Water Designs

1,382 Miles

Defuniak Springs and Paxton in Florida, up 331 north from Interstate 10. Then on to Florala, Libertyville, Andalusia, Evergreen in Alabama - the first day of my road trip. It was a needed get away, this road trip. I did a lot of driving and saw some really beautiful sights. Unfortunately the country roads have no shoulders to pull off on, high grass along side of the roads and many speeding logging trucks which greatly reduced my ability to take all the photos I wanted to. Regardless I had a great time and especially enjoyed the sights on my second day from Evergreen, Alabama through Pine Apple, Alabama up to Demopolis and to Forkland, Alabama, where I saw Bird's Farm and took a few photos of the strange sights there on the farm. You will find a link to a web site at the bottom of this page that explains a bit more about this odd place.

I drove up to Pelham, Alabama and spent my second night there. Day three was a trip up to Guntersville, Alabama - there is a great State Park in Guntersville - then I drove across to Rome, Georgia and then to Woodstock, north of Atlanta where I stayed a few days. Driving home today I drove through the early morning darkness and rain all the way from Woodstock, around 285 and through Atlanta with my brights on before I noticed it. Making enemies all along the way no doubt! Just south of Montgomery I decided to take more country roads home (Hwy 331) where I saw something I had never seen before - miles of road where very large spider webs where strung between the telephone and cable lines on the side of the road. The early morning mist made them stand out, looking like giant dreamcatchers. I took a few photos I will include at the bottom. It was actually beautiful. My photos do not do it justice but it will give you an idea of what I'm describing.

Following are just some photographs I took along the way. I hope you enjoy them. There were beautiful plantation homes, horse farms, small towns with tiny City Halls, old churches and beautiful fields and hills on this trip. It's not a trip looking at run down buildings as my photos below show. I just felt like photographing that subject matter this trip. I did not really stop all that much to take landscape photos, I just enjoyed it as I went by. And I'm glad I went!

Bird's Farm, Forkland, Alabama - http://www.ruralswalabama.org/attractions/birds-farm-at-forkland-al/

Clouds

Today was a really trying day. And so as the evening clouds started to roll on by I thought I would get out of my trying day mood and go take some shots. I just had my camera fixed and I am thinking that there is something wrong with it again as the images are not as sharp as usual - again - but good enough to get the general idea of the interesting show floating by - enjoy!

GROUCHY CLOUD

MASTHEAD CLOUD

REACHING FOR THE MOON

Pensacola Area Photos

Pensacola Bay Bridge

A Boundary Supposed

A boundary supposed is the shore.

Walking its edge

and nakedness,

beauty revealed

and being revealed

by elements soft and harsh

beating against her existence

carving

new shapes and colors

so brutal and beautiful

that I can only cry

with relief

that she is alive.

When that man came to gaze

upon her power-less-ness

he ran to collect a covering

so that he only

could partake of the beauty

so raw, so real, so gritty…

it was to be his own.

But the shore has a secret

that the man can’t know,

she is one with the sea

and

a cousin to the wind.

She cringes not at change

and doesn’t cry out

from a beating

with no regret

of the transformation.

Remembering Ivan

September 16, 2004 - that was not a good day. I have been going through my photos tonight and I ran across some Hurricane Ivan photos I shot and I realized that we are coming up on an anniversary of when Hurricane Ivan hit the Pensacola area. When something that dramatic happens to you, it's as if you go into auto pilot, at least it was for me and it's only afterwards that you realize how deeply the experience affected you. Looking at the photos I still can get a bit emotional about it. Anyway, here are some photos I shot and a poem I wrote - I think they helped me get over it.

How could you have done to us what you did, salty, beautiful blue?
Why roar at your gazing lover?
Sue, who gardened by your breezes has gone.
No voices or crabbing adventures and grandchildren playing...
who knew that one day YOU would grow ENRAGED
and take it all away.
How can I love you, trust you, though you woo me daily with your calm lapping, making up to me.
Breathing your scent I can't help myself.
Lover again.

The Canoe

On a night when
sounds drift for hours
upon the waters still
as sleep,
and the moon hovers over,
glowing upon it all,
the canoe waits so
beautifully determined,
at shores edge.

She is a patient vessel.
She is streamlined and light.
She glides easily, away.

I was sleeping when I
saw her. Encased in
sheets and sameness, resting
on favored comfort, I
saw her there, clearly,
waiting.
Sitting up, I wrote,
acknowledging her presence.

And I can't stop
loving her.
And I have no power
to un-hear
the lapping and licking
of her sides
as if each taste of her
knocks upon my heart,
"come!"
The stillness that surrounds
her cries,
"hurry!"

And the moon complicit
in illumination, steadily
declares the presence
of departure, still.

Storm Rolling In

Santa Rosa Sound, Gulf Breeze, Florida - a storm rolling in September 1, 2013

Portofino Towers - Pensacola Beach, Fl

When storms come through it looks as if almost all the color of the sky and water gets sucked out by the approaching front - but not quite all the color disappears. I tried to capture the look of it - maybe it's close. I hope you enjoy looking!

And then - it rolls back out again...