wife and my sister, and many others beckon me to come. I dive. I must follow. I cannot stay.

[This photograph is of Weems Creek, one of my favorite spots in Annapolis. It was taken just yesterday at dawn. The water was smooth and reflective like glass. I decided to rotate this image 180 degrees so that the sky is at the bottom and the water is at the top. I like the effect. What do you think? The above lines were totally unrehearsed. They poured out of me in a few seconds, in keeping with the spirit of this challenge which I am growing to love with all my heart. Thank you, Linda Hill!]

#SoCS

Jez’s WWE Challenge: November 11, 2019

Published on by Russell Smith2 Comments
There’s a good reason why I love the Water Water Everywhere challenge.

Here in Annapolis, there’s one thing that we’ve got in spades and that’s water. Situated on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, there are creek beds and rivers aplenty. It’s a fisherman’s paradise and a boater’s dream. Like any good Annapolitan, I must chastise real estate developers and farmers because runoff fertilizer and silt are destroying our ecosystem. Livelihoods have been lost. The watershed is damaged. It’s a mess.

There is hope. The Chesapeake Foundation Save the Bay fights vigilantly for healthy rivers, clean streams, and a saved Chesapeake Bay. Please go to their website. See what they’re doing. If you think you can support them, please do so. It’s all one planet and it’s the only one we’ve got.

#Jez Braithwaite #Water Water Everywhere #WWE

Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge #45

Published on by Russell Smith11 Comments
As is so often the case, I need to thank Cee for introducing me to this challenge.

I don’t know exactly how old these sturdy, cast-iron chairs in the front yard may be, but I suspect that they date back to the Great Depression. Having been painted and repainted over the decades, the resulting pentimento (to abuse the term) gives them great character. The sit in a lovely spot where the vines have really taken hold of the trees and provide excellent ground cover. I like to invite friends to sit with me, drink coffee or tea and watch the neighbors go about their business. Birds, squirrels and a myriad of insects have made a home here, and I often sit and meditate upon them.

#XingfuMama Pull Up a Seat Challenge